The Quilting Room and Pan Seared Scallops with Pea and Ricotta Puree

When all my littles and middles were here in the nest every room in this big old house was occupied.

Now, that one or two of them have flown the coop there is room to spare.

At one time, if I needed to sew or iron, I would set up my machine or board in the kitchen.

When I was done with the task at hand (or more likely, something else commanded my attention) I would disassemble everything, store it away and move on to the next "thing" that needed to be done. And so on and so on...

I now have the luxury of a sewing room. A place where I can set up my machine, the ironing board, my material cutting station, etc and leave it all intact. No tearing down or setting up required. Bliss. I sit down and begin to sew or cut my fabric for the quilt I am making and after an hour or two, I just get up, close the door and move on to whatever else is demanding my attention at the moment. No tear down. No set-up required.

I never would have guessed that something as simple as a sewing / quilting room would bring me so much joy.

I have just finished all the "nine piece" patches for the quilt. On Thursday, my friend Anne will give me a lesson in piecing together the top of the quilt. After the top piece is done she will show me how to add the batting and the back. From there, it will need to be hand quilted.. but I get ahead of myself. Before the next lesson, before the top is stitched and before anything else, I need to make dinner.

Pan Seared Scallops with Pea and Ricotta Puree (serves 4)

1 pound sea scallops

dashes of salt, pepper and paprika

8 ounces frozen peas, cooked according to package directions

1/2 cup fat free ricotta cheese

rind of 1/2 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Season with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and paprika. Set aside.

Cook peas according to package directions using 1/4 cup water. When peas are done cooking, place in bowl of food processor, along with any liquid and process until almost smooth.

Add lemon rind, juice, 1 tablespoon butter and ricotta cheese. Season with a dash of salt and fresh ground pepper.

Process again using short bursts. Taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer to a microwavable serving bowl.

Heat oil and the last tablespoon of butter in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add scallops (and Haddock if you tend to spoil too) and saute for about 2 minutes. Turn and continue to saute for about 2-3 minutes more. Remember, food will release when it is done. If scallops are sticking, cook for another 30 seconds and try to turn again.

Serve scallops immediately on a smear of pea puree.

A Cook's Notes: Veal, Halibut, Haddock, Chicken and Shrimp are all lovely served on top of this puree. For this meal, I served roasted fennel and tomatoes and a crusty loaf of french bread on the side. A chilled Sauvignon Blanc would round out this food beautifully. Bon Appetite!