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It really is
too hot to cook in Pennsylvania at this time of the year. I know this because Rufus, our handsome,
brilliant Golden Retriever, spends the day crashed out in the mud room. Normally, any talk of a walk elicits barking,
jumping and dog spins.
This time of
year, Rufus gives me that, “You kidding me, right?” look so familiar to parents
of teenagers.
But we still
have to eat, and we should eat well this time of year. Even the supermarkets have what they bill as
LOCAL produce. Really, just inside the
door, the Giant has a faux market cart filled with zucchini and other stuff that
they have marked with the farm where it was grown. Some of it might be Astroturf local. That they should be doing this all year is
another discussion.
You ought to
be buying up everything at farm markets and roadside stands now. I’m doing that and, with lust in my heart,
awaiting the first local cantaloupe. Not
the refrigerated ones that come in from the Carolinas, the real melons with
deep longitudinal ridges and a sweet perfume, because they were gathered in
when ripe, rather than when the semi pulled up to take skids of produce to
market. Cathy insists that I have a
weird, unnatural relationship with late summer melons and, as always, she is
correct.
This time of
year, cooking times should be shorter and we need to avoid turning on the
oven. That means that grilling is the
way to go, sautéing is the preferred method for vegetables and that a starch
like cous cous is a natural, because quickly boiling up a pot of water will not
heat up your kitchen. Tonight’s dinner
should take less than 30 minutes to make.
Try preparing this menu of mint grilled turkey legs, string beans with
balsamic vinegar and garlic and North African cous cous.
Begin by
marinating butterflied turkey legs (1 per person) in 2 tablespoons of olive
oil, the juice of 1/2 of a lemon, some chopped fresh mint and a little salt and
pepper. If you are not good with a
knife, ask your butcher to butterfly the turkey. Let the legs marinate for 2 hours, then
grill. As the turkey is grilling, blanch
then sauté some fresh green beans in olive oil.
Glaze them with balsamic vinegar and season with salt pepper and a
little chopped garlic. Set them aside to
serve at room temperature. I prefer the
beans from Cathy Farrell Farms, a local organic place where the owner always
treats me well. Now, you can get to work
on a deceptively complex, North African style, cous cous that is easy to make and
sure to impress your friends. The recipe
follows.
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Preserved
Lemons
3 large firm
lemons
2 tbs.
kosher salt
4 tbs. olive
oil
1 large bay
leaf
Slice the
lemons into thin rounds. Lay them on a
baking sheet and sprinkle with salt to pull out water and concentrate their
flavor.
After 1
hour, dab the lemon rounds with a paper towel to remove the water that has been
drawn out. Pack the lemons in a small glass
jar, alternating layers of lemon and olive oil, until the jar is filled. Lay a bay leaf on top of the preserved lemons
in the oil.
Preserved
lemons do not have to be refrigerated.
Store them in a cool, dark place.
They will keep almost indefinitely, but are better if used within 6
months.
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North
African Cous Cous (serves 4)
1 1/3 cups
uncooked cous cous*
1 tbs. olive
oil
2 cups water,
boiling
3 tsp.
sliced almonds
3 tsp.
raisins
2 tsp.
preserved lemons, chopped
2 tbs.
parsley, chopped
salt and
fresh black pepper
Heat the
olive oil on high in a large pot with a tight fitting lid. Sauté the almonds, raisins, preserved lemons
and parsley for just a minute, stirring constantly. Add the cous cous, lower the heat to medium
and toast the cous cous until it begins to pick up a light brown color. Season with salt and fresh black pepper.
Add the boiling
water, stir once so that nothing has is sticking to the bottom of the pot,
cover it tightly. Allow the cous cous to
rest for 5 to 7 minutes, according to
the package directions. When the cous
cous has soaked all the water and has absorbed all the aromatics from the almonds,
raisins and preserved lemons, fluff it with a fork and serve.
