THOUGHTS ON WATERMELON
According to the August Bon Appetit magazine: "Watermelon has become the darling of chefs who play with its subtle sweetness in sorbets and cocktails and savory possibilities (grilled and in salads)."
I'm seeing watermelon recipes everywhere and I've served two interesting watermelon salads to tasters at the Bryan Chief. Watermelon Salad from Cooking Light magazine was featured on the 7/7 memo. This week we're sharing Herb-Marinated Watermelon Saladthe second one.
From experience, I don't recommend leftovers. Watermelon salad is better fresh and should be eaten the day it's made.
HERB-MARINATED WATERMELON AND FETA CHEESE SALAD
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper 1/2 seedless watermelon, chilled and cut into bite-size pieces 1 cup or more of crumbled feta cheese (I use reduced fat one To prepare the marinade, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, basil, oregano, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a bowl until well blended. To prepare the salad, combine watermelon and cheese in a salad bowl. Add marinade and gently toss with a rubber spatula until coated. Let rest briefly and serve at room temperature or chill if desired. Recipe makes 6 servings.
Source: California Mosaic, the Junior League of Pasadena, Inc., 2008.
WHERE RATS ARE GETTING THEIR SMARTS THESE DAYS
The scientific news about blueberries is enough to brighten the eyes of blueberry growers. Most recently, a study from England found that blueberries reversed age-related memory decline in elderly rats. Specifically, rats fed blueberry extracts had better "spatial memory," that is they were better at remembering how to find their way out of a maze. And when the scientists examined the brains of the blueberry-fed rats, they found greater activation of proteins involved in memory and learning.
We'd advise you to eat blueberries whenever you can, but keep in mind, as few science reporters did, that what smartens up a lab rat may not have the same effect on humans. The researchers say they have studied blueberries in humans as well, with some positive but not yet published results.
Source: University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, July 2008.
RECIPES FROM MARY ANN
Daughter Mary Ann came to the rescue recently with an oven fried chicken recipe and a sweet cherry cake. I made both of them for company over the weekend and they're good enough to share.
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OVEN FRIED CHICKEN
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 chicken breast halves, skinned (about 1 pound)
- 2 chicken drumsticks, skinned (about 1/2 pound)
- 2 chicken thighs, skinned (about 1/2 pound)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Combine first four ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally. Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, peppers and cumin in a second large zip-top plastic bag. Remove chicken from first bag, discarding marinade. Add chicken, one piece at a time, to flour mixture, shaking bag to coat chicken. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess flour; lightly coat each piece with cooking spray (like Pam). Return chicken, one piece at a time, to flour mixture, shaking bag to coat chicken. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess flour. Arrange chicken on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake in preheated 450F oven for 35 minutes or until done, turning after 20 minutes. Serving size: 1 breast half or 1 thigh and 1 drumstick. Recipe makes 4 servings.
Source: Cooking Light magazine, April 2002, via Mary Ann Thaman, Naperville, IL.
SWEET CHERRY STREUSEL CAKE
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
- 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups dark sweet cherries, halved and pitted
Streusel Topping
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
Topping: Combine all ingredients until crumbly and set aside. In large mixing bowl cream sugar and butter until light; beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir together dry ingredients; add alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Pour into 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Arrange cherries, cut side up, over batter; sprinkle with Streusel Topping. Bake in preheated 350F oven for about 30 minutes until done. Serve warm, topped with whipped cream. Recipe makes 9 servings.
Source: Better Homes & Gardens ages ago! |
