Early Morning Recipe. . .

Since we are in full-bore waiting mode, I'll share a simple but fresh recipe for your enjoyment.

A good cook knows how to use what they have when cooking in a pinch. I learned a lot of lessons, sometimes the hard way, at my restaurant which was the last stop on a dusty dirt road in Central America.

You could almost bet the farm that your orders would be late or even not delivered on the day you expected and more than once I had to dispatch a cook to check in a bulk food order during a busy Friday night service.

The worst was when Luis, my seafood provider, would show up at 8 on a Friday night. Fish buying was solely my job and more than once, Luis and his wife came bumbling down the road late on a Friday. Sometimes I was just grateful they showed at all! For a restaurant that focused mainly on seafood, and the most beautiful seafood I have ever seen, I generally gave Luis a pass for his tardiness.

So, in retrospect of those fun times, I learned to use what I have and when I have it because a lot of times I had little or nothing. And a good chef, whether Michelin-starred or a grimy flip-flop wearing hacker redneck like me, learns to improvise.

This weekend I revisited some of that improvisational skill as I looked in the fridge and found, well, not much.

I had some carrots, two cucumbers, a Golden Delicious apple, about 15 grape tomatoes and some tarragon that never made it into the béarnaise sauce I planned some weeks ago.

So, I peeled the carrot and apple, peeled and seeded the cucumber, halved the tomatoes, squeezed a little lemon juice, minced the tarragon, a liberal splash of mid-grade olive oil, a little salt and pepper and a slight sprinkling of sugar and viola! Food!

Yes, it was delish! The pungent licorice flavor of the tarragon married well with the sweet of the apple and the rather dull flavor of the late summer cucumber. The carrots offered a nice crunch that contrasted with the smooth texture of everything else. Simply divine!

I think I've still got it and if you don't use it? Well, we all know what happens, right? That's correct! It falls off.

Now, where is that thing?

- Sent from my iPhone