Chef Michael Otsuka's Summer Meal

Chef Michael Otsuka is the executive chef and co-owner of "Verbena" restaurant located in downtown New York. He has agreed to take our Chef on a Shoestring challenge, creating a delicious three-course meal for four with $30.

Menu:
Zucchini Tapenade Crostinis With Watercress And Cherry Tomatoes
Cold Poached Rainbow Trout With Tarragon Couscous And Grilled Scallion Coulis
Summer Peach Froth With Ginger Yogurt

Terminology:

• Tapenade: Hailing from France's Provenance region, tapenade is a thick paste made from capers, anchovies, ripe olives, olive oil, lemon juice, seasonings, and sometimes small pieces of tuna. It is often used as a condiment and served with crudites, fish, meat, etc.
• Poach: It's a method to cook food gently in liquid that is just below the boiling point when the liquid's surface is beginning to show some quivering movement. The amount and temperature of the liquid depends on the food being poached. Poaching produces a delicate flavor in foods while imparting some of the liquid's flavor to the ingredient being poached.
• Coulis: A general term referring to a thick puree or sauce such as tomato coulis. The word can also refer to thick, pureed shellfish soup. Originally the term "coulis" was used to describe the juices from cooked meat.

Zucchini Tapenade Crostinis With Watercress And Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 4 as a light appetizer course

Ingredients
1 pound small zucchini squash, diced into 1/8-inch squares
4 each large garlic cloves, peeled
5 branches fresh thyme
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
1 each lemon, zest removed with a rasp, juiced
1 each filet of salted anchovy or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 each country-style baguette cut into rounds 1/4-inch thick
1 bunch watercress, rinsed and picked into large sprigs
1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed and dried
To taste: Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

1. In a 12- to 14-inch saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil until it begins to smoke.
2. Carefully place zucchini, garlic cloves and thyme branches into the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook on a high flame stirring constantly until the squash is colored.
   
3. Remove from the heat and pick out and discard thyme branches.
   
4. Place half of the squash, the garlic cloves, anchovy, lemon zest and olives into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until coarsely pureed. Remove from the bowl and fold in the rest of the squash. Adjust seasoning and chill.
   
5. Coat the bread rounds using a pastry brush with half the remaining olive oil and toast until colored light blond and dry in a preheated 325 degree oven.
   
6. When ready to serve, place watercress on a platter and decorate with cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with the remaining lemon juice and olive oil. Coat the bread rounds with the tapenade and place around the salad.

Ingredients for poached trout
2 each 16-ounce rainbow trout, boneless, cut into four filets
1 bunch parsley, washed leaves removed and chopped coarse for the garnish
1 bunch tarragon, leaves removed and used for the couscous
1 each lemon, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons pickling spice
3 quarts water
2 tablespoons salt

Method

1. Season trout fillets and put into a lightly oiled baking dish skin side down and place in the refrigerator.
   
2. Place salt, water, lemon, pickling spice and herb stems in a large pot on a high flame. Allow to come to a boil and cook for 15 minutes.
   
3. Remove trout from the refrigerator and strain hot broth over the fillets. Place dish on a very low flame on the stove top. Do not allow to boil. Check fish after four minutes by touching the fish. If it is firm to the touch with little resistance, then it is ready.
   
4. Remove fillets with a slotted spatula and chill skin side up on a platter covered with plastic wrap. Reserve 2 cups of poaching liquid for couscous. Before serving pinch the skin from the meat at the large end of each fillet and gently peel off and discard. Brush with extra virgin olive oil.

1 bunch scallions, washed, two inches of bulb ends very finely sliced and reserved for couscous. The rest cut into 3-inch lengths.
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon capers
1 each lemon, zested and juiced

Method

1. Coat 3-inch lengths of scallions with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper.
   
2. Heat a perforated grill pan over a charcoal or hardwood fire.
   
3. Char scallions until slightly blackened and wilted.
   
4. Alternatively, you can heat a saute pan until very hot and give the scallions a hard sear until colored, then turn down the heat and cook until wilted.
   
5. Place charred scallions in a blender with grapeseed oil, capers, zest and juice. Blend until finely pureed. Dilute with water to a consistency like molasses. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups instant couscous, Tipiak brand
1 1/2 cups poaching liquid
Reserved items: tarragon, chopped parsley, sliced scallion bulb
1 bunch red radishes, washed and sliced into thin wedges
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1 cup peeled and diced Kirby cucumbers

Method

1. Rough chop tarragon and place in a blender with half the chopped parsley, the grapeseed oil, 1/4 cup poaching liquid and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Process until very finely pureed.
   
2. Pour over couscous in a large bowl and toss well to coat.
   
3. Heat the remaining liquid to a boil and pour over couscous.
   
4. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to plump for 20 minutes.
   
5. Remove plastic wrap and fluff couscous. Chill until cold.
   
6. Toss with radishes, cucumbers, sliced scallion bulb, and remaining parsley.
   
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Summer Peach Froth with Ginger Yogurt and Ginger Cookies
Recipe serves 4 as a dessert course

Simple Syrup

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Method:

1. Bring water and sugar to a simmer.
   
2. Set aside and let cool completely.

Ingredients

1/3 cup chopped ginger
1/2 cup water

Method:

1. Puree ginger in blender with water.
   
2. Press through a fine strainer.
   
3. Discard solids.

Ingredients
2 cups summer peaches, blanched, shocked in ice water, peeled, diced
1/2 cup simple syrup
1 each lemon, juiced
1 1/2 cups club soda
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup ginger juice
1 each peach, sliced into wedges for garnish
1/2 bunch mint sprigs for garnish

Method:

1. Place peeled peaches, lemon juice and simple syrup in a blender and process until smooth. Chill until ready to use.
   
2. In a coffee filter or piece of cheese cloth, strain yogurt overnight in the refrigerator. Place strained yogurt in a bowl with 1/ 4 cup of ginger juice and mix well. Keep chilled.
   
3. In a pitcher, place pureed peaches, ginger yogurt and club soda. Blend together with a cordless immersion blender or use a regular blender. Pour into chilled pint glasses and decorate with peach wedges and mint. Serve with a straw and ginger cookies.

Ingredients
6 ounces soft butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup ginger juice (reserved from the above recipe)
Garnish: 1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped

Method:

1. In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle or by hand with a wooden spoon, cream butter with sugar, salt and ginger juice.
   
2. Add flour and mix only until the dough forms a ball.
   
3. Roll out dough between two layers of plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thick.
   
4. Lift top layer of plastic wrap and sprinkle with candied ginger.
   
5. Return wrap and chill thoroughly.
   
6. Place dough on a cutting board and remove top layer of wrap again.
   
7. Cut cookies into 3-inch-by-1/2-inch-long rectangles.
   
8. Place on a cookie sheet on parchment paper. (Be careful to remove all the plastic wrap.)
   
9. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
   
10. Remove from oven when the cookies begin to color very lightly.