Going Green

For some, Friday, April 22, was Good Friday; for others, it was Passover. But for everyone around the world, despite religion, it was Earth Day.

In honor of the global holiday, I celebrated with a green meal. Yes, the food was primarily green in color (you should know by now how much I love double entendres), but I also thought about the environmental impacts of what I served.

First let me say that by no means am I a perfect example of sustainability. I try to be cognizant of what I'm putting in my stomach, whether it's at home or dining out. However, I know that everything I eat is not always local/humanely raised/fair trade/organic/etc. To be honest, it's quite difficult to live 100 percent this way (even yesterday's meal could be improved upon), but I try to do it as much as possible.

I chose a simple, spring dinner: Curry-dusted scallops over a pea puree with an arugula and spring onion salad.

Sustainable seafood has become a big topic of discussion, and thanks to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, people can be more conscious about what they're buying. Its Seafood Watch program allows people to scroll through a chart of seafood and make choices for healthy oceans. Whole Foods is using this program to guide consumers by placing labels on each item (the scallops I purchased there were listed as a "Good Alternative"—not the top "Best Choice" label, but I imagine better than most of what's out there.) You can also download the free phone app like I did.

There's also a big push for eating in season. Sadly, local peas haven't arrived at the Greenmarket (nor has any spring vegetable for that matter) so I bought frozen. (For more, read this piece by Michael Pollan on why frozen veggies are sometimes a good option.) I did, however, pick up a box of local arugula from one of my favorites, Satur Farms, located in nearby Long Island.

Curry-dusted Scallops with Pea Puree (Courtesy of Gourmet)

Yield: 4 servings

1 10-ounce package frozen peas (not thawed)

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 scallions, chopped (I used a 1/2 cup of spring onions)

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 1/2 pounds sea scallops, muscle removed from side of each

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. Cook peas on stovetop in a small pot with 1/4 cup of water according to package directions; do not drain. Pulse in a food processor with cooking water, butter and scallions to make a course puree. Add lime juice and salt to taste.

2. Stir together curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Pat scallops dry and coat all over with curry mixture.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat; add oil. Saute scallops in two batches, turning once, until browned and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per batch. Serve scallops over the pea puree.

The meal was not only simple and satisfying, it made me feel like I was contributing a bit to the planet's well being. Time to make this an Earth Year.

Fishy Situation

Day 12

I've never had a fish dish prepared a la meuniere, but now I know why Julia Child fell in love with it at first bite. I sure did.

It tasted especially good since blood, sweat and tears were expelled not only in the cooking process but in the early preparation. Today marks the first time I filleted an entire fish. It is at this moment that I want to give props to fishmongers everywhere: I think your job is really tough, and I'm envious of your ability.

Note to self: Hug the fish guy at the market next time I see him (or her, of course).

Thankfully, only sweat—not blood and tears—was part of my equation. Unfortunately, not everyone could say that. One poor student severely cut her finger with a chef's knife and was forced to spend the entire day in the ER. As the doc was stitching up her wound, she was told she might lose the top of her finger; it was, appropriately, the middle one. She came back at the end of the day with a smile on her face and her appendage wrapped in gauze. Glad she's OK.

It looks like I'll be getting some much-needed filleting practice, as said student is my new partner tomorrow.

But back to the a la meuniere. (Hungry anyone?) For the dish, we made trout in a version called "a la Grenobloise," meaning that capers, diced lemon and croutons were added to the brown butter sauce and then poured over the fish, which was also cooked in butter. Yum.

The other recipe came in a close second, likely because it contained a bit less butter. A fillet of striped bass sat atop a mushroom duxelle (finely diced mushrooms and shallots cooked down in butter) and a tomato fondue (finely chopped tomatoes, shallots and garlic also sweat in butter). It was topped with julienned carrots, leeks and celery (prepared in—you guessed it—butter), a sprig of thyme and a few splashes of white wine. The entire dish was wrapped in parchment paper and baked.

I've said butter more times than I can count. Tonight, I will be enjoying a butter-free dish, full of fresh veggies from the Tompkins Square Greenmarket.

You butter believe it.