serves 4

1 pound fresh crabmeat

1 Tablespoon whole grain mustard

1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

1/2 teaspoon minced lemon zest

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

salt and white pepper to taste

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup rice flour sticks (vermicelli) broken into 2-inch pieces

5 ounces baby greens (mesclun mix), washed and dried

Papaya seed dressing

cucumber slices, red radish wedges and papaya slices for garnish

1.   Squeeze the excess water from the crabmeat and place in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Pick through to remove any shell fragments that remain. Add the mustard, whipped cream, lemon zest and juice and mix gently to combine. Season with salt and white pepper. Reserve.

2.   In a small skillet, heat the canola oil until it is smoking hot. Have a slotted spoon and a plate with a few sheets of paper towel on it next to the stove. Add half of the rice sticks to the hot oil; they will puff; as they do, remove them immediately from the oil with the slotted spoon and drain on the paper towels. Repeat with the remaining rice sticks. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt.

3.   To serve, line four small ramekins with plastic wrap (to keep the crabmeat from sticking) and divide the crabmeat mixture between them, compacting it to make a firm mold. Invert the timbale onto the center of a chilled salad plate. Toss the greens with enough dressing to lightly coat each leaf and arrange around the timbale. Garnish with the cucumber slices, radish wedges, papaya slices and crisp rice sticks.

Papaya Seed Dressing

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup chopped Vidalia onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh papaya

1 Tablespoon papaya seeds

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1.   Combine all the ingredients above in a blender and mix until smooth.

by Chef Michael Salmon

serves 4

1 Tablespoon salt

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 batch spinach dough, cut as fettuccine

1 shallot, minced

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup country mixed olives, pitted

1 cup marinara sauce (homemade or your favorite brand)

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.   Fill a large pot 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil with 1 Tablespoon salt.

2.   Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook on one side for 1 minute.

3.   Drop the spinach fettuccine in the boiling water and cook for 7 minutes or until al dente, stirring occasionally.

4.   Turn the shrimp over and add the minced shallot. Cook for another minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and olives and toss. Pour in the marinara sauce and stir, heating the sauce through.

5.   Strain the pasta, allowing all of the water to drain off it, and add it to the pan with the sauce. Mix the pasta in with the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Spinach Pasta Dough

3 1/2 cups pasta flour (semolina)

5 ounces fresh spinach

2 Tablespoons plus warm water

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. In a blender, puree the spinach, water and egg until smooth.
2. Place the flour on a clean working counter and make a well in the center. Add the spinach liquid, salt and olive oil to the center of the well and gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet, forming a smooth-soft dough (adding additional water if necessary to make the dough soft).
3. Knead the dough 10 minutes, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. This recipe makes a little over 1 1/2 pounds of dough.

Shaping the Pasta

1. Once your pasta has set up for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator, remove it from the plastic and press it down into a disk on a floured (semolina) work surface. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and rewrap 3 of the pieces in the plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
2. With a rolling pin and extra semolina (if needed), roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. If the dough seems sticky, dust it with some semolina.
3. Set up the pasta machine with a setting of 1 (the highest, thickest setting) and roll the pasta through. Again, if the dough seems sticky, dust it with some semolina. Adjust the thickness to either 5 or 6 (see list below), depending on the pasta shape you are making, and run the dough through the machine at that setting.
4. Lay the dough out on a floured work surface and follow the guidelines below to make various shapes (scraps can be reworked into a ball and used again). For longer storage of the pasta, dry it overnight (make sure it is well coated with semolina to prevent it from sticking) at room temperature. Store the pasta in freezer bags. Pasta freezes well, and can be kept for up to 3 months.

Fettuccine or Spaghetti by machine: Roll out to setting 6, and cut the sheet into 10-inch sections.  Feed the sheet through the fettuccine or spaghetti attachment on the machine. Dry in a single layer on a baking sheet dusted with semolina.

Fettuccine or Linguine by hand: With a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is 1/16-inch thin. Cut the sheet into 10-inch sections. Dust the sections with semolina and roll them up. Using a knife, cut the roll of pasta into strips (fettuccine 1/4 inch and linguine 1/8 inch). Unroll the strips and dry in a single layer on a baking sheet dusted with semolina.

Farfalle: Roll out to setting 6, and use a serrated pastry wheel to cut the pasta in 1 1/4-inch strips. Cut the strips into 2 1/2-inches long rectangular sections. To form, place your index finger on the exact center of the rectangular piece of dough and with your other hand, pinch on the narrow sides toward the index finger, forming a bow tie shape. Dry in a single layer on a baking sheet dusted with semolina.

Pappardelle: Roll out to setting 5, and cut the sheet into 10-inch sections. Dust the sections with semolina and roll them up. Using a knife, cut the roll of pasta into strips 1 inch wide. Unroll the strips and dry in a single layer on a baking sheet dusted with semolina.

by Chef Michael Salmon

serves 6

3 bosc pears

1/3 cup walnut halves

1/3 cup dried cranberries

3 Tablespoons walnut oil

2 Tablespoons port wine

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 Tablespoons cumin spice mix (recipe below)

10 oz baby spinach

1/4 pound Maytag bleu cheese (or other good quality creamy bleu cheese)

Honey and walnut dressing (recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel the pears and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the core and stem with a melon-baller and cut each half into 3 equal wedges.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the walnut oil, port wine, brown sugar, salt and cumin spice mix. Add the pear wedges, walnut halves and dried cranberries and toss to evenly coat.
4. Place a silpat mat or piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread out the pear mixture on top. Roast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature.
5. To serve, toss the baby spinach with enough of the honey and walnut dressing to coat. Arrange the roasted pear wedges on the plate and sprinkle with the cranberries, walnuts and crumbled bleu cheese.

Honey and Walnut Dressing

1/2 cup walnut oil

1 Tablespoon crushed walnuts

1 Tablespoon minced shallot

2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons honey

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the walnut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it gets very warm (not hot), add the crushed walnuts and shallots and allow it to steep off the heat until cool.
2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and honey. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the cooled walnut oil until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cumin Spice Mix

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons whole cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons whole anise seeds

Mix the sugar and spices together.

by Chef Michael Salmon

These are delicious and filled with so many nutritious ingredients!

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup grated carrots

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup raisins

1/3 cup crushed pineapple

1/2 cup peeled & shredded apple

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

2 large eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons rolled oats

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
3. Add the carrots, coconut, raisins, pineapple, apple and walnuts. Mix to combine.
4. In another bowl, mix together the eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Spray large muffin tins with cooking spray and scoop in the muffin mix with the large #16 scoop. Sprinkle the tops with rolled oats.
6. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, until they are lightly browned. Cool slightly and serve warmed or at room temperature.

by Chef Michael Salmon

Diver scallops in Maine are some of the best you will find anywhere in the world. The term “diver scallops” refers to a scallop that was harvested by an actual person diving to the bottom of the ocean and hand harvesting usually only the larger specimens. This yields a much cleaner and more uniformed product than the large and destructive draggers can conjure up. Diver scallops are also sold “dry”, which means they have not been soaked in water or a preservative to extend their shelf life.

Seared Sea Scallops with Spring Pea Cream and Smoked Salmon
Michael Salmon, In The Kitchen with Michael Salmon

2 Tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
1 shallot, minced
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup, plus 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and soft
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup shelled fresh peas (or frozen)
Kosher salt and ground white pepper
2 pounds large sea scallops
2 cups mashed potatoes
1 Tablespoon chopped chives for garnish
4 ounces smoked salmon

Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon canola oil and the minced shallot and stir for 30 seconds. Deglaze with the white wine and reduce until it is almost dry. Add the cream and reduce by half, until the sauce thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the ¼ cup of soft butter. Add the lemon juice and season with a pinch of white pepper and salt to taste. Cover and reserve in a warm place.

If you are using fresh peas, place them in a small saucepan with the remaining Tablespoon of butter and ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for about 3 minutes. For frozen peas, simply heat them in a pan with the butter. Season with salt and white pepper.

Place half of the warm peas in a blender with the sauce and blend until smooth. Cover and reserve in a warm place. Cover the remaining peas and reserve in a warm place as well.

Remove and discard the side muscle from the scallops. Season the sea scallops with salt and white pepper. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons canola oil and heat. Gently lay the scallops in the hot oil and sear on each side for about 2 minutes, browning them well. If the scallops are real large, it may be necessary to reduce the heat at this point and cover the pan with foil to cook them through.

To serve, place a mound of mashed potatoes in the center of the serving plate. Arrange the scallops around the potatoes and drizzle with the pea cream. Sprinkle with the remaining peas and the chopped chives. Drape a few slices of smoked salmon over the scallops and serve with vegetables of your choice.

Serves 4.

by Michael Salmon, Hartstone Inn

2½ pounds butternut squash, skin and seeds removed, roughly cut into ½-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly cut into ½-inch cubes
2 Tablespoons canola oil
2 medium-sized yellow onions, peeled and roughly cut
1 stalk celery, roughly cut
1½ quarts chicken stock
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon thyme leaves
1½ teaspoons brown sugar, firmly packed
Salt and white pepper to taste
¼ cup whipping cream
1 dash freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste
2 teaspoons chopped chives
¼ cup crisp croutons

Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the cut butternut squash and carrots on an oiled baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a large (4-quart) saucepan. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in roasted squash and carrots, celery, chicken stock, bay leaf, thyme and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Blend the soup with either a handheld immersion blender or in a regular household blender until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper.

To serve, whip the cream to stiff peaks and season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Ladle soup into serving bowls and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle with chopped chives and crisp croutons.

Serves 8.