Mother Talkers

Super Summer Supping

by Amy

Sun Jul 15, 2007 at 10:54:07 PM PDT

I ate the last apricot while my son was napping. All of the sweet and none of the mess. The iconic, sensual fruit experience of "juice dripping down the chin" is overrated; now that I'm a mom I spend entirely too much time cleaning sticky trails from chins, chests, legs, arms, tables, and floors. The soft little fruit felt like Jude's head when he was a baby.

When he awoke from his nap and discovered the last apricot gone, he was pissed. He stormed around, cursing me. So when I went to the farmers' market yesterday, a big bag of Blenheims topped my list. But they were gone! The apricot season blows by faster than my desire for them, which lingers. But the peaches were out in full force. I filled my pack and pedaled home.

I'm trying to change, trying to integrate some new habits. I'm trying to eat seasonally (and to ween my lazy ass from the car). Of course, this can be pretty limiting; that's why people don't do it! On the flip side, the pleasure can be intense when the flavors are peaking. Food that is grown closer to home is picked riper. And of course, you value a thing more when you don't have constant access to it. Absence does makes the heart grow fonder.

My first step was to cut out a chart from the food section of the paper that lists seasonal food. (Scroll down to the bottom of the article for the chart.) I've taped it to my kitchen wall and glance at it before grocery shopping or figuring out menu items for the week. Here's what it says for the current season:

SUMMER
(June or July): Honey, sweet corn, tomatoes, fresh lavender, green beans, apricots, salmon, buffalo, beef, homemade ice cream.

HEIGHT OF SUMMER
(July and August): Basil and other fresh herbs, eggplant, peppers, heirloom tomatoes, peaches and nectarines galore, salmon, cucumbers, melons, grapes

  • ::

Googling around for recipes that include food from the seasonal chart, I found this 20-minute dinner that was SO yummy and simple and easy. It was a total hit with my guys (who don't fake enjoyment) and contained four seasonal ingredients (peaches, mint, basil, and zucchini, which comes on the scene in early summer and keeps on churning out green penises until no one can stand it anymore...)

Turkey & Peaches with Lemony Mint Zucchini on the side

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, chopped
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 tablespoon butter (or less)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh lemon juice to taste

  1. Melt butter in saucepan (medium heat). Add zukes and salt and stir.
  1. Cover pan and let the zukes steam themselves for a few minutes (5?) until tender.
  1. Add mint, salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze some lemon on top and toss to combine.

½ cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips.
2 firm-ripe peaches or nectarines, sliced
3 tablespoons butter (or less)
4 thin turkey breast slices (about 1 pound)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup dry red wine

  1. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Dust the turkey slices on both sides with the flour, salt, pepper.
  1. When the butter is sizzling, add the turkey slices to the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes per side, until browned and no longer pink in the thickest part. Transfer the slices to a plate.
  1. Add the wine to the skillet and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom. Add the peaches and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, until the wine is reduced slightly. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the peach/wine/basil sauce over the turkey.

Now I'm not going whole hog with the idea of eating seasonally--we're pretty addicted to our bananas and coffee shipped from the tropics. We're just taking some steps in that direction because the benefits to the environment and the local economy are significant. And so far, so good.

As we licked our plates and the humming died down, I thought this is no sacrifice.

Tags: food, cooking, seasonal, recipes (all tags)

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