good food

sesame seeds are those little tiny – flat seeds that stick to the top of your mouth, lodge in-between your teeth and give you that familiar crunch when munching down on them.  And you can’t just munch on one seed – no it’s at least several at a time.  If  you are a fan, like me, then here is a quick and simple way to toast your most commonly found hulled sesame seeds.  As the seeds touch the heat in a hot pan, the perfume that hits the air is earthy, mellow and heady. 

1/2 C of hulled sesame seeds

Place a small sauce pan on the stove.  Bring heat up to medium.  Pan should feel hot to touch.  Pour sesame seeds into pan.  Distribute the seeds so that they coat the bottom of the pan evenly.  Do not walk away!  Watch over the seeds lovingly; moving them around gently every minute or two.  You will notice that the seeds will begin to have a shine to them.  This is the oil coming out of the seed as it heats up.  The heat will cook the oil making the seed turn a golden brown.  Once the seed has turned a golden brown take the pan off the heat and gently scatter the seeds on a cool surface.  This will rapidly stop the cooking so that the seeds will not over cook or burn. 

Set the seeds aside to cool.  Store in an airtight container in a cool place.  The seeds will last for up to 2 weeks. 

I love to eat toasted sesame seeds sprinkled in salads, on cooked fish, in rice and on toasted sweet buttered bagels. 

It was ten years ago we were invited to attend a grape harvest, crush and dinner in Los Altos, CA.  This past weekend we attended the same crush-only in Austin, TX.  The venue has changed and the grapes are overnighted from Sonoma County at their peak.  Family and friends gather to unload the grapes, crush, and see to the first stages of fermentation.   It is a world class event with friends from all over the world  sharing great food and stories from previous years.  What a day!  Here’s just a taste….

Here in Texas the heat has been in 3 digits – with no sign of dropping down anytime soon. To beat that summer sizzle without the extra heat of the stove or oven, here is one of my favorite “salads” incorporating rockin’ summer veggie, fruit, and herb. It’s cool, refreshing, tasty, and you can have one or the other anytime!

Gazpacho:
4-5 lbs of large fresh tomatoes, roasted and peeled
½ of red bell pepper, seeded and rough chopped
½ bunch of green onion, cleaned and rough chopped
3-4 large cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and rough chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and rough chopped
¼ C plus 2 Tbls of red wine vinegar
3 Tbls of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl place all ingredients and toss. Divide mixture up into 3 equal parts. Take one part place in blender and puree until smooth. Pour into clean bowl. Repeat with remaining 2 parts. Strain mixture through a course strainer into another bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill for as little as one hour or up to eight hours. Garnish with Roasted Corn Confetti.

Yields: 6-9 servings.

“Roasted” Corn Confetti:
1Tbls Olive Oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
¼ C fresh green onion, minced
1 Serrano pepper, minced with seeds

3 ears of fresh white and yellow corn, cleaned and cut from the cob
½ C red bell pepper, minced
1 tsp fresh mint, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1 tsp fresh parsley, minced
1-2 Tbls of good quality tequila
Salt and Pepper to taste

Over high heat in a medium sauté pan, pour in olive oil. Add garlic, green onion, Serrano pepper and sauté for just a minute. Add corn and stir garlic/onion mixture into corn. Turn heat down to medium. “Roast” corn for a few minutes without touching. Stir corn mixture. Add red bell pepper and ½ of all herbs. Also add a bit of salt and pepper. Incorporate all ingredients. Let corn mixture cook for a few more minutes or until the corn becomes a bit tender and you begin seeing a golden crust form on the bottom of the sauté pan. Remove pan from heat and pour tequila over corn mixture. Immediately return pan to heat to deglaze. Stir corn mixture and let alcohol from tequila burn off. Salt and pepper to taste. When corn is tender remove from heat, add remaining herbs then set aside and let cool.

Yields: 4 servings.