Crazy for Cucumbers!

It looked as if it might rain today ... and it has since I walked outside to the garden. It prompted me to stroll and see what was happening out there as I didn't go yesterday (and things in a garden, as you may know, can change drastically in 2 days!). Soon, I will post some garden pictures but as you walk down my driveway, there is an entrance to my garden via stepping stones. Those lead to a stepping stone path that runs the long length of my garden down the middle. At the intersection, Keith planted 8 pickling cucumber plants in a nice bed and I just happened to move around some leaves and see if there was anything.

Lo and behold ... I saw the sweetest sight ... the first cucumber of the season! As I mentioned yesterday, I was afraid that because of my planting schedule, things would be very far behind. But it looks as if things may stay right on schedule! this is about when I started harvesting cucumbers the past few seasons (maybe a few days to a week later) but all in all, I think this is great!

After taking a picture, I went in to show Keith his first pickle and we both went to the garden. After rummaging among more leaves, there were at least 5 pickable pickles! I am thinking that this evening, there may be a cause to marinate these with some sliced onions in a white vinegar and sugar/salt brine to have with dinner. YUM! That has to be one of my favorite summertime treats. Mix half white vinegar and half water and add a teaspoon of salt and a few tablespoons of sugar and thinly sliced onions. I let them sit in the fridge for a few hours and they are so yummy with grilled meats and such.

The great thing is ... there are many, many, MANY yellow blossoms on these plants and most of them are females. Each cucumber and squash contains male and female blossoms and the females are the ones that already have an itsy bitsy fruit attached to the flower. The males are simply on a stem. Well, the more females you have, the more prolific your plant is going to be. I think we'll be lucky this year!

As for the rest of the garden, plenty of tomato blossoms and squash blossoms but not a lot of veg yet. It was fun to see the okra getting large leaves and surging forward and watching my green beans and lima beans climb their tee-pee poles heavenward in seach of space and sunlight. Ahh, the garden is a little piece of heaven (however, the weeds are hell)! And as always, until next time.... ciao!

Time To Get Serious.....

OK, so it's been almost two years since I've posted anything on this blog! Well, no excuses but life sure can get in the way! An ongoing Christmas contract and trying to get a new theatre started can really mess up your free time for writing. But alas, I walked outside on my deck this morning and noticed that one of the tomatoes hiding near the bottom of a tomato plant in one of my pots was blushing! It was turning red! It might just be the first tomato of 2010! How can a tomato about the size of a baseball inspire one so much? But it has....

The reason I'm truly excited is that with having a flood here in May and getting such a late start on gardening (it was Memorial Day weekend for me ... the latest ever!), I thought I might not have any harvests until August. However, as I stroll my garden and notice almost every pepper plant has peppers on it and there are LOTS of squash and cucumber blossoms, I think we'll be OK!

Bless the Amish, when I bought vegetable bedding plants so late from an Amish farm in May, he told me they should catch up. To everything there is a season and when tomatoes are supposed to happen, they will happen. I was reinforced on this adage from my friend Rowena who posted this to me on Facebook as well. But being that this was the first time I've EVER put a garden in this late, I was afraid the temperatures might be too hot for the tender young plants, etc. Well, to say the least, this has simply enhanced MY learning curve and trusting dear Mother Nature to take care of her plants. I've also been lucky as it seems we've had rain about every 2 -3 days so I've only had to manually water the garden twice ... SWEET!

So I am writing to post this picture ... the first tomato of the season. AND, to begin anew with plenty of posts on this blog. I have so many food pictures and simple recipes that need to be updated on here. But I will try to post them seasonally as fresh things come in..... and as always, until next time, ciao!

The Peaches Have Arrived!

This is probably going to be my favorite entry even though there's no recipes to list yet; just a simple side dish ... I plan on doing some things this evening so I'm sure they'll get posted in the next few days. But of all days, today was a peach picking day! It was about 80 degrees earlier this afteroon and perfect weather for picking peaches. We've had a couple of days of rain so I have to admit, it was rather humid but as far as the temperature goes, it was quite pleasant. It rained early this morning so my friend, Yoshie, and I decided to head out at about 11:30 AM. The skies had cleared but it was still cloudy which kept the temperature down to what amounted to a perfect day. The destination was Breeden's Orchard in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee which is only about a 20 minute drive from me. The address for Breeden's Orchard is 631 Beckwith Road off of Lebanon Road in Mt. Juliet and the phone number is (615) 449-2880 if you need to call for information. They are open from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Saturday and you also can pick on Sunday from noon until 4:30 PM. They have been in business since 1974 so it's a nicely established orchard with over 600 peach trees not to mention the apple orchards.

The "red haven" peaches that we picked today couldn't have been more exquisite. As we arrived at the orchard and saw the sign that pointed us up the driveway to the store, you could see a hillside of beautiful peach and red colored dots on beautifully, well groomed trees. There was a sweet scent in the air that became more intense as we neared the store parking lot. Besides the beautiful apples and peaches at Breeden's, they've got a great little store where you can buy homemade canned products including peach and apple things ... but there are shelves full of jams, jellies, pickles and more. The last time I was there, I had an apple fried pie that was delicious. This time, I was tempted by the frozen fresh peach "slushie" and BOY, was I glad I got that. What a fun treat! Wish they had those at a Mapco or Seven-Eleven!

When you head out to pick, a jolly gentleman that owns the orchard directs you where to go. There are several orchards but you are directed to the ones that are actually bearing best at the time. At the small store, you get some baskets and a nice little red "radio flyer" wagon if you plan on picking more than a few pounds. And boy, were we glad we grabbed a wagon! We filled 4 peck baskets of peaches and between the two of us, wound up bringing home almost 50 pound of peaches! Trust me, it was easy to do! And at 90 cents per pound, it makes for an economical bulk preparation for peach jam, peach butter and canned peaches!



As I said earlier, we left at 11:30 AM and it's a 20 minute drive. We picked 4 peck baskets of peaches and by the time we checked out, it was 1 PM and we were on our way home. So in a little over an hour, we managed to arm ourselves with about 25 pounds each of "peach work" for the weekend! The reason that I add this little fact is that I have a feeling a lot of people think that picking fruit at a farm or orchard is a time consuming experience and you have to set out half a day or more to do it. In actuality, you could head out, pick a basket in 20 minutes and come home to make two batches of jam and be done by 3 PM!

The other thing is, if you've never had the opportunity to pick a fresh peach from a tree and eat it while it is ripe and warmed by the sun, you haven't LIVED! This, for me, is truly one of life's most amazing moments. And the only thing I can equate to that is picking a tomato warmed by the sunshine and eating it right then and there! In this day and age, most people only get to experience a peach from the grocery store. Those are picked early while still partially green so that they don't bruise or spoil in transport. Peaches tend to not get sweeter unless left on the trees to ripen. And a juicy ripe peach only gets a better flavor if it was picked fully ripe from the tree and left to sit for a day or two.


Fresh peaches are a versatile fruit. I use them in sweet things such as cobbler, peach pies, and as a sauce. I make a great ricotta cheesecake that is graced by a beautiful silken peach sauce spooned on top of it. But peaches make a great savory side dish with pork or chicken. It's not really a recipe but I'll give it to you anyway at the end of this blog. But if nothing else, peel, half and freeze them to slice later in peach pies or fruit salads. You won't recreate that taste in any other way!

One of the biggest things I guess I've realized
about doing this blog is how much I want to stress that using seasonal foods and cooking with simple, fresh, and natural ingredients can be healthy and rewarding. It doesn't take a cookbook or lots of hours of prep time to eat healthy and fulfilling meals. And, if we use seasonal foods, you'll never really get into the rut of making the same things over and over again, as certain foods are only available at certain times of the year!


Here's something that I think all of you should try ... especially after going to a local orchard and picking some fresh peaches! Let me know what you think ... and as always, until next time, ciao!

Roasted Peaches

• 6 ripe freestone peaches
• 3 tblsp butter
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp gound cardamom
• 3 tblsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tblsp fresh minced rosemary (or 1 tblsp dried)

Wash and dry peaches. Using a pairing knife, find the natural crease on the side of the peach. Cut the peach in half by sinking the blade into the crease and continuing to cut the peach all the way around. This follows the natural direction of the peach pit and if you have actually purchased freestone peaches, the pit should easily be able to lift out with minimal prying, keeping the peach halves in good shape.

Place the 12 peach halves in a baking dish (9x13 baking pan is what I use) cut side up. Divide butter and place a small dollop on top of each cut peach half. Sprinkle the cinnamon, cardamom, sugar and salt evenly over the tops of all peach halves. Finish the peaches by evenly sprinkling the minced rosemary on them.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes. Check them after 20 minutes ... if you've used smaller peaches, they'll cook much quicker. The butter and sugar creates a beautiful golden glaze on the peach tops. This makes a perfect side dish for roasted chicken, or a grilled boneless-skinless chicken breast and any type of pork. For an easier version, if grilling outside, prep the peaches in the same manner but place each peach half spiced-side up directly on the grill away from direct heat (not to blacken the skins on the bottom). Cook for 15 or 20 minutes until softened and warm. They get a smoky flavor that makes them even BETTER than roasting in the oven. Enjoy!

Blackberry Cobbler

OK, OK..... one more post on blackberries and I promise I am done for the season! But you'll be thankful I did ... I promise! My friend Amanda sort of "egged me on" to add this and I said I would add it so here it is.... the world's easiest blackberry cobbler recipe! When you're in a hurry and you have fresh fruit handy, this has to be the quickest thing I've ever done ... not to mention the fact that everybody loves it. It goes great with vanilla ice cream, especially if it's home-made!




Blackberry Cobbler

For the blackberries:

• 2 cups fresh blackberries
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar

For the cobbler:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup milk

Macerate the blackberries in a bowl by "squashing" them slightly with a fork and adding the 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Stir and let them sit for 5 minutes (while you're assembling the cobbler).

In a preheated oven set to 350 degrees, place the stick of butter in a 1 1/2 quart baking pan. (I use an 8x8 square cake pan for this and it's perfect!) Put it in the oven for a couple of minutes while you're preparing the batter and let the butter melt completely.

Mix all of the dry COBBLER ingredients in a bowl. There's no need to sift the flour if you use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients. Add the milk to the dry ingredients and whisk to a pancake batter-like consistency. Don't overmix the batter or it will result in a heavy "cake". Remove the baking pan from the oven and simply pour the batter in the center of the pan directly onto the melted butter and let it spread out across the pan. DON'T MIX! The butter will keep the "cake" portion of the cobbler from sticking and the excess butter flavors the fruit beautifully.

Drop the macerated blackberries as evenly as possible across the top of the cobbler. Pop the baking pan into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until the butter and fruit are bubbly and the top of the cobbler is a beautiful golden brown.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or custard if you wish ... or just devour it "as is" while it's still warm!

Of course, here we go again with a "method" of cooking. So you have respberries, use them instead of blackberries! Or strawberries..... or blueberries..... or peaches..... or nectarines..... or gooseberries..... or almost any good, juicy fruit! The "cake" portion of the cobbler will always remain the same. Just make sure as you macerate the fruit, you squash it slightly to help release the juices from the fruit as the sugar will do the rest. It's fresh fruit time and we should eat seasonally... so I suggest trying theis cobbler all summer with every kind of fruit! As always, until next time, ciao!

Blackberry Picking!

OK, so I totally couldn't get enough of the blackberry patch! A couple of weeks ago, I went with my friend Yoshie and I was so thankful she introduced me to this place! I had to go back a second time and get more ... and there may be a third visit. This time, I dragged my house mate, Keith, along with me. We both wound up picking about 5 pounds of berries each and then bringing a couple of pounds to his parents. It was 90-some degrees so it wasn't nearly as comfortable as the first time I went BUT as much fun. The bushes were brimming with large and luscious purple berries and as you tasted a few, the warm juices popped in your mouth with a sensation that is indescribable. The only thing I can say is that it brought back a lot of childhood memories.

When I was a youngster, we'd spend a lot of time with my parents' families in Pennsylvania. In July, we'd get dressed in long sleeves and jeans and my mom, dad, cousin Greg, Aunt Rosie, Uncle Nutsy (his real name is Paul ... go figure!) and I would trek into the woods with our 2 gallon metal buckets and spend the day picking blackberries. Now imagine, it wasn't a berry patch. You had to hunt for them and they were the real thorny strains that actually hurt sometimes when you picked them. The briars would get in the way and you'd always come home with a few scratches. However, the minute we could wash a bowl full and pour some really cold, whole milk and sugar on them, we'd gobble them up and they'd disappear. My Aunt Rosie is a champion baker and would make the most exquisite blackberry pies from our excursions. She'd also freeze some and later in the year, there was always a great treat at her house.

My uncle is no longer with us but I have to say, my aunt is still a champion baker ... just much less frequently than she used to be. We don't all go picking anymore but occasionally, as an adult, you will do things that totally remind you of your childhood ... and blackberry picking is one of those things for me!





Keith and I went to a place called Kelley's Berry Farm outside of Lebanon, Tennessee. The actual address is 50 Riverview Lane, Castalian Springs, TN 37031 and is just across the Trousdale County line. But for me, the drive is beautiful and peaceful and just enough out of the way to make it a great half day event.


It's a place I highly recommend as their bushes are thornless and the rows are wide, easy to navigate and well maintained. To check on their current seasons, the phone numbers are 615-633-1426 or 615-374-3050 and they are open 7AM to 6PM Monday through Saturdays when fruit is in season. They do have some things already picked even though to get back to nature, I suggest picking your own!


I can't vouch for all of the berries as I've only picked blackberries there, but it seems to me that the rest of the berry farm is in as good a shape, easy to navigate and as fruitful as the blackberries. They have strawberries in May, blackberries in June and July and blueberries in July and August. I think they also have raspberries but I didn't confirm that. The blackberries are $2.50 per pound for pick-your-own and a bucket that holds 5 pounds will only set you back $12.50 AND is a worthwhile, healthy investment for desserts, pies, muffins, or just eating. And remember, berries hold a lot of antioxidants and cancer fighting agents.


I'm sure I'll head back for the blueberries if not one more trip for blackberries before then. But the next project is peaches. They're starting to come in plentifully in middle Tennessee. I'm sure I'll be motivated to write a few blog entries about canning peaches, peach jam and other creative peach "dishes" that are easy to make! As always, until next time, ciao!

A beautiful butterfly in the blackberry patch!

Vegetables Abound!

The garden is brimming with things to pick and use and herbs are at their peak right now. I have tons of basil and parsley (figuratively, of course!) along with the things I DON'T use every day like rosemary and sage. I've gotten some serious mileage out of my arugula and swiss chard. And PS... the swiss chard is going strong this season ... I think it's because it's been cooler here this summer than the past decade or so!

And because of the not-so-global-warming-like temperatures so far this season, my cucumbers, squash and peppers are crazy! I have several cucumber vines in the garden that seem to have taken over! And my squash plants are so large this year, I have nothing to compare them to. The beans are doing great and as always, the okra is abundant. But the only thing that at least in MY garden has been slower this year than normal are my tomatoes. Usually by now I have tons. But with the amount of green tomatoes on the vines, when they ripen ... look out! Canning City is calling my name!

I thought that a few pictures of some of the things I've picked in the past week or so might be appropriate instead of a recipe for every entry of my blog. So here's just a sampling of the stuff I brought to my kitchen on July 15.


And just a couple of days later on July 17, I had way more than I could handle. I passed some things off to a few friends. But I sure love the way it looks when I bring it into the kitchen!


I have some fun things in my garden that I wouldn't call "everyday" vegetables and I love to share those with my friends. One of my absolute favorites that I discovered is an heirloom variety of cucumber called lemon cucumbers. They are the tastiest treats in the garden. Each cucumber is a very beautiful lemon color and about the size of a baseball. When you cut them open, they are nearly twice as fragrant as a regular green cucumber and the taste is magnificent! The flesh inside, along with the seeds, looks familiar like a traditional cucumber. But there is a citrus like "zing" that these babies have that I've never tasted before. I love to use them in salads but instead of burying the flavor with other things, I like to slice them, top them with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and a drizzle of hearty extra virgin olive oil. That seems to truly bring out the flavor of this variety. And the good thing is, if the seeds in a lemon cucumber are fully mature and I save them, though I grow two or three other varieties of cucumber in my garden, they will not cross pollenate and create a hybrid. Being an heirloom variety, they stay true to their genetics and only produce beautiful little lemon cucumbers the following season. You certainly won't find bedding plants for these at your local Wal-Mart, Lowe's or Home Depot but they are super easy to grow from seed. I have about 8 plants growing in a patch and if there aren't over 100 small yellow flowers just waiting to become cucumbers, there aren't any!




The other truly incredible vegetable that I feel I need to expose every gardener to is the cubanelle pepper. This is a beautiful and mild version of pepper with a lovely color that every gardener should try. I used to be able to find these up north in grocery stores that carry a lot of Italian foods ... in the south, not so much. So I looked for them everywhere to actually grow my own supply. They seem to like a bit more water than your regular bell pepper (that now comes in every color of the rainbow), so I grow them in large pots on my deck and can water them more regularly than the pepper plants in my garden. The color is exquisite and as for taste, they seem to embody a perfect blending of flavor and texture of the finest green bell pepper and the yellow banana pepper. Italians use them in recipes and for simply frying. OK, here's something I was raised on and if you haven't tried it, you have NO idea what you're missing. You can use green peppers, red pepper, banana peppers ... but the best flavor will come from a cubanelle pepper! Seed and slice the peppers and simply fry them slowly in olive oil as not to brown them. Add salt and fresh black pepper to taste and MY favorite taste treat is to fry them with one medium temperature chili added to the pan. Fried peppers with a crusty loaf of Italian bread and I'm in heaven! I guess it's truly a large part of my Italian heritage because I eat like an Italian. I tend to have a very Mediterranean diet. And if you went to a good Italian restaurant and ordered and antipasto plate as an appetizer or the course before the pasta (anti = before, pasta.... well, duh!), no doubt you've had roasted or fried red, sweet bell peppers. In Italy, at several trattoria where I was fortunate enough to eat, the platter contained cubanelle peppers.

For those of you that haven't had the fortune of spending time in Italy, a trattoria is the greatest thing on earth. It's where the locals go.... It's sort of a restaurant but small, maybe 10 tables maximum. The menu is truly small. Sometimes it is run out of a house and the mama is in the kitchen cooking for two or three tables of customers. When I said the menu is small, I do mean small. Usually whatever mama decides to create for the day, that's what's on the menu. Just like home ... and just like the real Italians eat! And what a treat it is.....

And with that beautiful memory of cedar trees and wheat fields with a villa in the distance, poppies growing wildly everywhere, and the soft fragrance of olive trees from the surrounding hillsides, it's time for me to sleep and dream of beautiful Italy so I can create more beautiful recipes to included in this blog! Goodnight and until next time, as always, ciao!

Zucchini Is Forever.....

OK, for those of you that plant zucchini, you know that sooner or later, you're going to have to be more creative than you could ever imagine to use it all. I've pickled the stuff to resemble bread & butter pickles, made relish from it, fried it, put it in casseroles, roasted, stir fried, pan fried, steamed it ... and still, more zucchini than I can handle.

Like my summer squash casserole, here's another recipe that I truly enjoy. I can't take credit for it as it was created by my mother ... but I sure make enough of it in the summer months. It's my mom's take on Eggplant Parmesean. My dad has never been too big on eggplant but he sure loves zucchini. And let me tell you ... not another person on the planet has the touch with frying zucchini like my mother. She peddles it around the neighborhood and all her next door friends clamor for the stuff! But sometimes, she'd make this amazing creation that we called "Zucchini Parmesean" ... it has the same components as eggplant parmesean but something about the sweetness and tenderness of the zucchini truly transforms this dish.

It's really easy, can be a lower fat meal, but the only downside is that it's a bit time comsuming to prepare. Because of that, I usually make two of them and cover a second casserole dish to put in the freezer for another time!

Oh, and PS..... if you "lose" a zucchini on a plant and it gets a little too large, these are the best to use for this as they'll get cooked twice and certainly soften up in the oven!

Zucchini Parmesean

• 2 medium zucchini (about 3 pounds total), sliced in 1/8" discs
• 2 eggs
• 4 tblsp of milk
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• Lowfat oil for frying (canola works best and is the best for you!)
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes (or a good quart of home canned ones)
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  
• 2 tblsp minced fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
• 2 tblsp minced fresh basil (or 1 1/2 tsp dried)
• Parmesean cheese (the good stuff - a wedge, not the grated plastic container kind!)
• 8 oz (approx 2 cups) shredded mozzerella cheese (part skim or whole milk)

You can start my making the sauce portion of the dish by putting 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a kettle. As it heats, empty the can (or jar) of tomatoes and can of tomato paste into a blender and puree until smooth. As soon as the oil is hot, put the minced garlic into the pot and stir. Don't let the garlic brown but simply flavor the oil. Add the tomato mixture to the pan, stir and set the heat to a slow simmer. Add the salt, pepper and crushed red pepper and stir. (You might want to add a tablespoon of sugar to counteract the acid in the tomatoes ... some do, some don't ... it's totally up to your taste buds!). If using dried basil and parsley, add those now as well. Let the mixture simmer until it thickens. If you're using fresh herbs, 5 minutes before the sauce is done, add the basil and parsley and stir to blend the flavors. I usually make the tomato sauce while I'm preparing the zucchini slices and "kill two birds with one stone", as it were.....

While the sauce is cooking, prepare the zucchini. Start by heating about 1/4 inch of canola oil in a skillet. Mix the 2 eggs with the 4 tablespoons of milk in a shallow bowl and blend thoroughly. Put the flour into another bowl. Dip each slice of zucchini into the egg mixture and transfer to the flour to coat well. Prepare enough slices to fit into the skillet. When the oil is hot, add the zucchini slices and cook until golden on one side, flip and finish the second side. Depending on how tender the zucchini is, cooking time will vary. As the are finished, layer the fried zucchini slices on a platter or tray lined with paper towels to absorb any additional grease. Repeat until the zucchini slices are completed. You may need additional flour and another egg to complete the process (again, depending on how big the zucchini are).

In a 9 x 13 pan, place a few tablespoons of the tomato sauce on the bottom to keep the zucchini slices from sticking. Start with a layer of fried zucchini slices and grate a fresh layer of parmesean cheese on top. Add some of the shredded mozzerella and then top with about another 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. It should not be "soupy", just enough to flavor the next layer. Repeat by stacking zucchini, parmesean, mozzerella and sauce until you are finished with the zucchini. Top the casserole with the remaining shredded mozzerella and some more parmesean cheese. Bake for about 35 minutes at 350 degrees until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese layer on top has melted and started to look golden brown.

This is a great vegetarian main dish. And again, there are a lot of elements you can control to make this your own. If you don't like the small bit of heat, omit the crushed red pepper. Adjust spices and salt level to your taste buds. If you feel like a heartier casserole, fry the zucchini slices in egg and breadcrumbs. For a full flavor-full fat version, use whole milk mozzerella (it's my favorite because I like when the cheese stretches and oozes) but you can certainly cut the calories by using already shredded part-skim mozzerella cheese. The only thing I suggest is that when if comes to parmesean, DON'T use a plastic container that sprinkles parmesean. Go the extra mile and get the real deal ... a solid wedge that you have to grate yourself. If you've never used it, you're in for a treat! And I promise, you'll never go back to the ol' plastic jar again. Until next time, as always, ciao!