Lobster Salad

It is a simple thing to make lobster salad. Take the meat from the shells (a chef’s knife is all that is necessary) and chop, add homemade mayonnaise, celery, lemon and season to taste. It is a short jump to a lobster roll. Toast a buttered hotdog roll, add a bit of buttery, bib lettuce and pile with your lobster salad. This can be a contentious recipe, celery or no celery, etc. but as a Southerner, I have no dog in the fight. Enjoy!

Crispy Fried Polenta

The first step is to cook the polenta.  I use 4 cups of water to 1 cup of corn.  My favorite is Rustic Integrale Polenta from http://ansonmills.com  It is coarse with flecks of color and full of rich, corn flavor. I slowly add the corn while stirring to make certain it doesn’t clump and then cook it for about an hour.  I check the seasoning, adding salt if necessary, and a knob of grass-fed butter.  Then I pour it into a buttered half-sheet pan, cover it with plastic and put it in the fridge to set.  When I want to serve it, I take it out, cut it into wedges and fry it in a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet until it’s crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  It’s the perfect side with a roasted chicken and a fresh, green salad.

Afternoon Tea Week

We couldn’t pass up Afternoon Tea Week. It rained (at last!) all day yesterday and was the perfect day for baking.  So, I baked cookies and scones.  I also made tea sandwiches.  There were ham ones, and cheese and tomato ones, and cucumber ones. So dainty. So delicious. We also had clotted cream and the strawberry jam I made this summer.