Green Sauce

In my house, the go to sauce for fish is "Green Sauce".  This recipe has evolved over 20+ years from an orginal recipe that I found in one of my favorite cookbooks of all time - Marcella Hazan's "The Classic Italian Cookbook". It was first published in 1973 and joined my household in about 1979. 
  

Official Version

Piquant Green Sauce

Salsa verde

From Marcella Hazan’s Classic Italian Cookbook

2 ½ T.              parsley, finely chopped

2 T.                  capers, finely chopped

6                      flat anchovy fillets, mashed in a mortar or bowl, or 1 T. anchovy paste

½ t.                  garlic, very finely chopped

½ t.                  strong mustard, Dijon or German

½ t.                  red-wine vinegar, if used for meat OR 1 T. strained lemon juice is used for fish

½ c.                 olive oil

                        Salt, if necessary

1.  Put parsley, capers, mashed anchovy fillets, garlic and mustard in a bowl and stir, mixing thoroughly.  Add the vinegar or lemon juice and stir again.  Add the olive oil, beating it vigorously into other ingredients.

2.  Taste for salt and piquancy.  Add vinegar or lemon juice if you want it tarter but add very small amounts at a time.

Sauce can be refrigerated for up to a week.  Stir it well again before serving.

Susan’s Version

I don’t like the flavor of parsley in this sauce so I use basil instead.  I don’t hand chop anything, preferring instead to use my trusty Cuisinart food processor which has been around in my kitchen since 1982 and is used on an almost daily basis.  I like this sauce to be very garlicky and tart so I add more of everything except olive oil.

1                      about ½ c of packed basil leaves (not chopped)

3 T.                  capers

8 or 9               anchovy fillets

2 cloves           garlic – go ahead and chop this a bit because you really don’t want any garlic                                 chunks in the sauce.

1 T.                  Dijon mustard – I’ve tried others but like Dijon the best

3 T.                  lemon juice

½ c.                 olive oil

Put everything into the food processor except the olive oil.  Pulse on and off, scraping sides, until everything is well blended but not mushy.  Add olive oil and pulse to desired consistency.  Sometimes you may need to add more olive oil.  Taste and adjust for salt….I love salty things but very rarely add salt to this because I use more anchovies and they are so salty.

I’ve been making this sauce for 20 years and have adjusted it to my tastes.  You will need to do the same for yours.

Laguna Red BBQ Sauce

My mother’s family is from a small town near Corpus Christi, Texas named Robstown.  Robstown boasted of a BBQ place named Joe Cotton’s that had a deliciously wonderful sauce.  The restaurant drew folks in from neighboring counties.  I remember going there with my grandfather and parents when I was young. It was a typical Texas BBQ joint – brisket falling apart served with sliced onions, pickles, a slice of white bread and sauce. Unfortunately, the restaurant burned down earlier last year.

My brother who does a lot of barbequing turned his attention to the original sauce recipe. Everything can be improved upon and my brother, Robert, certainly has done so.  Here is his take on the Joe Cotton sauce.  The original recipe is at the bottom for comparison.

Laguna Red BBQ Sauce

32 oz.        Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix.  This is a full bottle.

1 1/3c.       Ketchup

4-6 T.        Yellow mustard

??              Worcestershire sauce – put in as much as feels right

1               onion, small, finely diced

1 jar          Trappey’s brand jalapeno’s

2-3 tsp.     ground pepper

                Salt to taste

3 T.           butter

4-5 T         lemon or lime juice

¼ c           garlic, crushed, to taste

Whip mustard and ketchup together because if you don’t, you’ll have little globules of yellow mustard floating in the sauce.  Pull all ingredients in a saucepot and simmer for 30 minutes or more. This will reduce the sauce and take some of the bite out of the onions and jalapeno’s.

You can also add some “Woody’s Cook-in Sauce”, a BBQ Concentrate and marinade sauce that has some liquid smoke added.  For the whole recipe above, use ½ c or to taste.

Recipe created by Robert Davis and modeled after Joe Cotton’s BBQ Sauce.

       

The Original Joe Cotton’s BBQ Sauce

23 oz         Tomato juice

2/3 c.        Ketchup

2 T            Onion, finely diced

1                          jalapeno, finely diced

½ t            salt

1T             margarine

Korean Spinach or Kale Side DishThis has become my signature dish for potlucks. It's delicious, healthy, and easy--and since you serve it at room temperature, it's very portable. Because the leaves cook down a lot, I usually make a double or triple batch. All of the measurements for the sauce are approximate or "to taste." I usually eat mine with a little Sriracha. Enjoy!


Ingredients:1 pound spinach or kale

Sauce:2 Tbsp soy sauce1 Tbsp sesame oil1 Tbsp mirin (optional)2 tsp rice wine vinegar2-3 cloves crushed or minced garlic1-2 tsp sugar1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

To Make:Bring a large pot of water to a boil. If using spinach, blanch the spinach in boiling water for 30 seconds. If using kale, leave kale in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, until leaves are soft.
Remove spinach or kale, strain in colander, and rinse in cold water.
(If using spinach, time is of the essence—remove quickly. Kale is more durable.) Gently squeeze leaves to remove excess water.Mix sauce and add to spinach/kale.Sprinkle on sesame seeds and toss.Serve at room temperature. Makes about 4 servings

Goat Dip

I suppose this dip came out of a necessity for nicety. Virginia, aka Scout, had been begging for a 'real' tea party for weeks and I finally had the time and fortitude to grant her wish. We decided on cucumber sandwiches because they come so highly recommended by Fancy Nancy. 

Cucumber sandwiches sound delightful: moist white bread, smooth texture, refreshing cucumber and good creamy fat. Unfortunately I have been mostly disappointed by dry bread and tasteless sandwiches. I set out to improve a bit on this traditional lady's luncheon food.

Gathering whatever I found that might be of use from the fridge, I soon started plopping things in the food processor. It turned out better than I could have hoped, mostly due to the goat cheese that needed using. For the sandwiches I merely spread the Goat Dip on potato bread, and a favorite of you know who, and cut off all the crust. I sometimes use a cookie cutter to make shapes for the kids. The Goat Dip is really great as a crudites dip and has become my go to for parties. Its easy to make and doesn't heat up the kitchen during the summer months.

Goat Dip. Photo and Recipe by Anna Sindelar

Goat Dip

Makes 3 cups. Great on sandwiches or a dip for veggies and chips. 

Ingredients:

3-4 Persian Cucumbers or 1 large American cucumber, sliced thinly 

3 tsp salt

5 oz Goat Cheese

6 oz Cream Cheese, cubed

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp parmesan, grated

1/2 tbsn assorted herbs: lavender, savory, sage, rosemary

Salt if necessary

Directions:

Toss cucumber slices with salt. Arrange slices up the side of a colander and let sit for 30-60 minutes. Pat cucumbers dry and dust off excess salt. Process cucumbers, herbs, garlic and parmesan in the food processor until finely chopped. Add cream cheese and goat cheese and process until smooth. Add milk if texture is too thick. Refrigerate.

The Tea Party was a success!