HUNGRY GERALD

HG’s family likes to eat big bowls of leafy green salad dressed with a good vinaigrette. HG rarely indulges. That’s because throat cancer surgery decades ago has interfered with HG’s swallowing apparatus. Crispy, crenulated leaves cause nasty coughing. Two salad exceptions: Daughter Lesley R.’s Newfoundland baby shrimp salad and BSK’s yellow and green bean salad. They were both part of last night’s dinner and HG swallowed much with pleasure and ease. Don’t see yellow beans in many USA supermarkets but they are grown in many farms here on Prince Edward Island. (See Hungry Gerald post Aug. 31, 2014 for an appreciation). Paris bistros should take bean cooking lessons from BSK. Traditional bistros serve haricot verts and string beans cooked to a mush and modernist bistros serve them raw and inedible. Here’s how BSK cooked yellow and green beans last night. Boiled until they reached the perfect al dente crunch. Then a rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, Maldon sea salt, smoked black pepper and a shower of herbs. A delight. Meal began with crisp fried zucchini blossoms from BSK’s garden; shucked Colville Bay oysters (distinctive green tinged shells); Lesley’s shrimp salad. This was followed by steamed soft-shell clams, green salad, bean salad, cups of Andrew MacDonald’s lusty mussel chowder. Nice anthology of PEI sea and farm treats.