Gastronomous

Summer and roadside produce stands seems to hand in hand. Local farmers have plentiful bounties and are always willing to sell straight to the customer ! We all love the idea of a bargain, but when I read the sign ” all local organic produce” , “fresh herbs”  and “plum tomatoes” I had to stop!

For days  I’d been thinking on how to vamp up the flavor of our grilled chicken breast  without the use of a grilling sauce  and there it was: fresh tomatoes, herbs, fresh peppers  and spring (green onions). Mix up, serve as a dipping side and yum, yum, yum!

The man had harvested the goods that same morning. Oh what a treat it was… the freshest, truest flavor of salsa I’ve ever had. It’s simple, has 4 ingredients and is chock full of flavor. Careful handling the Jalapeno  , it could irritate sensitive skins! The actual heat of the pepper is concentrated in the seeds and  white stuffs inside the pepper, so discard if you like less heat, or leave it all in for a fiesta in your mouth. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 red plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper, finely chopped ( leave seeds and white out for less heat)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Salt to taste

Mix the tomatoes and shallots in a bowl, toss in the cilantro and salt. Mix in jalapeno to taste. Serve immediately. This salsa can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days.

We love chili! Not the greasy chili that will send you to the pepto bismol but the tasty chili that is lean flavorful delicious and nutritious. We tried making chili with several types of meats , from turkey to venison, they were all chili in the academic sense but some struck a lovely note with all tasters. The top one was made of buffalo meat. Why Buffalo? Doesn’t it taste gamey???. Not quite. The buffalo or bison kept as we  we consume today is far the free roaming herds from the past, and in many cases they are kept  like regular cattle “sans le hormones. Mainly we chose to make chili with buffalo because it is lean and delicious, and has some described it , buffalo has a slightly sweeter taste that beef.
Not into bison? No problem,  the second place (with similar tasting rating) was made of lean  chopped sirloin beef. It was also lean and flavorful

2 lbs chopped buffalo or 90% lean chopped sirloin meat
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbls ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbls powdered garlic
3 Tblsp Chile powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 yellow pepper diced
1 large onion diced
2 cloves garlic chopped
10 oz ( one can or 1 and 1/2 cups) of fresh chopped tomatoes
Chopped green onions (optional)

In a dutch oven, heat 1 Tbsp of oil and  brown bison  on low heat . Add the  dry seasonings and cook till there is no liquid left. Remove from dutch oven into a tray and cover to keep warm. Place dutch oven back on heat  add 1Tblsp of oil and cook the onion and  pepper for 5 minutes or till slightly caramelized. Add  the garlic, stir for 30 seconds then add the meat with all the juices,the tomatoes, stir, cover and set heat to low. Let cook simmering for 30 minutes. It will taste just as if you were cooking it all day!
 Serving suggestions: Put a few broken tortilla chips in the bowl before ladling in the chili. Top with grated cheddar cheese.

How we love guacamole! But how do we not love the store-bought weird grey- looking stuff! Our quest for the perfect guacamole started a couple of years ago thanks to the generosity ( and overstock) of a neighbors guacamole tree. Although avocados might have a bad rap or being fatty,  they contain 0 trans fats and do contain 20 vitamins a a cargo load of minerals such as potassium.  In our search for the perfect flavor we discovered a couple of useful facts: you MUST use lime, lemons an guacamole do not jive, and second: you must use fresh peppers. Use serrano peppers if you prefer mild, use jalapenos is you prefer a bit more spice.  ENJOY!

Ingredients: (for 2 cups)

2 large ripe avocados
3 firm medium tomatoes, diced
3 jalapenos or Serrano peppers, finely chopped
1 medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 green onion with the stalk, chopped
the juice of 1/2 or 1 lime
salt to taste

Cut the avocados in half, remove the seeds. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh and place it in a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice and mix. Place the diced tomatoes and onions into the bowl, mix well and add jalapenos and salt to taste, depending on the desired spiciness. Toss all the ingredients together evenly. Let stand for 10 minutes to let the flavors blend. Taste for salt and spiciness. As with all salsas, if too mild add more peppers; if too spicy, add more tomatoes

Use as a dip or as a condiment for fajitas and grilled meats.

Are you short on time and want to prepare a wonderful dinner?  As they say necessity is the mother of many inventions,  but don’t let the lack of time deprive you and your family from enjoying a delicious dish! Nowadays you markets have an assortment of chicken sausages. They have less fat than the traditional pork sausage and come in varieties such as apple and spice, smoked paprika, and if you like it spicy andouille and jalapeno!  Use fresh vegetables ( or a shortcut with frozen ones) and inexpensive  Queso Blanco and you’ll make a great  dinner for any time of the year.

Ingredients:

2 cups pole or green beans, blanched ( use frozen for a shortcut)
2 smoked chicken & apple sausages chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
1/2 cup Queso fresco diced
2 Tbsp olive oil

Brown the sausage in a skillet with the olive oil, take the sausage out, keep warn.; lower the heat and place the tomatoes and queso in the drippings, stir gingerly till queso starts to melt.

Arrange the beans on a serving dish, layer on top the sausage and the tomato-queso mix. Serve with spicy tortilla chips for a snack, or over whole wheat pasta fir a dinner.

Did you know that that there is  a tomato called ’Pomme d’Amour’ ? Literally it translates to  ”love apple” Pomme d’Amour (French for “love apple”) is similar to these small-fruit tomatoes that were mostly grown for ornament; however, the mild, pinkish-red tomatoes are ideal for garden snacking, salads, and drying. Because they re so hard to find, we used Roma tomatoes for this love jam. Fragrant and delicious, this sweet jam is a favorite at tea time or for a romantic  breakfast in bed.

Enjoy!

Ingredients (for 2-1/2 twelve ounce jars)

1-1/2 pounds Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
3-1/2 cups sugar

Measure into a large non reactive pot, discarding seeds and juice left on cutting board. Add sugar.

Stir in the ginger. Place pot on stove on high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved. Maintain a full boil until thick and clear . This takes about 20 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning during the last few minutes.

Remove from the heat, allow to stand a moment or two for scum to side and set, so it may be easily removed. Place in hot sterilized jars, cool slightly and seal with paraffin. Yields approximately 2-1/2 twelve ounce jars.