Rain, rain...

Hi there!

It's raining today.  For most parts of the country that wouldn't be big news, except that in all my 25+ years in California, I can't remember it ever raining this much past the end of March!  Unfortunately, it all but closed down the Farmers' Market this morning.  I heard later there were a few booths up - but I didn't see them from my vantage point a block away and headed instead to my local Megamart (thanks, Alton Brown - the word is evocative and generic at the same time!).

I have quite a lot of cooking this weekend.  I'm making some frozen dinners for a friend who is having a baby this month.  And today, I had some friends over for dinner. We had tri-tip and Caesar Salad, as well as a cucumber salad.  Even though they weren't from the Farmers' Market, I thought I'd share the recipes with you.

Caesar Salad (which, for those of you who don't know, is a Mexican - not an Italian - creation)
Halve one head of romaine lettuce.  Take off any wilted or soft outer green leaves.  It has to be romaine for this preparation.

Drizzle olive oil on the cut side of each half to lightly coat (Smear it around with your hands.  It'll make your hands nice and soft!  Now go wash your hands.  I'll wait here.).
Put the halves on a pre-heated grill top, cut side down, and watch them like they were gold bricks.  Check them about every 10-15 seconds by lifting up and checking the undersides.  You're looking for a few dark grill marks; when you see them, take the lettuce off.  That one layer of the romaine will flavor the whole salad.  Chop the halves cross-wise into about 1/2" strips.

Use your favorite Caesar dressing.  Mine is 2 parts extra virgin olive oil to 1 part lemon juice, with one anchovy (rinsed) and one clove of garlic smashed together into a paste and mixed in.  I shake everything up in a jar.  I'm not against the raw egg yolk that is usually part of Caesar dressing, but I don't like to serve it to guests without first asking if it's okay.  I also added some roasted red peppers (available jarred if you don't want to go to the trouble) for color.  Top with some shaved or freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately.  It will wilt really quickly once dressed.

Cucumber Salad
I made this because I put a spicy red curry rub on the tri-tip.  Brendan (one of my guests, along with his wife Cathy) said it "totally changed the complexity of the dish," when he scooped it onto the tri-tip.
You should make this at least an hour ahead so the flavors can combine.
Peel one large cucumber.  If the peel isn't too bitter, you can leave a bit on for color.  To find out if it's too bitter, slice a piece of cucumber off and taste it!
Split the cuke lengthwise and, using a spoon, scrape out all the seeds.
Dice the remaining cucumber and put it into a colander with some kosher salt (maybe a tablespoon) and toss so that all the cucumber is salted.
Let the excess liquid drain off the cucumber for 30-40 minutes.  If you skip this step, your salad will be watery.  Rinse the cucumber and toss in the colander until water stops running out.  It may still drip a bit, but it shouldn't be really wet.  Put the cucumber into a container that has a cover, or a bowl you can cover with cellophane.
Add 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill.  Don't chop the stems, just the grassy part.
In a separate bowl, add 1/4 c. yogurt, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.  Whisk together and toss with the cucumber and dill.
Finish with some freshly-ground black pepper and chill for 1-2 hours.  It will separate a little, but if you stir it all together, it will be just fine!

The cucumber salad is very good with curries - especially hot ones - it cools things down and helps you get the full flavor of the curry. 

That's all for today - until tomorrow - when I'll be cooking up a storm - I'll see you at the market!