Hideaway Sherbet

Technically speaking tomatoes are a fruit. But that's being very technical. For the most part we use them in savory dishes and leave it at that. This unusual use of tomato brings a tart edge to the sweetness of the strawberries. The combination makes a very bright tasting sherbet with a mysterious difference. For yet another dimension try adding a teaspoon of fresh ginger or 1 tablespoon ginger or mint.

Strawberry-Tomato Sherbet

(Adapted from the Vita-Mix website)

Makes 4 cups

1 cup ripe tomatoes

1/4 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

1 pound frozen, unsweetened strawberries

Place all ingredients in the container in the order listed. Secure lid and insert tamper. Select variable speed #1. Turn on machine and quickly increase speed to #10; then to high. Push frozen fruit into blades with the tamper until mixture is blended and frozen. Four mounds should form when mixture is done in about 30 to 60 seconds. Do not overmix or mixture will begin melting. Serve immediately.

Jaws!

Just when you thought it was safe to dip your toes back in the pedicure water, you find there's something fishy going on. Literally. 

The latest in spa treatments is to get the dead skin on your feet nibbled off by dozens of little fishies. When razors were deemed unhygienic by the Virginia board of health, one innovative nail salon, Yvonne's Hair & Nail and Tan, figured out a solution. The

y imported little fish from Turkey that are used to living in murky waters with little food choices.

 This natural deprivation makes them amenable to snacking on calloused heels and crusty cuticles. 

To be sure, this is a physical sensation that's hard to describe. Some people find it tickles. I thought it felt like the uncontrollable electrical pulse firings I sometimes get in my eyelid. It almost feels like something happening from the inside, rather than the outside, of your skin. No matter wha

t you think it feels like, everyone I went with agreed it was hilarious and ultimately quite pleasant. I sure wouldn't mind coming home from a long day to soak my feet in a tub of these fish every night. 

I asked if skin makes up their whole diet. "No. It would be like eating nothing but salad. Sometimes you need a steak." At night they put them in tanks where they eat well-balanced nutrients. Whether this is a novelty or of real benefit is really irrelevant. It's an event.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy the experience. It's good to be a big foot in a small pond.

Poor Man's Brunch

Adapted from "A Man's Whirled"

(Makes about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 small onion

2 ounces smoked salmon

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

2 teaspoons capers

Put all the ingredients into the container of the Vita-Mix. Start on variable #1, increase to 5 and tamper around the edges to get all combines. 

Chill in a covered bowl for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Rich Inheritance

In America we're all mutts, and proudly so. The more generations we add, the muttier we get. I have all sorts of countries, continents and ethnicities in me. My mom tells me there are many ways I take after my spunky Scottish grandmother. I'm very pleased to share her grit and ingenuity. One thing she passed on that had nothing to do with genetics is this amazing shortbread recipe. 

It's all about the butter. If you can, make the butter in the Vita-mix. Otherwise, get the highest quality.

Scottish Shortbread

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1/2 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

2 cups flour

Pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the Vita-Mix container. Start on variable #1, increase to #7. Use tamper to combine until completely creamed. Stop and scrape sides as needed. Add flour and salt. Pulse on #7 several times. Use tamper and scrape sides with spatula a couple of times. 

Scrape out into an 8 inch cake pan or shortbread mold. Spread the dough flat with your fingers, lightly floured if necessary to keep from sticking. (If using a regular pan, score the top of the dough where you want to break the finished shortbread into pieces. Dot the top with the tines of a fork for a traditional appearance.)

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the edges just begin to turn golden.

Cool in the pan.

Win Some, Lose Some

I thought I'd make a winning combination: yogurt and granola. They go together like Sunny and Cher, like Ricki and Lucy, like Tony and Maria. Of course, non of those famous pairs ended up living happily ever after. So I guess it's fitting that I should compare my kitchen duo to them. 

My yogurt to-be mixture sat in the oven for almost 6 hours and all it turned into was a tepid pool of rehydrated milk with a skin on top. Not quite what I was going for. However my granola was a success; nutty, oaty and toasty with just a touch of sweetness. You can be completely interpretive with this recipe as long as you keep the ratio of dry to wet ingredients the same. It's a great way to use up odds and ends from your bulk goods cabinet.

(I have used non-fat Greek yogurt in place of my failed attempt at homemade.)

Left Foot Granola (looking for the other shoe to dance with)

(makes about 6 cups)

3 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick-cooking)

1/4 cup black sesame seeds

1/4 flax seeds

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup dry, unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup powdered milk

1/2 cup salted Spanish peanuts (you can use regular peanuts, but the salt gives a nice depth)

1/4 cup raw almonds, chopped

1/2 cup safflower oil

3/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Mix the oats through the almonds in a large bowl.

Combine safflower oil, honey, vanilla and cinnamon in the container of the Vita-Mix. Start on variable #1 and increase to #4. Run until completely emulsified, about 15 seconds.

Add blender mixture to dry ingredients and combine.

Spread onto a jelly-roll sheet (cookie sheet with sides). Bake for 50 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Transfer granola to an airtight container for storage.

"Mystical Chocolate"

This is one of those ever-so satisfying tricks of the kitchen. A special dessert with all the associations of high French cuisine and it takes mere minutes to make (a couple of hours to chill). This will fast become my go-to dinner party closer.

"Chocolat Mystique"

(Makes 4 servings)

6 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon espresso powder, such as Medaglia D'Oro (not ground espresso)

4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)

Dash of salt

2 eggs, as fresh as possible

Place the chocolate and vanilla in the container of the Vita-Mix.

Heat the milk, espresso, butter and salt in a small pot until the milk is scalded, about 3 minutes.

Pour the milk mixture over the chocolate in the blender and start blending on variable #1, increase to #4, until the chocolate is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.

With the motor running, add the eggs through the top  and blend.

Pour into 4 cups or glasses. Chill until set, about 1 1/2 hours. Garnish with whipped cream.

The Buzz

I've been researching bee pollen, listed as a super food. It claims to cure everything from arthritis to obesity. I don't know if all this is true, but I figure it certainly can't hurt. The most fascinating thing I read (more than once) was a study in which mice were kept alive, perfectly healthy, on nothing but bee pollen. It contains all the nutrients necessary for life. It is flavorless when combined with a smoothie and grinds up to nothing, so why not?

Feeling Horny Honey? Smoothie

1 kiwano melon (horned melon)

1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon bee pollen

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon orange blossom water

4 coconut water ice cubes (or regular ice cubes)

Combine all in the container of the Vita-Mix. Start on variable #1, increase to #10, then high for 30 seconds, until completely smooth.

Peachy Keen

The white peaches at the farmer's market smelled like the best kind of shower gel. I wanted to get naked and roll around in them. Instead, since there was a crowd, I bought some to take home. What I do with my peaches is my business. OK, so what I did with them was make sorbet. Not quite as erotic as gettin' jiggy with 'em, but close...

White Peach-Basil Sorbet

(Makes about 3 cups)

4 white peaches, pitted, sliced and frozen (to keep them from sticking together while freezing lay them out on a cookie sheet.)

Simple syrup infused with basil*

Juice of 1 lime

Combine all in the container of the Vita-Mix. Start on Variable #1, increase to #10. Use tamper if needed to combine ingredients. Run until the motor sounds changes, about 1 minute.

*To make the simple syrup: Combine 12 ounces water with 1/4 cup sugar or sweetner of your choice. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped basil. Cool completely then strain basil out of the syrup. Chill the syrup before using for the sorbet.

Pesto Change-o!

Nothing new about pesto. But it became a classic because it's so darn good. Garlic, basil and cheese? What's not to like? I paired it with the tubular pasta because the shape makes me think of grade school craft projects where we painted them and made necklaces our mom's were obliged to wear. I'm sure other, less fun pastas would also work, but why not use one that makes you smile.

Ageless Pesto

Makes about 4 cups (admittedly way too much). Freeze leftover pesto in ice cube trays for easy use in the future.

11 ounces Parmesan cheese

1 cup raw almonds

1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves

2 large cloves garlic

1 1/2 - 2 cups olive oil, depending on how thin you want your pesto

1 teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

I don't usually advise dealing with ingredients independently before throwing into Thor. But in this case you will be processing quite a few hard foods and it is best to do them separately before combining.

Chop the Parmesan cheese into chunks. Put in container of Vita-Mix. Variable on #1, increase to #10. Grind until uniform and the size of smallish pebbles.

Empty cheese into a bowl.

Place the almonds in the container. Variable on #1, increase to #10. Stop when still fairly coarse. You do not want almond flour.

Return the cheese to the container and add the other ingredients. Variable #1, to #5. Pulse if necessary to dislodge the mixture from the sides. Use tamper to blend thoroughly. The final mixture will be thick and fairly solid. If you prefer a smoother pesto, just add more olive oil.

Salt of the Earth

I grew up thinking all salt was created equal and came out of a blue box with a little girl on the label. When I got a little older I discovered kosher salt and the added dimension it can lend to cooking. In the last couple of years I have been introduced to sea salt, smoked salt, Himalayan pink salt, and a variety of others. Salts take up whole shelves in the grocery store now and have as many pedigreed names as artisinal processed tea.

I haven't needed to replenish my salt supply since visiting Paris two years ago (one nice thing about salt is that a little goes a long way). But as I came to the bottom of my stash I searched for something comparable to the fine fleur de sel I had gotten in France. Like many luxuries, once you've tasted the "real deal" there's no going back, and plenty of imitators want to fit the bill.

It was my good fortune to wander into the Old Spice Traders outside of Tampa where they sell no fewer than 23 different kinds of salt. The Applewood Smoked Sea Salt smells as if you've gotten caught in a campfire. It is great for adding a dimension to vegetable dishes for people who don't eat bacon. 

Kinky Hardware

I passed a building under construction today with a cardboard box sitting out front, presumably awaiting installation. The box proclaimed its contents in large block letters: "Steel Pipe Nipples". Does it get any better? I read it twice just to be sure I wasn't wishing it into existence. I think this would make an excellent band name. They could open for Nine Inch Nails. 

Until they go on tour here's a drink inspired by that sighting. It isn't all fuzzy hearts and kittens. It has a sour edge and a bit of a pickly flavor. But if you got up on the wrong side of bed, what else would you'd expect?

Feeling Prickly But Smoothie

1 Kiwano melon

2 tablespoons prickly pear cactus nectar

1/2 cup Kefir

2 tablespoons non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon bee pollen

Dash cayenne

4 ice cubes of coconut water

Handful of baby spinach

All go into the Vita-Mix container in the order given. Variable speed #1 to #10, then high for about 40 seconds - long enough to pulverize the seeds and pollen granules.

Why I chose these ingredients

1. The Kiwano melon is a fruit with attitude. Everything about it says, "Go away. Leave me alone." So, naturally I was drawn to it. The label helpfully describes its flavor as "cucumber-banana", which does nothing to conjure a flavor for me. It has more of a "green" flavor than fruity. The little seeds look like alien embryos - creepy, but mesmerizing.

2. Prickly Pear Cactus Nectar for its "prickliness", of course.

3. Bee pollen for its sting.

4. Cayenne for its fiery bite

5. Spinach for its iron (steel wasn't available).

It's Alive!

Given my doubts, I was doubly surprised and pleased when my little seeds came to life in my sprouter. Now I have to figure out how I'm going to use such abundance, but that's a whole 'nother post. For now it is enough to bask in my success. 

When I ordered my GEO sprouter I also ordered a book, "Sprouts for Health: Pocket Guide for City Growers." That's me, I thought. So I threw it into the virtual cart. 

Then I got it and the introduction read, "We wish the book to be a handy reference for those enthusiasts who are curious about the subject and we trust that you will all be bewitched by the fascinating world of sprouts." Bewitched? Perhaps that wasn't me after all. 

But, in a no-frills presentation that befits the subject, the book/manual lays out germination times for various seeds, care and uses. It's got a lot of information packed into a tight space.

I'll let you know what I end up doing with my riches.

'Tis the Season

I didn't think I liked tomato soup. Probably because I haven't eaten it since I decided that after a bowl of Campbell's Cream of Tomato. Not a fair test.

You can use canned tomatoes for this when it's cold out and nothing of summer remains, but as long as the gardens are going strong you may as well make use of the abundance.

Creamy Tomato Soup

(Makes 4 servings)

3 cloves garlic

1 stalk celery

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon Applewood smoked salt, or kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons flour

28 ounces fresh tomatoes, or can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

Place the garlic and celery in the Vita-Mix container and pulse on #4 in short bursts until coarsely chopped.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic/celery, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook 1 minute more.

Transfer the mixture to a saucepan. Add tomatoes and sugar and reduce to simmer. Simmer covered for 35 minutes.

Pour tomato mixture into the Vita-Mix container. Start on variable #1, increase to #10, then high for 1 minute, until completely smooth.

At this point the soup can be refrigerated until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, heat over medium heat and stir in the cream.

Garnish with a drizzle of cream (optional).

First, Don't be an Idiot!

I panicked this morning when I had filled Thor's container with all sorts of goodies for a smoothie only to flip the switch and hear silence. Oh no! I knew he was under warranty, but this would mean I had to send him back to be repaired and live without him for days on end. I thought things were going so well between us. Had I rushed things? Was I asking too much by wanting to see each other every day? Was he having commitment issues? The cats stared blankly at me, offering no suggestions. Just as I was about to put the container in the freezer to keep the contents good for future whirling, I followed the cord I had plugged in... to the kitchen-aid. It always helps if you actually plug the right machine in before using it.

Green Around the Gills

In my attempt to make a ranch dressing I ended up with a completely different animal. Once I shifted my expectations I quite liked it. This is a very fresh tasting sauce that keeps its color and vibrant flavor because it is not cooked. I drizzled it over smoked salmon, summer ripe tomatoes, boiled new potatoes and some handfuls of baby spinach. You can mix in leftover sauce into sour cream for a crudite dip.

Buttermilk Herb Sauce

Makes about 3 cups

1/2 cup buttermilk

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons grainy mustard

1/2 cup light flavored olive oil

1 large clove garlic

2-3 tablespoons onion marmalade (may substitute well sauteed onions)

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Dash cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in the container of the Vita-Mix. Start on variable #1, increase speed to 10 and run for 1 minute.

Serve with poached or grilled fish. This is also good with chilled blanched vegetables.

Sprouting a Green Thumb

My gardening skills fall short of greatness. Well short. Truth be told, I've even managed to kill bamboo and I've heard this is impossible. So it is with a good deal of trepidation that I take on the world of sprouting. I like to think of it as hatching rather than gardening. I only have to get the seeds past embryo stage and then I can eat them. Their certain death gives me confidence. I won't have time to kill them through neglect or incompetence.

The GEO Terracotta Planter is a beautifully simple and well-thought out design. It can stack with each layer closed to light for the germination phase or ventilated for air and light to enter once the sprouts begin to show green.

It is mostly sold in European stores, but is now available on-line from Italian Seed and Tool. It's like a Chia Pet with a purpose. (I really hope after spending $40 with shipping that there is a difference.)

Italian Seed and Tool also has an enticing list of sprout seeds that may extend further than the selection in your local health food store. I need to gain confidence so I'm getting started with the basics before branching out to basil, fennel and radish sprouts.

Seeing Red

It is a sign of our times that one is able to drink a swirl of fruits that will never see the likes of each other in the natural world. Prickly pear makes its home in the desert while the yumberry (renamed from the Yang Mei berry) is found in Asia. Add in some cherries from north america and you've got a truly international smoothie.

The prickly pear juice on it's own is tart and almost vegetable in its flavor and benefits greatly from the sweetness and fruitiness of the other juices.

Red Flag Smoothie

1/4 cup prickly pear nectar
1/2 cup yumberry juice

3/4 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt

1 tablespoon pure cherry concentrate

8 ice cubes

Combine all in the container of the Vita-Mix. Variable speed #1, turn to #10, then high for 1 30 seconds.

Playing Dress-up

I feel the need to accessorize Thor. I blame this on the fact that I didn't have Barbies growing-up. I don't mean I want to put dresses on him, though now that you mention it, a tempting idea. Instead I get him toys to play with like the nut milk bag, sprouting center and the equivalent to the Malibu Dream Home, the Vita-Mix travel bag. The bag houses the engine base, two containers and extras for those times you need to be away from home, but can't stand to be away from your machine (and who can blame you).

Now Thor can go to pool parties, sleep overs and road trips. He has an adventurous spirit and can't be contained by just one counter top. He needs to explore and sew his wild oats (or make bread out of them. One of the two). 

Stay tuned to see where Thor's travels take him!

Manly Lemon Loaf

As you have probably figured out by now, I'm very taken with bread. It just doesn't seem the usual thing to come out of a blender-like machine (Thor, forgive me for using the B-word). This delicate sounding loaf captured my attention specifically because it is in a cook book devoted to "Every Guy's Guide to Cooking with a Blender". The idea that a lemon-poppy seed tea loaf should be in a man's go-to arsenal of recipes amuses me. 

One big advantage to doing this in the Vita-Mix as opposed to the standard blender is you don't have to fuss with the lemon peel. No need to grate it or chop it. Just throw it in and the blades do the rest.

Poppy's Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Adapted from "A Man's Whirled"

Makes 1 loaf

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened almost to melting

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 lemon, zest peeled and juiced (reserve juice)

1/3 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Reserved lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl large enough to add the wet ingredients and mix with a whisk to aerate. 

Combine butter and sugar in container of Vita-Mix. Start on variable #1 and increase speed to #5. Tamper the sides down. Stop once to scrape and combine with a spatula. Run the motor again to completely combine.

Add the eggs, poppy seeds and lemon peel. Continue to blend on #5 until ingredients come together and mixture is smooth. Add milk and vanilla and blend an additional 20 seconds or until smooth.

Empty liquid mixture into the flour mixture and fold together with a spatula until just combined. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use a knife to gently free the sides of the bread from the pan and remove the loaf.

While the loaf is cooling make the glaze:

Combine the sugar and lemon juice in Vita-Mix container and blend on low for 15 to 20 seconds, or until smooth.

Put the bread on a sheet of aluminum foil. Using a fork, poke several holes along the top of the loaf and coat with glaze, pouring the glaze slowly along the crown of the loaf. Let cool completely before slicing

Wake Up and Smell the Whipped Cream

Need a second wind? This is totally worth the brain freeze. The icy texture of the sorbet contrasts with the creamy topping in each bite. Staying up late never tasted so good.

Espresso Sorbet with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Serves 4 to 6

Strongly brewed coffee, poured into two ice trays and frozen

3 tablespoons Kahlua

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Sorbet:

Put the coffee ice cubes in the Vita-Mix container, pour the Kahlua and sugar over the cubes. Start on variable #1, increase to #10, then high. Tamper the cubes down with the motor running. Stop and stir the bottom up. Run again for 1 minute on high. You may need to repeat this. Ice cream scoop into glasses or bowls. Put in freezer.

For the Whipped Cream:

Place heavy whipping cream, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in the Vita-Mix container. Start on variable #1, increase to #10, then high. Run for 3 to 5 seconds or until mixture stops circulating.

Dollop whipped cream on sorbet. If not serving immediately, remove the sorbet from the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to temper.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I usually hate being accosted by do-gooders. The ones that force me to say things like, "No, I don't care about the fate of orphaned seals." I resent knowing this about myself. But it was an unexpectedly beautiful day and I decided to actually engage one of them in conversation.

"Do you have a moment for gay rights?" He asked, with expected rejection in his voice.
"I do, but I have to run an errand. I'll catch you on my return." This startled him, and to be honest that was most of the fun. Not only was it not the usual brush off, I was sure he didn't expect to see me again and I smiled a little picturing my return.

"OK," I said on my way back. "Tell me what I need to know about the cause."I got such a kick out of the amazement and delight in his eyes. It's like feeding stray cats. They're so hungry and so used to being passed by, that even a morsel of attention is exhilarating. Sure, I believe in the cause, but I believe in a lot of causes. So, why did I stop this time when I'd NEVER stopped before? Something in me empathized with them. I felt bad that they were rallying for a cause and no one was listening. Worse than not listening, people averted eye contact and even hurled abuse at them. I thought they could use a little sunshine. The twist is that I walked away full of cheer.

I've decided that from now on I'm only giving to causes on the sidewalk and will ignore all mailed solicitations. I need to give to people not causes. I need to make someone's day on a personal level. I need the gratification. Anonymous altruism is over-rated.

Dorothy's Wish
(Makes 2 smoothies)
Red layer
1 cup strawberries, frozen
3 tablespoons red juice, such as yumberry or cranberry
Orange layer
1 orange
1 cup cubed mango, frozen
Yellow layer
1 cup pineapple, frozen
3 tablespoons natural lemonade
Green layer
2 kiwis
1 cup cubed honeydew melon
Blue/Purple layer
1 cup frozen blueberries
3 tablespoons blueberry juice/nectar

Blend each layer of ingredients starting on variable #1 and dialing to #10, then high. Pour into two glasses. Place glasses in freezer while blending subsequent layers. Pour each layer over the back of a spoon or carefully spoon in so that it doesn't pour "through" the other color/s.
The effect, as you can see from the picture, is more the appearance of sand art. If you want a cleaner appearance you can make popsicles and fully freeze each layer before pouring the following one.