We liked these burgers a lot.  They had just enough added flavors to be flavorful, but to still taste like tuna.  They cook faster than you think possible — just a minute and a half per side.  If you have tuna, try them.  Really.  Try them.

Fresh Tuna Burgers
(makes 4 small or three large burgers)

1 lb. fresh tuna, ground or chopped fairly fine
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 t. freshly ground ginger
1 T. soy sauce
3 T. mayonnaise
¼ chopped basil
salt and pepper to taste

vegetable oil for frying

Combine all ingredients but the vegetable oil, and form into patties about ¾ inch thick.

In a nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the burgers. Fry for a minute and a half on each side. No more. Nothing is as tragic as an overcooked tuna burger.

We like them on some kind of soft bun, with fresh tomato.

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Pickled Cucumber Salad

3 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced thin
1 small sweet onion, chopped fine
1 T. salt
1 t. celery seed
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. white vinegar

Mix the cucumber and onion with the salt and celery seed and let sit one hour. Heat the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves, and pour over the cucumber mixture. Refrigerate. Wait 24 hours before eating.

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Couscous with Grilled Vegetables
(serves 4-6)

a bunch of grilled vegetables ( I used 3 red bell peppers, 1 eggplant, 3 ears corn, 1 large onion)
4 oz. feta
½ c. chopped olives
1 ½ c. chopped herbs (I used parsley, basil, mint)
2 small or 1 large preserved lemon, chopped fine
1 ½ c. couscous, cooked according to directions
½ c. olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 t. sugar
salt and pepper

Chop the vegetables in bite-size pieces, and combine with feta, olives, herbs, preserved lemon, and couscous. In a separate bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, and sugar.

Pour dressing over vegetable mixture, stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold or room temperature.

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I think you can use any combination that appeals to you in this recipe.  I used chives, parsley, and marjoram because I had them.  But if my tarragon plant had looked a little more robust, I would have used that.  Basil would be good.  Thyme.  One of potatoes’ many virtures is that they go with anything.

Herbed Potato Salad
(serves 6-8 as a side dish)

3 pounds red potatoes, cut in ½-inch pieces
1 large handful chopped mixed herbs (I used chives, parsley, and marjoram)
2 T. olive oil
3 stalks celery, chopped
4-6 scallions, white and light green parts, chopped
¾ cup frozen baby peas
½ cup plain yogurt
½ cup mayonnaise
2 T. grainy mustard
2 T. cider vinegar
6-8 anchovies, chopped fine
salt and pepper

Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil Simmer until they’re cooked, about 15 minutes. Drain.

While the potatoes are cooking, mix the herbs with the olive oil and let the mixture sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. It’s even better if you can do this the night before, and let the herbs infuse the oil. But that’s an unrealistic level of planning, so just do it while you prep.

Put the celery, scallions, peas, and potatoes in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, anchovies, salt, and pepper. Add the herbs and the dressing to the potatoes. Mix well. Serve room temperature or cold.

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Strawberry Gin and Tonic
(makes two tall drinks)

1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled
6 ice cubes
2-3 ounces gin
juice of half a lime
2-4 T. sugar (optional, depending on your taste and the sweetness of the berries)
tonic

Put all the ingredients except the tonic in a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour in two tall glasses with ice, and add tonic to fill (make sure you get at least half a cup of tonic per drink). Garnish with mint, lime, or nothing.

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Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
(serves 1)

1 banana, frozen in pieces
5 small or medium strawberries, hulled (this can also be frozen; mine wasn’t)
1 ice cube
1/3 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (I use Trader Joe’s plain goat yogurt, and I recommend it)
Enough milk to make it the consistency you like (about half a cup, for me)
Sweetness to taste (If you’re using vanilla yogurt, you may not want any added sweetener. If you’re using plain, maybe a tablespoon, maybe less, of sugar or maple syrup or Splenda.)

Put everything in a blender, and blend until it’s completely smooth.

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Pressure Cooker Lamb Stew with Porter
(serves 3-4, depending on how hungry you are)

2 t. vegetable oil
1 pound lamb stew meat, cut in 3/4-inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
6-8 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 t. dried thyme
1/4 c. flour
1/2 pound carrots, cut in bite-size pieces
1/2 pound parsnips, cut in bite-size pieces
1/2 c. pearled barley
1 1/2 c. porter or stout (I used Cape Cod Beer Porter; Guinness works fine)
2 c. water
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

Turn the pressure cooker to brown. When it’s hot, add the oil. Heat the oil for a minute or two, and add about half the lamb, or as much as can fit comfortably in one layer in the cooker. Brown on all sides, remove, and repeat with remaining lamb.

If there’s a lot of fat in the pan when you’re finished, drain all but about a tablespoon. Then add the onions and cook, stirring often, until the onions have wilted and begin to brown, about 5-8 minutes. Then add the garlic, and cook for another minute or two.

Return the lamb to the pressure cooker, and add the remaining ingredients. Cook at high pressure for 20 minutes, and let the pressure release naturally.

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Simple Peanut Sauce
(enough for two)

3 T. peanut butter
2 T. chili-garlic sauce
2 T. cider vinegar
2 T. maple syrup
stock or water for thinning (optional)

Whip everything in a blender. Serve on a combination of noodles and sauteed vegetables, ideally with ginger and garlic

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Because Allison doesn’t live in a place where you can go out and dig your own clams, she uses the canned kind — and they’re just fine.  Because I live in a place where I can go and dig my own, that’s what I do.  

This is my fresh-clam adaptation of Allison’s recipe, and it is irresistable.

Perfect Clam Sauce (adapted from Allison Fishman)
Serves 2, generously

2 T. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped garlic (yes, 1/2 cup – about a head)
2/3 cup white wine or vermouth
3-4 qts. fresh quahogs (hard-shelled clams) in the shell (small are good, but large work)
3/4 cup grated parmesan
1 bunch parsley, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

6-8 ounces spaghetti, cooked almost until done

In a pot big enough to hold everything, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring now and then, until it is completely soft and begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the wine and clams. Cover the pot. Turn up the heat and steam the clams open — this will take about 8-10 minutes.

Remove the clams from the pot, and keep the heat up to cook the liquid down. Remove the meat from the clams. If you’re using small clams, you can leave them whole. If you’re using big ones, chop them to a size you like.

When the liquid has reduced to a couple of cups, add the almost-cooked pasta so it continues to cook in the sauce. When the pasta has absorbed most of the liquid, add the cheese, parsley, and chopped clams. Heat through, and you’re done.

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Pecan Pie
(Enough for a deep nine-inch pie)

4 large eggs
1 1/4 c. dark corn syrup
3/4 c. sugar
4 T. melted butter
3 T. bourbon or dark rum
2 t. vanilla
3 c. coarsely chopped pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

Preheat the oven to 325. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the remaining ingredients and pour into a 9-inch pie plate lined with the unbaked crust.

Bake until golden and not jiggly, 60-75 minutes. The center shouldn’t give to gentle pressure. Cool and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

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