Sisterhood Of The Traveling Palates
July 10, 2008

In my next life, I want to come back as one of my daughters. Kate’s in Cairo, in love; Christine is Euro–backpacking; and Quinn is tracking turtles in Greece. My friends want to know how I sleep at night. All I need to know is: #1. Are the sisters are safe? #2. what they are eating? By collecting food tidbits I can intuit how far into the culture they are delving, and generally gauge how the trips are going. My finicky eater, Christine, has grown by leaps and bounds, emailing me detailed reports of encounters with delicious classics. So, just in time for local tomatoes, let’s take our own flavor trip together!

Catalonian Shrimp (Barcelona, Spain)
4 slices artisanal sourdough bread lightly toasted
1-tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes, including seeds and juices
2 large cloves garlic finely sliced
10 extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1-tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons best quality balsamic vinegar
1-tablespoon fresh basil chiffonade cut (thin ribbons)
Salt & fresh pepper to taste

In a hot cast iron pan on high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle with kosher salt. Stir and add the garlic and the shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly until the shrimp turn bright pink. Add a dash of white wine to keep the tomatoes from drying out. Toast the bread. Finish the shrimp by stirring in the balsamic vinegar and butter. Place the toast on plates and portions of the shrimp and sauce onto the slices. Top with sea salt and fresh pepper and a toss of basil ribbons. Serves 2 for a meal or 4 for a starter. 

Caprese Salad (Capri, Italy)
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Fresh tomato slices
Fresh arugula leaves
Fresh basil leaves
4 ounces of a spicy deli ham, cut into small cubes
Best quality olive oil
Sea salt and fresh pepper

On each salad plate place a small handful of lightly torn arugula and basil leaves. Slice two pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese and one tomato per serving plate. Sprinkle a bit of ham onto each salad. Lightly swirl olive oil over the salads and add pinches of salt and a sprinkle of pepper. Allow salads to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Serve with good bread and a crisp Pinot Gris.

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008