Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Mushrooming (aka Gnome Hunting)



It's the new after-storm sport!  After a lot of rain – be it rain storm, tropical storm, or hurricane– come the mushrooms.  Make a family activity of it and bring your camera. Go in the back yard, in the woods or a field, and keep your gaze low to the ground.  (Mushrooms also grow on dead and dying trees, of course, but it's the ground-dwellers that appear out of nowhere that we look for now.  Call it "gnome-hunting" if you want.)

This activity serves three purposes: Time with the family (that doesn't require electricity aside from the batteries in your camera and flashlight), exercise, and learning to identify mushrooms.  Most mushrooms are poisonous and your first foray into their unknown world should be cautious and respectful.  Don't touch mushrooms with bare hands or taste them.  Wear long pants.  Bring insect repellent.  (Lavender and feverfew are natural insect repellents and can be rubbed on clothing and hair.  Never use insect repellent with deet on pets or small children.  Do not use feverfew or pyrethrin-containing products on cats.)  Take lots of pictures and note when (month) and where (log, ground, field, sun, shade, etc.) you found the mushroom.  Note stem and cap sizes, gills, spore color, or other distinctive characteristics.   Bring a flashlight if you're in a dark area.

I am by far NOT an expert in mushrooms, but I am starting to learn about edible ones.  I have one accessible mushroom I believe to be an edible bolete that right now I am just watching.  Misidentification can lead to severe illness and death.  Do not eat wild mushrooms unless you have a positive identification from a trained guide (mycologist), the mushroom is not spoiled, and the mushroom has been cooked!  One Asian family, gathering mushrooms in the U.S. that looked like the edible ones from their homeland, all died.  Another family in Mexico bought wild mushrooms at a Farmer's Market that were misidentified and also died.  Alcohol intensifies the effects of toxins.  Then there's simple allergy.  I don't mean to scare people, but foraging of this sort should not be taken lightly.  For help with identification and symptoms of poisoning, check here.  It's fun just finding mushrooms and trying to identify them.

Now, the modest (and growing) gallery:



The rare rubber interior of a tennis ball.  For dogs only!

Lepiota cepistipes?

Amanita?



Scutellinia umbrarum?





Cortinarius?




Indian Pipe.  (Monotropa uniflora)  Not a mushroom but a plant.  Lack of chlorophyl
 contributes to its white color.  It is parasitic rather than photosynthetic.



Agrocybe acericola?







Laxitextum bicolor?



Boletes?
Possibly Boletus impolitus or Boletus edulis
I'm watching you!

Same mushroom two days later.


And again.



And finally, a recipe with mushrooms:



Vegan Option/Wild Option
________________________________________________
Cacciatore Catch-All
Taste of Italy
________________________________________________
Prep: 15 minutes  Cook: 45 minutes  Serves 4
2 lbs. local chicken parts (optional)
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1 red or green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups peeled tomatoes* (Roma and/or cherry)
2 cups sliced wild puffball mushrooms** (or white button or baby bella)
1 cup of “catch-all”: washed and chopped zucchini, summer 
     squash, or what-have-you (optional)
1 tbs. dried oregano (or 2 tbs. fresh)
1/2 tsp. salt 
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/2 cup red wine (from freezer cubes?)
“Cacciatore” means hunter in Italian and often features wild mushrooms** (assuming the hunter did not want to come home empty-handed).  This recipe is a great way to use up odds and ends from canning.  Consider measurement of vegetables approximate.  Leftovers can even be added to an omelet, frittata, or soup.  

Heat olive oil on medium-high in Dutch oven or large skillet with cover.  If using chicken, brown meat five minutes each side and set aside.  Add onions, garlic, and bell pepper to pan.  Cook two minutes, or until onions soften.  Add tomatoes, mushrooms, and remaining vegetables.  Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.   Add wine and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to simmer.  Add chicken and cover.  Cook 30 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165ºF and vegetables are soft.  Serve with crusty bread, pasta, or rice.
* When canning tomatoes, skins are removed by blanching.  This is done by dropping whole tomatoes in boiling water about one minute, then into ice water one minute, to easily peel skin.  I’ve used the leftover seeds and juice from canning harissa sauce with plum tomatoes.  You could also use already canned tomatoes or just chop fresh tomatoes and leave skins on. 
** Do not attempt to gather wild mushrooms without a certified guide.  Puffballs (Calvatia gigantea) should be the size of two fists or larger and white throughout.  Discolored puffballs are not safe to eat and will not taste good.  Immature amanita can be mistaken for puffballs, thus the need to look for larger mushrooms.  (Puffballs can grow quite large and have even been mistaken for Styrofoam trash in littered woodlands!)  Cutting the mushroom may reveal more: A “U” shape indicates the immature cap of the poisonous amanita, but may not always be visible.  Alcohol intensifies reaction to any poisonous mushroom.  Don’t risk it!!!  The author and publisher assume no liability for injury, poisoning, illness, or death from consuming wild mushrooms or plants.  Leave it to the experts: Puffballs may be available at some farmers’ markets or high-end food stores. 




How Can I Learn More?

I will be giving a free talk on cooking with herbs at the Roger Williams Park Community Garden in Providence, RI (outside Botanical Center) Sat. Sept. 3rd 10 a.m. and Wed. Sept. 7th, 6 p.m.  There will be food samples, herbs, and hand-outs.  Learn how to dry and store herbs, make dressing, marinades, rubs, and more.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Crunchy Cabbage, Hidden Squash


We got yet another cabbage in our CSA.  I made Chinese firecrackers, working off a Betty Crocker recipe but making my own chili sauce by blending rehydrated New Mexican chilis, garlic, cider vinegar, and a pinch of sugar and salt.  Recipe soon, after a few more tweaks, some mushrooms maybe.  Meanwhile, after three batches, I think I've perfected my take on chocolate zucchini bread.  The last batch had the summer squash that's half green, half yellow, just because it was in the fridge.  But it was juicy and almost sweet, when zucchini can sometimes be bitter.  These squares are moist and gooey, and yet again hide veggies for your kids.




Vegetarian
________________________________________________
Revenge of the Squash Squares
Taste of Earth
________________________________________________
Prep: 15 minutes  Bake: 30-35 minutes  Makes 35 squares
2 cups unbleached flour
2 tbs. baking chocolate (preferably organic/free-trade)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract (if using plain yogurt)
1 cup grated summer squash or zucchini
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Are the squash taking over?  Take revenge by baking them into moist, chocolate squares that will quickly disappear.  Preheat oven to 325ºF.  Sift dry ingredients.  Whisk together egg and oil.  Whisk in yogurt, sugar, and vanilla.  Fold in squash, chips, and nuts, if using.  Bake in greased 9”X13” pan 30-35 minutes at 325ºF.  Cut into 35 squares (five down, seven across).  Serve warm or cold, with ice cream if desired. 

Friday, August 26, 2011

While You're Preparing for Hurricane Irene...

While you're checking your flashlights and first aid kits, now is a great time to gather expired medications and old batteries for proper disposal.  Tap water nation-wide has been found to contain trace amounts of OTC and prescription medicines, including pain medications, caffeine, antibiotics, anti-convulsants, blood-pressure medication, hormones (I hope you're checking your meat, eggs, and milk for hormones while you're at it), anti-depressants, and anti-psychotics.  Why?  People flush them away, not thinking "away" gets treated and returns to the water cycle.  Many medications are designed not to break down, so going through a treatment plant may not remove them.  You can help stop this cycle (and recycle) by getting a $3.99 postage-paid bag such as sold at CVS pharmacy.  We just went through our first aid kit, and found ELEVEN expired medications, including burn cream, eye drops, cat medicine, and Neosporin.  It is bagged and ready to go.  

Next: batteries.  As expensive as rechargeable batteries are ($13.98 for a 4-pack of AA's), they are cheaper in the long run considering how many times you'd need to replace disposable ones as opposed to recharging the others.  My lanterns from Ocean State Job Lot take 4 AA's and since I only have a AA charger, this is more efficient than the C and D-type battery flashlights.  They also give off better light.  You could argue that oil lanterns and candles are the most eco-friendly of all, but I have the safety of children to consider as well as a cat who might knock them over.  Still have old batteries lying around?  Some can be recycled or dropped off at an Eco-Depot.  The best info is at Earth 911.  Rhode Islanders, go here.  Saturday, August 27, has two drop-off option:


North Providence High School
1828 Mineral Spring Ave.
North Providence, RI
8 am-1 pm

RI Resource Recovery
65 Shun Pike
Johnston, RI
8 am-12 pm

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

I Dreamt I Caught a Bird


I dreamt I caught a bird, a hot and fluttering heart.  It was so real.  I showed it to my daughter and we let it go.  So much of the time, there are built-up layers between us and the real: a song in our head masking the thoughts in our mind overpowering the news on the radio as we auto-pilot to work in the car we keep paying for in repairs and maintenance and taxes and wars traveling to work through a sea of people we don’t know to have face-time with a computer.
I took my daughter to the woods.  We have woods near our house which we’ve explored many times.  There we’ve found leaves turning color, various birds and trees, a musk rat, an animal hole, swans in the pond, rabbits in the brush, graffiti on rocks, and teenager trash.  This time, we went out to woods by a farm, posted with “No Hunting” signs.  We found pine, oak, and birch, various mushrooms, a single ripe blackberry, ferns and moss, and a tiny worm hiding inside a pine cone.  
On a whim, we left the path to explore a mossy rocky mound and found a toad.  It was nearly impossible to see amidst the leave litter.  I had kept reminding my chatty daughter that she would see more if she was quiet.  I caught the toad and caught the toad and caught the toad as she relished its aliveness.  She turned it over to discover its spotted belly, and wanted to hold it forever.  She will remember this more than any nature show or magazine, any Youtube video or science book.  She had life in her hand.


Thursday, August 18, 2011

Ratatouille


Dinner and a movie?  Why not Ratatouille for both?  I have to admit, I had four helpings of this the day I made it, and my four year old wanted more just because we were watching Remy make this dish on TV.  That's right, your kids will eat it!  And everything but the olive oil, cheese, salt and pepper, and tomato paste came from the Farmer's Market or my own yard.  


Here's my last trip to a Farmer's Market in a park on Smith Street in Providence.  They are open Sundays.    Total cost: $10.  The zucchini, onions, and eggplant went into the ratatouille along with Roma tomatoes from my garden and squash and garlic from my CSA.  The Swiss Chard set me back $3.  Cooking that later.  The pound of green beans became 4 half-pints pickled in garlic, red pepper flakes, and dill and coriander seed from my garden.  Including the canning jars, the green beans cost $1.23 a jar.  (My father said they were $6 in the supermarket.)  I used the peppers with my own garden's tomatoes to make salsa for canning.  (Use a tested recipe for food safety.  I used one from Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving.)  If I don't count the 58¢ reusable canning jar, which of course I'm going to reuse aside from the lid, my 10 jars of tomato salsa cost 60¢ each.    Next, we are canning peach salsa and apple sauce.

This is not a great picture.


Gluten-Free/Vegan Option
________________________________________________
Ratatouille
Taste of Mediterranean France
________________________________________________
Prep: 10 minutes  Cook: 30 minutes  Makes 8 servings
4 cups mixed summer squash (crook- and straight-neck, 
     patty pan or scalloped, zucchini, etc.)*
1 medium Italian eggplant (I used Rotonda Bianca Sfumata 
     di Rosa, an heirloom variety with few seeds)*
1/2 yellow onion*
5 Roma tomatoes*
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced width-wise
1 tbs. double-concentrated tomato paste
2 tbs. olive oil, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 tbs. fresh stemmed and finely chopped lemon thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
This dish cooks up fast with the aid of a mandoline.  Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Slice squash, eggplant, onion, and tomatoes 1/4” thin, keeping each vegetable separate.  There is no need to salt the eggplant first or even peel it.  Cutting the vegetables this way is fast, attractive, and saves on cooking time.  In a covered skillet or Dutch oven, heat one tbs. olive oil.  Sauté garlic one minute, stirring frequently.  Add onions and tomato paste, stirring well.  Cook until onions wilt, about five minutes.  Add eggplant and tomatoes, cover, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary to prevent sticking.  Stir in herbs, salt, and pepper.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Layer with squash and drizzle with another tablespoon of olive oil.  Cover and cook at 375ºF 10-15 minutes, until squash are soft.  Serve by carefully spooning onto plates to retain layers.  Great with pasta or warm crusty bread.  Use leftovers in a frittata or on a pizza.  Tastes even better reheated.

* Cut flower end from vegetables and hold stem while slicing on mandoline.  Mandoline blades are very sharp, so take care to keep fingers clear.  Although many models are pricey, a 4-piece set can be found for less than $20. Use safety guard to slice onion on mandoline, or slice by hand.  



Don't have a Dutch oven?  Here's a coupon for one at Ocean State Job Lot this week:


Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Finance Article

My first finance article is now available on Yahoo!  Learn how to save thousands using reusable materials.  I didn't even go into disposable water bottles, because I don't use them.  My Brita filter and reusable bottles work great for my family, in the car, at outings, and at martial arts.  Read.  Enjoy.  Share!

Monday, August 8, 2011

A-Maize-ing Food and Craft!

We've finally been blest with rain.  I did a very un-scientific experiment of mixing ashes with lime and spreading them all around the gravel fire pit, then wetting the whole thing down.  I don't think I'll get Roman cement, but if it stops the grab grass that takes up way too much of my time, I'll be happy.  In other news, one of the corn my four year old planted has sprouted an ear!  You can't go anywhere this time of year without seeing bushels of corn.  Here's a recipe and craft the whole family can enjoy, both with Native American roots.


Gluten-Free/Vegan Option
________________________________________________
Summery Succotash
Taste of Native America
________________________________________________
1 cup fresh sweet corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1/2 cup fresh lima and/or cranberry beans
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced fine
1 tbs. butter or bacon fat
1 tsp. maple syrup
1/8 tsp. each salt and white pepper
2 slices bacon, well-cooked and crumbled (optional)
Succotash owes its name to the Narragansett tribe’s word for it: msíckquatash.   It consists of boiled corn kernels and beans and has many variations.  Maize, as it’s also called, originated from a grass in Mexico.  After 10,000 years of cultivation, the large kernels we are all familiar with developed, carried northward from tribe to tribe.  Lima beans are actually native to South America, with cranberry beans native to the Northeast.  This succotash version gets added sweetness from red peppers and omits the European addition of cream.  Serve it in a mini pumpkin and it’s truly a “three sisters” meal.  Recipe can be easily multiplied.  Serves 4.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil.  Add husked corn cobs and shelled beans and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.  Transfer corn to a bowl of ice water to cool.  Retrieve beans with a slotted spoon.  Dice pepper and cook bacon.  Cut kernels from cooled cobs.  Melt butter or bacon fat in sauté pan.  Add all remaining ingredients and sauté on medium heat until vegetables start to glaze and crisp.  Serve immediately.


After you've made this yummy dish, you can flatten and dry the husks under a weighted cutting board in the sun to make corn husk dolls.  Corn husk dolls traditionally do not have faces.   According to one Iroquois legend, Corn Maiden of the Three Sisters decided one day to make people from corn husks.  A particularly beautiful one was instructed to travel from village to village and entertain the children with games.  Many commented on her great beauty, and over time she became quite vain.  After several warnings, her punishment was to spend her days without a face and unable to converse with the animals.  Basically, this tells us to let go of our egos and we will accomplish more.  (Margot Fonteyn, the beautiful and accomplished ballerina, once said that she took her art very seriously but herself not seriously at all.)  Besides playthings, corn husk dolls could have spiritual significance.  The Iroquois also made them in response to bad dreams, putting the negative energy into the doll, then returning it to the earth (burying it) to dissipate the negativity.

Tie narrow ends together

Pull wide ends in opposite direction
and tie tightly just below "neck"

Cut cord.  Take three narrow strips and
braid them.  Tie off with husk or twine.

Slip arms between layers of corn husk.

Tie beneath to form "waist"

Snip "thumbs" if desired

Alternatively, form arms by tying
narrow bundles at each end

This is the back

Trim hands


Cut a trapezoid to size from scraps
of felt or flannel

Tie in back with ribbon

This is now the back

Finished doll.  Add your own details!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Just Peachy!


Ever picked a peck of peaches?  Now you can!  Here's where Rhode Island has peaches.  Find out more about peaches here.  Peach cobbler, peach chutney, peach pie, peaches and cream on hot cereal, and this sweet and savory dish with a hint of spice based on the cuisine of Tunisia.  My picky teens had seconds!  Wish I had a picture, but we dived right in.



Low Sodium/Gluten-Free Option
________________________________________________
Chicken and Peaches
Taste of Tunisia
________________________________________________
2 tbs. oil, divided
2 cups diced red onion
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
3 cups reduced fat, low sodium (gluten-free) chicken broth
2 organic peaches, cut into wedges then halved
2 tbs. honey
1 pinch saffron (optional)
couscous (not gluten-free) or rice
This recipe is based on the sweet tangine dishes of North Africa, but has less sugar and fat than the traditional fare.  By using boneless chicken thighs instead of whole chicken, it also cooks faster and costs less to prepare.  In a covered skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 tbs. of oil on medium-high.  Cook onions, nuts, and spices, stirring frequently, about three minutes.  Remove mixture and set aside.  Add another tbs. of oil and brown thighs, about 2 minutes per side.  Add stock and onion mixture and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat slightly, cover, and poach gently 20 minutes.  Uncover and add peaches, honey, and saffron, crushing spice with your fingers and sprinkling on top.  Cook another 10-15 minutes, allowing liquid to thicken, until chicken flakes apart easily with a fork and meat thermometer reads 165ºF.   Serve over couscous or use rice for gluten-free option. 

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

When It Only Looks Like Food

I've long been a label-reader, although the products I buy regularly are probably getting overlooked.  For a while, I was very vigilant about getting whole grain bread without high fructose corn syrup.  Now, we make our own bread.  Natives of South America first developed a humble grass into the corn we know today over a span of 10,000 years, trading and passing seeds to other tribes further and further northward.  In case you didn't know, high fructose corn syrup was created in a lab.  I'm not opposed to bio-engineered foods that offer greater nutrition or have better resistance to pests (not greater resistance to pesticides).  But many things that have been done to corn have lead to numerous health problems, including obesity and diabetes.  Corn is subsidized by the government, and is now in many, many foods.  The less processed the food, the better your chances of not getting corn filler and high fructose corn syrup.  Corn can also be eaten indirectly, by eating livestock from CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), where animals are quickly fattened up for slaughter in cramped quarters in a process called "finishing".  Such animal meat is fattier and higher in cholesterol than grass-fed and pastured animals and the methane these animals produce (because they have indigestion since that haven't evolved to eat corn) further affects the environment by breaking down the ozone layer, which raises the temperature of the earth, which leads to droughts in some areas and more severe storms in others.  In other words, eating natural, unprocessed foods is better for us all.

My husband recently brought home a box of Special K with strawberries that actually had strawberries in it!  It also had high fructose corn syrup.  Sigh.  Some other products don't even have real fruit, despite their appearance on the box.  The blueberries in blueberry muffin mix may be no more that oil and food coloring!  There's something to be said for making food from scratch.  At just over a dollar a POUND (which is much more than the pint at the supermarket), the 17 pounds of blueberries my family picked this summer will give us inexpensive and delicious nutrition for our own homemade blueberry muffins or toppings on our cereal.  I have never made cereal, but I've made various incarnations of hot grain cereals and oatmeal, as well as my own granola bars.  And I know exactly what's in them and can add more nutrition at will, such as omega 3 in the form of flax seed.  People with allergies or food restrictions regularly read labels.  The rest of us should follow, and make more from scratch.  Need more convincing?  Don't think you have time?  What goes into your body will build up.  Are you building a stronger, healthier you?  Or will the money you saved on cheap chicken and packaged meals cost you in hospital bills later?  Recently, a friend sent me this link about how food companies replace natural ingredients with artificial ones in order to, why else, save money.  How much is your health worth?

To show I bear no ill-will to corn, here is my own take on a very New England recipe: Indian Pudding.  I especially love this dish with local organic peaches, but any fresh fruit (and nuts) will do.  And, it's gluten-free!!



Gluten-Free/Low Sodium/Reduced Fat/Vegetarian
________________________________________________
Indian Pudding and Peaches
Taste of the New England
________________________________________________
Prep: 15 minutes  Cook: 1 hour (45 minutes baking)  Serves 6
2 1/2 cups low-fat milk
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 tbs. butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cardamom
2 organic peaches (or other seasonal fruit of choice)
1 cup fat-free half-and-half
Contrary to the name, this dish is not Native American in origin aside from the cornmeal, which was more readily available to the pilgrims than wheat flour.  It’s also called “hasty pudding” and at least cooks faster than some 3 hour recipes I’ve seen.  With the molasses from the sugar trade not coming from North America or Europe, this dish was uniquely New England.  I’ve added maple syrup to make it more “native”, but couldn’t resist Indonesian nutmeg and Asian Indian cardamom (a relative of ginger).
Preheat over to 300ºF and grease casserole dish.  Pour milk into large sauce pan and heat on med-high until scalded but not boiling.  (Look for tiny bubbles around the edges of the pot.)  Whisk in cornmeal a tablespoon at a time, stirring well to prevent lumps.  Add molasses, syrup, and butter.  Reduce heat and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the consistency of pourable porridge.  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and spices together.  Slowly add cornmeal mix to eggs, whisking constantly so as not to cook eggs.  Pour mix into casserole dish and bake 45 minutes.  Wash, pit, and cut peaches into half-wedges, or bite-sized pieces, leaving skin on.  Serve pudding warm with fat free half-and-half and peaches.

Monday, August 1, 2011

You Say Tomato...

It has begun...The basil and parsley reach higher.  The eggplants plump.  The tomatoes redden.  It starts with the bottom-most fruit.  The early girls and the heirloom zebras.  Then the cherries and Roma.  It's like a bell curve: a few juicy handfuls.  Some toppings to salad.  Then, twice-daily trips to harvest pounds at a time, cherry tomatoes now cherry bombs of exploding juices as I try to keep up.  Canning, canning, and more canning.  Giving away.  Donating to food pantries.  Pickling the green ones in the fall.  But right now, I have a handful ripe, and look forward to salsas and stuffed fruits.  This year, I'm also going to try "sun-drying" in a slow oven.  Tomatoes are low in Sodium and are a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium and Manganese.  They have over 55% Vitamin C, 21% Vitamin A, not to mention cancer-fighting lycopene.  It also acts as a blood cleanser and reduces fat and cholesterol.  Cooking helps release most of these nutrients and also helps us absorb the calcium and iron in other foods, such as spinach.  So cook it, can it, eat it, enjoy!

First Tomato

Summer pizza



Vegan Option
________________________________________________
Basic Pizza Dough
Taste of Italy
________________________________________________
Prep: 15 minutes  Rest: 40 minutes  Cook: 20 minutes  
Makes 1 large pizza or two small. 
2 tsp. yeast
2 tbs. olive oil
1 cup warm water or whey
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. salt
This makes a stiffer dough than most, but holds up well to numerous toppings.  Dissolve yeast in warm liquid.  Add olive oil.  Sift flours and salt into a medium bowl.  Make a well in flour mixture and add liquid.  Mix well with spoon, then knead on floured surface 3 minutes.  Return to bowl and cover with hot damp towel.  Let rise 40 minutes.  Preheat oven (and pizza stone, if using) to 425ºF.  Roll dough out on floured surface.  (Divide dough first if making two pizzas.)   Transfer dough with two thin cutting boards or spatulas to pizza stone sprinkled with corn meal or to baking sheet.  Add toppings and bake 15-20 minutes, until edges start to brown.
Summer Pizza: Slice large tomato as thin as possible.  Arrange slices on dough already on baking surface.  (Juice from fresh tomatoes can make dough soggy until cooked.)  Drizzle with olive oil.  Top with crumbled feta cheese.  (I used Narragansett Creamery Salty Feta.)  Sprinkle with pepper.  Top with fresh basil leaves.  Bake 15-20 minutes at 425ºF.



Have a lot of odds and ends from your garden or CSA?  Make ragout!  This hearty dish cooks up quick. The tomato, onion, and eggplant are essential, but try mixing up different kinds, as well as squash varieties.  Nasturtium leaves have a peppery, watercress quality.  The entire plant is edible, so throw on some flowers for extra punch (or let the flowers form seed heads to pickle as caper substitutes later).

Early Harvest


Mussaka/Ragout

Gluten-Free Option/Low Sodium/Vegan Option
________________________________________________
You Say Tomato
Taste of the Mediterranean
________________________________________________
Prep: 15 minutes  Cook: 15-20 minutes  Serves 6
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2” cubes
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. fresh ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup of onion (mix of green, yellow, or red, just avoid 
     using tough stems)
4 cloves garlic, minced*
2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4” 
     thick
2 cups of heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped (halve cherry 
     tomatoes)
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups local 
     beans, soaked overnight)
2 cups plus 1/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup quinoa (gluten-free) or couscous
4 tbs. chopped nasturtium leaves and/or parsley
1 lb. ground lamb (optional)
Lebanon meets Tunisia in this mussaka/ragout-inspired dish.  Place eggplant cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil.  Bake at 475ºF 15 minutes, stirring halfway through baking time.  Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large sauté pan.  Heat spices one minute.  If using meat, brown meat in same pan, then set aside.  Add garlic and onions to pan, starting with more oil if necessary.  Cook two more minutes.  Add tomatoes, zucchini, and 1/4 cup of broth, mixing well.  Bring to boil then reduce to simmer.  Add eggplant and chick peas (and meat, if using) and simmer, covered, 10-15 minutes.  While that simmers, prepare couscous or quinoa.  For quinoa, rinse one cup of dry grains.  Heat small sauce pan, then toast grains until they’re almost dry.  Add two cups of broth, bring to boil, then reduce heat and cover.  Cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Divide couscous or quinoa among plates and top with mussaka/ragout mixture.  Sprinkle generously with fresh chopped nasturtium leaves and/or parsley.
* If using fresh garlic, let the microplaner tear an opening to help you peel it.  Use a fork or corn skewer to hold clove as you mince it.