"Recipes from the Chef's Kitchen"

The Curious Grape

4056 South 28th Street
Arlington, Va. 22206
703-671-8700

Suzanne McGrath - President

Ingredients:
Serves 4
1)   8 oz. Capellini or Angel Hair Pasta or Asian rice Noodles
2)   1 bunch Scallions
3)   1 Red Pepper
4)   2 Oranges
5)   2 tbs. Sesame Seeds
6)   8 oz. large Shrimp
7)   Olive Oil for sauteing
8)   1 clove Garlic
9)   1 inch piece fresh Ginger (or 1 tsp. dried)
10) juice of 2 Oranges (about ½ cup)
11) 2 tbs. Tamari or Soy Sauce
12) 1 tbs. Tahini (Sesame Paste) or Peanut Butter
13) 1 tbs. Brown Sugar or Honey
14) 1 tsp. Sesame oil
15) ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:
1)   Place a large pot of water on to boil.  When water reaches boiling point, add
       1 tbs. salt and noodles.  Cook noodles according to package instructions.
       Drain and set aside.
2)   Clean and slice white part and 1” of green part of scallions into 1/8” slices.
       Set aside.
3)   Clean and slice red pepper into ¼” strips.  Set aside.
4)   Using a sharp paring knife, remove ends of orange, then carefully cut away
       all of the skin, including the white pith underneath.  Holding orange in one
       hand, carefully cut out each segment of orange so they are free of pith.
       Squeeze all juice from the remaining part of the orange and set aside.
5)   Peel and de-vein shrimp and rinse under running water.  Pat shrimp dry
       with paper towels and set aside.
6)   Place large sauté pan over medium-high heat and heat until pan is hot.
       Add sesame seeds to the pan and cook over dry heat, just until seeds begin
       to toast.  Remove seeds to a small plate and set aside.
7)   Add ½ tbs. olive oil to pan and tilt pan to coat bottom.  Add shrimp in a single
       layer.  Cook about 1 minute, until beginning to brown.  Use tongs to turn
       shrimp over.  Cook about 1 minute more.  Remove shrimp from heat and
       add to pasta.  Set aside.
8)   Add scallions and red peppers to pan in which shrimp was cooked and cook
       over medium-high heat about 3 minutes, just until beginning to soften.
       Transfer vegetables to pan with pasta.
9)   Add orange segments to pan with pasta, shrimp, and vegetables.
10) Place all of remaining ingredients into blender and process until smooth.
11) Toss dressing and half of sesame seeds with pasta, shrimp, and vegetable
       mixture.  Place mixture in airtight plastic container and sprinkle with sesame
       seeds for garnish.
12) To serve, line plates with lettuce leaves and spoon noodle salad into leaves.

Recommended Wine:
Serve with a crisp, aromatic white wine like dry or slightly off-dry Riesling,
Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio.

Ingredients:
Serves 4
1)   1 lb. fresh Green Beans - washed
2)   1 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3)   Salt and fresh ground Pepper to taste
4)   1 box Cherry or Grape Tomatoes - washed
5)   ¼ cup Pinenuts, toasted at 350 until lightly golden brown
6)   1 clove Garlic
7)   2 oz. good quality Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano Cheese
8)   1 bunch fresh Basil - leaves removed and washed
9)   10-12 leaves fresh Mint or Parsley - washed
10) ¼-1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
11) juice of 1 Lemon
12) ¼ tsp. Salt
13) ½ cup Kalamata Olives
14) 4 oz. good quality Feta Cheese

Preparation:
1)   Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2)   Remove any stems from green beans and snap all beans in half (for
       easier eating at the picnic).  Add beans to a large, metal cake pan or
       13 x 9 pan.
3)   Add 1 tbs. olive oil to beans, toss to coat, and season with salt and pepper.
       Roast beans in oven at 400 degrees about 10 minutes, or until beans are
       just beginning to soften and shrivel.
4)   Remove from heat and adjust oven to broil.
5)   Add whole tomatoes to pan with beans and return to oven.  Broil just until
       tomatoes are beginning to blister and shrivel.  Remove pan from heat, set
       aside, and turn off oven.
6)   Meanwhile, place toasted pinenuts, garlic, and cheese in bowl of food
       processor.  Pulse several times to chop coarsely.
7)   Add basil and mint or parsley leaves to food processor and pulse to chop
       finely.
8)   Add ¼ cup oil, lemon juice, and salt.  Pulse until pesto forms a smooth paste.
       If the paste seems thick, add 1 to 2 tbs. olive oil.
9)   Add pesto to green beans and tomatoes.
10) Slice olives into ¼” slivers and add to green beans.
11) Crumble half of Feta cheese into green beans.
12) Toss the green bean mixture carefully until well mixed.  Place in an airtight
       plastic container and top with the remaining Feta cheese.

Recommended Wine:
Serve with a crisp, refreshing Greek, Spanish or Italian white wine or rosé.

In the heat of summer, keep in mind that highly perishable foods may not be the best
choices for a picnic. Use the following tips to keep your picnic safe and delicious.

1)   Avoid salads with mayonnaise-based dressings.  Substitute yogurt for mayonnaise
       in your favorite salds to make them more picnic safe.
2)   Avoid egg salad or hard boiled eggs.
3)   Avoid perishable shellfish like crabmeat.  In dishes that contain shellfish, consider
       substituting strips of roasted chicken, roasted pork, flaked tuna, or strips of
       thickly-sliced cold cuts.
4)   Prepare all foods that have to be cooked the night before so they can chill
       thoroughly overnight.
5)   Bring plenty of ice packs and put them in the freezer the night before so they'll
       be thoroughly cold.
6)   Freeze bottles of water, lemonade, or fruit juice the night before and pack them
       in the cooler as extra ice packs.
7)   Use square and rectangular containers to pack your food...they fit better in the
       cooler for more efficient use of space.
8)   Put wine in the refrigerator the night before so it gets thoroughly chilled.
9)   Pack even red wines in your picnic cooler so they won't be too warm when you
       drink them (you can always let them warm up for a few minutes in your glass).
10) Put wine bottle chiller sleeves in the freezer the night before and place around
       white wines in the cooler to help keep them cool during the trip and at the picnic.
11) Pack plastic wine glasses to bring out the best in your wines.
12) Look for good quality wines with screwcaps to make service easier.
13) Consider wine in half bottles.

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