May 19 – May 26, 2025

 

 

 

Monday:                               Pesto Orecchiette with Grilled Shrimp and Corn

Tuesday:                               Grilled Chicken and Greens Greek Salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday:                        Pea Stew with Yogurt and Soda Bread

 

Friday:                                   Crispy Baked Cod with Tartar Sauce / Green Beans

Saturday:                              Pizza with Roasted Mushroom Cream

 

 

Sunday:                                 Grilled Blue Cheeseburgers and Potato Salad

The Alien Corn of Spring

You will not be surprised to learn that the first corn of spring did not come from local farmers.  Our wonderfully sweet local corn won’t be available until August.  But very good corn from some place south has started arriving at markets in our area and when I saw a recipe for pasta and shrimp and corn, the temptation to deal with alien corn* was too much for me.

*Anyone recognizing the Old Testament reference gets a free martini, if they visit Casa Stuarti.

We are hungry these days, because we have a house to build back.  Though we are not actually doing any of the masonry, or carpentry, or roofing or HVAC work, we are coordinating it.  And, as anyone who has dealt with contractors knows, this is as exhausting as herding cats.  All this, while sleeping in a strange bedroom, not being able to watch tv in Barbara’s lovely little den, and waking up to the sound of whatever the heck the mason was using to remove bricks, does not make for a peaceful environment.  Good food is some consolation.

The cod on Friday was very good, but the pasta with shrimp and corn was easily the meal of the week.  In addition to alien corn, this dish called for the use of cheese with seafood which some imperious, half-informed traveler decided was taboo in Italian cooking.  The rule of Italian cooking is singular, as is that of most cuisines – meals should taste good.  If you want to use cheese in a dish and that makes it taste good, it will sell in Siena, take my word for it.

If you don’t like my musings about Italian cooking please ignore them but do try this irresistible pasta.  Don’t use cheese, if you don’t want to.  But the corn and the shrimp are a must.

Note:  This post is brief not only because we have to coordinate masons, restoration specialists, roofers and HVAC contractors, but because this dish is so good, that you should gather the ingredients and cook it as soon as possible.  We didn’t want a lengthy post to get in the way.  Oh, and also, I’m tired – contractors, when they do show up, appear quite early in the morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PESTO ORECCHIETTE WITH GRILLED SHRIMP AND CORN

(adapted from Geoffrey Zakarian)

Timing:          90 minutes – includes time to start grill and cooling time

[Note:  you can cook on a grill pan on top of your stove]

Ingredients:                                     4-6 Servings

1 ½ pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined

3 ears of corn

1 pound orecchiette pasta

Serrano pepper, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons basil pesto (recipe follows)

3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling

4 cloves garlic, sliced (we used garlic powder)

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Fresh basil for garnish

Grated parmesan, for garnish

For the Basil Pesto:

   2 cups fresh basil leaves, 2 cloves garlic (we used garlic powder), Zest of 1 lemon, ¼ cup grated parmesan, 1 cup olive oil (we used a bit less – keep an eye on the pesto as you blend it to the consistency you prefer, Kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

Prep:

Get a grill hot – either charcoal or gas outside, or put a grill pan in a 400 F oven for 15 minutes.

Shuck the corn, thaw and prep the shrimp. Slice the serrano pepper, gather the basil and other ingredients.  Fill a large pot with water and heat it for the pasta.

Cook:

Over medium-high on an outdoor grill, or on a pre-heated grill pan set over 2 burners on your stove, after drizzling the shrimp and corn with oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper, cook the shrimp about 3 minutes on each side and grill the corn about 6 minutes per side or a bit longer – you want some char on the shrimp and the corn.  Set aside to cool and then cut the shrimp in half lengthwise and cut the kernels from the cob.

Salt the water in the pot heavily and bring to a boil then add the pasta and cook until al dente – maybe 9 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, during its final 5 minutes set a large skillet over medium-high, add 3 tablespoons of oil, the serrano and the garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes.  Add the shrimp and the corn and turn the heat down if needed, until the pasta is cooked and drained.  Add the pasta to the skillet and then, off the heat, add the butter, Basil Pesto and some parmesan.  Toss to coat the pasta well.

Adjust the seasoning and serve.  Garnish with parmesan and basil leaves.