Summer Tomatoes

I subscribe to NPR's The Splendid Table Newsletter. Lynne Rossetto Kasper offers a delicious sounding fresh tomato pasta sauce in the August 1 edition. Since it is that time of year, I thought I would pass it along for those who do not subscribe. Bon Appetit!

August 1, 2007

Dear Friends,

With this recipe, the only thing you have to cook is the pasta. Obviously the tomatoes and olive oil have to be prime, but that shouldn't be a problem right now. The trick here is letting the tomatoes mellow with the olive oil, salt and the two peppers.

If you can, try Barilla pasta made with dried beans and whole wheat. It's called "Barilla Plus." As much as this sounds like an abomination to you Italophiles, trust me, this is a good tasting pasta, and it doesn't suffer from easy breaking and the danger of tasting like cardboard that plagues most whole wheat noodles. Do stay with the spaghetti shape; the stubby version doesn't hold up.

Mellowed Fresh Tomatoes for Pasta
Copyright 2007 Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish

• 1 clove garlic, split
• 3 pounds richly flavored tomatoes (if possible, one-third cherry type, one-third mellow-tasting, and one-third low-acid), unpeeled, unseeded, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 generous pinches hot red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup good tasting extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 pound spaghetti, or linguine
• 6 quarts boiling salted water
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, or to taste
• 3 tight-packed tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn
  
  
• 1 cup fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

1. Vigorously rub a pasta serving bowl with the garlic and discard the clove. Add the tomatoes, red pepper, oil, and the salt. Gently combine. Let stand at room temperature from 30 minutes to 3 hours.

2. When ready to eat, cook the pasta in fiercely boiling salted water, stirring often, until tender yet firm to the bite. Drain in a colander and turn it into the pasta bowl. Quickly add the black pepper and basil, and toss everything together. Taste the pasta for seasoning and serve. If you like, pass cheese at the table

LYNNE'S TIPS

• I discovered a trick for making pasta with raw tomato sauces taste lustier. Slightly undercook the pasta. Drain it. Spoon the juices that raw sauces always throw off into the empty pasta pot. Set it over medium-low heat, add the pasta and toss until the juices are absorbed, then add the pasta to the sauce. Pasta and raw tomato sauce are served at room temperature, never chilled.
  
  
• Exceptionally good tomatoes and olive oil you want to eat with a spoon are the only requirements for this recipe. Try a variety of tomatoes if possible—the punchy little Sweet 100's or Sun Golds, mellow beefsteaks and maybe one or two sweet yellow or orange ones. Tear the basil with your hands, rather than chopping with a knife. You enjoy more of its fragrance this way.
  
  
• For fresh, kicky olive oil, keep a lookout for fresh-pressed oils from the Southern hemisphere. You'll find the 2007 harvest coming from Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
  
  
• Field-ripened tomatoes are in abundance at farmers' markets and roadside stands now until the end of September. Heirloom and older varieties are worth looking for, especially the "black" tomatoes from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union—like Black Krims, Chris's Ukraine, Gypsy Blacks and Black Russians. Of course, don't ignore better-known fruit like the Brandywine, Rutgers, German Striped, Oxheart and Zebra. Sweet, low-acid tomatoes such as White Wonder and Taxi Cab are a good foil for higher contrast varieties like Sun Gold, Sweet 100s, Red Currant, Early Cascade and White Beauty.
  
  
• Never refrigerate fresh tomatoes. Farm stand tomatoes will likely be ripe when you purchase them, but if another day or two is needed, place them stem end down in a basket or on the kitchen counter to finish ripening.

THOUGHTS FROM LYNNE

When farm stands are overflowing with delicious ripe heirloom tomatoes we love to make a meal of them. Pick up as many varieties as you can find. Cut them into thick slices and arrange them on a big platter. Drizzle on some good olive oil, a shower of sea salt and a generous grinding of black pepper. Scatter torn basil leaves over all. For a heartier dish, tuck slices of fresh mozzarella (the one that's packed in liquid) among the tomatoes. Add a loaf of chewy whole-grain country bread, a glass of chilled white Arneis wine from Italy's Piedmont region, and life will be very, very good.

Have a great week,

Lynne

http://www.elabs7.com/functions/message_view.html?mid=227283&mlid=499&siteid=20130&uid=3d7453a767

National Root Beer Float Day

Ah! A nice cold root beer float. Velvety, chocolaty, a perfect refreshment on a hot summer day. Nothing more than a few scoops of vanilla ice cream in a frosty mug and topped off with your favorite root beer, this treat has been popular for over a hundred years.

It is thought that the root beer float was invented by Frank J. Wisner in the late 1800’s. While relaxing one evening, looking out at the full moon rising over the darkened Cow Mountains, he was inspired to float a scoop of ice cream on top of his root beer. His concoction was called a Black Cow. Today a black cow refers to a float made with cola instead of root beer. A Boston cooler is made with ginger ale (Vernors in Michigan of course) over vanilla ice cream.

We could not have a root beer float with the root beer. There are over two thousand root beer brands today. According to www.root-beer.org, “Root Beer is a sweetened, carbonated beverage originally made using the root of a sassafras plant (or the bark of a sassafras tree), with sassafras as the primary flavor. In addition to sassafras flavor, root beer often has other flavorings, including anise, burdock, cinnamon, dandelion, ginger, juniper, spikenard / sarsaparilla, vanilla, wintergreen, and / or yellow dock and sweetened with aspartame, corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, molasses, and, most commonly sugar.”

Sassafras plant and bark are natural foaming agents, so they give root beer its characteristic foamy head. It is the original ingredient Charles Hires used when he first publicly introduced Hires Root Beer back in the 1876. It is said that Charles, a pharmacist in Philadelphia, had sampled some teas made with barks while vacationing in New Jersey. He enjoyed the teas so much, he begin experimenting with barks and roots upon his return. Sassafras was the key ingredient of his root beer.

Try placing a plate under your mug to help catch any spill over. You can add whipped cream and a maraschino cherry on top to add a touch of decadence. Or for an adult version, add a shot of root beer schnapps to your float. Some people add chocolate syrup to their float. And for those of you who think this is just too much work, you can now buy root beer float ice cream (vanilla ice cream with ripples of root beer sherbet).

Enjoy a frosty, frothy, foamy mug today!

Dog Days of Summer

With a forecasted temperature of 95° today, we are experiencing our hottest day this summer. When the temperature gets this hot, the last thing I want to do is turn on the stove, let alone the oven. I thought I would throw out some suggestions for some easy meals that don't require cooking.

Besides the obvious – going out to eat in a nice, cool restaurant – you could pick up some deli items and have a picnic in your dining room. The market’s deli section carries great easy items, from fried or rotisserie chicken to salads of all kinds. You could pick up cold cuts and cheeses and have a build-your-own-sandwich night.

You could make chicken salad and have it on a bed of greens, sub buns or even just with fruit and crackers. I would use either rotisserie chicken that has been shredded or canned chicken that has been drained. Chop a bit of celery, onion, bell pepper and toss with a scoop of mayonnaise, a dollop of Dijon mustard with salt and pepper to taste.

Buy some pre-cooked shrimp, crab legs or lobster. I found 3 easy, no-cook recipes that any of these seafood options would be tasty with.
Quick and Easy Coconut Shrimp Salad
No Cook Sweet Beet Lime Shrimp Salad
Easy No Cook Calypso Coconut Shrimp Salad
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/66544/three_no_cook_shrimp_salad_recipes.html

Or go nuts and have a build-your-own-ice-cream-sundae dinner. Buy several types of ice cream, chopped nuts, fudge sauce, fresh fruit like bananas and strawberries, and don’t forget the whipped cream and cherries and stay cool by eating a banana split or not-so-hot-fudge sundae. I don’t advocate eating like this all the time, but on days like today I think it is okay.

Whatever you do, stay cool and enjoy your day!

PS Can you fry an egg on the side walk? According to the Library of Congress, it is theoretically possible, but it does not actually work. “An egg needs a temperature of 158°F to become firm. In order to cook, proteins in the egg must denature (modify), then coagulate, and that won’t happen until the temperature rises enough to start and maintain the process.” Even on the hottest of days, the pavement temperature only reaches 145°F.

Let’s Dress Those Salads

I am following up my previous post on salads with one on salad dressings. Salad dressings usually contain oil along with either vinegar or a dairy product like buttermilk or mayonnaise. Most times an emulsifier is used. An emulsifier is a binding agent that works to keep the dressing uniformly mixed. We have all seen how an oil and vinegar separates as it sits for a while. If you use an emulsifier, like lemon juice or Dijon mustard it will help keep the dressing to stay blended.

People have been using dressings for thousands of years. The Chinese have been using soy sauce as a dressing for as far back as 5,000 years ago. Oil and vinegar dressings date back to the Babylonians 2,000 years ago. Commercial dressings were introduced to the market in the early 1920’s (Hellman’s Mayonnaise in 1912; Marzetti dressing in 1919; and Kraft brands in 1925).

Basic Vinaigrette
The two main components of the basic vinaigrette are oil and vinegar. You can use any type of oil or vinegar. Since the standard ratio for vinaigrette is three parts oil to one part vinegar, use the best quality oil that you have on hand. Whether it is vegetable oil, olive oil, canola oil or a nut oil like walnut or hazelnut it does not matter, but it is the main ingredient so quality does matter. I usually use balsamic, wine, fruited or herbed vinegar with the oil. If you are looking to make a delicate vinaigrette, rice wine vinegar is a great option. You can dress it up with fresh herbs, minced shallots or garlic and a bit of mustard.

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
Makes 1 cup

1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1-2 Tablespoons of minced fresh herbs, try parsley, basil and thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

In a mixing bowl, add the garlic, herbs, salt and a few turns of the peppermill to the vinegar. Whisk in the mustard. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, allowing oil to blend with the vinegar mixture before adding more. This can also be done in a food processor or blender. Allow the vinaigrette to rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature to let the flavors blend. Mix again before serving.

Ranch Dressing
One of America’s favorites, this dressing is commonly used as a dip as frequently as it is a dressing. The Hidden Valley Dude Ranch in California created ranch dressing and sold its Hidden Valley Ranch dressing to the Clorox company in the 1970’s for $8 million. Ranch dressing consists of buttermilk, mayonnaise, green onions, fresh parsley and spices. A recipe for a copy of Hidden Valley’s hit, although I would leave the MSG out.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1715,148171-235206,00.html

Bleu Cheese
Similar to ranch dressing, this creamy dressing is often associated with buffalo wings. My favorite recipe is from Joy of Cooking and is best I believe if it sits for a couple of hours:

CREAMY BLEU CHEESE DRESSING
Makes 2 cups

1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar1 teaspoon minced garlic6 dashes Worcestershire sauceSalt and ground black pepper to tastePinch of ground red pepper, or to taste
4 ounces bleu cheese, Roquefort or other good quality cheese

Puree everything but the cheese in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add and process to the desired consistency, taste and adjust the seasonings. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Thousand Island
Another creamy creation, this dressing has a mayonnaise base and usually includes chili sauce with chopped pickles, green olives, green peppers, onions and occasionally hard boiled eggs. It was created by a fisherman and his wife in upstate New York, an area with a thousand islands who offered guided fishing day tours. They gave the recipe to a local hotel owner, who in turn gave the recipe to the owner of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC. From there its popular has grown world wide.
.

There are so many varieties and variations of dressings. The concept is really easy and I would love to hear about your favorites and any recipes that you just love.

Happy Moon Day

Today is Moon Day - 38 years ago today Neil Armstrong walked on the moon (July 20, 1969).

Six hours after landing at 4:17 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (with less than 30 seconds of fuel remaining), Neil A. Armstrong took the “Small Step” into our greater future when he stepped off the Lunar Module, named “Eagle,” onto the surface of the Moon, from which he could look up and see Earth in the heavens as no one had done before him.

So for this post, I thought I would celebrate the Moon.

For those into astrology:

"The Moon's natural House in the Zodiac is the Fourth -- the House of Family and Home, ruled by the domestic sign of Cancer -- the Martha Stewart of the signs, if you will. The Moon influences entertaining and caretaking, and food is often the central theme in both cases." http://goddess.astrology.com/moon/recipes.html

The Chinese Moon Festival always on the 15th day of the eighth month by the Chinese lunar calendar. This year it is being held September 25.

The Moon Festival is an important festival where families get together and watch the full moon rise, eat moon cakes and read moon poems.

A cocktail? Blue Moon http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink1402.html

And those tasty and delicious Moon Pies! http://moonpie.com/ This cookie sandwich filled with marshmallow and coated in chocolate was created by a Chattanooga, TN bakery as a way to use up flour in the early 1900’s.

Celebrate the moon today - invite your friends over and wash down a few moon pies with a blue moon cocktail.

Let Us Examine Lettuce

Salad is usually the first thing that comes to our mind when we think about lettuce. Salads have come a long way from the old iceberg lettuce salad – from sweet to savory and everything in between, on a bed of greens or topped with a mesclun mix. And the varieties of lettuce keep growing.

The name lettuce is derived from the Latin word for milk, lactis, referring to the milky juice of the plant. Lettuce at one time was considered a weed in the Mediterranean basin (countries surrounding the Mediterranean see like Spain, Italy, Turkey and Libya).

Lettuce is a cool season plant and does not like high temperatures so springtime and early summer are the perfect time to enjoy fresh, locally grown lettuces. Some lettuces, like iceberg, have been bred to remove their bitterness. The milky white liquid that gives lettuce its name is the source of its bitterness.

There many varieties of lettuce that fit into five main types:

Butterhead Lettuce generally small, heads with loose leaves folding on top of one another and have tender, soft leaves with a delicate sweet flavor. The bib lettuce and Boston lettuce are varieties of butterhead.

Cos or Romaine Lettuce forms an upright, elongated head with a sweeter flavor than the other types of lettuce, making it a salad favorite. In addition to romaine, popular cos varieties include chicory and endive.

Crisphead Lettuce forms a tight firm head of crisp leaves. Iceberg is the most common variety of this type.

Leaf or Loose-Leaf Lettuce produces crisp leaves loosely arranged on the stalk and available in colors from dark green to red. Green leaf and red leaf are common market varieties of leaf lettuce.

Stem Lettuce forms an enlarged seed stalk used in Chinese, Japanese and Malaysian cuisines. This is not usually found in typical American markets. Examples include asparagus lettuce, celery lettuce, Chinese lettuce.

Pronunciation and taste for some common types:

arugula [uh-REW-guh-la] or rocket: peppery and bitter flavored

endive [EN-dyv, AHN-deev, ahn-DEEV]: bitter flavor that becomes more bitter when exposed to light so should be stored in the refrigerator until ready to consume

escarole [EHS-kuh-rohl]: a type of endive

mesclun [MEHS-kluhn]: also called salad mix, it is a blend of young, small salad greens

mizuna [mih-ZOO-nuh]: a Japenese green, with a mild peppery flavor

radicchio [rah-DEEK-ee-oh]: has a slightly bitter flavor available with green or red leaves


Some of my favorite salads include:

Pear, walnut and goat cheese – try on bitter greens like arugula

Dried cherries, tomatoes, red onion and almonds – try on baby spinach

You can be inventive with any vegetable that you like eaten raw (or blanch quickly); fresh fruits like apples, pears, berries, or kiwi; dried fruits like blueberries, currants, raisins or figs; nuts like almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts or pine nuts; or fresh herbs like parsley, basil or tarragon.

I haven’t tried this salad, but sounds delicious Sweet and Sour Arugola, or Radicchio in Agrodolce

(http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetablessalads/r/blr0813.htm)

Next time you are at the market and reach for the same type of lettuce you always get, try grabbing a new type and experimenting. I will blog some about dressings because that takes your salad to a whole other level!

Today is NATIONAL CHOCOLATE PUDDING DAY

Happy National Chocolate Pudding Day! YUM – Could there be a better holiday?!?! Chocolate pudding is such an American classic. You can make it in less than two minutes thanks to the instant pudding people, you can rip off a lid and enjoy it immediately now thanks to the pudding cup manufacturers (I always worry about shelf stable dairy products, but that is another topic). Or you can really treat yourself, take about a half-hour and make it from scratch.

So rich and creamy! Chocolate pudding is essentially the same as custard, the difference being the added cornstarch to make it thicker. Pudding, or a version of we call pudding today, dates back to the Middle Ages where they would make sweet pudding-like custards flavored with honey and nuts. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, pudding was fed to children and invalids not as a dessert but as high-caloire, wholesome food to those with little appetite.

In 1918 the first packaged pudding was introduced to the marketed by My*T*Fine. Jell-O did not introduce its chocolate pudding mix until 1934 as Walter Baker’s Dessert, changing it to Jell-O in 1936.

The key to making chocolate pudding is to use a heavy bottomed pot over medium-low heat to prevent the milk from scorching and to stir it constantly to prevent it from sticking. Some people push their pudding through a fine-mesh sieve after it has cooked to remove any lumps that formed while cooking. Pudding can be eaten warm, striaght from the stove top or cooled in the refrigerator. If you do not like a thin film or skin on the top of your pudding, then press a sheet of plastic wrap over the top while it cools.

Milk Chocolate Pudding
Gourmet, February 2007 from epicurious.com
.
2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 oz fine-quality milk chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

.

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then gradually whisk in milk and cream. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, then boil, whisking, 2 minutes. (Mixture will be thick.) Remove from heat.

.

Whisk in chocolate and vanilla until smooth.Transfer to a bowl and chill pudding, its surface covered with wax paper (to prevent a skin from forming), until cold, at least 2 hours.

Cooks' note: Pudding can be chilled, covered with plastic wrap after 2 hours, up to 3 days.

Top with Vanilla Whipped Cream

The best deep dark chocolate pudding recipe

Chocolate Pudding - 1894 Style recipe

Shrimp in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Tonight for dinner I threw together a tasty dish and thought I would share it with you. It was very easy and while I know my on-hand stock is not like most, I made it from ingredients I had available to me. It can easily be modified with items you have on-hand.

It started with shrimp that I had picked up on sale. I think the hardest part of cooking with shrimp is peeling and deveining them. If you can find already peeled and deveined shrimp, it is worth the investment. They cost a bit more, but save you so much time. Also, I like to purchase the biggest shrimp I can find. It is less work if you are peeling and deveining and large shrimp feel so much more indulgent!

When buying shrimp, the size of the shrimp is indicated by the number on the bag. The number refers to the amount of shrimp in a pound. For instance 16/20 means that 16 to 20 of that size shrimp will make up a pound (large shrimp). The largest shrimp are U/10 or U/12 meaning under 10 or 12 in a pound. The smallest shrimp are 51/60 and 61/70.

Keys to buying shrimp:

• Always purchase raw shrimp. Pre-cooked shrimp are already overcooked so if you will be heating them they are going to taste like rubber.

• Unless you live where you can buy truly fresh shrimp, buy your shrimp frozen. Keep them frozen until you are ready to use them. Either defrost them in the refrigerator or I like to defrost them in a colander under cool running water. It takes about 1/2 hour or so.

To clean the shrimp, remove the shell. Then run a sharp paring knife down the back of the shrimp and remove the brown/black line (this is deveining). I like to do this under running water, it allows the vein to rinse away easily.

Shrimp in Spicy Tomato Sauce
Serves 4

1 tablespoon oil (canola or olive)
1 small onion, finely diced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
14 ounce diced tomatoes (I love Muir Glen’s Fire Roasted Tomatoes)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili sauce (I used Sriracha), or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (16/20 sized)
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Serve over orzo (rice shaped pasta) or other pasta, white or brown rice, barley or steamed vegetables

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the celery and cook them both until the onions are almost translucent. I like to slowly cook my onions to allow the taste to mellow. Many recipes say to cook over medium or high heat and that is acceptable but not how I prefer to cook. And by adding the celery second, it will give the final dish a bit of crunch. The celery can be added at the same time as the onion if you prefer no crunch.

Meanwhile, start preparing the pasta, rice or whatever you will be serving the shrimp over. I used orzo, a rice-shaped pasta. It is sold in the pasta aisle in the market and is great because it cooks in only 5 minutes.

Once the onions and celery have cooked, add the garlic and cook stirring constantly for about 30 seconds. This allows the garlic to cook without burning. Then add the wine and increase heat to high. Allow to boil for about 5 minutes until it has reduced by half.

Add the tomatoes, juice and all, chili sauce, tomato paste and salt. Cook and continue to boil until most of the juice has evaporated, about 3 or 4 more minutes. Once it has reduced to the consistency you like, add the shrimp and cook them for about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir constantly and as soon as they have lost their opaque color and turned pink they have finished cooking.

Stir in heavy cream, sour cream, black pepper and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Stir until warm only about 1 minute more.

Serve over pasta or rice with some roasted asparagus, a nice mixed green salad or steamed green beans.

Modifications: You do not have to add both the celery and onions, you could leave out one or both or substitute shallots if you have that instead. Instead of using white wine, you could omit or substitute chicken or vegetable stock. Adding regular diced tomatoes will do if you do not have fire roasted. Stewed or crushed tomatoes would work well also. The tomato paste just thickens the sauce quickly. You could omit and cook a bit longer. You could use regular milk instead of cream, sour cream only or leave them out for a tomato sauce that isn't creamy. Other herbs to use instead of basil and chives - thyme, parsley, oregano.

A Moment of Silence

What do Cheez Whiz and McDonald's French Fries have in common?

Edwin Traisman. The food scientist who helped invent Cheez Whiz in the 1950’s when he worked for Kraft foods and later as a franchaise owner invented a process for McDonald's to help keep their french fries consistent passed away last week at 91.

Mr. Traisman was highly regarded in the food industry. He was a pioneer and will be missed. Read more about Mr. Traisman

Super Spinach

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man
I'm strong to the "Finich"
'Cause I eats me spinach
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man
(I hope you sang this out of the side of your mouth)

Spinach is one of those foods as a child I always detested. I do not know if I tried it (although knowing my mom I did try it), or if it was one of those foods you just don't like - lima beans, brussels sprouts, spinach. But somewhere through the years, I have learned to love it. It is a great vegetable either raw or cooked. Spinach salads are very much common place in restaurants today. It is great to eat on pizza, in pasta, or wilted with garlic and olive oil.

Spinach is a super food. Super foods are readily available whole foods that are nutritionally dense. Spinach is packed with at least 13 different types of flavonoid compounds, which act as antioxidants and in studies have reduced cancer cell growth in several types of cancer (stomach, breast, skin and prostate). Spinach has more than 100% of the daily recommended allowance for Vitamin K (bone health) and vitamin A (helps vision and helps the body absorb calcium). Spinach is great source for folate, magnesium, vitamin E and iron. And probably some of the best news, spinach has been shown in studies to reduce the effects of age-related decline in brain function. A study in the journal Neurology found that eating just three servings of green leafy, yellow and cruciferous vegetables each day can slow the decline in age-related brain function by 40%.

Thought to have originated in ancient Persia (Iran today) and was called aspanakh, Spinach only made its way to Europe in the 11th century. It grew well in Europe, since it is not grown well in hot, arid climates and flourished in Spain and Italy and has been incorporated into what we now know as the Mediterranean diet.

There are three types of spinach: flat (or smooth) leaf, savory and semi-savory. The flat leaf has an unwrinkled, spade shaped leaf. This is most commonly found in processed spinach (canned, soups, baby food, etc), frozen spinach and as baby spinach. Savory spinach has a wrinkled leaf and is often found tied in bunches in the produce section. Semi-savory spinach has slightly curly leaves and has gained popularity recently. All three varieties taste the same.

Fun spinach facts:
* Spinach was the first frozen vegetable to be sold.
* Three towns in the U.S. claim to be the spinach capital of the world and hold Spinach Festivals. They are Lenexa, Kansas (Saturday, September 7, 2007); Crystal City, Texas (November 10, 2007); and Alma, Arkansas (April 19, 2008).
* Scientists are using the way spinach converts sunlight into energy to possibly power laptops and cell phones. Read more

Spinach grows best in sandy soil, so it should always be well washed before using it. Flavors that compliment spinach include bacon, butter, lemon, nutmeg, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and red wine vinegar.


527 Recipes at Epicurious.com
82 Recipes at LoveToKnow.com
10 Recipes at SpinachRecipes.org

Bon appétit!

Plentiful Peas

As promised … peas!

Peas do not fair well in the hot summer sun – the best time is spring! There are more than a thousand varieties of peas. We mainly enjoy three types: the Snow Pea in which the pea itself does not get very big, so you can enjoy the pod and all; the Snap or Sugar Pea which also can be enjoyed whole, but you need to zip the strings off; and the English or Garden Pea which has a tough pod so you shuck the peas out.

The English word for pea was originally pease. People thought that this was the plural form and began dropping the –se, forming the word we use today. Peas are one of the earliest food crops cultivated. Archeologists have found evidence near the border of Burma and Thailand that dates back to 9750 BC .

In Chinese history, an emperor in 5000 BC is said to have discovered peas. He wandered across the land looking for plants for food or medicine. Possible plants were given to first a dog, then a servant to see if they would survive. If both survived, the plant was deemed edible. Lucky dog and servant (that time)!

Peas are part of the legume family, making them high in protein and fiber and low in fat. They also are a good source of antioxidants and calcium, and can help lower your cholesterol. However, peas are a starchy vegetable with a high glycemic index meaning that your body absorbs them quickly, raising your blood sugar levels. So remember, everything in moderation.

Peas are grown in North America, Europe, India, Australia and Russia. If you are thinking of growing your own, it is said it is good luck to plant your peas on St. Patrick’s Day. Peas grow in two forms, dwarf (or small plants) and vines. Vines make a great climber to add a trellis in front of a fence or on a patio.

In the 1920’s, frozen vegetables were introduced into the market. This was a huge advantage for pea farmers. They could harvest the peas and freeze them almost immediately. This prevents the sugars in the peas from turning into starch, giving us the flavor of freshly-picked peas.

Frozen peas are a staple in my freezer. I love adding them at the last minute to rice, pasta, soup and stew dishes. I add them at the very end still frozen, allowing them just enough time to defrost but without losing their crispness (about 3-5 minutes). I love the feel of the peas popping in my mouth.

Another great way to enjoy peas is sauté with butter and chopped fresh mint. You could add some finely diced shallots, mushrooms or ham or bacon to the peas as well.

RECIPES:

Creamed Peas

Elixir of Fresh Peas (soup) "This pale green froth of a soup is the essence of fresh peas."

Sweet Pea Soup with Lemon-Pepper Cream

Link to list of several dozen Garden Pea Recipes

Produce Availablility

When I opened up the blog this morning, I really had no idea what I was going to write about. I thought about continuing on with my spring produce list, but wasn't sure which item to showcase. So I was doing some searching and ran across a Produce Availability Chart for a farm in Pennsylvania. It is a very interesting chart and think that Michigan's produce has to be similar. I think my next blog will be about peas.

.

Since the farmer's markets are opening now, I will be showcasing the local farmers markets in upcoming blogs - my plan is to visit them and let you know what each offers. I know of at least a half dozen in the area. I am very excited about being able to purchase locally grown produce. You can find a farmers market in your area. Sunday I had the opportunity to visit the Old Town Farmers Market. It is a newly started market and there were very few vendors - none yet with produce. I did meet some extremely knowledgeable and kind people from Hannewald Lamb Company. They raise grass and grain feed, hormone free lamb in Stockbridge. I have never cooked lamb, so I bought a couple of steaks. I received some great tips. I will let you know how that turns out.

.

And on another completely unrelated rambling note, I attended a composting seminar last night. This is something I have wanted to do for several years now, but have not taken the time to educate myself on how to get started. An extremely patient and educated man from the City of Lansing basically gave me a private lesson on how to start composting. I learned that the City of East Lansing sells a composting bin for $35 at the Public Works Department. map Moisture is the key to composting (keep it as damp as a wrung out sponge). And by attending a $15 four-week class and doing 20 hours of community service, I can become a Master Composter. Things are too crazy right now, but next spring it may be in my future. :-)

.

Today's blog ended up being unrelated, oddities. Sorry! But I promise to follow up on these topics and bring you more information.

Why Go Organic?

I subscribe to the George Mateljan Foundation's World's Healthiest Foods newsletter. It is very informative and I would recommend checking it out. I thought I would share a recent letter with you, I found it very interesting.

March 26, 2007

Dear Friend,

Need more reasons to eat organic? Studies have found that organic farming is highly preferable to conventional agriculture in terms of its effects on the environment. A yearlong experiment, conducted in an established apple orchard on a 4-acre site in the Yakima Valley of central Washington, used some trees raised with conventional synthetic fertilizers; others grown organically without pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilization; and a third group raised on integrated farming, which combines organic and conventional agricultural techniques.

One goal of the study was to compare the amount of nitrogen leaching into the soil. When present in excess of the amounts needed by plants, nitrates percolate through the soil, contaminating surface and groundwater supplies. The researchers measured nitrate leaching during the entire year and found it was 4.4 to 5.6 times higher in the conventional treatment than in the organic treatments, with the integrated treatment in between.

The research team also compared the amount of nitrogen gas released into the atmosphere. Nitrogen compounds from fertilizer can enter the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Air samples collected in the orchard after the fall and spring fertilizations revealed that organic and integrated soils emitted larger quantities of an environmentally benign gas called dinitrogen (N2) than soils treated with conventional synthetic fertilizer.

Modern conventional farming practices have also led to nutrient-poor food. The mineral content of vegetables has dropped significantly over the last few decades. Today, you need to eat almost twice as many carrots and three times as much broccoli to get the same amount of calcium you would have received from one serving of these vegetables in 1950. The lesson is clear: organically grown foods are the better choice to promote the health of both ourselves and our planet.

George Mateljan

Kramer SB, Reganold JP, Glover JD, Bohannan BJ, Mooney HA. Reduced nitrate leaching and enhanced denitrifier activity and efficiency in organically fertilized soils. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Mar 13; [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 16537377

Davis DR, Epp MD, Riordan HD. Changes in USDA food composition data for 43 garden crops, 1950 to 1999. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Dec;23(6):669-82. PMID: 15637215

Goodbye Elsie

April 16, 1941 The original Elsie the Cow died. Elsie the cow was originally a cartoon character appearing in ads for Borden Milk. At the 1939 New York World's Fair, when people began asking where Elsie was, Borden's picked a cow originally named 'You'll do Lobelia' from their herd to be Elsie. Elsie stared in commercials, made personal many appearances, and even starred in an RKO movie, 'Little Men.' Elsie was injured in a truck accident in 1941 and had to be put to sleep. She is buried in Plainsboro, New Jersey. .......

http://foodreference.com/

Isn’t she sweet? She rode first class, she had her own boudoir and four-poster bed. Should we take a moment to pay our respects? (Those of you who know me, know my love of cows.)

Cows make milk (about 400 glasses of milk per day actually), which is used to make cheese! Cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, goat’s milk and buffalo’s milk – there are hundreds of types of cheeses – hard, soft, smoked, flavored, cubed, shredded, melted, French, Swiss, Welch, farmer’s, artesian. Cheese, glorious cheese.

Cheese is organized into four main types:

.....soft (cottage, cream, mozzarella, brie);

.....semi-soft (Colby, Monterey jack, Queso Fresca);

.....semi-hard (cheddar, provolone, gouda); and

.....hard (parmesan, asiago, gruyere).

The moisture content of the cheese affects its texture and defines which category the cheese belongs to.

Great detailed list of each of these types of cheese
Soft Cheeses
Semi-Soft Cheeses
Semi-Hard Cheeses
Hard Cheeses

Making cheese at home can be really quick, easy and very tasty. This recipe is from Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Delicious Cheeses by Ricki Carroll.

30 Minute Mozzarella [more like 1 hour]
Yields 3/4 to 1 pound

1 1/2 level teaspoons citric acid dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water
1 gallon pasteurized whole milk
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon lipase powder, dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water and allowed to sit for 20 minutes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet (or 1/4 rennet tablet) diluted in 1/4 cup cool water (unchlorinated)
1 teaspoon salt

While stirring add the citric acid solution to the milk at 55° F and mix thoroughly. (If adding lipase, add it now.)

Heat the milk to 88° F over medium/low heat. (The milk will start to curdle.)

Gently stir in the diluted rennet with an up-and-down motion, while heating the milk to between 100 and 105° F. Turn off the heat. The curds should be pulling away from the sides of the pot; they are ready to scoop out.

The curds will look like thick yogurt and have a bit of shine to them, and they whey will be clear. If they whey is still milky white, wait a few more minutes.

Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon and put into a 2-quart microwavable bowl. Press the curds gently with your hands, pouring off as much whey as possible. Reserve the whey.

Microwave the curds on HIGH for 1 minute. Drain off all excess whey. Gently fold the cheese over and over (as in kneading bread) with your hand or a spoon. This distributes the heat evenly throughout the cheese, which will not stretch until it is too hot to touch (145° F inside the curd).

Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each; add salt to taste after the second time. After each heating, knead again to distribute the heat.

Knead quickly until it is smooth and elastic. When the cheese stretches like taffy, it is done. If the curds break instead of stretch, they are too cool and need to be reheated.

When the cheese is smooth and shiny, roll it into small balls and eat while warm. Or place them in a bowl of ice water to 1/2 hour to bring the inside temperature down rapidly; this will produce a consistent smooth texture throughout the cheese. Although best eaten fresh; if you wait, cover with the reserved whey and store in refrigerator.

Chef Jen’s notes: I was able to find rennet tables in the ice cream topping aisle of the market and both rennet and citric acid can be found in the health food stores (bulk spice aisle). I was unable to find lipase. I know all of these itmes are readily available online. Make sure you have a clean pair of dish washing gloves available, the cheese gets extremely hot and is too hard to handle without them.

For my cream cheese loving fans, here are a few links to making your own cream cheese.

Making Cream Cheese At Home
How To Make Cream Cheese

I have not made cream cheese (but am now inspired to do so) so I cannot authenticate either of these recipes. I think I will soon be making some cream cheese and will post on it when I do.

My next post will be back to spring ingredients, I just could not resist my first love (cheese).

Ripe Rhubarb

Rhubarb is a sour, astringent tasting vegetable, which is normally eaten as a fruit. Its tart nature is usually married with a large amount of sugar in pies, cobblers, jams and other desserts. This perennial plant grows well in regions with a cold winter, as it needs the cold for its winter dormancy – growing well in areas such as Siberia and Alaska.

.
The name rhubarb derives from the Latin rha barbarum. Rhubarb was found growing along the banks of the Rha river, the previous name for the Volga river. (The geography buff in me has to give a bit of information – the Volga is the longest river in Europe, starting in the northwestern part of Russia and draining in the Caspian Sea – see map) The Romans considered Russia to be barbarian territory. So the name rha barbarum, literally means from the barbarian, Rha.

The red and green, celery-like stalks are the only edible parts of the rhubarb plant. Rhubarb is high in Vitamins A & C and dietary fiber. The leaves and roots of the plant are toxic due to the excessive amount of oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is corrosive to your body tissue, removing calcium from the blood.

When buying rhubarb, look for stalks with a bright, vivid color and ones that feel dry, firm, and crisp. Avoid stalks that are limp or wilted or have brown areas. About an hour before cooking with rhubarb, stand the stalks in cold water to refresh and crisp them.

Looking for a road trip? Kankakee, Illinois, about 45 miles south of Chicago is hosting their annual Rhubarb Festival on Sunday, May 20. With live music, rhubarb pie eating and tours of their one-room school house it sounds like an interesting stop.

RHUBARB PICO DE GALLO
Make about 4 cups

1 cup diced rhubarb
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced white onions
1 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Refrigerate. Serve cold with tortilla chips.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH SPICED RHUBARB CHUTNEY
Serves 4

CHUTNEY:
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
4 cups 1/2" cubed fresh rhubarb, about 1 1/2 lbs
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup dried tart cherries or golden raisins

PORK:
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 1/2 pounds -- trimmed)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish

For the chutney:

Combine first 8 ingredients in heavy large Dutch oven. Bring to simmer over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add rhubarb, onion and dried cherries; increase heat to medium-high and cook until rhubarb is tender and mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)

For the pork:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle pork with cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add pork and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to roasting pan. Brush pork with 6 tablespoons chutney. Roast until thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 155°F, brushing occasionally with 6 more tablespoons chutney, about 25 minutes. Slice pork into medallions.

.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with remaining chutney.

.

.

Some additional interesting looking recipes.

Succulent Strawberries

Strawberries are another springtime favorite. These delicious red berries are the world’s most widely distributed fruit. A member of the rose family, it is the only fruit to have its seeds on the outside and is indigenous to almost every continent, exceptions being Africa and Australia.

There are two types of strawberries, an old-word variety (duchesnea) native to Europe and the new-world variety (fragaria) we consume today which are a hybrid of North American and South American berries. The species name fragaria comes from the root word fragans, a Latin term meaning sweet smelling.

And there is nothing like the sweet smell of strawberries. I love the berries right off the plant, warm from the spring sun. Strawberries are a common dessert fair – strawberry shortcake, strawberry cheesecake, strawberry jam. And we think of strawberries classically paired with cream or champagne. Strawberries are great when paired with:

.

Almonds.................Crème fraiche..................Port
Basil.......................Currant, black.................Rhubarb
Brown sugar............Figs...............................Sherry
Champagne.............Grand Marnier.................Sour cream
Cinnamon...............Lemons..........................Sugar
Cognac...................Maple syrup....................Vinegar, balsamic
Cointreau................Mascarpone...................Wine, esp. red

Cream....................Nuts..............................Yogurt
Cream cheese..........Pepper, black or pink

Taken from Culinary artistry (by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page ©1996)
.

Strawberry Cream Cheese

.

1 cup strawberries, hulled

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

powdered sugar, to taste

.

Mash the strawberries into the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time until you have received your desired sweetness level (will depend on sweetness of berries).

.

Spread on toasted bagels or bread, or apple slices . Or serve with pretzel rods.

.
.

Strawberry Spring Salad Variations: Try substituting spinach for the greens. Add thinly sliced red onions. Substitue pecans or almonds for the pine nuts. Add a cheese, like brie or feta.

.

Strawberries in Red Wine Serve with alone or warmed slightly over vanilla ice cream.

.

Strawberry Cream Dream Muffins For my cream cheese loving fans - a strawberry and cream cheese muffin with a center of white chocolate
.

Strawberry Recipes Michigan Dept of Ag recipes (scroll down to find list for strawberries)

.

.

Find the closed market to your home and in a few weeks, go find some delicious red berries:

Michigan's Farmers Market and U-Pick Directory A guide to finding your own locally grown berries

Asparagus

As the weather warms and spring approaches, I am going to be adding posts about springtime harvests. The first one that comes to mind and one of my favorites is asparagus.

The word asparagus derives from the Greek word aspharagos meaning 'sprout'. If you have ever seen asparagus growing, you can see it is aptly named. Asparagus, which is a member of the Lily family, grows well in Michigan.

Asparagus is a very nutritionally balanced vegetable. It is a good source of potassium, fiber, folic acid, thiamin and vitamins A, B6, and C.

.

People have enjoyed asparagus for thousands of years. The Romans and Greeks enjoyed it for its flavor and for its medicinal purposes. It was used to heal toothaches and bee stings. During the Renaissance, asparagus was banned from nunneries because it was considered an aphrodisiac. Today it is used to treat urinary tract infections and kidney stones.

.

Because asparagus has such a fantastic, vibrant flavor, it tastes great when prepared very simply. Two of my favorite methods are blanching or roasting.

To blanch: remove woody ends and place in pot of boiling, salted water for 3 to 4 minutes until spears turn bright green. Remove and place immediately in a bowl of iced water to stop cooking process.

.

To roast: remove woody ends and lightly oil spears with olive oil. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place on baking sheet in a preheated 400°F oven for 8 to 12 minutes depending on how thick the spears are.

It is great in wraps and sandwiches; egg dishes like omelets, frittatas and quiches; in chicken and fish dishes and in salads.

.

Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board offers tips for storage, cooking and recipes.

.

AsparagusRecipes.net

.

Nearly 250 recipes on Epicurious.com

.

Next time you are at the market, look and see if the small, thin, early spears of asparagus have arrived, buy a bunch and enjoy!

Sorry for my absence

I apologize for those few Presto! blog readers out there for my absence. The beginning of the year has been busy, busy, busy! Besides my usual client and event load, I have been teaching classes through several community enrichment programs.

Classes held include:

Caribbean Cuisine

Eastern European Cuisine

Indian Cuisine

Mexican Cuisine

Foods for Women - what we should be eating

Healthy Eating - easy ways to eat healthier

One Pot Meals - although this class was cancelled

I have upcoming classes if you are interested. Brunch Basics is a hands-on class being held Saturday, April 14 (10 am to 12 pm) and Grilling 101 is a demonstration class being held Tuesday, May 15 (7 pm - 8:30 pm). Visit Delta Township for additional information on either.

So thank you for your patience. You will be rewarded with some great spring food facts and recipes. Stay tuned!

Ahhh Soup!

Winter is here and with the drastic dip in temperatures it has me craving a hot bowl of soup. There are soups for everyone and every occasion ~ cream-based soups and broth-based soups, meat soups and vegetarian soups, hot soups and cold soups.

The soup I have been eating the longest in my life, probably is borscht. I know, not your typical soup, but a family tradition in my Polish/Czech family. It is our Easter Sunday meal, without fail. Although we usually have a simple, cream based version (essentially cream and beets).

Each person receives a bowl and they can doctor it up to their own specifications. Since it is Easter, we always have ham, polish sausage, hard-boiled eggs and horseradish (have to have the horseradish) that each person can add to our own bowls of delicious beet soup.

BORSCHT
Makes about 8 cups

7 medium sized red beets
4 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
28 ounce whole plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 cups cabbage, shredded
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
2 celery stalks, julienned
1 large leek, julienned
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

1 cup heavy cream (optional)
Sour cream, optional
Horseradish, optional

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Scrub beets, place together on a large piece of foil, wrap tightly and roast on a baking sheet for about 1 hour, until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Let cool, then slice and cut into thin strips.

Add stock to soup pot. Bring to boil, add tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, celery, leek and tomato paste. Simmer, partially covered until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add beets, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill and cream if using. Simmer, partially covered for another 15 minutes.

Garnish with sour cream and horseradish, if desired.

Additional resources:

Soup Recipes

Index for Soup Links

Happy New Year

Is one of your New Years resolutions to lose weight and eat healthier? This time of the year is a great time to assess where we are in our lives and make changes. Unfortunately most people fail to keep their resolutions. I read a statistic that said 80% of people have given up on their resolutions by January 20. Give up after 20 days, wow that is amazing.

My advice is to set reasonable goals. If your goal is to eat healthier, try another approach than starting a crazy diet that will only last one or two weeks. Make small changes in what you are already doing. If you are lacking in your fruit and vegetable consumption, make your goal to add one serving each day. Or make it a goal to include whole grains in two meals each week. Try switching from processed foods, like peanut butter to natural ones. Make small changes and stick with them.

One useful tip after you have set your goal is to determine what obstacles will stand in the way of meeting your goal. By realizing what problems you may encounter from the beginning, it can help you stay on track and meet your goals.

Tips and plan for weight loss success

Tips for making and keeping resolutions

Remember it takes three weeks to make changes stick, so do not give up!