Life “on the mountain,” as she describes her perch high up in the Alleghenies about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, is sweetest in the summer. Lush green woods and meadows are almost all that the eye can see – except for the possible interruption of a patch of sky or a glittering stream far down in a valley. What does a resident of this earthly paradise do? Grow. Cook. Eat. Relax. Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?

 

Chef Kristin also supervises all the food that happens at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, a 2,000-acre hospitality complex with three hotels, a series of luxury residences, a world-class spa, a golf club, five restaurants, a couple of bars, a team room and an ice cream parlor. And a private airstrip. And that’s not even a complete list. We can’t even talk about the art collection, the shops, the hiking or the horseback riding.  But we can share the day we spent contemplating summer food with Chef Kristin, who says, “Summer for me means the triumphant return of green, raw and simple ingredients where you allow peak-season flavors to shine with minimal changes and enhancements. They don’t need much to make them glow.”

Tuna Poke

Lemongrass Rice

Serves 4

400 g jasmine rice

1 ¾ cups water, cold

1 lemongrass stem, roughly chopped in larger pieces

3 kaffir lime leaves

1 piece fresh ginger, sliced

 

Combine rice, water, lemongrass, lime leaves, and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until rice is tender. Once the rice is cooked, place on a sheet tray and place in the cooler to stop the cooking process. Serve the rice chilled along with the poke.

 

Whipped Avocado

Serves 4

2 avocados, halved and pitted

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

2 limes, juiced

½ tsp kosher salt

 

Place the avocado, garlic, cilantro and limejuice in the blender. Process until completely smooth and then season the mixture with salt and pepper according to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and cover tightly, pressing plastic wrap against the surface of the sauce before covering with an airtight lid. (Kitchen tip: we often will blend 1 500 mg tablet of vitamin C to preserve the green color.)

 

White Soy Dressing

Serves 4

1 jalapeño, small dice

1 red onion, small dice

2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

1 tsp red pepper flake

1 lime, juiced

½ cup soy sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

4 tbsp sugar

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

 

Combine all ingredients in a sealable container. Let everything sit overnight to extract flavor. When ready to use simply place on the tuna and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

 

STORY AND PROP STYLING BY KEITH RECKER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BRYCE/ RECIPE AND FOOD BY CHEF KRISTIN BUTTERWORTH, NEMACOLIN WOODLANDS RESORT

Try a few other tuna recipes:

Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna with Braised Pork Belly and Avocado

Niçoise Salad with Creamy Avocado Dill Dressing

Tuna Confit “Casserole”

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