Seasonal ingredients
 Arugula
How to describe the taste of arugula? Arugula has a pleasantly bitter and grassy quality with strong peppery overtones. The degree of pepperiness is related to the maturity of the arugula leaves with smaller, young leaves being less peppery than older, larger and more mature leaves. It grows readily in local gardens though prefers the cooler days of early and late summer to the intense heat of mid-summer. Hot weather brings out its pepperiness and arugula tends to bolt in the intense heat of summer. Arugula is commonly used in salads, but because we love the flavor so much we make a pesto from it. Actually, lots of different strong flavored leaves - many from herbs other than basil - make wonderful pestos.
We served the arugula pesto under a tiny grilled vegetable Napolean at the Franklin Institute's Awards Dinner Gals. We are also serving the arugula pesto this summer at a lovely tented wedding as an element in the entrée plate. The entrée is a seafood trio served on an oversized plate.
The Summer Seafood Trio
Crabcake on zucchini-summer squash pancake with thyme and crushed corn cream
Pan-seared salmon filet with fresh tomato jam
Grilled giant shrimp on arugula pesto
Blanched asparagus dressed with lemon and olive oil
The pesto's brilliant green color wonderfully sets off the plump pink shrimp and it's bitter edge brings out the shrimp's natural sweetness. We do not marinate the shrimp in the pesto before grilling as too much of a good thing would overpower the taste of the shrimp and we prefer to keep the shrimp pink. We just use a little olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper for the marinade and then a little fresh lemon juice on the shrimp off the grill while they are still warm.
Arugula Pesto
Ingredients:
3 bunches arugula - washed and dried
3 -6 medium garlic cloves - depending on their size and how you feel about garlic
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup toasted pinenuts
1/2 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan
Salt and pepper
A blender produces a much finer puree than a food processor. Either will work, but we prefer to use a blender for this pesto when we serve it with the seafood trio.
Pour half the olive oil with the garlic cloves into the blender jar, push down the arugula leaves partially into the olive oil and blend at high speed until the arugula begins to be incorporated into the oil. Add the pinenuts, grated parmesan and the rest of the oil. Blend until smooth. Thin with a little warm water if too thick.
We use a little pool of the arugula pesto under the grilled shrimp in the seafood trio. We also marinate baby lamb chops in arugula pesto before grilling and butler them as an hors 'oeuvres. It's great as a dressing for a pasta salad or slow roast some halved plum tomatoes toss into hot pasta with the arugula pesto. Add some additional parmesan and more freshly grated pepper.
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Pumpkins
 As one season fades we always feel a little sad as we say goodbye to a particular crop of fresh produce. This is especially true as the shadows lengthen and the summer fades to memory. But with each new season comes a new flavor to get excited about all over again. In autumn, our hearts and attention turn to hard, or winter, squashes. One type, readily available year round, is the pumpkin.
Today almost every neighborhood has a good Asian market. When we shop for pumpkins for our Pumpkin Cannelloni, this is where we find the best product. Here in Philadelphia there are several Asian Supermarkets to choose from, including three large stores near The Italian Market on Washington Avenue. Our favorite of the three is Hung Vuong Supermarket at 1122-1138 Washington Avenue. Even if all you need is pumpkins, your trip to the market can be an adventure. You feel as though you have entered an entirely different world and did not have to fly anywhere to get there. The variety and abundance of exotic produce offered at these markets is astonishing. A trip with the family can end up being a stimulus for the senses. And an education as well.
The squash sold as pumpkin in traditional American supermarkets yields far less flesh and is often harder to process than its cousin sold commonly in Asian markets. If your goal is to yield a jack-o-lantern, however, it is best to stick with the familiar variety. Pumpkin sold in Asian markets do not look like jack-o-lanterns. Their flesh color ranges from orange to yellow. They are usually sold pre-cut into wedges. In a pinch, you can use Butternut Squash as a substitute for pumpkin because the flavor is close, the color right, and it yields quite a bit more flesh per pound than a pumpkin.
Wild Italian Fennel Pollen
Also known as finnochio, fennel is encountered in four principle forms. They range in level of familiarity from the bulb fennel now available in most area supermarkets, to the spice fennel seed to the herb fennel currently growing in my herb garden to wild fennel pollen. All have a flavor comparable to licorice or anise. One out of ten people hate bulb fennel. The other nine love it once they try it.
Wild Italian fennel pollen is a typical Tuscan ingredient used throughout that region's repertoire of dishes. Harvested from wild fennel, its anise aroma is reminiscent of the countryside in Tuscany. It is used traditionally as a spice in the salumerie of Italy - in salamis and sausages. It is often applied as a rub for pork or poultry - mix it with rosemary and crushed garlic. It combines well with other dried herbs and spices and can also be added to fish soups or sprinkled on roasted vegetables. We use it as a rub for pan-seared striped bass served with braised fennel and artichokes. It is available from www.chefshop.com at $10.99 for a one ounce tin.
Zahtar from Bitar’s
Zahtar is a popular spice throughout Turkey and Northern Africa. Comprised of sesame seeds, powdered sumac and dried thyme, it is often sprinkled over meats or vegetables. Another popular use of Zhatar is to mix it with olive oil and use if as a spread for bread.
Warm grilled pita bread is a treat. In summer and fall as your guests gather outdoors for dinner it can be inviting and simple to make. First combine a bit of fresh chopped garlic, a little olive oil and some zahtar. Spread the mixture onto the pita bread and toast on the grill. Cut the grilled bread into triangles and pass immediately. Zahatar is available at Bitar’s at the corner of 10th and Federal. See www.bitars.com for other locations.
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