Have you tasted one of Irving Mink's Tomatoes?

This time of year in the Hudson Valley is one of my absolute favorites. With all the great local ingredients available from our favorite farms such as Migliorelli Farm, Sky Farms, Brittany Hollow to name a few, the menu becomes that much more robust with local fresh flavors.

One of my favorite vendors is Irving Mink. He brings us tomatoes with love. On many occasions, he will pull out a ripe red tomato from the delivery just to introduce it to me.

"Look," Mink says, "Look how gorgeous this one is, so red, so great."

So the next time you stop in, try one of these new additions to our regular menu that include Irving Mink's succulent local organic tomatoes;

• Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho
• Heirloom Tomato, Fingerling Potato, hearts of Palm, Sugar Snap Pea and Corn Salad

Horseradish-crusted Ahi Tuna with Miso Aioli

For 10 years the horseradish crusted ahi tuna with miso aioli has been the most popular dish at Terrapin Restaurant. I use sushi grade #1 tuna for this dish and sear it briefly on both sides in a non-stick pan, leaving the center raw. Really, the key to this dish is the freshness of the tuna. At Terrapin, we get fish deliveries from a sushi supplier almost every day. The best way for you to get sushi grade tuna, at its freshest, is to ask your local fish store which days of the week their #1 tuna is delivered and make this dish on one of those days.

Tuna with Horseradish Crust

4 1” thick #1 Ahi tuna steaks
2 cups Grated fresh horseradish
1 cup Prepared horseradish
1 cup breadcrumbs

Combine all ingredients and press 1/4 inch thick crust onto one side of tuna steaks. Heat a non-stick skillet and add 2 Tbs. of oil until almost smoking. Add tuna, crust side down and cook for 2 minutes, until well browned. Flip and cook for one more minute. Serve immediately with miso aioli. Enjoy!

Miso Aioli

2 cups Mayonnaise
¼ cup White Miso
1 tablespoon Garlic, finely chopped
4 teaspoons Rice vinegar
4 tablespoons Lemon juice
4 tablespoons Honey
1 tablespoon Sambal, Asian chile sauce
2 tablespoons Ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon Bull’s head Chinese barbecue sauce (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well to combine.