A Good Dish

making food simpler

You Don’t Have To Pick A Peck To Pickle Jalapeño Peppers

Sliced pickled jalapeños
Porcelain dish by Charity Davis-Woodard

Hot peppers are having a moment. Among the overflowing bins at the farmers markets, you can find ripe Poblano, Cayenne, Serrano, Banana, Habanero and Jalapeno peppers. All these varieties may be used fresh, chopped into salsa or added to cooking foods for varying degrees of heat. Hot peppers will keep for some weeks refrigerated but to use them through the winter months, they need to be preserved. Small red chilis may be dried and crumbled or ground but Jalapeños, in my opinion, are best pickled.

Fresh Jalapeños at the Columbia Greenmarket

Pickling peppers is about the easiest type of cooking I know. You simply place the washed Jalapeños in clean glass jars, along with some carrot, onion, garlic and spices, pour a cold brine over them, close them tightly, and store in the fridge for a few months until pickled. You can slice and cook the peppers in a brine (also known as escabeche) and then jar them but since the cold brine, in essence, cooks the peppers for you, why bother? The only reason I can think of is if you need to eat the peppers right away. When you put them up in cold brine, you can taste them after a couple of months and see when you think they suit you. There are terrific canned Jalapeño pickles (La Morena is a brand I use when I don’t have any of my own put up) but they are so simple to make – give them a try.

I first found this recipe in Padma Lakshmi’s wrenching memoir with recipes, Love, Loss and What We Ate: A Memoir and adapted it only slightly by adding sliced raw garlic and cumin seeds and adjusting amounts of seasoning to satify my palette. Vary the flavors based on your own preferences. If you hate coriander and cumin, use dill seeds and black pepper, for example. You don’t need special canning jars – any clean glass jar with a clean lid will do. I like to use jars of varying sizes both to accommodate the size of the peppers (small jars for small peppers, etc.) and to have some smaller jars to squeeze into the gaps in my already full refrigerator. 

Jars stuffed and awaiting brine

I didn’t grow up eating spicy food but, living in New York, I have learned to enjoy it. If something savory tastes good, my husband and son think it will taste even better with hot sauce so I try to find ways to add heat. Jalapeños are on the milder side of hot on the Scoville scale, the standard measurement of capsaicin or spiciness. Pickling them adds complexity and allows us to use them all through the winter months. Pickled Jalapeños are delicious added to grain salads, omelets or frittatas or served alongside meat, fish and poultry. Some little slivers can really zip up a deviled egg, tuna salad or taco and the liquid can be used in a salad dressing or marinade to perk it up. If you make a few extra jars, you’ll be able to give them as gifts just when the weather gets colder and friends need a little pick-me-up.

Pickled Peppers ready to refrigerate

PICKLED JALAPEÑOS 

For the brine dissolve 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in 2 1/4 cups of white vinegar.

In a mixing bowl, toss together:

  • 12-14 fresh Jalapeños, washed
  • 1 medium carrot, sliced on an angle
  • 1 tsp. coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
  • 1/2 small onion, sliced in thin crescents

Place peppers, along with the carrots, onions, garlic and seasoning in 2-3 jars (depending on the size of the peppers and the jars. 2 pint sized jars of 1 pint and 2 smaller jars usually works well

 

A Peach Of A Salad – Perfect For Hot Weather “Cooking”

Fresh Peaches on an oval plate by Mary Barringer
Although watermelon and feta make a delicious summer salad, I’ve found a combination I like even better – peaches and feta. I discovered it rather haphazardly when visiting a friend who had asked me to bring feta, perhaps to make said watermelon salad, and peaches, since they are in season and available locally. We hadn’t used either by the last night when suddenly it occurred to me that they might go very well together. I added some fresh mint, a handful of fresh cilantro and squeezed in a juicy lime. We ate every bite!
Ready for lime juice and tossing
Yellow peaches at the 97th St Greenmarket
Local peaches are at their best in August until mid-September. White peaches are a less acidic but yellow peaches have a nice tang – both delicious. Mint or cilantro alone would have been sufficient and when I tried it at home with mint and basil, I didn’t like it as much. The basil took over. Somehow the cilantro was more refreshing. If you don’t like cilantro, try mint or parsley. I used a Greek sheep milk feta from a neighborhood market, but the mild domestic cow milk feta that is widely available in grocery stores would work perfectly well. If you want your salad a bit less sweet, add some chopped scallions or red onion. A vegan version could substitute white beans or pine nuts plus green olives for the cheese to create a different but still tasty meal. If you don’t have a lime, try white balsamic vinegar. This peaches and feta salad is perfect for a light meal on a hot day when turning on the stove would be torture. Just add serve it with some crackers or chips and you’ll be have a cool, satisfying dish. I took a test run of this recipe to meet a friend for lunch and, once again, every bite was devoured. Make it and see if the same thing doesn’t happen to you.
Peach and feta salad with cilantro and arugula
Square plate by Mary Barringer
PEACHES & FETA
  • Cut up 4-6 washed peaches into bite sized pieces (about 4 cups)
  • Add a big handful of chopped cilantro or mint (about 3/4 cup)
  • Add about 3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
  • Squeeze in one juicy lime (3-4 Tablespoons) and toss.
If you want some greens, add a couple of cups of arugula and toss or serve atop greens.
Makes 4 servings

National Farmers Market Week – What Better Time To Find A Market Near You?

Zinnias from Ray Bradley Farm
Porcelain tumbler by Gwendolyn Yoppolo

Did you know it was National Farmers Market Week? I found out from a Union Square Greenmarket post yesterday. As those of you who follow A Good Dish know, I am a devotee of our local markets and always seek out a market when I travel. With the internet, it is easy to find a market near you. This time of year, markets are bursting with tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, carrots, leafy greens, melons, peaches and nectarines, plums, flowers and herbs as well as the year round offerings of meat, dairy, bread, pickles, onions, potatoes and root vegetables. If you don’t already shop at your neighborhood farmers market, find one near you and go weekly. There is no fresher produce to be had unless you actually go to a farm or grow it yourself. Check out these photos and then tell me, how can you resist?

All these images are from the Friday 97th Street Greenmarket in Manhattan.

Rainbow carrots, cabbages, leafy greens, herbs (even lemongrass) from J&A
Vermont cheese and syrup from Consider Bardwell Farm
White donut peaches actually are “very sweet”
Grass-fed beef and bones are available year round at Sun Fed Beef
Ray Bradley’s heirlooms have intense, sweet tomato flavor
Pickles, sauerkraut, eggs, cheese, sausages and butter from Amish Millport Dairy

 

 

 

 

Cherry tomatoes in every hue! 

 

 

Summer Cocktails Are Easy And Light Using St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

A Refreshing St. Germain Cocktail
Porcelain cup by Andy Shaw

One of my favorite summer drinks is a version of the St. Germain cocktail. It is more sweet than sour but light and refreshing. Summer in New York can feel too hot for either bourbon or red wine, my winter default drinks when I want warm and cozy. When the temperature climbs, I turn to the increasingly popular Aperol Spritz, which I wrote about a couple of years ago, a gin and tonic, sangria, a citrusy IPA (even a shandy) or an elderflower cocktail.

We first tried St. Germain, which is an elderflower liqueur, about 7 or 8 years ago when it was being promoted at our local liquor store and each bottle came with a complementary carafe and recipe cards for drinks using the liqueur. Having just discovered an inexpensive rose Cava that we liked, the St. Germain cocktail immediately appealed to us. Somehow, we seem to make it only during the summer – because it is so fresh tasting, it is particularly well suited to warm weather concoctions. The recipe for this libation is simply a 2-2-1 mix of Prosecco or Cava, bubbly water like seltzer or club soda and St. Germain. The result – a slightly buzzy but pretty light and spritzy drink.

The shapely St. Germain bottle with its old style lettering on the label was well designed to make it appear as if it had been around forever but it was actually first produced in 2007 by the Cooper Spirits Company and then bought up by Bacardi in 2013. The liqueur is sweet but not sugary, floral but not perfume-y and fruity, but in a non-specific way. It is not the only elderflower liqueur out there but clever marketing and packaging, including the faceted bottle and bold graphics, have made it the most well known. The company’s recipe calls for 2-2-1.5 but I think 1 part St. Germain is sufficient and lightens up the drink so you can continue imbibing all evening. If you don’t have or don’t like bubbly wine, just substitute a dry white. You can even mix up a pitcherful before guests arrive and not be bothered bartending. Slices of lemon, lime, grapefruit or peaches add a festive touch.

There are other ways to use St. Germain. To up the ante on a gin and tonic, add 1 part St. Germain to 1 1/2 parts gin to 4 parts tonic and squeeze in a lime. And adding a big splash of elderflower liqueur to a disappointing bottle of wine improves a meh white or rose. Add slices of citrus, peaches or some berries and you’ve rescued your purchase by creating a light style sangria. I don’t mean to sound like an advertisement for St. Germain but it does make delicious summer cocktails.

A Gin and tonic becomes even more summery with a splash of St. Germain
Porcelain tumbler by Andy Shaw

Elderflower Cocktail

Combine and stir:

  • 1 part Elderflower liqueur, such as St. Germain
  • 2 parts Prosecco, Cava or Champagne
  • 2 parts bubbly water like seltzer or club soda
  • Slices of lemon, lime, grapefruit or peach

Serve over ice or chilled.

Wild Rice Salad Is An Easy-To-Make And Easy-To-Vary Summer Meal

Wild Rice Salad with Dried Cherries
Earthenware Sheep Cup by Ayumi Horie

One of the simplest and most universally liked dishes I serve at parties or take to a potluck is a wild rice salad with walnuts, cherries, parsley and an orange raspberry vinaigrette. All you do is mix together the cooked wild rice with finely chopped raw vegetables, a dried fruit, nuts or seeds and toss with an easy dressing. You might think of wild rice as a Thanksgiving food but this salad makes a great summer meal because all you have to cook is the wild rice and then add the other, uncooked, ingredients.

Originally, I got a version of this recipe from the Whole Foods website. It is like the one that shows up on their salad bar from time to time. I just varied it to meet my tastes. It is an extremely flexible recipe. Almost every ingredient in the salad may be substituted for by another depending on season and what you have on hand. No celery, use fennel or zucchini. No red onion, use scallions or shallots. No dried cherries, use cranberries, currants or apricots or substitute fresh berries, cherries or citrus sections. No walnuts, use almonds, pecans or pumpkin seeds. No red pepper, use green, orange or yellow peppers or jalapeños, jicama or leave it out altogether. I had sugar snap peas this week so I sliced some and tossed them in. If you don’t like the raspberry vinegar in the dressing, use wine, pomegranate or sherry vinegar instead.

Last week I had some leftover wild rice and I tried a completely different version, essentially rice mixed with a Greek salad minus the lettuce. I added chopped cucumber, radishes, scallions (I didn’t have any red onion), cherry tomatoes, arugula, crumbled feta cheese, oregano and a dash of cayenne to about an equal amount of wild rice and tossed it with a balsamic vinaigrette. It made a very tasty and quite satisfying summer supper plus it held up well for lunch the next day. You could also use the raspberry version as a main course since it contains nuts for protein, or top it with crumbled feta or goat cheese, baked tofu strips, bacon or cooked salmon and plate it on a bed of arugula or lettuce leaves.

Greek salad version of wild rice salad
Earthenware dish by Ayumi Horie

Wild rice is really a nutritional grass and like true rice, its cousin, it does not contain gluten. It can be blended with brown rice in this recipe, if you prefer a milder flavor or have leftover rice to use up. This salad is quite hearty and will last (and even improve in flavor) for a couple of days in the refrigerator. I often serve it at a buffet supper because it can sit out for hours. Every time, someone asks for the recipe.

Other side (verso) of Ayumi Horie’s Sheep Mug

WILD RICE SALAD WITH RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE

Mix together:

  • 4-5 cups cooked wild rice (I cook it like pasta in lots of water until tender and then drain)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh red bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup dried cherries, without pits or 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and sliced
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, raw or lightly toasted

Toss with:

  • 2 TBs raspberry vinegar
  • 2 TBs orange juice
  • 3 TBs olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Serves 6 and keeps well for a few days refrigerated.