SALAD TIME!

 Salad Time!

           Early June faked me out this year with its rollercoaster changes in temperature. One day we were having a chilly June day in Maine and then we skipped to August heat and humidity in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, a well-stocked pantry delivered enough ingredients to save the day, even if summer recipes for salads were still stacked on the bottom of my kitchen priority list.

          Gazpacho, one of the best foods that defines Spain and is widely served in Portugal, has become a world-wide hot weather favorite. Unsurprisingly its origins are in the Andalucia region of Spain, the location for Seville and Granada and famous for hot summers. We think of gazpacho as a soup, but it is really a thick liquid salad, best made with garden fresh and ripe vegetables. This is an improvised and delicious version for early summer in Maine.

 

                                          Gazpacho improvisation

1)    In a large bowl combine: 40 oz. tomato juice, ¼ cup red and white wine vinegar each, 1 tablespoon, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon celery salt, 1 teaspoon sugar.

2)    Finely chop: 1 shallot or part of a red onion, 1 stalk celery.

3)    Chop in about ½ inch pieces: ½ of an English seedless cucumber, 1 small zucchini, ½ each of seeded red and green peppers, 3 Roma tomatoes.

4)    Stir vegetables in tomato juice and chill for at least 2 hours.

5)    Serve cold with croutons. If desired, drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Gazpacho will keep refrigerated up to 3 days.

 Tabouli made with cracked wheat is a favorite grain salad at our house. However, occasional requirements for gluten free cooking for family or friends, has put quinoa in equal spotlight for grain salads. Quinoa, a pseudo cereal also called goosefoot, is widely cultivated for its starchy and high protein seeds. It originated in the Andes and is white or red in color. The red color was much favored by Inca warriors for strength in battle. Here I have combined it with garbanzos for a colorful and tasty grain salad.

                                        Red Quinoa and Garbanzo Salad

1)    Rinse ¾ cups red quinoa in cold water, drain in a fine sieve (or one lined with a paper towel) and combine with 1 ½ cups water and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium pot. Bring to boil, turn heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, let stand 5 minutes, then stir with a fork and use in recipe.

2)    In a small bowl mix the dressing: ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 3-4 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoons salt and pepper each, 1 minced small shallot, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley.

3)    In a large bowl, toss the cooked quinoa with the dressing and drained and rinsed chickpeas (1- 15 oz. can).

4)    Whan cool, stir in 2 chopped large Roma tomatoes, ½ cup chopped cucumber, ½ cup chopped red pepper. Then toss with 2 oz. crumbled Feta cheese.

5)    Chill for a couple of hours and serve on lettuce with sliced egg and strips of ham or cold cooked shrimp. Salad will keep refrigerated up to 3 days.

 The cool meal was accompanied by my special cranberry ice-tea.

1)    Steep 5 teabags of Constant comment tea in 1-quart boiling water for ½ hour. If using black tea, include zest from 1 orange.

2)    Combine tea with 3 tablespoons sugar, juice of ½ large lemon and ¾ cups of cranberry juice, Chill and serve over ice cubes.

If this was supposed to be a prelude to summer, I feel well practiced for coping with July and August. However, this being Maine- “Just wait and the weather will change again”, so undoubtedly it is best to plan to be flexible.               

(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)

 

 

THE NOT SO HUMBLE RADISH

                                            The Not So Humble Radish

 

          Any gardener will enthuse with you about their first vegetable crop of the year and nine times out of ten it will be radishes. Yes!  My first radishes were ready to pull the third week in May and I was delighted. This meant more colorful fresh salads with that extra crunch for the table.

          Radishes come in many colors and shapes and are associated with a sharp flavor that can vary in intensity from mild, as in white or French breakfast radishes to the really sharp in Black Spanish radishes. Most have white flesh although recently chefs have favored those with rose colored flesh. Radishes are a good dietary source of potassium, antioxidants and are low in calories.

          Radishes have a long history as a root vegetable from Southern China and were depicted on wall paintings in Egyptian pyramids as long as 4000 years ago. The horseradish, a close relative and the most pungent of radishes, appears in Greek mythology and was probably indigenous to Eastern Europe. It was well established in Britain by 1590.

          Today we think of the radish mostly in salads, but it can also be pickled and even roasted.  Sliced radishes add a crisp note to potato and pasta salads. Radish florets are also decorative on potato and pasta salads; and a slice of bread or cracker with cottage or cream cheese acquires both visual and taste appeal when decorated with thin colorful radish slices. 

                                                 Radish-cucumber salad 

          This salad goes well with any roasted meats and at our house is a favorite with takeout sushi.

          Wash and trim a small bunch of radishes. Slice the radishes crosswise in thin slices and marinate in ¼ cup flavored rice vinegar for 30 minutes with occasional turning to keep basted. Cut ½ of an English or other long seedless cucumber in half lengthwise and then thinly slice both halves. Toss with the marinated radishes and vinegar and 1-2 tblsp. chopped chives and ¼ tsp. salt (optional).

                                                         Roasted radishes

          Roasted radishes like roasted cauliflower are an unusual dish, but when not overcooked, can be delicious.

          Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash and trim a bunch of radishes and pat dry. If very large, cut in half. Melt 2 tblsp. butter and collect the clear ghee (fat), you should have 1 tblsp. and mix it with ¼ tsp. garlic powder. Toss the radishes with the ghee and spread on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with ½ tsp. coarse sea salt, 1 tsp. dried dill weed. Roast for 20 minutes, turning the radishes with a spatula once during that time. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped chives. Serve warm or at room temperature.

          Daikon radishes are long white radishes, relatively mild in flavor. These are annually grown from seed and can reach a considerable length as I found a few years ago in my garden in Waldoboro, Maine. In stores, you will often see them cut in different length pieces. Because they have a diameter of 2 or even 3 inches, they make easy appetizers instead of crackers, especially with blue cheese. Just slice them ¼ inch thick crosswise, peel, cut each slice in half if large, set a piece of blue cheese or Roquefort on top and you are all set to serve.

 (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)

 

 

 

 

SAVORY MUFFINS

 

Savory Muffins

           “Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man..”  starts the old nursery rhyme about a famous muffin baker in London.  We do not know who he was and when he really lived, since the rhyme was first recorded in 1820 and muffins had been known long before that. Today they are a favorite breakfast food or snack and we usually think of them as a sweet treat. In Maine blueberry muffins are de rigeur, but other sweet flavors including chocolate chips abound.

          Muffins are really miniature quick breads and as such can be used for a variety of purposes. Their compact size, easy to hold in a hand, adapts them to being served with soups and salads to round of a simple meal. This is particularly convenient as we look forward to warmer weather. With this in mind, I have assembled several savory muffin recipes, all relatively easy and quick to prepare. Also, savory muffins require little or no sugar if you wish to reduce or eliminate sugar consumption.  Each of these recipes will make 12 medium muffins.

                                     Apple-Cheddar Muffins

1)   In a large bowl sift together: 2 cups flour, ¼ cup corn meal, 1 ½ tblsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tblsp. sugar. Shred 1 ¾ cups sharp cheddar, set aside 2 tblsp. and toss the rest with the flour mixture. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2)   Pare, core and dice a large Granny Smith apple

3)   In a small bowl beat together: 2 eggs, ¾ cups milk, 2 tblsp. melted butter.

4)   Chop ½ of a medium onion and sauté in 2 tblsp. butter for 5 minutes. Cool slightly and stir into the egg mix.

5)   Make a well in the flour mix, pour in the egg mixture and beat on low with an hand mixer until mixed and still contains a few small lumps. Stir in the chopped apple.

6)   Spoon mixture in a muffin pan sprayed with a baking spray. Sprinkle the set aside cheddar on top.  Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool in pan for a few minutes before removing from the pan.

Bacon-Corn Muffins

1)   Fry to crisp 8 slices of bacon, drain on paper towels and crumble. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2)   Whisk together: 2 eggs, 1 ¼ cups milk, ½ tsp. onion powder and 6 tblsp. melted and cooled butter.

3)   In a large bowl whisk together: 1 cup yellow corn meal, ¾ cups flour, 1 tblsp. sugar, 1 tblsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, ½ cup finely chopped scallions and the crumbled bacon.

4)    Pour the egg mixture in a well of the dry ingredients and mix well. Divide batter among cups in a muffin pan sprayed with a baking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, then cool slightly before removing from the pan.

Parmesan Muffins

1)   In a small bowl whisk together: 2 eggs, ¾ cups milk, 1/3 cup olive oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2)   In a large bowl whisk together: 1 ½ cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, ¼ tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. finely chopped garlic, ¾ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary and ¾ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

3)   Pour the egg mixture in a well in the dry ingredients and mix well. Divide batter among cups in a muffin pan sprayed with a baking spray. Sprinkle the batter with additional ¼ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and a tester comes out clean. Cool slightly before removing from the pan.

These savory muffins may even become breakfast favorites for some of us who are not fond of sweet breakfasts and they would pair nicely with eggs.

“Oh yes I know the muffin man/ That lives on Drury Lane”.

 

(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)