A Late Summer Feast

 Rhis is when the barbecue and picnic season is winding down. Yet you can still take advantage of the late summer harvests and a chance to create great dishes with fresh produce,

Tomatoes are still in abundance right now. Of course they're perfect in a sandwich with a lot of mayo but there are other dishes you can make too.Try a salsa cruda a tomato sauce where the pasta itself cooks the sauce. This is just when you can dice the tomatoes and let them along with onions and peppers marinate in an olive oil bath. Minced garlic is a must as is oregano. you can add a teaspoon of red wine vinegar for some bite. Another interesting idea is tomato jam. This is made similar to gently simmered jams and involves Roma tomatoes, ginger and brown sugar?Cumin, paprika and pepper flakes give it bite. Try it on a grilled steak or spoon it on slices of toasted Italian bread. Top with grated Parmesan or shredded mozzarella. Corn is another late summer crop that's in abundance right now. Try it as elote , Mexican street corn. This is grill roasted corn slathered with a mix of sour cream or Mexican crema, ,cotija or feta cheese and a variety of such spices as ancho chili powder and garlic. more cheese is sprinkled over them.

Root veggies are making their debut right now too. Late summer yields up beets, turnips and carrot. Beets are great, roasted or boiled . Most home chefs prefer roasting them because the process brings out the veggie's full flavor. Have them in a simple salad dressed with an easy vinaigrette. You could also add onions and some feta cheese to compliment the beets' sweetness. Turnips also make their debut right about now. You can make them mashed. The recipe is similar to mashed potatoes , save with the addition of a teaspoon of sugar. This would make a great side with store bought rotisserie or oven grilled chicken. These can also be grilled too. Just the turnips into cube , slide them onto skewers and brush with olive oil along with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. You can also infuse the oil with dill and lemon for a more flavorful kebab. Another root vegetable ripening in September is the carrot. Yes, you can serve them raw with tasty dips but try roasting them with olive oil, salt and pepper. This is a great side with any kind of poultry.

Late summer means taking advantage of the harvests right now. Turn them into a feast of flavors and colors. Make a great feast of all this produce right now.

Jam Time

 A favorite fall activity is making preserves and jellies. It's a great way to use up late summer and early fall harvests. not only that but you can start the day with homemade goodness on a croissant or toast.

Yewande Komolafe,a food stylist and author wrote an interesting article about preserves in Wednesday's New York Times Food section.Canning is a pretty straightforward cooking procedure. All you need is fruit, sugar acid and pectin. The last is found in such thick skinned fruits as stone fruits like plums,  and other fruits such as guavas, pears , apples and citrus..These will thicken naturally when simmered. For thinner skinned fruits store bought pectin needs to be added. Get the storebought powdered kind.There does have to be prepping. Cut out any bruised spots.Ms. Komolafe also recommends adding aromatics and even herbs to enhance and bring out the fruits' flavors, She pairs ginger with plums for a sweet and heat flavor. She also spikes a fig jam with rosemary.

There are three methods to making jams and jellies. The easiest is the no cook way or refrigerator which has crushed raw fruit mixed with sugar and pectin, The jars are then placed into the fridge. The next step is the gentle simmer. This is involves cooking for twenty five minutes going from boiling to simmering..It creates a more spreadable jam, perfect for brioches and croissants. The last method is more involved and traditional. This is cooking the fruit to extract the juice and pectin. The solids are then strained away. Ms. Komolafe recommends using apples for this method.It should be a balance of tart and sweet. Think marmalades which are given a bite thanks to the rind.This will take about thirty five to forty minutes  along with eigh cups of water. The mash is then strained through cheesecloth and reboiled. The end result is ladled into sterilized jars and chilled.

Use those summer harvest to create tasty jellies and jams. They're perfect for breakfast on a croissant or buttered toast. Use yhem for glazes for roasts. They are a fun make, full of possibilities.

Helping After Ida

 Hurricane Ida left most of the US in unsurpassed misery.Some areas got hit worse than others. These are people with flooded kitchens , no houses or no means of transportation. IT;s time to step up.

If you have family or friends in affected areas, then start making up care packages. Keep in mind that they may not have power to reheat your dishes. You may want to bring over casseroles when they've a few minutes out of the oven or better yet, invite family and friends over for dinner.They'll appreciate a hot meal as well as concern and a chance to vent their feelings. If you want to bring prepared food over think heroes loaded with all sorts of meats and veggies. It's like a big meal unto itself. Another idea is bring all the fixings for a barbecue. They can have a hot lunch or dinner with  grilled steaks or chicken. Hamburgers are also a good bring as are hot dogs. Make some chilled salads like macaroni or three bean. Add a touch of lightness with a fruit salad or some kind of chilled pie.

Another way to help your community is donating time to shelters who are housing many families right now. Donate what you can like cans of veggies and beans. Ask your local restaurants to donate food too. They can create large quantities of lasagna or chicken and mashed potatoes .They  can also provide rolls and salads too. Groups can also donate much needed water and baby formula. Remember to also donate pet food because many have brought their animal companions with them too. Also donate cat litter  along with people essentials like deodorants, toothpaste and diapers. Bring bags of apples and oranges for kids to snack on. If you feel like creating a big bake with cookies or cupcakes do so. You can also buy large trays of these to the shelter

Many have been affected by Hurricane Ida. We have to do what we can to help those who were affected. It could be making a meal or donating food. Nourish them  not just with dinner or lunch but with care and love.

An Austen Favorite Tackles LA

 Los Angeles has a variety of food trucks yet there will be one that stand out >It's run by the Vasquez sisters of Austen>Thanks to them Angelenos will taste real Mexican food and not the TEx Mex stuff that's out there

Regular contributor Priya Krishna wrote about them in today's New York Times Food section, Maritza and Reyna have had tremendous success with their restaurant Veracruz.I All Natural. lt is popular because it sells true regional Mexican food like street corn loaded with queso fresca and refreshing raspado, a refreshing shaved ice dish created from spices pureed fruit and milk. The Vazquez sisters also make pork torta, a fiery pulled pork sandwich. Their breakfast taco or miga is a stand our, much beloved by Austen residentsThe recipes have an extensive following. from  local food magazine editor Nadia CHaudery to Rachel Ray. Veracruz has even made it into the South by SOuthwest Festival.

The sisters came to Texas twenty-two years ago with their mother and Maritza's former husband and stepdaughter. They worked at a taqueria and was displeased with the food they made there. It was all Tex=Mex loaded with queso>They were successful in showing the locals good regional food from south of the border. Their LA one called Hot Tacos will sell tacos, taco bowls and quesadillas, It will be reasonably priced  with a steak bowl going for eleven dollars.They also have celebrated other Mexican immigrants  by supporting them when they've opened up their own eateries.

There are food trucks and there are food trucks that stand out. Hot Tacos will be like Veracruz All Natural will stand out. It will introduce good Mexican home cooking to a whole new fan base longing for the real taste of Mexico

Shredded

How to make an ingredient more interetring? Shred it like a guitarist with a song  or a gym rat with their abs. It's a great way of bringing out the flavor of meat, cheeses, veggies and fruit

Chicken is one of the easiest foods to shred.You can use store bought rotisserie chicken or  sauteed chicken breasts/ You can use your hands to do this however this can be messy. Try two forks or an electric mixer. You can even use a stand mixer. Once done, there's so many recipes to try. It works well in chicken salad or with barbecue sauce.It even makes a great pizza topping. Pulled pork is just as versatile but there's more work to it. You can season the meat with a rub that uses brown sugar or a marinade that has Coke or Pepsi in it. The soda tenderizes the beef proteins.Once cooked then it can be shredded using the two forks method. You can do the same with beef. Try cooking it to tenderness in a slow cooker. Shedding cheese is much easier> It's just grating any kind of cheese, whether cheddar or Parmesan into long shreds.

Veggies and fruits can also benefit from shredding>Most people are familiar with shredded carrots and cabbage> These have been standards for decades, gracing salads and slaws. Shredded cabbage can be turned into good for you sauerkraut. Cauliflower can be shredded into yummy and healthy rice. You can use a box grater or a food processor with a grater blade.It does need to be blotted with a paper towel to absorb the moisture and kept in a sealed container. It will emit a sulfuric odor that can mess with other foods in the fridge. Use it as you would regular rice. TRy it in stir fried dishes or herbed and buttered. `FRuit can be also shredded. Generations pf home chefs and bakers have used shredded coconut in main dishes and desserts. Be different and add it to salads for a different spin. Apples can also be shredded. These would be perfect in fritters or ontop of a coffee cake.  Mix them with caramel for a nice ice cream topping.

Shredded food highlights any recipe. It adds and puts a new spin on traditional dishes. try it  for a different texture.

Eating For Climate Change

 Every year around this time we bemoan the horrific weather. How can we deal with such sper storms like Hurricane Ida along with sizzling temperattures, massive droughts and devastating floods. Take a page out of Greta Thunberg's culinary playbook. Go vegan or at least vegetarian

Meat eaters need to know(as well as myself) that all those burgers is responsible for methane gases along with CO2 and nitrous oxide. There are other problems too like deforestation. THis happens in such cattle rich countries like Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. Brazil already has it bad thanks to the destruction of one of our most important rain forests, the Amazon.How does this land becoming grazing land? BY using wildfires which emit CO2  or carbon dioxide.Another problem is half the world's land is used for grazing by animals destined for our plates. DEcaying  manure from these animals also causes this gas. Our soil and water also also affected/ Our waterways become clogged, fertile lands become barren and there's an increased risk of flooding. This destroys all the veggie and fruit farms which drives up their prices and causes shortage.This also harms grain crops as well.

What to do? You may not be able to give up meat cold turkey but you can ease up on it. Thankfully and luckily there are all sorts of meatless alternatives.You can try Beyond Burgers once a week just to get acclimated. To make them taste like the old fashioned ground beef patties of our mothers' day, dust them with onion powder, salt and freshly ground pepper. Extras like caramelized onions and sliced avocados help amp up the taste factor. Air frying them also gives them flavor. Soy dogs are also good in the air fryer. Split them first down the middle and brush with melted I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. The result is a crispy , tasty dog that's even better tasting than the real thing. They're also good topped with chili and vegan shredded cheddar.Ground soy beef is also good in chili or Bolognese sauce. Morningstar Farms has excellent nuggets and chicken while Gardein has a whole range of plant based products from batter "fish" fillets to turkey and gravy, These are more than perfect and really do taste like the real thing,

Can you stop climate change? es in your own way by going meatless. Be conscious of what you cook and eat. It will make a difference.

Getting IntoThe School Lunch Groove

 It's been almost a year and a half away from school. There are going to be a lot of catching up and remembering what to do. That also applies to school lunches too. What to do? Take a crash course in mid day meals.

Some kids are pretty steadfast in their culinary likes and dislikes. If they were into peanut butter and jelly sandwiches then. they;ll still be into them now. Maybe change it up a bit by putting the age old combo on a bagel or croissant. Kids may also want the traditional bologna or ham sandwich.This is good save for the cold cuts, Try putting them on healthier whole grain or brown breads. Use vegan mayo or mustard for healthier condiments.Stick in some slice.Add some sliced bell peppers or grape tomatoes instead of potato chips. A few pretzels would also be appreciated too. What about what to drink? Tropicana has Farmstead Tropical Green orange juice that's a refreshing sip. There's also Ocean Spray's No Sugar Added  cranberry juice. The classic brand WElch's has a superberry one, sure to be a fast favorite,

What about those young food snobs? They've got to eat too. Think about a healthy and fun kale salad mixed with shredded rotisserie chicken and extras like almonds and walnuts. If all they want is pizza compromise. TRy a plum tomatoes and mozzarella on Italian bread. Drizzle with olive oil and dust on some oregano.The taste is more or less the same but much easier to carry. If they're super snobs, then think croissants with Brie and some grapes for dessert,.Toss in some baby carrots and broccoli florets. Let them pick out or create their own dressings.If they've gone vegan, then shop with them to pick out soy cold cuts. Don't scoff at their choices. Encourage them.What if they bemoan those babyish juice boxes and want to bring soda ? Again compromise with cans of flavored seltzer and eco friendly straws.

It's easy to get back into the school lunch groove. Pick what you kids like and will eat. Ask them their preferences too. It makes for a meal eaten and a tasty midday break.