MEAL AND MENU INSPIRATIONS

Meal Inspirations

            “I cook mostly out of magazines these days” my friend exclaimed recently in her kitchen, as she was putting the finishing touches to a delicious looking dinner. My husband and I were visiting friends in Vermont and were the beneficiaries of her hospitality. I thought of her comment on a Friday morning standing in the Damariscotta Farmers market. A farmers market is my idea of visual meal inspirations by what is abundant and fresh in front of me.

It was cold!  The sunny morning air whipped around by the blustery wind belied the fact that fall was officially a week away. The woman selling goat cheese from Appleton Creamery had a Norwegian cap to cover her ears and a wool scarf around her neck. This goat cheese was going to go well with roasted beets in a salad next week.  Most of the stands this morning were in the open and their proprietors had jacket collars turned up against the wind. The tomatoes, carrots, greens, squash, potatoes and flowers though seemed not to mind and simply shone with the success of having produced a bountiful organic crop in every stand representing each farm. The boxes of blackberries looked plump and mouthwatering for desert.

The cold influenced my choice of roast chicken from Maine-Ly Poultry for dinner to be served with some new potatoes. I would have the rest of the roasted chicken in a cream sauce with mushrooms from my favorite Damariscotta Oyster Creek Mushroom Company. My own garden is still producing green beans and the end of the season tomatoes would be served with sliced red onion, black olives and feta cheese, lightly dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The dinner menu and ingredients practically leaped at me as I made the rounds on the grassy hillside.

And then there are unplanned benefits from overheard conversations as you stand in line waiting for your turn at the Hahn’s End cheese company. A customer was inquiring about a cheese for a grilled sandwich, commenting on a previous encounter with a mushroom–melted cheese focaccia. Cheese is a particular weakness at our house and aged cheeses find their way to our table with great regularity. I thought of the fall vegetable soup I had made just yesterday and could instantly conjure a no fuss lunch with Eleanor Buttercup cheese melted on French bread as accompaniment to that soup. A few grape and yellow pear tomatoes and a fresh pickle slice would accompany the open-faced melted cheese sandwich to give it some eye appeal. 

                        Fall vegetable soup

This soup can be hearty or light, depending on the amount and types of vegetables used, but it is essentially ready to serve in about 30 minutes. For basic soup: chop and sauté in 2 Tblsp, olive oil 1 onion, 1 large stalk of celery and 2 cloves garlic for 5 minutes. Add 26 oz beef or chicken or vegetable stock, 2 cups water, 1 tsp. dried oregano and thyme each. ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Bring to boil and add the following in bite size pieces: 2 carrots, 1 large potato, 1 medium zucchini or small eggplant, 1-2 cups chopped tomatoes, 1 cup coarsely chopped cabbage, 1 cup sliced string beans or Swiss chard, ¼ cup parsley, ¼ cup basil. Cook for 25 minutes, stir in 1 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar and serve with additional chopped parsley and/or Parmesan cheese.  Addition of a can of rinsed garbanzos or beans will make this an even heartier soup.

As demonstrated, meal inspirations at a farmers market are almost too easy. Other times I have taken the really easy way by coming home with an already made chicken pie or some of the Oriental specialties from Jyang-Lee Kitchens. Although the Damariscotta Farmers’ Market is available only until October 28, apples, root vegetables and an incredible variety of winter squashes will continue to be available at Beth’s in Warren until Christmas. I will have to go back to my cookbooks from then until spring. 

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

MEATLESS DINNERS

Meatless Dinners

            To look at any food related publication today, it is impossible to ignore the nutritionists advice about minimizing our meat cravings and the suggestion that we aim for a more vegetarian diet.  In fact, the current USDA “Food Plate” diagram suggests that we fill our plate mostly with whole grains, vegetables and fruits, minimizing the amount of meat and the accompanying fat in our diet. So, to offset a great steak dinner, one might balance it with a meatless dinner on another evening.

            This often is harder done than said, even if my vegetarian friends are likely to disagree.  First, there is the problem of the escalating prices for both fruit and vegetables if you have a limited food budget.  The only way to deal with this is to shop for seasonal specials, and if possible in bulk that will keep refrigerated, such as a 3 or 5 lb pack of carrots. A thrifty purchase of a head of cabbage can be used in many meals, since it will keep fresh in the refrigerator for several weeks and any minor discolored portions on a previously cut surface can be easily cut away before use.   Other fresh vegetables need to be used quickly to preserve the maximum vitamin content; hence planning ahead for several meals where the vegetables can be used as a side dish and also incorporated in a soup will minimize waste and stretch the family food dollar.

Dried beans, lentils and garbanzos are a real budget saver and are fortunately available year around.  Soaking dried beans or garbanzos in cold water overnight reduces their cooking time to an hour, making them a good value for a variety of dishes, many of which are great when reheated and thus adaptable to use for multiple time saving meals. Lentils cook in 20 to 30 minutes without soaking and are even more convenient.

The second problem comes from the misguided perception that a vegetable dish has to be bland and hence unappetizing.  A flavorful lentil stew with crisp bread and a salad is good anytime at our house, especially on a cold winter evening. Another filling vegetarian main course that incorporates a significant amount of vegetable, such as zucchini or yellow summer squash, is always a bonus this time of the year. The fall harvest still abounds in farmers markets and even our own gardens and provides the local fresh ingredients we savor.

                        Almond-zucchini gratin.

            In a large bowl mix 4 cups coarsely grated zucchini or yellow summer squash with 1 ¼ cups Italian bread crumbs, 2/3 cups grated cheddar cheese and ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese. In 2 Tblsp. butter sauté 1 large chopped onion with ¼ tsp. garlic powder and ¼ tsp. thyme for 5 minutes, add in 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper and ½ cup slivered almonds to heat and stir into the zucchini mixture. Turn all in a buttered 8x8 inch casserole. In a small bowl beat together 2 large eggs and ½ cup milk. Pour over the zucchini mixture in the casserole, making sure that it is evenly moistened. Sprinkle with grated sharp cheddar cheese or cover with thin slices of Provolone and bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes until top is browned and the filling is set. Serve warm as main course or a vegetable side. This dish freezes well and can be reheated.

            Mushroom soufflé for two.

            Don’t let the word soufflé intimidate you.  We are really talking about a mushroom-cottage cheese-egg bake.  Heat oven to 300 degrees and grease a 1 quart casserole. Separate two large eggs and beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with an electric mixer. In another bowl beat the egg yolks till light and foamy.  Blend 2 Tbls. milk in 3 Tblsp. flour and add to egg yolks, beat well. Add salt and pepper to taste and 1 cup cottage cheese and beat until well blended. Gently fold in 2 Tblsp. minced onion or 1 tsp. onion powder, the stiffly beaten egg whites and one 4 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained. Turn mixture into the casserole and bake about 50 minutes or until golden brown on top. If you are an early riser, this would even taste good for breakfast.

            While some of us are likely to persist in our omnivore habits, having a meatless meal is really no hardship at all and provides a welcome and delicious variety for the table.

            (I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)