PLUMMY DESERTS FOR SEPTEMBER

 

                            Plummy desserts for September

 

          The colorful fruit baskets at the local farmers would make anyone aware that fall has arrived with its usual fanfare, even if you did not know the astronomical calendar details. We tend to focus on apples, their many colorful varieties and fall outings for apple picking at local orchards. The less familiar fruit of this fall bounty are plums.

          Plums belong to stone fruit variety with the distinguished quality of being very juicy. They have been domesticated in Europe and Asia, with most familiar varieties being blue (or prune plums), purple and red. If you can find the more unusual Damson, yellow or greengage European varieties, they will reward you with the sweetest delicate flavor. The intriguing word “sugarplum” appeared in the English language some time in the 17^th century when it described candied fruit, nuts or any oval confectionary in shape of fruit. Although “Sugared plums” were first recorded as part of King Henry IV wedding menu in 1403. While all plums have some laxative qualities, dried prune plums are available year around for snacking and recipes for compotes, deserts and fruit infused roast meats.

Fresh plums though are one of those seasonal fruits that we can take advantage of in the fall.  Perusing old recipes, I was intrigued by the New York Times claim of having published their Plum Torte recipe every September since 1983 because of its great popularity. Here is an adaptation with available ingredients from my kitchen, mostly black plums substitution for the smaller blue plums that remain on top of the Torte and some flavoring agents.

                                                    Black plum torte

Beat ½ cup soft unsalted butter with an electric mixer until fluffy then beat in ¾ cups sugar, 1 tsp. lemon flavoring and 2 eggs, one at a time.  Stir in 1 cup flour sifted with 1 tsp. baking powder. Spread the thick batter in a 9 in. ungreased spring form pan. Pit and quarter 3 large black plums, sprinkle them with juice of ½ fresh lime and arrange them cut side down on top of the batter. Sprinkle the top with ½ tsp. each of cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake in a 350-degree preheated oven for 1 hour with a piece of aluminum foil on the rack below to catch any butter drips from the cake. Cool, remove sides of the pan and serve plain or with whipped cream. The cake will remain moist when stored at room temperature for a couple of days.

Plum Torte is very rich in taste and calories. For a more modest offering, the juicy nature of plums adapted well to an old Apple Brown Betty recipe with more recent addition of nuts and raisins.

                                      Plum Brown Betty with nuts and raisins

          Toast 6 slices from 4–5-day old bread and cut in ¾ inch cubes, or stale Ciabatta bread cut in ½ inch cubes to make 4 generous cups of bread cubes. Toss with 3 tbsp. of melted butter. The Ciabatta bread will give the dessert more texture while regular bread will become more pudding like. Butter a 2-quart casserole or baking dish with a lid. In a small bowl blend ¾ cups of sugar with ½ tsp. cinnamon.

          Pit and slice or cut in small pieces 4 black plums and toss with 1 tbsp. lime juice and ½ tsp. grated fresh ginger. Place nearby ½ cup raisins and ½ cup rough hazelnut or pecan pieces.

          Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add ¼ of the buttered crumbs to the baking dish and toss the rest with sugar and cinnamon. Then layer in the casserole ½ of the plums and ½ of the nuts, ½ of the remaining breadcrumbs and repeat the process ending with breadcrumbs. Press everything down with your hands to slightly compact the layers. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. lime juice and dot with 2 tbsp. butter. Cover the dish tightly with the lid and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes until the fruit is bubbly. Uncover and bake for 10 additional minutes to slightly brown the top layer. Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature plain or with whipped cream. For an elegant presentation this would go well with Crème anglaise.

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

TOMATOES FOR COLOR AND FLAVOR

 

                                    Tomatoes for color and flavor

 

          It was difficult to miss the overwhelming bounty of bright colorful tomatoes when shopping at the local farmers market before this Labor Day weekend. Barbara Kingsolver in her book “The Prodigal Summer” colored the month of August “tomato-red” speaking of rural Virginia. We find it equally abundant arriving only a bit later up-north here in Maine. 

This bright abundance of tomatoes makes it tempting to include that color in as many dishes as possible to make our taste memories of both color and flavor last for the coming months. Tomato caprese salad is simplicity itself with just sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella dressed lightly with oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar and basil. Tomato bisque made with fresh tomatoes or in combination with roast peppers or eggplant remains one of my favorite soups and homemade Marinara sauce is worth the effort if you have an abundance of fresh tomatoes on hand. Another way to enhance the naturally intense flavor of tomatoes is roasting them in the oven. The roasted product is wonderful in combination with pasta and adds another dimension to a variety of dishes.

                                        Ravioli with oven roasted tomatoes

This recipe is for Roma tomatoes, but others may be adapted by varying time and temperature for baking. In a medium bowl mix: ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar (optional), 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tsp. fresh stripped thyme leaves, 1tsp. kosher salt and ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes. Cut 4-6 Roma tomatoes in quarters lengthwise and toss lightly in the oil mix. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spread the tomatoes skin down in a single layer. Roast in a 450-degree preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Cook premade ravioli from the deli case according to directions and plate in shallow bowls. Distribute the roasted tomatoes on top and crumbled Feta cheese. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. The roasted tomatoes will keep three days in the refrigerator for use in other dishes or can be frozen for several months.

                                   Fresh corn salad with bacon and tomato

Render 2-3 thick slices of bacon to crisp, drain on paper towel and keep the fat in the pan. Cut kernels from 2 ears of corn. Cut 2 medium tomatoes and 1 large avocado in wedges, line along the rim of a shallow bowl and squeeze the juice of ½ lime over them. In a medium bowl combine 2 tbsp of the bacon fat with 1 tbsp. lime juice ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. lemon pepper. Toss corn, the crumbled bacon and 1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley in the spice mix and mound in the center of the shallow bowl with tomatoes and avocado. Serve with crusty bread for lunch or as a side with grilled meat.

Summer recipes are never complete without a hearty zucchini recipe. These cheese fritters and a tomato caprese salad make an unbeatable lunch and even a light vegetarian dinner. 

 

                                         Cheesy zucchini fritters

          Grate 1 medium firm zucchini on a box grater, sprinkle with 2 tsp. kosher salt and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse the zucchini twice, drain and squeeze in a paper towel to remove as much liquid as possible.

          In a medium bowl whisk 1 egg with 1/3 cup flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/3 tsp. garlic powder and oregano each and ¼ tsp. lemon pepper. Stir in 1 small seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper (optional), 1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp. sharp cheddar cheese and the zucchini. Mix thoroughly and fry on medium in 1tbsp. olive oil and 2 tbsp. butter, shaping heaping tbsp. in patties. Garnish with a dab of sour cream and chives.

          Sadly, our meteorological summer ended on August 31^st, 2026, while fortunately the astronomical summer will continue until 8:05 p.m. on September 22^nd , which sounds so much more appealing.

 

I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

SOUTHWESTERN FLAVORS FOR AUGUST

 

                         Southwest flavors for August

 

          The geographic American Southwest includes Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and parts of California and Nevada. The landscape is dry; climate is hot but made steamy by monsoons in late summer.  Altogether it is very different from what we experience in Maine. And yet, in August the differences seem less apparent as we swelter on sunny days and look for rain to help our parched lawns. Thus, it is easy to look for Southwestern flavors in food that are well adapted to the climate and helped by our current global distribution and familiarity with food from other locales. Long gone are the days when tacos were a novelty in the Northeast.

          Southwestern cuisine comes from Native American, colonial Spanish and Mexican roots, but along the way has adapted many Mediterranean and American cowboy ingredients in interesting and flavorful combinations. Principally Southwestern food features corn, beans and squash with generous helpings of tomatoes, onions and peppers including chiles to add some heat. Meat is often grilled as well as some vegetables and corn and wheat flour account for the ever-present tortillas. 

           Having spent a number of years in the Southwest, breakfast eggs are likely to arrive at our house in August with fresh salsa and warm tortillas or scrambled with diced onions, peppers and crumbled bacon. Huevos rancheros are a Saturday feast for poached eggs in a lightly cooked mix of onions, peppers, tomatoes and jalapenos, sprinkled with shredded jack cheese and served with warm flour tortillas.

          A recent dinner from my kitchen featured a Southwestern dinner of grilled ham, zucchini lightly grilled with olive oil and garlic salt, Southwestern lentils and black-eyed peas, all garnished with a lightly grilled peach. 

                                  Southwestern lentils and black—eyed peas

          Rinse 1 and ½ cup beluga (black)lentils and cook covered with 2 inches of water, 1 tbsp. onion flakes, 1 bay leaf and 6 cloves for 30 minutes on medium low heat. Drain and discard the bay leaf.

          In a large bowl mix the dressing: 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning, 1 tsp. honey, 2 tsp. garlic powder, 2 tsp. kosher salt and 1 tsp. lemon pepper. Stir in the drained lentils while hot and 1 (15.5 oz.) drained and rinsed can of black-eyed peas. Mix thoroughly.

In addition, stir in ½ cup chopped red onion, 2-3 sliced green onions, ½ green and ½ red large peppers seeded and diced, 1/3 cup crumbled Mexican Cotija or Feta cheese and 1 -1 ½ cups mixed red and yellow grape tomatoes cut in half. Mix and serve warm or room temperature garnished with parsley and additional cheese.

                                                 Southwestern ratatouille

This could be considered a Southwestern cousin to the French ratatouille we all love at the end of summer with plentiful squash, eggplant and other garden produce. It has acquired extra protein in the form of Mexican chorizo.

Roast 1/3-inch slices of 1 medium zucchini and 1 peeled eggplant brushed with olive oil and garlic salt in a 425-degree oven, turning once until browned. Cut slices into bite size pieces.

Remove casing from 2 fresh chorizo sausages, crumble and brown in a large pan and set aside. In the same pan add 1 tbsp. olive oil and sauté 1 coarsely chopped onion 4 minutes, stir in 3 chopped garlic cloves for 1 minute, ¼ each red and yellow pepper diced, zucchini and eggplant, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. oregano, 2 tbsp. tomato paste, 1 and ½ tsp. chipotle powder and 2 tsp. white vinegar. Cook with stirring for 5-7 minutes until liquid is absorbed.  Stir in 2 cups frozen corn kernels, chorizo and 2 tsp. pesto (optional). Cook for 3minutes more, transfer to an 8x8x2 baking dish and cover with 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve warm on corn tortillas.

          It is easy to see how a tortilla could wrap anything, as long as it is served with love.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)