Wolffer Kitchen

4 Amagansett Square

Amagansett

631-267-2764

Summer hours: Dinner, seven days; brunch, Saturday and Sunday

As we near the end of the summer season (waaaaaah!), I have been reflecting on how many really very good restaurants opened this year. The new Wolffer Kitchen in Amagansett is most certainly one of them. 

This sister restaurant to the one in Sag Harbor has moved into what was the Meeting House. The Meeting House was very good, but the expanse of white tile and hard surfaces made it a most noisy place to dine.

The changes are subtle but noticeable. Structurally, everything looks the same. You enter through an attractive covered patio by the front door and to the right are an open kitchen and high tables with stools. To the left are a long bar and flowery banquettes. Beyond that is a small dining alcove, perfect for romance or parents with screaming babies. Some of the walls are pale aqua and the light fixtures have huge rattan shades or abalone shell spheres. I wouldn’t call it “Bohemian,” as they do, but it’s certainly stylish.

We got lucky on the night of our visit: We were seated on the outdoor patio, which thankfully has overhead heaters. We began our meal with crispy shrimp, grilled calamari, zucchini noodles more zoodles!), and naan bread with hummus and olives. 

The crispy shrimp were very good. The three huge, split, and flattened shrimp were in a sturdy, crisp batter, and sitting on a salsa of papaya, mango, cantaloupe, and diced red peppers. The shrimp was drizzled with gochujang, a sweet-spicy Korean condiment that pretty much makes everything taste better. The grilled calamari salad was warm and excellent. The rings and tentacles were tender and smoky, tossed with arugula, orange slices, chilies, and some tiny, red, pickled peppers that tasted like peppadews. We all loved this dish. 

The zucchini noodles were a combination of zucchini and summer squash with diced tomatoes and plenty of garlic. This appetizer was okay. We thought a dash of salt might help it. The naan bread with hummus was excellent. The naan was nicely crisped and smoky from the wood-burning oven, and the hummus had a good balance of lemon and tahini with the puréed chickpeas.

For entrees we tried the scallops, cauliflower rice, black lentils with coconut red curry, and littleneck clams with more zoodles. 

The five scallops were perfectly seared, caramelized on both sides but not overcooked, served on a bed of super fresh, sweet bicolor corn kernels mixed with shiitakes and other mushrooms, a bit of wilted kale, and drizzled with a buttery sauce. Most excellent. The cauliflower rice was rather bland with a few shreds of kale and some orange zest. The black lentils were more successful: rich and creamy with coconut milk, the red curry flavors not overpowering. 

The littleneck clams were in a smoky red broth full of diced chorizo, chickpeas, and shredded zucchini. The clams were teeny and sweet and tender, and the broth was out of this world. A slice of toasted baguette was almost enough to sop up the broth.

The service that evening was excellent. Our waitress, Cornelia, knew her stuff and offered wise recommendations. The prices are moderate and the menu has many interesting options for vegetarians and vegans, which is not only necessary nowadays but quite admirable. There is something for everyone. 

It is also worth mentioning the wine list, which is about 80 percent Wolffer wines with nary an Italian or French bottle on the list. There is a smattering of Spanish and Argentinian and a few from California and the Pacific Northwest. The markup of wines at most restaurants is two to three times the wholesale price. At Wolffer Kitchen you can get some of winemaker Roman Roth’s fine wines at very reasonable prices — many bottles are only $44.

Prices are $12 to $35 for raw items, salads, tapas, vegetables, and legumes. Wood oven items and main dishes are $24 to $45, and desserts are $12.

For dessert we sampled a banana s’mores sundae, flourless chocolate cake, and carrot cake, all are made in house. The banana s’mores sundae was very entertaining and very large. The banana slices were topped with ice cream, marshmallows, chocolate and caramel sauce. It was described as bananas foster sauce, but that would have been boozier. Maybe this was the PG version. The bowl was rimmed with graham crackers, and the marshmallows torched like the traditional campfire treat. 

The flourless chocolate cake was a good rendition of what now seems to be a restaurant staple: gooey in the middle, made with a fine bittersweet chocolate, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and artfully drizzled with chocolate and raspberry sauces. The carrot cake was two slices of roulade, thin cake rolled up jellyroll style with the filling inside. My guest who ordered it was not impressed, but I thought it was quite good. The cake was moist with carrots and shredded coconut, the filling lighter than the usually dense cream cheese frosting.

Midway through our meal, my friend Steven remarked, “This is the perfect marriage of environment, good food, nice weather, and dining outside.” Amen.

As this issue of The Star comes out, no doubt restaurateurs all over the East End are taking a deep breath, having navigated another summer season. But don’t forget, some of the favorite seasonal places will remain open through September, or even beyond, providing those who eschew the heavy crowds a chance to partake.

The seafood specialties offered by Gosman’s Dock, at the end of West Lake Drive in Montauk, include grilled Block Island swordfish served with orzo salad, almond pesto, and lemon-mint vinaigrette; Gosman’s surf and turf, with a steak filet and lobster tail served with potato and vegetable; blackened yellowfin tuna steak, and, of course, lobsters served a variety of ways. 

Across the channel from Gosman’s, Inlet Seafood restaurant and sushi bar offers a great view on even a chilly day, when one can gaze out through expansive windows. 

Other waterfront sites that might be more tranquil spots to dine and sip now that we’ve passed Labor Day include two on Three Mile Harbor in Springs — the Harbor Bistro and Bay Kitchen Bar. 

Vegetable Gleaning

Another end-of-season focus for some foodies is the gleaning program organized by the Amagansett Food Institute, which mobilizes volunteers to collect excess produce from farm fields that would otherwise go to waste. The yield is donated to food pantries here.

Volunteers are needed and can get in touch with the organizers by sending an email to [email protected]. Farmers interested in offering the leftovers in their fields have been asked to get in touch as well.

Corn and tomatoes will be plentiful into October, but the locally famous treasures you should be enjoying right now are melons. The East End has long been famous for outstanding cantaloupes. Growing up, I remember hearing that Carl Yastrzemski’s family in Bridgehampton grew the best around. Why is our area so favorable for growing melons? They thrive in sandy soil and appreciate long, warm, sunny days.

There are a number of varieties that grow particularly well here — musk, cantaloupe, and watermelon. Some specific varieties are Early Canada, a small oval-shape type with stripes and few seeds, or Yugoslavian Hello, a cannonball-shape yellow watermelon that’s sweet and seedy. The Early Crimson Sweet X Charleston is large and round with sugary flesh and is a consistent and reliable variety to grow. Golden Jubilee, a hybrid from Asia, has a yellow rind with bright red flesh inside. Cream of Saskatchewan has pale stripes and pale flesh and is delicious served ice-cold or turned into a sorbet.

When choosing cantaloupes or musk melons, look for deep ribs and good solid “netting,” that rough tan pattern all over the melon. The stem will break away from the vine when completely ripe, and the aroma should be rich and perfumey. Color is not that important, but you don’t want to see a lot of green and/or soft spots.

Melons can sit out at room temperature for about a week but should be refrigerated once ripe . . . but not for too long. You should try to find the ripest available, chill it, and eat it A.S.A.P.

Another piece of advice that is critical but seldom included in recipes or stories about melons: You must give them a really good scrub with a brush before slicing into them. Any fruit or vegetable that is growing on the ground is going to get deer, rodent, bird, raccoon, etc., scat all over it. Once your knife slices into the fruit, those bacteria are introduced into the edible flesh. Sorry to be Debbie Downer, just remember to do this!

Melons are great for so many reasons: They are cheap and plentiful in season, everybody likes them, kids have fun spitting out the seeds, they’re easy to grow, and they’re healthful. Members of the musk melon family are rich in potassium, vitamin A, and beta carotene. Watermelons have vitamin C and lycopene, the phytonutrient believed to aid in heart health.

Vine-ripening is important for all melons because they don’t store starch or get any sweeter after harvest. Except for watermelon, melons are fruits of Cucumis melo, a close relative of the cucumber, and are natives of the subtropics of Asia. The plant was domesticated in Central Asia or India, according to Harold McGee’s “On Food and Cooking,” and arrived in the Mediterranean at the beginning of the first century. Their large size and ability to grow fast made them a popular symbol for fertility, abundance, and luxury.

Watermelons are a distant relative of other melons, originally from Africa, and they have more antioxidants than tomatoes. A good watermelon should seem heavy for its size, with a bit of yellowing under the skin indicating chlorophyll loss, therefore ripening. Some believe a solid sound should come from thumping the melon but they all sound alike to me.

Regarding recipes, some people like the now-ubiquitous watermelon and feta salad. You can combine a similar variety of flavors with the melon (jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, lime juice) to make a fluke or flounder ceviche. Melon soups are as easy as slice, puree, add a dash of lemon or lime juice. Use two different kinds of melon to make a swirly, colorful, light, and healthy cold soup. One of my favorite drinks is just watermelon and pineapple with a few tablespoons of grated ginger pureed into a smoothie. If you feel inclined to add vodka, tequila, or rum to it, well, that’s a fine cocktail, too.

Summer’s almost over but our farms are still cranking out lots of delicious fruits and vegetables. Don’t start shopping for apples and pumpkins just yet! Explore the stands and markets for our justifiably famous East End cantaloupes and watermelons.

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What happens when 13 chefs from 13 restaurants around the country come to Montauk to fish for striped bass, fluke, and bluefish, and then form three teams, prepare their catch-paired side dishes, and compete to win in their category? Crazy good food, that’s what happens!

On Sept. 6, Navy Beach in Montauk sponsored a chefs’ team-building event for the Barcelona Wine Bar and Restaurant group, with profits going to benefit the Navy SEAL Foundation. Additional food and drinks were donated by Amber Waves Farm, the Montauk Brewing Company, and Paumanok Winery. Rudi Bonicelli, a co-founder (with Sean Barrett) of Dock to Dish Montauk, made sure these landlubbers caught enough fish for the event. 

The striped bass were plentiful, as were the bluefish, but alas, there were no fluke that day, which meant one of the teams had to switch gears and form a second striped bass team. It is worth noting that some of these chefs had never fished before, nor had they ever dealt with that Rodney Dangerfield of the sea, bluefish. Christopher Lee, culinary director of the Barcelona Wine Bar group, also pointed out that none of them had ever cooked with fish so fresh that it was still firm from rigor mortis, making the raw and ceviche-style items more challenging.

I arrived early enough to catch the mayhem in the kitchen. Leyla Marchetto, co-owner of Navy Beach, was cool as a cucumber while leading me around and introducing me to everyone. Navy Beach, located on Fort Pond Bay, has around 80 to 90 seats and the kitchen is tight. Even after a long day on the water (with some chefs feeling a little “green around the gills”), they were jolly and peppy as they prepped enormous salt crusts to encase striped bass, pickled bluefish, and finished ethereal corn puddings.

After a little happy hour spent sipping rosé and nibbling on ceviche, crab cakes, and Yunnan ribs provided by Navy Beach (all very delicious), it was time to eat and judge and judge and eat again.

Three tables were set up around the dining room. Team Fluke, now Team Striped Bass Number One, served striped bass crudo with sour orange, escabeche, salt-crusted with agrodolce, whole roasted with green grapes, and pan-seared with pimenton oil. The paired side dishes were charred jalapeño slaw, buckwheat salad with peaches and macadamia nuts, faro with summer vegetables and feta, corn pudding, and kale salad. 

All of the dishes were outstanding, but in particular the salt-crusted striped bass with agrodolce. The salt crust makes a dramatic presentation when cracked open, and it keeps the fish remarkably moist. Agrodolce is an Italian sweet-sour sauce with onions or shallots, and this one complimented the mild fish perfectly. This was prepared by John Iatrellis of New Haven, Conn. The corn pudding, prepared by Christopher Lee, also brought people back for seconds.

The second striped bass team made bass wrapped in parchment (en papillote), stew, esqueixada, and pan-roasted. The sides were tomato salad, morcilla fritters, creamed corn with pimenton popcorn(!), and grilled asparagus. The striped bass in parchment was a standout, as were the morcilla fritters, made with blood sausage. The creamed corn had a hint of tarragon, and this dish also brought the guests back for more.

Last, but certainly not least, was Team Bluefish, with the fish pickled, smoked, whole roasted, grilled, and in a paté. The sides were summer vegetable caponata, succotash, cucumber panzanella, roasted tomatoes, and roasted fennel with jalapeño. Every single bluefish dish was excellent, in particular the smoked, the pickled, the grilled, and the paté. Being strong and oily, this fish seemed to be particularly well suited to the zesty seasonings often used by the Barcelona Wine Bar chefs, which are Spanish tapas bars with a bit of South American flare. The roasted fennel with jalapeño (prepared by the lone female chef, Farah Masani) was especially good, as was the succotash.

The voting method was no more than grabbing some sand dollars out of a jar and putting them in the three jars at each chef’s station. I confess I put two sand dollars in the Bluefish Team’s jar because I like an underdog, I like bluefish, and most of the team was from the D.C. area. Apparently, I was not alone in my fondness for blues and what can be done with them, because Team Bluefish won the competition.

This was the Barcelona Wine Bar group’s second team building outing. Last year its chefs traveled to a farm in Ohio and created a vegetable-centric menu. Christopher Lee pointed out that this year’s outing was a real education for the chefs, who learned how Dock to Dish is literally transforming how we can get freshly caught fish directly to the consumer. From far, far away, Sean Barrett wrote about the evening: “This specific event was very meaningful for us, because it put the Dock to Dish mission of reconnecting our community to the local fishery on display in a very delicious way. Navy Beach is an original founding member of our restaurant program, and Rudi Bonicelli is not only a co-founder of Dock to Dish — but also one of the most talented, knowledgeable, and reliable rod and reel fishermen around. Our team has been on the road a lot over the past few years, establishing new Dock to Dish programs in California, Canada, Costa Rica, and beyond — but for this event we imported chefs from across the country back to the place where it all began. Having Leyla and Rudi pull off such a wildly successful reception was very cool in a homecoming kind of way, and it was all done to support a great cause. There have been such rave reviews from everyone that participated that we are determined to make this an annual event. I already have chefs looking to participate next year, and people asking about tickets.”

Mr. Bonicelli, a bit more spare with words, wrote: “Glad everyone had fun. The chefs did great, they got to see how fish end up on the plate Dock to Dish style.”So the 13 chefs got to experience fishing and Montauk hospitality, Navy Beach raised money for the Navy SEAL Foundation, and the kind sponsors provided the additional food and drink. 

Thank you all, you are angels.

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The families of the Organic Krush founders — Fran Paniccia, James Tchinnis, and Michelle Walrath — have played an important role in what they do and the food they offer at their shops in Woodbury, Lake Success, and now Amagansett.

Organic Krush opened at the former Mary’s Marvelous location in Amagansett in June. Ms. Walrath is a summer resident of Montauk, and heard from a customer in Woodbury that the Mary’s space would be available. She loved the idea of an Organic Krush closer to Montauk. “We are really excited to be here, it is a great town with great personalities and energy and we are looking forward to the upcoming months,” said Ms. Walrath. The owners plan to keep the store open year round, with a delivery service starting in the fall.

The owners feed their customers they way they would feed their families, and the takout shop sells smoothies, cold-pressed juice, oatmeal, acai bowls, gluten-free and vegan treats, and wraps, salads, and bowls — all of them 100 percent organic.

Along with such dishes as a spicy Korean barbecue bowl, Thai tofu, coconut shrimp, and fish tacos, the menu includes a selection especially for kids with choices like chicken B.L.T.s, quesadillas, and a Monkey Roll-Up with almond butter, bananas, and honey on a whole wheat tortilla. Kids’ meals range from $8 to $10; breakfast items are $12 and under, acai bowls are $11, with all sorts of add-ons available, smoothies start at $8, and bowls, wraps, and salads cost between $12 and $15.   

Mary’s Marvelous, which still has a location on East Hampton’s Newtown Lane, was much beloved in Amagansett, where it first opened. Ms. Walrath is hoping to follow in its footsteps and “continue serving our customers the way Mary’s Marvelous did . . .  . we have found a lot of people who care a lot about the food we are selling, and I am hoping that this continues in our new location this summer.”

The shop is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

The Slow Food East End chapter has a potluck dinner planned for next Thursday at Myron and Susan Levine’s residence in Sag Harbor. Reservations are required and can be made at slowfoodeastend.org. The event is open to both members and nonmembers, with a $15 or $20 per person fee, respectively. Attendees are also expected to provide a dish made from seasonal local ingredients and large enough to serve six to eight people. Additional details are avail­­able on the website. 

On Sept. 24, Slow Food East End will hold its annual meeting and community potluck supper at the Quinipet Camp and Retreat Center on Shelter Island. Participation is free and open to all. The event provides an opportunity to learn about the group, its events, educational programs, and goals, and to meet the candidates for Slow Food East End’s board. 

Shellfish Taste and Tour

Fresh local oysters will be served paired with wine during a tour of the shellfish hatcheries at the Suffolk County Marine Environmental Learning Center in Southold on Friday, Aug. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 and can be reserved at eventbrite.com. Information on efforts by Cornell Cooperative Extension, the sponsor of the marine learning center, to upgrade the facility is available at goodcircle.org/project/ wonders-never-cease. 

Summertime Option

Inlet Seafood restaurant and sushi bar, perched on the second floor overlooking the mouth of Montauk Harbor and Block Island Sound, is open nightly and features a water view from every table. Sushi specials are available. Lunch is served at Inlet daily from noon to 4 p.m., and dinnertime begins at 4:30.

Imagine a farm that starts at 85 feet across, narrows to 50 feet, and goes back far enough to fill a total of 1.4 acres. Sort of like an extra-skinny railroad flat in New York City, or a much attenuated flag-lot oasis. 

That is what Darryl and Pamela Glennon’s Spring Close Farms Nursery and Farm Stand in East Hampton is like. At the front, just inside the fence from a shaded parking area, is a koi pond, then the farm stand itself, where the couple sell all sorts of things they grow in their long ribbon, some in large containers and pots, some in hay bales and straw bales, and then, at the back, fields.

The property was once part of Pheasant Run Stables, until 1985, when the whole thing, less than 12 acres, was subdivided. Mr. Glennon, who had a nursery business for many years, has owned and been farming his own strip there since 2003.

They bring in fresh mozzarella and feta from Goodale Farms in Aquebogue, and whatever else people might request that they do not already grow. But they do grow northern highbush blueberries, alpine strawberies, tomatoes, basil, beets (white and red), garlic, mint, peppers, zucchini, blue potatoes and fingerlings, summer squash, melons, sunflowers, zinnias, and oakleaf hydrangeas.

“Farmers share with one another what’s available,” Mr. Glennon said. “If we don’t grow the best, we know where to buy the best.”

The couple also engage in what they call hobby farming. Ms. Glennon experiments with growing things like kohlrabi and 20 different varieties of tomato, including the Speckled Roman, the Indigo Blue Beauty, and the Ukrainian Purple. She also grows cucamelons, which look like miniature watermelons but are actually exceptionally small cucumbers or Mexican mini-sour gherkins — they can be slipped onto the edge of a martini glass.

In addition to produce, they also have a “nice little nursery selection of ornamental trees,” Mr. Glennon said, such as deodar cedars, Japanese maples, and varieties of purple fountain beech trees, most of which are deer-resistant. He has the growing plants protected by six-foot fences, but as the driveway extends all the way to the back of the property, inevitably deer walk in. Unlike many other growers, however, “I love the deer coming through,” Mr. Glennon said.

There are other animals: Olivia the 20-year-old ostrich, a miniature horse, Rosie the mellow potbellied pig, who came from Rita’s Stables in Montauk, and two goats.

One of Mr. Glennon’s goals is to transform the whole place into a park-like garden, he said. He has applied for permits for two greenhouses and has been experimenting with growing cucumbers, peppers, and Swiss chard in straw bales, and potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants in hay bales, as it seems like a more efficient, less labor-intensive way to produce crops. 

He is also playing with the idea of using his koi in an aquaponics venture, a system of aquaculture in which the waste produced by the koi, which winter over, would fertilize the plants he would grow hydroponically, which in turn would purify the water. A medium made of shredded stuff from coconuts mixed with potting soil would be needed to hold the plants in place.

His goal is to generate between 75 and 250 pounds of produce a week from a 1,200-square-foot system. He said he wants to begin with a 10-by-20-foot starter. If, in the process, he comes up with an especially beautiful koi that someone wanted to buy and keep in a pond with other fish, so much the better.

Those looking for a way to toast the solar eclipse can find a special cocktail at the Coast Kitchen at the Montauk Yacht Club on Monday. The $13 cocktail, which consists of vodka, lemonade, and a Chambord float, will be available that day only.

Poke, Man, Go

Sammy’s Restaurant and Bar in Montauk has opened a new grab-and-go window for Hawaiian poke bowls, raw fish (typically tuna) that is cubed and tossed with seasonings and blended into a bowl of greens and other ingredients.

In addition to a number of set combinations such as Maui Wowi (ahi tuna, greens, sweet onion, cucumber, daikon, seaweed, tobiko, ginger dressing, and crisp wonton), patrons can also put together their own bowls from a base including rice, sesame noodles, or greens; a protein including tofu and chicken; vegetables, dressing, toppings, and crunch: wontons, onions, parmesan, or jalapeno crisps, or toasted peanuts. The bowls range in price from $12.95 to $14.95.

Ancient Chinese Secrets

A chance to learn Chinese cooking with Karen Lee, the author of five cookbooks and a caterer and cooking teacher based in New York City, is coming up in Amagansett, where Ms. Lee will teach a session on Aug. 27 at a private residence. Participants will earn how to stir-fry without having anything stick to the wok and how to make Chinese dishes that are lower in fat and salt, and tastier, than those served in Chinese restaurants. 

The tentative menu includes barbecued Cantonese spare ribs using Niman Ranch pork; Sichuan diced chicken using D’Artagnan chicken, which cooks will learn how to bone and how to make stock from; shrimp with cucumber; rice noodles with fresh and pickled vegetables (instruction will be given in making those, too), and homemade plum sauce and spicy mustard. 

Space is limited, and the cost is $120. Registration can be done online at karenleecooking.com or by calling 631-267-3653. Students can provide their own wine to accompany the meal, which will be shared on the night of the class.

Walking through the Sag Harbor Farmers Market the other day, I decided to try some of the more peculiar and obscure vegetables. There were some bright yellow striped globes nestled in with the heirloom tomatoes and squash, so I assumed they were some kind of unusual hybrid squash. Turns out they are lemon cucumbers, one of the more ancient varieties. When cut into, the flesh is bright white and the seedy part is pale lime green. Beautiful!

Next to the register of the Open Minded Organics tent are the mushrooms . . . aaaaand what looked like smooth cauliflower. These oddballs are lion’s mane mushrooms, a.k.a. pom pom blanc or yamabushiitake. I grabbed one of those along with some yellow oyster mushrooms and fairytale eggplants, those tiny purple and white eggplants the size of fat fingers. At the Quail Hill tent there were some splotchy purple and yellow potatoes, their markings similar to a pinto pony. “Those are ‘masquerade’ potatoes,” Sara explained. “Yellow potatoes masquerading as purple ones.”

Next stop was Amber Waves’s Amagansett Farmer’s Market, where I picked up some okra and tomatillos. Okra and grits are two things that most Southerners love and Northerners hate. I love okra, both for its slimy abilities to thicken a gumbo when stewed, and even more when battered and fried. (If you have a garden, you should grow okra, even if just for the flowers, which resemble hi biscus, a close relative.)

After getting all these beautiful and unique vegetables home and arranging them on a platter and admiring the odd shapes and textures and purple, yellow, green, white, and orange colors, it was time to cook. I was out of cornmeal so I substituted panko breadcrumbs for the okra, which worked beautifully. After slicing them up into one-inch pieces, I dipped them in flour, then beaten egg, then panko breadcrumbs seasoned with Creole spices. After frying for 5 to 10 minutes, I served them with a yogurt dip spiced up with more Creole seasoning. By the way, okra is full of fiber and vitamins A, C, and K.

Tomatillos are easy and fun to play with. Most salsa recipes using tomatillos suggest cooking them first. Not necessary! Just remove the papery husks, throw them in a blender with half of a small onion, a jalapeno pepper, one or two garlic cloves, cilantro, and salt, and you have a fresh, raw salsa in seconds. The tomatillos are more tart than tomatoes, which makes them a perfect compliment to rich, cheesy enchiladas or chicken quesadillas. They are also full of pectin, which firms up the sauce to an almost gelatinous texture after a few hours.

Next, I tackled the mushrooms, specifically the peculiar, spongy, brain-like lion’s mane mushroom. These mushrooms have also been described as looking like “tribbles,” the furry, friendly creatures that once starred in various episodes of Star Trek . . . but I digress.

I researched some recipes and thought it would be best to keep it simple. I sautéed the slices until the water was released and they were golden brown, then added a bit of butter. The texture was strange and stringy and rubbery and the flavor a bit odd. At first it tasted rather like a commercial cake mix, slightly sweet with a chemical aftertaste. Then, I swear to God, it tasted like Dunkin’ Donuts hazelnut coffee. The slices also resembled fried sweetbreads, which was a bit off-putting. 

I wasn’t too crazy about this mushroom so I moved on to the yellow oyster mushrooms. After snipping them from their root-stem, I sautéed these in butter. They were absolutely delicious, tender and mild-flavored. They would be great in any stir-fry, as tempura, or mixed with other mushrooms into a risotto or pasta.

The fairytale eggplants were the best surprise of all. I cut them in half, doused them with Arlotta hot chili oil and sprinkled them with a little bit of Goya adobo seasoning, my favorite cheat ingredient, then roasted them in the oven. They shrank quite a bit, became soft like roasted garlic, and had a sweet, spicy flavor. 

Some of these exotic delicacies were quite pricey and, once cooked, significantly reduced in size, so I decided that some of them, when heavily seasoned, could become more of a condiment than a side dish. The spiced up fairytale eggplant, for example, would be excellent in small doses with grilled meat or fish.

Shishito peppers, which are ubiquitous in Japanese restaurants these days, are so easy to cook at home and just serve with cocktails. Simply toss them in a pan with a few teaspoons of oil, place over medium-high heat, and cook, tossing occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, until blistered in a few places. It’s a good idea to use a splatter screen for this, they can spit and make a mess. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

In spring and early summer we have fiddlehead ferns, ramps, and scapes. Soon we will have husk cherries and other unique and unusual offerings at the farm stands. So while it’s fun to enjoy our predictable bounty of corn, tomatoes, zucchini, watermelon, and stone fruits this time of year, it’s even more fun to experiment with these other vegetables that resemble everything from mouse-sized food to aliens from outer space.

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Corn is one of our most precious and plentiful summer treats. Steamed corn on the cob with some good butter slathered all over it is something we look forward to all year, along with that perfectly simple beefsteak tomato sandwich on white bread with mayo.

If straight-up corn on the cob is the Doris Day of summer side dishes, simple and lovely, then Thai corn cakes, Indonesian fritters (dadar jagung), chow-chow, and Mexican street corn are the fiery starlets that steal the show. Isn’t it time you tried some more exotic and unusual methods of serving this most favorite of summer staples?

If you own an ice cream maker, you should make some sweet corn ice cream with chunks of toasted cornbread swirled through it. Serve on corn financiers with a warm blueberry compote. Thai corn fritters served alongside fried fish with sweet chili sauce are a nice change, and the fritters can be made in advance and frozen or refrigerated. Pickle some raw kernels to serve as a relish, fold them into a rich corn pudding to serve with a poached salmon or with a salad for a light lunch or brunch. Mexican street corn is particularly good for barbecues and welcomes many variations on the seasonings and garnishes. For instance, try an Italian version with marjoram, basil, and chives mixed into the mayo, then top with grated Parmesan cheese in place of the cotija cheese.

Corn is one of the plant foods that has to be cultivated and does not grow in the wild. Its closest relative is a grass, and the corn we are familiar with today does not resemble its ancestor “teosinte,” a tiny, hard-shelled pod growing on a stalk thousands of years ago. Scientific evidence shows that early Europeans relied on some form of wheat, fava beans, peas, turnips, onions, radishes, and cabbage. Around 3,500 B.C., corn, beans, hard squashes, tomatoes, and avocados were grown in Central America. Native Americans domesticated nine of the most important food crops in the world, including corn, a.k.a. maize, which now provides over 20 percent of nutrition around the globe.

The archaeological excavation (approximately 10 years ago) of the Balsas region of southern Mexico by botanists from Temple University, the University of Wisconsin, and the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History revealed that people were growing and improving, harvesting and milling, an early form of corn 9,000 years ago. They were also weaving the husks into bedding, clothing, baskets, and toys.

Aside from its more common food uses — masa for making tortillas and tamales, polenta, popcorn, and hominy — corn is also used as animal feed, to make ethanol, cosmetics, corn syrup, laundry starch, alcohol, ink, and even shoe polish.

Once you’ve had your fill of simple, sweet corn on the cob, let it off the leash and try some of these more exotic recipes.

No matter what you make with fresh corn, make sure it is just that, fresh. Keep in mind that as soon as it is picked, the sugar can convert to starch as much as halfway, within a few hours. Same with fresh peas.

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