Summer treats, continued: Bell Peppers

Like most cooks these days, I rarely pick up a green bell pepper, preferring instead the other colors. My favorite, at least to eat raw, is the orange pepper. But there's one dish in my repertoire where only a tangy green pepper will do: gumbo.
I'm about to make a batch of gumbo -- with shrimp, crabmeat, chicken and andouille sausage -- and will post that recipe soon. But today there's an article in the Food/Dining section of the New York Times extolling the virtues of the green pepper.
Here is one of the recipes accompanying the story. It's a Basque dish that the author says can be used as a side, a main (perhaps with the addition of some meat) or a condiment.

Peppers and tomatoes: Piperade

RECIPE: Piperade
Makes about 3 cups


Ingredients:

• 3 plum tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped, about 2 cups
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 medium green bell peppers, stem, seeds and ribs removed, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon piment d’Espelette (or substitute hot paprika) 

NOTE: You also can mix red/yellow/orange peppers with the green, which makes a colorful presentation

Instructions:

1.

Cut a small X into bottom of each tomato. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add tomatoes and cook until skin begins to wrinkle and peel at the edges of the cuts, about 30 seconds. Drain, rinse with cool water and peel off skin with your fingers. Roughly chop tomatoes and set aside.

2.

In a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add onions, peppers and salt and sauté, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and peppers have started to lighten in spots, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté for 1 more minute.

3.

Stir in tomatoes, sugar and piment d’Espelette, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until tomatoes are starting to fall apart and peppers are soft but still hold their shape, about 15 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens like a slightly runny relish, about 5 minutes more. Adjust salt.

Special ingredients: Sweeeeet sign of Spring!

Yesterday at our downtown market -- the historic and wonderful Findlay Market in Cincinnati -- I was thrilled to find a stash of fiddlehead ferns and a few chanterelle mushrooms at one of the mainstay stores there, Madison's.

Fiddlehead ferns (in front)

According to Wikipedia, fiddleheads are the "furled fronds of a young fern" (say that three times, fast). Eventually the fronds unfurl, but they are delicious when harvested in early Spring while the heads are still tight. What a delicacy! Also according to Wikipedia, they contain antioxidants, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and are high in iron and fiber.
Chanterelles are my favorite mushrooms. They're pricey, but the stems are just as edible as the heads so there's absolutely no waste.
I took these ingredients and sauteed them with 1/2 diced red bell pepper and a handful of haricots verts. First saute the peppers in olive oil until they are soft, then add the other ingredients and stir-fry. I used vegetable broth as a liquid, added salt, pepper and garlic.
Yum!

Finished dish

Best Veggie Combo. Ever.

While it's still cold outside, roasting vegetables makes for some delicious dinners. In fact, almost any vegetable tastes better when roasted, as opposed to steamed or sauteed, because the sometimes-hidden sugars in them really comes out when cooked by the dry heat of an oven.

This recipe also is great because these ingredients are plentiful now and not dependent on summer crops. The taste combination of fennel, eggplant, red bell pepper and zucchini -- along with some garlic, broth, and finished with cheese -- is better than it should be.

Recipe: Pasta with Roasted Eggplant and Fennel (Best veggie combo ever)
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into one-inch cubes
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into one-inch cubes
1 large (or two medium) zucchini, sliced lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red or orange bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 T olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I make it with chicken stock, which is part of the magical whole flavor impact, but vegetable stock makes it a vegetarian dish, if you wish)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups uncooked pasta shapes, preferably multigrain or whole grain
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, toss eggplant, fennel, zucchini and pepper with 2 T of the olive oil. Spread vegetables evenly on a rimmed cookie sheet that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
2. About 10 minutes before veggies are done, heat salted water in a large saucepan and cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain and keep warm.
3. Heat remaining 2 T of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for about 90 seconds. Stir in stock. Remove veggies from oven and add to frying pan.
4. Add thyme, salt and pepper. Stir in pasta and heat through.
5. Spoon into serving bowl and pass cheese at the table.

Soup time: Try this proven winner

Keep this recipe in your file and make it often! It combines good taste with a great nutritional profile, which is just what we healthy foodies love to eat (and to cook). Note that this is a vegetarian soup, and if you omit a sprinkling of Parmesan at table, it's also vegan.

RECIPE: FRENCH SOUPE AU PISTOU

(Serves 6-8)

INGREDIENTS:

For the soup:

1 1/2 cups canned white beans, drained and rinsed 

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 leeks, white and light green part only, cleaned and sliced

1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or 1 14-ounce can, with liquid

2 cups shredded savoy or green cabbage

2 large carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 medium-size zucchini, scrubbed and diced

2 medium-size turnips, peeled and diced (optional)

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and broken into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups), blanched for five minutes and set aside

1/2 cup soup pasta, such as macaroni or small shells

Freshly ground pepper

For the pesto: (NOTE: You also can use prepared pesto)

2 large garlic cloves, halved, green shoots removed

Salt to taste

2 cups, tightly packed, fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan for sprinkling

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet, and add chopped onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the leeks and garlic. Stir together for a few minutes, and add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and the mixture is fragrant, five to 10 minutes. Stir this mixture into a large soup pot, add the beans and all of the remaining vegetables except the green beans, and bring back to a simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

2. While the soup is simmering, blanch the green beans for five minutes in salted boiling water. Transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water. Drain and set aside.

3. To make the pesto, mash the garlic with a generous pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. Remove it and set aside. Grind the basil to a paste in the mortar, a handful at a time, then add the garlic back in and mix together well. Work in the olive oil a tablespoon at a time, then stir in the cheese.

4. Add the pasta to the simmering soup about 10 minutes before serving, and cook until al dente. Add pepper, taste and adjust salt. Stir the blanched green beans into the soup and heat through. Serve, adding a spoonful of pesto to each bowl for guests to stir in. Pass additional Parmesan for sprinkling.

Veggie Burger -- with a fruity red wine

This recipe suggests a "cherry-scented" red wine to accompany it, but it doesn't say what that might mean. I guess some pinot noirs can be cherry-like -- especially those from parts of California. And while it's not too cherry-ish, I think a cru Beaujolais (such as Morgon or Brouilly) would also pair wonderfully well.
In any case, this makes a nice burger. 
(From Food & Wine magazine, August 2013)

RECIPE: CHICK-PEA, QUINOA AND VEGETABLE BURGER
(Makes 8)

1. INGREDIENTS:
2. 1 head of garlic, halved horizontally
3. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling and brushing
4. 1/4 cup thinly sliced asparagus
5. 1/3 cup fregola
6. One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
7. 1/4 cup chopped marinated artichokes
8. 2 tablespoons chopped pitted Gaeta olives
9. 2 tablespoons chopped scallions
10. 2 tablespoons full-fat plain Greek yogurt
11. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
12. 1 teaspoon chopped basil
13. 1 teaspoon chopped mint
14. 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
15. 2 1/4 cups cooked red or white quinoa
16. Salt
17. Freshly ground pepper
18. 8 slices of cheddar or other cheese
19. 8 burger buns, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Arrange the garlic halves cut side up on a sheet of foil, drizzle with olive oil and wrap tightly. Roast until the garlic is very tender, about 1 hour. Let cool, then squeeze the cloves out of their skins into a small bowl and mash to a paste.
2. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Put the asparagus in a strainer, submerge it in the water and cook just until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Cool the asparagus under running water and pat dry.
3. Return the water to a boil. Add the fregola and cook until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and let cool slightly.
4. In a food processor, puree the garlic paste, fregola, chickpeas and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil; transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the asparagus, artichokes, olives, scallions, yogurt, lemon juice, herbs and quinoa. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Heat a large cast-iron griddle or skillet and brush with olive oil. Using lightly moistened hands, form the mixture into eight 3-inch patties. Brush the patties with oil and cook over high heat until golden on the bottom, 4 minutes. Flip the patties and top each with a slice of cheese. Reduce the heat to moderate, cover and cook until the patties are heated through and golden on the bottom and the cheese is melted. Set the burgers on the buns and top with lettuce and sliced tomatoes, or other toppings of your choice.

"A+ Salad"

Here's a really yummy summer salad that takes advantage of summer's bounty, using ripe peaches, peak-season blueberries, as well as a few radishes -- which I love but hardly know what to do with. My husband, who disses salads much of the time, had three helpings and graded it A+. Those sweet peaches and berries ought to make anyone swoon.

Summer salad

RECIPE: Peach, Radish and Blueberry Salad
Makes 5-6 servings

Ingredients
1/2 small red onion
4-5 ripe peaches, peeled (cover with boiling water for 30 seconds; peels will slide off)
4 radishes, very thinly sliced
1 cup blueberries
Vinaigrette made with olive oil and white wine vinegar (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup torn or chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (or more to taste)
1/4 cup toasted nuts (I used a combo of pine nuts and pistachio, but almonds work too)

Instructions
Slice the onion as thinly as possible. Place sliced onions in a bowl of ice water for 5-10 minutes to remove any sharp flavor. Drain and pat dry.
Cut peaches in half and then slice thinly.
Place onions, peaches, radishes, blueberries and basil in a large bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper, if desired, to taste.
When serving, top each portion with some of the cheese and nuts.

Note: If you want, toss the finished product (before adding cheese and nuts) with some lettuce or baby spinach.

Maximizing summer's bounty

Stuffed peppers (poor photo -- sorry!)

Corn, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, peaches, eggplant -- these are just a few of the fresh, local produce now available at farmers' markets nationwide.
I like to make a big pot of succotash -- or what I call "soycotash" because I use edamame instead of Lima beans -- for a delicious side dish, using many of the above ingredients.
It's fairly simple although it does require a lot of knife work. Cut the kernels off a few ears of corn, slice 2 medium zucchini or yellow squashes, dice a red bell pepper, 1/2 onion and mince a few cloves of fresh garlic. Saute all those ingredients in canola oil, add a cup of frozen, thawed edamame along with seasonings (salt, pepper, chopped herbs of your choice) and voila!
With the leftovers, I made this 'tash-stuffed bell pepper as a vegetarian entree. I added a chopped jalapeno pepper to the succotash to give this dish a bit of a kick.

Recipe: Peppers Stuffed with Succotash
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 large red bell peppers (halved lengthwise, stems left intact, seeds and ribs removed)
3-4 cups succotash
1 cup grated Monterey Jack or mozarella cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place peppers, cut side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until peppers just becoming tender. Set aside.
Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Stir the cheese into the succotash, then divide the succotash among the pepper halves. Place in prepared baking dish.
Add 2-3 T water to the dish. Cover with foil and bake for about 15 minutes, until heated through. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes longer. Serve!

Rice with Spring Peas, Asparagus and Mushrooms

You can call this risotto but I cooked the rice separately, so maybe not. It's still delicious, and much less labor intensive than true risotto.
As always, the quality of the ingredients makes all the difference. Local asparagus, English peas shelled from the pods, and a small amount of chanterelle mushrooms (along with "baby bellas") were the flavor stars here -- all enhanced by good quality shaved Parmesan cheese and a healthy shot of garlic.
Make the veggie melange, stir in the pre-cooked brown rice (Trader Joe's has frozen brown rice that you microwave, super easy and delish, too), top with the cheese and voila! Yummy.
I did this free form and will try to reproduce the recipe here. Substitute fresh morel mushrooms if you can get them.

Recipe: Brown Rice with Peas, Asparagus and Mushrooms
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2-3 T olive or canola oil, or a blend
2 cups sliced mushrooms, whatever variety you like
1 cup shelled peas
2 cups sliced asparagus
2 T minced garlic
Salt and pepper
1/4 - 1/3 cup broth or stock
2 cups cooked rice, preferably brown rice
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until they begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Add next 5 ingredients (peas through stock) and stir-fry for 3 minutes to blend ingredients. Cover and cook another few minutes until veggies are crisp-tender. (Test with a fork, or try a piece of asparagus.) Stir in rice and cover again. Cook just until the rice is heated through, probably about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add cheese; adjust seasonings and add more salt and pepper, if desired.
That's it!

What's Good Now? Early Spring Ideas

Springtime, Allium, and other Seasonal Vegetables

            Although our region’s peak growing season is still a few months in the future, early to mid-spring brings several in-season treats. The delicious fennel bulb does best after hard freezes but before the heat of summer, and now is the perfect time for local onions and other plants in the Allium family – leeks, shallots, ramps, garlic, scallions and chives. Nutritionists consider all of these vegetables great sources of fiber, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals.

            Onions, of course, are grown all over the world and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), are the second most commonly cultivated vegetable worldwide after tomatoes. According to the website www.vegetarian-nutrition.info, onions and onion extracts can relieve asthma, bronchitis, and cold symptoms, and the WHO “supports the use of onions for the treatment of poor appetite and to prevent atherosclerosis.” 

            Onions, leeks and fennel form the basis of the following vegetarian recipe. It makes a good entrée for two people, perhaps served with rice or noodles; we enjoyed it recently as a side dish with pan-fried crabcakes.

           

Tastes way better than it looks here!

Recipe: Braised Fennel and Leeks

Serves 4 (side, or two as a main dish)

Ingredients:

1 ½ c chicken or vegetable broth

½ c white wine

½ c water

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced in half

½ c chopped onion

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried tarragon

2 T butter (optional)

Salt and freshly ground or cracked black pepper, to taste

3 leeks, white parts only, trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise

2 fennel bulbs, cored and cut into quarters lengthwise

2 c sliced mushrooms, any type

3 T olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Prepare the braising liquid in a large, deep sided frying pan: add the liquids along with the garlic, chopped onions, herbs, butter (if using) and seasonings. Cover and bring to a boil.

Arrange leeks and quartered fennel in the pan. Bring liquid back to boiling, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a smaller frying pan, heat olive oil over medium and add mushrooms. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, add salt and pepper and remove from heat.

To serve, carefully remove fennel and leeks to a platter; top with sautéed mushrooms.

Note: Strain the braising liquid to remove solids and store broth in the refrigerator for another use—it will be quite flavorful.

The World's Healthiest Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is the healthiest (and yummiest) in the world. It's not a "diet diet," meaning something you do for a short period to drop pounds. It's an eating plan for life. And if you can follow this plan, over time you WILL become slimmer and in better health. You'll feel fewer hunger pangs -- because you are eating nutrient-rich foods -- and have more energy.

But you probably won't be able to succeed with this plan unless you cook some of your own meals. Fast food and the Mediterranean diet don't go together very well, nor does restaurant dining (alas -- I love to eat at nice restaurants!).

Health wise, this diet, loaded with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats and proteins, not only keeps your weight down but also is great for your heart, blood pressure, and blood sugar. You'll avoid obesity, heart disease and diabetes if you follow this wonderful and delicious plan. Some research also suggests this diet can ward off dementia as we age.

Here is one of my favorite Middle Eastern style recipes to get you started -- easy as pie, and taste great.

RECIPE: Couscous Salad with Orange and Olives Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat couscous
• 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped black olives, (4 scallions)
• 1/4 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives, (12 olives)
• 1 navel orange, peeled, sectioned and diced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Stir together couscous, orange juice concentrate, oil, mustard, thyme, orange zest and salt in a large bowl. Stir in boiling water, cover and set aside until the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes.
2. Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add parsley, scallions, olives, diced orange and lemon juice; toss to blend. Season with pepper.