My herbs are growing well outside in their porch pots. And leading all the others is my flat leaf parsley. No wonder it is the world's most popular herb. Petroselinum crispum or rock celery from the Greek, has been cultivated for over two thousand years and is native to the Mediterranean region of southern Europe. Before finding its way into the kitchen it was used medicinally and was held sacred by the Greek culture. It was an adornment for athletic victors, used to decorate tombs and worn in wreaths to ward off drunkenness.
We are perhaps most familiar with the two main varieties: curly and flat leaf, but there are also two other types that are gaining in popularity: Hamburg and Japanese, of the more than 30 now being commercially produced. They all provide an excellent source of both Vitamin C & A and are also a good source of folic acid that is known to contribute to cardiovascular health as well as cancer prevention, Parsley is a storehouse of nutrients and is good for digestion in addition to stimulating appetite. Those trifolate leaves contain 2 types of unusual components that can give us unique health benefits. First, they contain volatile oil components that inhibit tumor formation, especially in the lungs. Those oils are chemo-protective and neutralize carcinogens. And second, parsley contains flavonoids, powerful antioxidants that prevent cell damage.
It's a shame that this beneficial herb is used mainly as a decorative garnish. While we know that chewing that sprig on the plate at the end of a meal can help eliminate halitosis, there must be better ways to ingest this healthy member of the carrot family into the body. So beside using parsley in soups and salads and as a seasoning for meat, potatoes and fish, let me recommend a favorite use among our South American neighbors. Here is a recipe for chimichurri that you can make before you fire up the grill to cook that steak you are planning to serve for your Fourth of July celebration.
Argentinian Chimichurri
- 2 cups packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1/4 cup packed fresh oregano leaves (or 4 teaspoons
dried oregano)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Place parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt,
and pepper (to taste) in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade
attachment. Process until finely chopped, stopping and scraping down the sides
of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, about 1 minute total.
- With the motor running, add oil in a steady stream. Scrape down the
sides of the bowl and pulse a few times to combine. Transfer sauce to an
airtight container and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 1 day to allow the
flavors to meld. Before serving, stir and season as needed. The chimichurri will
keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
According to the folks at Purely American, "Up until the late 1800's the interest in growing mushrooms was limited to home gardeners, primarily because of the unreliable supply of imported spawn (seed)." It wasn't until 1896 that William Swayne, a flower and vegetable grower from Kennett Square, PA, began to grow the fungus commercially as a secondary crop.
By the turn of the Twentieth Century the industry literally mushroomed and by the Roaring Twenties several large Pennsylvania based commercial growers dominated the industry. Currently mushrooms harvested in the Keystone State compose nearly half of the nation's 800 million pounds of fresh mushrooms grown annually. Chester County alone accounts for one quarter of all the mushrooms produced in America. No wonder Kennett Square calls itself "The Mushroom Capital of the World."
Recently I came across an interesting recipe from Purely American that isn't like all the other mushroom soups that are cream based. While they are good, to be sure, I was looking for something a bit different, something with a little zing. So I purchased a mix calling for fresh mushrooms, ground beef, onion, beef stock and hot sauce. It came with some seasonings and added barley and wild rice as well.
It didn't take long to cook up and filled the house with a tantalizing aroma. It was a hearty soup with the clear flavor of the mushrooms enhanced by the grains and the beef. And the hot sauce provided a nice tang to the back of the throat. It definitely wasn't the traditional cream of mushroom soup experience. It was better!
Before I begin a diatribe against all food franchises let me say that they do have some positive points. First of all, they have name recognition. When you drive into the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel or Old Country Buffet restaurant you pretty much know what to expect. Their menus are universal with little variation. (OK, yes you can purchase beer in McDonald's in Germany, and the Burger King's in Hawaii does serve Spam.) But for the most part there are no surprises. And with that, no creativity either. Secondly, you know the costs of the items on the menu, since there is only minor variation across our great nation. And if you own one of these franchises you have the support from a national headquarters that assists in marketing and collective buying power for raw materials and supplies. There is also guidance as to decor and layout. And no deviation from that standard is permitted, even down to the color scheme in the restrooms!
But my major complaint of franchise eateries is two fold. It has been my experience that most, if not all of the food on the menu is predetermined and trucked in from some central kitchen facility which weighs, measures and cooks most of the food to be served, according to a standard created by someone far removed from the restaurant. This makes for a bland, but predictable product that ultimately lowers the public's expectations of a good, healthy meal. Contrary to the marketing of Applebee's, diners aren't really, "eating good in the neighborhood." The food is notorious for containing way too much sodium and sugar to preserve and flavor it, to say nothing of the high caloric content.
Another problem I have with franchise food is that a large portion of the revenue is removed from the local community and must be paid to some corporate entity, often in another state or region of the country. Royalties and franchise fees support nameless and faceless executives, not Johnny's little league team or Suzie's cheer leading squad.
But sadly, franchise food has become the way of life for our fast paced society. Touch down in any town and you will see the logos of dozens of familiar food chains serving up something that we have come to recognize as more of a way to get fed inexpensively, rather than to really enjoy something special that has been personally prepared with care and attention.
So the next time you are headed out for something to eat, give a thought to the quality of your meal and the person serving it. And then expect just a little more than a franchise experience.
Never, ever eat at a franchise restaurant! That is one of my simple rules by which I attempt to always abide. But last Friday night I broke that rule when I decided to redeem a $25 gift card I received in the mail from the local Bonefish Grill franchise what opened recently in nearby Montgomeryville. The reason was due to an abrupt change of plans providing me with an unexpected night out of the kitchen. So I headed over to see if this place was any different from the rest.
Requesting a corner booth so I could safely watch the crowd with my back to the wall I was promptly greeted by my server who began with her scripted introduction directing me to the back of the plastic menu where the specialty (read: higher priced) drinks were listed. Declining to have anything stronger than iced tea, which I thought was a bit steep at $2.70, she then recited the house special "crave-worthy" appetizers and entrees which included something called "Bang-bang shrimp." And even before I could read through the large print menu I was asked to place my order.
It wasn't very long before my cup of corn chowder with lump crab arrived, luke warm. That was probably due to the fact that it hadn't spent sufficient time in the microwave. No doubt it had been prepared weeks earlier in some central kitchen midway between Florida and Maine and shipped in a 55 gallon drum by refrigerated truck. It was so devoid of flavor that it needed a strong dose of hot sauce to make it memorable.
After languishing through the soupy appetizer I hoped that my soft shell crab cake would be better. It was, after all, a novel concept: a soft shell crab stuffed with crab meat. But what arrived at my table was a contradiction in terms. The crab meat, loaded with filler, was soggy while the shell was hard and dried out. It caused me to wonder when the poor crab last saw salt water. And the accompanying asparagus could not be revived. It was thick and sullen. I accidentally dented one spear in an attempt to cut through it. Sadly, the highlight of the meal was the warm rectangular mini-loaf of bread that was served with seasoned EVOO.
Yet the staff was friendly and attentive. No less than 3 managers stopped by my table to ask how I was enjoying my meal. I barely was able to get a bite down between conversations. In their literature they make the bold assertion that diners will receive "an inspired dinner that opens your eyes." Well, at least the last part of that claim is accurate. With the gift card my final bill came to 53 cents. I think I paid too much.
New Englanders certainly do love their chowder! The cook-off was packed with folks eager to sample all the varieties being offered by the competing organizations. But as I tasted the nearly two dozen different chowders I wondered to myself, what goes into making a really great chowder?
It seems that chowder is to New Englanders what gumbo is to folks along the bayou. There are some basics, but creativity is really the main ingredient. And everyone there cooking had some sort of individual twist to their concoction. I peeked behind the scenes of one booth and spoke with the head chef who was patiently stirring his chowder in a large make-shift double boiler. He told me that is the only way to heat the mixture without burning it with the dry heat of the open flame. Others had secret ingredients, like smoked alligator meat, or brie cheese. And another didn't use clams at all, but a combination of oysters and lobster meat.
I came away with a sense of freedom with regard to my own cooking after sampling all the different chowders. Cook what you like and like what you cook I guess is the mantra of the Great Chowder Cook-Off. That worked for them and it works for me!
In most parts of the country the unofficial start to Summer is marked by Memorial Day. But not in Newport, RI! The Great Chowder Cook-Off is the event that signals the summer season for that portion of New England. People have been coming to America's Cup Avenue there for over three decades to start their summer by tasting the best chowders from across the nation. And they don't arrive without some serious preparation.
As I stood in the preferred admittance line I chatted it up with some locals. And as I did I noticed some interesting equipment they brought along. First, I noticed they all had on sturdy shoes, hats, backpacks and lightweight clothing. This was to make the best of the all afternoon event. They were also armed with folding umbrellas, just in case. Resourceful Yankees are prepared for the unexpected. But what they did expect was a lot of little 1 oz cups of chowder samples from the nearly two dozen competitors. And to handle all those cups they had something I had not considered and it caught me quite by surprise. They all had frisbees. Frisbees, you ask? Well yes, if you invert them they make wonderful little trays in which to hold multiple samples being offered in order to taste test the different chowders side by side. My, they take their voting responsibilities seriously! And in the pockets of many were plastic soup spoons so they could enjoy every last drop of each chowder. The backpacks? They were to collect up all the samples of items used to entice votes from participants. Everything from miniature frisbees, to beads, to shot glasses were given away. And then from the corporate sponsors there were insulated canvas shopping bags, key chains, boxes of crackers and bags of chips, stickers and even yo-yos. Also being handed out were samples of chocolate milk and an amazing burger slider made with maple syrup and apple slices, and bacon and cheese of course. They never made it into the backpacks as you might guess.
If not by my Philly accent then by my lack of preparation they could tell I was a neophyte, and outsider to the event. But I quickly learned how to navigate the course and sample all the chowders and collect up all of the goodies. With some friendly coaching I became a veteran of my first campaign and by the 5 pm deadline cast my votes for the best of the best in each category.
Yesterday I mentioned that certain areas of our great nation are identified by regional delicacies. And America as a whole is symbolized by a summertime favorite, apple pie. But at the Great Chowder Cook-Off in Rhode Island on June 1st they would like to challenge that notion.
The event has been taking place for over three decades and invites participants from around the world to compete for honors in three different categories: clam, seafood, and creative. As you might expect, the majority of the 19 teams there this year came from the New England area and was predominated by local restaurants and cooking schools. Teams were there from familiar places like Providence, Boston, Groton, Mystic and Westerly. But it became a national event as competitors showed up from New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and as far away as Seattle and Timberline Lodge, Oregon. And it became a truly international event with the presence of a team from County Mayo, Ireland.
So move over, apple pie! Make room for another American icon, clam chowder!
