My friend Noyuri recently gave a little class on how to make simple sushi. It was so much fun and the sushi tasted so delicious that now I make myself a batch every week. I am especially fond of combining cucumber, avocado, and mustard greens, with a slice of egg pancake tucked in. Yum!

Mustard greens are gorgeous and tasty, adding color and a snappy little bite to almost anything, from tuna or egg salads and cheese and bacon sandwiches to green salads. Shredded mustard greens make a wonderfully crunchy, spunky garnish for soups and stir fries and are lovely with grilled fish or vegetables like asparagus and young peas. This year, my favorites are Red Rain and a pungent mix of wild garden types (from Log House Plants, of course).

Cats In The Kitchen

In March, I inherited a young Maine Coon cat, Pippsissewa, when my son and his wife moved to Indianola. Pip is usually a scaredy cat but she is fascinated by sushi. She had never jumped on the counter before (at least not when I could see her) so I was amazed when she boldly poked her little nose right in to see what I was up to.

When my back was turned for a moment, she sneaked up and stole the whole stack of nori sushi wrappers. When I turned around, she was rolling on the floor, happily growling away and tussling with the big sheets. I took them away from her but gave her one that she had poked a hole in. She played with it for hours, rolling on it, chewing away, then tearing around the house with the whole (sort of) sheet of seaweed in her mouth.

Cats Love Seaweed

When I told Noyuri, she laughed and said that her cats also love seaweed, perhaps because it smells like the sea. Who knows? Anyway, it is full of minerals and fiber and certainly can’t hurt her, so I decided to let Pip have her very own seaweed sheet to keep. She has certainly had less attractive play things that were way harder to clean up (and involved a lot more feathers!).

Roll ‘Em Roll ‘Em Roll ‘Em

Noyuri had classic bamboo rolling mats for students to use. The mats are fun, but I find that I can roll up my sushi beautifully on a clean tea towel. Like several of my other Japanese friends, Noyuri uses the kind of nori sheets that come from Japan, which are more expensive than the kinds from China. Many people say that any kind will do, but I have noticed that some Chinese versions tend to be a little persistently chewy, where the Japanese brands are less obtrusive in the mouth.

The temperature of your ingredients also makes a big difference to the end product. For best results, everything should be at room temperature, neither hot nor cold. Thus, it’s good to make your rice well ahead so it has time to cool. If the sticky rice is still even a little bit warm, it can cause the nori sheets to buckle and shrink (as I soon discovered).

Here are a couple of very simple recipes to try:

Garden Sushi Rolls

1 English cucumber, sliced into long, thin pieces
2 avocados, sliced lengthwise into strips
1 red or yellow sweet pepper, sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon ponzu or sweet rice vinegar
Nori wrappers (package of 10)
2 cups sushi rice (see below)
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
10 leaves mustard greens
1 egg pancake, sliced (see below)

Combine sliced vegetables and vinegar, set aside. Toast the nori wrappers for a few seconds over a hot oven burner (electric or gas). Place one sideways on a tea towel or bamboo roller (the orientation is landscape rather than portrait). Dab four blobs of rice (about a tablespoon each) in the corners of the nori wrapper. Dipping your fingers in cold water (often), smush rice thinly over the whole sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch bare at the top. (Add more rice as needed, but sparingly.) Sprinkle a band of sesame seeds across the wrapper about 2 inches from the bottom, then arrange slices of vegetables sideways across the sheet. Add mustard greens and a slice of egg pancake, tuck in tightly and roll up, pressing gently to seal the roll closed. Slice completed rolls with a VERY sharp knife, starting with a center cut (slice, don’t saw) and rounding each piece as you go. Each roll makes either 6 or 8 pieces, depending on the size of your nori wrappers.

Variations On A Theme

Through the summer, you can vary the ingredients according to your garden yields. Other good additions include sliced radishes and radish sprouts, carrot spears, green onions, asparagus, green beans, snow peas or snap peas (whole pods), pickled peppers, and pickled ginger slices.

Egg Pancake

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Heat oil over medium high heat in a covered pan. Whisk eggs, sugar and salt and pour into heated pan, tilting to spread evenly. Cover and cook over medium heat until set and puffed. Cool and cut into strips.

Sushi Rice

2 cups Niko Niko or Japanese rice
12.5 ounces (360 ml) water
4.5 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt

Rinse rice until water is clear, drain and put in rice cooker with water. If cooking in a pan, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer until water is absorbed (about 15 minutes). In either case, once the rice is done, let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Combine vinegar, sugar and salt. Put rice in a bowl and fold in vinegar mixture with a wooden paddle (don’t stir). Let cool to room temperature before using.

Make Inari With Leftover Stuffing

Chop and mix all extra stuff with rice and tuck it into Inari wrappers (I like the refrigerated kind, especially the brand Hikari Inari). These are little pockets, like bite-sized tofu pita, that come soaked in soy sauce and mirin. Be warned: They are irresistible!

An old song from Civil war days has a charming refrain: ‘Peas, peas, peas, peas, eating Georgia peas, goodness how delicious, eating Georgia peas!” The peas in question were actually what we now call peanuts, an oil- and protein-rich legume that is not easily grown here in the chilly maritime Northwest. Happily, however, true peas love our damp, often unseasonably cool climate and are often among the first garden crops to yield.

The first appearance of practically anything locally grown is always cause for celebration. Around here, the first peas are apt to be tender-podded snow peas. Sweet and crisp, these lovely young things make delicious additions to entrees as well as salads, side dishes, and stir fries.

Indulging In Snow Peas

If you love the fresh green taste of raw vegetables, try shredding snow peas as garnish. They taste lovely atop a bowl of Spring Green Soup, a steaming concoction of young kale, spinach, and fresh sorrel enriched with pasta (I favor herb flavored fettuccini, which cook in 3 minutes).

When you want an elegant entree fast, consider the charms of Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon and Snow Peas. Lively with capers and balsamic vinegar, the sauce cooks while the pasta does, and this tasty, piquant dish can be on the table in under 20 minutes.

Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon and Snow Peas

8-10 ounces fettuccine
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 brown field mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups snow peas, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
1 cup dry white wine OR vegetable broth
6 ounces soft smoked salmon, skinned and broken into chunks
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, stemmed
2 tablespoons Romano or Asiago cheese, grated

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. While pasta cooks, heat oil and garlic in a shallow pan over medium high heat and cook, stirring often, until lightly golden (2-3 minutes). Add mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and cook, pan covered, for 2 minutes. Add wine or broth, bring to a simmer, add snow peas and smoked salmon, cover pan and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer gently until heated (2-3 minutes). Stir in vinegar, capers, and parsley and serve at once over hot, drained fettuccine, garnished with grated cheese.  Serves four.

With Chipotle On The Side

An old jazz tune recommends serving chipotle on the side, but I say stir ‘em in! Dried chipotle pepper flakes add sizzle to Orange Prawns With Snow Peas, another fast-cooking dish that’s pleasing on both plate and palate. Fresh fennel, green onions, and Swiss chard add body to plump prawns and crunchy snow peas, all bathed in fresh orange juice with a touch of cilantro.

Orange Prawns With Snow Peas And Peanuts

1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon dried chipotle pepper flakes
1 organic orange, juiced, rind grated
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups bulb fennel, chopped
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups Swiss chard, stemmed and shredded
1 pound cleaned, deveined prawns
2 cups snow peas, ends trimmed, shredded
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons cilantro, stemmed
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts

In a heavy frying pan, combine oil, pepper flakes, orange rind, and garlic and cook over medium high heat until pale golden (1-2 minutes). Add fennel and green onions, sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel is barely tender (4-5 minutes). Add chard, cover pan and cook until slightly wilted (2-3 minutes). Add prawns and snow peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until prawns are opaque (3-4 minutes). Add orange juice, cover pan and cook for 2 minutes. Serve hot over Spring Rice, garnished with cilantro and peanuts. Serves four.

A Nicer Rice

Serve the prawns or any stir-fry over Spring Rice, a pretty dish of savory, fragrant jasmine rice cooked with garlic, chives, and orange zest and fluffed with fresh orange juice.

Spring Rice

1 teaspoon canola olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 organic orange, juiced, rind grated
1 cup raw jasmine rice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 tablespoons cilantro, stemmed

In a heavy saucepan, heat oil and garlic over medium high heat until lightly browned (2-3 minutes). Stir in chives, green onions, orange rind, and rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden (4-6 minutes). Add salt  and broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until done (about 20 minutes). When rice is done, remove from heat, drizzle with orange juice, fluff with a fork, and let stand 5 minutes before serving, garnished with cilantro. Serves four.

So Simply Green

Among my favorite spring dishes is this fragrant, flavorful soup. Rich with spring greens, it can easily be made vegan by eliminating the butter and using vegetable broth. Garnish it with any fresh herbs (fennel and frilly mustard greens are especially delicious).

Spring Green Soup

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 organic lemon, juiced, rind grated
1 tablespoon garlic greens OR chives, chopped
2 cups snow peas, ends trimmed, shredded
1 bunch kale, stemmed and shredded
1 bunch spinach, stemmed and shredded
2 tablespoons French sorrel, stemmed and shredded
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups vegetable OR chicken broth
1/4 cup Greek style yogurt

In a soup pot, heat oil and butter over medium high heat until melted. Add green onions, lemon rind and garlic greens or chives and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 1-3/4 cups snow peas, reserving the rest for garnish. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add kale, spinach, and sorrel, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover pan and cook until barely wilted (2-3 minutes). Add broth, bring to a simmer (5-6 minutes) and add lemon juice. Serve at once, garnished with sour cream and shredded snow peas. Serves 4-6.

I’ve taken a bit of time off while some website changes were made at Loghouse, but now I’m back with more recipes and thoughts of spring to share with you.

Back in January, I began snacking on the first tender leaves of wild sorrel as I weeded my way through the garden. Now, there’s enough of both the wild sorrel and the French garden sorrel to cook with. Last year, a reader reminded me that to some folks, wild sorrel means wood sorrel (Oxalis oregana), a clover-like carpeter of the shady forest floor. That is NOT the kind to cook with or eat.

Aupre de Ma Blond

The wild sorrel often used in salads or cooking is a common weed (Rumex acetosella) that forms small, leafy rosettes in winter. By March, taller stalks shoot up, tipped with tiny, dock-like red flower-ettes. Now, in April, wild sorrel spreads in carpets of long stems trimmed with skinny leaves that have a brisk, lemony tang. French sorrel (Rumex acetosa or R. scutatus) is a larger, more richly flavored cousin. The most common type, ‘Blond de Lyon’, boasts large, succulent, mild yet still citrus-tasty leaves.

A Silky Sorrel Soup

Each spring I invent a new recipe for this refreshingly tart herb. This year’s sorrel soup combines garden sorrel and spinach with leeks and fresh thyme. If you’ve got loads of sorrel, use up to 6 cups of it and less or no spinach. I like to garnish this silky soup with wild sorrel, which has a lovely sour-lemon flavor that can’t be beat. However, if your garden lacks weeds and you can’t find any (poor you), Italian parsley makes a tasty garnish as well.

Spring Sorrel Soup

1 tablespoon fruity olive oil
2 leeks, thinly sliced (white or pale green parts only)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, stemmed
2 cups fresh sorrel, stemmed and shredded
4 cups baby spinach
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup wild sorrel OR flat Italian parsley, stemmed

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add leeks, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, the pepper and thyme, and cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Reduce heat to low, add sorrel and spinach, cover pan and cook until limp (2-3 minutes). Add broth, adjust salt to taste, and simmer until warm (do not boil). Blend with an emersion blender or in a food processor until smooth. Serve garnished with wild sorrel or parsley. Serves four.

Spunky Sorrel Sauce For Fish

This foamy, spunky green sorrel sauce is an excellent counterpoint to the richness of wild salmon, and complements haddock, trout, and rockfish as well. Serve it over any grilled fish with garlic rice and a green salad enlivened with fresh herb tips.

Glass garden salmon by Isaiah Heyer

Salmon with Sorrel Sauce

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
1 teaspoon fruity olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2-3 cups French sorrel (2 bunches), stemmed and shredded
1 cup flat Italian parsley (about 1 bunch), stemmed
1 cup watercress (about 1 bunch), stemmed
2 tablespoons fresh garlic tips OR chives, chopped
1 cup sour cream OR Greek style yogurt
1 lime, cut in quarters

Preheat oven or prepare grill. Rinse fish, pat dry and rub with oil. Sprinkle skinless side with half the salt and pepper.  Grill skin side down until fish turns opaque and flakes easily (6-8 minutes). While fish cooks, combine remaining salt and pepper, herbs, and sour cream or yogurt in blender or food processor and blend. Serve fish with sauce, garnished with lime wedges. Serves four.

A Most Surprising Spring Pie

The sumptuous sorrel souffle pie combines sorrel and young spinach with creamy ricotta and tangy asiago cheeses. This golden puff of a pie is easy to make yet delectable enough for company.

Sorrel Souffle Pie

1 9 inch pie crust
2 teaspoons fruity olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
3 cups French sorrel (1 bunch), stemmed and shredded
3 cups young spinach (1 bunch), stemmed and shredded
2 eggs
1 pound ricotta
1-1/2 cups (3-4 ounces) asiago cheese, coarsely grated
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour OR unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put piecrust in pie dish, crimp edges, and rub lightly with oil (about 1/2 teaspoon). Combine remaining oil, garlic, and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until onion is pale golden (3-5 minutes). Add shredded sorrel and spinach, cover pan and cook until greens are wilted (3-4 minutes). Uncover pan, remove from heat and set aside. In a bowl, beat eggs lightly, then stir in ricotta a spoonful at a time.  When mixture is blended, stir in 1 cup grated cheese, flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and wilted greens and stir well. Fill pie shell evenly, topping with extra cheese. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees F until puffed and golden brown (35-40 minutes). Serve at once. Serves 4-6.

Slow dining is a grand concept but actually making it happen can be hard to wangle when everybody is rushing off to various meetings and engagements. Sadly, once the habit of leisurely dining is lost, it can be difficult to recreate. To encourage lingering, serve dinner in courses. Attractively presented individual portions seem festive, as do candlelight and flowers.

Wondering what to make? Something simple, of course, so we can concentrate on congenial company. Why not celebrate spring with a salad based on Bigleaf maple blossoms? The delicately honey-flavored flowers are also delicious sprinkled over vanilla ice cream with a few shreds of candied ginger. When the maple flowers are gone, you might substitute rose petals or nasturtium or squash blossoms. Always use organically grown edible flowers (without toxic pesticide residues).

Bigleaf Maple Salad With Scallops And Maple Dressing

2 cups baby spinach
2 cups Savoy cabbage, finely sliced
2 cups Romaine, finely sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, finely sliced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
12-16 ounces bay scallops, rinsed
1 teaspoon Grade B maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup bigleaf maple flowers, pistils and stamens removed *

* Remove the fuzzy bits at the center of each blossom to eliminate pollen, a possible allergen.

Gently toss greens and divide between four dinner plates. In a wide, shallow pan, cook oil and garlic over medium high heat for 2 minutes. Add onion, pepper, and salt, cover and cook, stirring, until barely soft (2-3 minutes). Stir in scallops, cover pan and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in maple syrup and pepper, cover pan and cook until opaque (2-3 minutes). Spoon over greens and serve warm, garnished with flowers. Serves four.

Marvelous Maple Syrup

Grade B maple syrup is cheaper than the paler Grade A and has a fuller, rougher, more robust flavor. It’s terrific in dressings and sauces and can replace honey in many recipes. Rice oil is almost flavorless and really lets other ingredients shine.

Maple Dressing

1/3 cup canola or rice oil
2 tablespoons plain rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons Grade B maple syrup

In a bowl, whisk oil, vinegar and soy sauce together, then add maple syrup to taste. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 week. Makes about 1/2 cup.

A Bounty Of Beets

Here’s another spritely spring dish; Beautiful Beet Salad, lively with fresh mint and tart-sweet CaraCara oranges, which are extra rich in flavor as well as in carotene and other phytonutrients.

Beautiful Beet Salad

1 cup diced cooked beets, drained
1 organic CaraCara orange, rind grated
1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
1/4 teaspoon shoyu or soy sauce

Combine beets, orange rind, mint and soy sauce, set aside. With a sharp knife, slice all white rind off orange, dice the fruit and add to beets along with any juice. Toss gently and serve. Serves four.

Sumptuous Coconut Curls

This made-in-minutes dish is lovely on both plate and palate. I make it with Bob’s Mill unsweetened coconut, which comes in generously wide, curling shavings. Coconut milk and oil provide healthy fats and a pleasant feeling of satiety, so a little goes a long way.

Curried Salmon Stew With Coconut Curls

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 small bulb fennel, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 organic orange, juiced, rind grated
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garam masala OR curry powder
1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cubed
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups organic coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange coconut Lon a baking sheet and bake until golden (6-8 minutes), set aside. In a soup pot, combine onion, fennel, and pepper, orange juice and rind, salt and garam masala. Cover pan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Add salmon and cook until opaque (2-3 minutes). Add coconut milk, bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with coconut curls. Serves 4-6.

Mushrooms Are Always In Season

In any season, Fresh Mushroom Soup is a quick and delicious treat. It features baby Portobello mushrooms (often sold as Criminis), shallots, and spicy-hot daikon radish sprouts.

Fresh Mushroom Soup

8-10 ounces baby Portobello (Crimini) mushrooms
2 teaspoons virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or any)
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup daikon radish sprouts, rinsed, roots removed

Remove mushroom stems, trim cut ends and chop. Slice mushrooms caps thinly, set aside. In a saucepan, combine oil and butter over medium high heat until melted. Add shallots, mushroom stems, and half the salt and cook until soft (2-3 minutes). Add sliced mushrooms and remaining salt, stir to coat, cover pan and cook over medium low heat until soft (8-10 minutes). Stir in flour, cover pan and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in broth 1 cup at a time, bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 5 minutes. Season with pepper and serve, garnished with daikon sprouts. Serves four.