ZESTY CORN CHOWDER AND VEAL-ARTICHOKE PICCATA

 

                Zesty corn chowder and veal-artichoke piccata

 

          March came in like a lion with blustery winds portending the unsettled weeks that bring us spring. The word March has a dynamic sound associated not only with weather. It is the time of Shakespeare’s warning to “beware the Ides of March”, referring to forecast of doom and misfortune for Julius Ceasar in 44 BC and ever after. It is also the month to celebrate Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, the Vernal Equinox and most happily to welcome Daylight Savings Time!

          March gives us a spring in our steps and the cook looks for recipes with a bit of liveliness as well. Corn chowder is always welcome on a windy day and the following recipe was inspired by my former neighbor Louisa on Dutch Neck, who had the temerity to liven up corn chowder by including a bit of jalapeno pepper with delicious results.

                                                  Zesty corn chowder

          Crisp fry 2 thick slices of bacon in a 3-4 qt. pot, drain on paper towels and discard all but 1 tbsp. fat in the pot. Heat the fat on medium heat and sauté 1 chopped medium red onion for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 chopped celery stalk, 1 chopped carrot, 1 diced large potato, ½ seeded and diced red pepper, ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. lemon pepper and 4 small slices of pickled jalapeno pepper, minced. Add 2 cups of low salt chicken broth, 1 cup water and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in 1 (14.5 oz.) can creamed corn and 1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels. Cook for 2 minutes, stir in ¾ cups Half and Half and heat to simmer. Serve hot with crumbled bacon on top.

          Any dish that incorporates lemon juice and lemon slices is destined to burst with bright flavor. The following version of veal scallopine incorporates artichokes for added texture that blends well with the bold flavor. The photo documents snif approval by our cat Sapho.

                                    Veal-artichoke scallopine piccata

          Lightly dredge 3 oz. of thin veal cutlets pounded very thin in ½ cup flour blended with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 tblsp. butter with 1 tblsp olive oil in a large pan to bubbling and fry the veal quickly 1 ½ minutes on each side. Set on a plate and keep warm.

           Sauté 1 minced garlic clove in the remaining fat for 1 minute, Stir in ½ cup dry white wine, ½ cup water, 2 tbsp. drained capers, 1 tblsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. grated lemon zest and 6-8 thin slices of lemon.  Scrape up any bits from the fried veal and cook to reduce the volume to half. Stir in ½ (14.5 oz) can drained artichokes (not pickled) and 2 tbsp. chopped parsley. Heat thoroughly and pour over the veal. Garnish with additional lemon and chopped parsley. Serve with buttered pasta.

          Fresh fruit as desert makes a colorful appearance in combination with sweetened coconut in this easy and quick Fruit Ambrosia, that might have had its origins in Southern cooking but is equally tasty in New England in March.

                                                      Fruit Ambrosia

          The following quantities are for 2 persons, assembled from fruit on hand in the kitchen. Feel free to improvise with other fruit combinations.

          For each small bowls: peel and cut in bite size 1 small mandarin orange sections, ½ ripe banana, 8-10 black or red grapes cut in half. Toss with 1 heaping tblsp. sweetened coconut flakes. Serve and enjoy.

          We shall hope that our March will behave nicely and go out like a lamb.

 (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)