September 2008
Dear Dedicated Foodie,
I hope you all enjoyed a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend! Summer is officially drawing to a close, and in the months ahead, we have plenty of wonderful fruits and vegetables coming into season to look forward to.
With kids going back to school and work becoming increasingly more hectic, it's important to make time for healthy and nutritious meals - that's what will keep you going during your busy moments.
Take advantage of what the fall harvest and farmers markets have to offer; even if you only have time for quick meals, fresh ingredients will make all the difference in the world.
Stay tuned as we at MyGourmetConnection continue to provide an assortment of quick, easy and healthy recipes!
September's Featured Fruit: Figs
Besides being deliciously decadent, figs are quite unique in the realm of fruits. Figs are the only fruit to fully ripen and semi-dry while still on the tree before falling to the ground.
Once on the ground, they finish drying and are harvested in late summer and early fall.
The fig is also actually a flower that has inverted into itself, and technically, the seeds inside (called drupes) are the actual fruit.
Figs are higher in fiber than any other average fruit or vegetable, providing both soluble and insoluble fiber (20 percent of the Daily Value in a serving). They also contain a proteolytic enzyme that aids digestion.
Dried figs are available year-round in markets, but fresh figs are only present a few months during the year (August through October).
If you're picking up some fresh figs, look for those that are soft to the touch and make every effort to use them as quickly as possible. They won't last in the refrigerator for any longer than three days.
Dried figs, however, are like raisins and can be stored in unopened packages for about six months.
Keep in mind that their sugar content and sweet fragrance make them especially tempting to insects, so they should be stored in any air-tight container with a tight-fitting lid.
If you refrigerate your dried figs, you may notice a white substance that forms on the surface. This is the natural crystallization of the fruit's sugars.
This process happens more rapidly when figs are chilled, thus freezing them is not recommended.
You can dissolve the "sugaring" by briefly steaming or rinsing them under hot water.
Figs are grown all over the world, but the most common commercially grown figs we consume in the U.S. are from California.
The varieties we're most familiar with are Calimyrna, Mission, Kadota and Adriatic.
Calimyrna figs are called Smyrna figs when referring to those that hail from Turkey. Mission figs are probably the most commonly consumed here in the U.S.
Be sure to check out our appetizer recipe featuring mission figs ~
September's Featured Vegetable: Mushrooms
Mushrooms have been America's "favorite fungi" since 1896, the year they were first cultivated in the U.S.
Mushrooms started off as mere greenhouse ornaments, but today a wide variety are cultivated for myriad culinary applications.
The most popular mushroom varieties you'll find in markets are white (or button) mushrooms, crimini, portabella, shiitake, oyster and enoki.
Besides being incredibly versatile and healthful, mushrooms are also a prime example of umami-rich foods.
Umami, Japanese for "delicious," is the fifth taste (after sweet, salty, bitter and sour). In terms of flavor, umami creates a savory, brothy and rich taste sensation. In terms of science, foods that are umami-rich often contain high levels of glutamate (an amino acid).
The darker a mushroom is, the more umami it contains; cooked and dried mushrooms are also more umami-rich than fresh mushrooms.
Mushrooms can be wonderful additions to salads, pasta dishes, pizza, casseroles and more. To get the best flavor from your mushrooms, follow these suggestions:
Purchasing Mushrooms
When you're at the grocery store, look for the firmest and largest mushrooms. Mushrooms develop more flavor as they grow, and firmer mushrooms will have a longer fridge life.
In most cases, mushrooms arrive at the market shortly after being hand picked. If mushrooms appear slimy or overly-moist, shop elsewhere. Mushrooms bruise easily, so handle them with care.
Storing Mushrooms
Ditch the plastic wrap on pre-packaged mushrooms and store them in paper bags. Stored properly, in the salad crisper in your fridge, mushrooms should remain fresh for up to 5 days.
Preparing Mushrooms
Although mushrooms are hand picked, growers always wear gloves. Even so, mushrooms often reach the market covered in a small amount of dirt.
You can rinse mushrooms under cold running water (just before using them) and lightly brush off any dirt. Don't soak your mushrooms, though, as they will absorb moisture like a sponge and quickly become soggy.
Cooking Mushrooms
Mushrooms are frequently eaten raw in salads, but if you want to cook mushrooms, do it quickly! For slow-cooking dishes or casseroles, add the mushrooms near the end (preferably the last 20 minutes of cooking).
Cultivated mushrooms are guaranteed safe to eat; exotic varities like oyster and shiitake mushrooms are also cultivated carefully so you don't have to worry about their safety.
Be sure to check out our featured mushroom recipes ~
Sweet and Sour Spinach-Stuffed Portobellos
September's Featured Varietal: Riesling
Riesling is best known for the sweet German wine it produces - a wine that boasts light floral bouquets with fruit flavors.
The Riesling of Alsace is highly respected and slightly drier, thus it is quite able to pair with a wide variety of foods quite well. Washington state also is home to some very high quality wines.
Many mistake this grape variety as only being capable of producing sweet wines, when in fact Riesling is very complex. Rieslings are quite crisp and bright, and even sweeter varieties are not syrupy or thick.
Riesling is the dominating grape variety in Germany, and most of the white wines made there are of a sweeter variety.
The Germans classify the wines from driest to sweetest: Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese.
Riesling's aromas and flavors typically include floral, citrus, apricot, pineapple, honey and mineral.
A sweet Riesling works well as a dessert wine or aperitif; a semisweet variety goes well with cheese or most Asian cuisine; and a dry variety pairs nicely with seafood and chicken.
Recently Featured Recipes
Check out MyGourmetConnection.com to find even more great recipes ~
Plantain-Stuffed Chicken And Ham Roulades
Spicy Stir-Fried Pork With Cabbage
Asian-Style Pesto
Lemon-Ginger Berry Dessert
Thank you for reading MyGourmet News. Keep an eye out for next month's issue and look for us in the fall issues of Cooking Light and Fine Cooking magazines!
Sincerely,
Erika Pitera at MyGourmetConnection.com
