Baked Stuffed Cape Cod Conch

While strolling the beach the other day I found two nearly perfect conch shells. There are loads of broken ones, but finding one intact has so far eluded me, and I've been looking for decades, so it was a good day. 

It was also my first encounter with the sea snail that lives inside as these two came fully loaded. As I was contemplating how one gets them out of the shell, recipes were coming to mind. It was a toss up between conch fritters and baked stuffed conch prepared in the style of stuffed quahogs. The latter won out as I wanted to bake it inside the shell. Kind of the ultimate in sustainable eating, no? Plus, it would make for an awfully sweet presentation, and the perfect opportunity to show off my prize. 

Broken conch shell that caught the refection of the sun.

Google came through with instructions on how to dislodge them. There were a few options. The first involved piercing a hole in the shell to release the suction of the snail, which was totally out of the question since I intend on displaying mine for time immemorial, and option two was to boil them for about 10 minutes. I opted for the latter. After boiling, remove them from the water and use kitchen tongs to grab on to the hard end (sometimes called the toenail) and pull until it releases from the shell. Cut this end off and remove the digestive gland at the top. Wash the meat well to remove any sand. The meat can be roughly chopped in a food processor on pulse, or with a sharp knife.

Baked Stuffed Cape Cod Conch

Serves 4 as an appetizer

Meat from two large conch

6 slices of good french bread (cut into small cubes)

1/3 green pepper (diced)

1/3 red pepper (diced)

1/4 of a small sweet white onion (diced)

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

6 oz clam juice

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Fresh lemon

Hot sauce

Add two teaspoons of olive oil to a skillet. Saute the garlic, onion and peppers until they just start to brown. Remove from heat, add chopped conch, Worcestershire sauce, bread, calm juice, pepper flakes and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix well. Stuff into a clean conch shell, or use a casserole pan. Place a few pats of butter on top, cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and brown the tops under the broiler. Serve with fresh lemon wedges and your favorite hot sauce.

Vegetable Soup with French Lentils

We just had our third major winter storm here on Cape Cod with winds gusting up to 60 mph and a mixture of rain and snow spitting down from the sky. Not the ideal weather for taking the dog out, but perfect for diving into a big bowl of steaming hot soup. A bag of French lentils, or lentils du Puy,  have been staring me in the face for weeks.

Once I discovered these little green beauties, which are grown in the Le-Puy-en-Velay commune in the Haute Loire department of south-central France, I've never used any others. They remain firm after cooking and have a nutty flavor that I quite enjoy. While they're perfect for soup, they're also a nice addition to a salad, and I've used them to make Nepalese Dal.

So as Mother Nature unleashed yet another storm on the Northeast, this hearty soup made it just a little bit easier to bear.

French Lentil Vegetable Soup

Serves 6-8

1 yellow squash (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)

1 zucchini (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)

1/2 white onion (diced)

1/4 of a buttercup or butternut squash (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)

2 carrots (diced)

2 large leaves of kale (chopped)

1 quart (32 oz or 946ml) vegetable stock

1.5 cups of leftover red sauce (I had some homemade marinara on hand. You could also use peeled, chopped tomatoes)

2 cups of water

1.5 teaspoons dry basil

1.5 teaspoons curry powder

1.5 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking the lentils: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and add 1 cup of French lentils. Simmer over medium heat until the lentils are tender. Add a teaspoon of salt to the water (after they're finished cooking as this keeps the legumes tender) and allow to sit for a few minutes.

Dice the onion, cut the buttercup squash into 1/2 inch cubes (peel first if using butternut). Add a tablespoon of olive oil to your soup pot, then add the onions, carrots and buttercup squash. Allow to cook for 5 minutes. Add the spices plus 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook for another 3 minutes. Toss in the yellow and zucchini squash, then add the stock, tomato sauce and water. Cook over low to medium heat (gentle boil) for 15 minutes. Drain the lentils and add to the soup with the chopped kale. Allow to simmer another 5 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

Soup toppings:

We added crumbled goat cheese and roasted rosemary cashews, which give the soup a tangy flavor and nutty crunch.

The Best Green Smoothie

Okay, claiming this is the BEST green smoothie might seem a tad subjective, and possibly unbelievable to those who would rather chew on the bottom of a shoe for breakfast, but if you can hang in here for a few minutes you might be pleasantly surprised to learn what this funky green concoction can actually do for you.

While some may be perfectly happy sticking with a bagel and cream cheese for their first meal of the day, I've noticed some positive changes since indulging in this morning ritual. Cravings for starchy, salty white flour foods have greatly diminished, and I pretty much stick to three meals a day with very little snacking. When I do snack it's usually on fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, a hunk of protein or a leftover smoothie. I've also started making extra in the morning, so my daughter can have it when she gets home from school. She likes it, and seriously is there a parent on this planet who would object to this as an afternoon snack? Not me, that's for sure. 

So are you ready to jump on the green smoothie bandwagon? Or are you hovering on the sidelines? Why not start out gradually by setting a goal to have one or two a week. As your body gets accustomed to this royal treatment, you'll probably ramp up the frequency. It's funny how that happens. Just for the record, I have spells when I fall off the beam a bit. While traveling it's not so easy to whip one of these up, so when I get home it's usually the first thing I make. Yep, my body is craving the good stuff and I'm happy to oblige.

The Best Green Smoothie

Serves 3-4
1 granny smith apple (cored)
1/2 pear (cored)
2 leaves of fresh kale
3 leaves of romaine lettuce
1 small english cucumber
1 carrot
5 slices of fresh ginger root
1 banana
1/2 avocado
2 stalks of celery
1 lemon (peeled)
2 pitted dates
1 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup of water
Handful of ice

Place all ingredients (I use organic fruits and vegetables) into your blender ( I use the Vitamix). Toss the harder fruits and veggies in first and the greens on top, then the liquids and ice. Begin blending on low speed. As the smoothie comes together switch to high speed and blend until it's smooth and creamy. About 30 seconds. Enjoy!

Borough Market, London

Well I've finally made it to this wonderful wholesale and retail food market in Southwark, Central London. It's been on my bucket list for a while. Purveyors from across England and other parts of the world display their wares in this open air market. It's a nice place to spend a weekend morning or afternoon, especially if you enjoy good food as they generously pass out samples. 

The first thing we cast our eyes upon was this magnificent display of mushrooms, truffles and some very tasty truffle oils. While I considered bringing home a few kilos of these beauties, I opted for a bottle of oil as it seemed more practical. I'm not sure if transporting fungi across the pond is permitted, and having to hand these over to Homeland Security would really tick me off.

There's a vast selection of fruits and vegetables available from several purveyors. Notice the leaves still attached to  the oranges and lemons; it's a nice touch and reminds us that they do grow on trees.

 

The figs were especially hard to pass up... aren't they gorgeous?

I'm not sure what this is, perhaps it's a cross between cauliflower and broccoli, but I do love the shape and texture. That's what I like about a good fresh market, you're always going to be introduced to foods that you've never met. Update on 2 Feb: Thanks to this recent post on the Borough Market Blog I've learned that this beautiful vegetable is called Romanesco cauliflower, a cruciferous vegetable that hails from the cabbage family. 

The roasted and smoked garlic offers endless possibilities.

Farm fresh eggs that still show traces of the hens that laid them.

Being an ocean loving person and a resident of Cape Cod, I was particularly impressed with the fish stall. I tried the Dorset Oysters and really liked them. They're plump and have a clean, fresh taste with a nice saline finish.

The paella was perfection!

An abundant selection of olives and handmade olive oil soap from Turkey. The soap is in my suitcase.

Fresh flowers.

Traditional English pasties.

Loved this clever presentation, and they tasted as good as they look.

 And if you get lost, the cow will guide you on your way.

Lots of nuts, both sweet and savory.

I discovered two delicious unpasteurized cheeses which are also coming home with me. Let's hope the drug sniffing dogs don't have other plans for them.

Borough Market certainly lives up to its reputation. The vendors are delightful, engaging and knowledgeable. They take great pride in what they do, and if you'd  like to experience London's food scene this is a great place to start.