Scallops & Prawns in Vermouth: a Poem

 This savoury concoction was first witnessed in a field

at a Tomato Festival somewhere in the south Okanagan

where master chefs battled like respectful lovers

taking note of what works best for others

for cooking, like loving, is about pleasing others

including oneself but this is not the primary goal 

we chefs, unselfish lovers, tend to be self-critical 

 

Here then is my adaptation from that sunlit day thirty years ago

strolling among the wine and local craft beer booths 

the long row of tasting tents with All Things Tomato for sale

our seven year old son roars off with his dad to the field tomato bowling

while at the Master Chef's Tomato Finale big tent

I scribbled notes on an envelope in my daypack

 

Left-over Vermouth Seafood Delight 

Select four large Digby Nova Scotia scallops

Encircle each with two big B.C. prawns & toothpick each trio

Chop two tablespoons of sundried tomatoes finely

Splash on a generous dollop of your father-in-law's leftover dry vermouth

Pour over the scallop & prawn combos & marinate for thirty minutes 

Crush one large clove of garlic into one tablespoon of butter

Heat gently in a stainless steel or non-stick saute pan 

Remove the seafood appies from marinade & into the garlic butter 

Chop a tablespoon of chives or parsley

Sprinkle on top after four minutes

Or use some of the boozy sun-dried tomato slivers

Then serve with a still-warm crusty French baguette

& a martini if you like the strong stuff

or a chilled glass of Oliver's finest Stoneboat Pinot Gris 2022

Bon Appetit, mes amis!