Keeping cool is everyone’s wish in the summer and that goes double for the cook. Great deli products are lifesavers in the summer with an assortment so that everyone can make his own choice. Sometimes though it is nice to have a meal together and this first recipe for a Super Hero Sandwich uses a lot of those deli products. It is made as one big sandwich that can be sliced into 8 servings. The types of meats and cheese are only suggestions; use your own favorite combination to suit your tastes.
SUPER HERO SANDWICH
1 whole loaf whole-wheat, white French or Italian bread
Prepared mustard
1/2 pound sliced salami
1/2 pound sliced turkey breast
1/2 pound sliced corned beef
1/2 pound sliced Swiss cheese
Leaf lettuce
3 hard cooked eggs, sliced
1 (2 ounce) can anchovy fillets, drained
6 fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
Pimiento stuffed olives
Red wine vinegar
Bottled Italian dressing
Cut the bread in half, lengthwise with a sharp serrated knife. Spread with the prepared mustard. Arrange sliced salami, turkey breast, corned beef, Swiss cheese, leaf lettuce, egg slices, anchovies, mushrooms and tomato and zucchini slices. Add some stuffed olives. Drizzle with the red wine vinegar and some Italian dressing. Cover with the top of the bread and cut into thick slices to serve. This will serve 8.
Most of the year we have to put up with dried herbs but in the summer the well-planned garden will produce a wealth of fresh herbs. The flavor of the fresh herbs is so much more vibrant than the dried ones but don’t let that fool you. Remember that when you use fresh herbs you must use about three times as much of the fresh, the dried being concentrated in its form. In other words if you normally put a teaspoon of dried oregano in your spaghetti sauce you will want a Tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of the fresh. You may get comments about “the green” in your sauce as the dried herbs get cooked into the sauce and are not visible but the good flavor of the fresh make them worth using.
If you are lucky enough to have an abundance of fresh herbs you can freeze them for use in the winter. Two ways of doing this are acceptable. For both methods, wash the herbs well. In both methods separate the leaves and soft stems from the tough stalks and discard the tough stalks. Once this is done you can freeze these tender parts. In the first method you will want to dry off the herbs by shaking and patting dry on paper towels. Lay the herbs on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze. When frozen, gather them up and put them in a plastic bag and label and date and store them in the freezer. In the second method, chop the herbs and pack them into an empty ice cube tray, filling each compartment about two-thirds full of herbs. Fill each compartment will cold water and freeze solid. When frozen take the cubes from the tray and pack them in plastic bags and label, date and store. This second method is good if you will be using them in sauces and soups as you can pop these frozen cubes right from the freezer into you cooking.
This recipe for Herb Bread must be made with fresh basil, or basil frozen by the first (without water) method. Don’t try it with dried basil. Not only very tasty but very colorful.
HERB BREAD
2 packages active dry yeast
2/3 cup lukewarm water
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 and 2/3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil (preferably olive oil)
1 Tablespoon salt
6 and 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion green tops
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 Tablespoons snipped fresh chives
Beaten egg for glaze
In a small bowl, stir together the yeast, lukewarm water and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes. Heat the buttermilk in a saucepan until it is lukewarm. The buttermilk may curdle but this is normal. Place this buttermilk in a large mixing bowl or mixer bowl, along with the oil and the salt. Add the yeast mixture (being sure that the buttermilk is only lukewarm), 6 and 1/2 cups of the flour, the scallions, parsley, basil, dill and chives. Work the ingredients together with a wooden spoon or with a dough hook on the mixer. You may want to add a bit more of the flour. You want dough that is soft but no longer sticky. When it is the consistency that you can knead, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 8 to10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a bowl that has been greased; turn once to grease the top. Cover and let rise until double in size, 1 and 1/2 to 2hours. Punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide into two parts. Shape into neat rectangles about 9-inches wide. Roll each piece of dough into a compact cylinder and place in buttered 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise until the dough reaches the edges of the pan, about 45 minutes. Brush each loaf lightly with beaten egg. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the loaves from the pan and place them back in the oven, directly on the oven racks and bake until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 5 to 7 minutes longer. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. This makes 2 loaves.
You haven’t really had corn chowder until you have had Hearty Corn Chowder. It is made with fresh corn and ham.
HEARTY CORN CHOWDER
3 Tablespoons bacon fat or vegetable oil
1/2 pound smoked ham, diced
3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped
3 carrots, peeled, trimmed and sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small bay leaf
1 pound potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups chicken broth or water, plus more if needed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups milk, plus more if needed
1/2 cup cream
Heat the bacon fat or vegetable oil in a large heavy kettle or Dutch oven. Add the ham and toss and stir over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the ham with a slotted spoon and keep on a plate to return to the soup later. In the fat remaining in the kettle cook the onions, celery, carrots, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft but not browned. Add the potatoes, broth or water, adding more if necessary to just barely cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and boil gently until the potatoes are tender but not mushy. This will take about 20 to 25 minutes.
Skim off any foam from the surface of the soup and discard. Discard the bay leaf. Add the milk and cream and return to just under a boil. Stir in the corn and simmer, very gently, for 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove about half of the solids from the broth and puree in a food processor. Return the puree to the chowder. Stir. Add the reserved ham and simmer about 5 minutes more. Adjust the seasonings. You may want to add a little pepper. Serve hot. This will make 6 hearty servings.
