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.

New England Clam Chowder

|
By
|
Comments are off for this post

New England Clam Chowder

Last summer I did a poll on Instagram on clam chowders – Manhattan vs. New England. The cream-based New England won by a long shot, at 80%. I’ve had a recipe for the tomato based Manhattan clam chowder here on the blog for a couple of years. But it was clear I needed to get my version of the cream based up here as well.

We’ve been doing our fair share of fishing lately. Alternating between going out on the sea side, and the bay side of the Eastern Shore. We’ve had some great days, including my first citation fish – a 14 pound sheepshead. Still walking on air over that one!

Often our fishing leaves sessions leave us with some leftover bait, in the form of fresh big chowder clams. Shout out to Chip, our clam man, who makes home deliveries!

The kids have also started to dig them up on Sundays when we’re out at Little Beach. Usually they’re smaller and we just toss them on the grill – but sometimes they’re big enough to become a pot of chowder.

At any rate, I finally got around to making it AND taking a photo of it. It’s rich and creamy, filled with chunks of bacon, potatoes, onions, celery, and chopped clams – that lend a lovely brininess. And as with most soups, it’s even better the next day!

If you can’t find fresh clams, no worries. You can easily used canned clams and clam juice – both of which are available at any grocery store.

New England Clam Chowder

24 large chowder clams*
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup cornstarch
kosher salt
black pepper
oyster crackers, for serving
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Scrub the clams clean using a clean scrub brush. Place clams into a large pot and add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cover. Steam the clams until they have all popped open, about 15 minutes. Remove the clams from the pot and set aside to cool.

Strain the clam steaming liquid through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer to remove any grit and reserve the liquid. Remove the clams from the shells and chop well (I use my food processor and give it about 5 pulses). Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or stockpot (I use the same one that I use to steam the clams), add the bacon and cook over medium-high until the bacon is crispy – about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside to drain. Add the celery and onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth, potatoes, thyme, bacon, chopped clams, and reserved clam juice. Stir to combine, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 35 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Add in cream and cook for 15 minutes more.

Add 2 Tbsp of cold water to the cornstarch and mix to combine. Pour into chowder and stir until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with a bit of fresh parsley and a handful of oyster crackers before serving.

*If fresh clams are not available, substitute 2 (10 oz) cans of chopped clams and 2 (14 oz) bottles of clam juice or broth.

Creamy Oyster Stew

|
By
|
Comments are off for this post

Years ago Jon and I were enjoying dinner at one of the finer establishments here on the island. The couple sitting behind us were visiting the area – and not yet acquainted with oyster stew when they saw it on the menu. When they asked the waitress what exactly it entailed, she replied in a thick Chincoteague accent with “Honey – it’s oysters. With a little bit of milk in it”…

Jon and I both laughed – because seriously, how could you not know what it was? And also, her reply was so cut and dry – and perfectly summed up oyster stew. I still think about it and chuckle every time I see it on the menu!

Last week the good folks at Cherrystone Aqua Farms were kind enough to send me a box full of oysters and clams. They’re started shipping these Eastern Shore of Virginia delights all over the country recently, so if any of my friends are looking for a taste check them out. I’m picky about my bivalves, and I can’t rave enough about everything that they offer.

Of course we love to enjoy them as is on the half shell, that happened approximately three minutes after the box arrivied. But I wanted to make something I could take a photo of and share with you guys. Not that photos of just oysters aren’t pretty…I love those too, obvi.

But, I’ve been needing to get more oyster recipes up. And, with being stuck at home with nothing to do besides cook – it was the perfect opportunity to get another one under the belt here at Tide & Thyme!

We had rainy weather for most of the weekend, so I figured it was the perfect opportunity for a batch of oyster stew. Ashamed I didn’t have this on the blog yet, as it’s one of the most Eastern Shore-y of all Eastern Shore dishes. It’s simple, quick, comforting and very filling.

Just like everything else, everyone  has their favorite way of preparing it. I like to use heavy cream instead of milk, because why not? I love the combination of the rich cream and the plump briny oysters. I also add some minced celery, which is pretty conventional – and some minced shallot, which isn’t.

Don’t be afraid to make it your own, just don’t go too crazy. You want to let the flavor of the oyster shine in this simple stew!

Creamy Oyster Stew

4 Tbsp butter
2 stalks celery, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 cups heavy cream
12 oysters, shucked – meat and liquor reserved
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Oyster crackers or saltines
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add celery and shallot, and cook until softened – about 4 minutes.

Gently pour in cream, and bring to a simmer. Add oysters and their liquid into pan, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until oysters plump up and the edges begin to curl; about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, garnished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and oyster crackers.

 

Instant Pot Roast Beef

|
By
|
Comments are off for this post

I don’t use my InstantPot as often as I should. I break it out once a week or two, usually for chicken stock from my leftover bones. I’ve had it for a couple of years now, kind of buying it just to see what all the fuss was about – but being pleasantly surprised by the power it wielded. The saute function has quite a  bit of gumption, and you can get a pretty decent sear on a hunk of meat.

Searing your proteins in the same pan you cook your dish in yields a TON of flavor, that goes right back into whatever it is you’re making. In this case it made for one of the most incredible pan sauces I’ve had in my life. That’s another nice perk too – you can thicken your sauce right in the same pan as well. Who doesn’t love one less dish to wash?

I’d pinned this method for a cheap, lean cut of beef in the Instant Pot a couple of years ago. Scoffing at the idea that a rare roast could be attained in a pressure cooker! It got buried in my pins, and hadn’t given it a thought until I came across a nice sirloin roast marked down at my grocery store last week. For $9 I figured I could take a gamble…

Made it at lunchtime one day, thinking I could just slice it and use it for roast beef sandwiches for lunches. It ended up turning out so good we ate it for dinner, popping it in the oven for a few minutes to reheat. Everyone loved it. And it really couldn’t be any easier or more foolproof.

A quick sear on all sides. A few additions of onions, garlic, and spices. Beef broth. Then cook under pressure for 3 minutes, and let the pressure release naturally for 30 minutes. I then added some red wine to the pan drippings, along with a little cornstarch to thicken. Served it over the thinly sliced beef along with some roasted reds and asparagus. One of the best meals we’ve had in a long time! It was honestly just as good as prime rib, for about one quarter of the price and time involved in preparing it.

I used a 3 pound roast, and it was the perfect hair scant of medium-rare. If you want your roast more well done, or it’s larger – you can continue cooking by recovering and keeping InstantPot on warm for more time. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, get one. They’re cheap and are worth their weight in gold when it comes to worrying about the doneness of things.

Instant Pot Roast Beef with Red Wine Sauce

3 Tbsp olive oil
3 pound sirloin roast
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups beef broth
2 Tbsp soy sauce
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup red wine (Merlot or Pinot Noir)
3 Tbsp cornstarch

With InstantPot on Saute function, heat up 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Season roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Place roast into pot, cook for 4 minutes – then flip roast and cook for another 4 minutes on other side. Remove roast from pan to a platter and set aside.

Add remaining olive oil to pan, along with the sliced onions and garlic. Cook until onions are starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add thyme and bay leaf and cook for additional minute. Pour the beef stock in, and using a wooden spoon – scrape the bottom of the pan to scrape up any browned bits that are lingering. Add soy sauce and turn off.

Place the trivet in the bottom of the instant pot, on top of the beef broth mixture. Place the roast on top of the trivet. Close and seal the valve. Place on High pressure for 3 minutes. Once it’s done, let it sit for another 30 minutes to release the pressure naturally and continue to cook.

After 30 minutes, remove lid and check the temperature with a meat thermometer. You’re looking at 120-125 for rare to medium rare. And 130-135 for medium to well done (but, why would you do that?). Remove roast to a platter and tent with foil while you prepare the pan sauce.

If you like, strain the onions out of the pan drippings. Pour broth back into pot, along with the red wine, and place on Saute function. Bring to a boil. Whisk cornstarch with 1 Tbsp cold water, and add to sauce. Stir until just thickened – which happens very quickly.

Slice beef thinly across the grain and serve with pan sauce on the side.