Strawberry
season may be
over but blueberries, cherries, peaches, plums, apricots, and a
variety of melons are making a show during summer. I absolutely love
this time of the year for the bountiful fruits and vegetables. With
the appearance of sweet juicy peaches, plums, nectarines, and berries,
it is time to bring out my rolling pin again and start making pies.
Yes nothing taste better
than a homemade pie with homemade buttery crust filled with sweet ripe
fruit filling and a scoop of vanilla ice
cream….hmm…yum…. Summer fruits are absolutely
delicious on their own; fresh, unpretentious, and sweet. They each
have their individual characteristics, taste, and texture. With their
individual taste and flavor, one can create a variety of dishes
featuring fruits not only as a dessert but also use them in sauces,
salads, and as the star ingredient. I can rattle on a list of dishes
featuring fruits, but why do that when I can just give you the
recipes. So here are some recipes that may be worth a try. Hopefully
they will inspire you to create similar dishes on your own or
something even better. - Show quoted text -
CHUNKY WATERMELON SALSA
Ideal accompaniment
to grilled seafood and chicken.
Ingredients
1
lime
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces seeded watermelon
1 cup 1/2-inch
pieces seeded peeled cucumber
1/4 cup thinly sliced green
onions
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons
minced seeded jalapeño chili
2 teaspoon minced
fresh mint
1 teaspoon sugar
Method
Using small sharp
knife, cut peel and white pith from lime. Cut lime into 1/4-inch
pieces. Place in medium bowl. Add all remaining ingredients to same
bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to blend. Cover and
refrigerate at least 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Keep
refrigerated.) Serve chilled.
Makes about 3
1/2 cups.
Taken from Bon Appétit Magazine with
slight improvisation.
GRILLED PEACHES WITH PECORINO AND PROSCIUTTO
Ingredients
Nonstick vegetable
oil spray
4 firm but ripe large peaches, halved, pitted
2
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 very thin slices pecorino
cheese (each about 2x2 inches, shaved with vegetable peeler from large
wedge)
4 thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise
Method
Spray grill rack with nonstick spray; prepare barbecue (high heat).
Brush peach halves with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill
peaches until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per side. Place on
large plate, skin side down; top each with cheese slice and drape with
prosciutto. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 (first-course)
servings.
CREAMY PEACH-BLACKBERRY COBBLER
Can also substitute with different
combination of fruits and berries.
Topping
1 cup all purpose
flour
½ cup
sugar
6 tablespoon chilled butter, cut
into ½-inch dice
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
Filling
2/3 cup all purpose
flour
1 ¾ cup
sugar
¼ teaspoon
cinnamon
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
2 cups milk
½ cup whipping
cream
4 cups peaches, peeled and cut
into ¼ wedges
2 cups blackberries,
rinsed
Butter for greasing
dish
2 cups whipping cream,
opt.
2 tablespoon powdered sugar,
opt.
Method
Topping: Combine flour and sugar,
cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add vanilla
extract, mix thoroughly and set aside
Preheat oven to 400˚, lightly
butter a 13 x 9 x2 inch baking pan
Filling: Combine the flour, sugar,
cinnamon, eggs, vanilla, milk and ½ cup cream in blender or
food processor.
Line the dish with peaches and
berries. Carefully pour the custard filling over the fruit and bake
for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the topping over the cobbler and bake 15 to
20 minutes until the topping is brown and a knife inserted comes out
clean. Serve warm. If desired, sweeten 2 cups of cream with powdered
sugar and serve on the side
The Skinny on Pork Chop—How well do you know your
pork chop, the selection of cuts that is? There are several different
cuts of pork chops. Check this website by Hormel to learn more about
the different cuts of pork chops:
http://www.hormel.com/templates/knowledge/knowledge.asp?catitemid=34&id=306
–
Rib chops are my favorite cut as they have the most
flavor and a balance of lean meat and fat. You can grill, pan-roast,
broil, sauté and bake this cut. The pork loin chop is similar
to the rib chop and therefore interchangeable in cooking technique.
You can use the blade pork chop to grill, broil, braise,
or panfry them. Do not confuse this cut with the pork blade
steak, which is cut from the
Boston butt and is
fattier. The sirloin chop has the biggest bone in it and not very
popular as it tends to dry out while cooking. Now that you have gain a little
knowledge on pork chops, you are revving to go buy some chops and cook
them, but how and what are you going to cook? No worries, check this
website for a few pork chop recipes that just may satisfy your hunger
and your cooking skills: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Cider-Sauce-and-Pork-Loin-Chops/Detail.aspx.
Kitchen Ware: Cutting Boards--
which to buy, wood or plastic? Which is better? Which is
safer? There are so many questions surrounding the type of cutting
board to purchase. Frankly I like both and do own both. I think it is
all a matter of preference rather than which is better or safer. Wood
always look good and is gentle on the knives. Nevertheless it is not
dishwasher safe. It should be washed in hot soapy water and allowed to
air dry. On the other hand plastic is dishwasher safe and is also
gentle on knives. In terms of bacteria, scrubbing will remove surface
bacteria from wood boards and the rest will be absorbed and trapped
inside the wood and die, which is good. However plastic boards do
harbor bacteria in cuts left by knives, and washing by hand does not
guarantee its removal unless washed in the dishwasher. I do know for a
fact that I do not like glass cutting boards as it tend to dull my
knives and the sound of the knife making contact with the glass while
cutting wears on my nerves. If you are still unsure as to which to
own, take a look at this website that explains a little more in detail
the differences and variety of boards in the market to help you make
your selection:http://housewares.about.com/od/kitchenwareaccessories/a/boardbasics.htm
Tip of the
Month—To prevent your pie crust from getting soggy when
baking fruit pies, first brush the unbaked pie crust with well-beaten
egg whites before filling. The egg white creates a barrier between the
fruit and the crust to prevent juices from leaking through.
Watermelon is in
abundance this time of the year. Turn leftover watermelon into cubes
by pureeing it and storing them in ice cube containers. Use them in
sparkling drinks such as ginger ale, club soda and even fruit juices
for a different flavor.
Do you find that
sometimes even after soaking the bamboo skewers for grilling they
still tend to burn? Next time, take a step further by wrapping the
ends with pieces of foil. This will prevent the skewers from burning
and also enables you to turn the kebabs.
Ingredient of the Month:
Basil. Basil is
originally native to India and other tropical regions of Asia, having
been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. Basil has a warm, resinous, clove-like flavor and fragrance.
The flowers and leaves are best used fresh and added only during the
last few minutes of cooking. Basil works well in combination with
tomatoes. Finely chopped basil stirred into mayonnaise makes a good
sauce for fish. It is also use as a garnish for vegetables, chicken
and egg dishes. Large lettuce-leaf basil can be stuffed as you would a
grape leaf. Basil does not keep well in the refrigerator. Instead,
place the cut stems in water and keep them on the windowsill. Sprigs
stored this way will remain fresh a week or more. Basil does not
retain its flavor well when dried. Instead, layer basil between sheets
of waxed paper and freeze. The leaves will darken when frozen this
way, but you'll be pleasantly surprised at how well it will retain
aroma and flavor. You can also fill ice cube trays with chopped basil,
and then cover with water and freeze. Basil ice cubes are great for
soups and stews. If you like to learn more about basil, check this
website out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil.
Try this recipe below using basil.
Insalata Caprese (Salad from
Capri)
Tomato and Mozzarella
Salad
One of my favorite
summer salads—simple, light, and fresh, featuring summer’s
best. Because this salad is so
simple, top-rate ingredients are imperative: Hothouse tomatoes and
rubbery processed mozzarella are unacceptable.
Ingredients
2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (about 4
large), sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced1/4
inch thick (available at Harris Teeter and sometimes at Sam’s
Club)
1/4 cup packed fresh basil or arugula leaves, washed well
and spun
dry
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled, if
using arugula instead of basil
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
1 teaspoon reduced balsamic vinegar
fine sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
On a large platter arrange tomato and mozzarella slices and basil
leaves, alternating and overlapping them. Sprinkle salad with oregano
and arugula and drizzle with oil and balsamic vinegar. Season salad
with salt and pepper.
Serves 4 to 6.
Cooking
Technique—Grilling vs. Barbecuing? Do you know the
difference between grilling and barbecuing or do you think they are
both the same thing? If you answer yes to the latter, you are wrong.
The definition of grilling is a form of
cooking that involves direct heat. The object is to sear the
outside and concentrate the juices on the inside. The grilled flavor is caused by
the searing, or browning, of the outside of the food. The process is
similar to that which forms the brown crust on a loaf of baked bread.
Grilling is a healthful method of cooking because additional oils or
fats are seldom used, and as the food cooks the fat renders out and
drips through the cooking grate. Barbecue on the other hand is the
process of cooking meat at low temperatures for long periods of time.
The best definition comes from Chris Schlesinger, owner and chef of
The East Coast Grill restaurant in
Cambridge,
MA: “A process
whereby a large cut of tough meat is cooked by the smoke of a hardwood
fire at low temperatures (210 degrees or less) for a long period of
time, with doneness determined by the meat's
tenderness.”
Either method that you use is mighty fine in my books as long as you
know what you are doing. E-mail me for tips on grilling or barbecuing
or check out my last newsletter on
grilling.
As we get into the thick of
summer, remember to keep yourselves well hydrated with lots of water.
Most important of all, enjoy these hot days with friends and family.
Have as many casual cookouts and invite a friend or two to break bread
with you. It may be the dog days of summer but it is the best time of
the season as well. Until the next newsletter, eat well, stay healthy,
and enjoy life to the fullest.
Non-cooks think it's silly to
invest two hours' work in two minutes' enjoyment; but if cooking is
evanescent, so is the ballet.
Julia
Child
  
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