Tamari shrimp and scallops 4Serves: 4

Ingredients:

8 sea scallops
8 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 cup tamari sauce
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tbsps canola oil

Garnish:
4 fresh green shiso leaves
4 fresh red shiso leaves

Procedure:
Nestle a scallop in the curve of each shrimp. Use 2 short bamboo skewers to secure the shrimp to the scallop. Set aside.
Pour the tamari into a metal bowl set over a small saucepan with about 2 inches of simmering water. Cook over medium-high heat for 30 to 40 minutes, or until reduced by half and slightly thickened. A salt crust will form on top of the reducing tamari. Do not stir the crust into the tamari. Instead, carefully pour the tamari from the pan, leaving the salt crust behind. This will keep the tamari from being too salty.
Heat a medium saute pan or skillet over medium heat until hot. Season each seafood skewer lightly with pepper and then brush lightly first with the canola oil and then with the tamari reduction. Sear the skewers for about 2 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. To serve, spoon a little tamari into the centre of each of 4 plates. Place 2 of the skewers on the sauce and garnish with the shiso leaves. Do not use too much of the tamari reduction; it's very salty.

Heirloom tomato salad with aged balsamic vinaigrette Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:
2 small brandywine tomatoes
1 purple cherokee tomato
1 big daddy sunshine tomato
1 watermelon tomato
5 green zebra tomatoes
1/4 cup loosely packed shredded fresh
basil leaves, plus basis sprigs

For garnish:
2 tbsps minced fresh chives
1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp extra-virgin O Lemon oil or
unflavored44 extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Procedure:
Cut the tomatoes into different shapes but of a similar thickness: slice, quarter, or cube them. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, shredded basil, chives, vinegar, and oil. Toss gently. Season with salt and pepper. Serve right away, garnished with basil sprigs.

Spicy grilled snapper with ginger and lemongrass Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Sambal Barbecue Sauce
1 cup oyster sauce; 1 cup mirin
2/3 cup rice vinegar
2 stalks lemongrass (white part only),
peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced and peeled
fresh ginger; 2 star anise pods
1 tbsp sambal olek or red Thai or
Vietnamese chili sauce

Procedure:
In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the barbecue sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce tastes full and mellow. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and let cool. Reserve the solids to stuff into the cavity of the fish.
To grill the snapper, score the skin of the fish with a sharp knife to prevent curling during cooking. Do so by making a shallow incision on the diagonal from the dorsal fin to the belly. Next, make 4 to 6 incisions from the head to the tail.
Stuff the cavities of the fish with the reserved solids from the sauce. Rub about 1 tbsp of the cooled sauce over each side of the fish.
Lay 3 stalks of the lightly smashed lemongrass across the bottom of a casserole or baking pan just large enough to hold both fish without stacking. Scatter half the ginger, limes, onion slices, and lemon verbena over the bottom of the casserole. This will provide a flavour base for the fish to rest on while marinating.

Grilled summer peppers with fresh bay leaves Serves: 6

Ingredients:
3 large red bell peppers
3 large yellow bell peppers
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
12 fresh bay leaves or basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground
Pepper to taste

Procedure:
Light a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to medium.
Put the peppers over the hottest part of the grill and cook until they begin to char. Turn with tongs and continue grilling until the peppers are charred on all sides. Stand by the grill during this time � the peppers cook quickly. Using tongs to turn them prevents them from splitting open. Transfer immediately to a container just large enough to hold them. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the peppers cool to the touch.
Peel the blackened skin from the peppers, scraping them gently with a small knife. Take care to keep the peppers whole. Coat the peppers with the oil and transfer to a bowl large enough to hold them snugly.
Tuck the bay leaves among the pepper so that the leaves come in contact with each pepper. Let sit for 1 hour. If using basil leaves, cut them into thin shreds for better flavour and presentation.
When ready to serve, lay the peppers on a cool part of the grill and heat for 20 to 30 seconds on each side. Season with salt and pepper and serve.