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March 19, 2010

Summer Staples

Jump Starts

Fruit Crêpes with Mascarpone
Makes 4 crêpes
We use peaches, but you can make it your own by using your favorite summer fruit.

6 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Zest of 1 orange
6 store-bought crêpes
4 ounces mascarpone
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar (for garnish)

1. Heat peaches with concentrate, sugar, raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg in heavy skillet over medium heat. Let mixture simmer and thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in zest. Cool slightly. Mix mascarpone with sugar and vanilla.
2. For each serving, place 1 crêpe on plate. Spoon 1/6 of mixture onto crêpe and then roll it up. Top with powdered sugar and drizzle of sweet mascarpone.

Veggies

Arugula Salad with Passion Fruit Dressing and Goat Cheese Crouton
By Piper Pasquale
Serves 4

Dressing
1/4 cup passion fruit puree
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Crouton
4 slices bread (such as pumpernickel-
raisin or other favorite)
Oil (for drizzling)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces goat cheese
1 pound fresh arugula
1/2 cup edamame, steamed and shelled
1/2 cup papaya, cut into 2-inch-long pieces
Seed from 1 passion fruit

1. Mix passion fruit puree, mustard, jalapeño, yolk and sugar. Slowly whisk oil into mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay out bread slices. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toast about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Spread with goat cheese.
3. In large bowl, toss arugula with about 4 tablespoons dressing. Add edamame and papaya; toss again. Divide among 4 plates and garnish with passion fruit seeds and crouton.

Comfort Food

Red, White and Blue Slaw
Serves 8

1 head red cabbage, cored and shredded
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon celery seed
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces Maytag blue cheese, crumbled

Mix cabbage with sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, sugar, garlic, celery seed, parsley, salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese over all. Serve chilled.

Baking

Bimini Bread
The recipes for this Bahamian bread are closely guarded family secrets. Here is the Florida Table version. You will love it—trust us.

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm (100 degrees) coconut milk
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten lightly
3 to 4 cups flour
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter

1. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm coconut milk in mixing bowl. Let sit 10 minutes. Add milk powder, sugar, oil, salt and eggs. Use paddle attachment to mix until smooth. Add remaining coconut milk. Switch to dough hook and add flour about 1/2 cup at a time until dough is cleanly pulling away from sides of mixing bowl. Knead at medium speed 5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Drizzle oil over dough, coating dough and sides of bowl. Cover tightly with plastic and let rise in warm spot about 2 hours.
2. Punch dough down. Form into 2 loaves or 12 small rolls. Place loaves into greased loaf pans or rolls into greased round cake pan. Cover with cotton cloth and let rise 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees during last 20 minutes of rising.
3. Bake loaves about 35 minutes and rolls about 25 minutes, until golden brown.
4. Remove from oven. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pans and place on cooling racks. While bread is cooling, melt butter with honey. Mix well and brush over top of warm loaves or rolls. These are great served still warm.

Crispy Hominy with Chili and Lime
Serves 8

1 pound dried hominy (pozole), picked
through to remove black kernels and
rinsed (use “mote pelado” or peeled
giant corn)
1 onion, halved
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
2 bay leaves
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
Corn oil (for deep frying)
Lime wedges (for serving)

1. Put dried hominy in bowl and add cool water to cover by 3 inches. Soak hominy in refrigerator 12 to 24 hours. Kernels will swell to double original size. Drain and rinse.
2. Put hominy in large pot and add onion, garlic and bay leaves. Pour in cool water to cover and place over medium heat. Cook 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until kernels are tender and completely split. Add 2 teaspoons salt to water. (Schwartz’s note: “I always put salt in the water at the last stage of cooking so hominy does not become tough.”) Remove from heat and let sit 30 minutes. Strain hominy and discard vegetables. Cool hominy and dry thoroughly. Hominy can be stored, covered in refrigerator, up to 2 days.
3. In small bowl, mix together spices and sugar. Spoon into clean sugar-shaker container.
4. Heat oil to 350 degrees in deep, heavy pot with lid. Toss hominy with corn starch. Shake off excess. Using slotted spoon, carefully lower hominy into hot oil, in batches if necessary. Put lid on slightly ajar in case hominy pops. Stir occasionally. Fry until kernels begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove hominy from oil and transfer to mixing bowl. Toss with spice mix and remaining salt while hot. Serve with lime wedges.
Note: Hominy, also called pozole, is big, chewy kernels of hulled corn with the germ removed. Whole hominy kernels can be found in Latin markets as well as health food stores. You treat them like dried beans: soak and then boil them. After the initial soaking and cooking, the kernels must be drained and cooled. When dry, fry ’em up.

Just dessert

Five-minute Ice Cream Pie
This pie should flaunt your favorite flavors. Florida Table offers up the technique and a few suggestions, but let your taste buds be your guide.

1/2 gallon ice cream, softened
1 9-inch pie crust (pastry, graham cracker
or cookie crust; see below)
Fresh seasonal fruit, sliced
Chocolate or caramel syrup
Whipped cream

Stir ice cream to spreadable consistency. Spoon into prepared pie crust and freeze overnight. To serve, slice with hot knife; serve with sliced fruit, syrup and dollop of whipped cream.

[ OUR FAVORITES ]

Mint chocolate chip ice cream in chocolate wafer crust topped with mint chocolate cookies and Bailey’s

Vanilla ice cream in chocolate wafer crust, topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream

Peanut butter swirl ice cream stirred with chocolate chips in a peanut butter cookie crust, topped with chocolate syrup

Vanilla ice cream over sliced bananas in ginger snap crust, topped with caramel sauce

Cucumber Salad with Tomatoes, Mint and Feta
Serves 6

2 English cucumbers, diced
2 ripe tomatoes, diced into large pieces
2 tablespoons shallot, sliced
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Place cucumbers, tomatoes, shallots and mint into bowl. In another bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil and lemon juice. Pour over salad. Top with feta, mix gently and serve.

Watermelon Granita
Serves 6

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
5 cups watermelon, cubed
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
1/4 cup vodka
Watermelon slices (for garnish)

Mix sugar and water in small saucepan. Bring to boil. Leave on heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool completely. Place watermelon in blender with sugar syrup. Add lemon (or lime) juice and vodka. Blend until puréed. Place in metal cake pan; place in freezer. Every 30 to 45 minutes, scrape up frozen crystals and stir gently. Repeat for 3 hours until no liquid is left.
Note: This is best made the day you’re going to serve it. If left too long, it freezes solid. Also, vodka is not necessary, but it helps keep the texture from getting too solid.

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