As of today I have been keeping For Love of the Table for
six years. (Hard to believe...I
know....) On the occasion of my first anniversary I posted a cake—it seemed the obvious thing to do. It was an unusual and delicious pistachio
cake. Over the years—for no reason other
than they were the star of that first anniversary post—I have made a tradition of
posting a recipe on March 16 that features pistachios. More often than not, it has been cake (I do
love cake). Even when it has not been
cake, it has always been something sweet.
But this year, I thought I would change direction a bit and share something savory: a delicious and versatile sauce.
The main ingredient in the sauce is of course
pistachios. Pounded in a mortar and
pestle and combined with parsley, mint, citrus zest and juice, the pistachios
become a rich, lively and intriguing sauce.
It makes an excellent accompaniment for fish and seafood (halibut,
salmon, scallops...). And it also goes
beautifully with lamb, chicken or vegetables.
Beets are particularly fine drizzled and daubed with this sauce...as are
potatoes and asparagus.... Because of
its beautiful green color, I particularly love serving this sauce in the spring
and on into early summer.
 |
| Drizzled over roasted beets dressed with lemon |
My sauce is an adaptation of one I found years ago in Moro: The Cookbook. Moro is a restaurant in
London featuring the foods of Spain, North Africa and the Eastern
Mediterranean. The original recipe
included orange blossom water...a delicious, floral and aromatic flavoring
agent from that region of the world...but not something I tend to keep on
hand. My sauce includes orange juice and
zest instead...and while they are not really a substitute for the orange
blossom water, they add nice orange flavor.
The original sauce had only a small amount of mint, but I have increased
it by quite a bit...making it a main flavor element of the sauce. But like all herb, nut and olive oil based sauces
and pestos, you should feel free to alter the flavorings and quantities of
ingredients in this sauce so that it suits your palate and marries well with
whatever you happen to be serving it with.
The sauce is also delicious with the addition of a small amount of toasted and
ground fennel seed...and I think that a few hot pepper flakes would not be out
of place. I would only recommend that
you use a light hand with the garlic.
You can always add more...and just a bit too much can overwhelm the
sauce.
As my anniversary has approached this year, I have been thinking quite a bit about where my blog has been... and where it is headed. When I started, blogging was in the forefront of my mind most days... Now it is more of a quiet companion—a silent partner in my working and cooking life. I have reduced the number of posts substantially from that first year when I was posting a recipe every three days or so. Now, I shoot for one a week...sometimes more if I'm feeling particularly inspired....sometimes less if I'm super busy.
In terms of content, I still love to do "basic technique" posts....I just don't have the time to do as many as I would
like. But I will continue to try and squeeze them in as my schedule permits. I have posted...and will continue to
post....recipes that I have developed for my classes. Many of the posts will continue to be things
I love to eat on a regular basis...simple, seasonal recipes that are heavily
influenced by the cuisines of France, Italy, Spain and occasionally... as with today's
post...the Eastern Mediterranean. And of
course there will always be lots of pasta and cake.
 |
| With a pan-roasted lamb loin chop, étuvéed baby potatoes, on a bed of wilted chard with spring onions |
Going forward, if I could change one thing about For Love
of the Table, it would be something I don't really have any control over: I would love to hear more from YOU!...those of
you who read...and those of you who cook from this site. I truly enjoy hearing back from people who
have made something...and liked it...or had questions...or made
changes.... The comments on For Love of the
Table are set up so that I screen them first (to avoid spam, etc.)...but I
usually post them within 24 hours and try to respond in that length of
time. You can of course always comment
on my Facebook page too. So, whether you
are a regular...or an occasional visitor...it would please me very much to hear
about the ways in which For Love of the Table affects your life—in your
kitchen...and at your table.
Pistachio Sauce
4
oz. unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted
6
T. chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/3
c. chopped mint
1
small clove of garlic, peeled and smashed to a purée with a pinch of salt
1
t. (packed) lemon zest
Freshly
squeezed lemon juice, to taste...start with a tablespoon
zest
of 1 orange
2
to 3 T. orange juice
2/3
to 3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
Salt,
to taste
Chop
or crush the pistachios to the fineness you prefer with a knife, in a mortar
& pestle, or in the food processor.
I like the texture achieved by chopping to small pieces and then
crushing in the mortar. This gives a
range of textures—small chunks and powder fine.
Transfer
to a small bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Adjust with lemon juice, orange juice and
olive oil. If desired, thin with water.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups of sauce.
VERY LOVELY, Paige!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Johanna!!
ReplyDelete