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Weekend in Tulsa
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by Deborah Dove
In her book Animal, Vegetable, Mineral: A Year of Food Life, Barbara Kingsolver chronicles her family’s year-long journey away from the industrial food pipeline to a rural life in which they only ate food raised in their own neighborhood or grew themselves.
Anyone who’s ever eaten a homegrown tomato still warm from the garden knows the taste of "real" food. And anyone who reads Animal, Vegetable, Mineral will probably take to heart Kingsolver’s concern over how many chemicals and pesticides we ingest, as well as how many natural resources (think gasoline) are wasted when we buy without conscious thought to where our produce is coming from.
Oftentimes, produce has been genetically engineered to grow in its off season, has been sprayed with harmful chemicals to look good or stay fresh, or has traveled sometimes thousands of miles, only to sit in the supermarket for another week.
Although moving to a farm isn’t practical for most of us, the premise of Kingsolver’s book is achievable: shop local farmer’s markets, or even simply make a conscious decision to try to buy what’s in season at the grocery store. Chances are it will be fresher and retain more of its nutritional value. Luckily, fall provides a bounty of in-season fruits and vegetables that are rich in nutrition and taste. Apples, beets, broccoli, grapes, mushrooms, pears, green beans, pumpkins, raspberries, spinach, acorn and butternut squash, and many other fruits and vegetables reach their peak harvest time in the fall.
When shopping at farmer’s markets, bring small bills and change, a bag or tote and a cooler for perishable items. Shop early, if possible, as farmers often sell out before closing time.
Following are a few recipes to help you make the most of fall’s bountiful harvest.
Ratatouille
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 medium eggplant, pared and cut into cubes (about 4-6 c.)
2 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-in. slices (about 2 c.)
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 (8 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
4 tsp. beef-flavor instant bouillon or 4 beef bouillon cubes
1 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. basil leaves
1 tsp. oregano leaves
In large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook garlic in oil until lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients; cover and simmer 15 min. Uncover and stir; cook 10 min. longer or until vegetables are tender.
Magic Mushrooms
1/2 c. butter
1 onion, diced
24 large mushrooms, sliced
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic
12 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 c. sherry wine
Melt butter and saute onions till soft. Add mushrooms, and remaining ingriedients. Bring to a low simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve with steaks or chicken.
Broccoli and Cheese Soup
Cooking spray
1 c. chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 c. fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 stalks of broccoli, (stalks removed)
2-1/2 c. 2% reduced-fat milk
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. black pepper
8 oz. light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta Light)
Heat a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 min. or until tender. Add broth and broccoli. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes.
Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 min. or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.
Place one-third of the soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed soup mixture to pan.
Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
5 slices lean bacon, chopped fine
2 Tbs. minced shallot
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pt. sliced mushrooms
2 hardboiled eggs, sliced
1 lb. fresh young spinach, coarse stems discarded and leaves washed well and spun dry.
In a large skillet, cook bacon over moderate heat, turning it, until it is crisp, transfer it to paper towel lined plate to drain, and discard all but 2 Tbs. of the fat. In the remaining fat, cook the shallot for 1 min. Add the vinegar, sugar, mustard, oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, pour over spinach and toss. Top with sliced mushrooms and egg. Sprinkle with the bacon and serve.
Beef and Butternut Squash Chili
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14.5-oz.) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 (16-oz.) can chili beans
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 1-1/2 c.)
1 c. low-sodium beef broth
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 c. frozen corn kernels
Cook beef, bell pepper, and next 2 ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well, and return to Dutch oven.
Stir in tomatoes and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 min. Stir in corn and cook, uncovered, 15 min. or until squash is tender and chili is thickened.
Pumpkin Pecan Muffins
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. mashed pumpkin, fresh cooked or canned
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. milk
1/2 c. chopped pecans
Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add pumpkin and beat well. Combine 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, salt and spices; mix well. Add flour mixture to butter and sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat well after each addition. Dredge pecans in remaining 1/4 cup of flour; fold into batter. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake at 400° for 25 min. or until golden. Makes about 18 muffins.
Farmer’s Markets in the Area
Fairview Farms, east side of I-75 at Parker in Plano. Open daily in October from 10-7. 972-422-2500.
City of Dallas Farmers Market, 1010 S. Pearl. Open daily 6 a.m.-
6 p.m. 214-939-2808. www.dallasfarmers market.org.
Georgia’s Farmers Market, 916 E. 15th St., Plano (1 mile east of U.S. 75). No farmers, but produce purchased and identified from area farmers. Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 972-516-4765.
McKinney Farmers Market, Church at Louisiana (one block west of the courthouse). Sat. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. April thru October. 214-850-0886; www. mckinneyfarmersmarket.com. |
