Continuing Education
Step lightly and give something new a try
Lately I have fielded some questions that make me realize that many people who are not chowhounds are truly confused about food. On Tuesday at the Amish farm stand I was choosing shiny eggplants from a pile on the table when the woman behind me said, “I wish I knew what to do with eggplant. I’ve never tried cooking it.”
The line was moving along quickly, but I told her what I was going to do with my three—slice, brush with olive oil, arrange on sheet pans, season and roast in a hot oven for 20 minutes, flip, and roast again and again until golden brown on both sides, and then store for quick meal prep. She looked bewildered as we moved to the beans on the table and she filled a bag with beautiful slender green beans. I moved past her to grab some Romano beans (Stephen labels his “Roma” beans, which is a variant spelling), the fat Italian bean with a brief season here in Central PA. “Are those lima beans?” she asked. I explained that they were a meatier version of green beans that you cooked beyond al dente and toss with olive oil and garlic. She didn’t try any or purchase eggplant either.
The next day when I was in Walmart in the oil aisle, waiting while a Middle Eastern woman in a colorful long garment and headscarf who was shopping with her husband and two lively children, stood in front of the olive oil, tapping on the bottles to choose one packaged in glass rather than plastic. I didn’t understand their conversation in another language, but I overheard “organic” and “olive oil” several times, and I understood that she was making an important decision for her family.
Once she moved on, a younger woman in jeans and a T-shirt looked at the array of olive oils and shook her head, “There are so many. How do you choose?” She held up a small bottle of a very light olive oil, considering it. I asked her what she planned to do with it and explained that the lighter the olive oil, the higher the smoke point, so it wouldn’t smoke and burn—and degrade—while cooking with it. The greener the oil, the more olive particulate and flavor, but it’s not as good for sautéing. She thanked me and moved on.
All those years teaching in the Foods Lab taught me a few things that have come in very handy. The Fats Lab, Stocks, Starches, Eggs, Dairy, Bread and Alternate Leavening Systems—I use those basics all the time.
We all need to come up with breakfast-lunch-dinner, breakfast-lunch-dinner on repeat. Thinking ahead and keeping it simple pays off, especially in the summer when it gets too hot later in the day to turn on the stove. Shop at the farmers markets, eat local foods grown by people you can look in the eye, celebrate foods as they come in season, and step out of your comfort zone now and then to try something new.
For the most part, we have been eating simply the past few weeks, except for a special collaborative dinner in Frederick to meet our nephew Brian’s new bride, Angela. It wasn’t our usual all-hands-on-deck family gathering; rather, a small event where we could chat informally with the newlyweds. The plated Watermelon Salad on Whipped Feta is one to keep handy, though I did not add the lemon juice to the watermelon cubes as called for in the recipe. The melon was too perfect.
But we weren’t the only ones hungry. Our next-door neighbor Janet in State College texted us photos the next morning of the bear in her yard with three tags in its ear who rambled over to our yard and had its way with our sunflower seed-filled bird feeder.
After my final procedure in Baltimore to end my spring-summer kidney ordeal, we visited with Jonathon and Brooke at Johns Hopkins where he was a week and a day past his liver transplant. Brooke rules the transplant floor and is taking good care of her man there.
We did stop in Fells Point for a crabcake afterwards—how else to break a fast?—and picked up local rockfish for dinner the next night that John dusted with flour, sauteed in olive oil, and created a pan sauce with lemon juice and capers to pour on top. Perfection.
Our World Cup celebration dinner with Kim and Bob for the final was a tasty affair, though Kim was disappointed that her favorite player, Messi, did not have a great game that day. In fact, it was an abysmal day for Argentina. But that didn’t dampen our spirits, which we kept well lubricated with Tait Farm shrub drinks and white wine. One highlight was the chile crisp tasting that was especially interesting, with varied flavor profiles. More on that product once it gets to the shelves at Tait Farm Harvest Shop.
It’s not all fancy dinners and salads this summer. We also met friends for a sudden hot dog cookout at Spring Creek Park, where we had dog tasting topped off with S’mores as the sun went down. It’s summer. Celebrate it all!
Be like Iris. Try something new. Baby steps.
John and Sam just arrived home from Bear Meadows where they were blueberry picking. They each picked four and a half pounds. This recipe will come in handy!
