Spicy Coconut Milk Dressing

Lower Manhattan

Flowers by Vick Smith

Hello,

I could read the balloon over my husband’s head as we waited at the counter in The Tin Building for someone to take our sandwich order. It said, “turkey and cheddar on whole wheat.” He was going to settle for what was knowable, that was obvious as he was not reading the menu or looking at the artfully prepared selections displayed behind glass. I was having none of it as we were about to share a sandwich. How could he be so predictable when “roasted beef on toasted brioche with gruyere, crispy onions, and French au jus was offered?” We compromised and ordered a turkey BLT with arugula and herb mayo on a crusty baguette, omitting the pickled peppers, and ate outside on an umbrella-covered table within a stone's throw (or almost) of the Brooklyn Bridge.

This was the first time in a very long while that either of us had visited New York’s South Street Seaport with its combination of small, charming brick buildings dating back to the late 1700s against a backdrop of modern high rises. Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the chef with sixty restaurants around the world in his empire, has converted a fish market into a culinary destination. According to Adam Platt’s interview in Grub Street Jean-Georges had “taken inspiration from the famous food hall at Harrods in London and the grand department stores of Tokyo.” The Tin Building by Jean-Georges opened in 2022 after raising the foundation of the former fish market to avoid the flooding that occurred at the seaport during Hurricane Sandy. The venue includes twelve sit-down restaurants, farm-fresh produce, artisanal bread, a caviar bar, exquisite chocolate, a fishmonger, exotic floral bouquets in eye-popping colors, and much, much more.

The lighting in The Tin Building is inviting and the sumptuous displays whet the appetite, everything is beautifully designed and looks expensive. For a better-informed description of the venue from someone who spent considerable time there read the article by Pete Wells in The New York Times. It was a great place to visit and the sandwich was delicious, but I tend to prefer the down-to-earth atmosphere of a farmer’s market. It’s nice to meet the farmer who grew the lettuce or chat with the baker who made the bread. The modest market at Bowling Green in the Financial District, just south of the infamous sculpture of the bull, included only two vendors. One was selling baked goods, the other vegetables and flowers from Milford, NJ. The lush heads of lettuce, free of plastic packaging, included amaranth. The centers of the amaranth leaves are a beautiful fuchsia color and it is best eaten when the leaves are small and tender. It can be sautéed like spinach or eaten raw in a salad, it has been cultivated for the past 6,000 plus years and is native to Peru. As a grain, it was consumed by the Aztecs and used in religious ceremonies where it was combined with honey to imitate the likeness of a deity. I purchased a large bunch of kale, red-leaf lettuce, and the amaranth. The irony was not lost on me that we had driven into New York from New Jersey to purchase Jersey lettuce. Oh, but we had driven into Manhattan for so much more. I’m afraid I have buried the lead of the story as we were in the city to visit our new grandson with whom we are “over the moon”!

For a light lunch, I mixed equal parts spinach and amaranth topped with cubes of tofu, crushed peanuts, and a coconut milk dressing. I enjoyed the salad while my husband had a turkey and cheddar sandwich.

Spicy Coconut Milk Dressing

Ingredients

I can full-fat coconut milk

2 serrano peppers

1 clove garlic

1 t. sea salt

3 scallions

8 basil leaves

1 T. Italian parsley

2 T. fresh lemon juice

Directions

Place the serrano peppers under the broiler until blackened on both sides. Cool. Remove the layer of blackened skin, the stem, and the seeds.

Place all ingredients in a food processor on high until a creamy consistency is reached.

The dressing may be refrigerated for up to a week. The dressing will thicken and additional lemon or olive oil will need to be added.

Thanks for reading, liking, sharing, and commenting!

Vicki