Zucchini-blueberry bread

Have I warned you about planting mint in your garden?  No?  Ooops, sorry ’bout that.  I know I have told several people to only plant mint in containers since its root system will go crazy and you’ll never be able to get rid of it or kill it no matter how much you think you would never want to do such a thing.  I have said many times that I’d like to write a book titled “I Can’t Believe the World Isn’t Covered in Mint.”  I’ve changed my mind.  I think my book will be called “I Can’t Believe How Many People Plant So Much More Zucchini Than They Can Possibly Eat.”  Is this you?  It’s meeeeeee.  And I really should know better having grown up with a father who year after year planted too much zucchini.

I am devoting two posts in a row to zucchini because I sympathize with your plight, not because zucchini is some nutrient-dense vegetable, which it’s not.  It is an appropriate food for the summer months, though, due to its high water content and cooling thermal nature.  It is alkalizing to the body to boot.  I don’t know how alkalizing zucchini bread is, but when my kids devour it, I commend them on how wonderful it is that they enjoy green vegetables.  Then when zucchini is served for dinner, I just remind them it’s the same green that’s baked into the bread they love.

Many zucchini breads tend to be overly oily and loaded with sugar, but claim health benefits from a cup of shredded zucchini.  You’re not falling for that one, are you?  This one instead has a base of whole wheat pastry flour with a minimal amount of maple syrup to sweeten it.  I use either olive oil or melted coconut oil, which can be reduced with the addition of unsweetened applesauce (see the lead photo.)  Like a lot of the recipes I post, you can adapt this zucchini bread so many ways.  Our favorite way is with fresh blueberries and a touch of lemon zest.  It’s light and fresh and makes for a perfect quick summer breakfast or snack for camp.  I have also made it with raspberries instead of blueberries and that’s a winner, too.  I know you’re going to ask me if you can add chocolate chips, and who am I to tell you no?  If you use chocolate, I would drop the lemon zest though, and maybe add some walnuts.  Like I did right here.

Zucchini-Blueberry Bread

Pamela
5 from 4 votes
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Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup melted unrefined coconut oil or olive oil
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce or omit applesauce and increase oil to ½ cup
  • ½ cup organic 100% pure maple syrup
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 ½ cups shredded unpeeled zucchini, about 2 small
  • zest of half a lemon optional
  • ½ -1 cup fresh blueberries
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 ½ “ x 4 ½ “ loaf pan, or if aluminum, grease it and line it with parchment paper.
  • In a blender, blend together the oil, maple syrup, applesauce, eggs and vanilla. This helps to emulsify the oil and keeps your bread from being greasy.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry mixture.
  • Fold in the zucchini, lemon zest, blueberries and nuts. Pour into the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. When made with applesauce, it usually takes 5 minutes longer than when made without. Cool slightly, about 10 minutes, remove from pan, and cool completely on a rack.

Notes

You can also make these in standard muffin tins and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. This will yield about 12 muffins.
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Zucchini “pasta” recipe

We’re in pasta mode this week, but transitioning to zucchini mode, so I couldn’t help but post a recipe which covers both.  In the low-carb craze of the 90’s (although I’m not sure it’s over), I was intrigued by the idea of using things like zucchini and spaghetti squash in place of pasta.  “With the addition of tomato sauce, you will feel the same satisfaction of eating the real thing, but without the carbs!”   Those same people try to make veggie burgers taste like beef.  Don’t make me laugh.

That fact is, the first time I tried this method of cutting zucchini in the shape of papardelle noodles and adding some cooked down tomatoes, basil and garlic, I loved it.  Did I feel like I was eating regular pasta?  Not really.  Did I care?  Not at all.  I think this zucchini is absolutely terrific in it’s own right.  My husband, who is a pasta-lover, said, “I like this because I don’t feel gross after eating it.”  Aww, shucks.

When I taught this in my classes two years ago, I went against my better judgment and cooked the tomatoes and zucchini in the same pan.  I, like most people, enjoy cooking more than I enjoy washing dishes, so I am always conscientious of how many pots and pans I use.  But cooking the zucchini too long can make it watery, as does adding acid and salt too early.  So the best way is to do this is in two separate pans side by side.  If you really detest the idea of washing a second pan or if you don’t have 2 large ones, cook the tomatoes first and transfer them to a serving bowl.  Then cook the zucchini in the same pan and add the tomatoes back.  On the same note, don’t allow this to sit too long before serving, because the zucchini will start to release its water.  Unless of course you’re trying to photograph it, and you need to wait for the steam to subside so it doesn’t fog up your lens.

I know many of you are desperate for things to do with the abundance of zucchini from your gardens.  First of all, let me give you a pat on the back for growing something.  Love that!  But can I give you a little advice?  Stop competing with your neighbor for who can grow the biggest squash on the block.  We’re all guilty of it, but there’s nothing good that comes out of it.  Size does matter here, but smaller is better!  When you allow the zucchini to grow to the size of a regulation baseball bat, you end up with spongy, seedy and not tasty zucchini.  Pick them when they’re small and tender and you’ll be able to keep up with production, too.

If you like to come home from work and have dinner on the table in 15 minutes, then you’re better off cutting your zucchini in the morning or the night before.  I showed two methods for this above, either using a mandoline or a vegetable peeler, but it does take a little longer than normally prepping zucchini.  If you wanted to make this into a full meal, toss all of it with some freshly cooked pappardelle noodles, white beans for protein and a dusting of parmesan cheese, and it will all be worth it.

Zucchini "Pasta"

Pamela
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Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds small zucchini
  • 4 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 2 pounds tomatoes cored and chopped (seeded and/or peeled if you like)
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • Small handful of basil leaves slivered
  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter optional
  • Grated or shaved Parmiggiano-Reggiano or pecorino-romano cheese optional

Instructions
 

  • Trim the ends off the zucchini. Cut in half lengthwise. Slice lengthwise on a mandoline very thinly (thinner than 1/8-inch) to resemble pasta noodles. If you don’t have a mandoline, you can use a vegetable peeler.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until the sides begin to turn golden. Add the tomatoes and season with sea salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the basil.
  • In another large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the zucchini and sauté until just tender, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt and transfer to the tomato mixture with tongs, leaving the extra liquid in the pan. Toss to coat with the tomatoes. You can add an optional tablespoon of unsalted butter at this point to enrich the sauce, but not necessary.
  • Serve with freshly grated cheese, if desired.

Notes

Instead of cooking fresh tomatoes, you can add 1 cup of warmed tomato sauce to the cooked zucchini and serve with grated cheese on the side.
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Pasta alla checca recipe

pasta alla checca (raw tomato sauce)

When people tell me they don’t know how to cook, I know what they really mean.  They mean to say they don’t know how to cook well off the fly or they don’t have a deep repertoire of dishes that they can prepare with ease.  I say if you can read, you can cook.  Furthermore, most people can cook something they ate as a child, if nothing else.  If I learned zip about cooking and never stepped foot in a kitchen after I left home, I would at least be able to make Pasta alla Checca.

I actually got a little choked up in a class last month when I reminisced about how I ate this pasta dish weekly during the summers of my youth.  Pasta alla Checca is nothing more than pasta with a raw tomato and basil sauce.  Sounds simple, but the success of the dish relies on the quality of the tomatoes.  If you have divine tomatoes, the pasta will be fabulous.  If not, it will be forgettable.  Therefore, I implore you only to make this dish in the summer when tomatoes have a chance of being splendid.  If you make this dish in January with pale, dreary tomatoes and email me that you don’t know why this didn’t taste like very much, I might just direct you back to this post.

We always had beautiful, tasty tomatoes and basil growing in the backyard and this was an easy weeknight dish for my mom to pull together after a day at the beach or if was too hot to do too much in the kitchen.  My mom was not one for creating extra work for herself, but she always insisted on peeling the tomatoes for this dish.  I have made it both ways and she is totally right — peeling the tomatoes is worth every minute of the 5 minutes it will take you.  When the tomatoes are without their skins, they release more of their juices and flavors and everything just tastes so much richer and more…tomato-y!  My mom used to buy that atrocious plastic-wrapped Polly-O mozzarrella, cube it and marinate it in the tomato mixture while she was cooking the pasta.  When the hot pasta hit the cheese, it melted ever so slightly and yours truly would fight her sisters for it.  If you decide to go this route, keep in mind the garlic cloves are crushed in the sauce and tend to look very much like melted mozzarrella, so you might want to pull out the garlic before serving.

 

pasta alla checca (raw tomato sauce)

If you are not eating tomatoes right now, you’re missing out.  Even if you don’t eat pasta, make the tomato mixture and put it on top of any number of things — steamed green beans, grilled eggplant, grilled bread, poached or grilled fish or chicken.  The season is short and fleeting and nothing says summer like a real sunkissed vineripened tomato.  To this day, just the aroma of this tomato and basil mixture immediately makes me think summer.  The good news is, you still have plenty of summer left to enjoy it.

pasta alla checca (raw tomato sauce)

Pasta Alla Checca

Pamela
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Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds ripe tomatoes about 6 medium (or more if you like a high ratio of tomatoes to pasta)
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • ¼ cup torn or sliced fresh basil leaves
  • ¼ cup unrefined cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt to taste I think 3/4 teaspoon is about right.
  • 1 pound dried pasta I like a pasta which catches the tomatoes, such as orrecchiette or conchiglie. My mom always made it with spaghetti.
  • Kosher salt to season the pasta water

Instructions
 

  • In a pot large enough to fit the tomatoes, fill ¾ with water and bring to a boil ("instant hot" from your sink won't work, already tried it.) Cutting through the skin, make an “x” on the bottom of each tomato with a knife. Turn the heat off and submerge the tomatoes in the water for 20-30 seconds, depending on the size of the tomatoes. Remove the tomatoes from the water with a slotted spoon and place on a cutting board. Peel (non-negotiable), core, seed (if you want) and chop the tomatoes.
  • Place the tomatoes in a serving bowl. Add the garlic, basil, olive oil, and a few healthy pinches of sea salt to taste. Toss to combine.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 Tablespoon kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions or until al dente. Remove 1 cup pasta cooking water and reserve (you won't need it if your tomatoes are juicy.) Drain the pasta. Immediately add to the serving bowl with the tomatoes and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid if necessary to moisten the pasta. Remove garlic before serving, if desired.
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Guide to gluten-free pastas

I meet many people in my classes who are sensitive to gluten, a hard-to-digest protein found in wheat, rye, barley, farro and spelt.  Perhaps you aren’t gluten-intolerant, but are wisely monitoring your intake of it.  I’m a big advocate of “include a wide variety of foods in your diet” and “everything in moderation,” especially when it comes to eating gluten, which is very inflammatory to the body.  However, one food that is tough for many gluten-sensitive people to give up is traditional wheat pasta.  The good news is that there has been an onslaught of gluten-free products on the market in the last several years, although many of the new foods are processed and no better than their wheat-based counterparts.  Regardless, if you can’t eat wheat, it’s nice to have a few good choices for gluten-free pasta.  I’ve experimented with many of them and I’ll give you my take right here.

The main trick to tasty gluten-free pasta is in the cooking.  It has a tendency to stick together if you don’t stir it regularly, especially immediately after pouring it into the water.  Also, it can go from al dente to mush very quickly, so test it earlier than the package directions indicate.

Bionaturae pasta:  Available at Whole Foods and amazon.com, this organic pasta is made from a blend of rice flour and starch, soy flour and potato starch.  This is the closest to real pasta of the whole lot and my favorite.  Unfortunately it is also one of the most expensive at about $4.59 for 12 ounces (less by the case at amazon.)

Brown rice pasta: I like the Tinkyada brand and the house brand from Trader Joe’s. Both are organic and are a close second to Bionaturae.   Do not go by the package directions on the Tinkyada bag!  Start testing the pasta after it has been cooking for 8 minutes, but it should not take longer than 10 minutes.  Tinkyada is about $3.69/pound and Trader Joe’s is about $2.00/pound.  There’s also another brand of rice pasta called Notta Pasta, which has an almost cult-like following, but it’s not organic.  I have see it on Amazon.com.  Believe me, there are many more brands, but some are so ridiculously expensive that I’d rather eat plain rice.

Quinoa pasta: I have tried Ancient Harvest and Andean Deam, both organic and available from Whole Foods or  amazon.com.  Ancient Harvest is made from a mixture of a corn flour and quinoa flour.  Andean Dream is a blend of rice flour and quinoa flour from royal quinoa, a variety that is very high in protein. These brands cook at different rates and different shapes have different cook times, as well.  I prefer Andean Dream over Ancient Harvest because I don’t love the corn flavor from AH.

Rice noodles or sticks: These translucent rice flour noodles are delicate and versatile. I’ve seen them in Asian grocery stores and some supermarkets in the Asian section.  You need to reconstitute them in warm water for about 20 minutes and then cook for another minute in boiling water.

Soba noodles:  Most soba noodles are made from a blend of wheat and buckwheat flours, but you can find 100% buckwheat soba noodles by Eden Organic.  They can be very tricky to work with if you aren’t attentive.  Be careful of the pot foaming over and the noodles sticking together.   I love the earthy, almost mushroomy flavor of all-buckwheat soba noodles, but I use them mostly in Asian noodle salads or soups.  Very expensive, about $7 for a half pound.

Ready to try some out?  Here are some great recipes already on my site:  Basil-Parsley Pesto; my childhood favorite, Pasta alla Checca; or clean out your fridge with Pantry Pasta.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with gluten-free pastas.  Favorite brands?  Good tips?

 

Chickpea and deconstructed pesto salad

Summer around my house is very loosey-goosey.  We lack a bit of structure when school is not in session.  On any given night, it varies who will be here for dinner and I often find myself cooking for either just two people or for an army.  This can be tricky for me since I make my menu for the week every Sunday night, but over the years I have also learned how to be flexible and not anxious if I have enough fish for 5 and all of a sudden we’re down to 2.

Daughter #1 and I found ourselves solo for dinner last night, but it was late and neither one of us had the motivation to do anything more than open a can of chickpeas.  Of course we’re girls and we are just fine eating a meal without meat and still calling it dinner.  We made this chickpea salad and grilled up some zucchini, because who can eat a meal without zucchini in it these days?  It’s taking over the world!!  Remind me next spring not to plant so much.  And the two of us stood at the kitchen counter leaning over the salad bowl shoveling in spoonful after spoonful of chickpea salad, exclaiming “this is so good!” after every bite, alternating with dropping ribbons of grilled zucchini in our mouths.

This is hands-down the easiest salad you will ever make and if you are growing your own basil, you likely already have everything you need to put this together in five minutes.  Thank goodness for pantry staples!  This is fabulous to bring to a barbeque or picnic since you can make it ahead and nothing happens to it.  It’s even great the next day.  Last night I added halved cherry tomatoes at the last minute and I have also thrown in chopped, blanched green beans to make it more substantial.  Be forewarned, there is a nice punch of raw garlic which I love, but if you don’t care to eat garlic, you can just smash it and add it for a subtle undertone.  The idea is to make a salad with all the flavors of pesto without having to make pesto.  Actually, the idea of this salad is to barely do anything at all, but still eat something utterly delish.

 

 
 
 

 
 
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Chickpea and Deconstructed Pesto Salad

Pamela
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Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 15-ounce cans rinsed and drained
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 2 small garlic cloves minced
  • 3-4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice about 1 lemon
  • 3 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt or to taste
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup grated pecorino-romano sheep's milk cheese or parmesan cheese (cow's milk cheese)

Instructions
 

  • Combine all salad ingredients in a serving bowl and toss well to combine. That's it!

Notes

Also delicious with halved cherry tomatoes (see lead photo), arugula and/or blanched green beans. I added some thinly sliced radicchio once and that was nice, too.
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Stone fruit crostata with spelt crust

I have been lucky enough to have had a summer intern working by my side for the last two months and for most of last summer, too.  Hannah is entering her junior year at Cornell as a public policy major and has been an absolute joy to have in the kitchen.  Sadly, today is her last day working with me and I asked her to share her thoughts about what she has learned about cooking the last two summers and how she came to be an expert crostata-maker.

Hannah:  “I never learned to cook growing up. I was always running off to volleyball practice or studying for my next test. I was the girl who had a hard time making rice on the stovetop without burning the pot. While I was home from college for the holidays during my freshman year, my mom brought me to one of Pamela’s cooking classes. As I was sitting in her kitchen, my interest was sparked!   I was inspired to learn how to cook and soon developed a passion for healthful food.   I totally drank her Koolaid! After being thrown into Pamela’s kitchen for 8 weeks, last summer and this summer, I have seen my skills develop immensely from hands-on cooking. There were many things I thought I would never be able to do because they were totally outside my skill level, but after spending some time in the kitchen, I felt my confidence and competence grow and I was having fun. Since returning from college I have realized how learning how to cook is such an invaluable skill. I don’t want to have to rely on fast food for the rest of my life nor do I want to lose my girlish figure by indulging in highly processed foods! The freshman 15 was hard enough to keep off!

My ah-ha moment in the kitchen came the other day when Pamela was preparing a pastry crust for one of her classes. As she was rolling out the dough she looked at me and asked if I wanted to give it a try. I quickly replied, “Ohh nooo. I could never roll out pastry dough, are you kidding!” But after seeing Pamela roll out dough already ten times this month, I figured I should try. Pamela handed over the rolling pin and slowly but surely the ball of dough relaxed into a 14 x 14 inch circle. Perfect with no cracks and only a minimal amount of flour on the floor. She knew if I tried it, I could do it!

I know that making pastry crust from scratch seems intimidating , but it’s amazing how easy it can come if you just try it! I have decided to pass along a few tips I learned to making a successful pastry crust.  Making the dough should only take a minute, so make sure that you have all your ingredients ready (ice cold water, butter cut into 1 inch pieces in the refrigerator.) It is helpful to make pastry when the kitchen is cool, like in the morning because a warm kitchen causes the butter in the dough to soften too fast, making the dough gooey too work with.  As you’re rolling out the dough if you feel the crust softening, put it back in the refrigerator before you put it in the oven. This will keep your crust from melting while baking. I also found that laying almond meal on the dough under the fruit keeps the crust from getting soggy. There was one class at someone else’s house where Pamela and I forgot to bring almond meal and all we could find in the pantry were some vanilla wafers. We quickly ground them up in the food processor and it worked!  We had success once with cooked millet, too, but not so much with cooked quinoa or rolled oats.

All in all, my message to you first-time pastry-makers is to just try it! I have heard some people claim that they can’t even follow a recipe, but I don’t believe it!   Learning by doing has been so enlightening for me.  Everything is not as hard as it looks, even rolling out pastry dough!”


Stone Fruit Crostata with Spelt Crust

Pamela
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Servings 8 -10

Ingredients
  

  • Crust:
  • 1 2/3 cups spelt flour* or all-purpose flour + extra for rolling the crust
  • ¼ cup cornmeal or polenta
  • 1 Tablespoon natural cane sugar or maple sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 14 Tablespoons chilled unsalted butter cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1/3 cup ice water if using all-purpose flour, start with 4 Tbs. water and add as needed
  • Filling:
  • 3-4 Tablespoons natural cane sugar or maple sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon flour
  • 4 medium peaches or nectarines pitted and each cut into 16 slices or apricots cut into quarters
  • ½ pint basket of raspberries or blackberries
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • ½ cup ground almonds bread crumbs, cookie crumbs, or cooked millet
  • 1 egg beaten (for brushing on crust)

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine first 4 ingredients and pulse to combine. Add cold butter and process just until pea-size pieces form. Start to pour the ice water through the feed tube and turn on the food processor. Blend until dough just comes together. Test this by squeezing a small handful of dough – it should clump together. If doesn’t, add a few more drops of water. Gather dough into a ball. Flatten into a disk. Wrap in parchment paper and chill at least 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a sheet of foil on the lower rack of the oven to catch any drippings.
  • Gently combine all the filling ingredients (except crumbs and egg) in a medium bowl and set aside.
  • Dust the countertop and a rolling pin lightly with a little spelt flour and some cornmeal. Unwrap the disk of dough and place the parchment paper on a rimless baking sheet or you can use the underside of a rimmed baking sheet. This will make it easier to remove the crostata later. Roll out the dough to a 14-inch circle on the floured countertop, flipping the dough occasionally to prevent sticking to the countertop and using additional flour as needed. You should always be able to move your dough around the countertop without it sticking. Transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet. (I like to fold the pastry in half and then half again and then unfold it on the parchment.)
  • Sprinkle the dough with the almond meal or cookie crumbs, leaving a 2-inch border uncovered. Pour the fruit and juices onto the the almond meal. Brush the border of the dough with egg. Lift about 2 inches of dough over the tart and pinch closed. Keep lifting and folding dough until a 6-inch circle of fruit remains uncovered. Brush folded border with egg. Sprinkle with raw sugar if desired.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and the crust is a beautiful golden brown. Slide the crostata and the parchment to a cooling rack and allow to cool to just warm or room temperature.

Notes

Spelt flour has a lower gluten content than wheat flour, making it more digestible and resulting in a more tender pastry. I buy spelt flour in the bulk section at Whole Foods. In pastry crusts, white flours are much easier to work with and taste better than whole grain flours. If you must, you can sub 2/3 cup whole grain pastry flour for 2/3 of the white spelt flour.
Gluten-free adaptation: substitute 1 cup King Arthur all-purpose gluten-free baking mix + 2/3 cup gluten-free oat flour + 1 teaspoon xanthan gum for the spelt flour. Keep everything else the same.
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Watermelon agua fresca

We just dropped Mr. Picky off at the bus to take him to sleepaway camp for two weeks.  The goodbye was a tearful one.  The tears were all mine and my husband’s, of course.  He couldn’t wait to be on his own, playing sports all day long and eating kid cuisine to his heart’s content.  I said the same thing to him that I said to the girls just before we left them on their own for two weeks.  “I love you super much.  Have the best time! Don’t drink any soda.”  My husband looked at me like I was a fringe lunatic, which you all know I’m not.

We’ve all got our own rules for how we eat.  I have my personal 90/10 rule  — 90% of the time I try to eat the very best I can, as close-to-the-source and nutritious as possible.  10% of the time I stray from the path, but I feel no guilt about it.  My kids are not on this plan since I am not with them 90% of their day and who the heck knows what they’re eating when I am not around.  I’m pretty realistic in the sense that if I deny them all sweets, processed food, junk, it will backfire on me and they will likely get sneaky about it.  Let’s say they’re on a 66/34 plan.  HOWEVER, I do have one strict food rule that I expect everyone to abide by — absolutely, positively NO SODA.  I have given my kids and my husband a list of reasons why they should never poison themselves with this good-for-nothing liquid and I keep no soda in my house.  At one point this caused an argument between my husband and me because he felt that we should have a few soft drinks just in case we have guests who would like one.  Really?  I wouldn’t serve soda to a dehydrated stray cat let alone someone that I care about.  So far no one has complained (at least not to my face).  The rule stays.

So what do we drink in this house?  Purified water, mostly.   Mr. Picky also drinks raw milk.  The girls and my husband make a lot of herbal iced tea and I drink green tea and tulsi tea.  But in the summer when melons are in season, I love making agua frescas.  These are natural homemade fruit drinks, the same way lemonade comes from lemons, unless you use a scooper and powdered something-or-other and then you and I need to spend more time together.  But unlike lemonade, agua frescas contain little to no sugar since you are starting with fruit that is sweet, like melons or berries.  They are so refreshing on a hot day and are pretty as can be in a tall glass.  Who needs soda?  We had some friends over the other night and I made a few pitchers of watermelon agua fresca, one with mint and the other without.  The kids were loving them, as were the adults and I never heard any queries for soda.  However, I did notice two of the adults add a splash of vodka when they thought I wasn’t looking.

My kids think of agua fresca as a “treat,” but it’s really just fruit blended with water with the occasional spoonful of raw honey or sugar added if the fruit wasn’t perfectly sweet.  I have made cantaloupe and honeydew agua frescas, as well as watermelon blended with strawberries which is absolutely terrific.  You know when you get a melon that’s a little mealy, but still has good flavor?  Instead of throwing it away, use it in an agua fresca.  If your kids are hooked on soda, maybe try this agua fresca recipe, but cut the water in half and add sparkling water to the strained mixture.  Baby steps, people!

Watermelon Agua Fresca

Pamela
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Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 large watermelon rind removed and fruit cut into large chunks, a little over 8 cups (the fruit without the rind weighed about 3 pounds)
  • 4 cups water
  • 8 fresh mint leaves optional
  • juice of half a lime about 1 1/2 Tablespoons (don't skip this; it really perks up the flavor.)
  • 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar or raw honey if you need it

Instructions
 

  • Place half the fruit and half the water in a blender and puree until smooth. Taste for sweetness. If you think you will need to add sugar, add it in the next batch. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher or a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining fruit and water, adding the mint leaves if you are using them and sugar. Blend until smooth. Strain. Stir in lime juice. Chill until ready to serve.
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Citrus poached wild salmon with cucumber-yogurt sauce

So Miss Vegetarian (aka Daughter #2) has decided that she isn’t as opposed to meat as she once declared.  You might remember back in April that my 12-year-old announced her abstinence from all animal flesh and whole eggs.  She would have been vegan if it weren’t for her love of cheese and ice cream.  I have no problem with vegetarianism since I was one for many years.  You’ve gotta do what’s good for you.  But I had a hunch that my daughter wouldn’t make it to 13 as a vegetarian.  Call it mother’s intuition or maybe just the vivid image I still have of her gnawing on a t-bone until it was dry.

So the recent announcement from Daughter #2 is that she has decided that she is only fish-averse.  Is that the opposite of a pescatarian?  Well, bummer, because that’s the one animal protein I was hoping she would come back to.  I love fish, especially salmon, and I have always been so grateful that my family enjoys it, even Mr. Picky.  Well, except for my husband, who is “allergic” to salmon, but will eat most all other varieties.

One of my favorite ways of preparing salmon is poaching.  My husband likes when I poach fish because he says it doesn’t make the house smell “fishy,” but I like it because it is ridiculously quick and easy and a very healthful way of preserving all the wonderful Omega-3 fats in salmon.  In the summer poaching is a no-brainer because it’s a perfect alternative to grilling, which you are all doing too much of.   You can poach your salmon in the morning and serve it cold for dinner or use the poached fish on top of an entree salad or turn it into salmon salad for a sandwich.  My kids prefer poached salmon slightly warm and they looove this cucumber-yogurt sauce, which is creamy, cool and slightly tangy.  I have also served poached salmon with a salsa of fresh tomatoes, basil and olive oil.

Many of my students have asked me if I continue to eat wild fish after the nuclear event in Japan, and I still do.  My friends at Vital Choice Seafood have addressed the issue to my satisfaction and that’s that.  I am honestly more concerned about consuming farm raised seafood.  I’m sure there are sustainable fish farms out there, but I don’t have time to go look for them.  In the meantime, I am comfortable eating wild salmon once per week and Daughter #2 can just have her cucumber-yogurt sauce with a spoon.

Citrus Poached Wild Salmon with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

Pamela
5 from 2 votes
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Servings 4 -6, depending on how big you cut the salmon

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups dry white wine
  • 3 cups water
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Juice of ½ orange
  • ½ lemon sliced
  • ½ orange sliced
  • Few sprigs of parsley
  • Few sprigs of dill
  • 1 24- ounce side of wild salmon cut into individual portions
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce recipe follows

Instructions
 

  • Place all the ingredients except salmon, salt and sauce in a deep skillet, preferably one with straight sides and a lid. (I used a 10-inch.) Bring to a simmer.
  • Season salmon with sea salt to taste. Gently transfer the salmon pieces to the pan, skin side down, beginning with the thickest pieces and ending with the thinnest. Cover the skillet and simmer over low heat until the salmon is just cooked through, about 5-6 minutes, longer for thicker fillets. Do not boil.
  • Transfer the salmon by removing the thinnest piece first and the thickest piece last. Allow to cool slightly and serve immediately with cucumber-yogurt sauce or cover and refrigerate until cold.

Notes

CUCUMBER-YOGURT SAUCE
¾ cup Greek yogurt (I like full fat.)
½ cup grated unpeeled cucumber, such as Persian, Japanese or English
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill or mint
1 small clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons drained capers
1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
¾ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
a few grinds of black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small serving bowl. Cover and chill until cold.
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