Saturday, June 4, 2011

Oysters and Quinoa Salad by the Bay



One can do so much eating over Memorial Day weekend! It is always exciting to pack a picnic and head to the bay side to crack into some fresh oysters while munching on fresh cherries and quinoa salad!   We prepared the quinoa salad ahead of time and stuck it in a cooler with some fresh cherries, and left overs from our cook-out the night before.  We headed up to Tomales Bay Oyster Co where they have scores of picnic tables each decked out with a bbq and an oyster shell recycling bin.

The scene there is always lively on a beautiful day and I love being surrounded by various people having a good time around fresh food and a smokey bbq.  For the picnic, we opted to eat our oysters raw.  When they have just been pulled out of the bay that day, it is not possible to get any fresher and the best opportunity to eat some good seafood!




Oysters Raw

You will need an oyster shucking knife and as many raw oysters as you think you can eat!  

Picking oysters: When choosing oysters, it is important to make sure they're fresh so there are two rules!
     1. they do not smell 
     2. they should not be open.  If it is open, it should quickly snap shut once tapped. 

If the oyster doesn't fit both of these criteria, don't buy it!

1. To shuck, hold the oyster firmly in one hand with a cloth towel so the shell does not hurt your hand.  If you can, find a bit of a gap in the oyster shells and slip the knife blade between the shells.  Ideally, the hinge of the two shells will be opposite of where your leverage is with the knife.

2. Using a twisting motion, pry the top and bottom shells apart.  Run the knife around the oyster continually doing this.  Try not to lose the delicious brine inside!  As you get more practice, you can also work on keeping little pieces of shell from getting into the meat too!  Remember, this is challenging so be forceful yet patient!  


3. Once you are in and have removed the top part of the shell, run the knife along the bottom of the oyster to detach the tough knob from the underside. 

4. Toss some hot sauce on the meat and down the hatch!

We ended up ordering too many oysters so we had the raw for lunch and then took the leftovers home to grill out that evening. 

Storing: Do not store the oysters in water. If you do not plan to eat them right away, arrange them flat on a tray, cover them with a damp towel, and store them in the refrigerator. They'll keep this way for about a day.  Or if you're on an out door adventure like we were, keep them in a cooler with a bag of ice on them until you can get to a refrigerator.


Grilling Oysters

Once you have a hot grill going, place your closed, raw oysters on hot grill.  Be sure to place them so the cup side on bottom to keep all the delicious juices in the oyster.  Cover barbecue with lid and cook until shells just begin to open to indicate doneness.




Spicy Quinoa, Cucumber and Tomato Salad

1 cup quinoa
3 cups water
Salt to taste
2 cups diced cucumber
1 small red onion, green onion, or shallot finely minced (optional)
2 cups finely diced tomatoes
1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers (to taste), seeded if desired and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 avocado, sliced, for garnish

1. Bring the 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Rinse quinoa and add to boiling water along with a dash of salt. Simmer for about until most of the water has been cooked into the grain. Cover the pan and allow to sit while you are preparing the veggies.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, finely chop the jalapeño and onion.  Since they will be raw, you only want small bits of these in your mouth when eating the end product.  Chop cucumber, cilantro and tomato. 

3. Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, chilies, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl.  Add quinoa then toss together, and taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Serve garnished with sliced avocado and cilantro sprigs.

Inspiration for quinoa salad is from nytimes.



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