CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE WITHOUT FLOUR

INDIVIDUAL CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉS

Without Flour

6 Individual soufflés

4 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate

½ cup heavy cream

3 extra large egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

5 extra large egg whites brought to room temperature or warmer

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

⅓ cup granulated sugar

Confectioner’s 10X sugar for dusting

Soufflé dishes that hold ¾ cup liquid (6 ounces)

In Advance:

1. Melt the chocolate and cream over low heat. When chocolate is soft, stir well with a wooden spoon and then a wire whisk until smooth and thick. Add the vanilla and stir again.

2. Pour a little of the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks and stir. Add to the chocolate in the pot and cook, stirring, over low heat until very thick. Remove from the heat and cover tightly.

3. Rub softened unsalted butter over the bottom and around the sides of the soufflé dishes. Sprinkle a little sugar into the dishes and tip around to coat the sides. (over the sink) Tip out any excess.

To Cook and Serve:

Pre-heat oven to 425°F and set rack on lowest level

1. Beat egg whites on highest speed of an electric mixer until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until very thick. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until very thick and smooth. (About 10 seconds)

2. Fold ½ of the whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the other half and spoon immediately into the soufflé dishes, running your finger around the inside rim of each. Heap a little more soufflé in the center to create a mound and put immediately in the oven.

3. Bake 6 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F and bake for another 2 ½ minutes. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle lightly with sifted powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Note: Do not allow soufflé to stand after folding in the whites. Bake and serve immediately.

A triangular piece of white chocolate may be inserted into the center of the soufflé just before placing in the oven. It’s just another fun presentation.

SERVE WITH VANILLA SAUCE

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.

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

COLD SUMMER DISHES

This is the time of the year known as the dog days of summer. Long, hot sultry weather in Florida lingers unwaveringly during the period between early July and September. Even our massive thunderstorms bring no relief to the sweltering heat that makes us all move a little slower.

The most plausible explanation of the term, dog days, could refer to man’s best friend sleeping out the heat in the shade. The frequency of summer storms may have evoked the phrase, “raining cats and dogs”, which compared cats and dogs fighting with the fury of the sudden downpour of rain. Some say the expression came from the dark ages when people believed animals, including cats and dogs, had magical powers. Cats were associated with storms, especially the black cats of witches, while dogs were associated with the wind. So, when a particularly violent storm occurred, people said, “It’s raining cats and dogs”. Another describes houses with thatched roofs with straw as a base instead of wood, where the animals slept for warmth. Sometimes, during a particularly heavy rain, the animals slid off the roof, bringing about the expression, “It’s raining cats and dogs”. This theory doesn’t hold much water because dogs normally cannot jump up to a roof.

The true explanation of the term, “dog days”, comes from ancient times when the night sky was not obscured by artificial lights. People drew images in the sky by connecting dots of the stars. The images drawn were dependent upon the culture. The Chinese saw different images than the Native Americans, who saw different pictures than the Europeans. The star pictures, or constellations, mapped out in the sky come from our European ancestors. Images of bears (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor), twins (Gemini), a bull (Taurus), and dogs (Canis Major and Canis Minor), are all drawn from the stars. The biggest dog, Sirius, is in Canis Major. It is also the brightest star in the sky. It is so bright that the ancient Romans thought it was the source from which the earth received heat. In the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the sun. The ancients believed it was responsible for creating the long stretch of hot and sultry weather. The early Egyptians perceived Sirius as the home of departed souls. As the guardian star of Egypt, its cycle governed Egyptian mysticism. At the exact moment Sirius rises with the sun, the Nile begins its annual swelling that replenishes the land with fertile top soil necessary for their agriculture. Contrary to other river cycles, this takes place in the hottest time of the year. The function of the superstitious Egyptian priests was to determine the precise time of the rising in order to begin their religious rituals of cyclic death and rebirth to coincide with this phenomenon.

Our summer temperatures in Central Florida are similar to those of Egypt. And, on a clear night, the constellations perform a brilliant spectacle available to all without cost. Treat the family to a picnic at night with refreshing recipes meant for the Dog Days of Summer. Keep the mosquitoes away by spraying Listerine® Mouth wash around the eating and play area. Seriously, it works.

TOMATO-ONION RIBBON SANDWICH

Yield: 10-12 Slices

Family and friends will enjoy slicing their own “ribbon” sandwiches

1 pound unsliced loaf of soft white bread or egg bread with crust

Mayonnaise

Sweet onion, such as Vidalia, sliced very thin

Ripe tomatoes, sliced very thin

Salt and pepper

Optional: Chopped fresh basil leaves

1. With a serrated-edge knife, slice bread lengthwise across (perpendicular) two times to create a top, middle and bottom layer.

2. Spread all the layers with mayonnaise.

3. Set sliced onions and tomatoes across the bottom layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set the middle layer over. Cover the middle layer with more sliced onions and tomatoes and basil, if you like. Close the “sandwich” and press the top layer down to secure the onions and tomatoes in place.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours. Serve whole with a serrated knife on the side. Cut vertical slices as needed to maintain freshness.

GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS

Yield: 4 breasts

4 skinned and boned chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 red onion, minced

1 teaspoon tamari sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 cup olive oil

Gas grill set to medium heat

1. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken. Line up, side by side, in a baking dish.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a microwaveable cup and microwave 1 minute. Cool to room temperature.

3. Pour marinade through a strainer over the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight, covered.

4. Preheat oven to 300°F.

5. Remove breasts from marinade. Pour marinade into a bowl.

6. Brush chickens with olive oil and place oil side down over a gas grill. Grill until brown. Turn. Brush heavily with the marinade. Cook until brown on the other side. Do not overcook.

7. Remove to a shallow baking dish and brush heavily with the remainder of the marinade. Cover with foil and set into the oven. Cook approximately 10 minutes, or until very tender.

MARINATED HERRING SWEDISH-STYLE

Yield: 4 cups: 6-8 Servings

12 ounce jar herring tidbits in wine sauce

¾ cup thinly-sliced sweet onion

¾ cup diced Granny smith apples, peeled or unpeeled

8 ounces sour cream

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Optional: Salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: 1 teaspoon curry powder

1. Discard the wine sauce from the herring. Combine the tidbits with the onion, apples, sour cream, sugar and salt and pepper. If you like, add curry powder for a special flavor. Refrigerate overnight for the flavors to “marry”. Serve with miniature rye rounds for an appetizer or on a bed of lettuce for a first course.

POTATO SALAD

Yield: 4-6 Servings

1 ½ pounds red potatoes

1 small red onion

½ cup mayonnaise

1 full teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon chopped parsley or ½ teaspoon dried chervil

Salt, black pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon chopped fresh mint

1. Cook potatoes in water to cover until done but very firm. Pour off water to cool.

2. Peel and slice the onion into julienne strips.

3. Combine the mayonnaise with the vinegar and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cut the potatoes into pie shapes and toss with the mayonnaise and onion, leaving some of the strips for the top for decoration. Sprinkle the top with mint.

GREEK PASTA SALAD

Yield: 4-6 servings

3 cups cooked elbow macaroni or orzo pasta

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt to sprinkle

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, or more to taste

½ cup extra virgin olive oil or more to moisten

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

¼ cup chopped scallion greens

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 red onion, sliced very thin on the round

Salt and pepper

3 plum tomatoes, cut into strips

Black Greek olives, pitted

Feta cheese, cut into small squares

1. Cook the macaroni or orzo pasta. Do not rinse. Drain and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt.

2. Combine the vinegar, olive oil, oregano and nutmeg. Toss with the pasta.

3. Toss in the scallions, bell pepper and onion. Toss in salt and pepper to taste. Be careful. The Feta cheese will add salt.

4. Pile into a bowl. Refrigerate to serve very cold. To serve: Decorate with tomatoes and olives. Cover the top heavily with Feta cheese.

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.

Garlic Lovers Unite

“To be sure, ‘tis not for Ladies Palats, nor those who court them.” John Evelyn, Acetaria (1699)

In South Florida during the 1960s and ‘70s, bumper stickers attached to the fenders of automobiles announced, “Eat garlic. It’s chic to reek!” Downtown Miami had definitely become chic and wanted the world to know it! A casual stroll on Flagler Street still leaves a non-aficionado gasping for air from the fumes of passers-by. The power of this innocuous little white member of the lily family that breaks apart into a multitude of tear-shaped cloves is all encompassing. It pours out of the pores and permeates the clothing, blocking out any efforts of soap and perfume. No one claims guilt for the stench because everyone is involved. And the affair with this prince of the pantry that causes pernicious results when added to delicate vegetables and fish is now accepted as part of America’s cuisine. Garlic festivals abound from Michigan’s northern peninsula east to Vermont and west to California with recipes that call for as many as 20 cloves to season everything from soup to ice cream.

Garlic is one of the world’s oldest herbs. It has been aligned with medicine and superstition since ancient times. Emperor Hung-ti of Hsia of the first Chinese dynasty (2205-1766 BC) cultivated the bulb as an antitoxin against poisonous plants. Louis Pasteur confirmed the anti-bacterial benefit of garlic in 1858 and Albert Schweitzer used it successfully to treat amoebic colitis. In Europe, it was worn around the neck as well as eaten as a protection against vampires. Assuming, of course, that vampires existed, one can’t be certain if it was the magical properties that thwarted evil or if the vampires simply refused to suck the blood of another creature with such atrocious breath.

Vampires or no vampires, modern medical evidence seems to be in favor of this smelly substance that presumes to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cancer, strokes and heart attacks, as well as treat bacterial and viral infections, and kill certain parasites. Europeans who lived in the late Middle Ages obviously kept a track record of folks whose stronger immune systems warded off the plague because of their consumption of garlic. Nutritionists and doctors now support past studies lauding the medicinal value of the bulb.

Garlic, like oysters and caviar, is an acquired taste for people of Nordic origins, probably because it once grew more prevalently in southern climates. In southern Spain, Sicily, Greece and the Middle East, it is virtually impossible to find any meat or sauce prepared without its infusion. During the Crusades, the herb found its way into middle Europe and France, where it was cultivated during the summer months, but Scandinavia continued to savor the natural flavors of the bounty that swam off its shores and grew in its soil, employing few embellishments other than a little sage, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and bay leaf, which were imported from Indonesia. One of the world’s most famous experts on cuisine, Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870), described the air in Provence (historical region of southwest France on the Mediterranean) as being impregnated with the aroma of garlic. Garlic is the main seasoning in their most renowned seafood stew, Bouillabaisse, as well in all of their sauces.

Crush or chop garlic and set aside 10-15 minutes before cooking to allow its healing properties to develop. Store garlic in a well-ventilated cool, dry place. Do not refrigerate unless you separate the cloves and immerse them in oil, peeled or unpeeled. If the garlic isn’t peeled, the cloves will remain firm longer, but peeling will be more difficult. Fresh garlic which is held in open-air storage for any length of time will lose some of its pungency and may develop sprouts. The garlic is still usable.

Must garlic be peeled? Press each clove against the cutting board with the flat side of a heavy kitchen knife, or press between the thumb and forefinger to loosen the skin first. If the recipe calls for a large quantity of garlic, drop the cloves into boiling water for one minute. Drain quickly. They will peel easily. Or, microwave for five seconds before peeling.

Having grown up in Michigan where our families stemmed from German and Nordic heritage, our mothers engrained us with the edict, “Ladies should smell of perfume and flowers; not onions and garlic”. Some lessons are not easily discarded and, so, disposable plastic gloves to the rescue! Or, rub your fingers first with salt (Kosher or coarse sea salt are best) and then lemon juice. The one that seems to work best is to slightly wet your fingers and sprinkle with salt. Then rub with a stainless steel teaspoon under running water for a few seconds. There is a chemical reaction that removes the odor. Eat parsley for the breath or chew on a coffee bean or two.

To chop or press: Pressed (crushed) garlic doesn’t go as far because some of the pulp is lost. Hand chopped (minced) gives greater yield.

Tip: Add salt needed in the recipe into the minced garlic while it is on the cutting board. The salt will absorb the garlic juices making it easier to scoop the garlic up.

Garlic salt contains a blend of approximately ninety percent salt, nine percent garlic and one percent free-flowing agent. If you use garlic salt, do not add any salt until you taste.

Powdered Garlic is five times stronger than raw garlic. Its flavor is released when moisture is added.

GARLIC BUTTER

8 cloves fresh garlic, mashed

½ pound butter or butter substitute, softened

Work garlic into softened butter. Form into logs and refrigerate or freeze, covered. Other herbs of choice may also be added.

Or, melt butter over very low heat. Peel and split garlic cloves. Simmer 45 minutes. Allow mixture to cool. Skim off milk solids. Refrigerate.

GARLIC MARINADE FOR PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING

Keep it handy in the refrigerator

1 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons brandy

10 cloves chopped garlic cloves, peeled

3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger, peeled

Gently boil all together 10-15 minutes. Cool. Blend in blender. Save in an airtight container to marinate chicken, shrimp or beef.

BAKED WHOLE GARLIC HEADS

Hors d’oeuvre to spread on fresh warm bread or to add to cooked foods

Garlic head(s)

1 tablespoon olive oil for each head

1 teaspoon melted butter or butter substitute for each head

A sprinkling of salt and pepper

Optional: A touch of white pepper or cayenne

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Remove as much of the outer “tissue paper” white covering from the whole head.

3. Place head(s) in a covered baking dish or on a piece of heavy aluminum foil large enough to tent the garlic. Roll in oil and butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and white pepper or Cayenne, if you like spice.

4. Cover dish or create an airtight tent with the foil. Bake 45 minutes, or until cloves are soft enough to squeeze from their skins.

BAKED GARLIC CHICKEN

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Quick and Easy

3-4 pound chicken, well washed, extra fat removed and cut into quarters

Salt and pepper to sprinkle

Paprika to sprinkle

¼ cup Heinz® or Bennett’s® Chili Sauce

¼ cup dry white wine or ginger ale

6 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1-2 onions, sliced thin on the round

4 tablespoons butter or butter substitute, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Cut chicken into quarters. Remove extra fat and wash pieces well, removing the blood deposits along the backbone. Dry on paper toweling before sprinkling with salt and pepper.

3. Combine chili sauce and wine (ginger ale) with the garlic cloves and spoon into the pan.

4. Peel and slice the onions and set over the sauce.

5. Set the chicken pieces over the onions and brush well with the melted butter. Sprinkle with paprika.

6. Roast 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Roast 30 minutes longer, or until brown and tender.

VEGETARIAN PESTO SOUP

Not vegan

Yield: Approximately 8 Servings

6 cups vegetable broth (32 ounces Pacific®Organic Vegetable Broth in carton)

1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped

15 cloves peeled and chopped garlic

Juice of ½ lime

⅓ cup toasted pine nuts (Set on foil and baked at 250°F for 10 minutes)

⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese (eliminate if vegan)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 large ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

Extra Parmesan cheese to top

¼ cup toasted pine nuts to top

1. Bring to a boil: vegetable broth, basil leaves, chopped onion, garlic, and lime juice. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

2. Pour into a blender. Add toasted pine nuts and Parmesan cheese and blend. Return to soup pot.

3. Drop tomatoes into boiling water for 1 minute. Peel under cool water. Remove seeds and chop coarse. Add to soup. Cook over low heat five minutes.

4. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and pine nuts sprinkled over the top.

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.

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.