“Pert as a pear-monger I’d be,
If Molly were but kind;
Cool as a cucumber could see
The rest of womankind.”~ John Gay, British poet and song writer, in A New Song of New Similes (1685-1732)

Keeping ourselves cool, both in the calm, unruffled manner that John Gay proposed and quite literally, has been a challenging occupation this summer. The cucumber, however, is here to rescue us.

In the same squash family as watermelons, cucumbers are natural hydrators, high in fiber, and Vitamin C. The acetic acid and caffeic acid cucumbers contain help prevent water retention, and for some can even lower blood pressure. Although these green and white treasures can be a little difficult for some people to digest, for the rest of us, they can really help take the heat off of summer.

Cucumbers originally came from Asia, but are popular the world over. I am fond of them when shredded and mixed with non-fat yogurt to make a raita that tames the spiciness of dishes from India, sliced into salads, and mixed with vinegar to make a lovely pickle.

One of the most refreshing uses of the cucumber, however, is when it is mixed with tomatoes and bread to make a very simple cold soup, gazpacho. Refrigerating the ingredients overnight eliminates the need to chill it if you will be preparing the soup at the last minute.

Note: If the cucumber has a thick peel, remove most of it. You can remove the seeds if they bother you, but it is not necessary.

Speedy Gazpacho

Serves 2-4
Time: 5 minutes

1 (15-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 cucumber, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 cup torn crusty bread
2 teaspoons snipped chives or tops of green onions
½ avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced for garnish (optional)

Place the tomatoes, cucumber, olive oil, vinegar and bread into a food processor (or chop all finely by hand). Mix briefly so that the ingredients are chopped to pea-size and well blended. Stir in the chives. Chill until serving time, then garnish with diced avocado if desired.

Mondays – even hot, humid Mondays – don’t need to be difficult. Thanks for visiting. I hope we can all remain “cool as a cucumber” through whatever this week throws at us.

“Zucchini’s terrific!
Like bunnies, prolific!”
~ Author Unknown

All week, I have been hoping that the two eggplants nearing the harvest stage would be ready for today so that we could make a tasty batch of baba ghanoush before the weekend. Sadly, they were still too small to justify picking them. Then, I turned to the left and saw the explosion of zucchini…

Zucchini is a green variety of summer squash that is best when it is about 8 inches long and firm, with no soft spots. Zucchini is popular to include in home vegetable gardens because it is easy to grow, an abundant producer, and is versatile in the kitchen. It is also readily available in the fresh produce department of most grocery stores. (See the July 6 post for a picture if you’ve forgotten what one looks like.)

With my plans for the eggplants dashed, and with zucchini in hand, I pondered the possibility for a fresh zucchini dip. Why not? Just a little change-up in the seasoning from the baba ghanoush recipe made it a delightfully light replacement, but still entirely vegetable based and every bit as creamy.

Zucchini Dip

Makes 8 ¼-cup servings
Time: 10 minutes active prep time + plus time for the zucchini to cool

2 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup tahini (sesame paste) or almond butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian or Vegetable Grilling herb seasoning blend
½ teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper, or to taste

Clean the zucchini and cut off both ends. Slice down the length of the zucchini to cut in half and place the pieces into a microwave safe casserole dish. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, then allow to cool completely. (If you don’t use a microwave oven, roast the zucchini, covered, in a 350° F oven for 25 minutes, until the insides have softened.)

After the zucchini has cooled to room temperature, put it and the remaining ingredients into a blender container and puree until velvety smooth, stopping to stir down as needed. Spoon into a 2-cup serving bowl and offer Triscuit whole wheat reduced fat crackers or Baked Pita Crisps with it (page 61 in the MOSAIC MEALS cookbook).

While you’re enjoying your dip, you can also visit the Triscuit Home Garden and Urban Community Gardens web site for a little gardening inspiration. Have a lovely weekend and take the time to dance a little!

“The more we can see the magic in one thing, a tiny flower, a mango, someone we love, then the more we are able to see the magic in everything and in everyone.” ~ Joshua Kadison, American singer/songwriter (1963-)

Our favorite salsa for many years has been some kind with mangoes in it. However, toward the end of last year, all the jarred varieties containing mangoes disappeared from the grocery store shelves. (If anyone can tell me why, I’d really like to know.)

At some point over the winter, I realized that we’d probably have to make our own. Fresher is usually better, and this salsa proved to be no exception. Today, the fresh mangoes in the produce department lured me in. I had planned to make a Pad Thai dish for dinner, but suddenly began craving tacos.

The recipe for Taco Mania from the MOSAIC MEALS cookbook is a good choice in hot weather because so little stove time is involved. The Mango Salsa without tomatoes gave them a fresh, naturally sweet spin that we were delighted with. Don’t forget that Mango Salsa is also good on fish or chicken, a low fat alternative to salad dressings, and for dipping with plain ol’ tortilla chips, so be sure to make plenty.

For this recipe, the mangoes should be ripened to the point of becoming soft. Like bananas, mangoes will continue to ripen after you bring them home. If you want to nudge ripening along, put the mangoes in a paper bag with an apple and fold the top shut. Mangoes begin to lose their flavor when kept below 50° F / 10° C.

Mango Salsa

Makes 2 cups
Time: 15 minutes to chop + 1 hour to rest

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and pitted, finely diced
¼ cup finely diced red onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves (coriander)
3 tablespoons lime juice
½ roasted red bell pepper, seeded, peeled, finely diced
1 chili pepper of your choice, seeds removed, finely diced

Mix it all together and let sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour, up to one day ahead. If you prefer a salsa that includes tomatoes, feel free to add a (15-ounce) can of chopped tomatoes, lightly drained, or about 1 ½ cups fresh, chopped.

Taco Mania

If you are going to make tacos, don’t forget to mix up a batch of horchata to go with them!

“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”
~ Benjamin Franklin, American statesman and author (1706-1790)

1 teaspoon of sugar weighs approximately 4.2 grams.

Now that you have that knowledge, pick up a bottle of your (or your kid’s) favorite soft drink and read the label. Skip the part about serving size and go right down to where it gives you the total. Divide that number by 4.2:

For example, a 12-ounce can of soda that has sugar = 39 grams ÷ 4.2 = 9 ¼ teaspoons.

Now, go to your cupboard and get the sugar out. Measure the total sugar from the answer above with a measuring spoon into your hand and eat it. Seriously. Force yourself to do it.

Are you disgusted? Well, that’s exactly what we are doing every time we consume a can of soda (more if we drink from a bottle), except it is melted into the water so we don’t have to think about it.

Sadly, we don’t relate the meaning of the information on the labels to anything we understand, and it doesn’t occur to us to ask. If manufacturers put, “This can contains more than 3 tablespoonfuls of sugar in it,” we might not buy it. They pretend that a 12-ounce can is 1 ½ servings, and then they list everything in metrics for a culture that doesn’t have a clue what a g is.

Time to wise up and take control, don’t you agree?

Of course, that is easier said than done. Drinking water is boring, isn’t it? Well, it doesn’t have to be. Here are some recipes for water (seriously) that are easy, fast, taste delicious, and are also very, very beautiful. They do contain a bit of sugar from the fruit, but not nearly as much as that can of flavored soda pop.

Fruit Water

Makes 2 quarts (8 cups)

Zest from one whole orange, cut off in one long strand about 1inch wide (use a vegetable peeler and carefully go round and round the orange)
6 big strawberries (ok if they’re frozen)
1 tall sprig of fresh mint
Water
Ice cubes

Put the ingredients above into a 2-quart pitcher, then fill to about ¾ full with water. Refrigerate until it is very cool. Add ice and serve, pouring the water into glasses or a water bottle, but leaving the fruit in the pitcher.

Alternatively, you can make something like what the Mexicans call Agua Fresca. Virtually all the recipes I could find for this call for added sugar, but the natural sugars in the fruit can carry it alone if you let it (honeydew melon has about 1 tablespoon of natural sugar in each cup). Refreshing.

Agua Fresca (sort of)

Makes about 1 quart (4 cups)

½ honeydew melon, very ripe
3 cups ice cubes
Mint sprigs or orange slices for garnish

Scoop the seeds out of the center and discard. Using a spoon, scoop out the melon meat and put it into a blender. Discard the rind (preferably into a compost heap).

Puree the fruit in the blender until it has liquefied. Add the ice cubes and continue blending until they are finely chopped. Pour into a pitcher and refrigerate for 1 hour. The fruit solids will float to the top, exposing a beautiful, crystal green liquid. You can strain the solids out if you wish, but I prefer not to. Just pour into a glass and add a mint sprig or orange slice for garnish if you wish. Serve very cold. (Also works well with watermelon.)

Don’t be tempted to save these recipes for a party. You are special enough to deserve water this good every day.

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” ~ Federico Fellini, Italian film director (1920 – 1993)

The weather has been wickedly hot and humid here so we were happy to have a cold supper last night.

A lot of pasta salads are heavy with mayonnaise-based dressings, but this one is different. Using pickled vegetables that are only lightly drained allows their light, sweet dressings to coat the pasta, too. The fact that most of the knife work has been done before pickling also means that the dish goes together quickly.

Here is a little secret: Choose a whole grain pasta for this salad. We used Barilla Whole Grain Medium Shells. The juice from the pickled beets will stain it a bright pink, and because the dish is so heavy in vegetables, the slightly coarser texture isn’t noticeable this way. In addition to being more nutritious, whole grain pastas are much more filling than pastas made from refined semolina flour, so appetites will be satisfied with less.

Part of what makes Pickled Veggie Pasta Salad attractive is that it includes so many different colors and flavors. You can make it without protein-packed tofu if you want to, but if you have never tried tofu, or if past experiences have left you feeling indifferent, this is a particularly tasty way to be introduced. Whatever you do, though, don’t skip on the fresh mint, because it really makes this dish outstanding.

Pickled Veggie Pasta Salad

Serves 4 as a main dish, 8 as a side dish
Time: 30 minutes + 2 hours chilling time

2 cups whole grain pasta salad shells
1 (15-ounce) can or jar bean salad OR 1 ½ cups homemade bean salad
1 (15-ounce) jar pickled beets OR 1 ½ cups homemade pickled beets
1 avocado, peeled and pitted, cut into ½” cubes
1 cup chopped, peeled cucumber
1 cup orange segments (canned mandarin oranges are fine)
¼ cup sliced, pitted Kalamata olives
½ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 cup marinated tofu cubes (see below), drained

Lettuce leaves and crumbled feta cheese to garnish (optional)

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain well, then place into a large bowl.

Meanwhile, drain the bean salad, reserving the dressing. Drain the pickled beets and cut into pieces no bigger than ½” square, if needed. Chop the avocado, olives, and herbs while the pasta is cooking

Combine all ingredients except the tofu and feta cheese with the cooked, drained pasta, tossing well to distribute ingredients evenly. If the pasta seems too dry, add some of the reserved dressing from the bean salad a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Chill for 2 hours to allow flavors to blend. Toss in the drained tofu cubes.

For a pleasant presentation, serve the Pickled Veggie Pasta Salad on a bed of lettuce. Offer the feta cheese on the side for those who want it.

In case your store doesn’t carry marinated tofu, or if you simply prefer to make your own, you will need to prepare it at least 2 hours ahead of time:

Marinated Tofu

8 ounces extra firm tofu
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Gently press the tofu between layers of a clean dish towel to absorb excess moisture. Cut into ½” cubes.

Measure the remaining ingredients into a pint sized jar. Add the tofu cubes, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and turn several times to mix. Set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, turning about every half hour, or up to 2 days, turning frequently.

The phrase “keep your cool” makes a lot of sense this week – visit the library, go shopping, or bring the lawn sprinkler with you under a tree. Whatever you do, thanks for stopping by to visit us — we hope to see you at our table again next week.