Food

Recipe – Confetti Couscous

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1 ½ cups water

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground cumin

1 cup uncooked couscous

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup thawed frozen corn

½ cup diced red onion

½ cup diced yellow bell pepper (optional)

½ cup diced red bell pepper (optional)

¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 to 4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (2 limes)

In medium sauce pan, combine salt, cumin and 1 ½ cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add couscous, stir and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with fork. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff again. Add beans, corn, onion, bell peppers if using, cilantro and jalapeno. Stir in oil and enough lime juice to give salad a puckery edge. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Food – Couscous

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“Our Creator has furnished us, in vegetables, grain, and fruits, all the elements of nutrition necessary to health and strength.” The Signs of the Times, January 6, 1876.

Couscous is among the healthiest grain-based products.

A Berber dish of semolina traditionally served with a meat or vegetable stew spooned over it, the name is derived from Berber seksu, meaning well rolled, well formed, rounded. Today, it is still a staple in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Western Libya. One of the first written references of couscous is from an anonymous thirteenth century Moroccan/Andalusian cookbook. To this day, couscous is known as the Moroccan national dish.

Originally made from millet, historians have different opinions as to when wheat began to replace the use of millet. The conversion seems to have occurred sometime in the twentieth century. The best and most famous couscous is made from hard wheat.

The key to preparing an authentic couscous is patience and care. There are two basic steps in preparing couscous before the cooking process: forming the couscous and humidifying and drying the couscous. The first of these steps, forming the couscous—that is, preparing couscous from “scratch”—is rarely done anymore. The original “from scratch” process involves rubbing and rolling together large grains of hard wheat semolina with finer grains of semolina sprayed with salted water to raise the humidity of the semolina so the two sizes affix to each other to form couscous, the large grain serving as a kind of nucleus for the smaller grains. Modern couscous factories do all of this by machine, including the needed drying process. When one buys couscous, in a box or in bulk, this first step has been done.

The second basic step is the only step with which you need to be concerned. The couscous is best if it is steamed and not submerged in liquid. However, the couscous that is sold in most Western supermarkets has been pre-steamed and dried, and the package directions usually instruct to add 1.5 measures of boiling water or stock and butter to each measure of couscous and to cover tightly for 5 minutes. The couscous swells and within a few minutes it is ready to fluff with a fork and serve. Properly cooked couscous is light and fluffy, not gummy or gritty. It should taste tender, not al dente and not mushy; the grains should be separate and taste moist, not wet and not dry.

Couscous may be prepared in a variety of ways with vegetables, fruit and spices. The Confetti Couscous salad is perfect for a summer dinner, served over a bed of radicchio or watercress. Garnish the salad with sliced avocados and cherry tomatoes or dice a half cup of each and toss right in.

Recipe – Sauteed Squash and Onions

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2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into 1-inch dice

1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 Tbsp. Salt

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Place squash, 1 Tbsp. oil and salt in large bowl and toss. Heat remaining oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add squash, and cook 5 minutes, or until just soft. Spread squash mixture on prepared baking sheet. Season with salt, and bake 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan immediately to prevent sticking and serve. For a quick side dish, double the recipe, freeze half, and then heat it up when you’re in a rush to get dinner on the table.

Food – Squash, Did you Know?

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Did you know that every part of the squash plant can be eaten, including the leaves and tender shoots?

In North America, squash is loosely grouped into summer squash or winter squash, depending on whether they are harvested as immature fruit (summer squash) or mature fruit (autumn squash or winter squash).

The term summer and winter for squash are only based on current usage, not on actuality. Summer types are on the market all winter; and winter types are on the markets in the late summer and fall, as well as winter. Thus, the terms summer and winter are deceptive and confusing. This terminology was never meant to confuse—it just dates back to a time when the seasons were more crucial to man’s survival than they are now. “Good keepers” became known as winter vegetables if they would “keep” until December.

Winter squash comes in shapes round and elongated, scalloped and pear-shaped with flesh that ranges from golden-yellow to brilliant orange. Most winter squashes are vine-type plants whose fruits are harvested when fully mature. They take longer to mature than summer squash (three months or more) and are best harvested once the cool weather of fall sets in. They can be stored for months in a cool basement, hence the name winter squash.

No two look exactly alike! The different varieties of winter squash may be substituted for each other in your many squash recipes. Winter squash are also packed with antioxidants and vitamins (and have no fats), and can be prepared sweet or savory. Be creative and try different types of squash!

Types of Squash

Acorn, Banana, Buttercup, Carnival, Delicata, Gold Nugget, Hubbard, Kabocha, Spaghetti and Turban Squash are available year round. Ambercup Squash is available June to November. Autumn Cup and Fairytale Pumpkin Squash are available September through December. Sweet Dumpling Squash is available throughout the fall. Other well-known types of squash include the pumpkin and zucchini.

Butternut squash, featured in this month’s recipe, is easily found in supermarkets. Beige colored and shaped like a vase or a bell, this is a more watery squash and tastes somewhat similar to sweet potatoes. It has a bulbous end and pale, creamy skin, with a choice, fine-textured, deep-orange flesh with a sweet, nutty flavor. Some people say it is like butterscotch. It weighs from 2 to 5 pounds. The more orange the color, the riper, drier, and sweeter the squash. It is available year-round; peak season lasts from early fall through winter.

Squash Equivalents

  • 1/3 to 1/2 pound raw unpeeled squash = 1 serving
  • 1 pound peeled squash = 1 cup cooked, mashed
  • 2-1/2 pounds whole squash = 2-3/4 to 3 cups pureed
  • 1 pound trimmed squash = 2 cups cooked pieces
  • 1 pound squash = 2 to 3 servings
  • 12 ounces frozen squash = 1-1/2 cups
  • 1 medium-size (15 to 20 pounds) pumpkin = 5 to 7 quarts of cooked pumpkin

Recipe – Glazed Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

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1 ¼ cups sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1/3 cup flour

1 pastry for 2-crust pie

2 cups fresh rhubarb, cut in 1 inch pieces

2 cups fresh strawberries

2 Tbsp. margarine

1 Tbsp. sugar

Combine 1 ¼ cups sugar, salt, and flour. Arrange half the strawberries and rhubarb in a pastry-lined 9 inch pie pan. Sprinkle with half the sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining fruit and sugar mixture. Dot with margarine. Install top crust and flute edges to make high-standing rim. Brush top of pie with cold water and sprinkle on 1 Tbsp. sugar. Cut steam vents in top crust. Bake in hot oven (425 F) 40-50 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and crust is browned.

Food – Rhubarb

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Rhubarb is a relative of buckwheat and has an earthy, sour flavor. Having originated in Western China, Tibet, Mongolia, Siberia and neighboring areas, the traditional role was medicinal—the dried root was a popular remedy for a wide range of illnesses. Its primary function was to induce vomiting, although rhubarb is also a mild astringent.

Beginning in the eighteenth century, rhubarb began to be consumed in foods. Botanically speaking, rhubarb is considered a vegetable, but is most often treated as a fruit. Just like fresh cranberries, rhubarb is almost unbearably tart on its own and needs the sweetness of sugar, honey, or fruit juice added to it to balance out the acidity. Commonly it is stewed with sugar or used in pies and desserts, but it can also be put into savory dishes, or pickled.

Never eat rhubarb leaves, cooked or raw. Eating the leaves can be poisonous because they contain oxalate. This toxin, plus another unknown toxin also found in the leaves, has been reported to cause poisoning when large quantities of raw or cooked leaves are ingested.

Rhubarb, now grown all over the world, is a perennial vegetable that grows as hardy as a weed. It is a very beautiful garden plant, with huge extravagant, lush green leaves and pink or red stalks. If you add rhubarb to your garden, it should be planted at the end of one side of the garden where it will not be disturbed since it may be productive for five years or more. A half-dozen plants will provide enough rhubarb for a family of four.

Harvesting of rhubarb generally begins in mid-June with a second harvest in August. The deeper the red, the more flavorful the stalks are likely to be. Medium-size stalks are generally more tender than large ones, which may be stringy. For storage, first trim and discard the leaves. The freshly harvested stalks can be kept in the refrigerator, unwashed and wrapped tightly in plastic, for up to three weeks.

Recipe – Tomato Pie

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1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie shell, baked

4 medium plum tomatoes

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

1 cup chopped white onion

½ tsp. salt

½ cup Veganaise

1 cup Rice Shreds cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Halve tomatoes, remove seeds, and cut each half into about 6 wedges in bottom of baked pie shell. Sprinkle with ½ cup onion, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon basil. Stir Veganaise and cheese together in a small bowl, and then spread half of mixture over onion layer. Repeat layering with remaining tomatoes, topping with the remaining Veganaise mixture. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. If piecrust starts over-browning, cover edges with aluminum foil. Allow pie to cool 20 minutes before serving.

 

Food – Tomato, Fruit or Vegetable?

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To really figure out if a tomato is a fruit or vegetable, you need to know what makes a fruit a fruit and a vegetable a vegetable. The big question to ask is, does it have seeds? If the answer is yes, then technically (botanically) you have a fruit. This, of course, makes the tomato a fruit. Now don’t go looking for tomatoes next to the oranges in your grocery stores! Fruits like tomatoes are usually (alas, incorrectly) referred to as vegetables in most grocery stores and cookbooks. Most of us use the tomato as we do vegetables, primarily in savory dishes.

What health benefits do tomatoes give? In November 1998, a press release from the Heinz Institute of Nutritional Sciences touted the benefits of lycopene, a dietary carotenoid found in high concentrations in processed tomato products. Lycopene is an antioxidant, which purportedly fights the free radicals that can interfere with normal cell growth and activity. These free radicals can potentially lead to cancer, heart disease and premature aging. Tomatoes are also high in vitamin C (concentrated the most in the juice sacs surrounding the seeds) and contain goodly amounts of potassium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin A and vitamin B.

Unfortunately, the tomato is included in the list of the top ten foods to which most people are allergic. In the United States today, tomatoes are second in consumption only to potatoes.

There are thousands of varieties of tomatoes in an array of shapes, colors and sizes. The most common shapes are round (Beefsteak and Globe), pear-shaped (Roma) and the tiny cherry-sized (Cherry and Grape). Yellow varieties tend to be less acidic and thus less flavorful than their red counterparts.

When selecting tomatoes at the market, use your nose. Smell the blossom (not stem) end. The most flavorful ones will have a rich tomato aroma. Select tomatoes that are round, full and feel heavy for their size, with no bruises or blemishes. The skin should be taut and not shriveled. Store fresh ripe tomatoes in a cool, dark place, stem-side down, and use within a few days.

Refrigeration is the enemy of the tomato as it nullifies flavor and turns the flesh mealy.

When wintering your garden, you can salvage some of those tomatoes that haven’t yet ripened by wrapping them in newspaper and storing in a cool area between 55 and 70 degrees F for two to four weeks. Store them no more than two deep and check them often to use the ones that have begun to ripen. Don’t expect them to be as good as ones you’ve ripened on the vine, but they will probably still be better than store-bought.

Recipe – Canned Apricots in Honey Syrup

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1 cup Honey 2 ½ cups water

3 lbs. apricots, firm, but not hard

Fill canning pot halfway full with water and bring to a boil. Place flat lids in a small pot, cover with hot water and bring to a simmer. Combine honey and water in a medium pot and bring to a simmer. Wash apricots and dry on a towel. Using a paring knife, cut apricots in half and remove pit. Pack jars with apricots, cut side down. Packing apricots cavity side down makes it easier to fit more into the jar. Ladle hot honey syrup into the jars until apricots are covered. Leave ½ inch of headspace at the top of the jars. Top jars with hot lids and screw rings. When all the jars have been filled and topped with lids, lower them into the hot water bath. Cover pot, bring water to a boil and process for ten minutes. Turn off the heart, remove lid, and carefully remove the jars of preserved apricots.

Food – Home Canning

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“Nature’s abundant supply of fruits, nuts, and grains is ample, and year by year the products of all lands are more generally distributed to all … . As a result, many articles of food which a few years ago were regarded as expensive luxuries, are now within the reach of all as foods for everyday use. This is especially the case with dried and canned fruits.” Testimony Studies on Diet and Foods, 124.

For some reason, canning, as a method of very long-term food storage, fell into disuse. Maybe it’s the hurry/rush syndrome many folks have become addicted to, necessitating “instant” foods, microwave ovens, and mixes for everything from pancakes to casseroles. But for people of a self-reliant inclination—raising a good portion of their own wholesome, chemical-free food and establishing a storage method that is easy and results in tasty food, even years down the road—home canning is the way to go.

And remember, no power outage or mechanical failure will cause your pantry full of home canned food to go bad, as can happen with frozen food. Besides, where food only stays good for a year, max, in the freezer, it stays great tasting for years on the pantry shelf neatly packaged in shining glass jars. Home canning allows a family to eat chemical-free, delectable fruits, vegetables, nutmeats, pickles, preserves, jams, and jellies just waiting for a meal.

It is possible to can year-round, making up such things as chili, stews, dry beans (like pintos for refried beans), spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, relish, etc. Whatever the season, there’s always something special to can for later meals. Nearly anything you can find on a store shelf can be canned easily at home.

Canning is very easy. If you can boil water and tell time, you can home can. Begin canning with a water bath canner. Jars do not have to be purchased new. Any jar that a canning jar lid and ring will fit on—and is chip and crack free—will work. Rings are reusable for years and years, serving only to hold the flexible metal lid down on the jar rim during the canning process. Lids need to be bought new for each use, for if the lid has been bent it will not reseal, and the rubber is usually only good for a one-time use. A good, fairly recent canning book is a “must,” as it contains time tables, specific directions for many, many different foods, as well as a lot of recipes for home canned goodies.