Watermelon Gazpacho (and its garnishes)

In the late spring, when the heat of the day rears its welcome head, turning on the oven or even a burner on the stove begins to sound like a really awful idea.  These are the porch-sitting days, where we yearn to travel back to a time before air-conditioning when families sat outside on the porch and kids played in the front yards.  Because of the heat, there is an automatic desire for cooling, watery foods: enter the Gazpacho family.  Garnished with a sandwich, a salad and some fruit, this soothing yet spicy cold soup can really make sitting on the porch an even better experience.

One of my favorite porch lunches to prepare is Watermelon and cucumber gazpacho, cold shrimp pita sandwich with greens, tomato and mayo and fruit on the side. A tangy, vegan coleslaw made with 6 simple ingredients rounds out the plate and gives it that little picnicky touch.

---- SANDWICH

1 piece of pita bread per sandwich

vegan mayo

1 tomato, thinly sliced

spring greens (or any green you prefer-arugula, etc,)

smoked salmon, left-over grilled shrimp, salmon, etc.

Grill pita on burner of stove or heat non stick frying pan to high and toast bread lightly on both sides until slightly browned.  Let cool.  Cut in half (use on half for bottom of sandwich and the other for top- see pic above).  Spread mayo thinly on both sides.  Put greens on bottom, then tomato slices, then fish.  Put other half of pita on top to make sandwich.  Cut in half and place on plate.

---- COLESLAW

2 cups coleslaw mix: finely sliced green and / or red cabbage, broccoli stems and carrots

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

salt

pepper

a little honey

2 tbsp vegan mayo

Pour slaw mix into large bowl.  Then, mix in mayo and vinegar.  This slaw is not an exact science. These are approximate measurements and it is recommended that one put in half of the vinegar and mayo, then mix with the slaw and taste.  If it does not taste saucy enough, add more until you get a mix that suits your taste.  Add a bit of honey (perhaps a 1/2 tsp at first) and taste.  Then add a little salt and pepper.

Plate the slaw in the middle of the sandwich halves.  Then put the extra watermelon outside of the sandwich and slaw, still on the plate, where there is space.  

---- GAZPACHO

You will need a food processor.

From: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/watermelon-gazpacho-recipe.html

Although the recipe I used was from Tyler Florence, like any cook, I have changed it slightly to reflect my taste.  I added more vinegar and used a little more watermelon.  I also add more hot pepper, as I like my gazpacho to have a little more bite.  In addition to these little variations, I might add a little tabasco, as well. I like to vary the herbs suggested in the recipe- perhaps a little mint or cilantro, etc. I do not use the feta, but I'm sure it would be amazing with the garnish; I steer clear of cheese most of the time when allergy season hits, as lactose aggravates my hay fever.

The beauty of this recipe is that it is extremely easy to vary the ingredients and still have a delicious dish.  

Ingredients:

• 1 large tomato
• 1/2 serrano or jalapeno chile
• 2 cups cubed fresh watermelon (seedless works really well)
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (or infused herbal would be delicious)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (I don't put as much in, but this is a personal choice)
• 2 tbsp minced red onion
• 1/2 seedless cucumber
• 2 tbsp minced fresh herbs (dill, mint, etc.) plus more for garnish
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (I don't use this, but I'm sure it's tasty!)

Directions:

In a blender, puree the tomatoes, chile, and 1/2 of the watermelon.  Pour in the red wine vinegar and olive oil and pulse.  Add the onion, cucumber and herbs and season with salt and pepper.  Puree until smooth.  Pour into chilled bowls and sprinkle with herbs, feta and remaining watermelon.  Serve.

Serve the plate and the cup or bowl of gazpacho together with a crisp white wine or sparkling water with lemon and mint.

Bonne dégustation, as they say in French!

Extremely local foods

Since the age of 10, I had been looking for the elusive Jerusalem Artichoke.  I remember seeing the photos of this great plant and wild edible in the Audubon's A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; the thought of finding it was like some mysterious deep-sea treasure hunt coming to a successful, triumphant end!  Last year, as summer transitioned to crisp, chilly autumn, the prize was finally captured.  The great find happened on a portion of the Hank Aaron State Trail, which runs from the 6th Street Bridge at the start of the Menomonee Valley all the way west to 124th Street and beyond.

While strolling along its newly paved, smooth asphalt surface, I looked to my right, then to my left, scanning for edibles I recognized.  Immediately to my right was a stand of yellow flowers, not unlike small sunflowers.  At first I thought they were black-eyed susans, but the center of flower was a distinct pale yellow.  I had not seen these before, except in photos.  I took out my field guide and compared the flowers under my excited eyes to the photo in the book.  I then read the description of the plant: hairy stems and leaves, check; yellow flowers with yellow centers, check.  Leaves at the top of the stems opposite, while the lower leaves were not, check.  The only element left to verify was the tubers, which would lead to a definite identification of the fabled plant.

  

I grabbed my garden spade from my shoulder bag and knelt down on the cold, dry dirt around the still extant flowers (many had fallen away, but there were still some left).  I took a breath and shoved the tip of the spade into the hard ground.  Shoveling away dirt from the base of the plants, I sighed with disappointment as I encountered more and more roots without tubers.  Then, something magical happened.  I know it may seem trivial to many, but to me, who had been waiting more that 25 years to find this, it was like finding King Tut's tomb!  I came upon a pinkish tuber, about the size of a fingerling potato.  I broke it open, exposing the fresh, white, apple / potato-like flesh.  It was still full of dirt, but I could not resist nibbling a bit.  It tasted nutty (not in the Andrew Zimmern way) and earthy, with a crunchy texture, a bit harder than a potato.  I dug around this and found more tubers.  This was amazing!  I must admit, though, that the people running and biking by me must have thought I was pretty strange.

I knew that the tubers were not completely ready to harvest, however, because the ground was still too warm and the flowers and plants were still alive.    So, I returned in November and found an abundance of purple tubers.  The smaller, brownish ones are immature or a different species (not sure which).

I am always careful to make sure that there are enough so as not to decimate the population.  The great thing about these is that they are very often already disconnected from the plant.  They store very well in the cold ground until they can be harvested.  Here are two very simple ways I have used them:

Roasted root vegetables:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut in chunks
• 1/2 lb beets, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 Primrose roots (see upcoming post), peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 head of garlic, cloves separated but husk left on
• olive oil 
• salt
• pepper
• sumac

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place rack in the middle of the oven.
2) Put all root veggies and garlic in a glass roasting pan and mix liberally with olive oil, salt, pepper and sumac.
3) Roast in oven until vegetables are soft and caramelized, about 1 hour, depending on oven.

Salad

Ingredients:
Assorted greens
shaved fresh beets
shaved carrots
several Jerusalem artichokes, cut width-wise into very thin slices

Dressing:
Olive oil
Balsamic dressing
Dijon mustard
capers
salt
pepper
honey


1) Assemble salad
2) For dressing: put 2 parts oil to one part balsamic vinegar into a non reactive bowl.
3)Add dijon to taste (I usually add about one tablespoon per cup and 1/2 of liquid)
4) Add honey, salt and pepper to taste
5) add some capers (as many as you'd like)
6) Whisk until all ingredients are combined and the dressing is smooth.
7) drizzle over salad and enjoy!

Can we grow food in public parks?

As we stepped out of the airport shuttle, a gleaming, new modern building challenged us to cross its threshold into the refreshing air- conditioned lobby. Once inside, we went straight to the front desk and checked in. A middle-aged, portly, balding Brit with glimpses of teeth missing smiled at us and gave us our keys. We rounded the corner from the brand new breakfast area, complete with waffle makers and juice dispensers, and called the bright, steely elevator.


Once in our room, we quickly threw everything down, grabbed a couple of hats and went back down to the lobby to ask about where we should go on our first night in the "Charm City".


We decided to go to Little Italy, since it was within walking distance. Thus began our explorations of a city that for many is known only for its high rate of crime and the Harbor. While these two elements do exist and are telling of what kind of a city Baltimore is, we refused to accept that this could define its identity.


After stepping out into the still- bright evening sun, we realized that this newly refaced 19th century building that now held our luggage was surrounded by an area that betrayed the modern interior. If we had let appearances dictate, we might have spent all our money on cabs. As we would find out, appearances were mostly only that.

In fact, one thing I found about this historically significant, coastal town was how seemingly progressive it was. Adjacent our hotel, stands St. Vincent Church, a mission-style building whose glory might be restored with a simple coat of white paint to repair that which is already peeling away from its obvious brick exterior. This church, we were told by a hotel employee, takes care of the homeless that flock to the public park just next to it. As one walks by, it is easy to see why a person would go there if they were homeless. There are many benches shaded by the massive trees. This is a perfect place to escape the brutally hot summers of Maryland -Baltimore is south of the Mason- Dixon Line. It's a testament to the city that the police station is in close proximity to the park, and yet the homeless are left alone to live in the park.


On another of our walks toward the western part of downtown, I encountered a public square in front of the courthouse where the plants in raised beds were not merely ornamental (they were very beautiful); the city ( or someone) had planted red cabbage, red and yellow-stemmed chard and kale. The plants were lush and well maintained, as if no one had touched them. I wondered if they were free for the picking. If not, they should be. My question is this: can we do this in Milwaukee?

June 14, 2012: Day of Hue?

Today, I was at a conference on technology that really was not going anywhere fast, when I received an email that the city nursery was giving away free flowers to non-profits. I had thought it would be a nice idea to have everyone on the block plant flowers, either on the curbs in front of their houses or in their front yards. In short, I wanted to beautify the block. There was a shooting on Sunday and since then I have really been trying to get the other residents to think about how aesthetics can play a role in inviting or repelling crime.
I decided to leave the useless tech conference in favor of gaining free flowers for the block. I had to drive all the way to 51st and Drexel. I had no idea how far away and in the middle of nowhere this was. As I drove down 51st St., I noticed a wooden, engraved sign, just like those in any of the city parks. This one tells you that you have arrived at the City of Milwaukee nursery (where they grow all of the plants for boulevard improvements and other initiatives paid for by the city). You have to get out of your car and open a large gate, then drive onto the property. Once inside, you have to get out of the car again to close the gate. They keep it very private.
I asked where I could find the "free flowers", and a hipster with hipster sunglasses on told me to pull around to the garage and that someone would be "wandering around". I found no one, but after asking again, they radioed the woman and I finally made contact.
There were so many different types of plants to choose from that it was a very difficult choice to make; I decided to ask for low-maintenance, hearty flowers so that the neighbors would be more likely to take them, knowing that the care would be minimal. The woman was extremely helpful and everyone was super pleasant. We loaded my car full of tall, purple flowers whose petals fall off at a whim, French's mustard-colored marigolds, low-lying, ground hugging pink flowers, ornamental grass and some kind of flowering plant with copper and rust-colored leaves- the flowers themselves are more like spiky caterpillars.
When I got them home, Steve and I divided them into 9 different groupings, with 1-3 of each type of plant; I distributed them to the neighbors who I thought could use more color in their front yards. I asked them to only accept the free plants if they would commit to using them in the front yard, in order to contribute to the look of the block as a whole. So far, no one has planted them, but I am hoping on Saturday to see splashes of intensity in every yard so that the block looks expressly unified in color...

June 12, 2012

Today, after biking to Alterra on 1st St. (as I do almost every day in the summer), I ran into my neighbor Geri, who lives behind us on the alley. We started talking and I asked her again how long she has lived in the neighborhood. "26 years," she said, almost with some nostalgia. I asked her what she thought we might do to create more of a sense of community on and around our block. She suggested a block party.
"Has anyone ever done this here?" I asked."No, it was talked about once, but they never acted on it." I then suggested we get a core group together to brainstorm about how to create a sense of community and told her I would talk to her soon.
On my way home from the spot in front of Doerfler school where I had run into Geri, I made a conscious effort to ride past the house of the block captain for the 3200 block of Scott. I had introduced myself on Sunday night after the shooting on the corner of 32nd and Scott. She wasn't home, but I did make sure to say hello to the people outside the house and even meet a friend of theirs, who doesn't live here. It is really important to keep up relationships; it takes time and energy to build them.
Once at home, I called Will at LBWN to see what could be done to expedite the pocket park project, since it seems that the residents (myself included) are losing some momentum. The project seems vague and out of reach. In addition to this question, I wondered if our block might be amenable to planting flowers in the admittedly slim patches of very often ill-cared-for grass between the crumbling,original slate curbs and the sidewalks. This neighborhood is incredibly rich in history, but like a fine old book that has sat too long in a damp attic, it needs the care of professional restorers to bring it back to its original lustre. Stay tuned for more on actively pursuing the ideal neighborhood...

Daily acts that promote neighborhood improvement

The next set of posts will be about my daily efforts to instill a sense of community among residents on and around my immediate block. Every day I am in town, I am making a commitment to do one small thing that works toward improving the quality of life in the neighborhood. I will then chronicle these actions. Through this, I hope to inspire others to do the same in their neighborhoods.

Pocket parks: Productive land-use to improve the quality of life

Since moving to the Silver City neighborhood in June 2009, I have been involved with an effort to make the neighborhood an even better place to live. It is much more feasible to do this by beginning with the smallest possible unit, the block.
In the fall of 2012, Will Sebern, the outreach coordinator with Layton Boulevard West Neighbors, followed up on a conversation we had had the previous summer about what to do with a vacant lot across the street from our house. It had been suggested that we look into purchasing the lot from the city and gift it to the neighborhood association so that they could do something productive with it. Will had another idea. He contacted the city and was given permission to begin brainstorming ways to use this forgotten piece of land. Architecture for Humanity came on board for design counsel and thus a partnership was born. Through several meetings between residents of the 3100 and 3200 blocks of West Madison, a design was chosen and plans to get the materials donated were made. The pool of initial meeting goers was mixed: Hispanic, White and African-American; young and old; men and women; renters and owners.
The next step was to contact the alderman's office to gain his support. A letter was sent to constituents within two blocks on all sides of the vacant lot (in Spanish as well as English). The last meeting was held on Sat., June 1 with about 12 residents in attendance. We are now looking to have Milwaukee Urban Garden purchase the property to maintain stewardship of the land, since the city will not allow any permanent structure to be built on city land. Once this is done, we will set build-out dates and any volunteers are welcome.