When Less is More

When Less is More.

            Sometimes less is really more! No, this is not a contemplation about the coming summer swim suit season. Rather, by paring down extraneous distractions, we sometimes can concentrate on the basic substance of what we see, hear and even taste of the natural wonders in front of us.

            While a bouquet of flowers is likely to cheer us, a single blossom is more likely to draw our attention to the color, the shape of the petal and the simple grace of a flower. Years ago, I recall one of my more successful flower arrangements for a friend’s engagement party consisted of no more than some drooping willow branches standing in a long shallow dish, hovering over a couple of large light blue irises with a simple rock at the other end of the dish. Japanese flower arrangements draw attention by personifying simplicity.

            In a similar vein, large orchestras and choral works can overwhelm us with their power and majesty of sound. Yet, a single instrument or voice can focus and evoke emotion on a very directed way.  Even the song of a single lark on a sunny summer morning can make you smile, because all is well with the world.

            Food trends, in at least the last ten years, have moved toward discoveries of delightful global cuisines with unusual  ingredients, spices and intriguing flavors. Often, the wider availability of such spices and ingredients has also translated in various fusion cuisines, each more and more complicated with an ever expanding list of ingredients. Before anyone tells me that “the pot is calling the kettle black”, I will confess to a long shelf and a full kitchen drawer full of spices and innate curiosity about most of those intriguing ingredients.

                                                Steel cut oatmeal

            Even in spring, steel cut oatmeal makes a simple and satisfying breakfast. The nutty flavor is worth the extra time for preparation. Bring 3 cups of salted water to boil and stir in 1 cup steel cut oats. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook for 30 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally for the last 10 minutes, to avoid a cement like mixture on the bottom of the pan. Serve plain, with a dab of butter in the center or a light sprinkling of brown sugar.

However, the season of fresh local ingredients is upon us.  The fact that those local ingredients have inimitable and sometimes delicate flavors should at least occasionally be emphasized and sometimes rediscovered with only minimal enhancements.

                                    Sorrel, barley soup

            Sorrel is a leafy green that grows well in the cool New England climate and is one of the first to appear in spring. It is similar to spinach, but has a distinct acidic flavor. It is best to cook the barley separately to preserve the texture of the soup.

            Rinse ½ cup barley in several changes of cold water to remove the powdery fines. Cook it for 30 minutes in 2-3 cups of salted water and drain. Wash one or two bunches of sorrel in cold water, trim the stems, very coarsely slice and set aside. Simmer 1 Tblsp. onion flakes for 5 minutes in 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth. Stir in the sorrel and simmer for 2 minutes. Then stir in the barley to heat before serving. Serve hot with a chopped hard-boiled egg on top. Alternatively, serve cold with a Tblsp, sour cream stirred in at the table. This soup can be also made with diced potatoes, but cook those in the broth before adding the sorrel.

                                    Fresh crab cakes

            Fresh crab has one of those delicate natural flavors that is easily overwhelmed with too many ingredients in the recipe. This recipe keeps the flavor with minimal amount of filling.

            Mix ¼ cup sour cream or mayonnaise with: 1Tblsp. lemon juice, ¼ cup dry fine bread crumbs, ¼ tsp. salt, 2 Tblsp. chopped parsley, 2 finely chopped scallions and ¾ lb. fresh crabmeat. Chill 20 minutes, then form patties using ¼ -1/3 cup of the mixture. Dip lightly in more breadcrumbs and fry in batches, 2 minutes on the side in 3 Tblsp, canola oil.  Serve with potatoes and vegetable or arrange on leaf lettuce.                 

                              Steamed fiddleheads

            Strange to say, but I first encountered fiddleheads on my plate at a Sierra Club fundraiser dinner out west, where they were considered an exotic vegetable. Fortunately in Maine we can look forward to this delicacy each spring. Their delicate flavor is best appreciated with a simple and quick preparation.

            Trim and rinse 1 lb. fresh fiddleheads. Steam over boiling water sprinkled with some sea salt for 5 minutes. Place in a bowl and toss with 2 tsp. rice vinegar. Optional: 1 Tblsp. melted butter. Enjoy!

            And finally, when it comes to strawberries one needs to concentrate on their natural flavor, but strawberries are a whole other topic.

(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)

SPRING DREAMING

Spring Dreaming

            Spring actually arrived by official count on March 20^th in Maine like elsewhere with the vernal equinox.  Unfortunately Mother Nature forgot us up here this year, despite the teasingly warm winter months. The grass still has not greened, the snowdrops, crocuses and winter aconite have faded to be replaced only by a some grape hyacinths and scillas. The only two daffodils are shivering and feeling lonely closely butted up against the house in sub-freezing nights.

            But the sun cheers the still bleak landscape and I’m reminded that in Maine the saying: ”April showers will bring May flowers” is actually literally true. Years ago, when we first moved to Maine, it was an eye opening discovery that trees actually did not leaf out until relatively late in May and those tulips, that had survived the connoisseur deer also did not appear until then. So there is still hope.

            Spring dreaming in the kitchen thus is likely to lead to active considerations of things like radishes and definitely the embodiment of spring everywhere – asparagus. It may not really qualify as ‘thrifty’, but prosciutto wrapped asparagus spears make a tasty appetizer or even a light lunch accompanied by some crusty bread. After all, one can rationalize that the prosciutto slices are very thin and you don’t need much.

                             Prosciutto wrapped asparagus

            Snap the tough ends from asparagus spears, wash them and cook in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Immediately immerse in ice water to cool and allow to drain. Spread a 2-3 inch line of cream cheese or softened goat cheese on one side of the lower stalk and wrap tightly with about ½ slice of prosciutto. Layer asparagus in a star shaped pattern on a large plate, or for a large amount pile on an elongated plate as ‘logs’. Decorate between or around the spears with thinly sliced large red radishes, each topped with a dab or goat cheese.

                                    Creamy asparagus soup  

            Trim tough ends from 1  ½   lb. asparagus and save 1 ½ inch tips from 10 spears. Cut the rest in 1 inch pieces. Lightly sauté 1 medium onion in 2 Tblsp. butter, add the asparagus spears, 4 cups chicken broth and 1 medium potato cubed.  Bring to boil and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Meanwhile blanch the reserved asparagus spears for 2-3 minutes in boiling salted water and chill in ice water. When soup is slightly cooled purée in a blender and return to the pot. Heat to boiling and add 1 cup light cream heating again to just boiling. Stir in 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with croutons and the asparagus tips.

            Quiche is something that can taste equally well at breakfast, lunch or dinner. A  starburst of asparagus on the top is likely to give it not just eye appeal, but tempt many a jaded palate. In certain company it may be prudent to name it simply “Primavera Pie” to avoid the old prejudices that “…. don’t eat quiche”.

‘Primavera pie’

            Bake a prepared pie crust in a 9 inch pie plate according to instructions. Cook 4 slices thick bacon to crisp and drain on paper towels. Trim and blanch for 3 minutes 8 asparagus spears in salted water and chill. Slice thinly 2 shallots in the baked pie crust and crumble the bacon over them. Sprinkle with 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese and layer the asparagus spears like the spokes of a wheel across the top. In a bowl beat 4 large eggs with 1 cup ½ and ½ cream, ¼ tsp. nutmeg, ½ tsp. salt and dash of pepper. Pour over the asparagus, pressing the mixture down. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 40 min. or until the center looks cooked. Cool for 5 minutes and slice in wedges.

            Having my green eye receptors refreshed in the kitchen, I find myself looking at the still bleak landscape with definite hope.

(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)

COLOR AND TEXTURE

 

 

Color and Texture

            Anyone who saw the scene in the old movie “Oliver”, where he asks for “More” of  that indescribably gray and thin porridge, could not remain unconvinced of the hunger of  those poor orphans. That movie scene, adapted from the musical based on Charles Dickens “Oliver Twist”, demonstrated visually the desperation that would make even such unappealing fare desirable. Poor Oliver just got stuck with the short straw for the job.

            The importance of color and texture in our appreciation of food was brought to mind recently by a dish our friend Dan brought over, when I was in a suboptimal condition for kitchen duty. Simply called, it was a barley and lamb dish, to be served hot or at room temperature, but was a perfect example of how color and texture could transform two plain components into a tempting and tasty presentation.

            Cooked barley is relatively soft and mild as are quickly sautéed lamb strips. However, barely sautéed onions, red peppers and chopped celery and tomatillo gave it both color and crunch. Short pieces of still crisp green bean, a few olives and slightly tart artichoke hearts finished the garnish, all subtly seasoned with a light lemony dressing.  The colorful touches and the variety of the textures enhanced both the flavor and it’s substance to make it an outstanding dish.

            Like lilies, fresh good food does not always need to be enhanced. A well done steak can stand on it’s own, so can a strawberry. However, a crisp golden roasted chicken is likely to be more appetizing than a boiled anemic pale piece of chicken thigh as we have learned in the kitchen. The eye and the mouth seem to work together in conjunction with all those specialized taste buds on our tongues for: sweet, sour, bitter and savory.

            Going into spring and summer, it is worth considering some of the ways in which to brighten up something as basic as a spinach salad. All quick and easy to assemble and a feast to the eye.

                                    Mediterranean spinach salad

            In a large bowl assemble a bag of baby spinach, ½ cup toasted almonds, 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, ½ cup diced red pepper, ¼ cup dried chopped apricots or cranberries, and ½ cup mandarin orange sections cut in half  Toss with 3 + Tblsp. lemony vinaigrette: 2 Tblsp, fresh lemon juice, 3 Tblsp. orange juice, ¼ cup olive oil, salt and pepper, ½ tsp. dried oregano (optional).

                                    Oriental spinach salad

            In a large bowl assemble a bag of baby spinach, ½ cup sliced water chestnuts, ½ cup toasted pecans, ½ cup sliced fresh mushroom caps, 4 chopped scallions with both green and white parts and ½ cup roughly crumbled dry raman noodles. Toss with 3-4 Tblsp.Oriental vinaigrette: 1/3 cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup canola oil, 2 tsp. brown sugar, 1 Tblsp. soy sauce, 1Tblsp, water, 1 Tblsp. grated ginger.

            Contrasting color and texture are easily accomplished by the addition of nuts, dried fruit and lightly sautéed vegetables.

                                    Wild rice, Bacon and Pecan Pilaf

            Cook 1 cup rinsed wild rice in 3 cups salted water for 40 minutes and drain any excess liquid. Meanwhile crisp 3 slices thick bacon, drain on paper towels and break apart in medium pieces. In the bacon drippings sauté 1 medium onion cut in thin wedges and 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced for 5 minutes, stir in 2 minced garlic cloves and continue to cook for an additional minute. Add ½ cup vegetable or chicken broth, ¼ cup golden raisins, ¼ tsp. salt and pepper to taste and cook over low heat until liquid is absorbed. Stir in rice, bacon, 1 Tblsp. white wine vinegar and ½ cup toasted chopped pecans just before serving. Reserve a few pecan halves for garnish and sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds.

            Considering that color and texture are the usual tools for artists, I asked my friend Jean Kigel for her ideas about the importance of color and texture. Her insightful answer comes from her experience with art, but might be as easily applied to food,

            “Color and texture are powerful tools in art.  They evoke emotion. They elicit attention……even when we’re not aware of them……Although we seek order and harmony in art, we need the right amount of stimulation….if only in accents.

                       

 (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)

SAVORY PANCAKES

Savory Pancakes

            Comfort food!  There are days, when the weather is unsettled and the constellation of events in your life is far from optimum, when nothing but comfort food will satisfy. Realizing that this may be a very individual matter, nevertheless – it is unlikely to be a stalk of celery, an asparagus spear or even a stalk of broccoli, unless you are a rabbit.

            Since we are talking here ‘real food’, chocolate or a bag of chips don’t count. Comfort food is by its nature defined by your background and experience as well as taste buds.  The Chinese probably have a favorite dumpling dish, Italians - pasta, Japanese – udon or soba noodles in dashi, Germans – a favorite sausage, French –cassoulet,  Vietnamese – the fragrant soup pho, Russians – borsch and herring etc.

            Up here in the Northeast we are more likely to think of fish or corn chowder, macaroni and cheese or baked beans with some accompaniment. For breakfast most people would consider pancakes, blueberry or any other kind, comfort food. They have the advantage of being uncomplicated, fairly quick, fresh off the pan and delicious.

            Fortunately the pancake format does not have to belong exclusively to breakfast. Instead of sweet flavors, savory pancakes can take a starring role in both dinner and lunch.

                                                Savory Corn Fritters

            In a bowl sift together 1 cup flour with 1 tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp. salt. In another small bowl beat together 1 egg, 1/3 cup milk and 1 Tblsp. melted butter. Stir the liquid in the flour mixture and then fold in 1 cup thawed/drained whole corn kernels and 1 tsp. finely chopped jalapeno pepper. Fry small pancakes in a heavy skillet in 1 Tblsp. canola oil until golden. Serve hot. For a variation, stir in 3 Tblsp. shredded sharp cheese, before frying the pancakes.

            Potato pancakes come in many variations and are good not with just grilled meats, but with an accompaniment of sour cream and smoked fish can serve for a meal.

                                                Potato Pancakes

             In a small bowl beat together: 2 large eggs with 6 Tblsp. flour, ¾ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper. Peel 2 medium russet or Yukon Gold potatoes and coarsely shred them in a paper towel (make sure it is a brand that allows drainage) lined sieve. Squeeze out all moisture and place the potatoes in a bowl and mix in a shredded peeled medium onion. Stir in thoroughly the egg mixture. Drop tablespoons of the batter in 2 Tblsp. hot canola oil in a heavy heated skillet, slightly flatten them and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes to a side until golden brown. Serve hot, but the pancakes can be made ahead and reheated in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes to crisp them again.

            This type of potato pancakes can be also made with sweet potatoes (yams) flavored with cumin and cayenne.

            One of my favorite childhood memories has to do with very thin pancakes in envelope format filled with a cooked meat and bacon mixture, lightly fried golden brown and served with sour cream or spicy chutney. In German these are called “Komm Morgen vieder”, in Latvian“Nāc rīt atkal”,or in English “Come again tomorrow”. These thin pancakes are the thickness of crepes, but not as rich.

                                    “Come Again Pancakes”

            Pancake batter – lightly beat together 1 egg with ¼ tsp, salt, ½ cup milk and ½ cup water. When batter is smooth, beat in 1 tsp. sour cream. Pour ¼ cup batter in a little hot butter in an 8 inch pan, rotating the pan to spread out the batter evenly and fry for 2 minutes only on one side. Remove from pan and place 1 tbsp. meat mixture on the browned side. Fold the pancake around the meat as an envelope and place folded side down for the second browning when all pancakes are filled.

            Meat mixture: Fry until crisp 2 slices of bacon and drain on paper towels. Mix ¼ lb browned and drained ground beef with 1 medium onion peeled and finely chopped, ¼ tsp salt, the crumbled bacon, pepper to taste and 1 Tblsp. sour cream.

            When all the pancakes are filled, fry the pancake ‘pillows’ in batches in a small amount of butter, turning once, until golden. Serve while hot.

            While there is a person in our house who would insist that ice cream is the ultimate comfort food, savory pancakes will fill the bill for me any day.

(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)

VALENTINE'S DINNER FOR TWO

Valentine’s Dinner for Two

            A long time ago (as told in any fairy tale) mothers used to tell their daughters that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. Thus: ”You better learn to cook, girl, or no one will love you!” Since that was a fairy tale long ago and these days men cook as well as women, this column is no longer directed only to the female of the species.

            Valentine’s Day comes this year on a Sunday and allows for more leisurely approach to a romantic dinner for two at home. This being Maine and February, the possibility of a snowstorm is another inducement for celebrating the day at home. Having set the stage on the table with some flowers and candles, the trick is to have a menu that does not overwhelm the cook at the last minute and yet looks elegant at the table.

            One of my favorite main dishes for such an occasion is Coquilles St. Jacques or scallops in a delicate sauce. It is an adaptation from an old recipe by Fernande Garvin’s “The Art of French Cooking” published in the late 1950’s, when Bantam books were sold at 35 cents and I was first learning to cook.

                                    Coquilles St. Jacques Parisienne

            In a heavy saucepan combine ¾ lb sea scallops, ¾ cup dry white wine ¼  tsp salt and a couple of shakes of cayenne pepper. Slowly bring to boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Reserve the liquid and cut the scallops in bite size pieces. Heat 2 Tblsp. butter in the same sauce pan and briefly sauté 1 finely chopped shallot, stir in 1 Tblsp. flour and slowly add the reserved cooking liquid and ½ cup milk, stirring constantly for 3 min. until the sauce thickens.  Add ½ cup coarsely chopped white mushrooms heating for 5 minutes, stir in the scallops and heat through. Stir in 2 Tblsp. grated Swiss or Gruyère cheese and mix well. Divide scallops between two buttered shells or individual casseroles. The dish can be made a couple of hours ahead to this point. Sprinkle each dish with 1 Tblsp. bread crumbs and dot with 1 tsp. butter. Broil until top is browned and serve hot with boiled fingerling potatoes or rice.

            If your love is more the carnivore type, steak with peppercorns may be more appropriate.

                                                Steak au Poivre

            Start with tenderloin, boneless ribeye  or even NY strip steak, depending on your pocketbook. Rub steak with salt and press into surfaces 1 Tblsp. green or pink peppercorns per piece. Black peppercorns are too strong, so use judiciously if only those are available. In a heavy skillet melt 2 Tblsp. butter and 1 Tblsp. oil until hot but not smoking. Add steaks and cook 3-4 minutes or more on each side, depending on thickness of meat and desired doneness. Remove to a heated platter. Pour off fat from the pan and add ½ cup Madeira (not sweet) or Ruby Port and  ½ cup beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pan until the crust has dissolved. Reduce the sauce to ½ cup or less and pour over the steaks on the platter. Serve with sautéed mushrooms and fingerling potatoes.

            Both of these dishes would go well with a simple salad and peas with pearl onions. As for the ‘finale’, Valentine’s day seems to almost demand chocolate. Here is a classic Chocolate mousse, which fortunately can be made ahead and stored cold until serving. This recipe is for 4 servings,

                                                Chocolate mousse

            In a heavy small sauce pan combine 1/8 cup strong coffee with 2 large squares of semi-sweet chocolate. Heat until melted, but do not allow to boil.  Remove from heat and stir in 3 tsp. sugar, stirring until melted. Add a total of 4 egg yolks, one at a time stirring thoroughly each time. Turn mixture into a serving bowl. In another bowl beat 5 egg whites until soft peaks form and then beat in 2 tsp. sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture thoroughly, divide in tall serving dishes and chill. Serve with a strawberry or couple of raspberries on top.

            Happy Valentine’s Day!

(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)