The Maine Ingredient

From a few recipes, multi-meals
By ANNE MAHLE
Portland Press Herald

There are a number of other meals that could come from these recipes, a state of affairs that always warms my frugal heart.

It's not standard practice for me, but today I'd like to encourage your creativity and sense of adventure by giving you both recipes with exact amounts and clear instructions AND suggestions for how you might play with leftovers. First, the suggestions and second, the recipes.

When I made the duck breasts for my family, we ended up having one left over (the girls shared one), and the next day for lunch, my husband and I enjoyed a salad of greens, roasted asparagus, duck breast and goat cheese with a lemon-soy dressing. The dressing was an off-the-cuff creation that I made by drizzling olive oil, fresh lemon juice and tamari over all the ingredients and adding a few grinds of fresh black pepper.

Another salad that would be nice is a mix of greens, some of the remaining roasted vegetables, toasted pecans and either blue or goat cheese crumbled on top.

The tops of all the root vegetables can also be used. The carrot tops can be combined in pesto with either basil or parsley at a ratio of one-fourth carrot tops to three-fourths basil or parsley. Add pine nuts or experiment with walnuts or almonds, Romano cheese or feta.

I found also that when chopped, they add a nice flavor to a saute of greens, but I wouldn't recommend them on their own. Carrot tops sauteed solo proved to be a chewy nest -- healthy, but chewy.

The rest of the greens are easily chopped and washed for a quick saute with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and/or balsamic vinegar. Be sure to wash all the greens well before sauteing.

Often, when using baby vegetables, it is not necessary to peel the outer skin layer. When they begin to get a little bigger, the skin will toughen, and it is advisable to remove it.

Although this recipe calls for only half-bunches, you can roast them all and use some for your dinner and the rest in a soup or salad such as the one I recommended above. For a soup, it's easy to head in a rustic direction by just adding all of the vegetables to a flavorful stock. Add white beans, lentils, diced tomatoes, some chipotle peppers or fresh herbs at the end for interesting embellishments.

With a little more work, you could create a silky, smooth pureed soup with some heavy cream added during the pureeing. A green salad and crusty bread, and you've got dinner for another night.

Recipes this week: Sesame Seared Duck Breasts with Wasabi Aioli and Roasted Spring Vegetables

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=180467&ac=Food

Primed to spring forward
By ANN MAHLE
Portland Press Herald

I want signs of spring to be everywhere but, well, it seems to be coming more slowly than I would like.

I tend to be one of the last people in my sphere of family and friends to say this, so I'm going to assume you've been wishing for warmer weather longer than I. Take heart, though. The birds are active and singing their spring songs. I did see some robins, fat ones at that, in the yard this weekend.

The garden beds will soon be ready for seeds of peas, carrots, leeks, onions, kale, chard, lettuce and spinach. Even with the thick blanket of snow, once it's melted, it won't take long for the beds to warm up because the ground hasn't frozen as hard as in less-snowy winters. Bulb flowers are sprouting and blooming, and asparagus shoots will poke through shortly.

Because I'm so hungry for any sign of green and spring, I tend to add more than the usual green vegetables to my meals; often we'll have two greens instead of just one. I've done that here in these recipes where the asparagus is roasted and the salmon is served on a bed of spinach. Greens are something we crave this time of year, and there's a reason for that: They are cleansing our systems after a winter of heavier, richer foods.

Enjoy this lighter meal abundant with the colors of spring. They can be inside even if we aren't yet seeing them outside.

DIJON AND PECAN-CRUSTED SALMON

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

Several grinds of black pepper

1 cup chopped pecans

11/2 to 2 pounds salmon cut into 4 to 6 fillets, skin removed

1 tablespoon butter

Rub the salmon fillets with mustard, salt and pepper. Put the chopped pecans on a large plate. Press the fillets gently into the nuts on both sides. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and immediately add the salmon, top down. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the flesh becomes opaque a little more than halfway up the side. If the nuts begin to get too dark, turn the heat down to medium. Turn carefully with a spatula and saute for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until the inside is almost completely cooked through. Transfer to a platter. Use the same pan to cook the spinach.

QUICK SAUTEED SPINACH

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces baby spinach leaves

1/4 teaspoon salt

Several grinds of fresh black pepper

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Using the same pan that the salmon was cooked in, add the olive oil. Carefully add the spinach and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using tongs, quickly turn the spinach. Add the lemon juice. As soon as the spinach is wilted, remove from pan. Serve as a bed under the salmon.

Serves four to six.

Recipes this week: Dijon and Pecan Crusted Salmon, Quick Sauteed Spinach, Roasted Asparagus, and Blueberry Cranberry Galette

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=179068&ac=Food

What's that wonderful smell? Chicken and the fixings
By ANNE MAHLE
Portland Press Herald

There are few things to rival the comforting aroma of a chicken roasting in the oven. Baking bread, maybe, and don't ask me which I prefer. When it comes to food, I'm fickle: I love the one I'm with.

I'm often asked what is my favorite food to cook, and invariably my answer is whatever I happen to be working with at the moment.

In any event, roast chicken is near the top of the list.

Roasting a chicken doesn't have to be an all-day event, or even much more than an hour. There are a few tricks that I use to move the process along when I'm not feeling leisurely.

The first is to start with the oven at a very high heat. This helps with the cooking time and also helps give the chicken a mouth-watering, crispy skin. Something else that helps to crisp the skin is patting it with a paper towel just before you rub it with salt and pepper.

Another technique that helps get that chicken on the table quickly is to butterfly it -- spread or splay the chicken so that more surface area is exposed to the heat of the oven.

Once the chicken is done, the pan sauce that follows is fairly simple. It's important to skim the fat off any juices that you collect, otherwise you'll end up with a sauce that separates.

I then put the roasting pan directly over one burner even though it doesn't really fit. Move the stock around with a wooden spoon or whisk to loosen the flavorful bits of brown off the bottom of the pan.

It bears noting that the oven temperatures for the chicken and the bread don't match. I managed to get the bread in the oven a little before I turned down the heat on the chicken. It turned out beautifully.

CREAMY GREEN SOUP

Two bunches may seem like way too much chard when you begin this recipe, but it cooks down so much that it ends up being just right. Make sure to use green chard, not rainbow chard; the latter gives the soup a muddy color. And be sure to include the stalks. This soup freezes well. You may want to reserve half for another meal.

3/4 cup diced onions

1/4 cup butter

2 bunches green chard or bok choy, cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks

11/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup flour

6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1 cup whipping cream

In a medium stockpot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Saute the onions, and when they are translucent, add the chard and the flour. Stir frequently until the chard stalks are tender. Transfer chard mixture to a food processor and pulse until finely mixed. Meanwhile, add the stock and cream to the same stockpot and bring to a boil. Return the chard mixture to the pot and bring to a boil again. Serve immediately.

Serves six to eight.

Recipes this week: Creamy Green Soup, Lemon Roasted Chicken, and Garlic Cheese Biscuits

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=181713&ac=Food

Be sure to play with herbs in pestos and pastas.
By ANNE MAHLE
Portland Press Herald

This past weekend, our table was covered with herbs of all kinds as my daughter and I made pastas, savory pie doughs and pestos to show folks how to use herbs in their cooking at the Rockport Green Fair.

At this time of year, we could only get two of the herbs "locally," meaning the rosemary came from my elders that I baby inside every winter and the cheerful chives from the herb garden that will be much more generous with its gifts in another month.

The day was cast yellow with sun that welcomed gardeners hungry for the smells of dirt and the colors of green and brown dotted with pastels and primaries. As people gravitated to the food table as they would the kitchen in a house, I heard some comments that serve as the subjects for this week's column.

Several people were unsure about how to combine herbs and where to start -- not knowing what goes together and not wanting to make a mistake.

The most common phrase I heard was that many of you have a pasta maker that's never been out of the box. Another was that pesto was really something that included basil and Parmesan, but not all of the other herbs available to us.

As for the first comment, the options for flavor combinations are almost endless when it comes to herbs, which is why the subject can seem overwhelming to some.

It helps to think of ethnicities and geographical regions when creating recipes. Last weekend, I told gardeners to think about where these herbs grow the best, in what kind of soil and in what kinds of weather conditions, and they understood the connection.

To keep things simple if you are feeling tentative, only choose three herbs or less from any given list of groupings. If you are creating something with a Thai flavor, then mint, cilantro, basil and pineapple sage would be good choices. Italian? Then the more common collection will serve you well -- rosemary, sage, thyme, basil, parsley, fennel and oregano.

If you are heading to warmer climates for your inspiration, cilantro or oregano are more common. In northern cultures, dill, loveage, tarragon, parsley and chives are often combined.

Although there are probably exceptions to the rule, as I look at this list of herbs, I'm not seeing any two-herb combinations that would be ill-advised. Play -- they are forgiving.

As for those who have a pasta machine but have never used it, get it out of the box to give yourself the gift of homemade pasta.

It's wonderfully easy, and as you've spent time creating the pasta, the sauce can be very simple. Even a brown butter with sage or another fried herb is a beautiful paring and a way to not overwhelm the delicate flavor of the freshly created pasta.

PARSLEY, CHIVE, SAGE AND ROSEMARY PESTO

This is one my daughter created, so I should give her credit. You'll notice it doesn't have any garlic but does have lots of cheese. That's my girl.

1 cup lightly packed parlsey leaves

1/4 cup lightly packed chives

1 tablespoon lightly packed rosemary, stems removed

4 sage leaves

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Several grinds of fresh black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a small food processor or mortar and pestle.

Recipes this week: Parsley, Chive, Sage and Rosemary Pesto, Parsley, Lemon, Pinenut and Goat Cheese Pesto, Semolina Pasta, Sage and Black Pepper Pasta with Brown Butter

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=183109&ac=Food

Comfort food: The beauty is in the simplicity (and the taste)
By ANNE MAHLE
Portland Press Herald

Comfort food is easy, warming, nourishing and usually inexpensive.

It's accessible to everyone; there are few exotic ingredients with high price tags, you can spell all of them and don't need a dictionary to tell you what they are.

Most importantly, the techniques are simple enough that a home cook can find success in the recipe.

For years I've gravitated to this sort of cooking rather than the decorated and landscaped food that wins accolades and awards. Much as I appreciate that sort of food and the preparation that goes into it, I find the uncomplicated and fresh tastes of more straightforward meals much more appealing.

And I wonder is it because I'm a mom now and the time I have in the kitchen is drastically reduced, or is it something else?

Why is it that the everyday done well is not celebrated and lauded? Sometimes less is indeed more.

LENTIL, KIELBASA AND ESCAROLE SOUP

Green lentils, as opposed to brown, are preferable in this recipe, as they do not disintegrate and become mushy. In some stores they are also listed as French green lentils. They are actually greenish brown in color. If you can't find celeriac, celery works as well. We happened to get a bushel full of celeriac from our CSA in the fall, and it's graced many a meal since then.

2 tablespoons olive oil

11/2 cups diced red onion, about 1 medium onion

11/2 cup diced, peeled carrot, about 1 large carrot

1 cup diced celeriac, about 1 small root

1 cup diced turnip, about 1 small turnip

1 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 to 3 cloves

1 pound kielbasa, peeled and diced

11/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup green lentils

3 cups beef stock

1 cup red wine

4 cups water

2 cups washed and chopped escarole

In a large stockpot, add the olive oil and then all of the root vegetables and saute for 20 minutes, or until they all become soft and tender. Add the kielbasa, salt, pepper and lentils and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the liquid and simmer 30 to 45 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Add the escarole and simmer another 5 minutes, or until the escarole is tender.

Serves six to eight.

Recipes this week: Lentil, Kielbasa and Escarole Soup, and Blueberry, Rhubarb, Maple Pudding (Clafouti)


http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=184660&ac=Food&pg=1

You needn't know what a BGH is to join the local movement.
By ANNE MAHLE
Portland Press Herald

It's as simple as appreciating really, really fresh produce, feeling good about seeing and talking and maybe working with the farmer who grew it, and drinking in the sight of open, cultivated, healthy farmland. The end.

Enjoying all of these moments is the primary reason I'm a believer in Community Supported Agriculture, local producers and farmers' markets, and have my own garden. I like it. I like how I feel when I do it.

It's a little bit like exercising. Perhaps there is some inertia of habit to overcome, but once you've done it, you feel excellent.

There are stacks of books -- read, half-read and unstarted -- by my bedside about the Slow Food movement, year-round gardening and eating, praying and loving.

I read them because I'm interested. However, I'm not of the opinion that one has to understand a single thing about the economics of how food is grown, the control that large corporations have on seed production and distribution, what a GMO (genetically modified organism) or a BGH (bovine growth hormone) is, or how much petroleum is saved by buying local food grown with little to no pesticides.

You don't need to know any of this, just as you don't need to know anatomy and the physiology of exercise to recognize the immediate and long-term benefits. Getting your head around all that information can be daunting indeed.

What I'm suggesting is that, just as with exercise, it's more important to DO it than it is to understand the whys. And then, the more local, green, organic, socially responsible or community-oriented (the list goes on) our choices become, gradually and naturally, the information will be absorbed.

If you see me at the farmers' market, introduce yourself.

CUMIN AND THYME LAMB CHOPS

We buy three or four lambs for the schooner every year. Mostly we use lamb stew meat and ground lamb for Curried Lamb and Lentil Stew, Lamb and White Bean Soup or "Lambasagna," a layered dish similar to lasagna. The marinade is wonderful for each cut, and I've given different cooking instructions for each.

8 1 1/4-inch-thick lamb loin chops

2 Tablespoons cumin

1 Tablespoon thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh black pepper

5 cloves garlic, mashed

1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine

Combine all ingredients in a resealable bag and marinate for at least 1 hour.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. An internal thermometer should read 125 degrees. Let sit covered until the rest of the meal is prepared.

Serves four.

Recipes this week: Cumin and Thyme Lamb Chops, and White Bean, Chard and Feta Gratin

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=185887&ac=Food

What's up with the cartons, and other henhouse clucks and yucks
By ANNE MAHLE
Portland Press Herald

We have 11 hens that have been gracing us with eggs all winter long.

Now that it's spring, the children have been racing back to get the eggs when they come home from school. And by children, I don't mean mine.

The blush of the new has worn off, and getting eggs has now become one more thing that goes on the "Mama Reminder List" for my girls. But for their friends, it's still exciting and novel, and because they don't get to do it every day, it's an event each time they come to play.

Recently, a new friend walked to the coop with me to get the eggs, and we had one of those poignant, hysterical conversations that can happen only with children. As we discover eggs nestled in hay in the laying boxes and I show her how to gently put them in the basket, she asks, "Where are the egg cartons?"

"In the house."

"How did the eggs get in here?"

"The hens laid them."

"At our house, the eggs come from the cartons."

I wonder how many other children would answer the same way?

Our children are the cooks, growers, buyers and producers of tomorrow, and they will follow in the footsteps that we leave for them. Why not give them a path that reveals a future we'd like to see for them? Not by choosing their professions, their spouses or whether they live an urban or rural life, but by our own habits and how we vote with our dollars, cherish farmland that beautifies our rural roads, enjoy conversations with the people who grow their food and prepare really, really healthy meals?

One of the reasons we have chickens is that I want our children to understand the connection between their food, the land and the animals that live on it. One of the reasons I cook with our children is that I want them to see that food doesn't originate at the grocery store or begin its life in a box.

We've just begun to see asparagus showing their purple top hats in our garden, and this recipe seemed perfect. Now I have one more thing for the Mama Reminder List:

"Girlies, go pick the asparagus."

"Oh, Mama!"

TOFU, ASPARAGUS AND CURRY STIR FRY WITH SCALLION RICE

Chicken, pork or beef could be easily substituted for the tofu by slicing 1 pound against the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Follow the directions as indicated.

3 tablespoons canola oil

15 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 bunch asparagus, ends snapped or cut off and spears cut into 11/2-inch lengths

2 tablespoons minced garlic

11/2 tablespoons minced ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce

In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and curry and fry for 5 minutes, or until the tofu begins to crisp on the outside. Add the asparagus, garlic and ginger, making a space in the pan where the garlic and ginger can saute for 30 seconds before mixing in with the rest of the ingredients. Add the soy sauce and stir-fry for another 5 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender. Transfer to a serving bowl and use the pan again to cook the rice.

Serves four to six.

This weeks recipes: Tofu, Asparagus and Curry Stir Fry with Scallion Rice, Cucumber and Peanut Salad, and Tahini Dressing

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=187512&ac=Food

When in Maine, why not do as Parisians do?
By ANNE MAHLE
Portland Press Herald

Last night, we had dinner with friends who recently returned from Paris. We ate in the French way, with either Cassis or Pastis (a currant- or anise-flavored liqueur) as an aperitif, salad with warmed goat cheese, coq au vin a la Julia Childs, a cheese course and chocolate mousse for dessert.

As we were listening to their cultural experiences and their vibrant and delightful descriptions of the meals they enjoyed, the question was asked, "What struck you the most when you came back to the States?"

"Parisians savor the moment" was the answer. They enjoy lengthy meals with many courses, and each one is a sensual, sensory experience. Every item on the table that goes from plate to mouth matters and is given due attention and appreciation. We, our friends noticed, are in a rush to get to the next thing. Even in Maine. Even in rural Maine.

Our Maine lives are slower than those of the rest of our compatriots in the U.S., as anyone who has left the state can attest. We may think our lives are too filled with the next activity for the kids, the next meeting or the daily "to do" list that, it seems, would take 10 people days to complete.

Then we leave the state and encounter traffic in which one can walk faster than one can drive, multi-tasking with not just two electronic devices but five to seven, and seeing marketing images that come faster than our brains can absorb.

My point is, we in Maine have a choice: frenetic activity or "savor the moment." Our friends' comments reminded me that I can take the time to really relish the moments I spend with food.

I think I'll go make myself a cup of tea.

HALIBUT WITH CARAMELIZED SPRING ONIONS, DIJON AND WATERCRESS

2 pounds halibut fillets, 1 inch thick

1 bunch watercress

11/2 cups sliced spring onions, 3 medium or 2 large

2 tablespoons minced garlic, about 1 clove

2 tablespoons butter, plus 2 more tablespoons for the sauce at the end

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup white wine

MARINADE:

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Several grinds fresh black pepper

Marinate the halibut with marinade ingredients in a resealable bag for 15 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the stems of the watercress 1 inch from the bottom and discard. Wash and drain the leaves and remaining stems thoroughly.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan. Add the onions and saute until the edges are beginning to turn brown. Push the onions to the side and add the halibut to the pan, top side down. Cook for 9 to 10 minutes on one side, or until you can see the color of the fish change more than halfway up the side. Stir the onions occasionally. Turn the halibut and cook for another 4 minutes or until the flesh is just a tiny bit undercooked in the center. It will continue to cook while you finish the sauce. Transfer the halibut from the pan to a platter and add the garlic and mustard to the pan. Saute for 30 seconds to 1 minute and then add the white wine and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and add the watercress and 2 tablespoons butter. Remove from heat and gently whisk until butter is incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve the sauce under the halibut on individual plates or a platter.

Serves four to six.

This week's recipes: Halibut with Caramelized Spring Onions, Dijon, and Watercress and Roasted Salt Potatoes

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=188888&ac=Food

Locavores sweet on rhubarb
By BROOKE DOJNY
Portland Press Herald

Rhubarb just might be the ultimate locavore food. (A "locavore" being someone who eats food grown locally or within an area most commonly bound by a 100-mile radius.)

A good percentage of the rhubarb eaten in Maine is pulled from backyard plants. Yes, it does appear in supermarkets, but the stalks displayed there are often flaccid, lacking in juiciness and flavor. I recommend growing a clump of your own.

Rhubarb is truly one of the glorious and most reliable harbingers of spring. When Mainers see the first mound of ruffled, elephant-ear-shaped leaves, we know that surely the rest has got to follow. This is an old-fashioned plant -- technically a vegetable -- that used to be prized for its medicinal as well as culinary properties. Rhubarb is tart and acidic, qualities that need to be muted by sweetening and cooking, but its flavor is unique and delightful.

Some varieties of rhubarb have fatter, thicker stalks, while others (usually the later varieties) send out more slender shoots. Both taste great, as long as they show more red than green.

Instead of cutting, use a twisting upward motion to yank each stalk from the plant. Then trim off the whitish part at the bottom, rinse, and cut into about 1-inch lengths. Some older cookbooks recommend peeling off the outside fibers, but I never peel, preferring that the cooked fruit retain some of its texture. Never eat rhubarb leaves, as they contain poisonous oxalic acid.

If you're a real rhubarb lover, serve up both the chutney and the sauce at the same meal to celebrate spring. If not, save the dessert sauce for another day.

QUICK RHUBARB-GINGER CHUTNEY

The sugar and vinegar in this savory chutney turn it into a sort of refrigerator pickle, which will keep for at least a week or more in the fridge. Spoon it over spice-roasted chicken breasts or roast pork.

2 cups sliced rhubarb

11/4 cups sugar

1 small onion, chopped

cup water

1/3 cup white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 whole cloves

1 small dried hot red chile or teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

teaspoon salt

Combine all the ingredients in a wide, deep, non-reactive skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered at a slow simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid evaporates and the sauce is syrupy, about 20 minutes. (Add water if necessary if the mixture looks dry or is in danger of scorching.)

Remove the dried chile (if using) and cloves. Cool to room temperature, transfer to jars or plastic containers and refrigerate.

Servings: 2 cups

This week's recipes: QUICK RHUBARB-GINGER CHUTNEY, SPICE-GRILLED OR ROASTED CHICKEN BREASTS, STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB SAUCE

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=190254&ac=Food&pg=1

Sorrel brings tartness to the table
By BROOKE DOJNY
Portland Press Herald

Sorrel is a spring green with oblong, arrow-shaped leaves that can grow to as much as a foot long but is best when it is smaller (4 inches or so) and therefore more tender.

The flavor of sorrel is tart, acidic and lemony. Its pleasingly sour taste (the green is sometimes called sourgrass) is nicely offset by the richness of cream, so here sorrel is showcased in a classic creamy sauce and soup.

Although it is bright Kelly green when raw, sorrel has an unfortunate tendency to turn a drab olive-gray when cooked. It tastes delicious – just looks washed out. One way to help counter this is by combining other greens – spinach or arugula – with sorrel in any given dish. You still get the unique sour flavor, but the result is more pleasing to the eye.

Sorrel – especially the young, tender and milder leaves – is also a wonderful addition to salads. Cut it into thin crosswise strips ("chiffonade" in French) and sprinkle on.

CREAMY SORREL SAUCE

This sauce is great with any fish, but it's especially delicious paired with salmon, such as this Honey-Mustard Seared Salmon.

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped shallots

4 cups packed coarsely chopped sorrel or 2 cups sorrel and 2 cups spinach or arugula

2/3 cup white wine or chicken broth or a combination

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a medium-size saucepan. Add shallots and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Add greens and wine, raise heat to high, and cook uncovered until the greens wilt, about 3 minutes.

Puree in a blender or food processor. Return to the saucepan and stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust consistency if necessary by adding a bit more liquid to thin or simmering gently to reduce and thicken.

Servings: 4

SORREL SOUP CONVERSION

To turn this same formula into a lovely light soup, follow the same instructions as above, but instead of cream, use 2 cups half-and-half.

HONEY-MUSTARD SEARED SALMON

The honey mustard helps develop an extra-rich brown finish on the salmon.

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet cut into four crosswise pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons honey mustard

3 tablespoons butter

Season salmon lightly with salt and generously with pepper. Smear fish on both sides with the mustard.

In a large skillet, heat the butter. Sear salmon over medium-high heat, turning once, until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to plates or a platter and nap with sorrel sauce. Pass additional sauce at the table.

Servings: 4

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=191843&ac=Food