Ah… Bings!

Besides choosing firm, fleshy, glossy plump fruit with stalks that are not dried-up, what do you need to know about cherries? There are two types, the sweet, eat-as-is-type that you see in the photo and sour cherries that are used for pies and other delights.  For our purposes let’s stick with the eat-now variety.

Cherries do not improve after being harvested, which means that they are ripe at harvest and fragile, an exemplar of the seasonal.   If you haven’t eaten your cherries already (they don’t last long in this house), refrigerate them loosely in a bag with holes and away from strong smelling foods.  Don’t let them languish there too long.

The cherries in this photo were both labeled as "Bing" at the supermarket.  The dark red is the classic Bing.  My favorite food geek, Harold McGee, writes that the deep red fruits contain more antioxidants, which means that they are very good for you.  The California Cherry site makes all sorts of health claims.  Naturally they have a vested interest in extolling the virtues of cherries, but who can resist believing all of it with such a lovely and delicious fruit?

What you don’t need to know, but what is fun and interesting, is that Bing cherries were named after Ah Bing, a Manchurian Chinese foreman who helped the horticulturist Seth Lewelling in the late 1800’s develop this particular variety. 

Ahhhh…. Bings!

Zucchini: My Little Courgette

Call it zucchini or courgette; both names are the diminutive for squash.  These are summer squashes, meaning that the skin is tender and edible, as are the seeds. Yet another case of wash and eat!  As you can see, size and shape can vary.  These little round courgettes (I’m feeling French) were snagged at the farmer’s market on the way to tango lessons (where I feel very Argentinean).

As usual, choose firm, unblemished squashes.  When it comes to zucchini, small (6-8 inches) will deliver more flavor.  This is the beginning of the season and at the moment; I’m enjoying them small and raw. 

Later on when Zucchini Wars start, the situation has been known to spin out of control. These guys can be very prolific and if you are lucky to live amongst people who grow zucchini, don’t be surprised to open your door to a bag of summer squash largess… which is your signal to drop a bag of your largess at someone else’s door and surprise another neighbor, and so on.

Grated, summer squash make terrific additions for batter breads and muffins.  They are also wonderful grilled. But it’s too hot for heat and raw zucchini salads are a snap to prepare.  Sylvia and I had a very tasty salad just the other night.  Sorry to be a little courgette, but I’m going to post the recipe next week (the garden beckons).  Be prepared with some zucchini (the long variety), a few radishes, some thin asparagus, a lemon and some Pecorino Romano.   Locate your vegetable peeler, zester and stay tuned for a very refreshing recipe.

Kirby Cucumbers and Sylvia’s Favorite Pickles

This is a Kirby, yesterday’s quick grab from the farmer’s market (along with some lovely round zucchini which are in the hopper for another entry).

Small (about 4-5 inches long) and firm, these are a member of the cucurbit family and a direct relative (as all cucumbers are) of watermelons.  Like watermelon these lovely little cucumbers are crisp, moist and refreshingly sweet.  These particular kirbys are sliced in preparation for Chinese Pickled Cucumber Salad, an easy recipe that is one of Sylvia’s favorites. That is the slices that are left…they are also terrific as is and part of this photograph has already been consumed!  The end bits were a little bitter (larger cucumbers have sweeter skin), but the slices were fine as is. Another case of instant satisfaction.  Delicious raw, great as pickles, what’s not to like?!  This recipe requires a little advanced thinking because it needs an over-night stay in the refrigerator.  If you can stop eating them as-is, it’s worth the wait. 

Adapted from Ken Hom’s Chinese Kitchen, here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 12 oz of Kirby cucumbers  (about 4)
• 1 plus 1/2 Tablespoon of salt (kosher is best)
• 3 Tablespoons of sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of Chinese white rice vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons of sesame oil

Method

• Trim off the bitter ends of the cucumber and discard
• Thinly slice the remaining cucumber
• In a large bowl, toss the slices of cucumber with the salt and sugar
• Cover and refrigerate overnight

• When ready to serve, squeeze out the liquid (use your hands, best tools in the kitchen!)
• Toss the slices with the vinegar and sesame oil (you are allowed to use a spoon here!)

For color and punch, garnish with 2 fresh red chilies seeded and sliced (optional of course)

Shocking!

Sugar Snap peas are at the market.  Not shocking news, but a little shock treatment and you have an almost instant snack.  We’ve done this before, but I wanted you to know that you don’t have to save the ‘shock treatment’ for sugar snaps  (even though they are today’s photo op).  Broccoli, asparagus, carrots, green beans, snow peas all brighten up after a little hot/cold treatment. 

Here’s how:

Get a large pot of water to a ‘rolling boil’ (large bubbles) and throw in some salt.

While the water is coming to a boil, wash, cut and trim your veg (only if it needs it).  Smaller pieces will cook more quickly and what we are attempting today (no worries… I have every confidence in your success) is to quickly produce brightly colored veg that is only marginally cooked and retains an almost ‘raw’ character (let’s keep it real!).

Also while waiting for the pot to boil (it’s large after all and has more water in it than you think you need), prepare the ‘shocking’ part: a large bowl containing ice cubes and cold water.

Find your spider, large strainer, slotted spoon or tongs (in other words, something to grab the veg from the jaws of being over-cooked).

Action time!

The water is boiling; quickly tip the prepared veg into the boiling maelstrom.

Wait just long enough for the color to heighten and depending on what’s in there, pull it out now! (or wait a minute or two if you want it cooked just a little)

Grab the ‘get-it-out-of-the-pot-quick-tool’ and quickly transfer the veg from the hot water to the cold cold ice bath….. burrrrrrrrr, who knew that there could be such drama kitchen-side?!

Once your veg has truly chilled out (you may be in a moment of perfect food/cook synchronicity), you can toss it in a little vinaigrette, make a simple dip, pull out some of that fancy salt you rarely use or simply mangia tutto (eat it up)!

Not so shocking after all, but I hope you surprised yourself!

Miso Soup and Joining Zatoichi

A generous tablespoon of miso paste in a cup of hot water and quicker than Zatoichi can vanquish a bad guy (or flies, this is a fun link), you have soup. A delicious solution to a quick and healthy hot drink can be that simple. You really don’t need to know more.

But why leave it there?  It turns out that miso is very interesting stuff.  Typically miso is made from soybeans; it’s actually soybean paste (there are other variations, but we’ll save that for Advanced Miso).   For anyone even slightly interested in Japanese food this is pretty common knowledge, but a quick call to Mamie and we could have more knowledge tucked in our kimono sleeve!  My Japanese chef pal started out by explaining the dark/light thing.  This is a consequence of age (darker is older), and there’s more.  Miso is associated with different prefectures of Japan.  The milder white misos are from the Kyoto area, which is in Southern Japan.  This is where Mamie grew up.  She was quick to tell me that she prefers the milder white miso.   Kyoto was the seat of Japanese nobility and is associated with the arts and refinement, hence the more subtle and delicate miso.  As she was telling me this I had the distinct impression that mellow white miso was truly part of her culinary DNA.

But what if I was talking to someone from the north?  Would they praise the darker, saltier and stronger flavored miso?   The dark, more fermented misos are associated with rustic, rural, rugged mountainous areas of chillier Northern Japan.

I like the idea of food preference as embedded DNA.  We all have our comfort foods and engaging with familiar tastes can be like returning home.  But how dull!!!  Food is one of the simplest ways to experience something new.  You can’t go wrong with a small tub of miso.  Add some little cubes of tofu and a sliced scallion to your cup of miso and you can imagine dining with Zatoichi and some less savory characters!

Peanuts and Raisins

Sigh, the (almost) last card got in the mail today (let’s call it a New Year’s card), most of the presents are wrapped, work stuff is pretty much wrapped-up as well, the tree is up, cards are scattered throughout the house and I even managed to go grocery shopping. Why the ‘laundry list’? And what does this have to do with peanuts and raisins? I’m entertaining tonight…. as in having a few friends over (at this moment in time my ability to BE entertaining is up for serious debate). I’m out of steam. While jostling my way through the isles of the Coop this afternoon I passed these Spanish peanuts and what my mother used to call ‘Sultanas’. This was her default dish, and it always works. After the crush of the last few weeks, I need some no-brainer party food.

What you will need:

• A bowl
• Peanuts
• Raisins
• Friends

Method:

• Put stuff in bowl and serve.

Now how refreshing was that?! The party has started! Please tell me that life does not need to be elaborate. Why use exhaustion as an avoidance mechanism? Friends will bring stuff (if properly trained- and/ or raised right) and it’s time to relax.

I have some carrots, Persian Cucumbers, celery, cherry tomatoes and bell peppers ready to keep company with bean dip (which seems doable now that I’ve got the peanut thing under control), and if my energy holds up I may even make a frittata or some little toasts with something on top (rub toasted slices with the cut side of a garlic clove and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a little kosher salt). Oh! Then there’s always the cheese sticks…

Are you beginning to see how this works? Once chilled, getting ready isn’t such a chore. Pretty soon the neighbors will be here doing what friends do… eating a bit, drinking a bit and being very happy to wish each other all good wishes for the season.

All good wishes to you too! Now where did I put that Christmas CD of Ella and Louis?

The Commonality of Celery and Grapes

You’ve probably guessed what I’m talking about already. Maybe. If not, what do celery and grapes have in common? They are instant snacks. Pretty much wash and go. Celery usually needs a little trimming on the bottom, but apart from that (and a shower), this is one of those ready to eat staples. Add a little peanut butter or, if you really want to go to town, yogurt dip, and you’re talking snack fest!

Look for heads of celery that are glossy and firm with a minimum of brown scars or damage to the stems. If you have the option, choose heads with leaves attached (when we get into soups later in the season you’ll be glad of them). Store lightly wrapped in a damp cloth inside a container or plastic bag with holes (loosely closed).

If you are not crazy about the fibrous strands along a celery rib (which is what you call one of the pieces from the stalk), you can easily strip them away. Once you’ve trimmed the rib, simply take a paring knife and you will feel the raised bits along the cut edge. Grabbing them with your knife and thumb, you can pull the strands away.

Speaking of which, celery is a terrific source of dietary fiber and potassium along with some Vitamin C and B6 thrown in for good measure.

Other fun stuff? Birds, guinea pigs, horses, squirrels, small rodents and even dogs love celery (Pip agrees). If you want to know about celery in history (and who doesn’t?) check out the page in Wikipedia. Garlands of celery leaves were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. In Homer’s Iliad, horses graze on wild celery and it’s mentioned in the Odyssey as having been outside the cave of Calypso (a sea goddess who was crazy about Odysseus. He must have eaten celery sometime during the seven years that she kept him hostage… grapes too for that matter).

So there you have it! An instant snack for your favorite dog, rodent, goddess, hero or even yourself!

The Civilized Grape

Who hasn’t experienced a grape? Nothing beats the instant gratification of this lovely snack (or simple stand-in for dessert). You may have had grapes in a chicken salad or dessert or in the guise of grape jelly, raisins, oil, vinegar, juice and (of course) wine. Grapes have been consumed as either fruit or wine since the ancient Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans were around. In other words, grapes have been witness to the beginnings of Western Civilization!

Grapes are a good source of fiber, potassium. Vitamins C, B6 and Thiamine (which is necessary for all organ systems). Red grapes are particularly high in antioxidants.

But don’t let all this goodness interfere with the pleasure of eating a lovely grape. Purchase grapes that are firm, wrinkle free, without spots and that are not white where they attach to the stem. Wash them thoroughly. Don’t confuse the ‘bloom’ (white coating) with lack of washing. Detach a cluster from the stem by cutting with scissors. This way the stems won’t dry out and the still attached grapes will not become soft or shriveled before their time. Store them in the refrigerator (wrapped loosely in a paper towel and stored in a plastic bag with holes). If you can restrain yourself, let them warm up just a bit before eating.

Aren’t they beautiful to look at as well? Let’s get civilized!

Apples at the Coop

APPLES.

This is a great time of year for apples. I've been buying a bag of Gala apples each time I shop (they don't last very long) and they are amazing. Sweet, crisp, perfect. A big part of starting out in a kitchen is having something on hand that you can eat right away. Something fresh that needs no preparation. Fruit is the perfect solution and apples are particularly good this season. If you are extra hungry (I was today), a little peanut butter or a small slice of cheese along with your apple, almost makes a meal.