Peaches

Availability - Peak season is June to August, although peaches are widely available from May to October.

Nutrition - A medium peach has about 40 calories and 1.5 grams of fiber. Also a good source of vitamin C.

Preparing - If you want, peel the fuzzy skin. You can also blanch peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds then plunge them into ice water and slip off the skins.

Preventing Browning - Sprinkle peeled or sliced peaches with 1 tsp. lemon juice and 1 cup water. Full strength lemon juice will overpower the peach's flavor.

Ripening - Peaches won't sweeten after being picked but they can ripen at room temperature in pierced paper bag. Add an apple to the bag to speed ripening a little.

Storing - Keep ripe peaches in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. For better flavor, let them get to room temperature before eating.

Corn and Bacon Casserole

6 bacon strips
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
3 1/2 cups fresh or frozen whole kernel corn
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives

IN a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 2 tbsp. of drippings. Crumble bacon, set aside.

SAUTE onion in drippings until tender. Add flour, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until bubbly; cook and stir one minute more.

REMOVE from heat and stir in sour cream until smooth.

ADD corn, parsley and half of bacon, mix well.

POUR into a 1 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining bacon.

BAKE uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with chives.

Makes 6-8 servings.

from: Taste of Home, June/July 1995

Herb-Buttered Corn

Since it is that time of year when corn-on-the-cob rules, and since I haven't posted any recipes for awhile, I thought I'd add at least one!

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tbsp. minced fresh chives
1 tbsp. minced fresh dill
1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash of garlic powder
10 ears of fresh corn, husked and cooked

IN a bowl, combine first seven ingredients, mix well.

SPREAD over each ear of corn.

Banana-Blueberry Smoothie

from: www.marthastewart.com, Food Everyday, February 2008

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Makes 2 servings

1 ripe banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

IN a blender, combine banana, blueberries and yogurt.

BLEND on high speed until smooth. Pour into two glasses; serve immediately.

NOTE: You can substitute any frozen fruit.

My son made a couple of these last night. He substituted blueberry yogurt for the frozen blueberries and plain yogurt. They were yummy!

Chile Peppers 2

If working with fresh chiles here are some tips to make it easier:

• Capsaicin, the compound that gives chiles their "burn" is found mostly in the seeds and membranes. Include or omit those parts to control the heat.
• Wear gloves to avoid touching the capsaicin with your fingers.
• Never discard any part of a chile down the garbage disposal. The vigorous grinding action mixed with water creates a subtle mist that carries the capsaicin throughout the air.

Chile Peppers 1

A chile's heat depends on the conditions and locale in which it was grown. Capsaicin, the compound that gives chiles their heat, can vary dramaticially. There are 2 ways to measure chiles:

• Scoville Units - Human taste testers evaluate how many parts of sugar water it takes to neutralize a chile's heat. (In the list below, you will notice that the range can vary).


• HPLC Rating - A chemical process called High Performance Liquid Chromatography, or HPLC, measures capsaicin levels and ranks chiles from 0 (like candy) to a burn of 10.

Bell - All sweet and no heat, these peppers are used fresh or for stuffing and baking. Scoville units: 0; HPLC rating: 0

Anaheim - Large, mild, thick-skinned chiles are perfect for roasting and charring on a grill. Scoville units: 100-1,000; HPLC rating: 1.

Poblano - Large, heart-shaped Mexican peppers are moderately hot, Ohio-grown varieties are milder. Scoville units: 1,000-1,500; HPLC rating: 2.

Cascabel - Shaped like a red jingle bell, it has a hot, sweet and woodsy flavor that enhances salsas and marinades. Scoville units: 1,500-2,000; HPLC rating: 3.

Jalapeno - Regarded as bell peppers with a temper, jalapenos are widely used in Mexican cuisine. Scoville units: 2,500-10,000; HPLC rating: 4.

Serrano - Often mistaken for jalapenos until tasted. fiery flavor adds punch to Southwestern cuisine. Scoville units: 5,000-23,000; HPLC rating: 5

Chili de Arbol - Fairly hot red Mexican chile is a popular ingredient at chili cook-offs. Scoville units: 15,000-30,000; HPLC rating: 6.

Cayenne - The smaller the pepper, the hotter the taste. Fresh cayenne adds intense heat to Cajun sauces and stews. Scoville units: 30,000-50,000; HPLC rating: 7.

Thai - Widely used in Thai cooking to heat up soups and noodle dishes. Scoville units: 50,000-100,000; HPLC rating: 8.

Scotch Bonnet - With a floral flavor described as smokey apricots, Scotch Bonnets are the defining flavor of authentic Jamaican jerk. Scoville units: 100,000-350,000; HPLC rating: 9.

Red Savina habanero - According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it's the world's hottest chile. Used to make commercial hot sauces, it can be used fresh, but sparingly, in sauces and salsas. Scoville units: 350,000-855,000; HPLC rating: 10.

Banana Tip

When you have bananas that are too green to eat, place them in a paper bag with an apple.
Fruits like bananas and pears are sensitive to ethylene gas that is emitted from apples, which will promote the ripening of fruit.

Sweet Potatoes

The most common varieties are the dark orange-skinned type. Moist with bright orange flesh. The pale yellow type is drier and crumbly like a white potato.
The terms sweet potato and yam are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are not the same. True yams grow in tropical climates and are long and cylindrical, while sweet potatoes are short with tapered ends.
Store sweet potatoes in a dry, cool place, such as a cellar or pantry. Sweet potatoes bruise easily so handle them with care.
You can substitute sweet potatoes for white ones in almost any recipe.

Apples

Here are a few different kinds of apples. Enjoy!

Braeburn - Color ranging from gold to red. Crisp. Liven up sauces and salads with sweet and slightly spicy flavor.

Granny Smith - Glossy-green and crunchy. Tart with a hint of sweetness. Ideal for pies.

Golden Delicious - Yellow-gold skin. Sweet and mellow. Excellet for pies and salads.

Fuji - Super-sweet. Great for sauces or baked.

McIntosh - Bright red with green splashes. Sweet with a hint of tartness. Great for applesauce.

Gala - Striped orange-red over yellow. Sweet and aromatic. Great in salads and for applesauce.

Lemon Facts

• One medium-sized lemon yields about a 1/4 cup juice and about 2 tsp. zest.


• Go for weight, not size: Heavier lemons produce more and tastier juice.


• When grating lemon zest (skin), avoid the white pith underneath, which is bitter.


• Yellow skin is best; greenish skins may mean less savory fruit.


• To get the most lemon juice out of a lemon, roll it on the counter top before cutting and squeezing.


• When you have an abundance of lemons, squeeze the juice into an ice cube tray and freeze. Store the cubes in self-sealing bags and defrost as needed.

Herbed Corn

from: Taste of Home; June/July 1994

Makes: 8 servings

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

2 tbsp. minced fresh chives

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

8 ears sweet corn, husked

IN a small bowl, combine first six ingredients.

SPREAD 1 tbsp. over each ear of corn.

WRAP corn individually in heavy-duty foil.

GRILL, covered, over medium coals for 10-15 minutes, turning frequently, or until corn is tender.

Black Bean Salad

Makes 6-8 servings.

3 cans (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked fresh or frozen corn, rinsed and drained
1 green bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cupu chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate covered for up to 2 days. If making it in advance, add the parsley and cilantro prior to serving. Serve at room temperature.

Strawberry Snow

Prep Time: 30-45 minutes

Serves 6

2 cups fresh strawberries OR two 10 oz. packages frozen, whole strawberries, thawed and drained
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 egg whites
pinch of salt
1/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
12 frest strawberries for garnish

USING the back-side of a wooden spoon, rub and press the fresh or frozen strawberries through a fine sieve into a small bowl. Stir in the sugar a little at a time.

IN a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks are formed. Gently fold the strawberry puree into the egg whites, then gently fold the whipped cream into the mixture.

SPOON the strawberry snow into individual bowls and serve, garnished with a whole strawberry or two.

Your strawberry snow may also be refrigerated for a few hours before serving.