Exotic Flowers in Boston

There’s nothing like making your own sauce with the main ingredient being hand picked from your own garden.  Yes, it might be an overzealous bit of pride in the hard work it took to cultivate the delicious beauties but there’s no doubt that real tomatoes taste better than store bought.  I bet you didn’t know that while the “Anti Carb War” is still being fought, there are great benefits to eating certain dishes that, yes, contain some form of pasta.  Marinara can be looked at from an entirely different perspective if you just take the time to tweak what goes into your recipe.  The first step, of course, is to avoid the mainstream grocery stores and look for other locations where the food hasn’t been altered such as farmers markets, farm stands, and hopefully- are own backyards.  Once we’ve done that, it’s only a matter of creating the right taste and texture that you and your family prefer.

Different varieties of tomatoes provide different attributes that will change the way your sauce comes out.  For instance, some varieties are more watery while others have more seeds.  Some tomatoes possess a bite in seasoning while others lean to the sweeter side.  It all depends on what your recipe calls for and what you need those yummy veggies to do once they’ve been added to the pot.  When I make my own sauce, I depend on a meatier type but I also combine other varieties to flavor it with richness.  I prefer the Jet Star tomato for my base and then add baby heirloom tomatoes to finish it off but there is a multitude of different ways to do it.  These are some descriptions of popular New England tomatoes to help you choose what the right tomato is for you!  

Beefsteak

These bad boys are big, juicy and most importantly, delicious!  They contain a great balance of sweetness and acidity making them popular in sandwiches and salads.  Since the rind holds well after cooking, Beefsteak tomatoes are perfect to use if you enjoy an earthy rendition of marinara because you’ll be able to have chunks of the fruit and a fair amount of seeds present.  

Heirlooms

These guys are my favorite because depending on the shade of the fruit, the taste will vary significantly, making an otherwise boring pot of sauce an exciting treat!  There are a few guidelines though such as red being the sweetest while green holds the stronger tart characteristic.  Yellow heirlooms can be bitter so they’re fabulous when you need to bump up the flavor of a too sweet tomato sauce.  If you want my advice, mix them all together for the most interesting and delicious outcome!

Cherokee Purple

This one has a gorgeous color that your sauce will benefit from because it will turn a deeper shade of red than common sauces.  Originally from the heirloom family, this variety needs an extended amount of time to grow in the heat than other types but boy is it worth when they’re ready to be picked.  Pasta lovers will love their rich and complex taste while enjoying a recipe that requires little help of flavor from other ingredients. Olive oil, salt and pepper is all this variety will need!

New England gardeners should be pleased to know that their tomatoes will surely be making their summer debut within the next few weeks.  Particularly if you have invested in varieties such as “Beefsteak”, “Early Girl”, “Fireworks” or “Jet Star”, your crops will surely be bursting with an abundance of brightly colored red fruit.  Although we’ll have to wait a bit longer for further seasonal types such as “Ponderosa Pink”, “Hillbilly” and my favorite, “Mortgage Lifter” to ripen to perfection, we’ll still have plenty to pick from to get Boston’s veggie lovers started.

So now that we have tomatoes, what should we do with them?  Cook them of course!

Tomatoes are not only a delicious vegetable but they have several beneficial health attributes as well.  For one thing, they contain large amounts of Vitamin A and C, not to mention a good helping of folic acid.  They have also been know to preserve brain and nerve tissue plus provide the body with aiding functionality of low blood pressure rates, conversion of glucose into energy and also act as an antioxidant to fight against diseases such as diabetes, depression and cancer.  All in all, it’s a good thing to always have in our diet and lucky for us, there’s a ton of ways to include tomatoes in our meal schedule.  Here are three dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner where we can enjoy the taste and health benefits!

Breakfast

Toast and Tomato is a tradition in my family where it is most enjoyed during the lazy mornings of summer and there is no question that this fare tastes the best if they’ve come from your own garden.  All you have to do is toast two pieces of wheat bread and lightly spread a low fat butter or substitute across the surface.  Choose your variety of tomatoes and thinly slice the fruit making sure the pieces aren’t too bulky because if they are, you’ll have a doozy of a time eating it!

Lunch

The BLT is a widely overlooked sandwich and is sometimes ignored for its overwhelming simplicity but as we all know, sometimes less is more.  All it takes to cook this mouth-watering treat is a warm roll, a fresh couple of iceberg lettuce leaves, 1 to 2 pieces of well sautéed bacon and the star ingredient- a juicy red slab of red tomato.  If you would like to lower the calorie intake, just swap the bacon for a turkey or soy option.

Dinner

Ratatouille is probably one of the most decadent yet simple dishes that tomatoes are the most celebrated.  Since the concoction is traditional within a multitude of cultures, we are lucky to have a variety of recipes to choose from.  My favorite involves adding chopped green pepper, onion, garlic, zucchini, eggplant and mushrooms to a simmering pot and seasoning it with salt and pepper.  Once the ingredients condense, add a can of tomato paste and a bunch of your own tomatoes.  Allow to cook until resembling a sauce and serve as is or serve over rice or pasta.  

Now that our gardens have begun to fill with sensational fruits and vegetables, its time to start planning a fun summer menu to best utilize our efforts!  There’s a pretty high probability that if you’re a gardener in New England, you’ll see the snap peas, cucumbers, green beans, strawberries and lettuce as some of the first arrivals.  Later on in the season, eggplant, squash and my favorite, tomatoes will appear with gorgeous color signally that their time has come to impress upon your culinary skills.   As the summer comes to an end, potatoes, corn, garlic and onions are ready to be added to the sauté pans to kick up the spice and zest of your favorite dishes!   It all sound fantastic, but lets focus on the produce that we’ll be able to cook with now that will be great options for your warmer weather dining room tables.  Here are my must-haves that have always pleased my entire family-including the kids!

                        photo credit:foodnetwork.com

Cucumber and Couscous

Couscous is a wonderful grain to get your little ones accustomed to as early as possible because the taste is mild with a low fat content and can be mixed with a variety of vegetables for a healthy dinner side.  One of the first things I throw in the pot are chopped cucumbers seasoned slightly with Italian salad dressing.  Stir the contents of a Near East pre-packaged couscous box and add chunks of the water- based succulent.  You might even want to toss in a few cherry tomatoes to add more color and watch your family devour a healthy and fresh summer salad!

                             photo credit: bellaonline.com

Snap Peas and Sweet Potato

You would be surprised by the reaction of guests when you add a well-cooked sweet potato with a handful of raw snap peas to the dinner table.  All you need to know is butter the spud lightly and add your desired seasoning such as thyme, white pepper, salt or rosemary once its been cooked to taste.  Mash up the contents and generously shower with a bunch of fresh green snap peas.  The texture is pleasant and allows an unusual but sensational blend of flavors.  I highly suggest this as a featured menu item since the presentation is impressive when served with a grilled helping of swordfish or salmon. 

                     photo credit:harvesttotable.com

Lettuce

There is no telling the possibilities when you can grow your own varieties of lettuce.  You can use the roughage as either a plate garnish or create wonderful salads that will leave your mouth watering.  If you’ve never eaten lettuce picked straight from the garden, you’re in for a treat.  The crisp yet buttery consistency of the leaves allow a fun combination when paired with berries such as blueberries or strawberries and works well with breads for easy lunch options of pita or club sandwiches.  One tip for the eager picker: make sure you wash the leaves thoroughly to evade dirt and soil smudges. 

Independence Day is filled with red, white and blue food including delicious desserts for kids! Not only can we utilize the yummy berries that are finally in season such as blueberries, raspberries and strawberries but our pastry chefs all over Boston are whipping up scrumptious creations that are sure to please the whole family.  While some foodies suggest high calorie desserts with extensive ingredients (not to mention extensive sugar), this selection offers easy to prepare directions as well as fuss free diet restrictions.  With these delightful treats, you’ll be able to ring in the 4^th of July with a bang!

Freeze Your Own Popsicles

Making your own popsicles is a simple way to invent a fast snack while still being able to control the sugar content by selecting a preferred juice.  Flavors that work the best for a red, white and blue theme are cranberry, fruit punch, grape, blueberry, white grape and lemonade juices.  Most of these varieties offer a low calorie and reduced sugar version so your kids will be able to cool off while slurping down a healthy Popsicle.  If you really want to get fancy, you can freeze them in three separate levels by placing one layer on top of the other just as long as you freeze them one at a time.

Strawberry Shortcake

Okay, so this sweet may not be on the healthy side but honestly, who cares!  You can make this dessert an essential dish at your 4^th of July barbecue table just by place a huge scoop of whip cream on top of a piece of shortbread (store bought is fine).  Once you’ve started piling on the good stuff, add red and blue berries  (strawberries and blueberries work best with shortcake) that will finish it off perfectly.  Don’t be afraid to substitute when needed such as replacing the cream with a high quality French vanilla ice cream.               photo credit: MarthaStewart.com

Strawberry Bombs

                         photo credit: thefreshfridge.com

This is so great you’re going to want to make these year round!  Just take a strawberry and clean out the insides with a spoon delicately.  Fill the middle with whip cream and top with one ripe blueberry.  Place in the refrigerator overnight to allow hardening so the cream doesn’t spill out.  Serve before, after and during your barbecue and watch that plate disappear within seconds!

Father’s Day Barbecue

It’s time to fire up the barbecue- Father’s Day is here!  The big guy will be celebrated on Sunday, June 21^st and let’s face it, all you have to do is light some coals on the grill and he’s pretty much satisfied.  Make sure you skip the lean diet food such as salad, greens and fresh fruit.  You can pretty much count on the fact that all he’s really interested in is a smoldering, juicy slab of beef cooked perfectly to his satisfaction.  Favorite cuts likely to be most popular this holiday are baby back ribs, three inch thick pork chops and teriyaki wings that can be seasoned and sauced just about any way dad likes them.  You’re going to want to buy in bulk, too since Father’s Day is meant to be a buffet of indulgence.  Things could get kind of complicated if you haven’t made a decision on your barbecue grocery list or destination so here are a few choice ingredients and locations that always tops my list each June!

What You’ll Need

It’s time to grab your beef so dig in and buy his favorites!

Select three options:

Baby Back Ribs                            Sausages                       Pork Tenderloins

Three-Inch Thick Pork Chops         Teriyaki Wings                Marinated Chicken

Lemon Infused Salmon                 Strip Sirloin Steak           Cowboy Steak

Split Roast Chicken                     Chicken Legs                  Fillet Minion

Swordfish Kabobs                       Steak Tip Kabobs             Jumbo Shrimp

                   photo credit: bonappetit.com

It’s time to get rubbing with marinades, seasonings and sauces!

Select four options:

            Lemons                                         Garlic Rub                     Memphis Rub

            Smoked Salmon Brine                    Pork Brine                     All Purpose Meat Rub

            Chicken Marinade                          Balsamic Vinaigrette       Barbecue Sauce

            Hot Wing Sauce                             Asian Marinade Sauce    Mango Sauce

            Relish                                           Applewood Sauce           Sweet Maple Marinade   

Since he’ll need to eat something with his barbecue to balance things off, try grabbing a

couple of his more preferred vegetables.  Now remember, you don’t want to

take away any attention from the grill, just compliment it with some color and freshness.

Select two options:

            Tomatoes                                      Asparagus                       Broccoli

            Cucumber                                     Onions                            Carrots

            Spinach                                        Green Beans                   Mushrooms

Now that you’ve mapped out your list, here are a few places that serve the best choice cuts in Massachusetts!

Select 1 option-that’s all you’ll need!

                        Butcher Boy                                     Butcher Shop Market       

                        1077 Osgood Street                                  782 Adams Street

                  North Andover, MA 01845                      Dorchester Center, MA 02124

          Bucciarelli's Butcher Shop & Deli

                         147 Bridge Road

Memorial Day Backyard Menus for Bostonians

Memorial Day is early this year, which will be celebrated on Monday, May 25^th and many of us are beginning to plan our menus for a festive and delicious backyard meal!  Officially reserved to respect those who have lost their lives serving our country, this holiday is also associated with marking the first day of summer with a barbecue hosted for family and friends.  Boston grillers will be making quite a spark with their meat selections of beef, pork and chicken but many including myself get stumped on deciding the extras.  Most of the time, you’ll see long picnic tables filled with chips, dip, potato salad and coleslaw but what’s a girl to do when she wants to add a little something special to this year’s buffet?

Now we don’t have to go crazy with overwhelming hot sauces or exorbitantly priced marinades, I assure you.  We can put a little extra sizzle in our food without making unnecessary prep work or incurring ridiculous grocery bills.  The idea behind your meal should reflect simplicity and freshness since now is the time where local fruits and vegetables are becoming available.  Here’s what I’ve found for a yummy barbecue side dish that’s fun and easy to whip up in a jiff.   Don’t be afraid to improvise your own culinary preferences when trying it out on your own!

Tri Colored Pasta Salad

I love this dish and look forward to cooking a batch as soon as the weather warms up for summer.  The ingredients are easy to find, affordable and even healthy to boot! 

You’ll Need:

1 Box of Barilla Tri-Colored Rotini                         1 Large Yellow Onion

2 Large Ripe Red Tomatoes                                                3 TBSP of Olive Oil

1 Large Green Bell Pepper                                      ½ Cup Ken’s Italian Dressing

Salt/Pepper To Taste                                               1 TBSP Rosemary

In a pan with olive oil, sauté both the green pepper and yellow onion adding seasoning of salt and white pepper until softened.  Set the pan aside until cooled.  Cook the box of pasta according to the package and strain well with cold water until the noodles are cool.  Dice the two tomatoes and add to a bowl.  Add the room temperature contents of the sauté pan as well as the chilled pasta and mix well.  Next, spice it up with salt, pepper and rosemary along with the ½ cup of salad dressing.  Place in refrigerator for three hours before serving and enjoy a scrumptious and colorful dish perfect for celebrating Memorial Day!

For many of us, we show our love for mom on Mother’s Day with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a sentimental Hallmark card or maybe even a gift certificate to her favorite spa.  These great gift ideas certainly rank high for holiday presents but the number one choice still holds at taking your special lady to brunch.  Boston has no shortage of fabulous restaurants with menus that include delicious cuisine fit for a queen but maybe you’re interested in another route?  What if what if we put a homespun feel towards this year’s festivities?  The truth is, brunches prepared by families at home are becoming more and more popular, resonating back to traditional Mother’s Day celebrations.  After conducting a few comparisons, I’ve got to tell you, there are a lot of benefits tied to this new trend.  For starters, there are no reservations to be made, no disappointment with ingredients or diet concerns, no traveling required and first and foremost, no excessive food charges that will skyrocket the bill.  Cooking your own feast for mom does however allow flexibility within dish selection, an open door to whomever you wish to invite and the opportunity to personalize the event with your mom’s favorite foods, decorations and flowers.    If you’re interested in hosting your own Mother’s Day brunch instead of dining in one of our city’s eateries, here’s a sure fire way to make all of your guests (and most importantly the guest of honor) enjoys this special day!

The Menu

Make the meal as simple or as sophisticated as your culinary skills will allow you to.  Croissants are a great way to start along with other pasties and muffins.  Recipes containing eggs are another smart beginning where you can make easy scrambled eggs or more elaborate dishes such as Martha Stewart’s Ham and Egg Crepe Squares.  Roasted meats such as ham or roast beef are also popular for an impromptu carving station.  Scalloped potatoes will also be a hit but if you’re looking for a lighter meal, spuds infused with olive oil and rosemary are a superb substitute with fewer calories.  Don’t forget the beverages, too making sure a tray of coffee, juices and tea are available for guests.  Mimosas should also be pre-made because it is after all Mother’s Day-she deserves it!  photo credit marthastewart.com

The Setting

You’re going to want to dress things up a bit since it’s Mother’s Day so plan a trip to your local florist for a fresh bunch of peonies, garden roses, lisianthus, scabiosa or French tulips.  Arrange them in the center of the dining table in one of her favorite antique vases or urns and she’ll appreciate the effort to make Mother’s Day even more special with spring blooms.  Linens don’t have to be fancy either just make sure they don’t distract from the centerpiece or the food being served.  Older serving trays are perfect for this look particularly platters resonating an English appeal.  Serve formally or buffet style but make sure you recruit some helpers to clean up afterwards because it’s mom’s day off!  Happy Mother’s Day!

photo credit: Flower Factor

It’s about that time again and most of us are in the same boat…

This winter no doubt challenged many Bostonian’s waistlines with the winter storms calling us to indulge in comfort foods of macaroni, cheesy casseroles and juicy oven roasts.  Really, who could blame us for putting on a few pounds of insulation while blizzard after blizzard struck our city?  Its all part of New England living but unfortunately so isn’t the ritual of an annual spring diet. 

Now we don’t have to go nuts with Spartan dishes and cardboard tasting meals-that’s just not how Bostonians get the job done! Northeasterners understand that the proper way to lose a seasonal spare tire is too eat healthy portions infused with lots and lots of fresh produce.  Our plates should gleam with bright colors customary to fruits such as berries, peaches, apples and other delicious goodies.  One area of our menus that utilize this concept to the fullest is within our desserts!  So what if we’ve been satisfying our “sweet tooth” with French vanilla ice cream smothered in caramel toppings or strawberry cheesecake dripping with cream and icing? Colder months of the year call for these decadent enticings but now it’s time to clean up after some of these excessive calories and revamp our dessert choices!  These are a few of my favorites that promise to curb weight inducing cravings and ready you for those soon-to-be visits to the beach!

                                         photo credit: marthastewart.com

Plum Kebabs

This is a wonderful recipe to try once you’ve salvaged your grill from the winter storage basement!  All you need are a few wood skewers, red and purple plums and sugar to sprinkle on top.  First, soak the skewers overnight in water to prevent burning during grilling.  Take 4 to 5 plums of different varieties and colors and skew through the sticks.  Try changing up the pattern to make a fun and interesting visual presentation if using this one for summer barbecues.  Once the fruit has all been secured, dip the entire rod in a dish full of white sugar.  Roll entirely in mixture until the fruit is completely covered.  Heat up the grill and place the skewers on top, turning slowly until the sugar has caramelized and the plums begin to cook.  Take the sticks off and either serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla yogurt.  This tastes so good and you’ll be surprised how little calories you are consuming for such a yummy spring treat! 

           photo credit: dole.com

Banana Pudding Pops

I found this gem from “Eating Well” and have used this for my kids when in a pinch because they are easy to make and requires few ingredients for the recipe.  First heat a skillet and add 3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and a pinch of salt.  Boil mixture until all of the ingredients have gelled well.  Add 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the skillet.  In a processor, blend the skillet preparations with 3 cups of chopped banana.  When the mixture resembles pudding, then scoop into freezer-ready, popsicle molds and let them sit overnight until frozen through.  Serve them immediately or store until the next hot day calls for them!

Suzie Canale

Westwood, MA

Things are starting to warm up out there and its that time again to find yummy vegetable and fruit dishes!  For some, it’s because bikini season is right around the corner but for me, I love the freshness and bright color that is seen in springtime meal options.  The yellows, greens and reds are just a few shades that are appearing more and more as the temperature rises.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts are all being created with a new rainbow flare that promises healthy and happy glow in Boston foodies.  One section of the menu is also heating up with promise- and that’s the salads!  There are now other options available to us “greens” lovers that step outside the winter boundaries of garden and Caesar salads.  Restaurants all around the city are showcasing their newest creations that envelop interesting and tasty ingredients that vamp up the classic salad plate.  Whether you’re someone who enjoys simplicity or someone who enjoys eating dangerously, here are a couple of favorites that grazed my palette with scrumptious perfection!

                         photo credit: tutzone.org

For the Fruit Lover

Salads infused with berries are growing to be one of the most requested dishes by patrons.  You might think the combination is strange but trust me when I say that strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and even blackberries drive a sensational sweetness when combined with spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers and shaved carrots.  The best matches for dressings are wide in variation but I prefer balsamic vinegar with this type of salad because it intertwines the sweetness with a pinch of tart. 

Tree fruit also makes wonderful additions to salads, making them both tastier and healthier.  Clever chefs have incorporated apples, peaches and plums to romaine lettuce based salads, causing an incremented draw to these out-of-the-box options. 

                                              photo credit: epicurious.com

For the Vegetable Lover

I’m definitely situated in this department because I’ve been known to throw in a handful of chopped broccoli and cauliflower to my dinner salads.  The benefit from doing this is to charge up your vitamin intake while still keeping the meal low on calories.  If you want to get fancy, sample an Asparagus Farro Salad that has ingredients including spinach, cranberries, walnuts and Parmesan cheese.  Or how about throwing in some Lima, wax, green, red or black beans to infuse some extra protein?  Recipes I’ve tasted that were stupendous were Super Duper Bean Salad and Easy Pea Salad created by allrecipes.com that have simple instructions on how to make your own.  Tear off a piece of pita bread and constructed a salad sandwich to really get decadent with salad dining!

Suzie Canale

Westwood, MA

Saint Patrick’s Day is known for more than just wearing green-it’s one of the best holidays to feast on delicious traditional dishes from Ireland!  It happens to be a common misconception that meals served in honor of this celebration are, in general, bland with little to no flavor.   That is simply not true!  Over hundreds of generations, mouthwatering entrees have been developed by Europe’s finest cooks and passed down to their ancestors who have migrated to Boston.  Having their own adaptations and special ingredients, authentic Saint Patrick’s Day cuisine has become a true celebration unto itself being served not only in Bostonian homes but also in restaurants and hotels all over the city.  Another bonus for these recipes is that they are easy to make and considerably less expensive than other holiday spreads such as Thanksgiving or Easter.  Once you’ve found the meal that is perfect for you, don’t be afraid to put your own spin on things by adding spices and other vegetables preferable to you.  These are my favorites that I will be cooking this Saint Patrick’s Day that you just might find the urge to whip up yourself.

                                 photo credit: epicurious.com

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons baking soda     3 tablespoons of caraway seed         2 cups raisins

1 cup sugar                            ¾ cups butter                                                3 eggs

6 teaspoons baking powder            2½ cups buttermilk                          1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons sour cream   3 tablespoons milk                            5 cups flour

Preheat oven at 375 degrees.                     

Mix together the baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt until the batter is dry.  Slice the butter into pads to make it easier to combine with the mixture, making a crust like consistency.  Then add the raisins and caraway seed to make the bread flavorful and interesting to the taste.  Add a dash of milk slowly until the bread doe can be formed into loaves.  Place into bread oven dishes and bake for 55 minutes.  Serve with another slab of butter and eat immediately!

                                             photo credit: truefoodsmarket.com

Corn O’Brien

Ingredients:

½ cup chopped onion          4 tablespoons green bell pepper

3 cups yellow corn kernels   2 tablespoons diced pimento

3 strips bacon                        1 tablespoon salt and pepper

Heat a skillet with a dash of olive oil and cook bacon until the pork is nice and crispy.  Set it aside while keeping the juices in the pan to flavor the next steps of cooking.  Add the pepper and onion and sauté until well cooked and softened.  Put the bacon back into the skillet as well as the pimento and corn kernels.  Cook until all of the ingredients have blended well and then season with salt and pepper.  Serve piping hot and enjoy!

Suzie Canale

Westwood, MA