FRIED GREN TOMATOES

Fried Green Tomatoes

            The concept of ‘fried green tomatoes’ hit the world 25 years ago as a literary event with the appearance of Fannie Flag’s “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café”. It is an intergenerational tale of an ordinary Southern family, food and it’s members taking care of each other. The book became popular and was even made into a movie a few years later.  For people like me living in the North, it came with the additional revelation: ‘yes, you could fry green tomatoes and they taste great!

          This is the time of the year that reminds me of that. The garden crop of tomatoes is taking it’s sweet time about turning color and the bounty of the still green crop becomes very tempting as a side dish for meat, or even an unconventional side to scrambled eggs for breakfast. The old fashioned simple recipes will tell you to simply slice the green tomatoes in ½ inch slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip both sides of each slice in cornmeal and fry in bacon drippings 2-3 minutes to a side. A more substantial coating can be obtained by adding egg and thickening the coating.

                                    Fried green tomatoes

            Slice 4 large tomatoes in ½ inch slices. In a flat dish whisk 2 eggs with 2 tblsp. water, 1 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper. On a plate mix thoroughly 1 cup flour with ½ cup cornmeal. Lightly dip each slice of tomato first in flour mix, then egg and back in the flour mix, on both sides. Fry in hot, but not smoking vegetable oil in a large pan 2-3 minutes to a side and drain on paper towels. Do not crowd slices on the pan, or they will not brown quickly. If you want to gild the lily, top each slice with a thin piece of Provolone cheese or serve with some Ranch dressing.

            Waiting for garden produce to ripen may be a bit frustrating, but many vegetables can be picked at the immature stage and when combined in a soup, give an unexpectedly fresh and delightful flavor that can never be achieved by the mature variety. The trick in preserving that flavor is very brief cooking of these tender vegetables and combining the whole with a milk and broth base.

                                    Young vegetable soup with milk

            Gather the vegetables in your garden or scour local farmers markets for young looking produce. Clean and dice:1 medium onion, 1 stalk celery with leaves, 1 cup carrots and 2 cups baby red potatoes. Prepare also 1 cup baby string beans cut in ¾ inch pieces, 1 cup peas and 1 cup cauliflower florets. In a 3 qt. pot sauté the onion in 2 tblsp. butter for 5 minutes, stir in the celery and add 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth. When boiling, add the carrots and potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, the peas, beans and cauliflower. Cook for 3 minutes and then stir in 2 cups milk (not skim), 2 finely chopped scallions with green part and heat, but do not boil. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped chives, dill and crusty bread. The flavor will amaze you.

            Summer is a time for experimenting with new flavor combinations. Usually it is considered heresy to mess with lobster in Maine, but the other day I was tempted with very interesting results. My friend Dan sent over some lobster salad, very properly Maine style with just a dab of mayonnaise to hold it together. I had found a lobster Reuben at a local restaurant an interesting taste experience. So here is milder “heretical” version of a lobster taco, that does not overwhelm the lobster but gives it a bit more tartness.

                                    Mild lobster tacos

            Prepare mild fresh salsa by finely dicing ½ seeded green pepper, two medium tomatoes and 3 scallions with green parts. Toss with ½ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. minced parsley and 2 tsp. rice vinegar. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.  In a lightly oiled hot pan, crisp six or more 6 inch corn tortillas 20-30 seconds to a side. Set corn tortillas on a plate, place 2 heaping tblsp. lobster salad along the center of each tortilla. Top with the desired amount of the salsa. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy.

            Summer in Maine is enjoyed at its best this time of the year with the changing vistas of our familiar places brought about by tides, sunlight and even mysterious fog banks. Sometimes changing perceptions of familiar foods can lead us to new discoveries.

(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)

GARDEN FRESH......

Garden Fresh…..

            This is the time of the year when our spring garden ambitions are bound to catch up with us. The call of freshly turned soil and those packets of seeds with names to conjure garden bounty were easy enough to indulge on sunny cool days of spring, with just enough rain in the forecast to assure that all those seeds are going to grow. So, like most gardeners I followed the Pied Piper temptations. The mid to late summer price is having to spend hours in the harvest mode.

            The shelling peas are almost finished, lettuce and endive are still thriving, baby-  cucumbers make a tempting snack right from the garden, green peppers and the first cherry tomatoes are starting to color, the French Fingerlings are blooming and yielding the first small rosy potatoes and yes, the first zucchini has made it’s appearance. This year even my erratic raspberry patch is producing a crop.

            Harvesting in July heat is less than pleasant, but the product means enjoyable garden-fresh produce for everyday meals. Many of the vegetables can grace the table as appetizers in raw form with an herbed dip or need only to be cooked to tender crisp. Others are combined to produce everything from salads to sides to deserts.

                                                Herbed cream cheese dip

            With a mixer blend 3 oz. room temperature cream cheese with 2 tblsp. each mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in 1 minced clove garlic (optional), 2 tsp. minced onion, ¼ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. dry mustard, 1 tblsp. lemon juice, ¼ tsp. thyme, dash of Tabasco and 2 tblsp. minced parsley or chives. Allow flavors to blend for a couple of hours in the refrigerator and serve in a shallow bowl surrounded by a variety of vegetable spears.

            Cherry or grape tomatoes make a wonderful addition to many salads, but also can be effectively used in cooked dishes.

                                                Roasted tomatoes with shrimp and Feta

            In an 8x8 inch baking dish mix 1 ½ pints cherry or grape tomatoes (slice larger ones in half), 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tblsp. olive oil, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes and 1 tsp. coarse salt. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Stir in 1 lb. peeled, deveined fresh medium shrimp and ½ cup chopped jarred roasted peppers and continue to bake 10-15 minutes until the shrimp turn pink. Remove from oven and toss with 3 oz. crumbled Feta cheese and 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice. Serve on boiled rice, noodles or with crisp French bread.

            A very versatile staple for deserts this time of the year is berry coulis. Coulis is a thick rich sauce made of vegetables or fruit to give flavor to either meats or deserts. Sorrel coulis with it’s tart flavor goes well with seafoods and roasted tomato-red pepper coulis can accompany a variety of dishes. This time of the year blueberry-raspberry coulis is great on everything from ice cream to puddings to poached pears and even tapioca.

                                                Blueberry-raspberry coulis

            In a 4 quart pot combine 2 cups rinsed fresh Maine blueberries, 2 cups fresh raspberries, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 ½ cups sugar and ¼ tsp. ground cloves.  Bring to boil and stirring occasionally cook on low heat for about 15 minutes, until berries are falling apart and the mix starts to thicken. Press mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove the seeds and the skins. Press with a spoon or spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. The coulis is ready to serve or will keep refrigerated for a couple of weeks for multiple uses.

            The joys of eating garden-fresh in the summer can not be overestimated. Fortunately for those who do not have their own productive gardens, Farmers Markets, roadside stands and even the supermarket allows one to participate in this seasonal pleasure. In fact, there are times in this gardener’s summer when all that wonderful bounty might be more welcome in absence of the backache and the company of too many friendly horseflies.  

(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)

 

HEARTY COLORFUL SALADS

Hearty Colorful Salads

            In a wishful mood, one could paraphrase Gershwin’s “Summertime” from “Porgy and Bess” as “Summertime, when the living should be easy”. For meals we tend to focus on the ease of cooking on the grill and large leafy salads. But there are other equally appetizing and colorful offerings for the table and many of them feature fresh peas.

            If your acquaintance with peas has been limited to the canned or frozen varieties, this is the time to venture forth and get up close and personal with peas as they come from a garden, farm market or a vegetable stand and discover the flavor and texture of fresh peas.  Well, there is the necessary activity of shelling them before you have a small bowl of those plump tiny green globes ready for cooking. One possibility is to enlist your children or grandchildren for the activity, but be ready to lose some in the process as they discover how delicious a snack these peas make right out of the shell. They won’t even notice that it is a ‘healthy’ snack.

Once shelled, the peas require only five minutes of cooking in water with a dash of salt or chicken bullion to be ready to serve for dinner. If you want to dress them up, add tiny onions or make a cream or cheese sauce, but fresh peas have delightful flavor of their own, possibly enhanced with a small dab of butter.  Like corn, peas will taste best soon after harvest.  They will keep in the shell in the refrigerator for a day or so, but once shelled should be cooked reasonably quickly. Oriental or snap pea pods will keep refrigerated for a week in a closed container.

                        Snap pea and Radish Salad with Yogurt

            Wash 1 lb snap peas, remove the strings and halve on the bias and combine with 8 large radishes thinly sliced. Toss with ¼ cup olive oil, 2 blsp. white balsamic vinegar, 1 Tblsp. rice vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.  Yoghurt base mix: 1 ¼ cup whole milk yogurt, 2 scallions thinly sliced, ½ tsp. crushed red pepper, salt and pepper to taste, 2 tblsp lemon juice, ½ tsp. grated lemon zest and ½ cup lightly packed torn fresh basil leaves. Spread yoghurt base mix in a shallow bowl, top with the vegetables and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

                        Dilled Ham and Pea Salad

Cube ¾ lb. lean ham in ¾ inch pieces. Add: 2 chopped scallions with the green parts.  Cook 1 to 1 ½  cups of shelled peas (can substitute frozen) in a cup of chicken bullion  for 3 minutes and allow to cool. Dressing mix:3 tblsp. each light mayonnaise and sour cream with 2 tblsp. rice vinegar, 1 tblsp. chopped capers, ¼ tsp. salt and pepper and 2 tblsp. chopped fresh dill. Toss dressing with ham and scallions and stir in the peas. Chill 1 to 2 hours before serving on a bed of tender lettuce.

Another of my favorite ways to feature fresh peas is in a summer potato salad. The green color is outstanding against the creamy white of potatoes. And if you use red potatoes and a bit of chopped red pepper in the salad, you might qualify your salad for honorary membership in the Italian food society: red, white and green being the colors of the Italian flag.

            Red, white and green potato salad

Note: have the dressing ready by the time the potatoes are finished cooking.

 Dressing: Mix together ¼ cup chopped red onion, 2 Tblsp. plain yogurt, 2 Tblsp. olive oil, 4 Tblsp. wine vinegar, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, garlic salt to taste, ¼ tsp. dried thyme, salt and pepper to taste, some chopped parsley (optional).

Scrub and cut in quarters 4 large red (or Yukon gold) potatoes. Cover potatoes in a pot with cold salted water, bring to boil and cook for 12-14 minutes until they can be pierced with a fork.  Drain the potatoes, cool only slightly and cut in about 1 inch pieces. Pour dressing over the warm potatoes and toss.

While the potatoes are cooking, in a separate pot cook 1 to 1 1/2 cups of fresh shelled peas (can substitute frozen) in a cup of chicken buillion for 3 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and allow to cool. Add to the cooled potato salad together with a small red pepper cut in about ¼ inch pieces. Toss gently and chill for 1-2 hours and serve on lettuce leaves. (Serves 4-6). Salad can be made the day before use and kept refrigerated.

Together with some grilled sausage this makes a quick and satisfying home made summer meal. With luck and more sunshine, there should still be some strawberries for picking in July and those with a bit of whipped topping would finish the meal in a handsome way. Any leftover salad can be refrigerated for use the following 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)