Herb and Heirloom Tuesdays Missouri Botanical Garden 2016 “Peppers, Tomatoes, and Friends” Date: Plant Distributed: Recipe: June 7 Green Zebra Tomato Corn and Green Zebra Tomato Salad June 14 Sweet Banana Pepper Stuffed Banana Peppers Wrapped in Bacon June 21 Golden Jubilee Tomato Green Bean and Yellow Tomato Salad with Mint June 28 Italian Pepperoncini Chicken Stuffed with Pepperoncini and Goat Cheese July 5 Super Sweet 100 Tomato Hot Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes July 12 Jalapeño Pepper Green Onion-Jalapeño Corn Bread July 19 Nepitella Funghi e Zucchini Trifolati July 26 Inca II Gold Marigold Quick Pickled Cucumbers with Marigolds August 2 Napoletano Basil Caprese Salad August 9 Sweet Marjoram Red Snapper with Lemon Marjoram Butter August 16 Florentine Fennel Braised Fennel with Parmesan August 23 Flat-leaf (Italian) Parsley Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce August 30 Calendula Calendula Rice (also known as Pot Marigold) Corn and Green Zebra Tomato Salad Serves 4 For the Vinaigrette: 1 garlic clove, lightly crushed 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar tiny pinch of sugar tiny pinch of ground allspice salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed For the Salad: 3 ears fresh corn, shucked (about 1 ½ cups) 5 or 6 smallish ripe Green Zebra tomatoes, cored and quartered (may use red, orange, or yellow tomatoes) ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced leaves from 3 or 4 marjoram sprigs, chopped small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley In a small bowl, combine the garlic, vinegar, sugar, allspice, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the oil. Taste and adjust the ingredients. Cook the corn in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and let cool until you can touch it. Cut the kernels off with a sharp knife. In a large bowl, combine the corn kernels, tomatoes, onion, and herbs. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Main course variation Toss in some grilled shrimp or scallops. Adapted from Erica de Mane, The Flavors of Southern Italy, Wiley, 2004. Downloaded from http://leitesculinaira.com on July 11, 2015. Stuffed Banana Peppers Wrapped in Bacon Serve 6 to 8 6 to 8 large banana peppers 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1 small tomato, diced 1 medium onion, diced ½ small green bell pepper, diced 1 to 2 Jalapeño peppers, diced 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 12 to 16 bacon slices Cut a slit lengthwise in each banana pepper, cutting to, but not through, the other side. Remove seeds. Combine cheese, tomato, onion, green bell pepper, Jalapeño peppers, salt, and black pepper. Spoon mixture evenly into each banana pepper, and wrap each with 2 bacon slices. Secure with wooden picks. Place peppers on a rack in a broiler pan. Broil 5 ½ inches from heat 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden. A recipe from Southern Living. Downloaded from www.myrecipes.com on July 12, 2015. Green Bean and Yellow Tomato Salad with Mint Serves 4 1 pound long, slender green beans, such as Blue Lake or Kentucky Wonder, ends trimmed ½ cup chopped fresh mint 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 or 2 yellow tomatoes, cut into wedges about ½ inches thick ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons thin red onion wedges 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, or to taste freshly ground black pepper, to taste Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes; the timing will depend on their size. Drain. In a large serving bowl, combine the hot beans, mint, olive oil, and salt. Toss to mix. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Just before serving, add the tomatoes, onion, vinegar, and a grind of pepper to the bean mixture and toss to mix. Taste and add more vinegar, if necessary. Serve the salad at room temperature. Recipe Note 1: Yellow tomatoes have a sweeter, less acidic flavor than red tomatoes, but red ones can be substituted, or use equal amounts of each. If using red tomatoes, reduce the amount of red wine vinegar to taste. Recipe Note 2: For the green beans to absorb the flavor of the mint fully, toss them together while the beans are steaming hot. The hot mint will become very dark green – almost black. This is normal. If your family or friends have difficulty with the concept of very dark green mint, this salad can be made differently. After cooking cool the green beans in ice water, remove excess moisture, add all the ingredients, mix, and serve. The taste will be good, but not as good as when the mint is added while the beans are still hot. Adapted from Mary Abbott Hess, Dana Jacobi, and Marie Simmons, Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Healthful Cooking, Oxmoor House, 2003. Downloaded from www.williams- sonoma.com on July 13, 2015. Chicken Stuffed with Pepperoncini and Goat Cheese Serves 4 4 ounces fresh goat cheese ¼ cup finely chopped pepperoncini 1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves coarse salt and ground black pepper 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total) olive oil for brushing Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, mash goat cheese with a fork until smooth. Stir in pepperoncini and thyme and season with salt and pepper. With a paring knife, cut a 1-inch horizontal slit in thick end of each chicken breast. Using your fingers, create a deep pocket between meat and bone. Tightly pack each pocket with about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture. Brush the surface of a large cast-iron or other heavy ovenproof skillet lightly with olive oil and heat over medium-high. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and arrange in skillet, skin side down. Cook 5 minutes. Transfer skilled to over and bake until chicken is cooked through and skin is golden and crisp, 18 to 20 minutes. Flip chicken over in skillet and let rest 3 minutes before serving. Marth Stewart, “Chicken Stuffed with Pepperoncini and Goat Cheese”. Downloaded from www.marthastewart.com on July 10, 2015. Hot Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered 1 shallot, finely diced 1 garlic clove, minced 3 tablespoons best olive oil, more to taste 2 tablespoons salted capers, soaked in water and drained, or brined capers, rinsed ⅓ cup pitted Nicoise olives 6 basil leaves, torn or slivered sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ½ pound small shell-shaped pasta a few drops of balsamic vinegar (optional) Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, mix the tomatoes in a large bowl with the shallot, garlic, olive oil, capers, olives, and basil. Season with a little salt and pepper. When the water is boiling, add salt and cook the pasta. Drain the pasta, shake off the excess water, add the hot pasta to the tomatoes, and toss. Taste. Add additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Add a few drops of vinegar if you like, and serve. From Deborah Madison, Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen, Ten Speed Press, 2005. Downloaded from www.riverbendroots.com on October 12, 2015. This recipe was also published in the June/July 2010 issue of Organic Gardening. Green Onion-Jalapeño Cornbread Serves 10 ¾ cup all-purpose flour ¾ cup yellow cornmeal ¼ cup sugar 1 ½ teaspoons salt 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ cup thinly sliced green onions 2 teaspoons minced Jalapeño chili with seeds 1 ¼ cups buttermilk 2 large eggs ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl to blend. Stir in green onions and Jalapeño. Whisk buttermilk and eggs in medium bowl to blend, then whisk in melted butter. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until blended (do not overmix). Transfer batter to prepared pan (batter will come only about ¾ inch up sides of pan). Bake cornbread until lightly browned on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool cornbread completely in pan. Cover tightly with foil and store at room temperature. Cornbread can be prepared 1 day ahead. From the November 2004 issue of Bon Appétit. Downloaded from www.epicurious.com on June12, 2015. Funghi e Zucchini Trifolati (Mushrooms and Zucchini with Nepitella and Italian Parsley) 1 pound mushrooms (cremini, porcini, white button or any combination), thinly sliced 2 small zucchini (about 8 ounces), thinly sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chopped Nepitella 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley 1 teaspoon salt, divided freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil Bruch mushrooms or wipe with damp towel to clean. Cut off and discard dry end of stalk. Slice mushrooms thinly. Slice zucchini into very thin rounds. Heat olive oil in 12 inch sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook until it takes on a pale gold tone. Do not brown garlic or it will become bitter. Increase heat to medium high and add mushrooms. Sauté, tossing mushrooms, until they have taken up the oil. Don’t be tempted to add more oil. Add ½ teaspoon salt and continue cooking, tossing occasionally. As the mushrooms cook, they will exude a good deal of liquid. Continue cooking until juice have evaporated almost complete, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add zucchini and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until tender.