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A Publication of WTVP

Taste the freshness of summerwiththree recipes from Chef Golda…

"Just Tomatoes"

Ingredients
– 1 pound ripe, juicy tomatoes, any color, cored and coarsely chopped
– Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
– Fresh lemon juice to taste
– Optional: Lovage or fennel stalks cut to make a straw to sip the tomato juice. A fresh basil sprig can also be used as a garnish.

Directions
1. Puree the chopped tomatoes in a blender. Pour through a strainer.
2. Add a pinch of sea salt, some pepper and lemon juice to taste.
3. Let stand for a few minutes for the bubbles to dissipate, then pour into two glasses and serve with a lovage or fennel straw, or a sprig of basil.

Makes about two cups. Recipe adapted from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison.

 


miso-glazed eggplant

Miso-Glazed Eggplant

Ingredients
– 6 Japanese eggplants (1½ lb. total), cut on a diagonal into 1-inch-thick slices
– 1 tablespoon olive oil
– 1/3 cup miso (fermented soybean paste)
– 4 teaspoons minced ginger
– 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
– 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
– 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
– 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
– 3 teaspoons sesame seeds, divided
– 3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions or chives, divided

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450°. Rub both sides of eggplant slices with oil and place cut side up on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Roast eggplant for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk miso and next five ingredients with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Stir in 1½ teaspoon sesame seeds and 2 tablespoons scallions or chives. Smear top of eggplant slices with miso sauce.
3. Put back in the oven and roast until the eggplant is tender, about another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1½ teaspoon sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon scallions or chives, and serve.

Makes six to eight servings. Recipe adapted from 101 Easy Asian Recipes by Peter Meehan.

 


Thai Basil Daiquiri

Ingredients
– 14 large Thai basil leaves
– 4 ounces white rum
– 1½ ounces fresh lime juice
– 1½ ounces simple syrup
– 2 pinches of salt

Directions
1. In a blender, blenderize the Thai basil, rum and fresh lime juice.
2. Add in the simple syrup and salt, blenderize for a few seconds to incorporate the simple syrup.
3. Pour through a fine strainer into a cocktail shaker.
4. Add ice and shake. Strain into chilled glasses and serve.

Makes two cocktails. Recipe adapted from Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold.

Golda’s Tip: Keep It Green
The bright green color of the Thai basil gives this cocktail an amazing neon appearance. Blender-muddling the tender herb with alcohol stops the leaves from browning. Dave Arnold, author of Liquid Intelligence, talks about the chemistry behind why tender herbs turn brown when crushed or muddled. Muddling activates polyphenol oxidases in the herb, which causes the browning, but alcohol disables the polyphenol oxidases, allowing the herb’s beautiful green color to remain. This technique can be used with other fresh, green herbs as well. a&s

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