WRAP IT 'UP'!

Wrap it up!

            The passing of old and beginning anew get mostly associated with arrival of the New Year in midwinter. And yet, we anticipate the arrival of summer with equal feelings of letting go as well as expectations for the new.  This seems especially true this year, when letting go of snow was such a slow process. However, the season of graduations and weddings inevitably announces change accompanied by both trepidation and joy.

            At our house the anticipatory activities seem multiplied, since most of the children and all the grandchildren have birthdays in the summer.  While we  may turn a jaundiced eye to birthdays in later years regretting the passing of time, but for children and teenagers birthdays are definite marks of passage and achievements and PRESENTS!

            Which brings me to the process of wrapping gifts for all these celebrations. Tantalizing elaborate wrappings may lead to unrealistic expectations that the contents will measure up to the cover, an unfortunate assumption for anything in life.  This I often take as an excuse for being a relative minimalist in this activity. Two of the best gifts I ever received had such wrapping. One was, a notebook wrapped in newspaper at Christmas during WWII in Europe, when I could expect nothing and the second was, a birthday gift many years later from my sons wrapped in brown paper and “tied up with string” for “some of my favorite things” (Sound of Music, Rodgers and Hammerstein).

            Fortunately for this column, food wraps are easy, decorative and edible together with their contents, so there is never a question about the equal importance of cover and content. They also fit in well with summer entertaining when time is of importance and it is helpful to prepare things ahead of  time. Pairing fruit or vegetables with thinly sliced deli meats on an appetizer platter can produce interesting variations for your taste buds.

                                                Fruit and vegetable wraps

            Prosciutto wrapped around melon (cantaloupe or honeydew) cubes or sticks is a well-known standard. Prosciutto also pairs and looks elegant wrapped around the center of an asparagus spear that has been cooked for no more than 3 minutes in boiling salted water. A special treat for this is to layer a thin line of cream cheese on each asparagus spear before wrapping with prosciutto.

            Thin sliced salami, ham or smoked turkey make excellent wraps for pickled string beans or thin spears of dill pickles. Anyone on a Paleo-diet would also enjoy them wrapped around a stick of cheese, instead of a sandwich.

            Mandoline or thin wide peeled slices of cucumber or even young zucchini, are good wrapped around strong flavored cheeses or cream cheese blended with bacon crumbs. Tender red or green lettuce leaves make wonderful wraps for chicken, tuna or shrimp salad.

            And then there are sandwich wraps. They first became popular certainly more than ten years ago, when suddenly Lavash bread pinwheels appeared on everyone’s cocktail party plates. Now that wraps are advertised at every supermarket as the sandwich alternative, they have all but disappeared.  However, despite the passing food trend, they make an attractive and easy to handle appetizer for any celebration or to accompany cold soup at lunch served in the shade on a hot day.

                                                Spicy beef or turkey pinwheels

            Soften 8 oz package of cream cheese and blend with 2 Tblsp. sour cream or Ranch dressing and 1 tsp. drained of horseradish. Spread on one side of each Lavash bread or  large flour tortilla. Sprinkle some arugula or baby spinach leaves on top and layer thin slices roast beef or smoked turkey (or ham) on the surface. Cut thin strips of roast red pepper or pimento, drain, blot dry and arrange one or two of the strips lengthwise on top of the meat. Roll each wrap tightly lengthwise, wrap tightly in saran or aluminum forl and chill at least 2 hours. Cut the rolls into 1 inch pieces, discarding the ends.

            The infinite variety of wraps extends also to warm luncheon and supper dishes, but that will have to wait for another column. But how do you wrap a Maine summer? With the best of smiles of course!

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)

WITH OR AGAINST THE GRAIN?

With or Against the Grain?

            Couscous, grits, quinoa, bulgur, faro…No, I have not joined a New Age dance community with the coming of summer. Rather I’m exploring the culinary possibilities of these ancient grains that recently have come again to the attention of foodies everywhere. Suddenly in chic restaurants you may find your lamb chop on a bed of quinoa where previously it may have been lentils, a shrimp ragout served on a bed of couscous, where previously it might have been polenta. Bulgur wheat is cropping up in a variety of Mediterranean dishes. The good news for summer is that most of these grains require minimal preparation time.

            Couscous is a long time Mediterranean staple from western North Africa to southern France.  It is actually derived from crushed unground semolina wheat, just like other pasta, but undergoes further cycles of moistening and steaming before it ends up on our plates. Fortunately for the modern cook, Moroccan or fine couscous, roughly the size 3 times cornmeal, requires very little effort. You simply bring to boil 1 cup of water or broth with 1 Tblsp. butter, salt to taste, stir in 1 cup of couscous, cover, remove from heat, allow to sit for 5 minutes, fluff lightly with a fork and serve. Couscous like grits has little flavor itself, the success of your meal is going to depend on the topping or other flavoring agents you add, such as parmesan, dried currants and pine nuts or even chopped sun dried tomatoes.

                                    Couscous with soppressata

Prepare couscous as described above. For topping: sauté 6 oz of sliced mushrooms with a  chopped onion for 15 minutes, stir in 1 Tblsp. lemon juice and chopped soppressata or other spicy sausage. ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes and finely chopped 5 sundried tomatoes.  When heated through,  sprinkle with 1-2 Tblsp. flour, slowly stir in 1 cup of beef broth and cook with stirring until thickened. Serve ragout on top of couscous.

            Hearty summer salads are welcome both for lunch and dinner and find a new appetizing appeal with grains instead of potatoes or pasta. One of my favorites for years has been Tabbouli salad, which can be prepared ahead and even keeps for a day or two when refrigerated.  Bulgur wheat is a natural whole grain cereal that is cracked and partially processed to shorten cooking time. A staple of Mediterranean diet, it is now estimated by archaeologists that early Neolithic Bulgarians may have used this cooking method as early as 5730 BC, as found in grain excavations. Bronze age fragmented cereal and grain has been found also in Northern Greece

                                    Tabbouli salad

            Cover 1 cup of bulgur wheat with 2 cups of boiling water and allow to sit for 20 minutes, drain thoroughly and place in a large bowl. Add:1 cup finely chopped parsley, 4 thinly sliced scallions with green tops, ¼ cup finely chopped mint, 2 chopped tomatoes and ½ cup finely diced seedless cucumber (optional).  Prepare vinaigrette by mixing ½ cup lemon juice, 1Tblsp. rice vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. pepper, dash of Tabasco and whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil. Toss vinaigrette with the bulgur and vegetable mixture and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve topped with halved cherry tomatoes.

            Fortunately there are some grains that are naturally gluten free and can be enjoyed by those individuals who need to avoid gluten in their diets. Quinoa has become recently widely available. As a pseudo-cereal it is gluten-free and unlike grass type cereals it contains the essential amino acid lysine, as well as being high in protein content.. Like potatoes it originated in the Peruvian Andes. Quinoa cooks in 20 minutes and can be served warm as a side dish, with enhancements such as pine nuts, spinach or even pancetta. Because of its texture it also makes wonderful hearty salads, especially when combined with black beans or garbanzos.

                                    Quinoa and garbanzo/black bean salad

            Cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups boiling salted water, drain and cool. Drain and rinse one 14 oz can of garbanzos or black beans and combine with the cooked quinoa. Stir in: 1  diced red pepper, 4 thinly sliced scallions and ¾ cups halved grape tomatoes. Toss all with vinaigrette: 3 Tblsp. lime juice, 3 Tblsp. grape seed or olive oil, 2 oz. chopped dill pickle or pickled onion (optional) , salt and pepper. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Exploring these cyclical discoveries by new/old food trends can be a fascinating learning experience and a delicious way to welcome summer!

(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)

PECAN STICKY BUN CRAVINGS

Pecan Sticky Bun Cravings

            Rain had been coming down in sheets for hours, which held the promise of grass finally greening, if it ever managed to rise above the mud. Yes, our mud season had arrived, which after our extended winter promised to be just as spectacular in it’s own right. Some subliminal yearning for warmer climes and food must have triggered a sudden craving for pecan sticky buns.

            Usually my husband and I satisfy such a craving with lunch at the Country Cupboard Café in New Harbor and take home some magnificent sticky buns from there for later in the day or next morning’s breakfast. But this winter had severely curtailed such expeditions and for all I knew, they were still on their winter schedule. It was time to improvise without going to the trouble of starting a new batch of yeast sweet roll dough. There was a package of Crescent bake rolls (8 rolls) in the refrigerator, I had an ample supply of pecans thanks to a California friend’s Christmas largesse and the rest would be my kitchen staples.

                                                Impromptu pecan buns

            Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a 2 cup pot combine 1/3 cup unsalted butter, ½ cup brown sugar lightly packed, 3 Tblsp. corn syrup, 2 Tblsp. water.  Heat with stirring  until sugar is dissolved and spoon the mixture in the bottom of 8 place medium muffin tin. (If muffin cups are too large, the syrup is likely to dry and give you pecan praline, which may be tasty, but not in the design for the present recipe.) Place pecans in a single layer to cover syrup mix. Separate the bake rolls (do not unroll) and place on top of the pecans, then and baste the top of each with some melted butter. Bake 8-10 minutes until rolls are browned. Remove from the oven and invert on a large plate or tray. Serve warm or reheat in microwave.

            The results were quick and tasty, but definitely not in league with anyone’s great sticky buns. So, continuing in the experimental mode, I recalled a delightful Christmas visit with our kids in London more than a decade ago, where our daughter-in law’s mother Kathy made delicious almond sticky buns for breakfast. Here is her modified recipe adapted for pecans using ½ recipe of my usual sweet roll dough.

                                    Pecan lemon sticky buns

            Prepare the sweet roll dough by softening 1 pkg. yeast in ¼ cup lukewarm water with 1 tsp. sugar until frothy. Add to ½ cup lukewarm milk with 2 Tblsp. sugar, 2 Tblsp. melted butter, 1 tsp. grated lemon rind, 1 beaten egg, ¼ tsp. ground cardamom. Stir in 2 and ¼ cups flour and when thoroughly mixed, kneed or mix on medium speed with a dough hook for 5 minutes. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

            In the meantime in a small saucepan combine: ½ cup sugar, 1/3 cup dark corn syrup, 4 Tblsp. butter, 1 tsp. finely shredded lemon zest, 2 Tblsp. lemon juice. Cook and stir just until sugar is dissolved and mixture simmers. Pour in the bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2 baking pan. Sprinkle 1 and ½ cups very coarsely chopped pecans on top of the sugar mixture in the pan.

            Turn the raised dough out on a lightly floured surface and roll to a 16x8 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 Tblsp. melted butter and sprinkle with ¼ cup sugar mixed with ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg. Beginning with the long side, roll up the dough tightly jelly-roll fashion, sealing the edges. Cut the roll into 16 one-inch slices and place, cut side down on top of sugar mixture in the pan.

            Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, loosen the sides and turn out on a large tray or pan. Serve warm and enjoy.

            This version of pecan sticky buns requires no apologies.

(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)

RETHINKING SPRING

Rethinking Spring

            The word April has a musical ring compared to March that seemed to order us just to put one foot in front of the other until we arrived to a more hospitable clime. As the snow finally started to melt along roadways, robins were seen standing as sentinels along the newly uncovered edges.  With tilted heads they kept looking for some movement of earth that signaled the thaw underground. But then it snowed on Easter Sunday!

            Now at mid-April, after another snowstorm, I found myself looking with new appreciation to the leftover ham with its flavorful bone for bean soup. This traditionally hearty cold weather soup suddenly seemed most appropriate if not to the season, but certainly to the chill. The continued cold barely allowed a few snowdrops, crocuses and winter aconite to peek out from the edge of the snow bank, only a foot from the foundation of our house.

                                                White bean and bone soup

            Wash and pick over 1 lb white Northern beans (or ½ lb. Northern beans plus ½ lb. white dried lima beans) and soak in 2 quarts cold water overnight. [Or you can bring the rinsed beans to boil for a minute without soaking, turn off the heat and allow to sit while you start to prepare the rest of the soup.]

Heat a heavy large pot over medium heat and lightly brown the trimmed ham bone and any large pieces of baked ham trimmings that won’t be used for other dishes. When the meat is browned, stir in 1 large chopped onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 chopped stalks of celery with leaves, 2 carrots cut lengthwise and sliced, a small sprig of tarragon, 1 large bayleaf and a small cheesecloth bag with 7 cloves, 10 peppercorns and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes. Add 3-4 quarts of water, enough to cover the bone, bring to boil and then reduce the heat to cook at a gentle boil. After 30 minutes, drain the beans, add to the soup and continue to cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours until the beans are tender. Remove the ham bone, any ham trimmings, bayleaf and the cheesecloth bag. For creamier soup mash some of the beans. Trim off any lean meat and return as small pieces to the soup. Stir in 2 Tblsp. tomato paste and correct seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot with crusty bread and salad. Soup improves in flavor with reheating the following day.

The bonus leftovers of a flavorful, clove studded Easter ham that has baked with a glaze of mustard, brown sugar, currant jam and lemon juice are not to be underestimated. It makes a wonderful filling for omelette, with mushrooms, red pepper and scallion and getting back to thoughts of spring, ham and asparagus make a perfect luncheon dish. Asparagus with Hollandaise is a classic, but mushrooms in cream sauce give it an unexpected dimension.

                                    Asparagus and shitake with cream

Wipe ½ -3/4  lb of shitake mushrooms with a damp paper towel, remove the stems and slice the caps thinly. Roughly chop the stems and cook for 5 minutes in 1 cup water. When cool, remove solids by draining through a paper towel, reserve the liquid and reduce by boiling to ¼ cup. Melt 2 Tblsp. unsalted butter in a pan and quickly sauté 2 chopped shallots until translucent, Stir in the sliced shitake and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes, add ½ cup white wine and ½ cup dry vermouth. Continue to cook until liquid is reduced to about ½ cup, stir in the reduced mushroom liquid and ½ cup heavy cream. Cook on low heat until the liquid coats the back of the spoon. Adjust flavor with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Trim the tough part of 1 lb of asparagus, rinse and cook in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from water and drain briefly before aligning in a shallow serving dish with sides. Cover the stalks crosswise in the center with the mushroom sauce, sprinkle with chopped fresh tarragon and serve with slices of warm or cold ham.

Rethinking menus may be practical, but one should not give up hope for spring.

(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)

THINK SHRIMP

Think Shrimp

            “Shrimp boats is a-coming, their sails are in sight”, the voice of Jo Stafford runs down memory lane for me this time of the year. The tune and second line of the song “Shrimp boats is a-coming, there’s dancing tonight” has such a wishful spring feel one could almost believe that daylight savings time and the spring equinox may actually liberate us from the igloo like walls of snow.

            I have not actually seen a shrimp boat under sail, though some years ago we saw a line-up of them in a bayou near New Orleans. Unfortunately Maine shrimp boats have been idle these last couple of years in order to allow the stocks to recover in our waters.  Still, this time of year always makes me think of shrimp on the menu as a harbinger of spring. Many of us fondly remember just a few years ago, when those delicious tiny Maine shrimp were available from buckets by those who caught them.

            After the hearty meals of winter, with slow cooker delicious recipes and thick soups to chase away the chill, the texture of shrimp in easily prepared dishes wakes up our taste buds to a new season. The feeling of the dishes is lighter and fits in beautifully with the notion of shedding a few of those pounds accumulated during our winter hibernation.

            The current methods of preserving the freshness of cooked shrimp available in stores makes many of the preparations much simpler. Peeling and deveining even a pound of medium shrimp can be a real chore, but was necessary when the cooked product was tough from excessive heat.  The presently available product can go in any dish and withstand even a minute of heat without becoming tough. However, it is still necessary to remove tip of the tail shell, unless you are serving them in a shrimp cocktail appetizer.

            Versatility of shrimp makes them a delightful partner in dishes from breakfast to lunch and dinner. An elegant shrimp-Benedict with crossed asparagus spears on top, flanked by some fruit, could wake up anyone’s palate. For lunch there are endless possibilities with shrimp tacos or shrimp filling in pita bread.

                                    Tangy shrimp tacos

            In a bowl place ¼ cup sundried tomatoes and soak in hot water for 5 minutes, drain and finely chop. Blend 2 Tblsp. lime juice with ½ tsp. soy sauce and a shake or two of Tabasco. Toss 1 lb medium cooked shrimp, tail tips removed, with the lime juice and sun dried tomatoes. Marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes. Peel and thinly slice an avocado. Warm 8 six-inch corn tortillas and assemble each placing 1 or two slices of avocado in the center, cover with 1/8 of the shrimp mixture, sprinkle with a bit of chopped scallion and a few quartered grape tomatoes and serve.

            Variations on this recipe could use prepared guacamole or with pita bread even with sundried tomato humus. A more substantial and warm shrimp dish for dinner could be another meal made with flour tortillas.

                                    Shrimp fajitas ólè!

            Assemble the cut vegetables before starting the recipe: 1 thinly sliced onion, ½ seeded red and green peppers each cut up in 1 inch chunks, 2 oz sliced mushrooms, 2 large tomatoes cut in ½ inch wedges,  1 large chopped garlic clove. Have on hand also either dried or bottled fajita sauce. Marinate I lb large cooked shrimp, tail tips removed, for 10 minutes in 2 Tblsp. lime juice, ¼ tsp. salt, scant ¼ tsp cayenne, ¼ tsp. marjoram. You can use cleaned uncooked shrimp for this recipe, but the cooking time for shrimp at the end should be increased..

            When ready to cook, heat 2 Tblsp. olive oil to shimmering and quickly sautè the onion, peppers and mushrooms for 5 minutes, add in the garlic for 1 minute more and then the tomatoes. Sprinkle with the taco mix and add water according to directions. Continue to cook for a few minutes until the liquid is somewhat reduced and stir in the shrimp. Cook for 1 additional minute with cooked shrimp and 3 minutes for fresh shrimp. Serve on warmed 10 inch flour tortillas with light sour cream for garnish.

            “Shrimp boats is a-coming, there is dancing tonight..”(Paul Mason Howard/Paul Weston – 1951).

            (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)