If you saw Saturday’s post then you know how much I LOVE the Farmer’s Market and the opportunities for parties that come with it.  So, today’s menu features my recipe for a delicious dinner party meal using things that are in season RIGHT NOW! I used a grill for this meal but a broiler would also work just fine.

Wouldn’t this be a beautiful dish to set in front of people at a dinner party? It would be great served individually or family style.

Ingredients: 
-Tuna (We used one big tuna steak for 2 people and it was more than enough)
-asparagus
-1 large tomato (we used beefsteak)
-1 lemon
-rice (we used short grain but any will do)
-sea salt, pepper, olive oil
-optional wine (we used Chardonnay)
-salad greens (not pictured)

Directions:  1. Prep the asparagus by washing and then cutting off the ends (cut to just where the white ends and the beautiful green color begins) 2. Cut the tomatoes in wedges– if you are using smaller tomatoes just cut in half 3. Put the asparagus and tomatoes in a bowl and squeeze the juice of 1 half of the lemon (then throw the lemon in the bowl) 4. toss in a couple of teaspoons of sea salt 5. drizzle olive oil over the vegetables (about 2 tablespoons) 5. grind pepper onto the vegetables (about 6 twists)

Directions: 1. Prep rice in rice maker (use rice cooker directions). You will end up needing about 1/2 a cup of cooked rice per person 2. Start the rice (if you do not have a rice cooker then just follow the directions on the rice package to cook the rice. 3. Season tuna with the juice of half a lemon and olive oil. Put the lemon half in the bowl with the vegetables. 4. Heat grill to a high even heat (my grill is electric so it just meant turning a knob– if you have charcoal you might want to do this step earlier.

Grilling Directions: 1. Start grilling the tuna. If you want the tuna to be cooked through then cook 4-5 minutes per side on high heat. If you prefer a seared tuna then cook 1-2 minutes on a very high heat per side. 2. After about 3 minutes turn the tuna 90 degrees to get the beautiful sear marks. At this time also put the vegetables on the grill. 3. At five minutes turn the fish over and rotate the vegetables. 4. Turn the fish 90 degrees at the 8 minute mark. The tomatoes will be finished before the asparagus. Once they are softened a bit take them off the grill. If you want the lemons to have the nice charred face then put them face down on the grill. 5. Take everything off the grill at the 10 minute mark. Cut the fish into serving sizes and plate.

Want to make a delicious appetizer instead? This dish can be served as a first course to a menu with an Asian flair. Or, if you make several, they’d be great for passed Hors D’Oeuvres.

Prep the vegetables and tuna the same as the recipe above. For this recipe you will also need Nori (a seeweed paper used in sushi) and soy sauce.
1) wrap the rice in the nori (you really need to use the short grain rice for this appetizer) 2) slice the wrapped rice into 1/2 inch or smaller slices 3) top the wrapped rice with the grilled tomato 3) slice into the asparagus making equal sized portions. Using two portions make an X on top of the tomato 4) add a cube of salmon and place the entire portion on top of a bed of soy sauce

Oh, and the optional wine? That is for drinking! I’d suggest a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc to pair with the grilled goodness of the tuna. Enjoy!