What reminds me of summer (almost as much as a hot pink bikini) are fresh market stalls bulging with home grown vegetables: screen doors slamming, the whir of an attic fan, friends and family hauling armfuls of fresh, sweet zucchini, squash and tomatoes from their own or neighboring gardens.
Cheeks and foreheads are pink from the sun and sweat glistens on the brows of those jubilant enough to have produced such crops. I envision my mother bicycling to the farm where she has cultivated a little plot of her own, rich with plump heirloom tomatoes, petit, egg-shaped globe carrots and other such niceties. She tends this garden as she would small children, pedaling to and from the little plot each morning and evening, often with my father in tow. She worries over the size of her zucchini, whether they have grown too large to be perfectly sweet and tender; she fusses at the opossums and offending deer. She cradles fresh plucked watermelon and cantaloupe in her arms, with the promise of making little chins and fingers sticky with juice once at home again.
My mother’s tenderness for all things grown continues to imprint itself onto her children. As a child, I idolized brussel and alfalfa sprouts. Eating an artichoke was both fascinating and delicious. I loved snapping peas and shucking corn. My most favorite thing in the world was split-pea soup. But, as I have learned with age, this adoration for my beloved legumes is rare.
An art I have been subject to learn, as a teacher of young children, is that of vegetable disguise. I incorporate artichoke, broccoli and carrot in quiche, blueberries in brownies and avocado in grilled cheese. However, as far as summer is concerned, I hone in on the zucchini. I dice, slice, peel and grate this silky green and marvelously versatile veggie, its creamy flesh lending perfectly to corn, lemon and thyme.
Two dishes that are just as grown-up in flavor as they are kid-friendly are zucchini-ricotta fritters served with lemon slices (or ketchup should your child prefer) and a moist zucchini cornbread prepared in a loaf pan. Both burst with flavor and if they don’t remind you of summer from here on out, I’ll send you a hot pink bikini!
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/zucchini-ricotta-fritters
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/07/zucchini-cornbread
Showing posts with label zucchini. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zucchini. Show all posts
Monday, August 1, 2011
Monday, May 18, 2009
Welcome Summer
With early May temperatures already topping the hottest of summer days in Atlanta, my tasetbuds have catapulted into the cool, sweet and refreshing tastes of summer here in Houston.
The comforting crab bisques of cool spring evenings, I have replaced with chilled gazpachos and zucchini vichyssoises. My beloved breakfasts of blueberry scones, warm and crisped from the oven, have been replaced by simple bowls of honeynut Cheerios and ice-cold milk.
My palate embraces all things cool to counteract the thick blanket of warm air that is Houston spring disguised as summer.
A favorite summer meal of my hubby-to-be is a cool salad made with salty feta cheese and large, juicy pieces of sweet watermelon. Grilled snapper with lemon and thyme works well alongside the salad.
And, if we decide to have guests, we often throw together an additional accompaniment of crisp green beans and boiled red potatoes with rosemary, olive oil, cracked pepper and sea salt.
Everything we serve chilled or room-temperature, except for the fish, whose mere existence reminds us of summer and refreshing dips in the sea.
Such summer meals, full of citrus, fresh herbs and seafood, make us feel as if we are relaxing on the Mediterranean, or on moonlit porches along the Amalfi coast. Nevermind our Texas palms or plastic lawn chairs, our tongues for the moment, have transported us to far away places.
For dessert, we travel west, over a Peruvian dulce de leche torte served with a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. (A great recipe can be found on www.gourmet.com)
*For the feta cheese & watermelon salad, add as much or as little of the ingredients to suit your taste. We usually chunk one whole watermelon and in a large bowl, combine with 8-oz. of chunked feta cheese, one red onion, sliced thin, & fresh mint. We then toss the salad with a viniagrette made of 1/4 c. olive oil, two Tbl. of dijon mustard, two Tbl. of red wine vinegar, one Tbl. of honey, salt & pepper. Voila!
For cool summer evenings, a favorite zucchini vichyssoise:
2 Tbl. olive oil
5 chopped leeks, white & green parts
8 small white boiling potatoes, chopped
2 chopped zucchinis
1 1/2 c. chicken stock
2 Tbl. cream
Julienned zucchini & chopped green green onion for garnish
salt & pepper
Heat 2 Tbl. of oil in a large stockpot. Add leeks, and saute over med-low for five minutes. Add potatoes, zucchini, stock, salt & pepper; bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for thirty minutes. Let cool. In batches, process in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pot, add cream, salt and pepper. Serve cold with julienned zucchini and green onion. Enjoy!
Happy Summer!
The comforting crab bisques of cool spring evenings, I have replaced with chilled gazpachos and zucchini vichyssoises. My beloved breakfasts of blueberry scones, warm and crisped from the oven, have been replaced by simple bowls of honeynut Cheerios and ice-cold milk.
My palate embraces all things cool to counteract the thick blanket of warm air that is Houston spring disguised as summer.
A favorite summer meal of my hubby-to-be is a cool salad made with salty feta cheese and large, juicy pieces of sweet watermelon. Grilled snapper with lemon and thyme works well alongside the salad.
And, if we decide to have guests, we often throw together an additional accompaniment of crisp green beans and boiled red potatoes with rosemary, olive oil, cracked pepper and sea salt.
Everything we serve chilled or room-temperature, except for the fish, whose mere existence reminds us of summer and refreshing dips in the sea.
Such summer meals, full of citrus, fresh herbs and seafood, make us feel as if we are relaxing on the Mediterranean, or on moonlit porches along the Amalfi coast. Nevermind our Texas palms or plastic lawn chairs, our tongues for the moment, have transported us to far away places.
For dessert, we travel west, over a Peruvian dulce de leche torte served with a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. (A great recipe can be found on www.gourmet.com)
*For the feta cheese & watermelon salad, add as much or as little of the ingredients to suit your taste. We usually chunk one whole watermelon and in a large bowl, combine with 8-oz. of chunked feta cheese, one red onion, sliced thin, & fresh mint. We then toss the salad with a viniagrette made of 1/4 c. olive oil, two Tbl. of dijon mustard, two Tbl. of red wine vinegar, one Tbl. of honey, salt & pepper. Voila!
For cool summer evenings, a favorite zucchini vichyssoise:
2 Tbl. olive oil
5 chopped leeks, white & green parts
8 small white boiling potatoes, chopped
2 chopped zucchinis
1 1/2 c. chicken stock
2 Tbl. cream
Julienned zucchini & chopped green green onion for garnish
salt & pepper
Heat 2 Tbl. of oil in a large stockpot. Add leeks, and saute over med-low for five minutes. Add potatoes, zucchini, stock, salt & pepper; bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for thirty minutes. Let cool. In batches, process in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pot, add cream, salt and pepper. Serve cold with julienned zucchini and green onion. Enjoy!
Happy Summer!
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