Conquering the spring craving 

As mudbug season approaches, I’m sure you’re planning to attend or maybe host a crawfish boil or two. Maybe you will just settle on bringing home a steaming bag of crawfish from your favorite local cooking spot. Between friends and festivals in communities throughout Louisiana, occasions abound from March through June to indulge our crawfish cravings.

With endless opportunities to enjoy our famous freshwater crustaceans prepared in the traditional Louisiana ways, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to give you a few new ideas for enjoying this seasonal regional delicacy. My menu includes a crawfish and okra stuffed tomato salad, Creole crawfish fettuccini served with a side of roasted asparagus with Andouille sausage, all followed by a fresh fruit tart. Don’t forget to set aside a few extra pounds of crawfish at your next event, so you can try a couple of new ways to savor Louisiana’s Cajun crustaceans.

Crawfish and Okra stuffed tOmatO salad

INGREDIENTS

1 jar pickled okra, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green onions, with most of green

3/4 cup mayonnaise, approximately

1/8 cup creole mustard 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce 1 teaspoon Cajun/Creole seasoning 6 to 8 large tomatoes 1-1/2 cups cooked peeled crawfish tail 6 slices bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled

DIRECTIONS Combine chopped okra with celery, green onions, mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce and Creole seasoning to fold in the crawfish and refrigerate for two hours. Cut the top 1/3 of the tomato off cleanly and set aside. Scoop out the pulp and seeds. Stuff with the crawfish mixture and top with crumbled bacon. Place on a bed of lettuce if desired. Place the top 1/3 of the tomatoes back on the now stuffed tomatoes and serve. Serves 6.

Fresh fruit tart

INGREDIENTS

CRUST 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and sliced

FILLING 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 pound each; sliced strawberry, kiwi, peach and blueberry 1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1/4 cup granulated sugar whipped cream, for garnish

DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour and butter and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Arrange the sliced strawberry around the edge of the crust. For the next circle, use kiwi slices. Add another circle of peaches, filling in any spaces with blueberries.

For the glaze: Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about two minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all of the glaze.

Keep the tart in the refrigerator. Remove about 15 minutes before serving. Slice into eight wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Serves 8.

Shopping List

4 celery stalks

1 bundle green onions 6 to 8 large tomatoes 1/2 pound each; sliced strawberry, kiwi, peach and blueberry 1 jar pickled okra mayonnaise creole mustard Louisiana hot sauce Cajun/Creole seasoning 2 pounds cooked peeled crawfish tail

6 slices bacon all-purpose flour corn starch butter 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese 1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate lime juice vanilla extract granulated sugar confectioners’ sugar cayenne pepper