By Mat Schaffer   Boston Herald
Wednesday, August 29, 2007 - Updated: Aug 30, 2007 09:45 PM EST

This is the favorite time of year for Rendezvous chef and owner Steve Johnson, who serves locally grown, sustainably farmed, seasonal food at his popular Central Square restaurant.

    “The end of summer is when everything comes together in New England,” he says. “For a chef, it’s one of the peak times of the year for using local ingredients.”

    This Labor Day, Johnson hopes to throw an end of summer feast - either at his Cambridgeport apartment or his vacation home on Buzzards Bay. Lucky guests will dine on striped bass ceviche, a chowder of corn, tomato and crabmeat, an heirloom tomato salad and either grilled swordfish, grilled flank steak or stuffed peppers - it depends on what Johnson finds at the farm stand.

    Dessert will be a clafouti of summer berries - “Easier to make than it is to spell,” he quips.

    Johnson will do all the prepping in the Rendezvous kitchen.

    “That way I can spend time with my friends,” he says. A sentiment any host will understand.

MENU:

Ceviche of striped bass

Salad of local heirloom tomatoes

Crab, corn and tomato chowder

Grilled swordfish with chermoula

Grilled flank steak with chipotle-garlic sauce

Stuffed poblano peppers

Mixed summer berry clafouti

CEVICHE OF STRIPED BASS

1 lb. fresh skinless striped bass fillet, blood line removed

1 c. fresh squeezed lime juice (approximately 12 limes)

2 T. tequila

2 t. kosher salt

1 T. granulated sugar

2 hot chilies (jalapeno, serrano or bird), seeds removed and sliced thin

For garnish:

crisp corn tortillas, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, chopped scallions or sliced radishes

    Place the fish fillet in a broad, flat, non-reactive container just large enough to hold it. Stir the lime juice, tequila, salt, sugar and sliced chilies together and pour over the fish so that it is completely submerged. Let the fish marinate in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.

    When ready to serve, remove the fish from the marinade and drain. Cut into thin slices across the grain of the flesh and serve with the tortillas, sliced

avocado, chopped cilantro, chopped scallions or sliced radishes.

 Serves 6.

SALAD OF LOCAL HEIRLOOM TOMATOES

For the vinaigrette:

1 shallot, peeled and sliced thin lengthwise

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1 t. Dijon mustard

1/2 t. fresh thyme leaves

3/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

For the salad:

3 lbs. mixed heirloom or field tomatoes

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

1/2 c. mixed chopped fresh herbs (flat leaf parsley, basil, chives, cilantro and/or mint)

Crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Make the vinaigrette:
Place the sliced shallots in a bowl with the vinegar and mustard. Add the thyme leaves and stir in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 1 c.

Make the salad:
Slice the tomatoes cross-wise into -inch thick slices. Chill for 30 minutes. Just before serving, arrange them on a platter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with the vinaigrette and scatter the fresh chopped herbs and optional crumbled feta cheese on top.

Serves 6.

CRAB, CORN AND TOMATO CHOWDER

2 T. unsalted butter

1 onion, peeled and cut into half-slices 1/8-inch thick

3 leeks, trimmed, rinsed and cut into rounds 1/4-inch thick

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 ears of corn, shucked and kernels removed from the cob

1 big sprig fresh thyme

1/2 t. Madras curry powder

2 c. dry white wine

1 qt. lobster stock, frozen or reconstituted (you can substitute clam juice)

2 c. heavy cream

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 lb. fresh Maine lump crabmeat

1 pt. cherry tomatoes cut in half

In a medium-sized stockpot over medium heat, saute the onion, leeks, potatoes and corn in the butter until they are slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the thyme and curry powder. Add the wine, lobster stock and heavy cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are cooked, being careful not to let the chowder boil. Add the cherry tomatoes and crabmeat and cook gently for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

GRILLED SWORDFISH WITH CHERMOULA

2 T. ground coriander

2 t. chili powder

2 t. smoked paprika

1 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 shallot, peeled and minced

1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for grilling

1 T. chopped fresh mint

1 T. chopped cilantro

Zest of 1 lemon, chopped

Kosher salt

6 swordfish steaks, 1-inch thick

    In a small bowl, combine the ground coriander, chili powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin and ground black pepper and set aside. In a second small bowl, make the chermoula by mixing together the olive oil, mint, cilantro, lemon zest, 1 T. of kosher salt and 2 T. of the ground spices mixture. Set aside.

    Heat a clean grill to medium. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil on the swordfish steaks and sprinkle with salt and the ground spices mixture. Cook the fish 4 minutes per side or until done and serve immediately, passing the chermoula.

GRILLED FLANK STEAK WITH CHIPOTLE-GARLIC SAUCE

1 onion, peeled and chopped

6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 T. ground cumin

1 T. ground coriander

1/2 t. ground allspice

1 c. extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for grilling

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

2 T. honey

2 7-oz. cans canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Kosher salt

2 flank steaks, about 20 oz.each

Cracked black pepper

Make the sauce:
In a small saucepan, gently simmer the onion and garlic with the spices in the olive oil for 10 minutes until softened. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then transfer to a blender with the vinegar, honey and canned chipotles and their sauce. Blend very briefly and season to taste with salt. (For a less spicy version, remove and discard the seeds from the chipotles). This sauce can be made the day ahead and keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator. Serve with grilled steak at room temperature.

Grill the steak:
Heat a clean grill to medium. Sprinkle the flank steaks with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. Cook the steaks 5 to 6 minutes each side or to your preferred doneness. Serve immediately, passing the sauce.

Serves 6.

STUFFED POBLANO PEPPERS

6 poblano peppers (or Anaheim), seeds removed and discarded, tops stemmed and diced

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced

1 small zucchini, rinsed, trimmed and diced

2 ears of fresh corn, shucked, kernels removed from the cob

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. ground coriander

1 t. chili powder

1 t. smoked paprika

1/2 t. ground black pepper

Kosher salt to taste

1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

1 c. feta cheese (optional)

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, saute the diced pepper tops, onion, red pepper, zucchini and corn about 5 minutes with the cumin, coriander, chili powder, paprika, black pepper and salt to taste. Set aside to cool. Stir in the chopped cilantro and parsley and optional feta cheese. Stuff the poblano peppers with the vegetable mixture and bake for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

 Serves 6.

MIXED SUMMER BERRY CLAFOUTI

6 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

1 c. milk

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 t. salt

3 c. mixed summer berries

    Butter a 12-inch-square baking dish. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract. In another small bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, flour and salt until the flour is completely dissolved. Then add the milk mixture to the egg mixture and stir together.

Spread the berries over the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the batter over the berries. Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until just set, being careful not to overcook. Allow the clafouti to cool for 20 minutes before serving. (Berry sauce makes a fine accompaniment.)