Strawberry Time

Strawberry season has arrived in Lake County and, in defiance of too many freezing cold nights that threatened our citrus, vegetables and berries, they have not just survived; they are thriving. The berries at Oak Haven U-Pick are better than ever, succulent and juicy and sweet. The strawberry milk shakes and sundaes are absolutely sinful. And, the open pit fire is blazing in anticipation of roasting hot dogs and marshmallows when the children come in from their hay ride.

Farming berries is a science. First, the soil is worked. Then, an implement called a bedder is pulled by tractor through the field to gather soil to the center to create a firmly packed mound that rises eight inches above ground. Next, a separate implement called a plastic layer stretches a roll of plastic over the bed and covers the edges with dirt to hold it in place. Then, a hole puncher that looks like a wheel with spikes is pulled across to create perfect openings for the plants to grow through. After this, the bare root plants are set into the ground by hand. Each acre has the capability of producing eighteen thousand plants. This year, there are a total of 107,000 plants yielding several varieties of strawberries.

An easy test of a good berry is its aroma. If it smells like a strawberry, it will taste like a strawberry. As I walked the paths between the plants, the aroma drifted up like an aphrodisiac. Each brilliantly red berry was picture perfect. Most were enormous – the kind one looks for when dipping into chocolate or decorating desserts. Some are heart-shaped – perfect for Valentine’s Day. Karen Stoddard, co-owner of Oak Haven Farms with her husband, Harry, proudly handed out samples. “Taste one”, she urged. It took approximately thirty seconds to be coaxed. It burst with intense flavor. The aroma lingered in the air and on my fingers, which I unconsciously licked.

These luscious strawberries are, of course, best eaten freshly picked. How one enjoys them is a matter of preference. Regular cream and milk, heavy cream and ice cream, unflavored yogurt and sour cream accompany whole or sliced berries beautifully. Coat them with white or dark chocolate. (Eagle® or Hershey® Candy Coating at Publix or Wilton® Premium Chocolate coating in the party supply department at WalMart) Treat yourself to a refreshing smoothie by puréeing strawberries with milk or ice in a blender. (Add a banana for a healthy breakfast or snack) Bolster the berries with white rum and a squeeze of lemon in the blender for a wow of a cocktail picker-upper. From now until the end of April, Central Florida will harvest homegrown strawberries. Don’t miss out.

U-Pick? U-Bet!! Every chance I get!

Oak Haven Farms
32430 Avington Road
Sorrento, FL 32776
Phone: (352) 735-1996
Email: oakhavenfarms@embarqmail.com

Red Shed Strawberry Farm
18107 E. Apshawa Rd
Clermont, FL 34715
(407) 414-7497
Dec-May: Tues,Thurs,Sat: 10-3 pm

STRAWBERRY PEACH YOGURT SOUP

Yield: Approximately 6 cups

4 cups cleaned strawberries, sliced

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup unflavored yogurt

½ cup heavy cream

2 large peaches, peeled and finely diced (Canned peaches or mandarin oranges may be substituted out of season)

1. Place strawberries into a blender and purée. Remove to a bowl. Add sugar, lemon juice, yogurt and cream. Refrigerate until very cold. Stir in the peaches directly before serving.

STRAWBERRY SALAD

Yield: 4 Servings

½ cup chopped strawberries

1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice

1 tablespoon orange blossom honey

1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar

Pinch salt

Mixed baby salad greens of choice

2 or more tablespoons toasted chopped pecans

Whole strawberries to garnish

8 thin slices Camembert or Brie or chunks of goat cheese

1. Remove stems and chop strawberries coarse

2. Combine lemon juice, honey and salt. Stir in strawberries to create strawberry dressing. Do this several hours in advance of serving. Refrigerate.

3. Divide cold salad greens on 4 plates. Spoon strawberry dressing over.

4. Sprinkle with pecans. Place 1 whole berry on to garnish.

5. Set 2 slices cheese on opposite edges of each plate.

STRAWBERRIES OVER CUSTARD

Yield: 2 cups – 4-6 servings

5 extra large egg yolks

⅓ cup granulated sugar

⅛ teaspoon salt

3 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Fresh strawberries

1. Separate eggs, making sure no white membrane remains around the yolks. Reserve the whites for meringue cookies and set yolks aside.

2. Combine sugar, salt and cornstarch and sift into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the milk and stir to combine. Stir in remaining milk.

3. Strain the mixture into a saucepan.

4. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until mixture is hot. Stir 2 tablespoons of the hot mixture into the yolks before adding the yolks to the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and smoothing with a wire whisk until thick. If mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, reduce the heat immediately.

5. Stir in vanilla and remove from the stove.

6. Spoon into red wine or champagne glasses and slice fresh strawberries over the top.

The secret of any custard is patience. The custard must not cook too quickly or it will burn and become lumpy.

STRAWBERRY BREAD PUDDING

Yield: 6-8 servings

1 pint ripe strawberries

⅓ cup fresh orange or tangerine juice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 loaf unsliced bread, approximately 1 pound or less

1 quart whole milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

4 jumbo graded eggs

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

9 ½ X14 X 2 ½ inch baking dish

Cinnamon-sugar to sprinkle over the top (7 parts sugar to 3 parts cinnamon)

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.

2. Slice strawberries and toss with the juices

3. Slice bread thick and cut into cubes. Heat milk to the boiling point. Pour over the bread and let soak until soft.

4. Pour melted butter into the bottom of the baking pan.

5. Beat eggs with the sugar and vanilla. Stir into bread mixture. Pour into the buttered dish. Cover the top with the strawberry mixture. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon-sugar.

6. Bake 1 hour, or until a knife comes out clean.

7. Serve with Lemon Cream on the side.

LEMON CREAM

Yield: 2 cups

1 pint heavy cream for whipping

¼ cup sifted confectioner’s sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoon or more, grated lemon peel

¼ cup sour cream

1. Beat the heavy cream until it begins to thicken. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and grated peel and continue beating until thick.

2. Fold in the sour cream.

3. Refrigerate until very cold.

Tune in Comcast channel 22 & BrightHouse 199 to watch host, Valerie Hart, interview chefs in their kitchens "The Back of the House", or watch it live on your computer at www.lakefronttv.com. Follow her food page on Wednesdays in The Daily Commercial.

Thanksgiving Capon

CAPON: THE ULTIMATE THANKSGIVING FEAST

The one holiday other than Christmas when the typical American family “gathers together to ask the Lord’s Blessings” to consume more calories at one meal than a total of three days is called Thanksgiving.

The essential quality of every holiday is tradition. Each family has its own, inherited through the generations, and the menu and flavors are both regional and familial. The common denominator of a successful holiday meal is that it tastes “like Grandma or Mama made it”. The truth is that Grandma and Mama may not have been such terrific cooks, but the remembrance is better than the reality, and nostalgia is always delicious. Turkey, however, has become available year-round and is no longer symbolic as once a year Thanksgiving fare. So, if you would like a change and feel gastronomically adventurous, you might want to treat your family to capon. The gourmet experience of capon is like no other poultry. The delicacy is due to the accumulation of fat, which is stored in successive layers in the muscles of these castrated and fattened young roosters. Although capon is more expensive than turkey, it offers considerable more white meat from a larger breast. Capon is roasted in the same manner as a large hen or roasting chicken or young turkey, but should have some form of citrus added during the cooking to cut the fat. Capon requires approximately 30 minutes per pound cooking time. Allow 30-45 minutes longer total cooking time if the capon is stuffed. And, remember to remove any left-over stuffing from the capon to a dish for safety.

THANKSGIVING CAPON

6-8 pound Capon

Salt

Poultry seasoning

1 orange, sliced with rind

½ lemon, sliced with rind

1 small onion, peeled and sliced

1 rib celery, sliced

Optional: 1 whole clove garlic, peeled

Paprika to sprinkle

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup water or to cover bottom of roasting pan

1 tablespoon butter

Optional: Smuckers® Apricot Spreadable Simply Fruit

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

½ cup Madeira wine (or Marsala)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Wash, dry and cut away excess fat from the capon. Sprinkle the cavity with salt. Pour some poultry seasoning into your hand and rub well into the cavity. Slice the orange and lemon and insert the slices into the cavity with the onion and celery (and garlic).

3. Sprinkle the outside with salt and paprika. (If you like a “zing”, use hot Hungarian paprika sparingly) Brush the skin with melted butter.

4. Set into a shallow roaster breast down. Add water to cover the bottom of the pan. Roast, uncovered, 20 minutes. Remove capon from the oven and turn breast side up. Sprinkle with paprika and brush with butter.

5. Reduce oven temperature to 325° and roast 30 minutes per pound, or until temperature reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast.

6. Optional: To glaze: The last 15 minutes of roasting, increase oven temperature to 375°F. Brush the skin with apricot jam.

7. Remove Capon to a platter. Cover lightly with foil and allow the capon to rest 15-20 minutes before carving for the juices to settle.

8. Combine the flour with the Madeira (or Marsala) wine. Stir in the gravy from the roasting pan. Bring to a boil, stirring, until thickened. Serve on the side in a gravy boat.

LOUISIANA OYSTER AND PECAN STUFFING

Yield: 4 Servings

2 cups stale French bread cubes

2 minced shallots

2 ribs minced celery

1 minced green pepper

¼ teaspoon ground thyme

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

¼ pound melted butter

1 pint large oysters with their liquid

2 extra large eggs

1. Mix all ingredients with the melted butter and enough oyster liquid to bind. Stir in beaten eggs. Spoon into the cavity of a 6-8 pound capon, or spoon into a casserole dish to bake, covered, set into a pan of water, 1 hour.

CAPON SOUTHWESTERN STYLE

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon coriander

3 tablespoons canned chopped green chilies

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

¼ pound butter, melted

½ cup honey

1. Chop the garlic and onion and insert in the cavity of the capon.

2. Sprinkle the cavity with salt. Sprinkle salt over the skin.

3. Combine the cumin, coriander, chilies, cilantro, melted butter and honey in a blender. With your fingers, raise the skin up from the capon and push a thin layer of the mixture between the skin and the meat, reserving 1/3 cup.

4. Slow-roast the capon at 325°F. The last half hour brush the outer skin with the reserved marinade.

Or combine 1 tablespoon Fajita seasoning (McCormick or Williams Sonoma), 1 clove chopped garlic with 1 minced onion and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro and insert the mixture into the cavity of the turkey. Combine 3 tablespoons Fajita seasoning with 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon chili powder and ¼ pound melted butter (or ¼ cup olive oil). Brush the skin heavily an hour before roasting.

TRADITIONAL GRAVY

3 cups chicken broth

Necks and gizzards of capon

1 rib celery, chopped coarse

1 onion, chopped coarse

1 whole clove

1 bay leaf

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Liver from capon, if not used in stuffing

Drippings from the pan, after skimming off fat

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Optional: ½ cup chicken broth or white wine to finish

1. Combine the first 8 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover the pot and cook 30 minutes. Add liver. Cook another 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Strain.

2. Skim off fat from the gravy in the roasting pan. Stir in flour and broth or wine. Combine with strained stock. Cook, stirring, until thickened.

ELSA’S RAW CRANBERRY MOLD

Yield: 8 Servings

1 ½ pounds fresh cranberries

Grated rind of 2 oranges

2 oranges, peeled, seeded and quartered

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

6 ounces raspberry Jello®

1 envelope (tablespoon) Knox® unflavored gelatin

2 cups chopped walnuts (Optional: Most children do not like nuts)

1. Combine cranberries and oranges in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulverize.

2. Remove to a bowl and stir in sugar. Allow to sit, stirring several times, until sugar dissolves.

3. Combine the water with Jello® and gelatin. Bring to a boil, stirring.

4. Pour boiling mixture over cranberries and stir until blended. Cool 10 minutes. Pour into an oiled* 2 ½ quart mold. Refrigerate overnight.

* Pour a few drops of vegetable oil into the mold and rub around the bottom and sides.

To Serve: Run a knife around the inside surface of the mold and turn upside down on a platter. Allow to stand a few minutes before lifting. The mold should slide out easily.

SWEET POTATO PUDDING

Yield: 4 cups – Recipe may be doubled or tripled

2 pounds sweet potatoes (2 large)

¼ pound butter

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Optional: ? cup light brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup tangerine juice

1 cup crushed pineapple

Optional, Chopped pecans

10 ounce package miniature marshmallows

1. Bake or microwave the whole potatoes until very soft. Cool and remove the skin.

2. Mash the potatoes with the melted butter, cinnamon, (brown sugar), salt, and tangerine juice. Beat with a wire whisk or hand-held electric beater until very smooth. Stir in pineapple.

3. Spoon into a baking dish. Sprinkle, if desired, with chopped pecans. Cover with aluminum foil. These 3 steps may be done several hours in advance.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F.

5. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until very hot. Remove foil. Cover the top of the pudding heavily with the marshmallows. Change the oven setting to broil. Set the pudding under the broiler for the marshmallows to brown. (Watch carefully so they do not burn)

Note: For a nice presentation and individual servings: See photograph: 6 ounce plastic cups were tightly filled with the mashed potatoes. Refrigerate several hours. Run a knife around the edge of the cup and turn upside down onto a baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350°F. Remove and top with mini marshmallows. Set under the broiler to lightly brown.

APPLE-CRANBERRY BREAD

Yield: 1 loaf

1 cup Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored (2 large apples)

¼ cup minced cranberries

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 full teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

½ cup cold milk

¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mince apples and cranberries in a food processor, or chop fine by hand.

2. Sift together the flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

3. Beat butter and sugar until white and fluffy. Add the egg and apple-cranberry mixture. Add the flour mixture and the milk in thirds.

4. Spoon into a greased and floured or non-stick bread pan. Bake 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out “clean”.

This bread freezes beautifully. Recipe may be doubled- do not double soda.

Tune in Comcast channel 22 & BrightHouse 199 to watch host, Valerie Hart, interview chefs in their kitchens "The Back of the House", or watch it live on your computer at www.lakefronttv.com. Follow her food page on Wednesdays in The Daily Commercial.

Restaurant safety

HOW SAFE IS YOUR RESTAURANT?

By Valerie Hart

Television host, Back of the House

A gentleman dining at Crewe, found quite a large mouse in his stew. Said the waiter, “Don’t shout and wave it about, or the rest will be wanting one too”. (Limerick)

Once upon a time we ate in restaurants without asking if the chef were wearing gloves or if beef and pork were dipped in the same flour before being deep fried. We lined up at buffets that didn’t have plastic sneeze guards. We picnicked on sandwiches and potato salad transported in a wicker basket. Savvy food people packed their repast in a cooler, unless the beer took up too much space. We knew, of course, not to consume raw oysters during months without an “r” in their spelling because the heat of the summer could make raw seafood dangerous. But, we ate our hamburgers rare and added a raw egg yolk to our skinny child’s milkshake for protein. And, we hid real hard boiled eggs for the children to gather at Easter, and threw out the one not accounted for when the family dog deposited it at our feet in July. There were occasions when we became ill, but the stomach ache was usually short-lived and unexplained. Was it our innocence that protected us most of the time or were we a heartier breed in the past?

My Father was a connoisseur of food and restaurant standards. When we entered a restaurant, he immediately disappeared to “wash his hands”. Several minutes later, he either ushered the family to their seats or looked at his watch and announced to the maitre d’, “I just remembered an appointment”. He knew that the condition of the bathroom reflected that of the kitchen.

The public has become very conscious of cleanliness and food safety. Outbreaks of salmonella, vibrio, anisakiasis, and hepatitis A are the most commonly known. Salmonella can be found in raw poultry and eggs. Vibrio can be found in raw shellfish. Anisakiasis is a worm found in raw fish and shellfish. Hepatitis A is a viral food-born illness spread through the feces of animals, in unwashed raw shellfish and raw vegetables, and found on unwashed hands of the food handlers. Proper hand washing in 100 degree water offers the best protection but foods suspected of having parasites, such as sushi, must be frozen to a minimum of 4 degrees Fahrenheit for seven days. Then, of course, there’s the powerful toxin, E-Coli, commonly associated with rare hamburgers and cross-contamination, but that can be found in everything from cooked sausages to cookies and that can live on counter surfaces for weeks. It’s a heavy responsibility that falls upon the restaurant.

Are gloves really the answer to safe handling? Not necessarily. If hands are not washed before putting on gloves, bacteria can seep through the glove. If wearing gloves replaces washing hands, the gloves can become just as dirty. Gloves must be changed as often as hands are washed, which is constantly, as the chef moves to different foods. When handled with bare hands, one is immediately aware of juices that transfer. This is not always the case with gloves. Gloves can provide a false sense of cleanliness. However, gloves should always be worn when working with and dishing up ready to eat ready to eat foods such as salads and ice cream. More and more states are mandating this into law along with the use of utensils to remove cooked food to serving plates.

The only jewelry that is allowed in a kitchen is a plain wedding band. Nail polish is a no-no. Finding Revlon Red in a salad is bad for the restaurant’s image. Hair should be covered or cut very short or tied back. There’s not a lot of information on the danger of finding a hair in the gravy, but it’s an appetite buster.

Cross contamination during the preparation and cooking is the cause of most food related illnesses. The buffet runs a close second, and it is not necessarily because of the food or the food handler in the kitchen, but the people who pass the serving utensils from hand to hand.

If all this has made you decide to stay home and eat in your own kitchen, have you checked your refrigerator lately? Is the temperature 40 degrees or lower? Are your meats, poultry, and fish in closed containers stored on the bottom shelf in case their juices drip and contaminate vegetables and fruit? Are your eggs stored in their original carton on the shelf or in the door where the warm air changes their temperature each time it is opened? How long have you left that chicken on the counter that you plan to cook for dinner? Do you wash and disinfect your cutting board (white vinegar works) after each use before placing new foods on it? Do you use the same sponge to wash the counter as your dishes? Most home kitchens would not begin to pass inspection. With these facts in mind, you may as well eat out and enjoy!

Tune in Comcast channel 22 & BrightHouse 199 to watch host, Valerie Hart, interview chefs in their kitchens "The Back of the House", or watch it live on your computer at http://www.lakefronttv.com/. Follow her food page on Wednesdays in The Daily Commercial.

Lemon or Lime meringue pie

The word, 'meringue', is said to have come from the city of Meiringen in the Emmen Valley in Switzerland where cruncy egg white cookies filled with chocolate cream were served after festive dinners. foreign guests who could not pronounce the name, 'meiringerli', changed it to meringues.

For the pie:
2/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups boiling water
7 jumbo or 8 extra large egg yolks
3/4 cup Key lime, Persian lime, or freshly squeezed lemon juice
Baked and cooled 10 inch pie crust

1. Sift the cornstarch with the sugar and salt into a 2 quart heavy pot or the top of a double boiler. Pour the boiling water in slowly, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth, thick and creamy.
2. Beat the yolks with a whisk until blended. Slowly add some of the hot mixture to them. (This is an important step to keep the eggs from 'scrambling'). Stir mixture back into the pot and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until very thick. Stir in lime or lemon juice and continue stirring until mixture is thick and bubbly. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Spoon into the baked pie crust and refrigerate until very cold.

Meringue:
7 jumbo or 8 extra large egg whites, room temperature or warmer
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cr. of tartar

1. Sift together the sugar, cornstarch and salt.
2. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Add cr. of tartar. Add sugar mixture a tablesoon at a time, beating on high speed until thick and glossy, approximately 5-6 minutes.
3. Cover the top of the pie with the meringue, bringing it up into peaks with a spoon. Or, pipe rosettes with a fluted tube. Place under the broiler to brown.

Note: The addition of cornstarch in the whites keeps them from 'weeping' when refrigerated.

Tune in Comcast Channels 22 & BrightHouse 199 to watch host, Valerie Hart, interview chefs in their kitchens in "The Back of The House" , or watch it live on your computer at www.lakefronttv.com. Follow her food page on Wednesdays in The Daily Commercial.

Crab and Corn Chowder

Make a crab stock* Or, substitute 3 cups bottled clam juice or fish stock or vegetable or chicken broth, and scroll down to making the Chowder.

2 pounds crab shells, carefully washed and broken up
2-3 cups cold water, or to cover the shells
Handful of basil leaves and fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, cut up
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 cup white wine

1. Combine the shells with the basil, parsley, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. remove foam from the top and reduce the heat immediately to simmer.
2. Add the onion, celery, garlic, white pepper, and ginger. Add the wine. Cover. Simmer 30 minutes, checking to remove more foam from the top.

Cool to room temperature. Strain through fine cheesecloth or fine strainer. Discard the shells and herbs.

Make the Chowder

2 cups fresh corn kernels, uncooked
1 pound lump crab meat
2 large plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and coarsely chopped
10 ounce can Campbell’s® Tomato Soup
1/4 cup cream sherry
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste
Chopped scallion greens to top
Optional: Toasted croutons to top

1. Cut the kernels from the corn and set set aside
2. Pick over the crab for any shells or cartilage and refrigerate.
3. Skin, seed, and chop the tomatoes and set aside.
4. Combine the tomato soup with the soup stock, and bring to a boil, stirring to a smooth consistency. Reduce heat to low.
5. Stir in the sherry and the cream.
6. Taste to add for salt.
7. Stir in the corn and cook 3 minutes over low heat.
8. Carefully add the crab to the soup. Or, better yet, divide the crab into individual bowls and ladle the hot soup over, so the crab will remain in large pieces.
9. Top with chopped scallions and croutons to serve immediately.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Tune in Comcast Channels 22 & 199 to watch host, Valerie Hart, interview chefs in their kitchens in "The Back of The House"