August 2008
Dear Dedicated Foodie,
The weather is hot and the markets are overflowing with summer's freshest produce. You're probably spending a lot of time outdoors enjoying summer activities and vacations, so be sure to stay plenty hydrated and protected from the sun.
One easy way to stay hydrated is to pack this month's featured fruit, watermelon, whenever you're planning to spend time outside. It's tasty, versatile and packed with water to keep you quenched.
In this month's issue of MyGourmet News, we're also featuring green beans and Syrah. Kick back and relax, and enjoy your last official month of summer!
August's Featured Fruit: Watermelon
Watermelons are one of the few foods that can actually be considered both a fruit and a vegetable, and as such have diverse culinary uses.
The watermelon is a vine-grown plant that originated in southern Africa, and like the pepper, tomato and pumpkin, is a fruit by botanical standards. However, since it is planted from seeds, harvested and then cleared from the field, watermelon is also technically a vegetable.
More often than not, watermelons are used as a fruit because of their sweetness. But watermelons are a lot more than just sugar.
Despite their sweet flavor and high water content (92 percent), watermelons are also very nutrient dense. In fact, watermelons offer more lycopene than fresh tomatoes, have virtually no fat, are low in sodium and contain vitamins A, B6 and C.
Watermelons are also incredibly heart healthy. Eating watermelon produces citrulline and free arginine, two amino acids that help maintain cardiovascular health. So, how do you choose and store watermelons? When shopping for watermelons, look for those that are firm and symmetrical without cuts, dents or bruises. Then pick it up - it should be pretty hefty because of its water content.
Lastly, look at its underside. You should spot a creamy yellow area (the ground spot) from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.
When you get home, you can probably store a whole melon at room temperature for about a week. Watermelons need a more tropical climate than most fruits - 55 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal.
Cut watermelons should be wrapped up and stored in the fridge between 37 and 39 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezing your watermelon will result in a puddle of mealy, mushy flesh.
And, believe it or not, watermelons should be washed in clean running water before eating them. Even though they have rinds, the FDA recommends washing all fruits and vegetables, regardless.
There are quite a few varieties of watermelons, although we most commonly see seedless watermelons in our supermarkets.
Picnic watermelons run anywhere between 20 and 45 pounds and have a dark green striped rind and black seeds.
Icebox watermelons are slightly smaller (5 to 15 pounds) with a solid dark or light green rind and red or yellow flesh.
Seedless watermelons come in a variety of sizes and in both yellow and red flesh. Technically, they aren't really seedless, though. They have small, edible white seeds.
Yellow watermelons are 10 to 30 pounds with bright yellow flesh and black seeds. These taste a little bit different and often have a subtle honey flavor.
Lastly, mini watermelons range from two to seven pounds, have dark red flesh and are usually seedless.
Besides being great for cookouts, picnics and family outings, watermelons are also healthy and versatile. Be sure to check out our recipe below featuring watermelon as a vegetable!
Read more food and wine articles on MyGourmetConnection...
August's Featured Vegetable: Green Beans
How much do you really know about the green beans you eat? Green beans go by many names, including squeaky beans, string beans and snap beans - but they're really not beans at all!
Beans are edible legumes - the seeds of bean plants. However, the term beans is now also loosely applied to the seeds or pods of plants that are not legumes.
Green beans are, in fact, unripe fruits of any kind of bean plant. However, more often than not, the green beans you and I eat are the pods of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris).
But don't think that haricots verts, French for green beans, are quite the same thing. Haricots verts are longer, thinner and different from American green beans.
Green beans are available fresh, frozen and canned and used in a wide variety of dishes. After all, who hasn't had a green bean casserole near the holidays?
If you're planning to prepare fresh green beans, look for firm, long green pods. Wash them gently in running water and then chop or snip off the tips. Then they're ready to be prepared however you see fit.
Despite an obvious identity crisis, green beans do provide some healthy vitamins A and C and are conducive to stir-fries, baking, steaming and roasting. They also pair quite well with tomatoes and carrots.
Be sure to check out our featured green bean recipe below!
Read more food and wine articles on MyGourmetConnection...
August's Featured Varietal: Syrah/Shiraz
Syrah (or Shiraz in Australia) produces vibrant and rich red wines. The grape originates in the northern Rhone Valley in France, where it is the principle grape, and is also grown in Australia and Washington state.
If you're looking for a full-bodied dense red with berry flavors, Syrah is the way to go. Syrah's aromas and flavors typically include black currant, cherry, blackberry, plum, raisin, oak, cedar, smoke, vanilla, spice and pepper.
Australian shirazes are very lush red wines with firm and ripe tannins. Shiraz pairs well with hearty lamb dishes, casseroles, game birds, swordfish, veal and other "medium" foods.
Syrah also beautifully complements dishes with Florentina, peppercorn and chimichurri sauces or chives, black pepper, rosemary and tarragon.
Read more food and wine articles on MyGourmetConnection...
August's Featured Recipes
Check out MyGourmetConnection.com to find great recipes with this month's featured fruit and vegetable!
Sweet and Sour Watermelon and Cucumber Salad
Thank you for reading MyGourmet News. Keep an eye out for next month's issue!
Sincerely,
Erika Pitera at MyGourmetConnection.com
P.S. - A special thanks to Thomas Pitera Photography for providing this month's images.
