Labor of love: Icarus chef bids summer farewell with delicious
family picnic
By Mat Schaffer
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Labor Day means back to work and back to school for Chris Douglass
and his family. Once September rolls around, the chef and owner of
Icarus restaurant and Ashmont Grill will need to focus on his fall
menus. His wife, Maryellen Sullivan, has her landscape design
business; and their children, Emma and Walker, are home from camp
and ready to hit the books.
A family picnic makes a fine finale to summer - especially if it
includes Douglass dishes such as tzatziki (Greek yogurt dip),
grilled lemon pepper chicken legs, lobster salad made with lovage
from his own garden, a pasta-vegetable salad and a peach crostata.
‘‘Don’t forget to bring pita bread for the tzatziki and the
lobster salad, and a bottle of wine,” Douglass said. ‘‘If you
prepare these recipes a day in advance, your picnic is all ready to
pack up and go.”
TZATZIKI
2 c. yogurt (preferably the Greek yogurt Fage)
2 cucumbers
4-6 cloves garlic
Several mint leaves
4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh lemon juice
Salt
Pita bread for dipping
Line a strainer with a coffee filter and drain the yogurt for
about an hour to extract excess liquid. Peel, seed and - using the
large holes of a box grater - grate the cucumbers. Drain the grated
cucumbers in a colander. Finely mince the garlic and chop the mint.
Squeeze the cucumber, discarding the liquid. Combine the yogurt,
grated cucumber, garlic and mint and season to taste with fresh
lemon juice and salt. Serve with pita bread. Serves 6.
GRILLED LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN LEGS
3 lemons
2 T. whole black peppercorns
2 T. olive oil
6 chicken legs split into thighs and drumsticks (or substitute 3
split breasts)
Coarse sea salt
Wash the lemons well, then thinly slice one and juice the other
two. Place the juice and the slices in a bowl, squeezing the slices.
Coarsely crack the black pepper by crushing a few peppercorns at a
time between a hard cutting board and the back of a small pan. Add
the cracked pepper and olive oil to the lemons. Pour into a large,
sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, squeeze out as much air as
you can and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
Remove the chicken from the marinade. Grill over a moderate
fire, being careful not to burn the skin. When fully cooked, cool
and chill thoroughly.
When ready to eat, sprinkle liberally with coarse sea salt.
Serves 6.
LOBSTER SALAD
3 1 1/4-lb. live lobsters or 3/4 lb. cooked lobster meat
2 scallions
1 stalk celery from heart of celery
Small sprig fresh lovage or tarragon
1/2 c. mayonnaise (Hellman’s if you are not making your own)
Lemon juice
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Boil and shuck the lobsters. Cut the lobster meat into large
chunks. Finely slice the scallion and celery. Chop the lovage or
tarragon. Combine lobster, celery, scallion, mayonnaise and herb.
Toss together and season with a few drops of lemon juice, salt and
pepper. Cover and chill well. Serves 6.
SUMMER PASTA SALAD
1 box rotini pasta
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 red onions
4 cloves garlic
4 ears corn
3 large ripe tomatoes
6 stems fresh basil, leaves only
4 oz. ricotta salata cheese, cut into -inch cubes
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain
and cool. Meanwhile, peel and dice the red onion. In a large saute
pan, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil and saute onions over medium
low. Peel and mince the garlic and add it to the saute pan. Cook
gently until onions just lose their crispness, 4 to 5 minutes. Shuck
the corn and cut the kernels off the cob. Add the corn to the saute
pan, turn up the heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the corn
is tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Coarsely chop the
tomatoes and, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, the onion-corn
mixture and the pasta. Toss well with the remaining olive oil;
season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill. Just before serving,
toss with the basil leaves and ricotta salata. Serves 6.
PEACH CROSTATA
For the crust:
1/3 c. corn meal
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar
3/4 t. salt
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into -inch cubes
3-4 T. cold water
In a food processor combine the corn meal, flour, sugar and
salt. Process briefly to blend. Add butter and pulse until butter is
reduced to small pieces. With the machine running, add 3 tablespoons
of the water until the dough comes together in a ball. If the dough
remains pebbly, add more water and pulse until a ball forms. Divide
the dough into 6 small balls. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
For the filling:
4 ripe peaches
2/3 c. sugar
1 t. corn starch
1/2 t. lemon juice
Peel (optional), stone and slice the peaches. Toss with the
sugar, corn starch and lemon juice. Set aside.
To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out each ball of dough into a 5- or 6-inch circle. Divide
the fruit on top of the circles, evenly spreading it out to leave a
1-inch border. Fold the borders over the fruit toward the center.
Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until fruit is bubbling and
dough is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Makes 6.
mschaffer@bostonherald.com
family picnic
By Mat Schaffer
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Labor Day means back to work and back to school for Chris Douglass
and his family. Once September rolls around, the chef and owner of
Icarus restaurant and Ashmont Grill will need to focus on his fall
menus. His wife, Maryellen Sullivan, has her landscape design
business; and their children, Emma and Walker, are home from camp
and ready to hit the books.
A family picnic makes a fine finale to summer - especially if it
includes Douglass dishes such as tzatziki (Greek yogurt dip),
grilled lemon pepper chicken legs, lobster salad made with lovage
from his own garden, a pasta-vegetable salad and a peach crostata.
‘‘Don’t forget to bring pita bread for the tzatziki and the
lobster salad, and a bottle of wine,” Douglass said. ‘‘If you
prepare these recipes a day in advance, your picnic is all ready to
pack up and go.”
TZATZIKI
2 c. yogurt (preferably the Greek yogurt Fage)
2 cucumbers
4-6 cloves garlic
Several mint leaves
4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh lemon juice
Salt
Pita bread for dipping
Line a strainer with a coffee filter and drain the yogurt for
about an hour to extract excess liquid. Peel, seed and - using the
large holes of a box grater - grate the cucumbers. Drain the grated
cucumbers in a colander. Finely mince the garlic and chop the mint.
Squeeze the cucumber, discarding the liquid. Combine the yogurt,
grated cucumber, garlic and mint and season to taste with fresh
lemon juice and salt. Serve with pita bread. Serves 6.
GRILLED LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN LEGS
3 lemons
2 T. whole black peppercorns
2 T. olive oil
6 chicken legs split into thighs and drumsticks (or substitute 3
split breasts)
Coarse sea salt
Wash the lemons well, then thinly slice one and juice the other
two. Place the juice and the slices in a bowl, squeezing the slices.
Coarsely crack the black pepper by crushing a few peppercorns at a
time between a hard cutting board and the back of a small pan. Add
the cracked pepper and olive oil to the lemons. Pour into a large,
sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, squeeze out as much air as
you can and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
Remove the chicken from the marinade. Grill over a moderate
fire, being careful not to burn the skin. When fully cooked, cool
and chill thoroughly.
When ready to eat, sprinkle liberally with coarse sea salt.
Serves 6.
LOBSTER SALAD
3 1 1/4-lb. live lobsters or 3/4 lb. cooked lobster meat
2 scallions
1 stalk celery from heart of celery
Small sprig fresh lovage or tarragon
1/2 c. mayonnaise (Hellman’s if you are not making your own)
Lemon juice
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Boil and shuck the lobsters. Cut the lobster meat into large
chunks. Finely slice the scallion and celery. Chop the lovage or
tarragon. Combine lobster, celery, scallion, mayonnaise and herb.
Toss together and season with a few drops of lemon juice, salt and
pepper. Cover and chill well. Serves 6.
SUMMER PASTA SALAD
1 box rotini pasta
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 red onions
4 cloves garlic
4 ears corn
3 large ripe tomatoes
6 stems fresh basil, leaves only
4 oz. ricotta salata cheese, cut into -inch cubes
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain
and cool. Meanwhile, peel and dice the red onion. In a large saute
pan, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil and saute onions over medium
low. Peel and mince the garlic and add it to the saute pan. Cook
gently until onions just lose their crispness, 4 to 5 minutes. Shuck
the corn and cut the kernels off the cob. Add the corn to the saute
pan, turn up the heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the corn
is tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Coarsely chop the
tomatoes and, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, the onion-corn
mixture and the pasta. Toss well with the remaining olive oil;
season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill. Just before serving,
toss with the basil leaves and ricotta salata. Serves 6.
PEACH CROSTATA
For the crust:
1/3 c. corn meal
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar
3/4 t. salt
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into -inch cubes
3-4 T. cold water
In a food processor combine the corn meal, flour, sugar and
salt. Process briefly to blend. Add butter and pulse until butter is
reduced to small pieces. With the machine running, add 3 tablespoons
of the water until the dough comes together in a ball. If the dough
remains pebbly, add more water and pulse until a ball forms. Divide
the dough into 6 small balls. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
For the filling:
4 ripe peaches
2/3 c. sugar
1 t. corn starch
1/2 t. lemon juice
Peel (optional), stone and slice the peaches. Toss with the
sugar, corn starch and lemon juice. Set aside.
To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out each ball of dough into a 5- or 6-inch circle. Divide
the fruit on top of the circles, evenly spreading it out to leave a
1-inch border. Fold the borders over the fruit toward the center.
Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until fruit is bubbling and
dough is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Makes 6.
mschaffer@bostonherald.com