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Sunset Magazine - 5/1/08

The pages of Sunset Magazine come to life with a daytrip to Tiburon and a makeover of items purchased of Craigslist.

For more information on the stories we brought to life and all other features in past issues of Sunset Magazine, log onto www.sunset.com.

   TIBURON DAY TRIP

S.S. China Cabin
www.landmarkssociety.org

Angel Island Ferry
www.angelislandferry.com

Windsor Vineyards Tasting Room
www.windsorvineyards.com

Three Degrees Restaurant
www.threedegreesrestaurant.com

   GARDEN PATIO MAKEOVERS

The following stores were featured as great places to find treasures for a garden patio makeover:

Flora Grubb Gardens (San Francisco)
www.floragrubb.com

Living Green (San Francisco)
www.livinggreen.com

Building Resources (San Francisco)
www.buildingresources.org

   SPRING AND SUMMER SALAD RECIPES

Sunflower Sprouts Salad

Our version of the standard green salad is an airy stack of tender butter lettuce leaves with raw and cooked vegetables. Prep and Cook Time: 40 minutes. Notes: We love the fresh, nutty flavor of sunflower sprouts, but you can substitute any variety of sprout you like.

Ingredients

1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound asparagus
 Ice
1 head butter lettuce, separated into leaves
8 ounces sunflower sprouts (see Notes)
1/2 cup thinly sliced English cucumber
1 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
4 ounces soft goat cheese (chèvre)

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, whisk together shallot, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

2. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cut off and discard bottom halves of asparagus spears. Cut tops into 2-in. lengths. Cook asparagus until barely tender, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large bowl of ice and cold water. When cool, drain and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine lettuce leaves and sprouts. Add half of the reserved vinaigrette and toss carefully just until coated. Divide lettuce and sprouts among 4 plates, starting with the largest leaves for the bottom layer. Sprinkle each pile of greens with asparagus, cucumber, bell pepper, and radishes. Drizzle the vegetables with a little more vinaigrette.

4. Place 1 tbsp. goat cheese on each salad and serve with remaining vinaigrette and sea salt for sprinkling if you like.

Yield Makes 4 first-course servings

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 373(80% from fat); FAT 33g (sat 7.8g); PROTEIN 11g; CHOLESTEROL 13mg; SODIUM 513mg; FIBER 2.9g; CARBOHYDRATE 12g

Vietnamese Calamari Herb Salad

Fried calamari goes to Vietnam, where seafood (and meats) are often paired with lots and lots of fresh herbs. Here, the intense, fresh flavor of mint, basil, dill, parsley, and cilantro make a clean-tasting counterpoint to the rich, lightly crunchy calamari. Prep and Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours. Notes: Fish sauce and rice flour can be found in the Asian food aisle of most supermarkets. Calamari most often comes frozen, cleaned, and separated into tubes (mantles) and tentacles. If you find it fresh, ask your fishmonger to clean it (it's tedious to do yourself).

Ingredients

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from 6 to 8 large limes)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (also called nuoc mam or nam pla; see Notes)
1 each red and green jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
2 cups each loosely packed fresh mint, basil, dill, flat-leaf parsley, and cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup sliced celery (1/4 in. thick)
1 cup whole salted cashews
4 cups vegetable oil
1 pound calamari, cleaned (see Notes)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour (see Notes)
 About 1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, and chiles. Set dressing aside.

2. In a large serving bowl, combine mint, basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, onion, celery, and cashews. Set aside.

3. In a 4-qt. pot about 10 in. in diameter, heat vegetable oil until it registers 360° on a candy thermometer.

4. While oil is heating, slice calamari tubes in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Lay each half flat, inside up, and gently score across the half 3 or 4 times with the point of a knife. Turn the half 90° and score 3 or 4 times across the first score marks to make a grid pattern (think tic-tac-toe). Halve and score the remaining tubes the same way. Put in a small bowl with tentacles. Set aside.

5. In another small bowl, combine all-purpose flour, rice flour, 1 tsp. salt, and the cayenne. Drop the calamari pieces into the flour mixture, turning to coat well.

6. Working in 3 batches, fry squid 4 to 5 minutes per batch, or until pieces are curled and light brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fried calamari to a large plate lined with several folded paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt to taste. Allow oil temperature to return to 360° between batches.

7. Add the warm calamari to the herb-cashew mixture and pour half of the dressing over it. Toss gently just until coated. Serve salad immediately, with remaining dressing on the side.

Yield Makes 8 first-course servings 

Note: Nutritional analysis is per 1 1/2-cup serving.

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 352(51% from fat); FAT 20g (sat 3.3g); PROTEIN 16g; CHOLESTEROL 132mg; SODIUM 632mg; FIBER 4.9g; CARBOHYDRATE 29g

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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