Mediterranean Women Stay Slim, Too: Eating to Be Sexy, Fit, and Fabulous! (12 page)

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vegetables; and Anson Mills in Columbia, South Carolina, for organic grains like their fabulous polenta and wonderful farro.

Chances are there are lots of local producers with fresh organic food right where you live.

Farmers’ markets, natural food co-ops, and even roadside produce stands are great places to shop. Many areas have a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. You sign up, then every week throughout the growing season, you get to pick up a big sack of fresh produce grown and freshly picked by the farmers in your own community. You’ll get to eat seasonally the easy way, with all the very freshest and ripest produce handed to you. You’ll eat more fruits and vegetables, you’ll feel better, and you’ll be connected to your community in a very meaningful way.

Browsing the farmers’ market is fun, too. Visit with the growers and ask questions about the work they do, why they grow the crops they grow, how the weather is influencing this week’s or month’s or season’s harvest. You never know what you might learn about why this batch of berries tastes better than the last, about the person who made the bread, or about why someone specializes in making a particular kind of cheese.

Go to the farmers’ market regularly so that the farmers and other artisanal producers get to know you. They might even start setting aside the best of what they’ve got just for you because they recognize that you truly appreciate the very best and freshest food. They also appreciate what
you
know. Tell them of things you remember from your childhood, a kind of special tomato or apple or bread, and see if they can help you find these items. Getting to know the people who grow the food you eat is a wonderful way to get more connected with your food and community.

Wouldn’t you rather wander through the open air looking at freshly picked produce than push a cart through the fluorescent
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light of a megasupermarket? I know I would. Making weekly farmers’ market visits a priority helps you schedule in some relaxing Mediterranean-style leisure time. It also gives you a great opportunity to get more variety in your diet. If you make it a point to try something new every time you visit the farmers’

market, you will meet more people, try more things, train your palette to be even more discerning, and experience more of the adventure that eating should be.

I know this might sound like a lot of work, and it is surely faster to rush to the grocery store once a week, buy whatever you need, and be done with it. But taking the time to follow your food, choose it with care, and relish the sensual pleasures of touching and tasting as you decide what deserves to grace your dinner table—this embraces the spirit of eating in the Mediterranean.

Once you get home with your bundle of fresh food, the real fun starts: devising ways to serve this food in the tastiest ways possible. Sometimes, simple is best—thick, juicy slices of peaches or melons, tangy vine-ripened tomatoes topped with a sprinkle of salt and some fresh basil, salad greens just picked and drizzled with olive oil. But you can do a lot more with the fresh produce you find growing all around you. Here are some of my favorite recipes to inspire you.

MANDOLINES

A mandoline is a French cooking tool that makes slicing vegetables and fruits practically effortless. Buy a good-quality mandoline—they can be pricey but will last for years with good care. I like the wonderful and versatile Bron-Coucke mandoline, which we use constantly in the restaurant.

Just watch your fingers; the best mandolines are very sharp.

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Cherry Tomato Salad

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√This bright salad is perfect for using the fresh, colorful, small tomatoes you can often find in farmers’ markets or that may overwhelm your garden come midsummer. Easy to make and delicious, this is a good lunch paired with some fresh cheese and bread. Or make crusty croutons and toss them right in the salad to make Panzanella, a Tuscan bread salad.

3 pints assorted small tomatoes

1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar

(cherry, pear, grape, red, and

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

yellow)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 bunch of fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

3 shallots, peeled and minced

3⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1.
Cut the tomatoes in half and put them in a large bowl.

2.
Chop the basil into very thin strips, called a chiffonade, and add to the tomatoes, and set aside.

3.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the shallots, vinegars, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix well, then let rest for 15

minutes.

4.
Whisk the oil into the vinegar mixture a little at a time, then toss the dressing with the tomatoes and basil. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Chill until ready to serve.

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Farmer’s Omelet

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√Who says you can’t eat vegetables for breakfast...or eggs for dinner? This quick meal is great for two people, for lunch or a light supper, especially if you can buy fresh eggs at your local market. The vegetables here are just suggestions. You can replace them with whatever is in season—tomatoes, avocados, asparagus, even winter greens lightly sautéed in a little olive oil before folding them into the eggs. Use your imagination with this versatile recipe.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons fresh sheep’s cheese

1 leek, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

5 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

3 red-skinned potatoes, quartered and

boiled until tender

1.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the butter.

When the butter begins to foam, add the leeks and sauté for 2

minutes.

2.
Add the eggs and scramble lightly with a rubber spatula until almost set. Smooth out an even layer.

3.
Put the potatoes and sheep’s cheese on one side of the omelet and fold the other side over as you ease the omelet onto a plate.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme. Share with someone you love.

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Butternut Squash Soup

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√When fall begins, the farmers’ markets fill up with apples and cider, winter squash and onions. This soup incorporates these delicious and warming fruits and vegetables, and it is something to look forward to all summer. If you want to make a lighter version, use milk or half-and-half instead of heavy cream. This recipe uses canola oil, which primarily contains monounsaturated fat such as olive oil but has an almost completely neutral taste, so it doesn’t interfere with the taste of the squash and apples.

1 large butternut squash, halved

1 quart chicken broth, vegetable stock,

lengthwise and seeded

or water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 cups water

1⁄4 cup canola oil

1 bay leaf

1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely

Salt and pepper to taste

chopped

1 cup heavy cream, or use milk for a

1 tart apple such as Granny Smith,

lighter soup

peeled and coarsely chopped

1⁄2 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

seeds) for garnish

1 cup apple cider

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the squash halves cut side down on a baking pan. Fill the pan with 1 inch of water. Roast in the oven until soft, 35–40 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. Scoop out the pulp into a bowl and set aside.

2.
Heat the butter and canola oil in a stock pot. Add the onions and apples, and cook over medium heat until the onions are
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translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 2 more minutes, then add the squash pulp. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

3.
Add the cider and continue cooking until the liquid is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Add the chicken broth, 2 cups water, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes.

4.
Stir in the cream or milk, and cook 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Puree with an immersion blender, or in a regular blender or food processor in small batches (be careful if the soup is still hot!). Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Garnish with toasted pepitas.

5.
Reheat until hot and serve with crostini and a green salad.

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Green Tomato Marmalade

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√Why make marmalade when you can buy grape jelly in the store? Because marmalade has chunks of real fruits including citrus peel, which is filled with nutrients, phytochemicals, and flavor. I love making unusual marmalades. This one is perfect when you’ve got lots of tomatoes on the way. The green tomatoes are a juicy, tart counterpoint to the citrus and sugar. This marmalade has so much flavor that just a little on your bread will keep you humming happily, especially if you know you or your local grower produced those lovely tomatoes.

Green tomato marmalade makes a great gift. You can also freeze this marmalade in small containers.

2 pounds green tomatoes, cored and

1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar (or a little

chopped

less)

1 organic orange, thinly sliced and

2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, peeled

seeded (leave the peel on)

and finely chopped

1 organic lemon, thinly sliced and

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

seeded (leave the peel on)

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves

11⁄2 cups sugar (or a little less)

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1.
Put all the ingredients in a covered pot and bring to a boil.

2.
Uncover the pot and continue to boil the marmalade until the liquid is reduced enough to make it thick and syrupy, about 10

minutes. Stir often.

3.
When the marmalade is the right consistency, remove from the heat and cool. Ladle into clean glass jars. This should keep in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

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Vegetable Terrine

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√This beautiful vegetable terrine layers lots of fresh vegetables that you can find in the farmers’ market or that you might grow yourself. Terrines are often made with layered meats or seafood, but this one is purely made with vegetables. It may sound complicated, but it’s very fun to assemble.

Traditionally, terrines are served cold in slices, with tiny gherkin pickles and pickled onions. To make this one, use a terrine pan, which is like a long loaf pan with sides that come apart and a lid to press in the ingredients and compact them as they chill for easier slicing, or just use a loaf pan that you can cover with foil and weight down with another dish. This recipe makes a lot. The terrine is wonderful as a next-day leftover or as a party dish, or even put a slice on bread and enjoy as a sandwich.

3 large zucchini, peeled and thinly

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

sliced lengthwise

Salt to taste

3 long yellow squash, peeled and

3 large red bell peppers

thinly sliced lengthwise

3 large yellow bell peppers

3 long eggplant, peeled and thinly

Pepper to taste

sliced lengthwise

2 cups fresh spinach

20 shiitake or crimini (baby bella)

10 thin leeks or shallots, white parts

mushroom caps

only, chopped

1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the zucchini, squash, eggplant, and mushroom caps in a large roasting pan or cookie sheet. Brush them with olive oil and season with red pepper flakes and salt. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

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2.
Roast and peel the red and yellow bell peppers (see page 67), leaving them whole but pulling out the cores and seeds. Brush the roasted bell peppers with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, then season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

3.
In a sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the spinach with the leeks or shallots and garlic until the spinach is completely wilted. Squeeze dry between paper towels. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

4.
Line the terrine mold with the sliced eggplant, overlapping layers until it is covered. Layer the remaining vegetables in the terrine: Begin with one layer of the squash strips, including zucchini, top with the mushrooms, peppers, and a thin layer of the spinach mixture. Repeat layers (it’s okay if you run out of peppers and keep going with the other vegetables) until the mold is full. Put on the cover, or cover the loaf pan with foil and weight it down with another loaf pan and a brick or other weight. Press down.

5.
Chill the terrine overnight, keeping the top weighted. To serve, remove the sides and slice, or just slice from the loaf pan and carefully remove.

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Braised Romano Beans with Soffritto

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