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More Americans, including me, are buying their ingredients from local farmers. I shop at The Reading Terminal Market for produce and poultry, where I know a number of vendors by name and they know mine.
Winter brings a myriad of problems. I don’t want to cook asparagus grown in Peru. I much prefer to wait until spring when local asparagus appears in the market. But root vegetables take pride of place on my dinner table this time of year. Luckily, there are ingredients that have been flash frozen the moment they were picked and can be turned into delicious dishes.
I used to stick up my nose at frozen vegetables, but I learned my lesson. I have been buying the organic variety at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s for a few years now and I must say they do, indeed, taste as good as fresh.
Perhaps you will find it surprising sushi fish and shellfish are frozen before it is shipped to restaurants around the world. (Freezing kills parasites.) I just discovered this watching a talk show.
I crave peas, haricot verts and sweet white corn in the wintertime. I freeze corn kernels and place them in plastic bags each autumn. By the time November rolls around, the kernels are gone.
My freezer always contains bags of corn, chopped spinach, tiny peas and French green beans. Trader Joe’s sells a one-pound bag of green beans grown in France for $1.99. I find they are tastier than the fresh ones that have endured hours on an airplane and lose their freshness after a day or two in the fridge.
Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients:
- Canola oil to cover the bottom of a five-quart stockpot
- 2 large onions, diced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 2 28-ounce cans of chopped plum tomatoes, with juice
- 2 15-ounce cans of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15-ounce can of white Northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15-ounce bag of frozen white or yellow corn
- Hot sauce, to taste
- Chili powder, to taste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Heat the oil over medium-high in the stockpot. Add the onions and carrots and sauté for about five minutes. Add the tomatoes, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and add the remaining ingredients. Place the lid askew and cook, stirring from time to time, for about 45 minutes.
- Serve over steamed rice.
- Serves six to eight.
Peas with Fresh Mint
Ingredients:
- 1 16-ounce bag of frozen peas
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 small handful of fresh mint leaves, snipped with a scissors
- 1 small head of endive, sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Defrost the peas by placing in a colander and running water over them. Separate with your hands to loosen and dry well.
- Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the peas and cook for about two minutes. Cover and cook for another three to five minutes, or until the peas are tender. Stir in the mint. Cook for about one minute or so. Add the endive, salt and pepper. Cook until the endive has wilted, two to three more minutes.
- Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: This is a classic French side dish. You can substitute a few leaves of romaine or Boston lettuce for the endive. It is an excellent accompaniment to just about any entrée.
Curried Chicken with Green Beans and Corn
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons of canola oil
- 2 boneless breasts of chicken, cut into strips
- 8 ounces of frozen French green beans, defrosted
- 8 ounces of frozen corn kernels, defrosted
- Soy sauce, to taste
- Curry powder, to taste
- Sprinkling of hot pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1 cup of water
Directions:
- In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chicken and stir fry until the it loses its raw color, about two to three minutes. Add the vegetables and stir fry for about three to five minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the sauce thickens, about three to five minutes. If the sauce is a little too thick, add a bit more water.
- Serve over steamed rice.
- Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: You can substitute a 16-ounce bag of defrosted frozen shrimp for the chicken. Scallops would work well, too.
