August 2007 Archives
The peach is a member of the rose family. It was first cultivated in China and revered as a symbol of longevity. The image was placed on pottery and received as a gift with great esteem. Travelers along caravan routes carried the peach seed to Persia before it was cultivated in Europe. In the early 1600s Spanish explorers brought it to the New World and by the 1700s missionaries had established peaches in California.
Varieties
Peaches are available almost all year. The season dictates the variety. Semi-freestones (Queencrest) are early season late April to June. In mid-June the market shifts to freestone (Elegant Lady) or clingstone. On the off seasons peaches are imported into the U.S. from Chile and Mexico. Fresh varieties are sold as freestone while clingstone is usually used for canning. The fruit inside these peaches is either yellow or white. The white flesh is a 'sub-acid" fruit its flavor is more sugary sweet. The more traditional color is yellow. It's more acidic, which does give it a bit more flavor. Half of the United States crop comes from the South and the other half from California. The United States produces approximately 25% of the total world market.
Selection
When selecting fresh peaches, look for ones that are soft to the touch, blemish free, and have a fragrant smell. Peaches that are mildly fragrant ripen into sweet and delicious flavors. Choose fruit that has a background color of yellow or cream and has a fresh looking appearance. Peaches may have some red "blush" depending on the variety, but this isn't a sign of how the fruit will taste after it's ripened. At home peaches can be ripened at room temperature in a brown paper bag in 2 to 3 days. Peaches are highly perishable, so don't buy more than you plan to use. When selecting can peaches, choose those labeled "packed in it's own juice" and "no added sugar"; these are the healthier choices.
Storage
The best way to ripen stone fruit is to place the fruit in a paper bag, fold the top of the bag over loosely, and place the bag on the counter for one to three days. Never store hard fruit in the refrigerator, in plastic bags, or in direct sunlight.
Check the fruit daily. When it is ripe, it will be aromatic and will give slightly to gentle pressure. Once ripened, it can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week or prepared and frozen. For more details on freezing visit The National Center for Home Preservation
Care and Use
Wash peaches carefully in cool soapy water, then rinse well before eating or using. Unless a recipe calls for it, you do not need to peel the peaches; in fact, many of the nutrients found in stone fruits are contained in the peel, and it’s highly recommended that the peel be consumed along with the flesh. If used in cooking they peel really fast if blanched in boiling water for a minute then plunged into ice water to cool. In fruit salads or platters, sprinkle cut peaches with lemon juice to help them keep their great color.
Chard goes by many names-Swiss chard, leaf beet, seakettle beet, and spinach beet to name a few. While used for its leaves, it is in the same species as the garden beet, which is grown primarily for its roots.
The word "Swiss" was used to distinguish chard from French charde or chardon by nineteenth century seed catalog publishers and the name stuck. Chard is very popular among Mediterranean cooks but the first varieties have been traced back to Sicily. In the US the leaves are valued while European cooks value the stalks to the point of discarding the leaves or feeding them to animals
It is a beautiful large-leaf vegetable with wide flat stems resembling celery. Chard has shiny green ribbed leaves, with stems that range from white to yellow and red depending on the cultivar. The ruby variety is especially attractive with its' vivid red stem with broad dark green leaves. If you like spinach, you will enjoy chard. The flavor in young chard is mild and sweet while more mature chard has a more earthy taste with slightly bitter undertones.
Chard can be harvested while the leaves are young and tender or after maturity when larger have slightly tougher stems. Chard is extremely perishable, so keep refrigerator storage time to a minimum. The leaves are generally treated in the same way as spinach and the stems like asparagus. Fresh young chard can also be used raw in salads. Store unwashed leaves in plastic bags in the crisper for 2 to 3 days. The stalks can be stored longer if separated from the leaves.
For years garlic has been the topic of much folklore. In ancient times, its pungent odor was believed to supply strength and courage to those who ate it. Garlic has been used for numerous things including embalming, warding off evil spirits, and curing everything from the common cold to tuberculosis and broken bones.
Even in modern times, garlic is still being promoted as a health food with medicinal properties. Though garlic is a nutritious food, many of the claims surrounding it are not backed up by research.
Allium sativum L., commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. The garlic bulb is covered with a loose, white, crackly outer skin and comprised of individual sections called cloves. Each clove is covered in a white sheath.
Garlic is very popular in the Middle East and Mediterranean countries, India and China. In America, 250 million pounds of garlic are consumed per year and its use is growing.
Garlic is characterized by it's strong flavor and smell, stemming from its sulfur compounds. It makes a great flavoring agent for a variety of dishes.
Varieties
There are approximately 300 varieties of garlic grown throughout the world. In the United States about 90% of the garlic is grown in California and most comes in two types, early and late.
Early garlic is white or off-white in color and harvested in mid-summer. Late garlic is off-white on the outside
American: white-skinned with a strong flavor.
Chileno: a reddish-colored, sharp tasting garlic grown in Mexico
Elephant: Not a true garlic, but a relative of the leek; its flavor is very mild and it is characterized by larger heads.
Green Garlic: Young garlic before it starts forming cloves. Green garlic looks like a baby leek with a long green top and small white bulb. Its flavor is much more mild than that of mature garlic.
Italian: Mauve in color with a somewhat milder flavor.
Availability, Selection, and Storage
Garlic is available year-round frozen or fresh. When buying fresh garlic, choose from plump, dry heads that feel firm. Avoid soft, mushy or shriveled cloves. American garlic should be white to off-white. Garlic should be stored in a cool, dark place (though not a refrigerator) and can be kept for several weeks. Many people use small clay garlic holders to keep their garlic as fresh as possible. Cloves that have sprouted can still be used but they will not be as strong in flavor as fresher cloves. The sprouts themselves can be cut up like scallions and chives and used in dishes.
Preparation
To remove individual garlic cloves, peel outer layers from the bulb and snap out each clove from the base. Cloves can than be peeled very easily. For a more mild flavor, whole cloves can be added (un-peeled for an even more subtle taste) to food while it cooks or marinates and than discarded before serving the meal. Another trick for imparting a mild garlic flavor in your dish is to spear a garlic clove with a fork and stir your dish with it then discard the garlic when stirring is complete.
For a stronger flavor, used chopped, crushed, pressed or pureed garlic in dishes. The more finely garlic is chopped, the stronger its flavor will be. To chop garlic, cut in half lengthwise (remove the green core if there is one - it is bitter). Make several lengthwise cuts and than cut crosswise. A garlic press can be used also though these can be a bit tricky to clean.
To remove garlic odor from hands, use salt or lemon juice and than wash your hands with soap.
Cooking Garlic
Cooking garlic decreases the strength of its flavor making it much milder. The longer it is cooked, the more mild it tastes. Be careful not to saute garlic too long at too high a temperature, it will brown very quickly and can become bitter.
To bake garlic, place whole, un-peeled bulbs rounded side down in a shallow baking dish, drizzle with oil, cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours at 325 F.
My shortcut for the oven-roasted flavor: Purchase peeled garlic cloves from the supermarket. Place a few in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 2 to 3 min. Let them sit for a minute or so, drizzle olive oil over them and dump them onto a cookie sheet. Broil them until light brown (about 5 min.) on a couple of sides. Remove from oven, let them cool for a couple of minutes and mash with a fork. A dash or two of salt, a loaf of artisan bread and your set.
Read more: Wikipedia
