Redcurrants are used mostly for jelly here, but in Europe the tiny tart berries are enjoyed fresh. Rinse them and, if they’re still attached to their stalk, strip them off, using a fork as a comb. For a nice treat, powder them with plenty confectioner’s sugar, and let them sit in the bowl, stirring occasionally, until sugar and berry juices […]
Read moreStrawberries make a last appearance in this week’s recipe, but if strawberries have had their day, you can use any soft berry in season – raspberries are delicious. Ripe berries, cream and meringue are pretty much all you need for this summer-long standby, and if you’ve no time to make meringue, you can hop across the street from the market […]
Read moreIt’s time to think of putting by some tomatoes for the fall. If ripe tomatoes inspire you to can, canning supplies are available at Eastman’s Hardware Store, just down the road from Peg Noonan Park. You can also purchase jars of already preserved tomatoes and sauce from Da Silva Farms, made from home-grown tomatoes. Salsa may also appear this week. […]
Read moreIn late summer thoughts turn to ratatouille, the classic French dish made with eggplant, tomato and zucchini. Tian, another Provencal classic, uses the same vegetable trinity. Why isn’t it better known? Is it the challenging name: Tian? (Say tee-on to get a very approximate idea.) Look for vegetables similar in diameter: a slim Italian (not Asian) eggplant, a medium zucchini […]
Read moreIn keeping with our tomato theme, here’s a recipe for tomatoes with watermelon and a sweet-salty dressing. Use tomatoes of all shapes and colors, not too large, and employ a sharp knife to slice them thinly, crosswise if tomatoes are round, and lengthwise if they’re elongated. If mint is running amok and flowering in your yard, nip it in the […]
Read moreIt’s summertime and the cooking is easy. Less is often more: summer food at peak flavor needs very little to turn it into something that looks and tastes delicious. Like this corn and tomato salad, for instance. We tweaked it with a spoonful of Singe-Sations, a great condiment to keep in your fridge if you like a little instant jalapeno […]
Read moreThis week’s recipe is for Summer Pudding, originally a British dessert made with fresh redcurrants, blackcurrants, raspberries—and, traditionally, a good, non-gummy bread. (If bread strikes you as weird, try slices of plain pound cake.) The bread soaks up the berry juices, staining the pudding red. Blackcurrants, are hard to come by here, but you can substitute blueberries and toss in […]
Read moreSweet strawberries have a faithful companion in tart rhubarb. They’re often called the first two fruits of spring, although rhubarb is strictly speaking a vegetable. Rhubarb was introduced to America by Benjamin Franklin and was commonly called pie plant, supposedly because of its use in pies. Here it joins strawberries in a crumble – humbler than pie, and even easier! […]
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