ROUSES.COM
41
Mississippi
& Louisiana
BLUEBERRIES
proDUCe
Meet the Chef —
patricK waters
restAUrAnt:
CaféVermilionville, Lafayette, LA
MY MoM Is FroM sICIlY.
She was the
first person who showed me how to cook.
MY FAtHer Got Me MY FIrst
restAUrAnt GIG
at Tavern on the Green
in New York City, which is where I’m from. I
started in a room just cutting onions and
lettuce with a plastic knife.
I BeCAMe tHe YoUnGest sAUCIer
at
Tavern on the Green, and with one letter from
the chef, I got into CIA (Culinary Institute of
America, Hyde Park New York).
I stArteD At CAFÉ VerMIlIonVIlle
as the sous chef.
MY wIFe’s FAMIlY Is CAJUn
so she
cooks. They all cook. I have tried to outdo the
Cajun ladies, but it’s hard. I’ve learned not to
even try anymore.
photo by
Denny Culbert
Corn Maque Choux
First peel back the green leaves to expose
the raw kernel. Then drag a damp kitchen
towel from top to bottom of the ear to remove
all the silk that’s left. Twist and remove the
bottom of the stalk along with silk and re-
maining leaves. With a sharp knife starting
at the top of the ear remove kernels with one
straight motion onto a flat cutting board. Re-
peat process until all are removed. Reserve
kernels in bowl.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
2
tablespoons (¼ stick) butter
1
cup finely chopped onion
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
2
cups fresh corn kernels
(cut from 3 medium ears of corn)
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
1
teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
½ teaspoon (or more) hot pepper sauce
1
green onion, finely chopped
2
tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1
tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Coarse kosher salt to taste
Pepper to taste
HOW TO PREP
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high
heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about
5 minutes. Add bell pepper; sauté until it begins
to soften, about 3 minutes. Add corn; sauté 2
minutes. Add cream, thyme, and ½ teaspoon hot
pepper sauce. Simmer until sauce thickens, about
5 minutes. Mix in green onion, parsley, and basil.
Season to taste with coarse salt, pepper, and more
hot pepper sauce, if desired.
reCIpe,
try me!
“I usually buy our fresh cuts of watermelon, either the chunks
or by the slice, to snack on at home during the hot summer
months. But for trips to Grand Isle, we grab a whole melon for
the whole camp to enjoy when we get back from the beach.
Someone has to carry the watermelon up the stairs to the camp
— and a “Dirty Dancing” quote almost always follows — ‘I
carried a watermelon ... I carried a watermelon?’”
—Ali Rouse Royster
tHIs seAson’s proDUCe
tIps
from Nathaniel Zimet,
Boucherie
HowCAn YoU tell wHen A
wAterMelon Is rIpe?
Find the field spot. This is the spot on
the belly of the watermelon where it was
resting on the ground. You want a yellow
field spot, the darker the better. Also pick
up the watermelon. A heavier melon is
juicer and has more water. Some people
say you can smell when a watermelon
is ripe, but that doesn’t always work.
A pungent smell could mean the
watermelon is overripe.
HowCAn YoU tell wHen
An AtHenA Melon or
CAntAloUpe Is rIpe?
Touch where the stem is coming in, and if
you get a little flex you know it is ripe. Be
careful not to let your melon overripe. If
it’s too soft or you get a very pungent odor
that means the sugar inside has already
started to ferment.
