THE
READER
July
2004
Ask
the Midwife:
Sunscreen
& Your Infant
Producer Profile: Harmony Valley Farm
Recipe and Drink Recommendations
Recipes & Drink Recommendations
Drinks recommended by:
Star Liquor, 1209 Williamson Street, 255-8041
Take 10% off Recommended Beverages… Just show your member card at
Star Liquor!
Domaine
de la Quilla Muscadet, France
A wonderful selection from France that could easily define dryness in
a white wine. Minerals and wet stone dominate the light and delicate flavors
with a clean and almost evaporative finish.
Andre Brunel, Cotes du Rhone, Sommelongue,
France
A well fashioned Rhone from a Master in the business. Medium bodied with
layers of roasted tomato, plum and earthen aromas and flavors.
Leitz, Dragonstone Riesling, Germany
This offering is loaded with baked apple, peach and just the right amount
of sweetness to marry well with this peach treat.
Mathilde Peches Liqueur, France
A pure, sweet and low alcohol offering made from fresh peaches. Drizzle
a small amount of this delightful liqueur into a chilled Champagne glass
then pour your favorite sparkling to top. Enjoy!
Bucci, Pongelli, Italy
A small family vineyard produces this light bodied red. Soft and velvety
it is not over powering or exhibits any rough edges.
Batasiolo Moscato, Italy
Always a Star Liquor favorite to recommend with fresh fruits of summer.
Low in alcohol this wine beams with peach and candied fruit flavors that
dance on your palate.
Corbillieres Touraine Cabernet
Franc, France
Cabernet Franc is not nearly the body weight of Cabernet Sauvignon and
in this offering is light and fragrant in style.
Domaine de la Petite Cassagne Rose,
France
Fresh, clean and dry styled rose that exhibits slight herb, dried fruit
and tart flavors.
Mathide, Cassis Liqueur, France
100% fruit liqueur from France and low alcohol too!
Bon Appétit
6 medium beets, trimmed
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2/3 cup corn oil
8 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (about half of large head)
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh dill
Lettuce leaves
3 large carrots, peeled, coarsely grated (about 3 cups)
Directions: Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap beets in foil, enclosing completely. Bake beets until tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool. Peel and coarsely grate beets. Whisk vinegar, sugar, mustard and caraway seeds in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Add cabbage, onion and grated beets to dressing and toss to coat. Let stand 45 minutes, tossing occasionally. Stir in dill. Season generously with salt and pepper. Line large bowl with lettuce. Mix 2 1/2 cups carrots into cabbage mixture. Spoon salad atop lettuce in bowl. Sprinkle remaining grated carrots over and serve.
Serves 8 to 10.
Star Recommends:
Domaine de la Petite Cassagne Rose, France
Bon Appétit
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 14 1/2-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, drained, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried, crumbled
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
6 ounce Gorgonzola cheese
1 pound penne pasta
1 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Directions: Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in chopped tomatoes and basil. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, using spoon, beat butter with Gorgonzola until blended.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Return pasta to pot.
Whisk Gorgonzola mixture into tomato sauce. Add sauce to pasta and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Romano and serve. Serves 4.
Star Recommends:
Andre Brunel, Cotes du Rhone, Sommelongue, France
Bon Appétit
1 12-ounce package firm tofu, drained, patted dry, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup almonds, toasted, finely chopped
1 large egg white, beaten to blend
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
4 sesame seed buns, toasted
4 tomato slices
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
Directions: Wrap tofu in doubled dish towel. Place on work surface. Weigh down with a board topped with food cans or weights for 1 hour. Squeeze towel-wrapped tofu to extract as much liquid as possible from tofu. Transfer tofu to medium bowl. Using fork, mash into small pieces. Spray medium nonstick skillet with nonstick spray; place over medium heat. Add carrot, green onions, ginger and garlic; sauté until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Cool. Mix carrot mixture, almonds, egg white, soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds into tofu. Season with salt and pepper. Shape mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
If grilling, spray grill rack with nonstick spray, then prepare barbecue (medium heat). If sautéing, spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and heat over medium heat. Lightly spray patties on both sides with nonstick spray. Place patties on grill or in skillet and cook until golden brown and heated through, about three minutes per side.
Serves 4.
Star Recommends:
Domaine de la Quilla Muscadet, France
Bon Appétit
1/4 cup Sherry wine vinegar
1 large shallot, chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
12 medium red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled (about 2 3/4 pounds)
Additional olive oil
2 bunches watercress, stems trimmed
3 green onions, chopped
Directions: Combine vinegar, shallot, and mustard in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Mix in cheese. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 16 minutes. Drain; cool completely. Cut potatoes into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Brush rounds on both sides with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Arrange watercress on platter. Grill potatoes until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Mound warm potatoes atop watercress; sprinkle with green onions. Spoon vinaigrette over potatoes.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Star Recommends:
Corbillieres Touraine Cabernet Franc, France
Gourmet
1 cup minus 1 tablespoon superfine granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon bottled or filtered still water (not distilled)
1 1/2 pounds peaches
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lightly beaten egg white*
*You can substitute powdered egg whites reconstituted by following package instructions if you’d like.
Directions: In a small heavy saucepan heat sugar and water, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cool syrup. Peel and pit peaches and in a food processor purée until smooth. Transfer 2 cups purée to a bowl, reserving remainder for another use, and stir in syrup and lemon juice. Chill peach mixture until cold and up to 1 day.
Stir in egg white and freeze in an ice-cream maker. Serve gelato immediately or transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden no more than 3 hours. Makes about 1 quart.
Star Recommends:
Mathilde Peches Liqueur, France
Gourmet
1-1/2 pounds black plums (about 5),
pitted and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or
to taste
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons kirsch
Directions: In a saucepan combine the plums, the lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the plums are soft. While the plums are cooking, in a small saucepan combine the sugar and 3/4 cup water, cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, stir in the kirsch. In a blender or food processor purée the plums with the kirsch syrup. Strain the purée through a fine sieve into a bowl, let it cool, and freeze it in an ice-cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Makes about 1 quart.
Star Recommends:
Mathide, Cassis Liqueur, France
Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko
WSGC Members & owners of Inn Serendipity
Ingredients:
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 t. thyme
1 t. marjoram
1/4 t. pepper
2 lbs. red potatoes, unpeeled & quartered
Parsley (for garnish)
Directions: In a shallow baking pan, mix soup mix, oil, butter and spices. Add potatoes and coat with mixture. Bake for one hour at 450 degrees, until tender and golden brown. Turn potatoes occasionally while baking. Before serving, garnish with chopped parsley.
Star Recommends:
Bucci, Pongelli, Italy
Bon Appétit
1 1/2 cups light sour cream
3 tablespoons honey
8 cups mixed fresh fruit (such as blueberries; pitted cherries; sliced strawberries; sliced pitted nectarines, plums and peaches)
3 tablespoons almond slices, toasted
Mint sprigs (optional)
Directions: Whisk sour cream and honey in medium bowl to blend. Toss fruit together in large bowl. (Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover sauce and fruit separately and chill.) Spoon fruit mixture into individual bowls. Whisk chilled sauce to loosen if necessary. Spoon sauce over fruit. Garnish with almonds and mint, if desired. Serves 6.
Star Recommends:
Batasiolo Moscato, Italy
Gourmet
For pastry
1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces (2 cups) unbleached pastry flour (not whole-wheat)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water
For almond filling
3/4 cup sliced blanched almonds (about 2 1/2 ounces)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
4 firm-ripe peaches
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
Accompaniments:
vanilla or honey ice cream
raspberry sauce
raspberries
Directions: Make pastry: Cut butter into bits and freeze. In a food processor pulse together flour, sugar, and salt. Add frozen butter and pulse mixture just until it resembles coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons ice water and pulse until barely combined. Transfer dough to a bowl and stir in just enough ice water to form a ball. Flatten dough into a 6-inch disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
Make filling: In food processor blend filling ingredients until very smooth. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring filling to room temperature before using.
Halve dough. On a lightly floured surface roll out 1 piece of dough (keeping other piece chilled) into a 12-inch square (about 1/8 inch thick). Using a 5-inch saucer or plate as a guide, cut out 4 rounds and transfer to a baking sheet. Roll and cut out 4 more rounds from remaining dough in same manner, transferring to another baking sheet. Prick rounds all over with a fork and chill 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Halve and pit peaches and slice thin. Spread each round evenly with about 1 1/2 tablespoons filling, leaving about a 1/4-inch border, and arrange peach slices, overlapping slightly, over filling. Cut butter into bits. Sprinkle each tart with about 1/2 tablespoon sugar and dot with butter. Bake tarts in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, 25 to 35 minutes, or until crusts are golden and peaches are tender.
Serve tarts warm with accompaniments.
Makes 8 individual tarts.
Star Recommends:
Leitz, Dragonstone Riesling, Germany
