Simply Organic (18 page)
Authors: Jesse Ziff Coole
MAKES
8
SERVINGS
Watermelon is the epitome of summer, and I love it made into this cool, refreshing dessert for a hot summer day. The rosemary and lemon perk up the watermelon in a most pleasing way.
6 cups watermelon cubes, seeded
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Put a 9-inch square metal baking pan in the freezer.
In a food processor or blender, purée enough of the watermelon to equal 3 cups.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the sugar and 1 cup water to a boil. Continue boiling for 5 minutes, or until it thickens to a heavy syrup. Pour into a large bowl and cool completely.
When the syrup has cooled, add the water-melon purée, lemon juice, and rosemary. Pour into the frozen baking pan, cover with foil, and return it to the freezer. Freeze, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours, or until partially frozen.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth but still frozen. Return the mixture to the baking pan, cover, and freeze for 3 more hours, or until frozen.
Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving. Scoop into dessert bowls.
KITCHEN TIP
Granitas are smoothest when prepared in an icecream maker. If you have one, pour the mixture into the container of your icecream maker and prepare according to manufacturer’s directions.
MAKES
12
TO
14
SERVINGS
This lovely light cake makes the perfect summer dessert. Use your favorite fruit juice to vary the recipe’s main flavor while still producing a deliciously delicate cake. If you can’t get organic fresh fruit juice, opt for frozen, which works just as well.
Cake
1 cup fruit juice, such as peach-mango, strawberry, guava, or orange
6 large eggs, separated
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
1½ cups sugar
1½ cups sifted whole grain pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons grated citrus zest, such as orange, lemon, or lime
Glaze
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons boiling water
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon grated citrus zest, such as orange, lemon, or lime
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the fruit juice for 10 minutes, or until reduced to ½ cup. Cool to room temperature.
Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add ½ cup of the sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
Put the egg yolks in another large bowl. Using the same beaters, beat the egg yolks on low speed until light and foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1 cup sugar and beat until creamy. Beat in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, fruit juice, and 4 tablespoons citrus zest just until blended. Pour the yolk mixture over the egg whites and gently fold in until well combined.
Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Invert onto a heavy, long-necked bottle, such as a wine bottle, to cool completely.
To make the glaze: Meanwhile, put the sugar in a large bowl. Add the water and stir for 2 minutes, or until the sugar melts. Cool slightly. Add the cream cheese and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and well blended.
When the cake is cool, invert onto a plate. Spread the glaze over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with walnuts and 1 tablespoon citrus zest.
pioneer profile
NEWMAN’S OWN ORGANICS
We cater events for thousands and often serve Newman’s Own Organics’ wonderful snack foods for nibbling. The reactions of the guests are overwhelmingly positive, and our staff enjoys some healthy, behind-the-scenes munching, too.
Nell Newman, the company’s cofounder, is a buddy of mine, and a remarkable grassroots leader in the organic food industry. The company continues to grow and offer more and more products. Because I know and trust Nell and her father, Paul Newman, we support Newman’s Own Organics in any way we can. Oh, did I mention that Nell and I both love to fly-fish? But she is a champion, and I am a humble novice at the sport.
Nell and her business partner, Peter Meehan, started Newman’s Own Organics: The Second Generation in 1993, as a division of Newman’s Own. They were sure there was a market for organic snack foods, but they couldn’t have anticipated just how fast the demand for their products would grow. The company started with pretzels and other snack foods and has expanded to include many other organic items: coffee, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, organic dried fruit, and pet food. Newman’s Own Organics is now a separate company, but it is still closely tied to Newman’s Own.
“‘Great-tasting products that happen to be organic’ is our slogan,” Nell says. “It really says a lot about us.” What Nell and other companies, both small and large, are realizing is that people want to know there is an identifiable person who cares about and monitors the food we purchase. Nell and her company are concerned about how the ingredients and products they offer are grown and how they taste.
When it comes to choosing which products to develop, Nell’s and her partner Peter’s personal preferences come into play. They produce the food they loved as kids, using high-quality organic ingredients.
Newman’s Own Organics’ products are certified by Oregon Tilth, one of the most respected certifying agencies in the country. The ingredients are grown on farms that have not used artificial fertilizers or pesticides for three years or more. The farms and processors have been certified by an independent third party. The products are sold nationwide in a number of mainstream supermarkets and many natural and health foods stores. The pet foods are sold in specialty pet stores and natural product stores.
Nell credits her parents for her desire to make a difference. “They taught me through their actions and the choices they’ve made,” she states. “Paul Newman has been a role model in showing how an individual company can make a difference,” Peter says. “Nell and I want to grow our business in the same way by producing good-tasting organic products with the goal of being able to make major contributions to a variety of charitable organizations and causes.”
Paul Newman gives away all his royalty payments from Newman’s Own Organics, after taxes, to educational and charitable organizations. Since 1982 he has given over $250 million to thousands of charities worldwide.
At summer’s end, when the memory of vacation fades, the routines of school and work urge me back to my kitchen. The days of casual summer dining are numbered, and leisurely meals at the table, surrounded by family and friends, seem important again. I Indian summer is a time of large platters overloaded with the bounty of just-picked goodness. It is a time to celebrate the harvest with family and friends and speak of fond memories of summer, as well as a time to honor and cherish the last summer crops, such as tomatoes and raspberries. I also give open-arm welcomes to baby acorn squash, broccoli, kale, chard, and other early fall arrivals. All earn prominent places on my dining room table. I Aware of the juxtaposition of seasons that Indian summer represents, I make conserving for the cold months ahead a priority, both at home and at my restaurant. My two food dryers are working nearly every night, the racks filled with tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, figs, and even berries. At the same time, herbs hang in bunches above my kitchen cabinets. Green tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, baby onions, and even Brussels sprouts are saved in jars filled with herbal or chile-infused vinegar. As the sweetness of summer disappears, I feel satisfied, knowing that I have created a kitchen that is ready for winter.
138 Stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms
139 Last-of-the-Summer Fettuccine
144 Boneless Leg of Lamb with Horseradish-Mint Yogurt and Dried Cranberries
145 Buckwheat Noodles with Winter Squash and Pork Loin
146 Smoked Sausage, Fuyu Persimmons, Walnuts, and Citrus Dressing
147 Old-Fashioned Creamed Spinach
148 Mashed Potato–Stuffed Peppers
149 Whole Grain Salad with Cucumber and Feta
151 Frisée with Spicy Maple Pecans
152 Green Tomatoes and Peppers
153 Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies
154 Upside-Down Pear Chocolate Cake
156 Coconut Custard Tartlets with Herb Crusts
MAKES
4
SERVINGS
Some flavor combinations just seem to work on the palate, and figs and rosemary is one of them. That’s why I like to cook figs on rosemary skewers, which lightly scent them during cooking.
4 rosemary skewers about 6 inches long (see Kitchen Tip) or 4 short wooden skewers
½ cup hearty red wine, such as Zinfandel or Cabernet
1 cup raspberries
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
8 brown or green fresh figs
4 very thin slices lean prosciutto, halved lengthwise
Put the skewers in a shallow baking dish. Add the wine and soak for 30 minutes. Remove the skewers and set aside. Add the raspberries, rosemary, brown sugar, and vinegar to the wine and mash the berries with a fork. Set aside.
Prepare a medium charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill or a broiler to medium heat. Lightly oil a grill rack or broiler pan.
Meanwhile, wrap each fig with a half slice of the prosciutto. Thread 2 figs onto each skewer.
Place the figs on the rack or pan. Grill or broil the figs, turning often, for 5 minutes, or until they are warmed thoroughly. Serve with the raspberry sauce.
KITCHEN TIP
To make the rosemary skewers, choose 4 straight branches and trim them so they are about 6 inches long. Run your hand down each branch against the grain of the needles and remove them. Chop a few needles for the recipe (you’ll need 1 teaspoon chopped). Put the rest in a jar to dry and use throughout the autumn season.
WITH
KUMQUATS
MAKES
8
SERVINGS
Kumquats appear often at the produce stands, but they are rarely used for anything but marmalade. This simple and seductive recipe was created spontaneously when I was a guest chef at an organic food show in Southern California. Not only is it easy, it is one of those dishes that has people begging for the recipe. I love ripened goat brie that is so soft, it oozes out of the rind. I splurge when bumping into a cheese maker at the farmers’ market, spending whatever on a small piece of cheese that is gloriously delicious.
8 ounces Brie or Camembert cheese (1 or 2 rounds, depending on their weight)
8 ounces kumquats
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup fruity white wine, such as Gewürztraminer, or white grape juice
1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Salt
1 loaf whole wheat Italian bread, thinly sliced (about 24 slices)
Put the cheese on a large plate and let come to room temperature.
Meanwhile, wash the kumquats, remove the stems, and slice them into rounds 1/8 inch thick. Put in a large bowl.
In a medium skillet over low heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the kumquats, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the kumquats are completely soft. Add the brown sugar, wine or grape juice, and red-pepper flakes and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened. Season with salt to taste. Cool slightly, then pour the sauce over the cheese. Serve immediately with the bread.
