Pickleweed Pimento Cheese

|
By
|
Comments are off for this post

One of my favorite things about calling this beautiful place home is watching the seasons change in the salt marsh. From the vibrant green that the summer brings, to the flowering and browning in autumn, the golden hue of the dormant grass in the winter, and finally the vibrant green peeking through the base again in the spring. It’s a cycle that’s happened for eons, and I’m thankful I get to see those subtle changes everyday.

Another change in the fall that’s easier to take note of is the change of pickleweed (salicornia, sea beans, picklewort) from its plump bright green state – when it’s still so salty it’s a little bit sweet, to a vibrant reddish-fushia in the fall before it begins it’s slumber for the colder months – and it gets bitter.

We’ve brewed beer with it in it’s bitter state with our friends over at Black Narrows. In that case, the bitterness was welcomed. For other things you may want to use them for – you want them when they are green. Wonderful in salads, stir-fries, sauces – I made a mignonette sauce for oysters a couple years ago that was a big hit.

My favorite and easiest way to use them is in this super simple pimento cheese. The little salty, crunchy bites lend the perfect little something special to the creamy cheese spread.

If you’re lucky like me, and live close to a clean waterway system with salt marsh – look around. If you don’t – check out your local farmers markets. I’ve also seen them at fancy-pants grocers like Whole Foods or Wegmanns.

Pickleweed Pimento Cheese

8 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup salicornia (pickle weed, sea beans), washed and chopped
4 oz. jar diced pimientos
3 Tbsp Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp hot sauce
kosher salt

Drain pimentos well.

Combine yogurt and mayonnaise and mix well. Add cheese, pimentos, pickle weed, and hot sauce. Season to taste with salt, but remember the salicornia is salty. Season accordingly!

If you like a finer pimento spread, add the cheese to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix for about 30 seconds. Store in refrigerator up to a week. Makes about one and a half cups of cheese spread.

Crab Bisque Chincoteague

|
By
|
Comments are off for this post

In the spring of 2019 I visited an estate sale here on Chincoteague Island. Upon entering I could tell this was my kinda lady. Beautiful kitchen equipment, lovely nautical themed linens, vintage Shore Stop drink coolers (growing up, EVERYONE had one to take to the beach). All my favorite books lined the shelves – Beautiful Swimmers, A Sand County Almanac, A Gift From The Sea, random Eastern Shore history books.

It was an older couple’s family beach house for decades, filled with treasures collected from a lifetime of loving this unique little spot I’m lucky to call home. I couldn’t help but feel an instant connection.

My favorite finds were two advertising items. The first is a full page ad for Old Bay Seasoning’s 75th Anniversary, that ran in the Baltimore Sun back on Memorial Day weekend of 2014. It’s framed in a really rustic nautical looking frame – I just love it. It is right at home in my living room!The second was a poster for the 1988 Crab Derby held in Crisfield, Maryland. Taped on the back is a copy of a check made out to Mrs. Joan Folio. She had entered her “Crab Bisque Chincoteague”  in their recipe contest that year, and took home the Grand Prize! Which, is truly an honor. My mom and dad live in Crisfield, so that made it special to me too.

I also had picked up a binder of recipes that she’d collected – that has every winning recipe from the Crab Derby going back all the way to 1963! I’m pleased to report that her Crab Bisque was in the binder as well. So when I got everything home and connected the dots I was stoked. I couldn’t wait to make her recipe.

I’ve made it many times since then, always meaning to snag a photo and share this story here on the blog – but it was always inhaled before I had the time to do so. It truly is the best crab soup I’ve ever had in my life.

It’s pretty much a standard cream of crab base- but the addition of lemon pepper seasoning really gives it a little something special. There’s a little bit of cheddar that also makes it stand out, giving it a nice bite. And there are no fillers – no bullshit onions or celery. Just CRAB.

I’d tried to look up Mrs. Joan in the past couple years – googling her name to no avail. If I’d found her I don’t know what I would have done – maybe just sent a postcard proclaiming my love of her bisque. I never found anything, but still continued to think of her often, and when I did – she would always bring a smile to my face.

Flash forward to last week when we steamed our first batch of crabs for the year. I made the bisque with the leftovers I’d picked, AND managed to get a photo. Sitting down to write this blog post I thought, “let me give it one more search”. And there she was, right at the top of the search results – her obit from August 20, 2020.She’d evidently struggled with Alzheimer’s since 2018, and COVID-19 is what brought her to meet her maker last summer. She was 86. Had a beautiful family with children and grandchildren. It was great to finally get to read about her, and see her picture – she was exactly the kind of person I’d painted a picture of in my mind. They even mentioned her love of Chincoteague in the article…

I never had the pleasure to meet Carol Joan Folio, but I have a pretty good feeling that we would have been fast friends. Estate sales always kind of make me sad, but it brings a smile to my face knowing I will give these things new life in our home. I hope it would bring a smile to hers too. Cheers to you, Joan!

Crab Bisque Chincoteague

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups cream
3 Tbsp sherry
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
2 tsp seafood seasoning (J.O. #1 is my go-to)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
1 lb lump crab meat
chopped parsley, for garnish

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk, cooking for about 2 minutes, to make a roux.

Slowly add the milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly, until mixture starts to thicken. About 5 minutes.

Whisk in cheddar, sherry, seafood seasoning, lemon pepper, and 1 Tbsp chopped parsley. Gently fold in the crab meat. Season to taste with salt.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with additional fresh parsley.

Source: Mrs. Carol Joan Folio

Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

|
By
|
Comments are off for this post

As I mentioned last week, I’m participating in JSL Food’s Twin Dragon Wrapper Recipe Contest. I shared my entry for the Holiday Appetizer Category last week, and this week I want to throw my entry for the Game Day Appetizer into the hat!

Football season wasn’t quite as victorious as last for us 49ers fans, not to mention the lack of football parties with COVID – this year was definitely a change, and one for the books. But, that didn’t stop the Davis fam from enjoying the games from home and munching on some delicious football snacks while doing so!

I made these Cheeseburger Egg Rolls for Super Bowl – and they were a hit with our crew! A few simple ingredients and you’ve got a super simple appetizer that’s sure to please your MVPs. I loved the addition of pickles – gave a  nice, tangy, crunchy bite. And, I’m definitely sold on the wrappers…

I’ve made alot of egg rolls over the years, using different brands – and none of them have fried up as beautifully as these did. Low oil absorption, nice crunchy little bubbles, gorgeous even browning. Not all egg roll wrappers are created equal, and the Twin Dragon wrappers really pleased THIS MVP.

I served with a simple sauce composed of mayonnaise and ketchup as the base – and it completed the flavor profile of a cheeseburger  nicely! Don’t wait until next season to make these, guys.

Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

1 lb ground sirloin beef (90% lean)
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
8 slices yellow American cheese
4 kosher dill pickle spears, chopped
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp olive oil
12 Twin Dragon Egg Roll Wrappers
6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

For the sauce:
1 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika

Heat olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and onion, and saute until beef is browned and onions are translucent. Drain and place back into pan.

Break cheese slices into pieces and add them to the beef, along with the pickles, mustard and ketchup. Mix until cheese has melted. Set mixture aside and let cool.

Heat vegetable oil in large pan or dutch oven to 350 degrees. Place a cooling rack inside a baking sheet, and top with paper towels – set aside. While the oil is coming up to temperature, wrap the rolls by adding 3 Tbsp of filling to each wrapper, and wrap according to the package directions.

Place rolls in hot oil, frying 4 or 5 at a time, and fry until golden brown. Remove to a prepared tray to drain.

Make sauce by combining all ingredients. Serve alongside egg rolls.

You can find Twin Dragon Asian Egg Roll wrappers at your local Walmart. And, be sure to follow along on their social media channels for great recipes!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JSLFoods/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JSL_Foods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jslfoods/

Spicy Ginger-Scallion Crab Wontons

|
By
|
Comments are off for this post

Lunar New Year just passed us by last week, along with Valentine’s Day – and now Mardi Gras tomorrow. It’s been a busy time! You guys know I like to make things special for my family for all the holidays, especially in the food department.

JSL Foods reached out to me about participating in their Twin Dragon Wrapper Blogger Recipe Challenge, using their egg roll and won ton wrappers. I’m of course I’m waiting until the last horn blows to submit my entries in both categories: Holiday Appetizers, and Game Day Appetizers…

But, I used the Lunar New Year on Friday as my opportunity to make these spicy crab won tons. Ginger-Scallion Crab is a popular dish at many Chinese restaurants, so I wanted to use that flavor profile to give a nod to Chinese culture and the holiday.

Everyone really liked them! They were super-quick to throw together – and with the addition of Sriracha, they really packed a punch in the flavor department!

Spicy, but not too spicy that the boys couldn’t enjoy them too. A winner in my house, let’s hope it’s a winner in the contest too!

Spicy Ginger-Scallion Crab Wontons

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp finely minced ginger
8 ounces lump crab meat, picked through for shells
24 Twin Dragon Asian Won Ton wrappers
small bowl of water
canola or vegetable oil, for frying
sweet chili sauce, for serving

Place about 6 cups of oil in a large pot and bring to 350 degrees. Place a cooling rack inside a baking sheet, and top with paper towels – set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, Sriracha, salt, scallions, and ginger. Add the crab meat and mix until just combined.

To assemble the wontons – lay a wonton wrapper on a flat surface, with a corner facing towards you. Using the bowl of water, use your finger to wet the edges of the wonton wrapper. Place about 2 tsp filling in the center of the wrapper, and then fold the bottom corner to the top corner to form a triangle. Press on the edges with your fingers to firmly secure. Wet one end of the triangle and press it to the other side of the triangle – connecting the ends together.

Fry wontons in hot oil for about for about 3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wontons. Serve warm with sweet chili sauce for dipping.

You can find Twin Dragon Asian Won Ton wrappers at your local Walmart. And, be sure to follow along on their social media channels for great recipes!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JSLFoods/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JSL_Foods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jslfoods/