ORANGE IS FOR OCTOBER

Orange is for October

            Orange is not a restful color, maybe that is why mother nature uses it as a final splash of color in October before the dreary days of winter hibernation. The color is brilliant on sunny days, but even in the rain and wind of last week, glimpses of late fall leaves or clumps of chrysanthemums break through a gray day like a shaft of sunlight.

            And best of all, we have pumpkins in all shapes and sizes decorating outdoor markets and our own doorsteps. Not to mention the great pumpkin extravaganza that takes place each year in Damariscotta, where pumpkins acquire incredible shapes, are judged for their immense size and even assume the unlikely role as vehicles in boat races.

            With all this activity, we sometimes forget that pumpkin is also a vegetable and thus edible. Yes, the canned pumpkin on grocery shelves does remind us of recipes for pumpkin pie and bread.  However, fresh pumpkin should not be compared to the yellowish-grey puree from a can and has much improved flavor and texture.

 Besides, it is incredibly easy to bake, just cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, oil the cut side, place it face down on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for an hour. Scoop out the baked flesh from the rind and use in soups or purèe and use in pies, cakes and muffins.  The baked flesh can be frozen for future use later in winter.

Smaller sugar pumpkins are best for most uses because of their dense texture. But if you have carved a medium size pumpkin for Halloween the day before, you can easily cut it the day after and bake it for cooking purposes. The rinsed seeds will also be appreciated by blue jays, doves and other wildlife like chipmunks and squirrels in your yard.

                        Spiced pumpkin soup

Cook 2 medium chopped onions (or white and pale green part of 2 leeks) in 2 Tblsp, butter in a large pot on medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 Tblsp. chopped fresh ginger, 2 tsp. ground cumin, ¼ tsp. cardamom, 1 tsp. coriander, ½ tsp. red pepper flakes, 1 tsp. salt and sauté for an additional minute.  Stir in 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, 4 cups water, 1 chopped apple and 3 cups baked pumpkin broken up in pieces. Bring to boil and continue cooking on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Purèe in batches when slightly cooled.  Return to the pot, stir in 1 (14 oz) can of unsweetened coconut milk (not low fat), heat to boiling and serve in bowls topped with toasted coconut flakes.

There are also recipes that require fresh cubed pumpkin, in which case cut a small sugar pumpkin in half, seed it and cut the pumpkin in ½ to ¾ inch cubes before proceeding. One such recipe is for a gratin, which I have adapted from M. Spieler’s “Vegetarian Bistro”. This is truly a mouthwatering recipe.

                        Pumpkin, tomato and roast pepper gratin

In a large heavy pan sauté pumpkin cubes from 1 ½ lb pumpkin (peeled and seeded)  with thinly sliced white and pale parts of a leek in 1 Tblsp. butter and 1 Tblsp. olive oil for 15 minutes. Stir in ½ cup chopped roasted red pepper, 4 small diced tomatoes and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Stir in ½ cup white wine, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, 2 Tblsp. tomato paste, ½ tsp. herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce is reduced by half and stir in ½ cup cream. Pour all in a buttered shallow baking dish. Mix together 2 Tblsp. bread crumbs with 1 minced garlic clove, 1 Tblsp. minced parsley and 3 Tblsp. freshly grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the pumpkin mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes and serve hot.

Finally, here is my mother’s pumpkin pickle recipe that makes for an interesting accompaniment to roast pork or lamb.

                                    Pickled pumpkin

Make brine by dissolving 1 cup sugar in 2 cups water and ½ cup white vinegar. Cut fresh pumpkin in small cubes, place in an enameled or stainless steel pot and cover with sufficient brine to be totally submerged. Make a small cheesecloth sack containing 2 thin slices lemon or orange zest, 5-6 cloves and ½ cinnamon stick. Heat pumpkin mixture on low heat and cook for 10-15 minutes until pumpkin looks somewhat transparent, but does not fall apart. Remove cheesecloth bag with spices, pack pumpkin in clean jars, cover with brine and seal. Do not need further sterilization.

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)

OCTOBER aLREADY

October Already?

            Time is supposed to pass inexorably at a constant rate. Each day has 24 hours, each hour 60 minutes and each minute 60 seconds and so on to mili- micro- nano- and femto-seconds. Just remember how long each one of those was on the days when you wanted something wonderful to happen and had to wait for a time.

            October puts me into a most un-scientific mind regarding the passage of this past summer and arrival of autumn. Somewhere there must have occurred an anomaly in time acceleration these last few months, since June seems to have been here but yesterday.

            This must have happened to lots of other people, since summer visitors have suddenly become fall visitors and we find ourselves welcoming friends and family in a different season. The advantages of having colorful drives and walks to share at this time of the year unfortunately find us with many favorite restaurants closing for the season.  Which necessarily means just one thing: more entertaining and cooking at home.

            Our gardens and farmers markets are also winding down and the lighter fare we welcomed this summer seems just that –light. However, soups have the capacity to adapt to any season and even small handfuls of garden vegetables can provide a satisfying meal when combined in a minestrone or vegetable stew. Creamy textured soups provide an especially filling meal. This one uses last of the fall zucchini, potatoes and tomatoes in a delectable combination with just a hint of spice from chorizo without actual cream.

                                    Creamy zucchini, tomato and chorizo soup

            In a large pot sauté 1 medium chopped onion in 1 Tblsp. olive oil for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 sliced garlic cloves, 1 Tblsp. chopped fresh ginger and 3 cups sliced zucchini. Sautè for an additional few minutes, then stir in 32 oz. light chicken broth, 2 peeled sliced potatoes,  4 oz. tomato paste and a small pinch of red pepper flakes. Bring to boil and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. Allow soup to cool and puree in batches in a blender with ¼ cup chopped fresh basil and few sprigs of flat leaved parsley. Correct seasonings with salt and pepper, stir in 1Tblsp. balsamic vinegar and small cubes of a piece of chorizo. Reheat and serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a sprig of parsley. If chorizo is too spicy for your taste, linguica will do equally well.

            One of the fall vegetables that makes a wonderful hearty salad is beets. They come as yellow, red or with circles of red stripes as in Chioga beets. They all are especially delicious when wrapped in foil and roasted in their skins before peeling. Roasting them at 400 degrees, for 45 to 60 minutes depending on size, keeps their intense flavor much better than boiling. The beets are also much easier to peel after roasting. Save any beet greens that come with the beets for additional texture and flavor for the salad.

                                    Roast beet salad with pancetta and feta

            Wash beets and greens thoroughly. Trim off the greens, discarding the stems and set aside. Wrap 4 to 5 medium beets tightly in foil and roast at 400 degrees for 50 minutes. Unwrap and when cooled  peel and slice in wedges. While beets are baking prepare the vinaigrette: 2 Tblsp. cider vinegar, ½ tsp. chopped capers, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper and 2 Tblsp. olive oil and 2 thinly sliced shallots. Toss the beets and the vinaigrette and ½ cup cubed or crumbled feta cheese. In a  pan fry  2 Tblsp chopped pancetta (or 2 slices bacon) until crisp and drain on paper towels. Wipe out the pan and sauté the beet greens cut in strips in 1Tblsp. olive oil with 1 chopped garlic clove until wilted. Stir in 2 Tblsp. water and continue cooking until all the liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle lightly with salt, toss in the crisped pancetta (or bacon) and combine in a bowl with the roasted beet salad. The combination makes for a very satisfying and colorful dinner or luncheon salad.

            Pleasing and colorful plates on our table may not be able to compete with the crimson maples of autumn, but they still remind us of variety of joys of each 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)

NOT BREAD ALONE

Not Bread Alone.

            Stale bread does not last long in our house at this time of the year.  With summer just gone, the fall garden still produces many of our favorite vegetables.  But by now finding different ways to prepare them can be a challenge. Particularly so, if some of the tomatoes look less than perfect for a salad plate of tomatoes, mozzarella, olives and basil.

            Cooks around the Mediterranean years ago found thrifty ways not only to use most of the produce, but also day old bread, which before the advent of plastic wraps was both stale and partially dried out a day or so after baking. They combined juicy vegetables with the bread cubes, gave it all a splash of olive oil and vinegar, and ‘voilà’ – the panzanella or Tuscan bread salad was born. By now there are as many variations as there are cooks, but here is my version of it.

                                    Tuscan bread salad

            Crusty or country style bread works best for this purpose, but stale focaccia is also excellent. If bread seems too fresh, lightly toast it before cutting it in ½ - ¾ inch cubes. In a large bowl combine: 4 cups bread cubes, 2 large tomatoes cut in wedges, ½ cup chopped red onion, ¾ cup cubed Kirby or English cucumber (baby zucchini also works well here), ¼ cup loosely packed Italian parsley and basil each cut in thin strips. In a small jar combine: 2 Tblsp. olive oil, 2 Tblsp. white or white balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, ½ tsp. salt and couple of dashes of pepper. Cap the jar tightly and shake vigorously to blend and drizzle over the bread and vegetable mix. Toss well to blend and refrigerate for at least an hour, tossing several times to distribute the juices that will come from the vegetables. Serve cold or at room temperature and a few curls of parmesan cheese on top will make it even more elegant.

            This makes an excellent luncheon dish, but we had some for dinner with thin slices of  leftover cold steak with a horseradish, chive and sour cream sauce for the meat.

            Savory bread pudding or gratin is another excellent way to combine stale bread with vegetables for a different side dish for beef, chicken or pork. For this purpose small zucchini, mushrooms and even Japanese eggplants with their thin skins make a tasty combination.

                                    Savory vegetable and bread gratin

            Slice 2 Japanese eggplants and 1 baby zucchini, each about 5 inches long in ½ inch slices. Toss in a bowl with 1 Tblsp. olive oil and ½ tsp. salt. Spread on a rimmed cookie sheet and broil turning once to lightly brown both sides, which will remove some of the moisture. Butter an 9x6x2 inch baking dish and spread 2-3 cups stale or toasted 1 inch bread cubes evenly across the bottom. Chop coarsely 3 oz. fresh mushrooms and sauté in 2 Tblsp. butter with a thinly sliced onion and 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Toss the eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms together and spread over the bread cubes. Cover with a layer of ¼ inch sliced tomatoes, sprinkle with salt, pepper, 1 tsp. thyme leaves and drizzle with 2 Tblsp. olive oil.  Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, sprinkle with ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese browns. Serve warm as a side dish or main dish of a vegetarian meal.

            Instead of tomatoes, later in the season one can cover the vegetables with a cup of half-and-half blended with 2 eggs, ½ tsp. salt, pepper to taste and ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The many variations on both bread salads and savory gratins are all guaranteed to be delicious.

(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)

PLUM GOOD!

Plum Good!

            As the old saying goes: “Be careful what you wish for”! All of August we bemoaned the lack of that real summer warmth, that is necessary to  ripen this year’s garden bounty. By September mother nature relented, but in her whimsical way forgot to include enough moisture in form of rain to take care of the growth spurt in response to sudden heat and humidity. To quote Gilbert and Sullivan (Princess Ida): ”Oh, isn’t your life extremely flat, with nothing whatever to grumble at!”

            Anyway, fall and its fruit are upon us with all the myriad of choices of not only fresh fruit, but all those mouthwatering deserts that seem to get forgotten the rest of the seasons. Peaches and plums, our two most popular stone fruits, make an appearance before the long and popular season for visiting apple orchards.  Unfortunately local peaches have been scarce this year. Our peach tree had only 2 blossoms this spring demonstrating the reason for this year’s poor showing. On the other hand, plums seem to be plentiful and offer the opportunity to revisit some old and favorite recipes.

            Fresh red or black plums make a delicious and light desert when sliced, combined with orange sections and sprinkled with slightly sweetened coconut. Briefly grilled they present a pleasing accompaniment to chicken or pork, and work just as well as peaches in that capacity.  However, my favorite is a black plum (or prune plum) upside down cake.

                                                Plum upside down cake

            Cut 5 large black plums in half, remove the stone and slice each half in ¼ inch slices. Melt 1/3 cup butter in an 8 or 9 inch metal cake pan and stir in ½ cup packed brown sugar until melted. Stir in 1 Tblsp. maple syrup. Layer the plum slices in the butter mixture in concentric circles covering the entire bottom. If using prune plums, cut them in half only and set them in the mixture cut side up, again using enough plums to cover the entire bottom. Any spaces between the fruit can be filled with pecan halves (optional). To prepare the batter: In a small bowl whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 ¼ tsp. baking powder and ¼ tsp. salt. In a medium bowl cream ¼ cup butter with ½ cup sugar and 2 eggs, one at a time. Beat in ½ tsp. almond extract. Then using a wooden spoon stir in the flour mixture alternatively in 2 or 3 portions with  ¼ cup milk, starting and ending with flour until batter is smooth.  Spread batter evenly over the plums. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean, showing that the cake is done. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then invert on a plate with a rim for some juice that will settle around the cake. Serve warm or cool with or without whipped cream.

            An even simpler baked plum desert can be made using a recipe similar to the traditional Apple Brown Betty, which is really a bread pudding. The juicier texture of plums makes this a simple and moist desert.

                                                Plum Brown Betty

            Toast and cube 6-7 slices of stale bread from a 1 lb loaf. Toss in a 3 qt. bowl with ¼ cup melted butter and ½ tsp. ground nutmeg. Butter a 11x6x2 inch glass baking dish or equivalent and spread ¼ of the crumbs in the pan. Toss the rest of the crumbs with 1 cup sugar. Wash and halve 8-10 red plums (~1 lb), remove the stones and slice each half in 5-6 slices. Spread ½ of the plum slices over the bread in the pan, cover with ½ of the bread and sugar mixture  Follow with the second layer of plums and another layer of bread and sugar mixture. Dot with additional butter if desired. Cover tightly with non-stick aluminum foil and bake the covered dish  in a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes until fruit starts bubbling up. Remove the cover and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes. Remove to a cake rack and allow to cool. Serve warm with whipped topping or if served cool, a scoop of ice cream is also tasty

Plums may be less popular than peaches, but make some very delicious, satisfying and plumb good deserts. .

(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)

IMPROVISATIONAL LOBSTER BISQUE

Improvisational Lobster Bisque

            This column comes thanks to the generosity of our friend Dan, who inadvertently  handed me the challenge. Lobster bisque is that ultimate high end soup in restaurants that combines the delicate flavor of Maine lobster in a savory blend that pleases both eye and palate. Despite enjoying it on special occasions in Maine and occasionally elsewhere, I had actually never made the bisque, despite having a house here for almost twenty years..

            My usual summer enjoyment of lobster comes at a lobster pound in summer, or when some of our friends cook it at their house. The only requirement is that I’m allowed to eat it completely in a place that will not offend the table setting by thorough dissection of everything: legs, flippers, any roe and even the back meat. Alas, I have only cooked two of them at home, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is some inability to quickly wrestle the suspecting lobster in the pot. The result has been a lack of basic ingredients to start lobster bisque at home, which is a couple of whole cooked lobsters for the preparation.

            This was unexpectedly remedied a couple of weeks ago. Our Philadelphia kids were visiting and Dan obligingly was willing to take grandson Cole with him in the boat for another view of  lobstering, since a couple of years before he had found the process with bait and all somewhat intimidating. The morning was most successful in more ways than one! This time we saw our grandson grinning from ear to ear and gloriously grimy from head to toe, as he relished the experience of coming ashore with Dan and the winning catch.

            It was a beautiful Maine day, with the sun shimmering on the bay at our friends Jean and Dan’s home, when it was decided to have an impromptu lobster cookout and picnic on their outdoor table.  We had already packed a basket to go on a picnic after the morning anyway and the location and the occasion could not have been more perfect in the shade with the island silhouetted against a cloudless sky and a small sailboat across the bay. We had a marvelous lunch and I was spared having to wrestle any lobsters in the pot.

AND,  I was given two cooked lobsters to take home, which led to my discovering how to make lobster bisque! After having the claws for lunch next day I clearly faced the challenge and immediately consulted a couple of recipes. Marjorie Moser’s “Good Maine Food” (the 1947 reprinted edition) made it clear and straightforward, but required 2 cups of oyster crackers for the thickening. Clairborne and Franey had a page of ingredients and complicated instructions, so I improvised with some hints from both recipes.

                        Improvisational lobster bisque

Remove the tail meat (and claws, if not already eaten) from 2 cooked lobsters and set aside. Break apart the remainder of each carcass in large chunks. In a 4 quart pot sauté a chopped onion in 1 Tblsp. olive oil for 5 minutes, add  1 large celery rib cut in 2 inch pieces and 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 bay leaf and a sprig of thyme and sauté for an additional minute. Add in all the cracked lobster chunks, 1 large cleaned carrot cut in half, stir in 1 cup white wine and enough hot water to cover all the solids. Bring to boil and stir in 2 Tblsp. concentrated tomato paste. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes, remove from heat, set aside the carrot pieces and strain and discard the rest of the solids. When liquid is somewhat cooled, puree it with the carrot and cut up lobster tails. In the cleaned pot melt 4 Tblsp. butter, make a roux with 1/3 cup flour and slowly add some of the lobster puree while stirring to make a smooth sauce. When sauce is thickened, stir in the remaining liquid and heat to just boiling. (This can be done a day ahead and the bisque refrigerated and reheated the following day).  To finish, add 1 Tblsp. Asian fish sauce, 3/2 cup dry sherry and 1 cup heavy cream. Heat to just before boiling and serve.

The soup looks elegant when served with part of a lobster claw as garnish, but since I had eaten mine for lunch the previous day, the garnish was a large crouton and a sprig of dill. It still looked elegant and tasted of the best flavors of Maine.

Inadvertent challenges certainly make life in the kitchen interesting.

(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)