By Paul Suplee, MBA, CEC, PC-3

A fan of ironic opening lines, I find it a welcome sight to see the sun rising a little later this time of year. It means that the same fiery orb is setting a tad later as well. The days will start to get longer, the sun a little hotter, and our replenishment of vitamin D more readily at hand.

I appreciate driving down the highways in our area and seeing the completely random patches of daffodils smattered around, wondering how they got there in the first place. They will soon be gone, with other flora in their stead knowing that they at least paved the way toward summer, pioneers in their own blossoming right.

It is hard to believe that most of the lawns were brown a mere two weeks ago, with few to no buds on the trees. Now you will find blossoms everywhere if you only stop to look around.

As the season approaches, I know that I should try to sneak one more trip in before things get too crazy. I may go solo, something I have not done in decades, but it may be good to just roam and get my head clear before the next step in my journey.

As my time at the college comes to an end, I am considering opening a culinary academy aimed at teaching anything from the basics to international cuisine to baking. That could be a lot of fun, as teaching is the best part of, well, teaching in the first place.

And one of my favorite types of food to study is that of the Caribbean. I have only been to the islands once in this hemisphere (a few times on the other side of the world but ironically not here), and to the Caribbean side of Central America, and, of course, Florida many times. The flavors of this swath of lush earth are at once delightful, simple, complex, invigorating and staggering in flavors, history, and healthy components.

It is easy to find heat from chilies (capsaicin is considered one of the healthiest things we can put in our bodies, and is a critical element of chili peppers), sweetness and richness from coconut milk, and, of course, the savory loveliness of the ubiquitous seafood. If you think about tropical weather, this sounds just about right, or at least it does to me.

When the Town of Berlin sent out the email about Seacrets Radio’s May Day Play Day, they asked about food tents and I quickly jumped on offering some Jamaican Rundown, also known as ‘Rundun’. It is a delicious dish that has just about every flavor element under the sun: sweet, savory, salty, bitter. Traditionally made with saltfish, below you will find a variation on a theme. As much as I love saltfish, I wanted to play with this a little and find where I would end up.

The beauty of Rundown is that you can enrich it with seafood stock if serving it traditionally, chicken stock if you are topping it with chicken as you see here, or vegetable stock to keep it completely vegan. In a world in which it seems to be getting more difficult to find something satisfying and beautiful for our vegetarian clientele, Rundown fits the description perfectly. It is filling thanks to the coconut milk and satisfying all the way around.

Indeed, writing this definitely makes me realize that it is time to jump ship before the summer is fully upon us. Now to decide where to go to get the most out of my culinary curiosity and quest for Rest.

Rundown, Grilled Chicken & Red Beans

serves 6

3 Tbsp. EV olive oil

1 ea. Leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 shallot, finely diced

1 ea. Medium white onion, julienne

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 ea. Roma tomatoes, peeled and diced (seeds may stay in)

2 ea. Red or Orange bell peppers, julienne

1 c. Chicken or vegetable stock

1 scotch bonnet or 2 jalapeno, depending on your tolerance for heat

1 can black eyed peas or red beans

2 cans coconut milk

1 ea. Yellow squash, chunked

1 ea. Zucchini, chunked

Salt & Pepper, to taste

12 ea. Sea scallops

12 ea. Chicken strips, marinated

1. Heat the oil and butter in a sauté pan large enough to fit all of the ingredients.

2. Add the leeks, shallot and onion and sauté until translucent, but do not burn.

3. Add the garlic, tomatoes and peppers and cook for another three minutes.

4. Add the chicken stock and reduce by a third.

5. Add the whole chili pepper, which you will pull out after cooking. If you are cooking for a group that is not a fan of pain, you may omit this. That is completely up to you.

6. Add the beans and coconut milk and reduce by a third.

7. Add the squash and zucchini and allow to cook until the sauce is at just the right consistency. In fancy cooking, we call it ‘nappé’, which means that when you run your finger on the back of a spoon covered in sauce, it will hold the line well and not run.

8. As long as the squash and zucchini are not overcooked, this can be kept warm for an hour or so, which gives you plenty of time to grill the chicken and sear the scallops.

—Paul Suplee is a Professor of Culinary Arts at Wor-Wic Community College
and owner of boxcar40 and boxcar on main.
Visit him at www.boxcar40.com; www.boxcaronmain.com