A Return to Chase’s

By Lori Powell

As promised per my last post, I am blogging again about Chase’s Daily Restaurant in Belfast, Maine. Since corn, green beans (my own are almost done) and tomatoes are still so plentiful, I thought I would share my version of a salad I had at Chase’s that used those classic summer ingredients.

What’s nice about this recipe is that minimal cooking is required; the only thing that is cooked is the fresh green beans, which are just given a good blanching.

Blanching is the process of cooking something quickly in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, draining immediately and then refreshing in a bowl of cold water that includes a few ice cubes. This not only stops the vegetables from cooking but also helps to retain their vibrant color and crisp texture – the trick is to not undercook or overcook.

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Beautiful Beans!

By Lori Powell

About 100 years ago, the string bean had a makeover and was newly uncloaked as a stringless wonder. A very good thing since it was considered laborious to de-string.

Since then, the humble bean has gone on to new heights of popularity. Farmers are growing unusual varieties with exotic names in abundance. I've highlighted three below (see photo) after buying them at the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City.

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5 Tips for Perfect Tempura

By Katie Barreira

Maybe deep frying doesn’t exactly jive with your New Year’s resolutions, but I’m a firm believer that the only way to avoid temptation is to give into it, just a little. Plus, frying at home allows you to control the batter consistency (just a thin coating, please), oil temperature and cooking time, all key in side-stepping the grease soaked goodies that we pledge to avoid without entirely shunning fried food.

Follow these words of tempura wisdom and you can indulge (occasionally, I must remind myself) in fried food that is sinfully crispy, but fresh and light enough to pass the resolution police.

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