I have been playing around with using strawberries as a sweet addition to savory salads and I put together a nice plate at work last night.
I started with a very peppery baby arugula, fresh sugar snap peas, and sweet Chioggia beets that we got in from Cure Farms in Boulder http://www.cureorganicfarm.com/. I tossed the vegetable mixture in a light but tangy buttermilk vinaigrette. After plating the greens I topped the salad with small slices of strawberry, toasted walnuts, and chevre goat cheese.
While this is a very simple salad the flavors played well off of each other and the color contrast between the bright greens, the reds of the beets and strawberry, and the bright white chevre made for a nice presentation.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Eat a Peach
As I sit here in Colorado at the beginning of the summer my mind wanders
to memories of the first peaches of the summer. I can't help but think that it was the email that I received the other day saying that Georgia peaches are coming into season. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make the 45 minute drive to Fort Valley or Musella to hand select fresh picked peaches until I get back to Georgia in late July. I am looking at this delay as a positive however because I will be back in time to get some of the late season fruit that is perfect for eating fresh or using in recipes such as peach ice cream or cobblers.
Peaches are divided into two categories cling stone and freestone. Specific tree varieties fall into each category and ripen at different times. In Georgia, the cling stone varieties are in season from the middle of May through the first of June and produce fruit best suited for preserving either pickled peaches or as jam or jelly. The freestone trees start coming into season in the middle of June and run into August. The freestone fruits are the peaches that everyone looks for each year with soft flesh and that perfect sweet flavor. These are the peaches that drip juice down your chin when you bite into them.
There are a few tree varieties that are in season between the cling stone and freestone seasonswhich are referred to as semi-free. These middle season peaches can be used as either of the other categories but don't produce results that are quite as good.
If interested in growing your own peaches it is very simple. After enjoying a wonderful peach this summer simply take the pit and store it in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator until October. Then remove and plant approximately 5-6 inches in the ground. Once the tree starts to grow use a stake to keep the growth straight and in 2-3 years you should have fruit. (Be sure to water and use organic fertilizer)
For those of you in Colorado the Palisade peaches are wonderful(their season starts in July) and you can pick them up at the Boulder Farmer's Market http://www.boulderfarmers.org/.
to memories of the first peaches of the summer. I can't help but think that it was the email that I received the other day saying that Georgia peaches are coming into season. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make the 45 minute drive to Fort Valley or Musella to hand select fresh picked peaches until I get back to Georgia in late July. I am looking at this delay as a positive however because I will be back in time to get some of the late season fruit that is perfect for eating fresh or using in recipes such as peach ice cream or cobblers.Peaches are divided into two categories cling stone and freestone. Specific tree varieties fall into each category and ripen at different times. In Georgia, the cling stone varieties are in season from the middle of May through the first of June and produce fruit best suited for preserving either pickled peaches or as jam or jelly. The freestone trees start coming into season in the middle of June and run into August. The freestone fruits are the peaches that everyone looks for each year with soft flesh and that perfect sweet flavor. These are the peaches that drip juice down your chin when you bite into them.
There are a few tree varieties that are in season between the cling stone and freestone seasonswhich are referred to as semi-free. These middle season peaches can be used as either of the other categories but don't produce results that are quite as good.
If interested in growing your own peaches it is very simple. After enjoying a wonderful peach this summer simply take the pit and store it in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator until October. Then remove and plant approximately 5-6 inches in the ground. Once the tree starts to grow use a stake to keep the growth straight and in 2-3 years you should have fruit. (Be sure to water and use organic fertilizer)
For those of you in Colorado the Palisade peaches are wonderful(their season starts in July) and you can pick them up at the Boulder Farmer's Market http://www.boulderfarmers.org/.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Sweet Tea
The way I figure, the start of any great southern meal is a tall, refreshing, ice cold glass of sweet tea so that is were I'll start. This luxury that we enjoy at any restaurant and most homes in the South is something that is unavailable and sometimes even unheard of in the bustling western metropolis that is Denver, CO. So the question is what can one really say about sweet tea because it is just black tea and sugar, right? Well not exactly.
First for instructions:
For one gallon of tea- Boil 1 qt of water, once boiling remove from heat allow boil to drop and add tea bags. Allow tea to steep for at least 5 minutes. Longer if desired.
Combine hot tea and at least 1 cup of sugar(1 1/2 -2 cups if more sweetness needed)
Allow sugar to completely dissolve and add remaining 3 qt's of cold water
Pour over ice and enjoy with a slice of lemon.
I have comprised a list of things to consider when home brewing and drinking sweet tea. Now this is not as complicated as canning but it is just as important to remember these guidelines.
Do use a quality tea designed for iced tea(Luzianne, Lipton, etc.)
Do use the proper amount of tea bags- 2-3 family size bags per gallon of water
Do always dissolve sugar into hot tea(sugar added to cold tea is sweetened tea not sweet tea)
Do not boil the teabags
Do not add ice to the tea except in the individual glass
Do not take too long to drink a gallon of tea, as it can spoil
Hopefully this post was helpful for those people in the dark about the proper preparation and enjoyment of sweet tea. For all of y'all from the south I can only hope that my methods represent the way you and your family make this delicious beverage. If not please comment and leave your methods and opinions.
First for instructions:
For one gallon of tea- Boil 1 qt of water, once boiling remove from heat allow boil to drop and add tea bags. Allow tea to steep for at least 5 minutes. Longer if desired.
Combine hot tea and at least 1 cup of sugar(1 1/2 -2 cups if more sweetness needed)
Allow sugar to completely dissolve and add remaining 3 qt's of cold water
Pour over ice and enjoy with a slice of lemon.
I have comprised a list of things to consider when home brewing and drinking sweet tea. Now this is not as complicated as canning but it is just as important to remember these guidelines.
Do use a quality tea designed for iced tea(Luzianne, Lipton, etc.)
Do use the proper amount of tea bags- 2-3 family size bags per gallon of water
Do always dissolve sugar into hot tea(sugar added to cold tea is sweetened tea not sweet tea)
Do not boil the teabags
Do not add ice to the tea except in the individual glass
Do not take too long to drink a gallon of tea, as it can spoil
Hopefully this post was helpful for those people in the dark about the proper preparation and enjoyment of sweet tea. For all of y'all from the south I can only hope that my methods represent the way you and your family make this delicious beverage. If not please comment and leave your methods and opinions.
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