SPRING/SUMMER
Canh Ngot and Fried Lemon Grass Tofu: A typical Vietnamese lunch of Canh Ngot, a light fish vegetable bouillon, and a salty fried dish. The soup is slightly acidic from lime juice with an undertone of sweetness. The balance of salty, sweet, sour and spicy is again played out in this Southeast Asian meal. The spiciness comes from Nuoc Cham with minced chili served table side and left to the diner's penchant for spiciness. Rice is now the palate cleanser between bites.
A summer dinner begins with a Timbale of Haricots Verts Polonaise on Lime Hollandaise. Polonaise is a dish prepared with bread crumbs and eggs. The lime Hollandaise is an egg-based sauce used to create a fresh twist to an otherwise "old-fashioned" dish.
Pan Roasted Chicken with Honey Truffle Glaze and Peppered Peach
Georgia Peach is unbeatable in late June. Pan seared green peaches with black pepper creates an extraordinaire accompaniment to mild flavor roasts.
Pan Bagna, fresh vegetables from the farmers markets also turned up in a light summer sandwich. Pan Bagna is a Mediterranean vegetable baguette bathed in dressing, olives, and anchovies. I used Vietnamese Nuoc Mam instead of anchovies.
Mussel Salad with Chives
The mussels are cooked a la Mariniere. They are dressed in the reduced cooking liquid and some mayonnaise; and then refrigerated until ready to serve.
This dish is a tasty treat in place of raw oysters which are "traditionally not safe" to eat in the Summer months.
Grilled Herb Chicken with Baked Ratatouille: With the abundance of eggplants, zucchini, squash, peppers, and tomatoes from the local farmers markets around mid-June, baked vegetable dishes go well with grilled meat.
This dish was served cold.
Grilled Lemon Grass Chicken on cold angel hair rice pasta: This dish in Vietnamese is called Bun; a dish best served at room temperature with shredded lettuce on the bottom and fresh herbs on top. It's accompanied by a chili sauce, Nuoc Cham, similar to a vinaigrette on a summer salad.