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Cooking in the Moment by Paul Lindemuth
I often take a long look at the shelves of cookbooks lining one wall of my office (at last count 600+ books and forever growing). So many titles, so many authors and so many topics.
One book that always seems to catch my attention is “Cooking in the Moment”, by Chef Andrea Reusing. It is a beautifully written book that celebrates the joy of seasonal cooking, embracing the bounty, and as Andrea says “focusing on one meal at a time and taking one’s cues from nature”.
This inspiration has taken over in my cooking as well. As the Marcel’s chefs were presented with an array of the season’s bounty with our weekly CSA box, I learned more about that focus and watched the produce change from tender, tiny greens and sweet berries in early spring through a variety of tomatoes and summer corn to apples and root vegetables in September.
What I’ve shared with my students and brought home to my own kitchen is the vision to utilize the best of the season, eat and enjoy what is IN season and remember it fondly when it is not, rather than using produce that has been grown hundreds if not thousands of miles away and shipped to large supermarkets where you can find tasteless berries and starchy corn year round.
As we get ready for the approaching holidays and all the stick-to-the-ribs hearty fare of winter, we can already think about the first tastes of spring in the garden.
(Editor’s Note: We are working on getting “Cooking in the Moment” in the store and will let you know when it’s available.)
Apple and Smoked Trout Salad with Horseradish Cream
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 heads Belgian endive, trimmed, leaves separated
1 Granny Smith apple, halved, cored and very thinly sliced on a mandolin
½ cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
½ pound boneless smoked trout filets, broken into pieces
watercress sprigs for garnish
- In a small bowl whisk together the sour cream, horseradish and vinegar. Add enough cream until the dressing is creamy and emulsified. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Arrange the endive, apple, walnuts and trout on 4 serving plates.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette evenly over each portion and garnish with the watercress sprigs. Serve right away.
Serves 2