Summer's
end is the best time to buy sweet red bell peppers. We've seen them
at a rock-bottom 99 cents per pound! Buy them by the bushel and
preserve by roasting. There are several ways you can roast a red
pepper. Here's one way: Cut the pepper in half and remove seeds
and membrane; place cut-side down on a baking sheet coated with
DuPont SilverStone® non-stick and flatten with your hand. Broil
at least 4 inches from heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until totally
blackened. Place in a plastic bag and zip close for 15 minutes to
loosen skins. Peel and discard skins and store peppers in a little
olive oil in the refrigerator or freezer. For recipes using roasted
red peppers, such as dips, we recommend reading the new Complete
Cooking Light Cookbook (Oxmoor House), which also shows how
to make a roasted red pepper pesto, using a basil pesto recipe with
2 pounds of bell peppers. Spread on garlic-bread toast and serve
as an appetizer.
Herbs
are in abundance right now, ready to be added to recipes or preserved
in the freezer. Thyme is one of the most prolific and hearty herbs.
Thyme sprigs are used for garnish or simmered in soups or stews.
But when recipes call for just the leaves, many cooks complain that
it is a tedious and laborious task to strip the branches. But, it's
not hard at all as long as you grip the branch at the top with one
hand and use the thumb and forefinger of your other hand to run
down the length of the stem, stripping off the leaves as you go.
Do this gently so you don't break the stem when sliding your fingers
down the branch.
Wondering
what to do with all that zucchini from the garden? For something
different, make an Italian sandwich. Slice zucchini very thin and
sauté in olive oil in a small skillet coated with DuPont SilverStone®
non-stick. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. Brush crusty
Italian bread with olive oil and build a sandwich using the zucchini,
slices of goat cheese and fresh mozzarella, thin slices of summer
tomato, and fresh basil.
To
sweeten the last of summer's tomato bounty, we like author Gene
Opton's suggestion for tomato sherbet from Honey: A Connoisseur's
Guide with Recipes. Puree 8 large peeled and seeded ripe tomatoes
with 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon onion juice, 2 tablespoons
honey, 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, and salt and pepper. Pour into
a small freezer container, and freeze. When ready to serve, scoop
the sherbet into four seeded avocado halves and garnish with mint.
Note: To make onion juice, cut onion into chunks and squeeze through
a garlic press.
Herbs
are in abundance right now, ready to be added to recipes or preserved
in the freezer. Thyme is one of the most prolific and hearty herbs.
Thyme sprigs are used for garnish or simmered in soups or stews.
But when recipes call for just the leaves, many cooks complain that
it is a tedious and laborious task to strip the branches. But, it's
not hard at all as long as you grip the branch at the top with one
hand and use the thumb and forefinger of your other hand to run
down the length of the stem, stripping off the leaves as you go.
Do this gently so you don't break the stem when sliding your fingers
down the branch.
Wondering
what to do with all that zucchini from the garden? For something
different, make an Italian sandwich. Slice zucchini very thin and
sauté in olive oil in a small skillet coated with DuPont SilverStone®
non-stick. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. Brush crusty
Italian bread with olive oil and build a sandwich using the zucchini,
slices of goat cheese and fresh mozzarella, thin slices of summer
tomato, and fresh basil. 
To
sweeten the last of summer's tomato bounty, we like author Gene
Opton's suggestion for tomato sherbet from Honey: A Connoisseur's
Guide with Recipes. Puree 8 large peeled and seeded ripe tomatoes
with 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon onion juice, 2 tablespoons
honey, 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, and salt and pepper. Pour into
a small freezer container, and freeze. When ready to serve, scoop
the sherbet into four seeded avocado halves and garnish with mint.
Note: To make onion juice, cut onion into chunks and squeeze through
a garlic press.