heirlooms

i think one of the best things about summer is the tomato. it represents the season perfectly: juicy, sun-warmed and red. they’re in abundance. big ones. fat ones. small ones. round ones. catch me near the stand and i’m like one of those creepy guys at a bar leering at all the hot chicks. ok, maybe not the best analogy. but you get the picture.

then, there’s the heirloom tomato. these little beauties have been a hot ticket for quite some time. when they’re good, they’re really good. but this year, i’m not sure i agree. i’ve been to my local farmer’s market the last few weeks and they all look a little…well, odd. and by odd i mean completely deformed, misshapen—and not in a good way. they look diseased rather than appetizing. is it me? is everyone else enjoying their succulent heirloom tomatoes and i’m just the schmuck who doesn’t recognize greatness when i see it? or am i the little boy in the emperor’s new clothes that points out the king is nude?

because heirloom tomatoes are open pollinated and not genetically altered, they are probably more subject to disease. that may explain their less than tasty appearance lately. but, as the saying goes, looks can be deceiving. the taste is what counts. anything fresh and unadulterated will taste markedly better than their counterparts on the supermarket shelf that have the overall consistency of the business end of a snow shoe.

i’ve highlighted this web site before. but if you’re looking to find local connecticut farms that grow and sell heirloom tomatoes, go to http://www.buyctgrown.com/. they list all the farms in the area and map them for you.

enjoy what the season has to offer. all too soon it will disappear…

august in connecticut is one of my favorite times of the year. the freshest produce is available at your finger tips. farmer’s markets are at their peak. and it’s corn season, baby! (or cahn as my husband likes to pronounce it in an obnoxiously nasal sotto voce.)

it’s the best stuff on earth. sweet, fresh, and just picked. pair it with vine-ripened tomatoes, which are also in season now, and you’ve got a vegetable symphony. (granted, tomatoes are technically fruit. but whatever.)

we had corn and tomatoes last night for dinner. sweet jesus, that’s good! all you need is a little sea salt—possibly some butter for the corn—et voilà! i could have cared less about the flank steak we grilled with it. i was more enthralled with how sweet those tight little kernels were between my teeth.

(although, i have often wondered: with all this biogenetic engineering, can’t they manage to create an ear of corn that comes with it’s own floss? i mean, really. if you’re going to screw with nature, can’t you at least make it convenient too? but i digress from the true, unadulterated husks of sheer goodness.)

a number of web sites, including http://www.produceoasis.com/ and http://www.buyctgrown.com/, inform you on how to choose the best corn and where to get them here in connecticut. obviously, rule number one is to avoid the store-bought. by the time it even reaches your supermarket, it’s a starchy, old thing best left hanging as an autumnal decoration for your front door rather than a meal time accompaniment. as soon as corn is picked, the sugar starts to break down into starch. you will want to get the ears when they are at their sweetest.

when picking out corn, keep in mind that the outside husk should look healthy as well. if the husks look shriveled or dry, if the corn silk looks like it’s in bad shape or it clearly has worm damage, discard it. you can pull back the husk to take a look at the kernels underneath to check for their freshness. however, there are a number of farm stands and markets that take a dim view of the customer that picks at their corn. really, do you want to take home a bushel knowing somebody else’s fingernails picked at the kernels to determine if it’s to their liking? a little unappetizing. usually, the staff at the market or farm are more than willing to help you out.

well, enjoy the corn season. get ‘em while they’re hot. because as any native nutmegger knows, corn season goes by all too fast…

can you grill a pie?

the question seems a bit silly, doesn’t it? in my last blog entry, i mentioned my quest for the perfect lemon meringue pie. i tried the recipe i got on epicurious.com.

for one thing, i found the recipe a little lacking in direction. it said to roll out the dough but not what to do with the dough before that—no mixing of ingredients or an indication that perhaps i should have gone with the pre-made pie plate in the frozen foods section.

next—and here’s the really fun part—upon pre-heating my oven, i discovered that it was on the fritz. of course. what better time for the oven to crap out than when i’ve got raw pie dough and lemon curd waiting to go?!?

so i had this brilliant idea (and by brilliant, i mean hair-brained). i had just finished grilling two angus steaks for dinner. the grill’s still hot. why not go for it?

first, i grilled the dough in the tin. not too shabby. it came out golden and perhaps a little dry, but not bad for a first try. after cooling, i filled the crust with the lemon curd and topped it off with the beaten egg whites. i popped it onto the grill grates at medium heat (all three burners) and set it for 15 minutes.

et voilà! a third of it was burned. the sides of crust were black and some of the meringue had black highlights like a bad day at the salon.

but, there is a bright side. the lemon curd set and, underneath those villainous blackened edges, the meringue tasted pretty good too.

i think i’m going to try it again. it’s heat, after all. i just have to learn how to tame it. and who knows? maybe i’ve started a new summer trend of grilled pie…or not.

pie

pie. peach pie. pecan pie. any kind of berry pie. steak and kidney pie. shepherd’s pie. quiche! it’s a three letter word with a lot of versatility. a little crust. some filling. add heat and voilà! sustenance in a pie tin.

in the u.s., we’ve got an active pie culture. you certainly see more of it in the south. then, of course, there’s the state fairs in the mid-west and the pie contests that pepper each one.

it may be because, in warmer climates, they have a longer growing season. but in new england in which the growing season is almost over before it begins, you don’t hear too many people hanging around the neighborhood asking if you want to come in for some pie. in fact, pie in this area is mainly associated with holidays: pumpkin pie for thanksgiving; mince meat pie for christmas.

to tell you the truth, i’m not much of a pie person. i don’t think about it when i am looking for a tasty treat. i’ll eat it if it’s there but i don’t seek out pie as a suitable end to a meal.

however, i had some pie just this past weekend. we had some friends over for dinner before we took the kids out to see the fireworks. they brought a berry pie. the crust was flaky, yet moist. the berries, along with some rhubarb i believe, were succulent and ripe. the top crust was a cut out of the nation’s flag (cute, huh?). i surprised myself by wanting to lick the plate.

it made me think of one pie that brings back memories: lemon meringue. my father’s mother made this pie. it was, frankly, the only thing she did really, really well. (she was not much of a cook. she boiled anything and everything beyond recognition into a nutritionless heap.) i would love to tell you that i have that fabulous recipe handed down from generation to generation in faded handwriting with dog-eared corners. but i don’t.

instead, to find the perfect lemon meringue pie, i searched online for a simple recipe. many of them called for added ingredients like ginger or a pecan crust. no, no, no. that’s all wrong. i just want a simple, straight-forward recipe. no frills, just the basics. there are some things you can’t improve on. sometimes, the original is always the best.

i found this recipe on epicurious.com (everyone’s online cookbook). i’m going to try it and see what happens. perhaps this will be my new quest: the perfect lemon meringue pie.

lemon meringue pie
makes 8 servings

pie
pastry dough
5 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

meringue
5 large egg whites, at room temperature 30 minutes
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 superfine granulated sugar

pie shell
preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.

roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into a 9-inch pie plate (4-cup capacity). trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then crimp decoratively. lightly prick shell all over with a fork, then chill 30 minutes.

line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or raw rice. bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, about 20 minutes.

carefully remove weights and foil and bake shell until bottom and side are golden, about 20 minutes more. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350°F.

filling
whisk together yolks in a small bowl.

whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan. gradually add water and milk, whisking until smooth. bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently as mixture begins to thicken. remove from heat and gradually whisk about 1 cup milk mixture into yolks, then whisk yolk mixture into remaining milk mixture. add lemon zest and juice and simmer, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. remove from heat and whisk in butter until incorporated. cover surface with wax paper to keep hot.

meringue
beat whites with cream of tartar and salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks.

increase speed to high and add superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until meringue just holds stiff, glossy peaks.

assemble and bake pie
pour hot filling into warm pie shell and gently shake to smooth top.

spread meringue decoratively over hot filling, covering filling completely.

immediately bake until meringue is golden-brown, about 15 minutes.

cool completely on a rack, 2 to 3 hours. cut with a serrated knife dipped in cold water.

cooks' notes
• it is the nature of meringue pies to "weep" liquid after cooling.
• pie shell can be baked 1 day ahead and cooled completely, then kept, loosely covered, at room temperature.
• lemon meringue pie is best the day it is made but keeps, covered and chilled, 2 days.

clambake?

i went to a clambake this past weekend. it was run-of-the-mill and not too exciting from a culinary perspective. (albeit, it was fun and it marked the end of a season as president of a non-profit organization, but still. ubiquitous steamers. lobsters. corn that wasn't in season. rolls that barely passed as bread. you know the drill.)

the experience started me thinking. what would it take to have a REAL clambake? you the kind: beach front. fire pit. seaweed. i want the full monty of clambakes. what will it take to accomplish that in fairfield, connecticut? we're new england! ok, granted. many consider us just a suburb of new york, but that's beside the point.

i’m sure there will be a permit involved and all sorts of other town-related firey hoops to jump through. nothing short of police and fire safety will be involved. (if I invite the cops and the firemen and entice them with a great menu and enough wine, will it be less of a hazard?)

we shall see what we shall see. stay tuned for my quest for a real new England clambake…

grilled cheese sandwich

cheese. a six letter word that makes me salivate. soft. semi-soft. hard. whether the originating milk is cow, sheep, goat or even buffalo, the end result is tasty. it can be buttery to nutty in flavor. it’s porous to smooth in texture and comes in many different shapes and sizes.

some of my favorites are port salut, maytag blue, and any goat cheese I can get my hands on—especially if it’s relatively local and fresh. but my biggest forays with cheese, unfortunately, are determined by what my kids want to eat. so i am doomed to revisit the same menu which usually consists of either macaroni and cheese or grilled cheese. these are not exactly the dishes i would consider the pinnacle of culinary excitement. but both dishes provide sustenance for little mouths that, as i’ve described in my earlier blog, are pretty discerning.

when it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches, you’ve got to have the right cheese with the right texture. the cheese has to ooze from crisp, buttery toast when you cut into it. the melting capacity of the cheese along with evenly dispersed heat is very key. otherwise, you end up with coagulated glop between two pieces of bread. some choose cheddar. others swiss or gouda. even, dare i say, velveeta. i’m always fond of american cheese as the main ingredient. the bread can’t be too thick or too slight and it should be white bread. if you’re trying to get healthy with your kids and sneak in some fiber, try it on a different dish. some things are just not meant to be messed with.

there are some classic additions to the standard grilled cheese that can't be beat on an empty stomach: add some tomato and some bacon and you've got a little party going on in your mouth. ham is always another great choice. that was actually a staple sandwich i made for myself in college. it got me through a number of all-nighters and a couple of times when the meal choice at the cafeteria was less than inspirational.

for a blog on food, this doesn’t seem like the ideal topic. although, i found the entry of "grilled cheese sandwich" on wikipedia. it was pictured with a nice bowl of tomato soup. so if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.

but shouldn’t I discuss the finer points of shitake mushrooms or something involving demi-glace or shaved parmesan? maybe so. but in the end, tasty food is tasty food. my own childhood memories include a steady diet of grilled cheese sandwiches. so perhaps that makes me a connoisseur of sorts. or maybe it just means i like cheese and bread. together. and hot.

what's for dinner, mom?

my children are picky eaters. whose kids aren’t? as one who enjoys cooking, getting healthy foods into small bellies can be a challenge. i have a good friend who found a solution for her finicky little one. she purees vegetables to thicken batter. “have one more bite of these yummy apple cauliflower muffins, sweetie!”

while that sounds like a great idea, it’s also extra work. i don’t think there are too many parents who would sign up for that. so how can you get your kids interested in good food? better yet, how can you get them to eat it?

a new york times article, dated october 10, 2007, discussed a recent study that showed a child’s finicky eating pattern may have more to do with his gene pool than anything else.

“researchers examined the eating habits of 5,390 pairs of twins between 8 and 11 years old and found children’s aversions to trying new foods are mostly inherited.” great, have a healthy serving of guilt. it’s all your fault, mom. you and your bad DNA.

(for the full article, go to www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/dining/10pick.html)

there are a number of web sites that give you tips and techniques. the majority give you a finite list. but the gist of it is, don’t get too discouraged, be patient, and, more to the point, don’t use dessert as a weapon.

too often i find myself doing that very thing. “if you have three more bites, you can have some oreos…” it works, but I am telling them that dessert is the best part of the meal and not what is actually on their plates.

there is one thing, however, that i insist on. i will NOT make separate meals. a neighbor of mine was lamenting how her kids had such varied schedules with after school activities that she ended up doing just that: making three separate dinners for three separate kids. when i make dinner, that’s all there is. you don’t want it, then i guess you’re goin’ hungry!

as a parent, you should not be your child’s short order cook. you are not mel shouting at flo and alice to pipe down or i’ll pop you one. (i realize there are only some who will get that obscure reference.) i enjoy cooking, but i don’t enjoy it when it’s less about the food and more about personal preferences from the seven and under crowd.

here are some links that give you tips on how to deal with those early high-maintenance diets:

www.mayoclinic.com/health/childrens-health/HQ01107
www.ucsfhealth.org/childrens/edu/pickyEaters/index.html
www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030800.asp
www.foodnetwork.com/food/lf_kids/article/0,1904,FOOD_16382_3075893,00.html

happy cooking!