Pick of the summer
”
Ah, the sweet taste of summer!
”
is a common phrase murmured from my lips these days. Just a week
of the new season has passed and I have enjoyed so many sugary
foods straight from Mother Nature it is impossible to pick which is
my favorite.
Pick of the summer
“Ah, the sweet taste of summer!” is a common phrase murmured from my lips these days. Just a week of the new season has passed and I have enjoyed so many sugary foods straight from Mother Nature it is impossible to pick which is my favorite.
And some people prefer Oreos and Pixie Stix over this fresh fruit?!?
While eagerly waiting for Dad’s acres and acres of sweet corn to mature in the fields, I dove in to Phil Foster’s. I spend the better part of a year avoiding food made from corn – i.e. processed foods sweetened with high fructose corn syrup – and when it is corn season, I am further reminded of why it is best to wait for the fresh, unprocessed version of this ever-popular vegetable to be available locally. Its initial sweetness and crunch can’t be beat. Eating it raw, tossing it into some tossing it in to some homemade salsa, or even cooking up a pot of corn chowder complete with red bell peppers and new potatoes are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy it. Sure in Hollister soup in July sounds crazy but as a San Franciscan, I have the chilly weather that rolls in with the fog to encourage me to break out the big pots.
Another summer treat is nearly gone. Cherry season is so short and sweet the crop of fruit from my parents’ trees came and went a few weeks ago. I got a taste of a Strawberry Cherry Crisp out of it, but that’s it. The cherry crop was skimpy this year, and because of that, I am savoring the few pounds I did get from Phil Foster. Forget cooking them! Eat them raw as a snack or dessert and they are heaven. A sweet punch of juice bursts in every bite making them addictive, and surely hard to give up.
After a long day of work, I tried one of the nectarines I offered my customers and it was literally a ball of extra sweet sugar. These will go nicely in my pitcher of white wine sangria I will be making this weekend.
And lastly, the plums and apricots are turning so slowly, the poor tree limbs are weighed down by the pounds of fruit just waiting to be picked. It is hard not to dream about a taste of some homemade jam from these fruits on your toast as you watch their progression eagerly from the kitchen window while waiting for your toast to pop up.
Below are several recipes for enjoying the best that summer has to offer. The first is a simple, delicious way to enjoy fresh corn. These are particularly hearty and are excellent with a dollop of fat-free Greek yogurt:
Corn Patties
1 large egg, separated
1 c. fresh corn, cut from the cob (about 2 ears)
¼ c. flour
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp. baking powder
Olive oil
Yogurt or sour cream
In a small bowl, beat egg white until stiff; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolk. Add corn, flour, salt, baking powder, and pepper. Stir until blended (mixture will be thick). Fold in egg white. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Drop corn mixture into skillet by heaping tablespoonfuls, forming patties. Cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side, turning once. Drain on paper towels; keep warm.
Fresh Cherry Crisp
Filling:
5 c. fruit
1/3 c. sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. quick-cook tapioca
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
Place in a baking dish then prepare topping.
Oat Topping:
½ c. all-purpose flour
½ c. rolled oats (do not use quick cooking oats)
½ c. sugar
¼ c. finely chopped walnuts
¼ c. canola oil
2 tsp. baking powder
Mix ingredients with a fork in a large bowl until combined. Spread over the fruit mixture. Bake in the center of the oven at 375 degrees until the fruit starts to bubble and the topping is browned, about 45 minutes.
White Wine Sangria
1 Bottle of your favorite white wine (This recipe is just as delicious with a good red wine, if you so choose)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 orange, cut into wedges
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 peach, cut into wedges
1 c. sliced strawberries
1/2 c. lemonade or limeade
1/2 c. sugar
2 shots of apricot, peach or “berry” flavored brandy
2 c. ginger ale
Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon, orange and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sliced peaches, strawberries, limeade/lemonade, sugar and brandy. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale and ice just before serving.
Apricot Almond Tart
From Mollie Katzen
Unbaked “Perfect Ten” Tart Crust (recipe follows)
4 c. halved, pitted apricots (fresh, frozen/defrosted, or canned-in-juice)
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
3 tbsp. unbleached white flour
3/4 c. ground almonds
1/4 c. milk or cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 c. thinly sliced almonds
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the apricot halves face-down in the unbaked crust. Place the tart pan on a baking tray.
Place the eggs and sugar in a medium-sized bowl, and whisk together until light and fluffy. Gradually sprinkle in the flour, ground almonds, milk or cream, and extracts. Keep whisking for a minute or two, or until everything is incorporated. Pour this mixture over the apricots, and sprinkle the top with thinly sliced almonds.
Place the tray in the center of the oven, and bake the tart for 45 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown. (For a crispier crust, transfer the tray to the bottom rack of the oven for the last 10 minutes of baking.) Serve warm or at room temperature plain, or with whipped cream or vanilla yogurt on the side.
Perfect Ten Tart Crust
1/2 c. unbleached white flour
1/2 c. (1 stick) cold butter
1/4 tsp. salt (if the butter is unsalted)
1 to 3 tbsp. cold water
Place the flour in the bowl of a food processor fitted with steel blades. Cut in the butter in slices, and buzz several times until the mixture is uniform and resembles coarse meal.
Continue to process in quick spurts as you add water, one tablespoon at a time. As soon as the dough adheres to itself when pinched together, stop adding water, and turn it out onto a floured surface.
Roll the dough into an 11-inch or so circle (slightly bigger than a 10-inch round). Lift the dough into the tart pan, nudging it gently into the corners, and use your hands to form an even edge all the way around. Wrap tightly, and store in the refrigerator or freezer until use.
