By Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Scripps Howard News Service
Dear Lynne: Can you freeze tomatoes? Everybody tells me I have to can them. That's too much work! Besides, I've got a big freezer.—Pragmatic in Peoria
Dear Pragmatic: Naysayers claim tomatoes are slimy when frozen, believing the fruit demands some cooking (as in the canning process) to develop the proper texture. Freezer fans state it's safer (especially with today's low-acid tomatoes), flavors are better and mushy tomatoes make no difference in most recipes.
I recommend the laziest kind of freezing. Wash tomatoes, cut away cores, crowd into heavy plastic freezer bags, and freeze. A 1-quart bag holds about 1 pound of tomatoes, roughly equal to a 14-ounce can of store-bought. Defrost in the bag. Skins slip off effortlessly as the tomatoes go into the pot.
A caution: Utterly essential is starting out with superb-tasting, ripe, blemish-free tomatoes. This means that under no circumstances should you ever buy without sampling first.
Dear Lynne: We are into our annual big corn feed and need new ideas for corn on the cob. Thanks for the help.—Our Garden's Going Nuts in Des Moines
Dear Gardeners: So, I gather you've been there and done that with the minimalist's approach of merely salting the cob.
From the "more is more" camp, with inspiration supplied by El Burrito Mexican Market in St. Paul, Minn., where people line up for the grilled corn and fixings, comes this idea. We talked about it on the show, but it bears repeating.
Think grilled corn slathered with butter, rolled in sour cream and finished with grated Parmesan and chilie powder—wonderfully messy and practically a supper on its own. Your grill is ready for the corn when the coals are covered with gray ash.
Lynne's Drippy Mexican Sweet Corn
Ingredients:
2 cups Mexican Crema (similar to sour cream), or sour cream
about 3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/3 cup hot chilie powder (use to taste)
6 ears fresh sweet corn, husks peeled back but still attached to the ears
1-1/2 sticks salted butter, melted
salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation:
You can set this up assembly-line style. Have the sour cream in a shallow bowl, the cheese on a large plate and the chilie powder in a salt shaker.
Grill corn about 4 inches from coals for 8 to 10 minutes, turning with tongs and brushing with the melted butter. It's done when there is a fleck of golden brown here and there. Remove to a platter. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
Let corn cool a little so it's safe to handle. Using husks as handles, roll ears in sour cream,
then lightly roll in the cheese, and sprinkle with optional chilie powder. Eat warm.
(Serves 6)
What to Drink: Limeade, an inexpensive Chenin Blanc or a Chenin Blanc/Viognier blend like California's Pine Ridge, or summer wheat beer.
Dear Lynne: How should I keep fresh herbs for a week, then preserve them for winter? At three big bunches for a buck, I am up to my hips in green.—Bargain Guy in Pittsburgh
Dear Bargain Guy: You have a steal. You'll preserve the freshest, brightest flavors if you freeze a big batch right from the market. After test-driving every technique I could find, freezing wins hands-down for the long term.
Wash herbs in a couple of sinkfuls of cold water. Drain on a dish rack to dry. Pluck leaves from basil and other large-leaf herbs. Leave small-leafed ones, like thyme and rosemary, on stem. Stuff into labeled heavy plastic zip-closed bags, press out all air, and freeze up to six months.
To use, don't defrost. Break off what you need. Colors may darken and leaves get mushy, but the bright flavors will be there.
For the short term, think no moisture on leaves (wash just before using) and airtight plastic bags stored in the warmest part of the refrigerator, which is the vegetable bin.
For a few days' keeping, do herb bouquets (cut stems first) in water on your counter. Beware, though, basil can turn bitter if held this way for more than a couple of days.
(Lynne Rossetto Kasper is host of "The Splendid Table"(r), Minnesota Public Radio's national food show. Find recipes, station listings and more at splendidtable.org, or 800-537-5252.)
)
