Swedish Apple Pie

 

 

Here’s a great apple dessert that’s shamelessly easy to make. “Swedish Apple Pie” has it all, including a misleading name. It is Swedish (called smulpaj, meaning “crumb pie”) and contains apples. But it’s more of a crustless torte than a traditional “pie.” I adapted this recipe from that of my non-Swedish sister-in-law Carol. Simple, inexpensive, and with everything basically thrown into the baking dish, it’s unbeatable. When served, it should be topped with either whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. The most elegant is heavy cream whipped with a little powdered sugar then a little rum or Bourbon folded in at the end.

5 cooking apples (like Gala or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, in 1/2-inch slices
1 tablespoon sugar for apples
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, unsalted preferred
1/4 cup oil (not olive)
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar for batter
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an attractive 10-inch shallow casserole.


Place sliced apples in a bowl. Mix the tablespoon of sugar with cinnamon and lemon zest. Sprinkle evenly over apples. Sprinkle on the lemon juice. Toss to mix and spread out the apple slices in the baking dish. Then use the bowl to beat the egg.

In a different bowl, glass or ceramic, melt butter in microwave, about 1 minute. Add oil, flour, sugar, egg, salt, and nuts. Stir until combined. Spoon batter over apples and spread evenly.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm. When serving, top, if desired, with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

 

Chickpea Salad for Maria – Insalata di Ceci Maria

 

 

With my daughter Maria and her family coming over this evening for a Mediterranean dinner, I had to come up with one more dish to complement the others I had. Those other dishes included marinated roasted chicken kebabs, of Turkish origin, Ratatouille, the Provençal medley of summer vegetables, and rice. Still having fresh herbs in my garden, I opened a can of chickpeas and highlighted them, salad style, with olive oil, wine vinegar, fresh parsley and basil, black olives, tomato, garlic and sea salt.

Bowl by Maria Dondero, Southern Star Studio

 

All of those ingredients are common in Italy, where Maria often teaches ceramics both through the University of Georgia art program in Cortona, in Tuscany, and as part of a women’s cooperative clay studio in the same city. Chickpeas as a major food item go back to at least Etruscan times in central Italy, well before the Romans took over. Chickpea salads are made in various parts of the Mediterranean, including Italy. So this convenient, easy to make, dish seemed to fit geographically and historically, as well as culinarily, into what I needed to balance tonight’s meal. I’ll serve it from a ceramic bowl Maria made.

 

The recipe serves four to six as a side dish.

 

1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed twice

1 small tomato, cored and cut in narrow wedges

12 pitted black olives (such as Kalamata), halved crosswise

1 medium large clove garlic, finely minced

3 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves coarsely chopped

8 medium-large leaves fresh basil, coarsely chopped (or 1/2 tsp dry oregano)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons wine vinegar, white or red

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

 

In a mixing bowl, combine the chickpeas with the remaining ingredients. Stir well. Allow the mixture to sit for at least half an hour, mixing it occasionally. Taste and add salt and/or a little more vinegar to your taste.

 

Serve in a shallow bowl.

 

Basil-braised Baby Potatoes

 

 

I was sort of aware of baby golden potatoes, but hadn’t really cooked with them. That is, until one of our daughters this summer gave us half bag of them, along with other perishable loose ends, to use up as she and her family headed off on vacation. Now I’m trying to figure which preparation with them is my favorite.

 

While Italian-type basil still flourishes in my garden, braised baby potatoes with basil is my new go-to easy side dish. It nicely accompanies grilled meat or salmon and doesn’t need any gravy or sauce. Maybe in winter some other version will emerge, since these potatoes are so simple to prepare and so delightful.

 

The recipe serves 4-6 as part of a dinner meal. The potatoes can be cooked fresh before dinner or prepared ahead and quickly re-fried to serve.

 

3/4 pound (12 ounces) baby golden potatoes

1 small shallot or 1/4 of an onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Small pinch nutmeg

Small pinch cayenne

10 medium-sized fresh basil leaves, sliced

 

Rinse but do not peel potatoes, rubbing the outsides well. Cut potatoes into halves then each halt across into half. Peel and finely chop the shallot or onion. Have the other ingredients ready.

 

Heat to medium hot a heavy frying pan or sauce pan that has a lid. Add the olive oil and potatoes. Stirring very frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan with metal spatula, fry for 2 minutes.

 

Add water, shallot or onion, salt, spices and sliced basil leaves. Stir then fry 2 minutes, covered, then stir and scrape again. Cover and fry another 2 minutes. Continue the alternating frying and stirring until the potato is tender when tested with a toothpick. If potatoes are drying add a tablespoon of water as needed. Taste and if needed add a little salt.

 

Keep warm if to be eaten soon, or cool, refrigerate, then re-fry to heat for serving.

 

French Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream and Dill

 

 

I first had this dish many years ago in Lyons, France. It was prepared by an excellent cook who was also a medical researcher I was visiting. The salad was the cooling starter course for dinner on a warm summer evening. It’s easy to make, particularly if you use a vegetable slicer for slicing the cucumber. Although the salad was originally finished with crème fraiche (French cultured heavy cream), American sour cream or plain Greek-style yogurt do almost as well.

 

The recipe serves six as an appetizer course or side dish for dinner.

 

2 large regular cucumbers or one long (plastic sleeved) cucumber

8 ice cubes

1/2 teaspoon salt for preparing cucumber plus 3/4 teaspoon for seasoning the salad

1 small shallot or 1 large scallion (green onion)

1 tablespoon white vinegar (wine or distilled)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons freshly minced dill (reserving 1 teaspoon of it for garnish)

1/4 cup crème fraiche, sour cream, or Greek yogurt

 

Peel cucumbers thinly, leaving some green color. Quarter them lengthwise. If the seeds are large, cut off and discard seed section. Slice cucumbers very thinly (a vegetable slicer makes this easier). 20 minutes before serving time, mix sliced cucumbers with ice cubes, enough water to reach the surface of the cucumbers, plus 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix together gently and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Drain well.

 

Slice shallot or scallion (green part also) very thinly and add to the cucumber. Add vinegar, sugar, pepper, most of the dill, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir well. Allow to sit at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for salt and add a little if necessary.

 

Just before serving, drain away the juices. Add crème fraiche, sour cream or yogurt and mix in well. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary. Spoon into a shallow, attractive dish and dust with the reserved dill.

 

 

Roasted Butternut Soup

 

I’ve loved butternut squash since I first encountered it as a kid growing up in southern New England. My father, skilled at farming, tried the then new vegetable in our family garden, where I used to tag along and “help.” Butternut seed had just become available about 1950 (please don’t do the math), and butternut quickly replaced the traditional Hubbard as the favorite winter squash. Butternut is now grown throughout the world because of its excellent eating and storing qualities.

 

As its name indicates, the squash is both buttery and nutty in flavor. These features are most pronounced when the fruits are fully mature, with the skin thick and uniformly tan and the stem hard and dry. The flesh is then rich orange and sweet. Its luscious intensity is further enhanced by baking.

 

Where I grew up, we ate most winter squash boiled, mashed and slathered with butter, or occasionally baked with brown sugar or maple syrup, butter and spices. My mother, a skilled cook but who with four kids didn’t spend time on complex dishes (“if it takes more than one bowl or one pot it’s too fussy”), kept it simple. By contrast, I’ve made soups with butternut, as well as curries, gratins, ravioli filling, other pasta and rice dishes, and even a roasted butternut salad.

 

Here is an evocative favorite for the fall season, roasted butternut soup. It is not too difficult and shows the squash off to advantage.

 

The recipe serves six, but extra soup stores well and seems even better after a day or two. While typically served hot, butternut soup can also be eaten cold like its non-relative, gazpacho.

 

1 large or 2 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), ideally ripe and hard

1 small onion, finely diced

A 6-inch piece of celery, finely diced

6 tablespoons butter

5 cups chicken broth (low salt) or vegetable broth

1 1/2 teaspoons salt plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

A small pinch of ground cloves

(3 tablespoons cashew butter or ground cashews, optional)

Minced parsley or tiny sprouts (leafy parts) for garnish

 

Set oven for 350 degrees.

 

Cut butternut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place squash, cut side up, on a baking sheet and roast it until tender when pierced with a toothpick. Let cool.

 

Meanwhile prepare the onion and celery and fry them gently in the butter using the pot in which you will make the soup. Stir frequently and fry until the vegetables are tender but not browned. Remove from the heat.

 

When the baked butternut is cooled somewhat, scoop all the flesh out from the skin. Place it, along with the fried onion-celery mixture and its butter in a food processor or blender (this may need to be in two batches), adding a little of the chicken or vegetable broth. Puree the mixture. Transfer it back into the pot. Add the remainder of the broth, the salt and spices (and cashew butter if used). Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for salt, and add a little, if needed, to taste.

 

The soup can be served now, or refrigerated and served hot – or cold – later. Garnish with a little finely minced parsley or tiny leaves from baby sprouts.

 

Borscht – The beautiful beet soup

 

 

The classical “Russian” beet soup, borscht, is not actually Russian. Borscht was created in Ukraine in the 16th century, probably by Ukrainian Cossacks. It’s the beet variant of an earlier peasant soup of wild “hogweed,” from which the Ukrainian, and subsequently Russian, and our, name derives. In other words, that archetypal “Russian” soup actually came from the tough little country Russia is trying to take over. 

 

Borscht is widely loved throughout eastern Europe, particularly in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland. While the carmine-red beet version is the best known, there are also white and green borschts. The beet soup typically contains other flavorful vegetables and often meat or poultry. Celery root, “celeriac,” would have been the source of  the celery flavor, since borscht is a winter soup and few cooks in the old days had access to fresh celery in winter. The soup is usually made sweet-sour with lemon juice, citric acid (“sour salt”), or vinegar, and is typically enjoyed with sour cream -- “smetana” -- in both Ukraine and Russia.

 

The Jewish version of borscht (Eastern European Jewry closely overlapped areas where the beet soup is made) usually omits meat. Mosaic Law forbids combining dairy – like borscht’s essential sour cream – and meat. Borscht was introduced to the US by Yiddish-speaking Ashkenazi Jews who migrated in large numbers from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia in the early 20th century. Thus borscht here is usually thought of as a fairly clear, simple vegetarian beet soup, even though in its native Ukraine the soup is substantially chunky and meaty.

 

Here, in support of  the beleaguered country where the soup originated, is a meaty Ukrainian-style borscht. I also suggest  how to prepare a non-meat version. Whichever way you make it, serve borscht with a generous dollop of sour cream, and maybe some fresh dill, to stir in as you savor the soup.

 

There is a culinary trick for making the soup as red as possible. The beets are cooked in the soup broth whole and unpeeled. Some color will leach into the broth, but cooking lightens it. When tender, the beets are removed, cooled, peeled and diced or grated to be re-added to the soup at the end. 

 

The recipe serves six to eight, but leftovers are great later. Serve hot in individual soup bowls, with a dollop of sour cream for diners stir in.

 

Ukrainian-Style Borscht, with Meat

 

1 to 1-1/2 pounds pork with bones, such as shoulder steak or shoulder “chops”

2 quarts water

1-1/2 pounds red beets

1/2 pound celery root (“celeriac”)

2 large carrots

1 medium-large onion

1/4 head red cabbage (green can be substituted)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dry thyme

3 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

5 tablespoons white or cider vinegar (5% acidity)

3 tablespoons sugar

Sour cream for serving

Sprigs of fresh dill (optional) for garnish

 

Cut the pork into large chunks and keep the bones. Bring meat and bones to a boil with the water in a soup pot, then allow to simmer.

 

Rinse the beets, then without peeling them, add them to the simmering meat. Saving both the peels and roots, peel the celeriac and cut off the entangled root sections. Rinse the peels and roots in a bowl of water, allowing any sand to settle to the bottom. Add the peels and roots to the simmering meat and beets to flavor the broth. Allow the pot to simmer, covered, for half an hour or more, depending on the size of the beets. With a toothpick pierce several beets to test for tenderness. When they are tender, remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

 

Remove and save the meat and bones. Strain the broth into a bowl, and discard the celeriac peels and roots. Measure the broth and return it to the soup pot, and add enough water to make 2 quarts.

 

Cut the meat off the bones and cut it into 1/4-inch pieces. Add the cut-up meat to the broth. Discard the bones.

 

Cut the peeled celeriac into 1/4-inch cubes. Peel the carrots and cut then into 1/4-inch pieces. Peel the onion. Halve it then slice it 1/4-inch wide then cut the slices into 1/4-inch pieces. Add these three vegetables to the broth and bring it back to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the soup simmers. Skim off any foam that forms.  Add the pepper and thyme but not the salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, 10-12 minutes. 

 

Meanwhile, cut out the core of the cabbage, and cut cabbage first into 1/4-inch slices then crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Set aide. Peel the cooked beets and cut the beets into 1/4-inch cubes. Set aside separate from the cabbage.

 

When the simmering vegetables are tender, add the cut-up cabbage. Simmer it until it is becoming tender, 10 minutes or so. Add the salt, and simmer a few more minutes, until the cabbage is fully tender. Add the reserved, diced cooked beets plus the vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer one minute. Remove from the heat.

 

Skim off any foam from the surface. Taste the broth and several pieces of vegetable. Add a little salt if needed. Add a little more vinegar and/or sugar if needed to make it sweet-sour to your taste. The soup can be served now or, when cool, refrigerated and reheated later.

 

Serve hot in wide soup dishes. Place several tablespoons of sour cream in the center of each bowl of soup. If desired, place a sprig of dill on top of the sour cream.

 

Vegetarian Borscht

 

This version of the soup can be eaten hot or chilled. It is made without meat, but the “umami” quality is replaced by simmering in some mushrooms. Mushrooms, freshly gathered in the woods in summer, and dried mushrooms during the rest of the year, are common cooking ingredients in Eastern Europe.

 

Check the head notes at the start of the meat version of the soup, above. Follow that recipe, but omit the meat. Simmer the beets plus the celeriac peels and roots as above. Handle the beets as above, and strain out the celeriac peels and roots as above.

 

Add 1/2 pound of fresh mushrooms, either regular white or “Baby Bella,” cut into 1/4 inch dice to the other cubed vegetables in the recipe above.

 

Whether served hot or cold, add the sour cream to the soup bowls for diners to stir in.

 

Easy Berry Topping or Sauce

 

For an easy dessert, like store-bought ice cream or angel food cake, a raspberry, or strawberry or mixed berry sauce is a great topping. Using store-bought frozen, or fresh, berries, making the sauce takes just a few minutes, plus a few more minutes to cool.

 

The typical packages of frozen berries are 12 ounces, and the fresh berries are a pint. Both work with this recipe. I prefer organic berries, to avoid the pesticides that are often used on these crops.

 

12 ounces frozen or 1 pint fresh berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, or mixed berries), organic preferred

2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar for 12 ounces of frozen fruit OR 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar for a pint of fresh berries

1/8 teaspoon salt

 

If using frozen berries, place them directly in a small enamel or stainless steel cooking pot. If using fresh berries, remove any leaves or stems and place the fruit in the pot. Add the brown sugar and salt.

 

Heat to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, and cook until fruit is becoming tender. Turn off the heat and break up the berries somewhat with a potato masher or fork. Let cool.

 

The sauce will keep, refrigerated, for a week or more.

 

Serve over your choice of ice cream, sherbet, cake, cheesecake, pudding, or even pancakes. An optional additional topping is whipped cream.

 

Lentil Dip in Ancient Style

 

Lentils, one of my favorite foods, go way back. I mean waaaay back. Lentils were among the first crops at the dawn of agriculture the Fertile Crescent some 6,000 years ago. Like other ancient field crops – barley, peas, emmer wheat – lentils emerged from wild predecessors, whose seeds were hard to gather. Early settled people accidentally replanted some of those wild seeds by discarding them near the garbage heap. Gradually, people began intentionally planting seeds saved from the previous harvest. As they reseeded from their better-performing plants their crops improved.

 

In that same era, another major breakthrough occurred in the Fertile Crescent. Terracotta (“baked earth”) pots were created by shaping then baking clay. Such pots permitted boiling and stewing food. It’s probably no coincidence that clay pots for cooking (and brewing!) co-evolved with the production of grains and legumes, which benefited from cooking. They made each other more valuable.

 

I started making appetizers from red lentils (tan/gray-green lentils that have had their skin-like hulls removed) when I joined my daughter, Maria Dondero, of Southern Star Studio, in her talks on pottery making. It’s customary in artistic circles to offer refreshments at “openings,” lectures, and demonstrations. Dips made from lentils and served from a terracotta dish humorously paired again that legume with pottery.

 

Here is a dip of red lentils (yellow when cooked) that draws on their history, using only ingredients that go back at least 4,000 years in the region where lentils originated. Besides lentils, these include onion, olive oil, coriander, cilantro (yes, probably the first herb used culinarily in the western world), wine vinegar, honey and sea salt. I obviously can’t guarantee that such a dip was actually made during the past 4,000 years, but it could have been.

 

The dip can be presented on a terracotta dish. The recipe serves six to eight as an appetizer.

 

1 cup split red lentils

1/2 of a small onion, very finely diced (3-4 tablespoons)

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for garnishing

2 cups water, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more if needed

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped cilantro leaf, for garnish

 

Rinse the lentils, and soak them in water to cover by an inch or more while preparing the remaining ingredients.

 

In a pot, gently fry the onion in the olive oil, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned. Drain the lentils, and add them to the pot, along with 2 cups of water, Bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils soften and break down (10-20 minutes). Add a little water from time to time, if needed, to maintain a creamy consistency.

 

Once the lentils have softened, add the salt and coriander, and continue to simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and honey, and simmer another minute or two. Taste, and if needed add salt to taste.

 

Cool. Serve in a small bowl or serving dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Accompany with crackers.

 

 

 

Hot Blond Lentil Chili

 

 

“Hot BlondChili,” which I developed and won top prize with at a Super Bowl chili competition in Atlanta years ago is now a popular take-home dish sold from the freezer at our restaurant. (The recipe can be found elsewhere in this blog.) It is also a favorite among several of my grandchildren. But, since it contains meat (usually ground turkey plus bacon), it doesn’t work for several other family members who avoid meat. So here’s a vegetarian version of the dish, to close the gap. 

Lentils, one of my favorite food items, are a wonderful source of protein, dietary fiber, iron, and certain vitamins. They are also quick-cooking, easy to store, and inexpensive. I use them in two forms here, the green-tan whole lentils plus the split, hulled red lentils. They replace the ground meat. The smoky hint from bacon in the meat recipe is replaced by a chipotle chili, which is a smoked, dried jalapeño pepper. Otherwise, the chili is made similarly to the meat version. I usually make it with some real heat from the peppers.

 

 Most of the ingredients are available at supermarkets and natural food stores. Two items, chipotle peppers and ground annatto (called “achiote molido”), can be found in the dry chili and seasoning section at Mexican grocery stores. Habanero peppers are in some supermarkets, but always in the produce section of Mexican groceries.

 

The recipe serves six or more. Leftovers keep well and seem to taste even better at a later time. I like to serve chili with rice. Recently I’ve come to appreciate brown rice as an accompaniment.

 

1 cup regular green-tan lentils

1 cup split red lentils

2 (14-ounce) cans white Great Northern beans

1 medium-large onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 whole dry chipotle chili (available at Mexican stores)

1 yellow or orange habanero pepper, or 2 tabasco peppers

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground annatto (“achiote molido”), at Mexican store

Water as needed

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1 cup sour cream

 

In two bowls, separately rinse then soak the two types of lentils in water several inches above the lentils. Set aside until needed. Open the cans of beans and drain off the liquid, but do not rinse the beans. Set aside until needed.

 

Finely mince the onion, or chop it finely in a food processor. In a heavy pot, fry onion in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to brown. Mince the garlic cloves or put them through a garlic press and stir into the frying onions. Let fry lightly for a minute, Add chipotle, whole, the habanero or tabasco peppers, whole. Add 2 cups water then stir in the dry spices. Bring to a boil.

 

Drain the whole lentils (but not yet the split red lentils) and add them to the onion mixture. Cook them, covered, over medium heat, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the lentils are becoming tender, 10-15 minutes. As needed to keep them very moist, add a little water from time to time.

 

Then drain the split red lentils and add them to the pot, along with enough water to just reach the surface of the lentils. Simmer, covered, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot, until red lentils turn pale yellow and become tender, 10-15 minutes. Add a little water from time to time as needed to keep the lentils moist.

 

When lentils are tender, but not disintegrated, add the drained beans and salt. Cook at a light boil, stirring frequently, for two minutes. Stir in the sour cream and simmer two minutes further. Remove from the heat. Taste and add salt if needed.

 

Serve now, accompanied by rice, or store and reheat for serving later.

 

“Street Vendor Style” Corn Salsa – Salsa de Elote

 

 

The Mexican word “Elote” (aay-LO-tay) means fresh corn.  “Mais” (my-EECE), the general word  for corn elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking world is limited in Mexico to corn as crop or the dry grain. “Mais” came from the indigenous language of the Taino people in the Caribbean Islands where Spaniards first encountered corn, while “elote” is from the word for corn in Nahuatl, the language of the native Aztec people of central Mexico.

 

In Mexico you find fresh corn, elote, being sold by street vendors in the plazas and other gathering places. Corn kernels, freshly steamed, or sometimes grilled, are piled into a paper cone, topped with “crema” (Mexican sour cream), a slosh of hot pepper sauce (a favorite being “Valentina”), a squeeze of lime, and sprinkled with chopped cilantro. It’s a delightful snack.

 

Here’s an easy salsa based on street vendor Elote that I sometimes make for tacos and fajitas, favorite foods of my grandkids. You can’t have too many different kinds of condiments when serving tacos or fajitas. The salsa also goes well as a dip for tortilla chips.  

 

1 large ear of yellow corn, boiled (or grilled)

1/4 cup sour cream

Juice from 1 medium lime

1/2 teaspoon (or more) hot pepper sauce (like Valentina, Frank’s RedHot, Crystal, Tabasco)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons coarsely chopped cilantro plus a sprig for garnish

 

Cook the corn and let it cool. With a sharp knife, slice the kernels off into a mixing bowl. Break up the corn to separate the kernels. Stir in the remaining ingredients except for the sprig of cilantro.

 

Place in a serving bowl and garnish with the sprig of cilantro.

 

 

Roasted Beet Salad, with Yogurt, Feta or Goat Cheese

 

 

Roasting beets whole concentrates their sugars, color, nutrition and delightful taste. Then turning those roasted beets into a salad with a little onion, parsley, sugar and vinegar produces a beautiful as well as delightful dish that is part of many traditions. Such a salad adds a “wow” to the dinner. 

Roasted beet salad is particularly associated with Greek and Turkish cooking, where it is often topped with yogurt or feta cheese -- or goat cheese in the US. But the salad can also be made without dairy. Toasted walnuts are optional, but they enhance the contrasts as well as the protein value.

 

Beet salad can also be made with boiled or microwaved beets, or even canned beets. But it lacks intensity, and can be insipid, in my view. Roasting the beets takes some time, but it’s time in the oven while the cook can be working on other things.

 

Here’s a delightful roasted beet salad in the vegetarian tradition, including dairy. The recipe serves six or more, but extra salad is great as a leftover.

 

1 pound fresh whole red beets, preferably all about the same size

A little vegetable or olive oil to moisten the surfaces

1 tablespoon very thinly sliced onion (lengthwise, “julienne” style)

2 sprigs fresh parsley, preferably flat “Italian” type, leaves coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons cider or wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whole milk yogurt, crumbled feta or goat cheese (optional)

3 tablespoons toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

 

Rub the whole beets with a little oil or spray with baker’s spray. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 375 degrees until tender when pierced with a toothpick. That will take 40-60 minutes, depending on size of the beets. Let cool.

 

With sharp knife, peel and scrape off skin from the beets (a little messy, an apron is suggested). Slice beets 1/8-inch thick. Stack slices a few at a time and cut into 1/2-inch strips. Place in mixing bowl.

 

Add onion, parsley, vinegar, sugar and salt and mix well. Let rest ten minutes, then mix well again. Taste a piece of beet and a little of the accumulated juice. If preferred, add a little more vinegar and/or sugar and/or salt, to taste.

 

This can be served now, after a final mixing, or chilled and served later. If using yogurt or cheese, after plattering, sprinkle the salad with it. If desired, top with coarsely chopped toasted walnuts.

 

 

“Peach Marsala” is easy and delicious

 

The idea started with a chef friend’s experiment years ago in Atlanta. He toyed with a sweet, creamy bourbon-enhanced sauce for a peach cake. In the end he abandoned the effort, but not before I had tasted his sauce and saw possibilities. 

I stole the idea, frankly, but changed the flavor from Jack Daniels to aromatic Marsala wine. And I envisioned the sauce over broiled peaches. That was as the peach season was winding down that year.  The idea dwindled. But the following year, having received some luscious peaches from a traveler from South Carolina (I know, I know… but they grow them well up there, too), I revived the thought of a rich, Marsala-laced sauce on peaches. And in particular, peaches over good vanilla ice cream.

 

Marsala, a fragrant, fortified wine made for centuries in Sicily, draws its name from its town of origin. Produced from local grapes, the wine ages for years in a system of connected barrels from which a portion of older wine is drawn off from the bottom to sell and new wine is added to the top to replace it. Thus wines of different vintages mingle as their flavor and fragrance intensify. The barreling system is similar to the “solera” used for producing sherry and port wines.

 

California Marsala made by Cribari, a company best known for sacramental and altar wines, is inexpensive and quite decent for cooking. But Marsala varieties from Italy are not expensive, either. I prefer the non-sweet version (“secco” for Italian­­-made Marsala) since I also use it cooking chicken.

 

In this dessert fresh sliced peaches are placed over ice cream and the sauce is poured lightly over them.

 

The recipe makes sauce enough for six servings over peaches and ice cream .

 

1/3 cup Marsala wine

1/4 cup brown sugar

Large pinch of salt

2/3 cup sour cream

3-6 peaches, depending on size, peeled and sliced

Vanilla ice cream

 

In enamel or stainless steel pot, bring wine, sugar and salt to a rapid boil, stirring. Simmer for two minutes. Whisk in the sour cream until smooth, then remove from the heat. Let cool.

 

Serve from a small pitcher or serving bowl. Spoon sliced peaches over ice cream and drizzle with the sauce.

 

Spicy Pinto Beans

 

 

Here’s an easily made pinto bean dish of the sort that goes well as an ingredient in tacos, fajitas, nachos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and burritos. Alternatively, the beans go well with rice as a lunch or snack.

 

The recipe serves six people as a light meal, or serves more people if used as an ingredient in one of the Tex-Mex dishes mentioned above.

 

1 small green bell pepper or 1/2 a medium one

1 medium jalapeño pepper

1 small onion or 1/2 a medium one

1 clove garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 (14-ounce) cans pinto beans

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, if available, or 1 extra teaspoon regular chili powder

1 teaspoon regular chili powder, or 2 teaspoons if chipotle chili powder not used

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/3 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup water

Coarsely chopped cilantro for garnish, if desired

 

Core the bell pepper and cut it in chunks. Cut the stem off the jalapeño, and cut the jalapeño in half, keeping the seeds. Peel the onion and the garlic clove. Chop all four vegetables very finely in a food processor, or on a cutting board with a chef’s knife. Place vegetable mixture in a heavy pot with the olive oil. Set aside.

 

Open the cans of beans, and holding their lids on, drain off as much liquid as you can, but do not rinse. Add 1 cup of water to one of the cans of beans. Measure the salt and dry seasonings and put them in a small bowl or cup.

 

Place the pot with the chopped vegetables and olive oil on the stove, and fry, stirring very frequently, until the vegetables are softened, but not browned. Add the beans and their water plus the spices to the pot. Heat, simmering for about ten minutes, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot, so that the beans don’t stick.

 

Remove from the heat. Taste, and add salt if needed.

 

Use a a lunch dish with rice, sprinkled with chopped parsley, or use as an ingredient on nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos, fajitas or burritos.

 

 

Red Lentil Dal with Spinach, a good Iron Source

 

One of my teenage grandchildren has been vegetarian for some years. And as she is active in sports, getting enough iron to avoid anemia is a challenge. She loves Indian food, and does some cooking. So this one is for her. 

Lentils, and especially red lentils (called “masoor dal” in India), and spinach (called “palak” or “saag” in India) are both good sources of dietary iron. They also have many other nutritional benefits, including protein, soluble and insoluble fiber, and multiple vitamins.

 

Here is a delicious Indian vegetarian dish, Dal Saag (or Dal Palak), that brings together these two fine iron sources. It also makes a great meal, accompanied by rice or chapati flat bread, plus yogurt and a fresh chutney (I have a good recipe for fresh tomato chutney elsewhere in this blog).

 

Masoor dal, split and hulled red (or “Egyptian”) lentils, are available inexpensively at supermarkets, Indian stores, and natural food stores. The spices are relatively readily available at the same places. Frozen spinach is the easiest for this cooking, but fresh could be used if preferred. Indian cooks would typically fry part of the cumin seeds and part of the onion in a little oil or clarified butter (ghee) and stir it in at the end for heightened flavor. For simplicity (and for a teen-aged cook) I leave that step out and just cook those seasonings in with the lentils.

 

The recipe makes about a quart and a half, enough for six people. It keeps well in the fridge and reheats easily in the microwave.

 

1 1/2 cup split red lentils

5 cups water

4 tablespoons butter (or vegetable oil for a vegan dish)

1 small onion finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1 1/4 teaspoons whole cumin seeds (or ground as a second choice)

1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (or ground as a second choice)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 (12-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach (not thawed)

Coarsely chopped cilantro for garnish, if desired

 

Rinse and drain the lentils. Place in a pot with the water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of thee pot. Skim off and discard the foam that arises as the lentils boil.

 

Add the butter, onion and spices (not the salt), and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot, until lentils are tender and start to disintegrate, 25-30 minutes. If the mixture is getting somewhat dry, add a little water.

Add the salt and simmer a few more minutes.

 

Finally, add the frozen spinach, and stirring frequently, cook only until the spinach is heated. Do not cook after the mixture boils.

 

Remove from the heat, taste for salt and add a little if needed. Let cool. The flavors are enhanced as the mixture rests.

 

Reheat to serve. Top lightly with coarsely chopped cilantro leaves, if desired, when using as part of an Indian meal with rice or chapati.

 

 

Spring Greens and Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette – All Year Long

 

Bright, young leafy greens and gorgeous red strawberries combine for a delightful salad that screams “springtime.” But -- happily -- the story is  more complicated. 

“Spring Mix,” a collection of young salad greens is now available throughout the year. And most of it is hydroponically grown in greenhouses. Increasingly it’s produced locally in all seasons. Strawberries, which in my childhood were very seasonal and locally grown, are available year round, and are either shipped in, or now also greenhouse grown. Strawberries are safest if organic or at least raised in greenhouses.

 

Here’s my “springtime” salad offering, which was previously a column in Boom Magazine, an Athens publication for which I regularly write about food and cooking.

Using some of the strawberries, particularly the less beautiful ones in the package, to infuse the salad dressing makes the salad an even more intense celebration of spring. And, thanks to modern agriculture, it can be enjoyed any time of year.

 

The recipe serves six. The salad dressing can be made in advance.

 

1 pint (16 ounces) strawberries, organic or greenhouse grown

1 sprig fresh mint or other herb, optional

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt, plus to taste

3 tablespoons wine vinegar or cider vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil or part olive oil

4 cups (loosely measured) spring mix salad greens (from supermarket)

 

Divide the strawberries into two halves, the prettiest berries in one half. Save those for topping the salad.

 

Using the less pretty berries, cut off the hulls and stems and chop or mash the berries finely. Mix them in a bowl with the fresh herb, if used, sugar, salt, vinegar and water. Mix well and allow to sit for an hour or more. Put mixture through a strainer into another bowl and press down firmly to extract the juices. Discard the squeezed-out strawberry pulp. Add the black pepper and oil to the liquid in the bowl. Mix and taste for salt, adding a little, if needed, to taste. It should be faintly salty.

 

Place the spring mix (no need to rinse the leaves if the package indicates they were already washed) in a salad bowl. Hull the reserved (prettier} strawberries. Slice them from top to bottom 1/4-inch thick and distribute them on top of the salad greens. Transfer the dressing to an attractive jar. Just before serving, and preferably at the table for the diners to see, toss the dressing with the greens and berries.