Gardening Alternative: Cooking

by Toni Leland

2019 and already kissing February. I've been thinking about what I'll do once the snow is gone and the ground warms up and things start to grow, and, and, and...

Winter is tough for those of us who want to be out in the garden, but these indoor months lend themselves to comfort activities - like cooking! I love to cook and bake, and it takes my mind off the fact that, other than dreaming about it, I can't be in the yard.

I'm crazy about vegetables and whole grains, and winter seems to lend itself to hearty dishes. I also love the vibrant flavors of cuisines from other lands—India, Asia, Mexico—and there are dozens of great cookbooks and online recipes to help satisfy my craving.

One of my favorites is Vibrant India by Chitra Agrawal, chef and owner of Brooklyn Delhi. Agrawal has captured the heart and essence of South India with the foods, cultures, and history which fill every page. Featuring fresh vegetarian recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn, this book is an entertaining and fascinating exploration.

Through 216 pages, recipes and techniques cover breakfast and light meals; salads and yogurts; stir-fries and curries; rice and bread; soups, stews, and lentils; festive bites and snacks; sweets and drinks; and chutneys and pickles. Preparing several ingredients from scratch is outlined, as well as meal-planning and sample menus, a resource list for ingredients and equipment, and a complete index.

The photography in this book is beautiful, and the design is well thought-out with a simple typeface that is a reasonable size. Being a large hard-cover book, it’s a little unwieldy for a kitchen counter.

I loved this book and plan to try some of the intriguing dishes set forth, beginning with Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Stew. 

For anyone wishing to explore exceptional vegetarian cuisine, Vibrant India is the journey.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

Garden Fresh Tomatoes–Is there anything better?

by Toni Leland

What tastes better than tomatoes just off the vine, still warm from the sun? Nothing!

That was not a trick question.

All the hot weather this summer is keeping me busy with the hose, but tomatoes love the sun and ripen almost faster than we can eat them. In addition to a Better Bush slicing tomato, I tried what was labeled Big Red Beefsteak, but most assuredly is a cherry tomato. Apparently, someone switched the tags. I also planted seeds for container tomatoes called Tasmanian Chocolate cherry. The jury is still out on these...they are quite misshapen and have more leaves than fruit. Maybe the crazy weather caused it?

Last year, I discovered that the raccoons also like warm, fresh tomatoes. To my dismay, the batch I'd intended to pick "first thing tomorrow morning" had already been picked over. Most of them were on the ground with big bites out of them. I was not pleased.

So this year, as the fruit gets to within about 1 to2 days of picking, I will go out at dusk and pluck the almost-ripe fruit and put it in a basket on the kitchen counter, where the tomatoes will continue to ripen. I may not be picking at the peak of perfection, but it's better than Mr. Raccoon's leftovers!

One of my favorite breakfasts as a child was fresh chunks of tomato swimming in cream and sprinkled with sugar and nutmeg!  Oh my. Try it–you'll like it!

And who can resist a beefsteak tomato sandwich on fresh sourdough bread?

Or in Vegetable Lasagna? Try this version of mine, with compliments.

Creamy Vegetable Lasagna

Serves 6

Instead of heavy tomato sauce, this light cheesy sauce enhances the flavor of the fresh tomatoes.

3  tbsp butter (salted or unsalted)

2  tbsp Wondra Quick Mixing Flour

1/4  tsp cayenne pepper (optional, but really good!)

2  cups 2% milk

1/2  cup grated Parmesan cheese

2  tbsp canola oil

1/2  of large sweet yellow bell pepper

1/2  cup Vidalia or other sweet onion

2  tsp minced garlic (or 3 cloves fresh)

2  cups low fat cottage cheese (2%)

1/3  cup chopped fresh basil leaves

3  cups shredded mozzarella cheese

9  whole grain lasagna noodles, cooked

2  medium zucchini

2  medium beefsteak tomatoes

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Use a 13 x 9 baking dish.

1. Slice yellow pepper lengthwise. Cut zucchini on the diagonal into 1/4” slices. Slice tomatoes 1/4” thick. Slice onion thinly.
2. Melt butter in a medium pan and stir in flour and cayenne; cook until bubbling, stirring constantly.
3. Add milk slowly, stirring to blend. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes. Add Parmesan cheese and garlic, stir, and set aside.
5. Combine cottage cheese and basil.
6. Spread 1/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Place 3 noodles on top. Add half the cottage cheese mixture.
7. Layer the sliced vegetables starting with the tomato, then onion, then zucchini, then bell pepper.
8. Add 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the sauce.
9. Repeat two more times, starting with noodles and ending with sauce.
10. Cover and bake 55 minutes.
11. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

This recipe also lends itself nicely to a light marinara sauce, for those who prefer that flavor. Simply replace the cream sauce with 2 cups of marinara or pasta sauce of your choice.

Vegetable Lasagna with marinara sauce.

 

Making Pesto from Cilantro. Mama Mia!

by Toni Leland

I always thought I hated cilantro. Really, the strong scent convinced me that it would taste bitter. But the stuff is very pretty growing and blooming, so last spring I tucked a small plant into the garden.

It grew. And grew. And grew. I gave away gallon storage bags of the stuff, but still it grew. And grew.

Come late summer, I decide I'd cut it all down and possibly plant something else there next spring. But Mother Nature had another idea. All the seeds I'd knocked off began to grow. And grow.

Last week, I sheared it off and promised a batch of pesto to my daughter. She loves cilantro and it
seemed like a shame to not use that new, fresh growth.

I can't cook without tasting. Oh boy! This stuff is fabulous! I tried it on crackers, then some on a bit of French bread, then a little on a slice of cheese. I'm sure it would be wonderful on pasta, or just about anything. And it freezes beautifully.


Long story short: I wasted a lot of years "thinking" I didn't like cilantro.

The recipe I used came from Food.com, but I see lots of variations in next year's crop of pesto.

Still Have Lots of Zucchini? Make Frittata!

by  Toni Leland

Years ago, a sorority sister served this dish at our monthly luncheon meeting and everyone HAD to have the recipe!

What's a frittata? Any mixture of ingredients bound with eggs and either sautéed or baked. A perfect venue for all that zucchini!

I guess I'd better admit that I never follow a recipe to the letter. Don't ask me why--it just seems to happen that way. Sometimes there'll be one ingredient I don't like (PEAS!), or the combination of ingredients will seem to lend itself to a different herb or spice, and often, I want to reduce the fat content to accommodate whatever current weight-loss diet I'm struggling to maintain.

This dish not only tastes fabulous, it's beautiful to look at with the various shades of green and gold glistening in olive oil. Hungry? Try this for a light supper and it will become one of your favorites too. Or surprise everyone with a nutritious, different hot breakfast!

 

Sorority Frittata
Serves 6

Time: about 55 minutes

1/4 cup olive oil

6-8 slices bacon, diced (OR use 1 cup diced low fat, low sodium ham)

1 sm onion, chopped

2 med zucchini, cut into slices and halved

12 med mushrooms, sliced

10 oz pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and well-drained

5 med eggs, whipped (OR use egg substitute for part or all of this ingredient)

1/2 c Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 tsp garlic powder (or to taste)

salt & black pepper to taste

1. In a large mixing bowl, whip the eggs and cheese with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. In heavy skillet, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil and add the bacon; cook until fat is rendered.
3. Note: If using ham, just sauté until it begins to brown.
4. Remove bacon or ham from skillet and set aside.
5. Add zucchini, onion, mushrooms, and spinach to the oil and sauté until al dente (almost cooked, but still firm).
6. Quickly add the vegetable mixture to the egg mixture in the bowl. Mix well immediately, as the hot vegetables will begin to cook the eggs.
7. Return the skillet to a medium-high burner and add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil.
8. Pour the egg/vegetable mixture into the skillet. Immediately stir and turn until mixture is slightly firm and the eggs are cooked.
9. Note: The goal here is to coat all the vegetables with the egg mixture. Don't overcook!
10. Remove from heat and transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

Serve with crusty bread and a glass of crisp white wine. Yum!

Sweet Corn Heaven

by Toni Leland

Having lived in both Connecticut and Ohio, I've come to anticipate this time of year when sweet corn comes on the market. None of that over-the-road, tired stuff for me! This year, local sweet corn is available on almost every main road, at the weekly farmer's markets, and in some of the independent grocery stores that buy locally. Love that!

Corn is the leading field crop in the United States and, not only feeds us and our livestock, provides alternative fuel for our automobiles. Here in Ohio in the middle of the "Corn Belt," corn is only second to soybeans as highly valuable agricultural crops. Picture three million acres of corn! That's a lot of yummy eating, but forty million bushels of corn produces 110 million gallons of ethanol and that's thought for the future of our transportation needs.

Nothing tastes better than fresh-from-the-field sweet corn on the cob, drizzled with butter or olive oil, and fresh black pepper. But even though I could eat a couple of ears a night for the duration of the season, corn lends itself to some other delightful dishes too. I love to make soup, and my Chicken Corn Chowder is especially refreshing for a late summer supper. Try fresh corn in this Fiesta Corn Salad for a unique flavor treat. Come fall when the outside temperature allows us to once again turn on our ovens, my mother's Corn Pudding can't be beat as a side dish with chicken or meatloaf.

Take advantage of this wonderful crop right now while it's at the peak of the season.  Enjoy!

Chicken Corn Chowder

Serves 6

1-1/2  lbs  boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2  cup  chopped onion

1-2  cloves  garlic, minced

3  Tbs. butter or margarine

1  cup  chicken broth, preferably homemade without salt

1  tsp.  cumin powder

8  oz  shredded Monterrey jack cheese

2  cups  fresh corn kernels

4  oz  canned mild green chilies

1  med  tomato, chopped

2  cups  regular or fat-free half & half or evaporated skim milk

Sauté the onion, garlic, and cumin powder in the butter or margarine, then add the chicken and stir until pieces are opaque.

Stir in the chicken broth, the corn, chilies, and tomato. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked.

Add cheese and stir until melted.

Add cream or evaporated milk and heat slowly. Do not allow to boil.

Southwest Corn Salad

Serves 6

15 oz. canned black beans

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped sweet onion

1 medium tomato, diced

1 Tbs Splenda (or sugar if you prefer)

1 1/2 tsp cumin powder (or to taste)

3 Tbs lime juice

Drain and rinse beans. Combine corn, beans, bell pepper, onion, and tomato in a bowl.

Mix cumin and Splenda, sprinkle over vegetable mixture and stir well.

Pour lime juice over, stir again, and cover tightly.

Refrigerate overnight. Stir before serving.

Note: Cooked-from-scratch dried black beans can be substituted for canned; use 1 cup of the cooked beans.

Dorothy's Corn Pudding

Serves 4

2  cups  fresh corn kernels

1  Tbs. sugar (or Splenda)

2  Tbs. butter

3/4  cup  bread crumbs

6  oz  can evaporated milk

1  med  egg

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter or spray a 1 quart casserole.

Beat the egg and stir into the evaporated milk. Set aside.

Mix corn, sugar, butter and add to casserole.

Pour milk/egg mixture over.

Sprinkle bread crumbs over top

Bake for 40 minutes, or until pudding is set.