Celebrated in the 2012 book, Field to Feast, award-winning chef Hari Pulapaka, founder along with his wife, Jennifer, of Cress Restaurant in Deland, grew up in Mumbai, India, and he is a leader in the sustainable-foods movement in Volusia County. He has formal training at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando. Among his numerous accolades, he has been nominated for the James Beard Award. A busy individual, who has passed the torch in ownership of the Cress Restaurant, he is an author and associate professor of mathematics at Stetson University. We have one of his recipes for a sensational dish.
Don’t you love fresh vegetables in the summertime? Some of us have gardens, but if you don’t have that luxury, you can buy your veggies at the farmer’s market or grocery store. Savannah Style has a simple recipe for green beans that you will enjoy.
Margaruite Nowell’s Broccoli Salad looks scrumptious! Make it the day before you want to serve it. We found this recipe in Northside Baptist Church’s book of recipes.
Blackberry Cobbler from Orion Storm Rusch in The Spice of Veith is a great basic recipe that you could experiment with other fruits if you don’t have blackberries. It looks pretty yummy!
CHEF HARI PULAPAKA’S
GRILLED WAHOO
AND SHRIMP WITH CREOLE
VEGETABLES AND
SHIITAKE-THYME GRITS
Recipe from Field to Feast
Grilled Wahoo and Shrimp:
4 (6-oz) wahoo fillets
12 large wild-caught American shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium Creole  spice blend, or to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Coarse salt and freshly ground
  black pepper to taste
Creole Vegetables:
2 tablespoons extra virgtin olive oil
1 cup diced Spanish onion
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
Coarse salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper,
  to taste
1 cup diced andouille or
  Cajun sausage
1 dry or 3 fresh bay leaves
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 cup fresh lima beans
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups diced ripe tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium vegetable or  chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Shiitake-Thyme Grits:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium Spanish onion, finely diced
1 dry or 3 fresh bay leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced shiitake
  mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground
  black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream, or more
  as needed
1-1/2 cups water, or more as needed
1/2 cup cup ye4llow corn grits
Sweet potato chips, for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Marinate the Fish and Shrimp:
Place wahoo and shrimp in a shallow bowl. Drizzle with oil, rubbing to coat, Sprinkle with Creole spice blend and garlic, rubbing to coat. Refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour.
Make the Vegetables:
1) Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, celery and red and green peppers and cook 5 minutes or until onion and celery are translucent. Season lightly with salt and pepper. 2) Add sausage and sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Add bay leaves, corn, and lima beans and cook 1 minute. Stir in thyme, rosemary, and garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and let mixture simmer for about 2 minutes. Add stock and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. 3) Simmer, stirring periodically, about 30 minutes. Add heavy cream and fresh parsley just before serving.
Prepare the Grits:
1) Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, bay leaves, mushrooms, and thyme and cook until onions turn golden brown. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add cream and water. 2) When water and cream to a simmer, slowly whisk in grits. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes, or until mixture is smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook grits, stirring occasionally, 30 to 40 minutes, or until thick and creamy.
Grill the Wahoo and Shrimp and
assemble the dish:
1) Season wahoo and shrimp with salt and pepper. Grill shrimp 2 to 3 minutes, turning once. Grill wahoo, turning once, about 5 to 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. 2) For each serving, spoon about 1/2 cup cooked grits in a bowl. Top with grilled wahoo and shrimp. Ladle Creole vegetables evenly among servings. Garnish plates with sweet potato chips and parsley.
FRESH SNAP BEANS
WITH SHALLOTS
Recipe from Savannah Style,
a Cookbook by The Junior League of Savannah, Inc.
3 pounds fresh snap beans
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
Salt
Snap beans and drop, a handful at a time, into rapidly boiling, salted water. (Use approximately seven quarts of water for three pounds of beans.) Return water to boil and cook beans, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Should be crunchy when done.
While beans are boiling, sauté shallots in one tablespoon butter until tender, about three to five minutes. Drain beans and toss immediately with shallots and remaining three tablespoons butter.
MARGARUITE NOWELL’S
BROCCOLI SALAD
Recipe from Northside Baptist Church’s cookbook
1 large bunch broccoli florets
1 cup raisins
1 cup celery
2 cups grapes, cut in half
1 cup almonds, slivered
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 small red onion
3 or 4 slices bacon, cooked,
  crumbled
Dressing for broccoli salad:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Mix all salad ingredients together. Put in crumbled bacon. Pour salad dressing in and toss. Refrigerate 24 hours.
ORION STORM RUSCH’S
BLACKBERRY COBBLER
The Spice of Veith
4 cups fresh blackberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place blackberries in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish; sprinkle with lemon juice. Stir together egg, sugar and flour in a medium bowl until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit. Drizzle butter over topping. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig (optional). This can also bake for the same amount of time in 6 (8 ounce) ramekins on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet for individual servings. Serves 6.
