North Meets South - August ‘08 Dinner Club
Caribbean was the theme for dinner club in August and with our travels over the years we had collected quite a repetoire of great recipes from Trinidad to Puerto Rico. The challenge was to use local goods and produce where possible and come up with alternatives where not. We did rather well - see the *marked ingredients - and I'm sure there are others substitutions.
Spice-Rubbed Pork Loin with Jalapeno-Lime Salsa (adapted from September 08, Fine Cooking)
Serves eight.
3 Tbs. olive oil
1.5 Tbs. salt
1 Tbs. Hungarian paprika
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1.5 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. chipotle chile powder
3 cloves *garlic, minced
bone removed *pork loin roast (6 lbs.)
1 recipe Jalapeno-Lime Salsa (follows)
Season pork: mixe oil, salt, paprika, cumin, sugar, chipotle powder, and garlic. Rub all over pork and refrigerate, covered for 36 hours (12 - 48).
Prepare grill: Heat all burners of gas grill to medium low. Clean grill grates with stiff wire and brush with oil.
Sear: Set meat on grill, cover, cook, and turn until nicely browned on all sides. (About 12 minutes).
Grill-roast: Turn middle burner off, set other burners to medium low. (For a two burner grill turn back burner off and set front burner to high). Place meat on cooler zone of grill, lid down, should register 350 degrees. Check temperature every 15 minutes, until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 145 degrees, about 1 3/4 hour. Transfer to cutting board and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting meat. Serve with salsa.
Jalapeno-lime Salsa
1 1/2 cups seeded and finely diced ripe *tomato (2 medium)
1/3 cup chopped fresh *cilantro
3 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. finely diced *red onion
1/2 fresh *jalapeno, cored, seeded and minced; more or less to taste
1 Tbs. finely choppped pickled jalapeno slices; more or less to taste
1 1/2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice; more or less to taste
1 tsp. finely grated lightly packed lime zest
salt
In large bowl, mix tomatoe, cilantro, oil, onion, jalapenos, lime juice and zest, and 1 tsp. salt. Adjust seasoning.
Let sit at room temperature while the pork grill-roasts.
Following recipes adapted from A Taste of the Caribbean
Viola's Corn and Hazelnut Spoon Bread - St. Vincent
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups *fresh corn kernels
1 cup *milk
1/4 cup sour cream
3 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 large *eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 *egg whites
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup rum
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roast hazelnuts for 15 minutes, cool, rub nuts with towel to remove skins, and grind finely. Set aside.
In large bowl, combine water and cornmeal, stir and set aside.
In food processor place 1 cup of corn kernels along with milk, sour cream, butter, vanilla, eggs, salt and granulated sugar. Puree and pour into bowl with cornmeal, stir. Fold in remaining corn kernels along with baking powder and soda.
Beat egg whites until peaks have formed and carefully fold into batter. Set aside.
In small bowl combine brown sugar, ground hazelnuts, cinnamon and rum.
Place batter in buttered deep glass baking dish, sprinkle hazelnut topping over batter.
Bake for 35 minutes until golden.
Mesclun Salad with Jalapeno Orange Cream - British Virgin Islands
(could also substitute raspberries or blue berries for orange and tangerines)
Sauce:
1/4 cup sour cream
3 Tbs. chopped *jalapeno peppers
3 Tbs. minced *onion
1 clove *garlic crushed
2 Tbs. orange juice concentrate
1 Tbs. fresh zest of orange
2 Tbs. *honey
Greens:
5 cups *mesclun greens
2 Tbs. *fresh basil
1/4 cup *fresh cilantro
3 Tbs. minced *green onions
2 tangerines, sectioned and seeded
Whirl all ingredients for sauce in blender until pureed smooth.
Toss other ingredients, garnish with tangerine slices and serve with sauce.
Starfruit Nutted Rice with Raisons - St. Eustatius
(substitute apricots for starfruit, dried cherries for raisins)
4 Tbs. water
4 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 large starfruit, minced (4 *apricots)
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 small *onion, minced
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
4 cups hot cooked basmati rice (I used brown rice)
1 cup toasted crushed cashews
1 cup *dried cherries
salt and pepper to taste
In small sauce pan, heat water and stir in sugar until melted. Add apricots/starfruit and bring to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Heath oil, cook onion until just clear. Add bouillon and spices stirring and cooking for 1 minute. Stir in fruit mixture, gently fold in rice coating evenly. Add nuts, raisins/cherries and combine with hot rice.
Serve. (This was even tasty the next day, cold.)
Following recipe adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian: More Than 650 Meatless Recipes from Around the World
Curried Long Beans - Trinidad
6 Tbs. canola oil
2 small onions, peeled and very finely chopped
4 *garlic cloves, peeled and very finely chopped
1 *fresh hot green pepper, very finely chopped (or more to taste)
2 Tbs. curry powder
2 1/2 pounds long green beans (green beans) cut into 1 1/2 inch segments
1 Tbs. salt
1 tsp. amchar masala (see below)
2 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds
Put oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and peppers. Stir-fry until onion is medium brown. Add curry powder, stir once and add 2 cups of water, beans and salt. Stir. Cook on medium heat, uncovered for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring now and then. Reduce head to low and cook another 4 to 5 minutes or until beans are tender and liquid has been reduced. Add amchar masala and cumin. Stir and cook another minute.
amchar masala: Trinidadian Mixed Spices
1/4 cup whole coriander seeds, 1 Tbs. while cumin seeds, 2 tsp. whole black peppercorns, 1 tsp. whole fennel seeds, 1 tsp. whole brown mustard seeds, 1 tsp. whole fenugreek seeds. (Can purchases spices at NJ's Grocery in Lake Leelanau.)
Stir and roast all spices in frying pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until spices turn a shade or two darker.
Remove from heat, cool and grind as finely as possible in clean coffee or spice grinder. Store in airtight jar.
Dessert: Almond Fruit Tart with Lemon Cream
