PEACH TREE BLOOMING

Peach Tree Blooming.

            Gray is a somber color and definitely unsuited for spring. But mother nature’s  fashion decree this year seems to be for endless cold, cloudy and gray days. Our normal joyously giddy feelings of spring don’t seem to have a chance despite the valiant efforts by daffodils and tulips. And then, this morning our peach tree braved the cold and opened it’s blossoms in all their bright pink glory.

            A peach tree in full bloom is enough to bring a smile on anyone’s face, regardless of the gray backdrop of the sky. Spring after all is hope personified as demonstrated not only by our peach tree. The resident tom turkey is back fighting his image in the garage window and feeling that he has successfully defended his territory against invaders for another year. Other less flagrant signs of spring are the vigorous growth of sorrel and rhubarb in the back yard, apparently not inhibited by our recent cool damp days.

            So, it is definitely time for the cook to adapt to the seasons. While the cool weather is still appropriate for hearty soups, adding a bit of green gives them a fresher feel. The following soup melds lentils, barley and greens, using either kale or Swiss chard. It is best to cook the barley separately for improved texture of the soup.

                                                Lentil, barley and kale soup

            Rinse ½  cup barley in several changes of cold water to remove the fines that make the water cloudy. Place in a 2 quart pot, add ½ tsp. salt and water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to boil and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside until the lentil part of the soup is ready.

            Sort and wash 1 cup green French lentils. In a 4-6 quart pot combine the lentils, 1 ½ quarts chicken or vegetable broth and diced vegetables: 2 stalks celery, 3 large carrots, 1 large onion, 2-3large garlic cloves and 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes. Bring to boil, add 1 bay leaf and 1 tsp. each cumin and thyme. Bring to boil, stir and simmer 30 – 45 minutes until the lentils are tender.  Remove stalks from ½ small bunch of kale, cut leaves crosswise in ½ inch strips, add to the soup mixture and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Stir in reserved barley, heat again and adjust any volume with water and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with chopped chives for garnish, or if desired julienned strips of ham.

            Rhubarb is one of the quintessential spring harbingers with its tart flavor unsurpassed in pies. Frozen rhubarb can be used year round in fruit compotes, but fresh and juicy rhubarb is needed for a pie,

                                                Rhubarb-dried cherry pie

            Roll out pre-made pastry and fit in the bottom of a 9 in. pie plate. Wash and trim 1.5 lb. rhubarb and cut the stalks in 1 inch pieces (3 ½  to 4 cups) and combine in a large bowl with ½ cup dried cherries. If rhubarb is not very fresh and juicy, toss with 6 tblsp. cold water.  In a small bowl combine 1 cup sugar with 2 ½  tblsp. cornstarch. Spread 1/3 of the sugar mixture over the bottom pastry. Toss the rest of the sugar mixture with the rhubarb and turn it all in the lined pie plate. Sprinkle with ½ tsp. grated lemon peel and

dot with 1 tblsp. butter. Cover with a top pastry layer, crimp the sides together and cut some slits in the top for vents. Sprinkle the top of the pastry with some nutmeg. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until top is browned and juice bubbles up through the vents. Placing a piece of aluminum foil on the rack below the pie, during the 350 degree part of baking, will catch any overflowing juices and prevent an undesirable oven cleanup.      

                                    Strawberry-rhubarb pie

            Essentially proceed as with the rhubarb-dried cherry pie, but use only 2 cups rhubarb and 2 cups hulled, sliced strawberries.

            A blooming peach tree makes a very convincing argument for spring and when the pear behind it bursts out in profusion of white blossoms, it is easy to be convinced that all those gray days did not really matter at all.

 

(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)

CINCO DE MAYO

Cinco de Mayo

            The four plus days of April rain in Maine in can mean only one thing – mud! “Mud, mud, glorious mud, Nothing like it for cooling the blood”, go the lyrics of the Hippopotamus song for kids by Flanders and Swann, but I am less amused as I scrape my boots after planting peas in our garden.

            On the other hand, ‘April showers bring May flowers’ may be a more positive outlook. The buds on our pear and peach trees are ready to open, the first yellow tulips are brightening the bed next to our patio and the resident wild turkey is having his annual battle for supremacy with his reflection in our garage window. Spring, Maine style, has arrived.

            One of the various ethnic holidays we have adapted in the US, especially with food, is Cinco de Mayo, on May 5^th. This is a holiday commemorating the Mexican victory over French at that date, followed by the re-establishment of the Mexican government with the help from US.

In the current climate of interest in ethnic food it is easy to find Mexican restaurants, tortillas in every grocery store and salsa and guacamole have become staples in many households. These are convenient and quick staples for a weeknight supper. But, I can still recall a time in early 1970’s when, having returned from a Southwestern vacation, I found it almost impossible to replicate tacos in Philadelphia. Finally, after much searching, I found canned corn tortillas in a small gourmet store in Chestnut Hill, and that is how Philadelphia tacos were born. I still serve them today, except the tortillas are of the more common store variety.

                        Philadelphia Tacos

            Assemble on countertop the following, before cooking the meat: ¼ chopped red onion, 2 chopped tomatoes, 2-3 cups of shredded lettuce, 4 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese, a jar of premade salsa, mild to hot depending on your taste.  Quickly brown 1 lb. crumbled  ground beef in a large pan, pour off excess fat, stir in a package of Taco mix, ½ cup water and cook stirring until all the liquid is absorbed and keep warm. Quickly heat  6 inch corn tortillas on each side, in a hot cast iron skillet whisked with a bit of oil, about 20 to 30 seconds to a side. Stack 2-3 tortillas per person and keep warm.

            To assemble: lay out 3 tortillas on a large plate, top with a couple of tblsp. of the meat, sprinkle with layers of onion, cheese, tomato and lettuce. Drizzle top with salsa and serve with lots of napkins for wiping your fingers as you eat.

                                    Chunky Guacamole

            In a small bowl mix: 2 tblsp. fine chopped red onion, 2 chopped medium tomatoes, 1 chopped large peeled avocado, ½ tsp. salt, 2 tblsp. white vinegar and 2 shakes Tabasco sauce (optional). Mix and smash everything with a fork to blend, but keep relatively chunky. (Real Mexican protocol is mashing the last step with your hand.) Serve with corn chips.

            For a large group, it is easy to serve Tamale pie as a casserole. This recipe serves six using a 10x6x1 ½ in. baking dish, but it can easily be scaled up to twice the size.

                                    Tamale Pie

            In a large pan brown 1 lb. crumbled beef, remove from pan and set aside. Pour off most of the fat and in the remaining fat sauté until soft: 1 onion and 1 seeded green pepper, chopped . Add 2 chopped garlic cloves and after a minute return the meat to the pan. Stir in: 2 cups seasoned tomato sauce, 1 tblsp, Worcestershire sauce, 1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels, 1 can drained and rinsed black beans, ½ cup pitted sliced black olives, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. sugar, 1-2 tblsp. chili powder, ¼ tsp, pepper. Simmer 20 minutes or until thick and turn into 10x6 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese. Topping: Stir ¾ cups cornmeal in 2 cups cold water with ½ tsp, salt, bring to boil and cook until thickened. Stir in 1 tblsp. butter. Spoon cornmeal over the meat mixture in thin strips and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes until browned on top.

            To celebrate Cinco de Mayo with food, these recipes will do the trick. The addition of some beer or a margarita is a personal choice, but either way this is a delicious way to welcome May and spring even in Maine.  

             

(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)

EMERGE INTO SPRING!

Emerge into Spring!

            Emerge is such a wonderfully positive word. Just picture a purple crocus emerging on a hillside next to a snow bank or a baby chick from an egg. It seems impossible to link ‘emerge’ with something negative. The cynic may try to tell you that we are now ‘emerging’ into our annual Maine ‘mud season’, but the correct view is that  we have emerged from all those snow banks and gloomy days into days with crisp air and sunshine.

            The Easter Holiday table with bright colors and sprightly flavors set the tone for kitchens and tables for the season. Asparagus has come in it’s rightful season, even if our Maine gardens still do not provide the local varieties. Any leftover baked ham in your refrigerator is going to guarantee many quick, simple and delicious meals for the week(s) to come. Ham slices easily complement breakfast eggs and make great sandwiches on foccacia with cheese, slaw or sauerkraut. In a cream sauce cubed ham goes well on pasta or even waffles. A very different flavor can be had in stir-fries with broccoli, baby corn, mushrooms and some Oyster sauce. Another one of my favorite combinations is a hearty luncheon salad.

Ham and chickpea salad with Parmesan

            Combine chickpeas (garbanzos) from a 15 ounce can, drained and rinsed  with 1 cup of cubed ham, 1 Tblsp. chopped red onion and 2 Tblsp. chopped parsley. Toss with a vinaigrette: 1 Tblsp. olive oil, 2 Tblsp lemon juice (or seasoned rice vinegar) and season with salt and pepper.  Toss lightly with 1/3 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese and serve on lettuce.

            And when the rest of the ham is gone, you can still make a hearty bean soup with the hambone. As any old-fashioned farm wife would have told you: “ It can all be used, except the squeal”.

Pan roasted asparagus

            I find an interesting taste variation in pan-roasted asparagus. Prepare asparagus by removing the tough bottom portion of the stalk. Simply snap it off where it breaks naturally. Wash the spears and dry on paper towels. In a large pan melt 1 Tblsp. butter and 2 Tblsp. olive oil. Place the asparagus in a single layer in a pan and roast on medium heat for about 8 minutes, turning the spears with tongs so that they are slightly browned on sides. Remove to a serving platter and drizzle with Oriental vinaigrette: mix 2 Tblsp. light soy sauce, 1 Tblsp. lemon juice, 1 Tblsp. rice vinegar and a pinch of tarragon.

            Living in New England it may seem strange that spring is the time for citrus fruit abundance, but in California and Florida, this is the time when citrus fruit come ripe. For bright spring salads, it is easy to pair variety of citrus fruit with greens for satisfying salads with just the right amount of tang to wake up anyone’s taste buds.

                                Spinach-orange-bacon salad

            Peel a large orange, separate out the individual sections and cut each in half. Crisp fry 2 slices of bacon in in a large heavy pan. Drain bacon on paper towels and crumble in large pieces. Pour off all but 1 Tblsp. of the rendered bacon fat. Set pan to medium low heat and pour in 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, bring to boil and remove pan from heat, add 3-4 cups of baby spinach, ½ tsp. salt and toss until well coated.  Toss with the cut up orange and bacon pieces and serve.

            Mainers who have lived throughout the many wonderful seasons here are likely to tell you that the euphoria of ‘emergence of spring’ is bound to be followed by that other  emergence mid - May – the black fly. So, enjoy the present!

(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)

'BRIGHTEN UP' FOR SPRING

‘Brighten-up’ for Spring

            How disappointing can it get when you are reduced to looking for a dripping roof as a sign of spring? My usual harbinger of spring, a clump of snowdrops by the front step, was unfortunately still buried in a snowdrift from our ‘Ides of March’ blizzard at the time of the official arrival of spring on Monday.

            Fortunately there are already daffodils and tulips in the store to cheer us up for the seasonal change. Our pair of blue and yellow primroses from Green Thumb, has graced our dining table now for a couple of weeks, brightening mealtimes in their blue and white dish. Somehow we feel a need for color after the stark black and white landscape of winter. It may be a bit unseasonal yet to switch to bright salads, but even relatively hearty mealtimes can be brightened by the addition of some colorful ingredients or decorative touches.

            Home cooks have re-discovered a battered breakfast dish that is easy, fast and has a number of colorful toppings, depending whether you favor a sweet or savory breakfast. This dish is the traditional Dutch Baby, which can be made with a variety of colorful toppings.

                        Fruit Topped Dutch Baby

            Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet in the oven and set to 450 degrees. In the meantime in a medium bowl beat 2 eggs until foamy and blend in ½ cup milk, 1 Tblsp. melted butter, 1 tsp. lemon rind, ½ tsp. salt, ½ cup flour mixed with ½ Tblsp. cornstarch. Carefully remove pan from oven, coat with buttery cooking spray and 1 Tblsp. butter. Pour in the egg batter and bake 18-20 minutes, or until puffy and brown. Cut up 1 pint of fresh strawberries, toss with 2 tsp. powdered sugar and ¼ cup slivered almonds. Remove baked Dutch Baby from oven, top with strawberry mixture and serve warm. Instead of strawberries, use blueberries or some other colorful berries or cut up fruit.

                        Asparagus and Bacon Dutch Baby

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Trim fresh asparagus and cut in ½ inch pieces to make 1 cup. In a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet crisp 6 slices of bacon and drain on paper towels. Drain most of the fat and cook the asparagus in a hot pan for 1 minute and set aside. In a large bowl beat 3 eggs with 2/3 cup milk, 1 Tblsp. olive oil, ½ cup flour, ¾ tsp. salt, dash of cayenne. Grate ½ cup fresh Parmesan cheese and toss with bacon and asparagus. Preheat cast iron skillet in oven 3 minutes, melt 1 Tblsp. butter, pour in egg mixture and cover with asparagus-bacon mix. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes and serve hot. Variations of the recipe can be made with only bacon or substituting broccoli florets for asparagus.

            Cauliflower and Stilton Bisque

In a 3 quart pot combine: 1 small onion chopped, 2 minced garlic cloves, 3 cups chicken broth, 2 small potatoes cubed, 3 cups cauliflower florets, 1 stalk celery chopped, 1 tsp. thyme, 1 tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. When slightly cooled, puree with 1 cup half and half, return to the stove to heat before serving. Serve garnished with 2 oz. Stilton crumbles, chopped chives and pomegranate seeds for a colorful and appetizing soup.

For an easy and colorful Friday night supper- skip the pizza and serve a pan of colorful hearty nachos.    

            Hearty Sausage Nachos

Brown ¾ lb. hot Italian sausage without casing for 6-8 minutes, breaking the meat in small pieces. Add 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped.  Stir in 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed, 1 tsp. oregano and cook until warm for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2-3 tsp. finely chopped picked jalapeňo and 3 chopped scallions. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread with 8 oz. tortilla chips. Spoon sausage mix over the chips and sprinkle with 2 ½ cups grated pepper Jack cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 6-8 minutes.  Top with ¾ cup each fresh salsa and sour cream.

Keeping your meals bright may not make the snow melt any faster, but it may convince us that genuine real spring can’t be too far ahead.

(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)

FAREWELL WINTER?

Farewell winter!

            The musings of Candide about “The best of possible worlds” and “The worst of possible worlds” certainly fit our weather pattern these last couple of weeks. There was the Valentine’s day blizzard, then a few spring like days coaxing intrepid clammers out in the estuary, followed immediately with bone chilling days and nights. March has come, but winter seems to refuse it’s hold.

            An impromptu dinner with friends therefore still needed to focus on cold weather fare. With short advance planning and a quick trip to the store, an afternoon with relatively little hands-on time yielded a hearty and satisfying dinner. The centerpiece of which was a pork-butt roast with carmelized onion gravy. With roasted vegetables, red cabbage and baby kale salad we tried to say farewell to winter and anticipate the coming spring.

                                                Pork roast with carmelized onions

            Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice 2 large onions and spread in the middle of a 13x9 inch metal roasting pan. Rub salt on all sides of a 4 – 4 ½ lb. butt pork roast and place on top of the onions. Thinly slice 1 large garlic clove and insert in small slits in the fatty part of the roast. Generously pepper the top of the roast and place in the preheated oven. After 10 minutes, turn oven heat to 350 degrees and continue to roast for 2 ½  hours. Remove pan from oven. Set the meat aside to keep warm and place the pan with onions and drippings on a burner on the stove set on low heat to prepare the gravy.

                                                Carmelized onion gravy

            Sprinkle and blend ¼ cup flour with the drippings and blackened onions in the bottom of the pan, then add ½ cup water and scrape up the brown bits and onion-flour mix to make a smooth paste. While stirring add 1 cup additional water and 2 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar and bring to simmer. Correct seasoning and any additional water to the desired consistency of the gravy. Serve hot on slices of the roast pork.

                                                Oven roasted vegetables

            If you are fortunate to have 2 ovens, roast the vegetables near the end of the meat cooking time. If not, roast them before the pork roast, keep covered on the pan while the meat cooks and then reheat at 350  degrees for 10 minutes while making the gravy.

            Peel 4 medium potatoes, 4 carrots and 2 parsnips and cut up in 1 inch pieces. In a small bowl mix together ¼ cup olive oil, 2 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. thyme leaves and 1 large minced garlic clove. Toss the cut up vegetables in batches in the oil mixture and spread in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. coarse salt. Roast in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until tender and browned.

                                                Wine braised red cabbage

            Red cabbage with it’s texture and color is a wonderful winter vegetable, but cooked in water it turns an unappetizing bleached purple color. However, cooked in wine with some vinegar, the rich red color retains it’s appetizing hue. Thinly slice ½ of large red onion and about ¾ lb red cabbage (6 cups). In a large heavy skillet heat 2 Tblsp. vegetable oil and cook the cabbage and onions for 10 minutes, while stirring on moderately high heat. Stir in ½ cup red wine, ½ cup balsamic vinegar, 1 Tblsp. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. ground cloves, 1 chopped apple and pepper to taste. Continue to simmer with occasional stirring  for about 15 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Can be made ahead and reheated.

            Our nod to the coming spring was in the form of baby kale salad with sliced water chestnuts and dried cranberries dressed with a lemony vinaigrette. Desert was easily assembled from last summers canned-spiced-peaches, a scoop of ice cream topped with a couple of preserved cherries.

            Our relaxed after dinner conversation was a glad farewell to winter and my husband’s noodling of “Danny Boy” on the home organ had us not only looking forward to St. Patrick’s day but also the coming 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)