Inside Out

     It's been a bountiful harvest for my porch plants.  About now I am picking more tomatoes than I know what to do with.  And while enjoying them for lunch and dinner daily (still not ready for a breakfast tomato) I have just about exhausted my repertoire of recipes.  Tomato jam, tomato salsa, fried, stewed, and grilled tomatoes as well as sliced ones in salads have all been employed.



     Editor-in-Chief of Living magazine, Eric Pike, offers up a new and creative way to enjoy the prolific summer fruit.  Here's what he says in his editor's letter:

"Tomatoes are in their prime this time of the year.  If you can't get enough of them (I know I can't), you'll love this inside-out fork-and-knife version of a grilled cheese sandwich, which goes heavy on the tomatoes and light on everything else.

INVERTED TOMATO SANDWICH

1 slice Italian bread, 1/2" thick

Extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

2 slices heirloom tomato, 1/2" thick

Red-wine vinegar

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Freshly ground pepper

Fresh basil leaves, torn if large

1. Brush both sides of bread with oil, then pat cheese evenly onto both sides.

2.  Heat a dry non-stick skillet over medium.  Add coated bread and cook, flipping once, until cheese is golden brown and melted, about 5 minutes.

3. Place one tomato slice on a plate.  Sprinkle with vinegar, then drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper.  Layer with toast and remaining tomato slice.  Sprinkle with vinegar, then drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper.  Top with basil and serve.

 



Feast-i-val!

     Across our great nation the vast majority of the emergency service organizations are volunteer.  The work they do is dangerous and expensive.  Raising the necessary funds to stay in operation is an ongoing challenge.  Many fire companies and ambulance companies routinely sponsor things like bake sales, golf outings, hoagie sales, beef and beer nights and fun runs.  But the Rescue Fire Company in Cambridge, Dorchester County, Maryland has hit upon a successful event and for the last  36 years hosted a Seafood Feast-i-val and invites the public to an all-you-can-eat afternoon on the waterfront.

     So I was more than willing to pony up $37 for my ticket, knowing that it was going to a good and worthy cause, as well as providing me with an outstanding meal.  And as I read the advertising I noted that the menu was impressive:

     Steamed Crabs                           Crab Soup                           Fried Fish
     Fried Clams                                BBQ Chicken                      Hot Dogs
     Sliced Tomatoes                        Corn on the Cob                 Watermelon
     Ranch Fries                               Sweet Potato Fries              Soda


     The feast-i-val was scheduled to be held at Sailwinds Park in Cambridge rain or shine from 1pm-6pm on Saturday August 8.  So I made sure I was there in plenty of time, arriving around 12:30.  There was already a line waiting to get into the park, so I found my place at the end and looked around at all the others standing patiently in the noonday sun.  And right away I realized I was in trouble.  Everyone else had either a large cardboard box lid or an aluminum baking pan in hand and I did not.  It was clear that I was missing something as a neophyte to the event.  So I began to ask those around me the purpose of the boxes and pans.

     The explanation was simple.  To reduce the number of trips back and forth from the food booths and the tables under the big top tents the boxes and pans acted as large trays.  They could be loaded with several different plates of food, like half a dozen crabs, some soup, a chicken leg and an ear of cornall at the same time.  Without the makeshift tray I would have to go back and forth for each separate item.  Realizing my error in preparation a man in line just behind me kindly offered to return to his car and fetch me an extra box lid for me.  That proved to be a very generous gesture that benefited me greatly.



     I spent the next 3 hours enjoying the food, the musical entertainment and the conviviality of those sitting around me.  It was quite an education as I watched feast-i-val veterans work their way through mountains of food.  It was an amazing event!





     Next year I will be better prepared.

The Versatile Peach

     Peaches are amazing!  They can be eaten right off the tree, baked in a pie, stewed, jellied, preserved, grilled, juiced and roasted.  They can be the star of a meal or lend a supporting role to an entree.

     "Peaches taste great in salads and salsas too and this recipe will help you start using peaches in a slightly different way," so says Maria Ushakova as she offers up this recipe:

Peach Salsa with a Secret Ingredient

Ingredients

     4 peaches, diced

     1/3 red onion, thinly sliced

     1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

     3/4 cup chopped parsley

     20 mint leaves, chopped

For the dressing

     1 inch long piece of fresh ginger, grated

     2 Tbsp olive oil

     juice of 1 lemon

     pinch of salt-optional

Instructions

     1. Place the peaches, onion, red bell pepper, parsley and mint into a salad bowl

     2. In a separate small bowl, mix together the grated ginger, olive oil, lemon juice and salt (if using)

     3. Pour the dressing over the peaches mixture and toss to combine.

Notes:

     Keep in the fridge for up to 48 hours in a glass container with a tight lid.

Peachy Keen

     Danielle Hanson of the Brampton Inn in Chestertown, MD reminds us that August is officially Peach Month.  In her occasional newsletter she listed the following facts:

There are 2,000 different peach varieties.

They were already cultivating peaches 2,500 years ago in China.

Peaches found their way to Persia, hence it's Latin name Prunus persica.

Alexander the Great brought peaches to Europe.

The Spaniards introduced the peach to the New World in the 15th Century.



So celebrate with something peachy this month!  They are good and good for you.  Peaches contain salicylates, the same compound found in aspirin.  And they have a low glycemic index which helps to regulate our blood sugar levels.



Tomorrow: a recipe for Peach Salsa with a secret ingredient!

Peter Piper

     We all know that Peter Piper excelled at pickling peppers.  But I wonder if he ever tried the same fermentation process with garden fresh tomatoes?  In the September issue of Food Network Magazine there is a tab marked "Fun Cooking" with a recipe for Quick Pickled Tomatoes."  So a few days ago I gave it a try.



     It was indeed fun, and easy.  I had more than enough Sweet Treat and Cherry tomatoes from my porch plants to fill a jar and so I followed the recipe.  Here it is for you:

Bring 1 cup each cider vinegar and water to boil in a medium saucepan with 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon each coriander seeds, mustard seeds and black peppercorns and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.  Let cool slightly.

Gently poke 1 pound assorted cherry and grape tomatoes with a skewer or toothpick; place in a heatproof bowl with 1/2 cup roughly chopped dill.  Pour the pickling liquid over the tomato mixture.  Let cool to room temperature; divide among jars and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

An additional note reads:

"Pickled tomatoes will keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks.  Serve with sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, or grilled fish or chicken."

A Very Special Delivery

     The 37th Annual Garlic Festival has come and gone.  But on Monday I had the opportunity to relive just a bit of the event when a package arrived for me in the mail from California.  It was from the Garlic Festival Shop and contained the items I had purchased while there.  Everything was carefully wrapped and arrived whole, much to my delight.

     And with my purchases was this note:

THANK YOU for your order...Your Garlic Festival goodies have been carefully picked from our shelves like delicate berries and placed into a wicker basket lined with garlic tops.  With the grace of a seasoned garlic braider, we tip-toed them to our packing station where Garlic Gnomes prepared your order for shipment.

Your products were methodically placed in each box using techniques taught to us by a former Tetris World Champion.  Using a pair of tweezers, we placed hundreds of packing peanuts one-by-one into every nook and cranny to endure safe transport.  We are proud that our packing is re-usable and 100% recycled, and our packing peanuts do not trigger peanut allergies...

As the delivery truck pulled away from our warehouse dock, a rare double rainbow appeared overhead.  That's when we knew the products we had created with tender love and care, were on their way to a better home.  Please use them in good health and, we promise, they will take care of you.

You just don't get messages like that from Amazon.

True Blue

     Blueberries have been touted as a super fruit.  But what are the actual facts?  Here is the "skinny" about them from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council:

A 1 cup serving contains only 80 calories.  That same serving size provides 3.6 grams of fiber.  And they are low in fat.



Blueberries deliver 25% of the RDA of Vitamin C.  They also contain Vitamin K and manganese, which is vital for done development.

The polyphenols in blueberries have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  They help our bodies stay healthy and when we are sick they help us to regain our health.  Scientific research is continuing to investigate how blueberries contribute to our cardiovascular & brain health, insulin response and the ability to reduce the risk of certain cancers.

North American blueberry consumption has increased from 15.5 ounces per person in 1995 to 39.5 ounces in 2011.  That's 853 million pounds!

When purchasing fresh blueberries look for ones that are firm, dry, plump and smooth skinned with a silvery surface bloom.  They should be deep purple-blue to blue-black.  Reddish ones aren't ripe and won't ripen after being picked.  Avoid ones that look soft or shriveled or have any signs of mold.  Refrigerate them as soon as you get home, either in the original plastic pack or in a covered bowl or container.  Don't wash them until you're ready to use them, and eat them within 10 days of purchase.