Under the strawberry moon

 

This year's trip Up North came with several bonuses. A giant "strawberry moon" on a clear night. A long wait for a table was rewarded with a seat at the best new table at Angry Trout. And the tablecloth I happened to grab to take along matched the rhubarb scones on the cabin's blue Fiestaware plates perfectly. Because, yes, things like that please me.

 Also pleasing: Unpacking a stuffed 40-quart cooler filled with goodies. It’s always worth making room for a few versatile spreads, sauces or dressings to enhance sandwiches, pasta or grilled meats. They're easy to tuck in around the containers of scones ready to bake from the freezer and other breakfast treats. Here are this year's food enhancers.

Artichoke-Olive Antipasto Sandwich Spread
Adapted from Meredith Deeds as published in the Star Tribune Taste section.

Ingredients
¾ cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained
¾ cup green olives with pimentos, drained
¼ cup roasted red peppers, drained
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños, drained
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until just coarsely chopped, or chop it all coarsely by hand.

Rating: Nice. It worked as a sandwich spread with leftover grilled pork tenderloin, as a pizza base topping and as a pasta sauce. I've made a similar spread before, but I thought the pickled jalapeños worked nicely here.

 

Rhubarb mostarda
From Kim Ode’s “Rhubarb Renaissance” as published in the Star Tribune Taste section.

Ingredients
1 cup rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces
¼ cup minced red onion
¼ cup chopped dried mission figs
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

Directions
In a medium saucepan combine rhubarb, onion, figs, wine and sugar and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add mustard seeds and dry mustard and cook another few minutes until the mixture is thick and syrupy. Add vinegar and cook for 30 second. Remove from heat to cool.

Rating: Fine. It worked best as a condiment on freshly grilled pork tenderloin with the contrast of the hot with cold.

Angry Trout has added a table where the dock used to be. Can't beat the view.

 

Sheet pan gnocchi with tomatoes, red onions and basil

 

Roasting gnocchi, particularly shelf-stable gnocchi, never would have occurred to me. That's when I feel like, OK, I'll hang on to my Bon Appetit subscription a little longer.

Sheet pan gnocchi with tomatoes, red onions and basil
Adapted from Bon Appetit, June/July 2021

Ingredients
1-pound package shelf-stable gnocchi (or refrigerated gnocchi)
2 pints cherry tomatoes
½ large red onion, sliced into ½-inch wedges
3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups baby arugula leaves
1 cup basil leaves torn into pieces
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved

Method
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place parchment on a rimmed baking sheet. In a medium bowl, combine gnocchi, tomatoes, onion, garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil and kosher salt. Toss together and spread on baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until gnocchi are golden and starting to crisp. The tomatoes will have burst.

Remove garlic and squeeze out pulp int a small bowl. Mix with lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Add arugula, basil and Parmesan to gnocchi mixture. Toss together. Drizzle dressing over the top and serve, drizzling with more olive oil if desired.

Rating: Really, really good. I was a bit skeptical of how it would work with shelf-stable gnocchi, which is what I had on hand, but it actually works quite well. The tomatoes give off enough moisture to sort of steam the gnocchi, which takes on just a bit of crunch on the outside with the usual soft pillow interior. Very nice indeed, and not just because I don't have to clean the pasta pot, which is a fab bonus.