A California Inspired Lighthouse Supper

Today is National Lighthouse Day. Those who have been around a while know I love the idea of lighthouses. I find it almost spiritual to sit quietly on a foggy morning and listening to the distant lonely sounds of a fog horn. It is haunting, and pierces my soul in ways no other sound can convey.

If you get the opportunity to visit the California Coast, there are some beautiful lighthouses worthy of exploration. Pigeon Point Lighthouse is one worth a stop. It’s in disrepair these days, which only adds to her haunting presence.

Inside the museum are photographs of people with tragic stories that are for ever tethered to the lighthouse. One such story is of a women who was traveling from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Taking a steamer down the coast was not something she felt comfortable with, fearful of the water. Yet she could not afford passage by rail since her children were in desperate need of new, proper fitting shoes and the cost of train fare and shoes both were not in her budget.

The struggling mother reluctantly boarded the steamer San Juan in San Francisco with her children. The steamer left port at 7 PM on the night of August 29, 1929. At 11:58 that evening, just 18 miles south of the lighthouse, and out of sight of land, the passenger steamer collided with S.C.T Dodd, an oil tanker. Five minutes later, at 12:03 AM, the steamer sank beneath the waves and heavy fog. It sank so quickly that the passengers and crew did not have time to abandon ship. While some survived, 55 passengers and 20 of her crew did not. The children would never get new shoes. The beaches of nearby Santa Cruz and Pigeon Point were littered with refuse from the sunken steamer. Fragments of wood and articles of clothing washed ashore. Of those who perished, only the bodies of two women were recovered from the terrible scene.

You cannot help but to stand quietly for a moment, and to feel the loss in some hidden corner of your heart. Lighthouses stand as a reminder that life is short and fleeting.

We should embrace every moment that we can to celebrate and appreciate all God’s blessings offer. The menu I’ve created for today reflects some of the flavors of California. Enjoy.

California Lighthouse Supper
Salmon Mousse Canapés

Dungeness Crab Bisque

California Surf-N-Turf
Grilled Asparagus

California Apricot-Custard Tart

---

Salmon Mousse Canapés
1 (8 oz) package Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 lb Smoked Salmon
1 tablespoon Milk
1 teaspoon Lemon-Pepper Seasoning
1 teaspoon fresh Dill, snipped
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
½ cup Heavy Cream
2 English Cucumbers
Additional Fresh Dill, garnish

Place the cream cheese, salmon, milk and lemon pepper into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Snip dill, add to the food processor. Cover and process until blended and smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, season with salt and pepper, set aside.

In another bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the salmon mixture. Chill mousse.

Peel strips from the cucumbers to create a decorative edge. Trim ends, cut remaining cucumber into 1/2-inch thick slices. Using a melon baller, carefully remove a small amount of cucumber from the center, leaving the bottom intact to form a small well for the mousse.

Fit a pastry bag with a large star or other wide tip. Fill pastry bag with the salmon mousse mixture. Pipe mousse into the cucumber wells; garnish with dill. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

---

Dungeness Crab Bisque
1 Shallot, finely minced
3/4 lbs Dungeness Crabmeat, divided
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Flour
1/2 cup White Wine
2 cups Seafood Stock
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
Dash Habanero Hot Sauce
2 cups Heavy Cream
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Parsley for garnish
Fresh Black Pepper as desired

Peel and mince shallot, set aside. Pick over the crabmeat. Reserve about 1/4-pound for the finished bisque, set aside.

In a heavy stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté shallots until translucent, about 2-1/2 minutes or so. Sprinkle with flour, then deglaze the pot with wine.

Stir in seafood stock, tomato paste and hot sauce. Bring to a boil.

Add the remaining 1/2-pound of crabmeat to the bisque. Stir in heavy cream; carefully returning the bisque to a steady simmer while stirring constantly. Remove from heat; puree in a blender or use in immersion blender. Season with salt and lemon juice. If necessary, warm gently.

Snip parley. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with reserved crabmeat and snips of parsley. Season with fresh black pepper if desired, serve and enjoy.

---

California Surf-N-Turf
Steaks
4 New York Steaks
Salt to taste
Fresh Black Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and fresh black pepper. Let steaks rest on the counter to come to room temperature and allow the salt to do its thing.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Swirl to coat the bottom of the skilllet. Sea steaks for about five minutes per side until beautifully browned and cooked to desired doneness. Transfer steaks to a warm plate, cover and let rest.

Shrimp in a Cream Sauce
1 lb medium Shrimp
5 tablespoons Butter, divided
6 Garlic Cloves
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1/4 cup White Wine
1-1/2 cups Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Cayenne Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Parsley for garnish

Peel and devein shrimp, remove tails if desired.

Melt 2 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp to the skillet, season with salt and pepper. Sear shrimp about 2 minutes, just until pink. Add about a tablespoon more butter to the pan. Give the pan a swirl to coat the shrimp in butter. Transfer to a bowl, set aside.

Peel and finely mince garlic. Melt another tablespoon of butter into the now empty skillet used for the shrimp. Add garlic to the pan, sauté for about a minute.

Add chicken stock and wine to the pan, allowing liquid to reduce by about half while scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.

Reduce heat to low. Add cream, bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add Parmesan Cheese, allow cheese to melt into the simmering cream sauce. Season with fresh black pepper.

Return shrimp and any butter residue into the cream sauce. Stir to coat and blend.

Plate steaks, ladle shrimp and cream sauce over the steaks. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Pan Seared Asparagus
1 lb Green Asparagus
1 tablespoon Basil Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 Lemon, juices freshly squeezed
Kosher Salt to taste
Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

Rinse the asparagus and trim off the ends, leaving spears about 8 inches long.

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and butter to sizzling. Turn down the heat to medium and add the asparagus.

Using a broad spatula, turn the spears over from time to time until they are browned more or less evenly, about 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the asparagus. The spears will remain mainly green, with patches of crispy brown. Check for doneness by tasting a spear. It should be tender but slightly al dente.

Sprinkle the asparagus with lemon juice, salt and pepper, and transfer to a serving platter or individual plates.

---

California Apricot-Custard Tart
Walnut Crust
2 Egg Yolks, beaten
3/4 cup Walnuts, finely ground
1 cup Flour
6 tablespoons Butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
3 tablespoons Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Heat oven to 400-degrees.

Separate eggs, beat yolks and reserve whites for another purpose. Set yolks aside. Finely grind walnuts, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, butter, cinnamon, sugar and salt. Add yolks, beat on low speed until well blended.

Pat crust mixture onto the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 10-inch spring form pan or tart pan. With a fork, prick the bottom of the crust. Bake in the heated oven for 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on a rack.

Custard Filling
6 Egg Yolks, beaten
2 cups Milk
1/4 cup Cornstarch
1/3 cup Sugar
Pinch Salt
3/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

Separate eggs, beat yolks in a small bowl and reserve whites for another purpose. Set yolks aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, cornstarch, sugar and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until smooth and beginning to boil. Let thicken for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.

Briskly whisk about a third of the hot milk mixture into the beaten yolk. Return yolk mixture back into the hot milk pan, stirring constantly, return to low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coast the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, add almond extract. Cover the custard surface with wax paper. Refrigerate custard for 30 minutes, until mixture is cool but not yet fully set.

Pour cooled custard into the cooled crust. Refrigerate until custard is completely set, about 4 hours. Remove sides of the pan, transfer to a large flat serving plate.

Apricot Topping
1-1/2 cans (17 oz) Apricot Halves
3 tablespoons Apple Jelly

Drain apricot halves, pat dry. Arrange cut side down on top of the custard. In a small saucepan, melt the apple jelly. Brush jelly over the apricots

Optional Garnish
Whipped Cream
Candied Leaf
Maraschino Cherry

If desired, finish with a dollop of whipped cream, a cherry and a candied leaf or other sugar decoration.

---

Sing with joy to God our help