The Peach Drought

 Peaches are a big part of summer dining. They're eaten fresh after a wash in icy cold water. They grace pues, crumbles and cobblers. Unfortunately there's a peach drought,impacting fruit lovers across the country.

 Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about this problem in yesterday's New York Times Food section. It's well known that Georgia supplies the country with peaches.even South Carolina who supplies more peaches - namely seventy five per cent is also suffering from this. Yet the ones available are shining,, soft , fleshy and juicy. yet the peach drought can also be found in New England where harvesters are hard pressed to find one.Again it has to do with the weather where there was a blossom killing February cold snap that took temperatures below zero. One state is shining through and that's New Jersey. The Garden State now has a terrific peach crop. The weather here has been perfect, without excessive rain that can render the fruit mushy according to Pegi Adam f the New Jersey Peach associatiom..TRhis will be great for the many peach farms throughout the state that rely on July and August picking season for revenue. California is also have a good season, The California summer has been cooler which results in a sweeter, tastier fruit .

Yet what are Southern cooks and bakers doing about this? They're still using Southern grown peaches. Steve Satterfield , chef at Atlanta's Miller Union is not about to supplement his precious allotment of just two cases. He does not want it use New Jersey or California peaches. Instead he is building recipes around the deficit.His pastry chef, Claudia V. Martinez is slicing them extra thin for layering on a cornmeal cake with vanilla ice cream. Tomaores and cucumber s paly supporting roles in a peach salad that also has ricotta ,herbs and crunchy granola. The bartender is pondering whar to do with the peach pits for non alcoholic mocktails. Some chefs are simply giving up. Erika Council who runs the Atlanta breakfast spot Bomb Biscuits is making jam with pineapple and canteloupe, Customers will have to wait next year for her peach reaper sauce made with Georgia peaches and Carolina reaper peppers. She doesn't want to use canned or frozen peaches because they wouldnt give the sauce that fresh taste. Theere also too expensive as well

Hopefully this peach drought will just be temporary. The world needs the sweet goodness of Georgia peaches. They are true gems tha thopefulyl make a comeback.

A Historic Take On Masa

 Mexican cooking would be nothing without masa, This ground corn meals yields everything from tortillas to tacos.it is one of the cooking traditions that migrated to the US and became a staple here. However it's not the same as the original until now.

Chef and host of the TV show Mi Cocina Rick AMartinez wrote this interesting piece on Mexican corn in today's New York Times Food section. For decades Americans have been eating tortillas and tacos made with processed corn loaded with preservatives. Even though we're used to the taste the flavor is very often musty and sour or bland. However a new generation of Mexican  American chefs are going back to using heirloom qualities of Mexican corn.Chefs are infusing traditional flavor into their tortilla along with tiocoyos, a street food made of a thick fried corn dough filled with pork cracklings and beans along with tamales and taquitos. Making true masa requires nixtamalization a three thousand year old practice of Mesoamerica.It's even been documented back to 1500 BCE.it's simply simmering dried corn in water and calcium hydroxide or cal until the kernals soften. They're then ground into a homogenous dough that holds what ever shape the cook wants. There are thin circles for tortillas , thicker ones for gorditas and plump triangles or ovals for huaraches or dumplings. Masa is also the backbone of a well loved chocolate drink chappurado. it cna also be crumbled into stews for body too.

There are many diffrent kinds of Mexican heirloom corn. Red ruby colored corn glints and grows in the Mexican state of Tiaxcala. Oaxaca give the Mexicans green corn while in the west  central state of Nayarit has fields full of corn stalks. These varieties are making their way to metro areas across the US. Tortilla and totopo - corn chip makers have the masa. They most likely nixtamalize the corn daily for their own products.Chef Martinez also gives recipes for tortilla made on comal or a tortilla maker. If you don;t have one a skillet works well too. They're  like pancakes being flipped every thirty seconds. There are also recipes for gorditas de maize, fat versions of pita or naan.These are slit open warm and filled with a variety of different meats , beans and cheeses.Chef Martinez also includes a recipe for tetelas de frijos negro or black bean filled dumplings. The black bean filling is easy .it's cooking black beans and sixteen cuoso f water with avocado leaves, garlic and white onion.The dumplings are stuffed with this and sprinkled with cotilla, the crumbly fresh cheese. They're cooked in a skillet or comal.

True masa requires true Mexican corn.It can be hhad here in the States. use it to create authentic tasting tortilla, taco, goritos, huaraches and gorditos

Barbie Party Time

 The girl of the summer is definitely Barbie. Thanks to the Margot Robbie -Ryan Goslin movie , the original girl power is everywhere. There are Barbie Crocs, dresses , jackets and even pillows. Now Barbiephiles can celebrate the doll and the movie with a Barbie core do,

Most fans will probably have a pink themed party with Cosmos and trays of little girl pink Double Bubble gum. However Barbie herself may have more sophisticated that. yes , you could have Cosmos to celebrate the Nineties version (and yes, there are Sex and the City inspired barbies) along with putting the gum with ahost of other pink candy as favors. However Barbie has always been a California girl, right down to her Malibu Beachhouse. HAve a California themed party featuring burgers to symbolize the In and Out ones along with a host of food truck food to symbolize Los Angeles food truck culture. Think about fish and bulgoki tacos where guests can put all sorts of toppings from traditional pico di gallo to kim chee. Tater tots with a cheddar topping is another big food truck iitem and they're easy to make in an air fryer.Avocados are a big  Southern California product so think about a refreshing salad made with them and a tangy lemon vinaigrette. what to serve afterwards? LA's own chiffon pie fist made in 1929 by Los Angeleno baker Monroe Boston Strause, It's a kind of  a vanilla mousse fillling in a graham cracker crust. Serve with strawberries if you want a bit of pink.

Barbie has been around since 1959 so another party idea is picking a decade themed party. The Fifties and Sixties brought an era of both  hominess and sophistication. You could feature a baked ham with pineapple alogn with an ambrosia salad fullof marshmallows and citrus fruit like pimeapple and oranges. You could also end with a pineapple upside down cake, very popular in the era. The Sixties also brought us Camelot and Jackie Kennedy's love of anything French. Think croissants filled with tarragon chicken salad, or steak Diane with a creamy Bearnaise sauce.Dessert could be Barbie pink  strawberry macarons (although you can throw in some chocolate and pistacchio ones along with lemon ones) The Seventies brought us fondue but it's too hot for that. Try cheese balls dipped in chopped nuts along with a platter of  devilled eggs. You could also serve party franks with a tangy sauce and mini crabcakes. Barbie embraced the glam Eighties and you can too. Serve lobster canapes and champagne along with caviar topped crostini. What about the NIneties and the early Aughts? Try comfort food, like pizza bagels and beer that got us through the Y2K anxiety. You could also make comfort sweets like cupcakes which had a revival twenty years ago. Think Funfetti ones with mounds of homemade strawberry icing.

It's the summer of Barbie! Get wild with a LA - So Cal themed do or pick a decade and celebate. All are perfect for toasting this doll  of a woman. Enjoy the movie and the food of her life.

J 'Aime Tarragon

 One of those herbs that is over used and underestimated is tarragon. It can be employed in a variety f different dishes. You can use it to season chicken or Cornish hen or add zing to mayo. There's so many fun recipes with it.

I was glad to get the plant (which I highlighted in Saturday's post). Tarragon has a wonderful flavor both dried and fresh.Use it fresh if you have the plant.

What is it exactly? It's formal name is estragon and grows wild throughout Euope and North America. What home gardeners grow is really French tarragon. There is also Russian tarragon which is a hardier and more robust plant. Freshly picked leaves have a licorice - anise type of flavor.I've used them in mayo. They worked and the condiment was good slathered on  plant based chicken patties. However in the future I plan on using my Mom's herb grinder to make tarragon flakes.

I like tarragon in mayo but you can also try it in a creamy sauce,made with whole cream, lemon, shallots  and butter. Chicken breasts are cooked in this and you could serve them over herbed rice or pasta. Salmon also benefits from the herb.Think of combining the fresh leaves with a mix of Dijon mustard, mayo and lemon juice along with a pinch of sugar. Spoon over grilled salmon for a delicious dinner. Keep in mind that the herb is perfect in both viniagrettes and creamy salad dressings.I'ts usually mixed with Dijon mustard and extra virgin olive oil. You could add shallots for color.This would also be good over grilled veggies like eggplant and tomatoes for a different spin on a summer salad.

Plant tarragon to boost your summer cooking and grilling.Its' flavor lends an earthy sweetnss to any dish and elevates it. This silvery leafed plant is the perfect addition to any dish.

A Summer Herb Garden

 One of the best aspects of summer cooking is having fresh herbs on hand. There's nothing like a garden brimming full of tasty leaves that can enhance any dish.

I have the gamut here, from both green and purple basil, parsley and tarragon. 

This is the purple basil and parsley.Purple basil can be used the same way as green leafed basil. I may try a pesto with it or just use it in sauces. The parsley was a much needed herb which I'll use in my potato puffs. Fresh parsley takes the flavor up a notch

You can see how bright and full the leaves are .They 're also going to add to smashed potatoes too. In the upper right is the tarragon which has a wonderful sweet earthy flavor.I;ve already used in in a mayo .This made a wonderful condiment for a chciken patty sandwich. 

Nothing beats an herb garden. It means fresh flavor added to summer cooking. Grow your garden now to enhance your favoriite dishes.
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Summer Go To Recipes

 It's no secret every home chef wants to easy dishes to prepare in the summer. There's always one go to dish that works.It's a snap to prepare and tasty, made with fresh ingredients.

I feel this way about Gustavo's Gazpacho, a dish I first made four years ago.I had just reviewed Susan Lewis Solomont's autopbiography  about her time in Spain. Her husband was the American ambassador to Spain. I was curious about the gazpacho recipe and asked for it.

It ;s become one of my favorite summer go to recipes. It's cubing four tomatoes, one green pepper, one cucumber and mincing one clove of garlic. A cup of olive oil is added along with three tablespoons of red wine vinegar and and a tablespoons of onion powder.It's all pureed together with the tomatoes and cucumbers providing the water for the soup.   Then chill for a couple of hours before serving.

It's a cool, creamy fresh tasting bowl of veggies. I can taste each indiviual vegetable and taste theri blended flavors as well. Another plus is that there's no oven to heat or burner to use. I don't even have to use the air fryer. Another filling go to is panzanella , Neopolitan bread salad , made  heartier with the addition of Italian cold cuts like julienned salame and mortadella.Heroes loaded with all sorts of meats , cheeses and veggies are also great hot weather go tos. The kids will love a supper of a custom made hoagie and a bag of chips.

Have a good list of  easy go to recipes when the temperature rises. THey'll make for easy prep and easy eating.It's what you meed during these steamy hot days.

The Best Sandwich Ever.

 What makes a sandwich good? is it the bread? The filling ? Or a dash of mayo or mustard? That's a question many ask.The best way to find out is to ask the experts. These are the ones who can create great taste from just a few ingredients.

Chef and regular contributor Eric KIm asked this in yesterday's New York Times Food section.He spoke with several sandwich shop owners across the country and received some interesting advice on the fillings and construction He looked to Matt Cahn , owner of Philadelphia;s Middle Child. Chef Cahn using a very unusual ingredient blueberry jam in his Surfer sandwich. The idea came from his vacations in Maine wuth an ex girlfriend. This is really a spicy chutney layered on a split ciabatta roll with sliced turkey, arugula and either two slices of Gruyere or Swiss cheese. The arugula s dressed with olive oil, vinegar and chopped onions and placed on top of the turkey. The cheese is baked onto the ciabatta in a toaster oven.Yet' it's the blueberry jam that's the standout. This could be used for leftover turkey sandwiches at Thanksgiving or even to boost up a chicken salad sandwich.It cooking the fruit and garam masala along with granulated sugar, raisins , cinnamon sticks and a pinch of cloves to a boil.  Freshly squeezed lemon juice is also added. Add the spices last as the mixture comes to a boil.Cool the jam to room temperature and add more garma masala, ,lemon juice and salt if needed.

You could also try a roast pork hoagie done in the style of San Francisco's Palm City, a fancy sandwich shop that also sells wine and beer. Fried provolone chips provide crunch amongst the otherwise soft meaty textures. They amp up the flavor by replacing iceberg lettuce with arugula. They also have vegetarian options with roasted cauliflower, avocadoes and pickled veggies.Use a blend of Chinese spices for some zing. of course you could also match the bread to the fillings as they do at Cleveland's Bake Shop & Cafe. Curry chicken or turkey club is paied with either a croissant or pain de mie  a kind of sourdough honey bread.Housemade naan, a flat Indian bread like pita is stuffed with grilled vegetables.However your best option for a really good sandwich is a homemade biscuit. Shawnda Moye created some hearty and flavorful  biscuit sandwiches when she moved back to her native Ohio and opened up the pop up The Roaming Biscuit in 2019. She elevates the breakfast sandwich (which can also be made for lunch or dinner) It's adding egg, namely scrambled and layering ot with a slice of cheddar and brisket. Yoy could sub in any kind of ham, from Taylor to cured along with changing up the cheddar toMonetery Jack or a slice of  Gouda  or Edam.

The perfect sandwich is easy to create.It just takes a good bread along with tasty condiments to ramp up the meat and veggies inside. Then enjoy a juge bite.