LAST HURRAH FOR SUMMER

Last Hurrah for Summer

          Labor Day this year is still several weeks before the autumn equinox, but the arrival of September instinctively denotes that those wonderful leisurely days are coming to an end. Even the weather this past week has that crisp autumn feel in the mornings and the crickets are congregating on my patio with their chirpy and plaintive song.

            Which brings us to the usual spurt of celebrations for Labor Day, with food as one of it’s centerpieces. Grill time seems almost a must, but some variation of the usual fare seems appropriate to liven up our palates. A simple solution for this are lamb kebabs.

                                    Lamb shish kebabs

            Marinade: 1 cup dry red wine, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tblsp. catsup, ½ tsp. sugar, ½ tsp. marjoram, ½ tsp. rosemary, 1 tsp. thyme, 1 tblsp. vine vinegar. Marinate 1 ½ inch cubes of  1 lb.lamb shoulder or leg meat for at least 8 hours (or overnight) in the marinade. Thread meat on long skewers alternating with pieces of pepper, red onion and mushrooms, all dipped in the marinade. Grill on a hot grill, turning on each side and basting with additional marinade to desired doneness. Serve with wild rice or boiled new potatoes.

            The end of summer also brings us an overabundance of zucchini and my favorite thin skinned Japanese type eggplants, which naturally lead to that Mediterranean vegetable stew, ratatouille. While the word comes from French, meaning: ’stir up’ or coarse stew, its variations can be also found in Spanish, Italian, Greek and Turkish cuisines, all delicious. Inevitably, there are probably as many recipes for this as there are cooks. However, a word of caution if you expect a rich and subtle mélange of flavors from the ingredients. The initial steps of salting the eggplant and zucchini, as well as the individual sautéing of the ingredients is essential to avoid an unappetizing watery dish. One additional benefit of ratatouille is that it makes for a colorful base for fried eggs for breakfast.

                                    End of summer ratatouille

            Cut Japanese type eggplant and firm young zucchini in about 1 inch cubes to make 3 to 4 cups of each vegetable and salt with 1-2 tblsp. un-iodized salt in separate bowls for about 30 minutes. If using regular eggplant, peel before cubing. Rinse the vegetables, pat dry with paper towels and set aside. In a large pan sauté in 1 tblsp. olive oil: 2 medium onions cut in half and sliced very thin, with 4 minced garlic cloves and 1 green and ½ red peppers, seeded and diced. Remove from pan and in the same pan successively sauté the eggplant and zucchini in 2 tblsp. olive oil each for about 10 minutes. Combine the vegetables in a 4 quart pot with their juices. Stir in 2 cups diced canned tomatoes or fresh diced tomatoes, 4 tblsp. shredded fesh basil, 2 tblsp. shredded Italian parsley, 8 julienned sundried tomatoes, 1 tblsp. balsamic vinegar and 2 tsp. sugar. Cover loosely and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tblsp. additional basil and parsley and 1 tblsp. olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature. The flavor improves on standing and the dish can be reheated easily for up to a week. Do not freeze.

            Roast cauliflower makes a delicious side dish for many winter dishes, but it can also be prepared as substantial salad to be served at room temperature. Because cauliflower cooks very quickly to a most unappetizing texture, it is important that the roasting is done briefly enough to maintain a slightly firm texture.

                                    Roast cauliflower salad

            Separate the florets of a head of cauliflower in about 1 ½ inch pieces. Seed and cut an orange pepper in 1 ½ strips. Toss cauliflower and pepper in a large bowl with ¼ cup light olive oil, 4 minced cloves of garlic and 2 tblsp. balsamic vinegar.  Spread on a foil lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with 1 tblsp. coarse sea salt. Broil for about 15 minutes, turning once. Remove from oven and toss in a bowl with 3 oz. crumbled Feta cheese. Serve garnished with minced parsley and toasted pumpkin seeds.

            Tasty meals to salute the passing of our Maine summer is a fitting acknowledgement of our regard for this our all too brief season.

(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)

FRIED GREN TOMATOES

Fried Green Tomatoes

            The concept of ‘fried green tomatoes’ hit the world 25 years ago as a literary event with the appearance of Fannie Flag’s “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café”. It is an intergenerational tale of an ordinary Southern family, food and it’s members taking care of each other. The book became popular and was even made into a movie a few years later.  For people like me living in the North, it came with the additional revelation: ‘yes, you could fry green tomatoes and they taste great!

          This is the time of the year that reminds me of that. The garden crop of tomatoes is taking it’s sweet time about turning color and the bounty of the still green crop becomes very tempting as a side dish for meat, or even an unconventional side to scrambled eggs for breakfast. The old fashioned simple recipes will tell you to simply slice the green tomatoes in ½ inch slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip both sides of each slice in cornmeal and fry in bacon drippings 2-3 minutes to a side. A more substantial coating can be obtained by adding egg and thickening the coating.

                                    Fried green tomatoes

            Slice 4 large tomatoes in ½ inch slices. In a flat dish whisk 2 eggs with 2 tblsp. water, 1 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper. On a plate mix thoroughly 1 cup flour with ½ cup cornmeal. Lightly dip each slice of tomato first in flour mix, then egg and back in the flour mix, on both sides. Fry in hot, but not smoking vegetable oil in a large pan 2-3 minutes to a side and drain on paper towels. Do not crowd slices on the pan, or they will not brown quickly. If you want to gild the lily, top each slice with a thin piece of Provolone cheese or serve with some Ranch dressing.

            Waiting for garden produce to ripen may be a bit frustrating, but many vegetables can be picked at the immature stage and when combined in a soup, give an unexpectedly fresh and delightful flavor that can never be achieved by the mature variety. The trick in preserving that flavor is very brief cooking of these tender vegetables and combining the whole with a milk and broth base.

                                    Young vegetable soup with milk

            Gather the vegetables in your garden or scour local farmers markets for young looking produce. Clean and dice:1 medium onion, 1 stalk celery with leaves, 1 cup carrots and 2 cups baby red potatoes. Prepare also 1 cup baby string beans cut in ¾ inch pieces, 1 cup peas and 1 cup cauliflower florets. In a 3 qt. pot sauté the onion in 2 tblsp. butter for 5 minutes, stir in the celery and add 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth. When boiling, add the carrots and potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, the peas, beans and cauliflower. Cook for 3 minutes and then stir in 2 cups milk (not skim), 2 finely chopped scallions with green part and heat, but do not boil. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped chives, dill and crusty bread. The flavor will amaze you.

            Summer is a time for experimenting with new flavor combinations. Usually it is considered heresy to mess with lobster in Maine, but the other day I was tempted with very interesting results. My friend Dan sent over some lobster salad, very properly Maine style with just a dab of mayonnaise to hold it together. I had found a lobster Reuben at a local restaurant an interesting taste experience. So here is milder “heretical” version of a lobster taco, that does not overwhelm the lobster but gives it a bit more tartness.

                                    Mild lobster tacos

            Prepare mild fresh salsa by finely dicing ½ seeded green pepper, two medium tomatoes and 3 scallions with green parts. Toss with ½ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. minced parsley and 2 tsp. rice vinegar. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.  In a lightly oiled hot pan, crisp six or more 6 inch corn tortillas 20-30 seconds to a side. Set corn tortillas on a plate, place 2 heaping tblsp. lobster salad along the center of each tortilla. Top with the desired amount of the salsa. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy.

            Summer in Maine is enjoyed at its best this time of the year with the changing vistas of our familiar places brought about by tides, sunlight and even mysterious fog banks. Sometimes changing perceptions of familiar foods can lead us to new discoveries.

(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)