Heirloom Tomato Bliss

Ripe Heirloom Tomatoes

I love the intense color and flavor of heirloom tomatoes. I have saved seed from my three favorites for the past 10-25 years; Yellow Hawaiian, Aunt Ruby's German Green and Outdoor Salsa. To save seed, carefully select seed from the best fruit and plants season after season. You can define 'best' to be the characteristic you are after. To prevent cross pollination either isolate each variety by a large distance or hand pollinate and place a cloth bag over the cluster of flowers. Mark this cluster for seed saving with a ribbon or tag.

An example of selecting a specific characteristic is my 'Outdoor Salsa'...for 15 years I have saved seed from only 'meaty' specimens with minimal to no seeds and very large, heavy fruits.
This year I broke my previous years weight record with a huge Outdoor Salsa tomato weighing in at 1 lb. 10-1/4 oz.... Unfortunately I was so excited when I served it with burgers for supper, that I forgot to take a photo of it sliced. The ginormous tomato slice totally concealed the Quinoa Burger Patty underneath and extended beyond all edges of the burger bun! Delicious!

Now for an unfortunate twist...

Outdoor Salsa Tomato ~ 1 lb. 10-1/4 oz.

Three years ago I was informed that one of the major problems attributed to nightshades is arthritis. If you are not familiar with the term nightshades, it is a plant group that includes tomatoes, potatoes, all types of peppers and eggplant. 
If you want to know if nightshades negatively affect you, take a minimum 1 month challenge, (most suggest 3 months). Avoid all nightshades for 1-3 months. Be careful to note the complete nightshade list (you can find it on the web) and become a label reader. You may be surprised that many prescription drugs, homeopathics, over the counter drugs as well as many processed foods contain nightshades. 
After 1-3 months, reintroduce one nightshade at a time. Take note of any aches, pains, stiffness, loss of energy, headaches or any other symptoms. You may find as I have, the quality of your daily health dramatically improve after eliminating nightshades from your diet.   
*This is not meant to be medical advise, please consult your doctor regarding health symptoms.*
As a Chef I truly miss using nightshades in my daily meals but I have found substitutes. I am cautious about adding nightshades to my diet. When I do, I pay the price with arthritic symptoms. My most difficult time of year is when the Heirloom tomatoes are at their peak. So why do I continue to grow something I should not eat? To save their precious seed and sustain these beautiful varieties for future generations.
Till next week, enjoy this recipe with the bounty of your harvest.

Panzanella ~ Rustic Tomato-Bread Salad    
             ~From 'For the Love of Food' by Sally Rae~
This is a visually stunning salad when made with the colors of Heirloom tomatoes and a fabulous addition to a potluck dinner because it does not need refrigeration.
 
6 medium to large fresh ripe tomatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 large red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup thinly sliced (or torn) fresh basil
4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
6 cups day old, dense, crusty bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

Combine all ingredients except bread in a large bowl; let stand for the flavors to develop, about 10 minutes. Add bread, toss well to coat. If the bread seems dry, sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of water.
Salad will hold several hours at room temperature before serving.

Bon Appetit! 


Photos of Heirloom Tomatoes from my garden and greenhouse 2014 ~ by Sally Rae

A Little Bit of Everything

Summer is coming to a close; evenings and mornings are cool and damp, leaving dew on the ground and encouraging powder mildew in the garden. The alder and maple leaves are falling, there are plenty of grasshoppers in the parched clearings and the breeze is cool... although today the thermometer topped 25C. A trip to the garden still brings in a little bit of everything; tiny cucumbers, broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries, summer squash, sugar snap peas, scarlet runner beans and kale. A lovely selection to feed a small household and still usually more than we can eat immediately. 
This is the time of year that I make notes of what worked, what didn't and lists of seeds needed for next year, so I am not caught off guard when the seed catalogs show up in the mailbox.

2009 Winter Squash Harvest

 I grew the 'Cool Breeze Cucumbers' (see previous post September 7th, 2014 ~'In a Pickle') next to a fence this year so they would be on a trellis and easier to pick. That may work in cooler years but with our high temperatures and summer drought, I had many dried up, dead little fruits and minimal to harvest. I stopped watering and was going to pull the plants last month but decided to remove the stakes and let them grow on the ground. Today they are thriving even through my neglect... the new growth is green and the six remaining plants produced enough for a small jar of pickles. 
The broccoli I grow is called 'Packman'. Once the main head is harvested the plants continue to produce side shoots well into the early fall. Today's harvest had a few larger shoots, a welcome surprise. The winter squash is not quite ready to bring in but they are looking great with very large, heavy fruits. This year I grew only two varieties; Sunshine and Butternut. 
The tomatoes have produced well so far, nice large fruit. I grew 5 varieties this year; Big Beef, Sweet Million and three Heirlooms; Yellow Hawaiian, Aunt Ruby's German Green and Outdoor Salsa. I will discuss more about my Heirloom varieties next week.

Big Beef greenhouse tomatoes

The Seascape strawberries (see my previous post August 1, 2014 ~'Man, Look at Those Strawberries!) are still producing a small harvest but many of the ripe berries are laying on the straw, half eaten by the time I get to the patch. Hmmm, not wasps, maybe slugs? Anybody else having the same problem? 
I have a lovely fresh assortment of veggies to accompany supper tonight. Time to hit the kitchen. Till next week,
Bon Appetit!


Photos from my garden and greenhouse ~ by Sally Rae

Food Recall Warning

Voluntary Recall on Product

I just received a letter from Costco stating there is a Voluntary Recall on 'MaraNatha Almond Butter', sold in a 737g jar, Costco #616049. This recall is due to the possible presence of salmonella in the product. The affected best before dates range from 2014DE08 to 2015JN20.
The letter reads, "If you have a recalled product, do not consume it. Those who have the affected item should return the product to Costco Wholesale for a full refund. 
For more information, please contact nSPIRED Natural Foods, Inc., at 1-800-716-8962 (9am-9pm ET, Mon-Fri)." 

Since sharing this info with friends and family, an interesting website was brought to my attention... the CFIA - Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The link below will take you to their page of Food Recall Warnings. You can 'Subscribe to e-mail notifications' of  high-risk food recall warnings and classes of warnings for allergens.  

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/eng/1299076382077/1299076493846

The person who sent me this information received a warning through the CFIA by e-mail almost a week before I received my letter from Costco. In the case of severe allergies this could be a life saving link!

Photo by Sally Rae 

In a Pickle

I have grown numerous varieties of pickling cucumbers over the years and have finally found one that I absolutely LOVE! 

Cool Breeze Cukes ~ one days harvest from 8 plants

 'Cool Breeze' is an exciting French cornichon type of pickling and salad cucumber that sets fruits 4-5 inches long without cross pollination. The hybrid plants thrive in cool or warm temperatures and can be grown on the ground. To save garden space grow in a cage or on a trellis, allowing one foot between plants. They produce high yields of dark green, crunchy-sweet, small-spined, seedless fruit. Keep them well watered and pick the fruits promptly. 

I harvest the fruits when they reach the size of my baby finger, then pickle them in small jars with fresh dill weed and garlic. These tiny gems are then used as hostess gifts or Christmas stocking stuffers for my family. 

For my small batch 'Quick Dill Pickle ' instructions and a variety of three different 'Dill Pickle Brines' see my cookbook, 'For the Love of Food' page 228.

Happy gardening~Bon Appetit!  

Photos from my garden and kitchen ~ by Sally Rae

Bean There, Done That

Don't get me wrong, I love my standby 'Bean Salad Marinade', but... by the time my early fall crop of Scarlet Runner Beans are producing, my taste buds crave new flavors. Time to search for some interesting recipe ideas. 
Well, a few years ago I did just that and have used the recipe below as a back up ever since. This is my adapted version, from a recipe originally created by Roger Mooking. At a glance the ingredient list looked a bit odd, but the first bite delivered a delicate balance of sweet, sour, salt, and crunch. If you don't have prosciutto or asparagus on hand, try just beans with the Warm Lemon Dressing. Either way, an interesting salad!
Bon Appetit! 

Scarlet Runner ~ flowers and immature beans

Green Bean & Asparagus Salad with Warm Lemon Dressing      
         ~ Yield: 4 servings ~

Green Bean and Asparagus Salad:
     1/2 lb. green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
     1 bunch asparagus, bottoms trimmed
     extra virgin olive oil

Crispy Prosciutto:
     8 pieces prosciutto, thinly sliced

Warm Lemon Dressing:
     3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
     1/2 shallot, diced
     1/4 cup skinless almonds, sliced
     1/4 cup sultana raisins
     1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted
     juice of 1 lemon
     1 tsp. honey
     salt and pepper 

For the Salad;  blanch green beans in boiling, salted water for 5-7 minutes, drain well and place in a bowl. Meanwhile trim and wash the asparagus spears, coat lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Place on an oiled bake sheet. Roast in a preheated 450F oven for 7-10 minutes, until tender but still somewhat firm. Cool slightly and cut into 1-inch pieces, put in bowl with blanched beans.
 
For the Crispy Prosciutto;  heat a non-stick fry pan over medium to high heat. Place pieces of prosciutto in pan and cook until crisp. Remove from heat, cool completely then crumble into chunks, set aside.

For the Warm Lemon Dressing;  place 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a pan over medium to high heat. Add shallots, season with salt and saute until tender. Add almonds, raisins and olives, mix to incorporate. Add lemon juice and honey and stir. Add remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Salad Assembly; pour Warm Lemon Dressing over beans and asparagus, toss and garnish with Crispy Prosciutto.  

Photo by Sally Rae

Zucchini & Fresh Herb Soup Recipe

Deema Zucchini & Starship Patty Pans

By now many of us are getting bored with the never ending summer squash harvest. I missed a few days of picking and found several medium sized specimens that were suitable for either grilling on the BBQ or the soup pot. The photo at right shows the size of what I used for soup (the two larger squash in the top of the photo) and pan-fry, the smaller ones. The large Deema Zucchini when diced, measured 6 cups. The large Starship Pattypan when diced, measured 2 cups.
As mentioned in my last post 'Spaceships in the Garden', here is the soup recipe I wrote for the Flagstone October 2012 ~ 'From Surplus to Soup'
Bon Appetit!
 

ZUCCHINI AND FRESH HERB SOUP    

                            

By popular demand… this versatile soup can be served hot or cold. Young, tender zucchini produce a delicate, creamy soup. You can use larger specimens, but will have to remove the tough skin and the seeds; also the texture and flavor will be compromised. Brown rice flour is used to slightly thicken. 

3-4 Tbsp. butter or olive oil 

2 large white onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4-5 lb. medium sized zucchini, diced (14 cups)

5 cups flavorful chicken or vegetable stock

1 tsp. sea salt

¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup brown rice flour, optional

1/3 cup minced fresh oregano

1 cup minced fresh parsley

1 cup plain Greek yogurt, optional

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, for garnish

Melt butter in a large stockpot; sauté onion and garlic until soft but not browned. Add zucchini, stir and sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken stock, salt and pepper, cover and bring to a boil. Whisk in brown rice flour to thicken. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 10-15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, purée just until the soup looks creamy but is still chunky. Stir in fresh herbs and slowly whisk in 1 cup yogurt if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning, serve hot with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.

*For a cold soup, stir in fresh herbs and yogurt then chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve in chilled soup bowls with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.

Photos by Sally Rae

Spaceships in the Garden

Bennings Green Tint Patty Pan

Yesterday a friend asked, "How is your squash this year?" As our conversation progressed, we realized that it must be a great squash year! The summer squash is always abundant to the point of 'just too much'... and so far, the winter squash are plentiful and large. 
I am the sole person in our household who eats zucchini and summer squash. So why on earth would I put in 8 plants for one person? I love patty pan squash, they look like tiny spaceships, and this year I have both the Bennings Green Tint (pale green) and my favorite Starship (dark green). I pick the patty pans when 1-2 inches across, perfect to pan-fry whole or cut in half. 
My second line of attack on this never ending crop, is a jar of my 'Bean Salad Marinade' waiting in the fridge for left-overs (For the Love of Food-pg. 156). Steamed, pan fried, roasted or grilled; left-over vegetables are cut into bite-size pieces, then tossed into a bowl while still warm. Add sliced red onion and pour over enough marinade to just cover...and Voila! Today's left-overs are transformed into a salad for tomorrow's lunch or dinner.

Starship Patty Pan

I don't know how many times I have been asked, "What do I do with the humongous squash I found?" My first answer is, "throw it over the fence for the deer." Your next option, split it open and feed it to the chickens or let it keep growing and enter it in the Fall Faire. In my opinion, if your fingernail will not easily pierce the skin, it is not worth eating! I pick every second day or when I am watering. It is much more enjoyable to eat 6-8 adorable, miniature spaceships than one large, flavorless squash, be it patty pan or zucchini. My next post will feature a soup recipe to use up an abundance of medium sized summer squash. Stay tuned, until then... Bon Appetit!

 Photos taken in Sally's garden August 2014