Eat Well & Prosper FOOD • WINE • DINE
CLOVERDALE, CA ~ September was the sev- enth month of the year until Januarius and Febuarius were added, centuries ago. Later on, during the French Revolution, they tried to replace the old traditional names with new, fresh and more descrip- tive ones. S e p t emb e r started out in Fructidor, the month of fruit, then ended during Vendemiaire, the month of vintage.
Here in
Sonoma C o u n t y , September is a perfect time to replant peas, carrots, radish- es, beets, salad greens, cab- bage, onions, leeks and pars- ley in your vegetable garden. The following will explore a few of my favorites, from this list. Oh, about the previously mentioned revolution, Louis XIV first served petits pois at court banquets (let them it peas?). The guests would retire to their rooms to further enjoy a plate of this new delicacy, which became, for awhile, a vice! The pea came into Europe via the Middle East and was cultivated by the Greeks and Romans. The
grayish dried form of the old pheasant diet were trans- formed into tiny green peas. Their production flourished in Holland by the 17th Century. Garden peas are the best and the most delicate of vegeta-
to England shortly thereafter. In America both the Pilgrims and the Indians enjoyed them. The carrots sweetness found its way into cakes in the West, and are shredded then sweet- ened for rice dishes in Iran.
With Executive Chef Ron Skaar ~This Month: Garden Vegetables & Cooking
can’t stand them). Only the green chard-like leaves were eaten in ancient times. The fat red type is first depict- ed in Germany around the middle of the 16th Century. Beets weren’t cultivated in the Americas until nearly three centuries later. The beet aroma comes mainly from an earthy smell- ing molecule called geo- smin. This veg- etable is con- sidered good for the heart and blood. The sugariness of beets is some- times put to use in choco- late cakes, syrups and other sweets. Pickled cooked beets, (2 parts vinegar and 1 part sugar), is
bles and packed full of fiber. I would have served a seared- dijon-encrusted salmon on a bed of fresh cooked peas, at that French court. Carrots probably first
developed in Afghanistan. Cultivation dates back to the 1st Century when the Greeks considered them a stomach tonic. The familiar orange ver- sions were produced from yellow ones, once again in the Netherlands around 1600. These carrots were introduced
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In India they’re cooked down in milk to make a vegetable kind of fudge. Considered on of mankind’s best foods, the carrot is the richest vegetable source of Vitamin A. Radishes became popular
long ago- over 4,000 years in cultivation. We don’t know who first decided that their crunchy texture and peppery piquancy made them worth growing. A native of West Asia the radish reached the Mediterranean by the time of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. Apparently the slaves building the great pyramid at Giza were kept going on radishes, onions and leeks, three of the worlds oldest vegetables. Wandering tribes settled down to grow wheat and domesticate animals, then realized, like wheat, root vegetables could be sheltered in fields to develop in size and quantity. Today we use radish- es mostly to give salads zip. Beet root was for centuries
used for medicinal purposes . (Maybe that’s why some folks
a personal favorite. While we anticipate these
new crops arriving, I am enclosing a recipe to use all of the zucchini, tomatoes, pep- pers and eggplant you have in the garden now. This dish is the essence of summer pro- duce, is great as a side dish or tossed with pasta.
According to the USDA, 69,500 acres of Carrots were harvested for the fresh market in 2009. An additional 12,500 acres were harvested for processing (canning, freezing).
September Recipe
RATATOUILLE PROVENCAL
2/3 cup vegetable oil 1 lb. zucchini, cut into 1 inch cubes 1 onion, chopped, bay leaf ¾ lb. eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes* 4 cloves, finely chopped 1 lg. red bell pepper, cored, seeded and 1 lb. ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped cut into 1 inch squares 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper chopped parsley, rosemary and thyme
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large heavy skillet. Add onion and sauté until lightly browned. Add the bay leaf, chopped garlic, tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until thickened. Transfer to oven proof casserole. Wipe out skillet, add 2 more tablespoons of oil, add zucchini and sauté over medium heat until tender. Add to casserole. Add more vegetable oil to skillet, heat until hot and add eggplant. Sauté until brown. Add to cas- serole. Heat remaining vegetable oil in skillet, add red peppers, tossing frequently, until softened. Add to casserole Toss with olive oil, chopped herbs, cover and bake for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Remove bay leaf. Ratatouille can also be served room temperature.
*If you dislike eggplant, substitute portobello mushrooms in this step!
Ron can be reached at:
ronskaar@comcast.net
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Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why. ~Bernard Baruch
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