7-2-17 Pasta & Crab salad

7-2-17  Pasta & Crab salad

 INGREDIENTS:

1.     Cavatappi pasta – ½ Lb.

2.     Lump crab meat

3.     Olive oil

4.     Mayonnaise- about 1 cup

5.     Heavy whipping cream- about ¼ cup

6.     Celery

7.     Fresh basil and tarragon – finely chopped

8.     Lemon juice

PROCESS:

Cook the pasta, drain, place in bowl, mix in some olive oil to prevent sticking, and chill in the fridge.

In a small bowl mix together the mayo, cream, and lemon juice.  Then mix the crab, herbs, and dressing in with the pasta.

COMMENTS:

Great way to enjoy pasta on a summer night, especially with fresh tomatoes and sweet corn.

REACHING BACK

The first sweet corn of the season arrived in our CSA box yesterday, and with the lump crab meat sitting in our fridge, I knew exactly what I was going to do.  This was a dinner I first posted on July 19 of last year.  

PASTA-CRAB-CUCUMBER SALAD

This was going to be the night!  Tonight I would prepare the crab sauce that has been running around in my head for days…the sauce I thought I would prepare last week only to discover I didn’t have the crabmeat I thought I had.  But it was not to be; I came home from the farmer’s market with our box of veggies and discovered 6 ears of sweet corn, and with 4 already in the fridge, I knew I had to use them.  The result was a pasta/crab salad fortified with cucumber and served on a bed of lettuce with corn on the side.

INGREDIENTS:

Elbow pasta

Fresh crabmeat

Cucumber, peeled and diced

Celery

Mayonnaise

Lemon juice

Fresh chopped basil, oregano, thyme, and parsley

PROCESS:

Cook the pasta, drain and rinse with cold water, mix in just enough olive oil to keep them from sticking together, and chill.

In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and part of the herbs and cucumbers.  In a larger bowl add the mayonnaise mixture and the crabmeat, plus the pasta, and mix well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with the corn on the side and tomato for color.

COMMENTS:

Patience advised me to use more crabmeat…but she is from Maryland and there is never enough crabmeat for her.

A great meal for a hot summer day.

CORN ‘N CRAB WITH SHRIMP 7-23

Tonight I am following up on a suggestion I made 3 days ago…the pasta was served with corn and potatoes in a creamy tomato sauce…and I concluded the post thinking this would be good with crabmeat substituted for the potatoes. So…with 3 ears of fresh sweet corn and half a container of crabmeat still in the fridge the rest came easily.

Crabmeat replaced the tomatoes, shrimp was added to the mix, and the tomato paste was replaced with diced tomatoes with a splash of Sweet Vermouth tossed in.

INGREDIENTS:

Pasta…Campanella
Fresh corn, micro-waved and removed from the cob.
Fresh lump crabmeat
Shrimp, raw or cooked
Lemon juice
Diced tomatoes
Olive oil
Garlic, shallots
Fresh basil, oregano, parsley coarsely chopped
Sweet vermouth
Heavy whipping cream

PROCESS:

Cook the garlic and shallots in olive oil, then add the tomatoes, herbs, lemon juice, and sweet vermouth and cook for 10-15 minutes. Place tomatoes in blender or food processer and puree. Return the tomatoes to the pan and add the corn and crabmeat and cook over low heat. Add the shrimp now if raw.

While the pasta is cooking add the cream and stir intermittently. Add the pasta to the pan and mix well.



COMMENTS:

This was great. I liked it better than the corn-potato dish. The corn and crab are a good combo, and I like the way the sweet vermouth adds to the tomato sauce.
Any shaped pasta would work well with this.

PASTA-CRAB-CUCUMBER SALAD

This was going to be the night! Tonight I would prepare the crab sauce that has been running around in my head for days…the sauce I thought I would prepare last week only to discover I didn’t have the crabmeat I thought I had. But it was not to be; I came home from the farmer’s market with our box of veggies and discovered 6 ears of sweet corn, and with 4 already in the fridge, I knew I had to use them. The result was a pasta/crab salad fortified with cucumber and served on a bed of lettuce with corn on the side.



INGREDIENTS:

Elbow pasta
Fresh crabmeat
Cucumber, peeled and diced
Celery
Mayonnaise
Lemon juice
Fresh chopped basil, oregano, thyme, and parsley

PROCESS:

Cook the pasta, drain and rinse with cold water, mix in just enough olive oil to keep them from sticking together, and chill.

In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and part of the herbs and cucumbers. In a larger bowl add the mayonnaise mixture and the crabmeat, plus the pasta, and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with the corn on the side and tomato for color.

COMMENTS:

Patience advised me to use more crabmeat…but she is from Maryland and there is never enough crabmeat for her.

A great meal for a hot summer day.

PASTA QUEST…JUNE 19...DINING IN THE PAST

Linguine w crab sauce.






INGREDIENTS:

Linguine
San Marzano tomatoes…28 oz. can
Garlic, onions, olive oil
Ancohvies…3 chopped fillets
Basil, Red pepper flakes, oregano
Rock crab sections

PROCESS;

Sauté garlic, onion, and anchovies, along with the red pepper flakes in olive oil. And the tomatoes and spices, and cook for 4-5 minutes then add the crab sections, cover and simmer for 2-3 hours.


COMMENTS:

Living in New Jersey and Maryland meant fresh crabs were readily available during the crabbing season, and my mother would make the most awesome gravy with them. It takes little effort to remember the delightful fragrance of the pot of gravy cooking on the stove…an incredible treat for everyone fortunate enough to share that meal. A few days ago I discovered a package of cooked Rock crab sections in our local Kroger market and I knew in a moment what I had to do. I had no expectations of duplicating mom’s gravy, but I hoped I would be able to create at least bit of the aroma and taste that I miss so much.

Postprandial…we both felt this was special, even though the crabs were less than what we’ve been used to. BUT…that is not a complaint, and we are grateful to Kroger for making them available to us. We will definitely do this again.

A warning…eating the crabs is a very messy affair

PASTA QUEST DAY...week 2...day 13

For most of my life fresh crabs were readily available, and my mother would make the most wonderful pasta with the crabs cooked in the tomato sauce. I can still taste it after all these years. When I saw the tubs of crab meat in our local supermarket (Kroger at Park Ave.) I knew what I had to do. Of course I could not duplicate what I remember...but it was close enough to take me back to my mom and dad and the spaghetti with crabs that we shared.

5-14-11



Angel Hair pasta w crab meat in light tomato sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

Pasta
Claw crabmeat…8 oz tub


Shallots & garlic (pressed)
4-5 finely chopped mint leafs
1/3 cup of heavy cream
Olive oil, salt, pepper. Red pepper flakes
¼ cup of sweet vermouth
14 oz. can dice tomatoes

PROCESS:

While the pasta cooks, sauté shallots, red pepper flakes, and garlic in olive oil. Add the tomatoes and cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to blender; add the mint leaves and puree. Return to skillet and add the crabmeat and cook. Before the pasta is done add cream and stir.
Add the pasta and mix. Salt and pepper to taste.

COMMENTS:

Unfortunately Patience was dealing with an upset stomach and could not partake of this exquisite meal, and it was exquisite. My modesty prevents me from giving this anything higher than a 9.5.