PEACH TREE BLOOMING

Peach Tree Blooming.

            Gray is a somber color and definitely unsuited for spring. But mother nature’s  fashion decree this year seems to be for endless cold, cloudy and gray days. Our normal joyously giddy feelings of spring don’t seem to have a chance despite the valiant efforts by daffodils and tulips. And then, this morning our peach tree braved the cold and opened it’s blossoms in all their bright pink glory.

            A peach tree in full bloom is enough to bring a smile on anyone’s face, regardless of the gray backdrop of the sky. Spring after all is hope personified as demonstrated not only by our peach tree. The resident tom turkey is back fighting his image in the garage window and feeling that he has successfully defended his territory against invaders for another year. Other less flagrant signs of spring are the vigorous growth of sorrel and rhubarb in the back yard, apparently not inhibited by our recent cool damp days.

            So, it is definitely time for the cook to adapt to the seasons. While the cool weather is still appropriate for hearty soups, adding a bit of green gives them a fresher feel. The following soup melds lentils, barley and greens, using either kale or Swiss chard. It is best to cook the barley separately for improved texture of the soup.

                                                Lentil, barley and kale soup

            Rinse ½  cup barley in several changes of cold water to remove the fines that make the water cloudy. Place in a 2 quart pot, add ½ tsp. salt and water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to boil and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside until the lentil part of the soup is ready.

            Sort and wash 1 cup green French lentils. In a 4-6 quart pot combine the lentils, 1 ½ quarts chicken or vegetable broth and diced vegetables: 2 stalks celery, 3 large carrots, 1 large onion, 2-3large garlic cloves and 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes. Bring to boil, add 1 bay leaf and 1 tsp. each cumin and thyme. Bring to boil, stir and simmer 30 – 45 minutes until the lentils are tender.  Remove stalks from ½ small bunch of kale, cut leaves crosswise in ½ inch strips, add to the soup mixture and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Stir in reserved barley, heat again and adjust any volume with water and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with chopped chives for garnish, or if desired julienned strips of ham.

            Rhubarb is one of the quintessential spring harbingers with its tart flavor unsurpassed in pies. Frozen rhubarb can be used year round in fruit compotes, but fresh and juicy rhubarb is needed for a pie,

                                                Rhubarb-dried cherry pie

            Roll out pre-made pastry and fit in the bottom of a 9 in. pie plate. Wash and trim 1.5 lb. rhubarb and cut the stalks in 1 inch pieces (3 ½  to 4 cups) and combine in a large bowl with ½ cup dried cherries. If rhubarb is not very fresh and juicy, toss with 6 tblsp. cold water.  In a small bowl combine 1 cup sugar with 2 ½  tblsp. cornstarch. Spread 1/3 of the sugar mixture over the bottom pastry. Toss the rest of the sugar mixture with the rhubarb and turn it all in the lined pie plate. Sprinkle with ½ tsp. grated lemon peel and

dot with 1 tblsp. butter. Cover with a top pastry layer, crimp the sides together and cut some slits in the top for vents. Sprinkle the top of the pastry with some nutmeg. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until top is browned and juice bubbles up through the vents. Placing a piece of aluminum foil on the rack below the pie, during the 350 degree part of baking, will catch any overflowing juices and prevent an undesirable oven cleanup.      

                                    Strawberry-rhubarb pie

            Essentially proceed as with the rhubarb-dried cherry pie, but use only 2 cups rhubarb and 2 cups hulled, sliced strawberries.

            A blooming peach tree makes a very convincing argument for spring and when the pear behind it bursts out in profusion of white blossoms, it is easy to be convinced that all those gray days did not really matter at all.

 

(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)

CINCO DE MAYO

Cinco de Mayo

            The four plus days of April rain in Maine in can mean only one thing – mud! “Mud, mud, glorious mud, Nothing like it for cooling the blood”, go the lyrics of the Hippopotamus song for kids by Flanders and Swann, but I am less amused as I scrape my boots after planting peas in our garden.

            On the other hand, ‘April showers bring May flowers’ may be a more positive outlook. The buds on our pear and peach trees are ready to open, the first yellow tulips are brightening the bed next to our patio and the resident wild turkey is having his annual battle for supremacy with his reflection in our garage window. Spring, Maine style, has arrived.

            One of the various ethnic holidays we have adapted in the US, especially with food, is Cinco de Mayo, on May 5^th. This is a holiday commemorating the Mexican victory over French at that date, followed by the re-establishment of the Mexican government with the help from US.

In the current climate of interest in ethnic food it is easy to find Mexican restaurants, tortillas in every grocery store and salsa and guacamole have become staples in many households. These are convenient and quick staples for a weeknight supper. But, I can still recall a time in early 1970’s when, having returned from a Southwestern vacation, I found it almost impossible to replicate tacos in Philadelphia. Finally, after much searching, I found canned corn tortillas in a small gourmet store in Chestnut Hill, and that is how Philadelphia tacos were born. I still serve them today, except the tortillas are of the more common store variety.

                        Philadelphia Tacos

            Assemble on countertop the following, before cooking the meat: ¼ chopped red onion, 2 chopped tomatoes, 2-3 cups of shredded lettuce, 4 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese, a jar of premade salsa, mild to hot depending on your taste.  Quickly brown 1 lb. crumbled  ground beef in a large pan, pour off excess fat, stir in a package of Taco mix, ½ cup water and cook stirring until all the liquid is absorbed and keep warm. Quickly heat  6 inch corn tortillas on each side, in a hot cast iron skillet whisked with a bit of oil, about 20 to 30 seconds to a side. Stack 2-3 tortillas per person and keep warm.

            To assemble: lay out 3 tortillas on a large plate, top with a couple of tblsp. of the meat, sprinkle with layers of onion, cheese, tomato and lettuce. Drizzle top with salsa and serve with lots of napkins for wiping your fingers as you eat.

                                    Chunky Guacamole

            In a small bowl mix: 2 tblsp. fine chopped red onion, 2 chopped medium tomatoes, 1 chopped large peeled avocado, ½ tsp. salt, 2 tblsp. white vinegar and 2 shakes Tabasco sauce (optional). Mix and smash everything with a fork to blend, but keep relatively chunky. (Real Mexican protocol is mashing the last step with your hand.) Serve with corn chips.

            For a large group, it is easy to serve Tamale pie as a casserole. This recipe serves six using a 10x6x1 ½ in. baking dish, but it can easily be scaled up to twice the size.

                                    Tamale Pie

            In a large pan brown 1 lb. crumbled beef, remove from pan and set aside. Pour off most of the fat and in the remaining fat sauté until soft: 1 onion and 1 seeded green pepper, chopped . Add 2 chopped garlic cloves and after a minute return the meat to the pan. Stir in: 2 cups seasoned tomato sauce, 1 tblsp, Worcestershire sauce, 1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels, 1 can drained and rinsed black beans, ½ cup pitted sliced black olives, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. sugar, 1-2 tblsp. chili powder, ¼ tsp, pepper. Simmer 20 minutes or until thick and turn into 10x6 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese. Topping: Stir ¾ cups cornmeal in 2 cups cold water with ½ tsp, salt, bring to boil and cook until thickened. Stir in 1 tblsp. butter. Spoon cornmeal over the meat mixture in thin strips and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes until browned on top.

            To celebrate Cinco de Mayo with food, these recipes will do the trick. The addition of some beer or a margarita is a personal choice, but either way this is a delicious way to welcome May and spring even in Maine.  

             

(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)