Jill Hatton column

The Hatton garden has some tomatoes now. Yay!! We still have lots more to ripen and still waiting on our corn. This past week has been a major green bean picking week. My Dad has picked green beans every evening this past week. I cannot leave my Mom out because she has been on vacation this week (from her full-time job), but has been canning green beans every day too. It is an organized process for harvesting our garden. Some of us pick the beans, some of us break the beans, and one of us processes the beans. We have three rows of green beans that are ready to pick. We have been working on two this week. So needless to say there will be plenty of green beans at the farmer’s market this week---as well as squash and zucchini. Our garden is still blessing us with these items as well! If you visited your local farmer’s market last week you saw tomatoes and corn to enjoy. All of the garden items taste great right now. If you have visited the market yet --be sure to stop by this week. Make plans to shop early because corn sells out pretty quick. The market opens at 8:00, but most of the time you can catch some of us there by 7:30. This week we will focus on Kentucky Tomatoes and Kentucky Corn. These two vegetables are favorites of many.

Kentucky Tomatoes
Season: July through October

Nutrition Facts: Tomatoes are rich in nutrients that promote god health, including fiber, carotenoids, and vitamins, especially vitamins C and A.

Selection: Choose firm, well-shaped tomatoes that are fragrant and rich in color. Tomatoes should be free from blemishes, heavy for their size, and give slightly to pressure. Three to four medium tomatoes weight about 1 pound. One pound of tomatoes yields about 2 ½ cups of chopped tomatoes or 3 cups of wedges or sliced tomatoes.

Storage: Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature and use them within three days. Keep them out of direct sunlight. Place green tomatoes in a paper bag to ripen them.

Preparation: Wash fresh tomatoes in cool running water.

Some tomato how to’s:

To seed a tomato: Scrape seeds away from the flesh with a pointed utensil. Avoid puncturing the skin.
To peel: Place tomatoes in boiling water for a bout 30 seconds then transfer them to cold water. The skins will slip off.

To slice: Slice lengthwise to retain the juice. A serrated knife works best.

To broil: Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Dot them with margarine and sprinkle with an herb mixture. Broil tomatoes until they are tender and topping is lightly browned.

To bake: Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Dot them with margarine and season as desired. Bake at 425° F. for 10 to 15 minutes.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

5 large ripe tomatoes*
½ cup fresh basil, finely chopped*
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Finely dice and seed the tomatoes. Stir in basil, olive oil, garlic, and seasoning. Allow mixture to marinate for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature over 1 pound of cooked pasta. For added flavor, sprinkle each portion with 1 to 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.
Yield: 6 servings.
*In season

Nutritional Analysis: 88 calories per serving, 1 g. protein, 6 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. fiber, 7 g. fat, and 204 mg. sodium.

Prepared by Pam Sigler. Adapted from Vegetables for Wellness: Kentucky Tomatoes, Sandra Bastin, Ph.D., R.D., L.D. Food and Nutrition Extension Specialist.

Kentucky Corn
Season: July through August

Nutrition Facts: Corn in low in fat and a good source of fiber and B vitamins.

Selection: Look for ears with green shucks, moist stems, and silks that are free of decay. Kernels should be small, tender, plump, and milk when pierced, and they should fill up the spaces in the rows.
Storage: Keep unshucked fresh corn in the refrigerator ready to use, wrapped in damp paper towels and placed in a plastic bag. Typical shelf life is 4 to 6 days.

Preparation: To steam: Remove shucks and silks. Trim stem ends. Stand ears in a tall pot with 1 inch of water. Cover with a tight fitting lid and steam the corn for 5 minutes.

To microwave: Place ears of corn, still in shucks, in a single layer in the microwave. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, turning the ears halfway through cooking time. Allow corn to rest several minutes before remove the shucks and silsk.

To boil: Remove shucks and silks. Trim stem ends. Carefully place ears in large pot of boiling water. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until the kernels are tender.

To grill: Turn back the inner shucks and remove the silks. Sprinkle each ear with 2 tablespoons of water and nonfat seasonings such as salt, pepper, and herbs. Replace the shucks and tie them shut. Place ears on a hot grill for 20 to 30 minutes, turning them often.

Corn and Bacon Spoonbread

¼ cup yellow cornmeal
1 ½ cups water
2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 and ½ cups corn, fresh from cob, cooked*
¼ cup butter or margarine
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separate whites and yolks
1 cup milk
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine cornmeal and water. Boil 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheese, corn, butter, garlic, and salt. Stir until cheese melts. Stir in milk. Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Add bacon. Stir into cornmeal mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Pour into lightly greased 2 and ½ quart casserole dish. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

*In season

Nutritional analysis: Yield: 12 servings. 180 calories, 8 g. protein, 9 g. carbohydrates, 1 g. fiber, 12 g. fat, 95 mg. cholesterol, 390 mg. sodium.

Prepared by Pam Sigler and Sarah Ball Brandl. Adapted from Vegetables for Wellness: Kentucky Corn

Here is another corn recipe and yet has zucchini in it also!!!

Zucchini and Corn Sauté

2 cups fresh or frozen corn*
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced*
1 medium green pepper, thinly sliced*
1 medium sweet red pepper, thinly sliced*
2 tablespoons canola oil (optional)
1 teaspoon garlic salt (optional)
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
In a large skillet, sauté zucchini and peppers in oil until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Sauté 3 to 4 minutes longer or until corn is tender.
Yield: 10 servings.

*In season.

Nutritional Analysis: 62 calories, 2 g. protein, 9 g. carbohydrates, 2 g. fiber, 3 g. fat, 230 mg. sodium.
Prepared by Pam Sigler.

Have a great week and try a new recipe!!! See you at the farmer’s market.