Building the Ultimate BLT at USQ

One man’s quest for the perfect sandwich has become an annual event at Union Square Wines, where wine director Jesse Salazar combines his passion for seasonal produce, great bacon, and New York’s finest bread to craft the ultimate BLT.

This Saturday, August 19th, USQ Wines will be hosting its second BLT Festival. With bread from Blue Ribbon Bakery, tomatoes from top Greenmarket purveyors, and Grateful Palate bacon, these honorable BLT’s are the perfect complement to many grape varietals.

To wash down the fare, there will be tastes of summer whites, USQ’s favorite rosés, California classics, and new pours from Australian importer and bacon aficionado, Dan Philips. The event lasts from 2-5pm.

Canned Toro

I recently had lunch in the West Village with an old friend. We each ordered tuna: one on a sandwich, the other on a salad. Simple as our lunches were, they were each the epitome of what we wanted. And, it was because of the superlative tuna.

Certainly, this tuna came from a can, but it was not that crumbly, smelly Bumble Bee tuna that everyone grew up with. It was smooth and pure instead of chewy and processed.

The sandwich got me thinking about how much I love canned tuna. I even liked it when I got it in my lunch box, and it stunk up the cafeteria. Now, I wouldn’t subject my clients and associates to that fourth-grade smell in the office, but fortunately, I’ve found tuna much less stinky in subsequent years.

If you aren’t sold on the idea that canned tuna can taste delicious, try Ortiz Bonito del Norte. It is a Spanish tuna packed in olive oil. The tuna is yellowtail ventresca, which means it comes from the belly of the yellowtail. That’s right, it’s a can of toro, as it’s become so well known in Japanese cuisine. Ortiz comes in a red and gold box (with a can inside of the box) and is available quite widely. Russ & Daughters, Gourmet Garage, and Whole Foods carry in on a regular basis for about $11 for 6-8 ounces.

In a chat with some tuna aficionados, I learned that Ortiz is not the only specialty tuna available in the USA. Zoe Diva is another Spanish import available at gourmet grocers. There is also a brand called Tre Torri Ventresca Di Tonno that retails for $32 for 11 ounces. A little decadent: yes. But imagine what a star you’d be if you brought a can of it to a picnic!

People have such strong feelings for canned tuna; you either love it or you hate it. But loathers, be wary: my lunch last week made me realize that if we were all eating ventresca tuna melts in the cafeteria, no one would be getting picked on.

Record Eating

This year, the cookbook I have used and loved the most has been Nigel Slater’s The Kitchen Diaries. It is a cookbook for those who love fresh, seasonal food and for those who love to eat frugally, but richly. His premise is simple: document what he eats each day throughout the year, featuring special recipes within each month that most reflect the harvest at the particular time.

For example, this month features recipes with tomatoes, basil, and citrus notes to add a summery lightness to dishes. Meanwhile, I remember making a delicious pumpkin soup spiked with bacon in the cool months earlier this year. Everything Slater features is in tune with the calendar and in tune with what our bodies need at these times.

It is a true diary in the sense that he records on a regular basis. When he is not logging a recipe, he is inviting us to read his everyday meals. He uses leftovers and eats sensibly. In May, he titled an entry, “A bunch of beetroot, a cheese, and a loaf.” In June, Slater claimed an omelette made with shrimp from a jar to be decadent when eaten with a glass of white wine.

He is an honest writer: instructing us to use a handful of rocket lettuce as “a green mop” under roast lamb so as not to waste the jus. I have looked ahead to my birthday, and in this entry, Slater has a picnic for six outside and wants everyone to eat with their hands. “No washing up” is permitted and the menu is fixed with prawns, pork belly, and sliced lemons. I’ll certainly follow this man’s lead, as it sounds like exactly what I want. My friends are in for a celebration this year.

Nigel Slater, The Kitchen Diaries. Fourth Estate, London: 2005.

Food Byte

Do You Have Any Grey Poupon?

1777 marks the joyous year that Grey Poupon mustard entered the market. Maurice Grey used a secret formula of mustard seeds, herbs, and white wine to blend the famed spread. His mustard success was attained with help from a man named Poupon, who provided financial backing for Grey and also invented the first steam-operated mustard-making machines. Today, the Grey Poupon factory is located on the Rue de Iz Liberte in Dijon.

Rosé Popsicles & Chameh Melon

Yellow melon, Korean melon, or Chameh Melon as Yuno Farms calls this refreshing, papaya-sized fruit, is the ideal summer snack, especially when enjoyed with a rosé popsicle.

I came across this firm, crispy melon last year in the Union Square Greenmarket and have been waiting all year for its harvest. It has white flesh that tastes a little like cantaloupe but maintains a crunchy texture. Skin it, slice it, and eat the entire piece (including the seeds).

Add a rosé popsicle to the mix for summertime perfection. There has been so much chatter about rosés as the summer drink, and, with Rioja’s Bodegas Muga family as well as California’s County Line, it is easy to see why. Muga has a reliably tasty and aromatic version each year, and County Line is a sparkly Anderson Valley rosé made from pinot noir. Production involves minimal skin contact to give the elixir the lightest salmon color. These, or any other rosés freeze up well in popsicle molds that can be found at www.garberhardware.com/shop.html.

Last year I mourned the loss of FrozFruit flavors watermelon and cantaloupe; this year, an Ott pop with a slice of chameh suits me fine!