COLORFUL SUMMER MEALS

 

Colorful Summer Meals

           Steamy June days are not a welcome surprise to everyone in Maine. However, mental adjustments to such undesirable conditions sometimes can be achieved utilizing past travel experiences. For instance, when we lived in Arizona for several years, each summer evening we had to traverse six blocks of near melting sidewalks from the university center to reach our car in the parking garage. Longing contemplation of every glacier I had ever visited made that arduous trek more bearable.

          For the cook, such surprises pose different challenges. Do we move every meal to a grill and forget anything else? It works for some meals, but often the person standing over the hot grill is not happy. Salads of course are part of the answer, but meals in hot climates are also very colorful, which assuages the faltering appetite. I was reminded of some weeks spent in Sicily and the island of Elba, where one could easily bake in the mid-day sun and yet restaurants abounded with colorful food to pick up our flagging appetites. Here is a reconstruction of one such dish which could grace a dinner table and does not take a lot of time in the kitchen.

                                                  Chicken Siciliano

1)    Cut a large skinless, boneless chicken breast lengthwise in 3 or 4 thin slices and set aside.

2)    On a large plate blend: ½ cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon Sicilian seasoning (a blend of spices including roasted garlic, carrot, oregano, rosemary etc.). Set nearby some black sesame seeds.

3)    In a large pan sauté: 1 coarsely chopped onion, 1 cored and seeded green pepper cut in strips in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 5 minutes. Stir in: 2 coarsely chopped large Roma tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Sicilian seasoning, ¾ cups red wine, ½ cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook on medium heat until the liquid is reduced to half. Stir in ¼ cup chopped parsley.

4)     Dip the chicken cutlets on both sides in the flour mix, sprinkle with black sesame seeds and fry in 2 tablespoons hot olive oil 2-3 minutes on the side.

5)    Spoon the sauce over the cutlets and heat for 2 minutes more. Swirl in 1 tablespoon butter and serve with small pasta on the side.

June seems the perfect time for all kind of berries, starting with strawberries followed by raspberries and blackberries, with fresh Maine blueberries on the horizon in late July.  A very easy delicious desert can be made with some quickly cooked or instant pudding mix, some colorful berries and a swirl of whipped cream.

                               Quick banana pudding with berries

1)    Prepare 1 package instant banana pudding by beating it with an electric mixer for 2 minutes in 2 cups of cold milk. It will have the consistency of thick cream but will set when refrigerated for a couple of hours.

2)    Spoon the pudding in 4 shallow bowls on top of some blackberries. Top with fresh raspberries and whipped cream or whipped topping. Serve immediately.

July 4^th celebrations are a good time for colorful deserts in addition to some fresh watermelon. Although fresh Maine blueberries are still a month away, I always keep some frozen and they make an excellent frozen blueberry pie. This one is made with a crumb topping to better show off its colorful contents.

                   Frozen blueberry streusel pie

1)    Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl blend together ¾ cups sugar with 3 tablespoons cornstarch.

2)    In a small bowl mix 2/3 cup flour with 1/3 cup packed brown sugar and cut in 1/3 cup cold butter until butter can be pressed with fingers in small crumbs.

3)    Line a 9-inch pie plate with 1 roll pre-made pie crust. Push down to fit corners and finger flute the edges. Spread 1/3 of sugar/cornstarch mix over the crust.

4)    In another bowl toss 4 cups frozen blueberries with the rest of sugar/cornstarch mix and grated zest of 1 lemon. Pour berries in pie crust and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

5)    Spread crumb mixture on top. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes. The blueberries will be bubbling up around the edges of the topping.

6)    Remove from the oven, cool and serve plain or with ice cream.

Happy Summer and Happy 4^th of July. Think cool and colorful thoughts for your table.

 (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: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

 

 

SALAD TIME!

 Salad Time!

           Early June faked me out this year with its rollercoaster changes in temperature. One day we were having a chilly June day in Maine and then we skipped to August heat and humidity in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, a well-stocked pantry delivered enough ingredients to save the day, even if summer recipes for salads were still stacked on the bottom of my kitchen priority list.

          Gazpacho, one of the best foods that defines Spain and is widely served in Portugal, has become a world-wide hot weather favorite. Unsurprisingly its origins are in the Andalucia region of Spain, the location for Seville and Granada and famous for hot summers. We think of gazpacho as a soup, but it is really a thick liquid salad, best made with garden fresh and ripe vegetables. This is an improvised and delicious version for early summer in Maine.

 

                                          Gazpacho improvisation

1)    In a large bowl combine: 40 oz. tomato juice, ¼ cup red and white wine vinegar each, 1 tablespoon, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon celery salt, 1 teaspoon sugar.

2)    Finely chop: 1 shallot or part of a red onion, 1 stalk celery.

3)    Chop in about ½ inch pieces: ½ of an English seedless cucumber, 1 small zucchini, ½ each of seeded red and green peppers, 3 Roma tomatoes.

4)    Stir vegetables in tomato juice and chill for at least 2 hours.

5)    Serve cold with croutons. If desired, drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Gazpacho will keep refrigerated up to 3 days.

 Tabouli made with cracked wheat is a favorite grain salad at our house. However, occasional requirements for gluten free cooking for family or friends, has put quinoa in equal spotlight for grain salads. Quinoa, a pseudo cereal also called goosefoot, is widely cultivated for its starchy and high protein seeds. It originated in the Andes and is white or red in color. The red color was much favored by Inca warriors for strength in battle. Here I have combined it with garbanzos for a colorful and tasty grain salad.

                                        Red Quinoa and Garbanzo Salad

1)    Rinse ¾ cups red quinoa in cold water, drain in a fine sieve (or one lined with a paper towel) and combine with 1 ½ cups water and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium pot. Bring to boil, turn heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, let stand 5 minutes, then stir with a fork and use in recipe.

2)    In a small bowl mix the dressing: ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 3-4 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoons salt and pepper each, 1 minced small shallot, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley.

3)    In a large bowl, toss the cooked quinoa with the dressing and drained and rinsed chickpeas (1- 15 oz. can).

4)    Whan cool, stir in 2 chopped large Roma tomatoes, ½ cup chopped cucumber, ½ cup chopped red pepper. Then toss with 2 oz. crumbled Feta cheese.

5)    Chill for a couple of hours and serve on lettuce with sliced egg and strips of ham or cold cooked shrimp. Salad will keep refrigerated up to 3 days.

 The cool meal was accompanied by my special cranberry ice-tea.

1)    Steep 5 teabags of Constant comment tea in 1-quart boiling water for ½ hour. If using black tea, include zest from 1 orange.

2)    Combine tea with 3 tablespoons sugar, juice of ½ large lemon and ¾ cups of cranberry juice, Chill and serve over ice cubes.

If this was supposed to be a prelude to summer, I feel well practiced for coping with July and August. However, this being Maine- “Just wait and the weather will change again”, so undoubtedly it is best to plan to be flexible.               

(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: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

THE NOT SO HUMBLE RADISH

                                            The Not So Humble Radish

 

          Any gardener will enthuse with you about their first vegetable crop of the year and nine times out of ten it will be radishes. Yes!  My first radishes were ready to pull the third week in May and I was delighted. This meant more colorful fresh salads with that extra crunch for the table.

          Radishes come in many colors and shapes and are associated with a sharp flavor that can vary in intensity from mild, as in white or French breakfast radishes to the really sharp in Black Spanish radishes. Most have white flesh although recently chefs have favored those with rose colored flesh. Radishes are a good dietary source of potassium, antioxidants and are low in calories.

          Radishes have a long history as a root vegetable from Southern China and were depicted on wall paintings in Egyptian pyramids as long as 4000 years ago. The horseradish, a close relative and the most pungent of radishes, appears in Greek mythology and was probably indigenous to Eastern Europe. It was well established in Britain by 1590.

          Today we think of the radish mostly in salads, but it can also be pickled and even roasted.  Sliced radishes add a crisp note to potato and pasta salads. Radish florets are also decorative on potato and pasta salads; and a slice of bread or cracker with cottage or cream cheese acquires both visual and taste appeal when decorated with thin colorful radish slices. 

                                                 Radish-cucumber salad 

          This salad goes well with any roasted meats and at our house is a favorite with takeout sushi.

          Wash and trim a small bunch of radishes. Slice the radishes crosswise in thin slices and marinate in ¼ cup flavored rice vinegar for 30 minutes with occasional turning to keep basted. Cut ½ of an English or other long seedless cucumber in half lengthwise and then thinly slice both halves. Toss with the marinated radishes and vinegar and 1-2 tblsp. chopped chives and ¼ tsp. salt (optional).

                                                         Roasted radishes

          Roasted radishes like roasted cauliflower are an unusual dish, but when not overcooked, can be delicious.

          Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash and trim a bunch of radishes and pat dry. If very large, cut in half. Melt 2 tblsp. butter and collect the clear ghee (fat), you should have 1 tblsp. and mix it with ¼ tsp. garlic powder. Toss the radishes with the ghee and spread on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with ½ tsp. coarse sea salt, 1 tsp. dried dill weed. Roast for 20 minutes, turning the radishes with a spatula once during that time. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped chives. Serve warm or at room temperature.

          Daikon radishes are long white radishes, relatively mild in flavor. These are annually grown from seed and can reach a considerable length as I found a few years ago in my garden in Waldoboro, Maine. In stores, you will often see them cut in different length pieces. Because they have a diameter of 2 or even 3 inches, they make easy appetizers instead of crackers, especially with blue cheese. Just slice them ¼ inch thick crosswise, peel, cut each slice in half if large, set a piece of blue cheese or Roquefort on top and you are all set to serve.

 (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: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)