backyard grub

Carolina Barbecue

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. While I think you can have a barbecue just about any time, lots of folks consider this the last big weekend to fire up the grill.

When people in my neck of the woods say "barbeque", they are not thinking about ribs slathered in a ketchup-based sauce. Outsiders are sometimes shocked when they order barbecue in North Carolina. It is quite different from barbecue anywhere else in the U.S.

Barbecue in eastern North Carolina is shredded roast pork (the whole pig or sometimes just the shoulder) drenched with a cider vinegar-based sauce, usually with red pepper flakes. The barbecue is either piled on a plate or on bread, and served with coleslaw and hushpuppies. My parents have been known to bring a cooler with them on visits from Oklahoma. They stop in their hometown, go to their favorite joint, and load a cooler with round paper cartons full of pork barbecue.

So, if you make this, it's as simple as roasting pork -- no need to get fancy with seasonings. Let it cool before you shred it. Then drench the shredded meat in the sauce which you have mixed the night before.

Carolina Style BBQ Sauce:

4 cups cider vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
3-4 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

Combine all the ingredients and let this sit for several hours before using. No need to cook, but I wouldn't pour it over the meat straight from the fridge.

You can play with this, because everyone has their own super-special secret recipe. Some of their ingredients include molasses, dry mustard, dashes of Worchestershire sauce, melted butter, chili sauce... just remember that if you add ketchup, you are leaving the sacred territory of Eastern style North Carolina barbecue and headed west.

For slaw, I personally don't like it made with mayo, and if you are eating outdoors, it's a good idea to avoid mayo, anyway. I recently tried this recipe for Cabbage and Tomato Slaw with Mustard Vinaigrette from Epicurious.

Learn more about this style of barbecue from the book North Carolina Barbecue. If you ever come to North Carolina, pick up a copy of The Best Tar Heel Barbeque for a review of more than 140 barbeque places across the state. (Proceeds from the book support Special Olympics North Carolina.)

Freezer Jam

I've noticed quite a few people searching here for peach freezer jam, so I thought I'd make this post.

However, I'm not great at canning-- which is why my only attempt at it so far has been freezer jam. It's easy. I don't have any super-special recipes, I just follow the directions. I'm really a beginner in this area. (Anyone who knows more, chime in!)

I found a product that's new to me this year, Ball Fruit Jell Freezer Jam Pectin. It comes in little purple envelopes, usually found in the sugar aisle or the picnic items aisle. You only need three ingredients: 4 cups of crushed fruit, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and the pectin.

You can use regular pectin-- there should be instructions on or in the box as to how to use it to make freezer jam (usually you have to boil the pectin with water before adding it to the fruit). There are also low-sugar formulations of pectin available.

Freezer jam does not require cooking, so it keeps a fresh fruit taste. Your jars need to be clean but you don't have to go through the sterilization process. You don't need to process the jars and make sure they are perfectly sealed. You just keep it in the freezer for up to a year. Once you thaw a jar, you have about 2-3 weeks to eat it or it will turn bad.

The two things I do know about making jam are:

1 - Measure everything EXACTLY. Don't fudge or guess on the amount of fruit or sugar, or your jam won't set properly.

2 - Your fruit cannot be overripe or underripe. If it is over-ripe, the jam won't set properly, and if it is under-ripe, the jam will taste bad.

I also don't like the metal two-piece lids, so after a lot of searching I found some nifty jars with glass lids from Weck.

Groom's Tomato Sauce

Elke has a bumper crop of home-grown tomatoes. If only all of us were so blessed! She asked for a tomato sauce recipe.

This is my husband's recipe, which I think he learned from his mom because I've seen his sister make it, too. The first time I had it, it was while we were dating, and it was his first time to my apartment. He brought fresh tomatoes, fish, eggs, Italian parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, and a few other ingredients. He also brought some of his favorite CDs to share. He went to my kitchen and started cooking dinner. He refused to let me lift a finger, except for making iced tea. So there I sat, candles burning, music playing, watching a gorgeous man peel tomatoes in my kitchen for me.

What else is a single woman to think but "I have to marry this guy"?

We tied the knot less than three months after eating this sauce...! (Thus the name.)

As far as the sauce, he served it with breaded fish, and it was great. His other favorites are meatballs and eggs.

several tablespoons of olive oil (a good glug)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
7-8 medium to large ripe tomatoes, peeled*, seeded if you like, and diced
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin**
2 tablespoons minced Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1/4 cup fresh minced cilantro

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a pot with a wide bottom. Add the minced garlic and let it cook for a minute; just make sure the garlic doesn't burn.

2. Add the tomatoes, paprika, salt, and cumin. Cook over medium heat for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occassionally -- we also smash some of the tomato chunks with a wooden spoon while cooking (whether that's an approved cooking method, I don't know). Taste and adjust seasoning.

3. Stir in the parsley and cilantro and remove from heat.

* I recommend the shock method to peel tomatoes: boil a large pot of water. While it's heating, fill a bowl halfway with ice, and add water to make an ice bath. Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato. Drop each tomato in the boiling water for about 20-60 seconds -- the more ripe the tomato is, the less time it will need-- then take out the tomato and immediately plunge it in the ice water. You should be able to easily remove the skin. This method also works great on peaches.

** cumin note: You'll enjoy better flavor if you grind your own cumin seeds. Toast whole cumin seeds in a dry pan for just a few seconds, until they begin to smell. Remove immediately from the heat (they can burn quickly). I keep a coffee grinder just for spices. Grind your cumin seeds after they've cooled a bit.

Let's Shop!

Hey, look over there-- yeah, to the right-- and you'll find my produce shopping guide... a little something to help you out next time you go to the market.

This is just a start-- I used pics from istockphoto. Soon as I get a digital camera of my own, I'll snap some shots from my own farmer's market and local farms. I'll also add some more produce over time.

In the meantime, take a look around, and leave a comment if you've got questions about buying anything that's not in the guide now.

Basil

Check out this great basil I just got at the farmer's market! There is a farmer who grows dozens of basil plants in a small rural town in my county. Most people notice the beautiful flowers he also sells, but he always has a bucket or two of basil off to the side. He may not remember my name, but he knows my face and he remembers how I like to use basil.

If you buy fresh basil from a market, the farmer should wrap the stems in wet newspaper or paper towels. If not, you should. When you get basil home, do NOT put it in the fridge! It will turn dark. Yuck. Instead, first pull off any wilted, discolored or otherwise unhealthy leaves. Then put your basil in a glass or vase on your counter at room temperature, and it will stay fresh for a week. (It may even start to sprout roots.)

To slice basil, stack the leaves on top of each other, and roll them cigarette-style. Then use a very sharp knife-- a dull one will bruise the leaves-- and slice.

Most people think "pesto" when they think of basil, but there are so many wonderful uses for basil. Get inspiration from the other in-season items you find at the market: eggplant, tomatoes, corn...

If you do make pesto, try stirring a spoonful in a bowl of soup... mmm!

Here's a salad you can make to enjoy basil with other fresh, in-season ingredients.

1 red onion, diced very finely
kernels cut from four ears of fresh corn
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced OR 1 pint of cherry, grape, or pear tomatoes, cut in half
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil (some people prefer a neutral flavored oil; it's up to you)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl; taste and adjust seasonings.

Figs!

Guess what I found at the farmer's market yesterday? (Okay, I already gave it away.) What a find. Fresh figs!

Figs are actually an inverted flower. They are a good source of fiber and they have antioxidants. They are in season from June through October. Fresh figs are very delicate. You want to look for good color, depending on the variety. Also smell them-- if they smell sour, don't buy. Make sure there are no bruises, splits, mold; and don't buy figs that are hard or figs that are too soft. When you get them home, put them in a single layer on paper towels and put them in the fridge.

The farmer who is growing them told me this is her first year selling them, although she's had the plants for a while because they take a few years before they produce. I've never seen anyone else have them at the farmer's market, although people in the south have grown figs in their backyards and made fig preserves for years. This farmer wants to see how customers like them and she may expand.

This is the beauty of the farmer's market. You can directly interact with your grower. Get to know the person behind the stand! Tell them what you use their produce for. Tell them what varieties you like. Talk to them to find out how they grow their produce, what types of fertilizers and pesticides, etc. they use (hopefully they are using organic materials). They can also tell you a lot about using the produce. A lot of the folks at our farmer's market recognize me-- particularly the people who sell me basil, corn, and peaches; the folks at the honey stand, and a woman who produces goat cheese at a local farm.

As for my figs, if I can keep my husband away from them long enough, I may roast them with a little honey and cardamom syrup. Or, I may make a fig-almond tart. Or maybe I can do something with marscapone cheese...

For more fig info, check out the California Fig Advisory Board site.

Grilled Chicken and Peaches

This past weekend I made some peach freezer jam using peaches from the farmer's market. (I love freezer jam; you don't need to process it, it has a fresh fruit taste, and it's so easy to make a child could do it.)

Peach jam is great in a sandwich with almond butter, and you can also use it to make a sauce for grilled chicken. Store-bought jam is fine here. Use bone-in chicken breasts for slightly better flavor. Leaving the skin on will help preserve moisture during grilling. If you're cutting calories, take the skin off before glazing the chicken with the peach jam mixture. Definitely use fresh peaches.

4 bone-in chicken breasts
salt and pepper
canola or vegetable oil
1 cup peach jam
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp mild curry powder
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 fresh whole peaches

1. Prepare and preheat a grill.
2. Prepare chicken for grilling: season it with the salt and pepper, and brush with a small amount of canola oil so it won't stick to the grill.
3. Stir together the peach jam, ginger, curry powder, and soy sauce. (Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.) Set aside.
4. Peel the peaches* and cut them in half. Remove the stones. Set the peaches in the refrigerator.
5. Place chicken on the grill; cook 10 minutes each side (don't remove yet).
6. Brush the peaches lightly with vegetable oil to prevent sticking, and place on the grill.
7. Brush both the chicken and the peach halves with the peach jam mixture. Cook the chicken an additional five to ten minutes (use a thermometer or a knife to check for doneness; juices should run clear). Grill the peaches about 3-4 minutes on each side.
8. Let the chicken stand for five to ten minutes before serving; serve each chicken breast with two peach halves.

*Peeling peaches: I recommend the shock method. Boil a pot of water. While the water is heating, fill a medium-sized bowl halfway with ice, then add water to make an ice bath. Cut an X in the bottom of each peach. Put each peach in the boiling water for 20-60 seconds (the more ripe the peaches are, the less time they will need in the boiling water). Remove each peach from the boiling water and immediately plunge it into the ice water. You should be able to easily remove the skin with your fingers.

Grandmother's Tomato Gratin

Nailing this recipe was a personal big deal for me, even though it is very simple. My grandmother used to make this tomato dish and it was one of my favorite ways to eat tomatoes as a child. (My other favorite was the way my great aunt fixed them: fresh, sliced, and sprinkled with a tad of sugar.)

As for my grandmother's dish, she left this world without giving me her instructions for it. Years ago I tried to duplicate it using canned tomatoes and it came out horrible. So, just recently I tried again, and the result tasted just like I remember.

The key is using good, fresh tomatoes. Grandmother used just plain ol' white sliced bread for the topping. The instructions here will produce enough for six as a side dish (although I'll admit I made a meal out of my first successful batch). You can easily adjust the amounts for what you need. In fact, as with most of the recipes I've posted here, the amounts of ingredients aren't fixed-- if you wanna add more brown sugar or whatever, knock yourself out.

Other than that, this dish has a grand total of five ingredients, it's very simple to make, and yummy enough to become one of your favorite comfort foods.

6-7 large, fresh tomatoes
four slices of plain white bread
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter

1. Peel the tomatoes. (I recommend the shock method: Boil a large pot of water. While it's heating, fill a bowl halfway with ice, and add water to make an ice bath. Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato. Drop each tomato in the boiling water for about 20-60 seconds -- the more ripe the tomato is, the less time it will need-- then take out the tomato and immediately plunge it in the ice water. You should be able to easily remove the skin.)

2. Dice the tomatoes into 1-inch pieces, collecting the juices. Put the tomatoes with their juices into a non-reactive bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the tomatoes to sit for an hour or two.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

4. Cut the bread slices into cubes. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them for about 5 minutes, just until they begin to take on color.

5. Put the tomatoes into the casserole dish. Sprinkle the bread cubes over the top in a single layer. Next sprinkle the bread cubes with the brown sugar, then pour the melted butter over the top of the casserole.

6. Bake in the 400-degree oven for 10 minutes uncovered, until the bread turns brown, then cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 35-40 minutes. Remove. Enjoy while hot!

Fried Green Tomatoes

First, an ode to the farmer's market in summer. Is there really any place more divine? Beautiful colors, wonderful smells, and inspiration to create something wonderful in your kitchen.

Today, for only $16, I bought:
7 ears of corn
1 pint of blackberries
9 peaches
1 bunch of fresh basil
2.5 pounds of red tomatoes
3 pounds of green tomatoes

Which brings me to the recipe for this post. For those who aren't familiar with this simple southern treat, the green tomatoes to use here are unripe red tomatoes picked early -- not a green variety of tomato. No one I've seen prepare them really measures anything (I don't, either), you just use what you think you'll need.

Fried Green Tomatoes
green tomatoes
flour
salt
finely ground pepper
egg
1 tablespoon of water for each egg
vegetable oil

optional equipment & instructions:
place a layer of paper towels in a jellyroll pan (or a shallow baking pan) and put a cake rack over it. Use this to drain your tomatoes after you've cooked them.

1. Whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl; set aside.
2. Whisk the egg and water together; set aside.
3. Slice the tomatoes about 1/3 inch thick. Dunk them in the egg wash, then coat them in the flour mixture.
3. Pour about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a pan and place over medium heat until hot.
4. Cook the coated tomatoes for about 3-5 minutes on each side, or until the crust is golden brown. Be sure not to crowd the pan too much. You can salt them again as soon as you remove them from the pan. Eat while hot.

Optional methods:
1 - I've seen some people skip the egg wash; the result is a very thin coating.
2 - Some people replace some of the flour with corn meal.
3 - For a lower fat version, preheat your oven to 400-425 degrees F, and place the sliced tomatoes on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray the tops of the tomatoes with cooking spray. Bake in the oven until the crust is brown-- about a total of 15-18 minutes. I like to flip the tomatoes over halfway during cooking.