Simmer & Boil

90-degree temperatures here in Birmingham have brought on a growth spurt for all of our summer vegetables.

Tomatoes
The plants are healthy, happy and doing really well. Shown above (left) are the ripply, pin-cushion-looking miniature beginnings of Costuluto Genovese (the most photogenic tomato). For perspective, the fruit is currently thumbnail size. Also shown (center) are rain-drop laden Red Figs, as they hang in a cluster. Cherokee Purple is the one (right) with darker green "shoulders" in a classic tomato shape.

Beans
These Cherokee Trail of Tears beans are just beginning their climb, but not every aspect of the garden has been this picture perfect. Here, a note from Farmer Mary Beth on some of the challenges we've encountered with beans: "I've had to re-sow the bean seeds two or three times for success. The first sowing I could not figure out for the life of me what happened. All rows came up but three in the middle of the garden. Turns out that a bird saw the fruits of my labor as an easy dinner and took the huge, speckled seeds for himself. The next sowing I did hurriedly to keep up with our photography schedule. We got rain for three straight days and I tried to sow seeds to catch up for the lost ones...but instead they rotted in the wet soil. See? I knew better--wet, sticky soil is a bean's worst enemy. So, alas...we have unintentionally spaced out some of the bean sowings but it'll give us a continuous harvest for weeks instead of all at once. Bright side!"

Eggplants
Just starting to bloom sporadically and will love it even more as summer heats up. The plants are 18" tall--just babies still--but here's a snapshot (above) of a bloom. Soon this will be a funky fruit.

Peppers
Still a bit early, but one variety—Melrose—is already fruiting and anxious to get ahead of the others.

Melons
The leaves of our Moon & Stars melons are also peppered with constellations. How cool is that?

Under the hot studio lights, things quickly go downhill when working with ice cream. Here are a few of the more gooey outtakes from last week's shoot.

Editorial contributor and cooking phenom Hannah Klinger is posting this Saturday for our fourth installment of Salad Saturday.

I’m kind of over leafy salads these days. Greens are great, sure, but I’m looking for bases with a little more interest, a little more excitement.
 
For crunch, fennel, celery, and cucumber make great salad bases, best with a slightly sweet vinaigrette like orange juice or apple cider vinegar. My favorite dish at a local Greek restaurant is horiatiki: red onion, tomato, cucumber, and olive with an island of feta floating on top. No greens necessary here, there’s no room in the bowl!
 
This week, it’s all about cauliflower. Cauliflower is a natural sponge, soaking up whatever flavors are nearby. Simmered until crisp-tender and marinated in a pungent dressing (in this case, a salsa verde), a simple vegetable becomes extraordinary. Serve as a side or a lively addition to the ever-present vegetable party tray.
 
Cut 1 head of cauliflower into small florets; discard core. Add to a large saucepan of boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.
 
Toss with a quick salsa verde:
 
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
2 anchovy fillets, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
 
Let marinate at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!

Just in time for warm days and long, lingering dinners on the patio comes the shandy. European in origin, it's a refreshing combo of crisp beer and sparkling lemonade (or giner ale or other citrus-flavored soda).

It seems to be a bit of a trend this year in beer; you'll find Shock Top Lemon Shandy, Saranac Shandy, Michelob Ultra 19th Hole Light Tea and Lemonade, and Leinenkugel Summer Shandy, which I happily sipped on my backyard patio after a bit of yardwork. Yum!

Though I was skeptical (I'm more of an IPA or ESB kind of girl), I kept reading about these beers and curiosity prevailed. It's a lively, fresh, hit-the-spot drink, not too sweet as I had feared but more crisp, tart, and quite light (it's rather low in alcohol). And though it tastes nothing like beer, really, I really liked it--the perfect lift during summer's most sweltering waves. Give it a try and let us know what you think.

This Sunday is National Sunscreen Day. And just like Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day (or, in my opinion, Pizza Day), it’s something you should celebrate every day. Why?

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, unprotected sun exposure is the most preventable risk factor for skin cancer. More than 3.5 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, affecting 2 million people. At current rates, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in his or her lifetime.

About 75 percent of skin cancer deaths are from melanoma, and the incidence of melanoma has been rising for at least 30 years. That’s why spending a few minutes each morning can make a huge difference.

If the scary cancer facts above don’t get to you, think about it on a surface level: skin exposed to harmful UV rays eventually equals more wrinkled, thinner, sagging skin. Face the facts: It’s time to hit the (sunscreen) bottle.

The FDA is rolling out new sunscreen regulations that manufacturers will have to meet by 2013. Find details on the new labels here.

I talked to New York City dermatologist Deborah Jaliman about what we should be looking for in a sunscreen this summer. “Look for a broad spectrum sunscreen with Parsol 1789 (or Avobenzone). Labels should say "water resistant" for either 40 minutes or 80 minutes,” she says. “Use an SPF of at least 30 for both face and body. Many people choose to use a different type of sunscreen for their body and face. They may prefer a spray sunscreen for the body as they're more convenient when applying. On their face, they may want to use a sunscreen that's specifically tailored for their type of skin; for example if they have oily skin they may want to use a gel or a lighter lotion.”

Happy (safe!) summer sunning!

Here are some great resources to help keep your skin healthier this summer (and beyond):

• The American Academy of Dermatology’s www.spotskincancer.org provides pointers on doing a self-check, a downloadable body mole map so you can track any changes, or links to free local skin cancer screenings.
• My two new favorites for this summer: Neutrogena’s Wet Skin SPF 45+ ($12, Neutrogena.com), which applies easily to already wet skin—genius for kids or post-pool dip touch-ups. And L’Oreal Paris’ Sublime Sun Liquid Silk Sunshield for Face SPF 50+ ($11, lorealparis.com). Do you have any favorites I should check out?
• Look for more sunscreen tips in my August beauty column in the magazine.

It's always a thorny challenge, a real-life Itchy and Scratchy adventure: While on a country or edge-of-town stroll, we spot the berries hanging heavy on their canes. Blackberry bushes favor ditches, back roads, power right-of-ways, hedgerows. As summer ripens, the fat fruit turns from raspberry red to an intense inky purple. There's about a six-week window, and it varies a lot across the continent. So when we find some, we have to pick. And now matter how carefully the project is undertaken, the thorns bite back. The more reckless on our staff have returned with a good, two-bucket haul looking like they've been in a back-alley battle with a gang of angry cats: streaks of dried blood on legs and arms. But it's worth it. Blackberries are delicious fresh, and cooking applications abound: cobbler, vinaigrette, and barbecue sauce, to name a few. Our latest obsession is Blackberry Curd: thick, tart, beautiful. Well work a few nicks.

Blackberry Curd Tart
Hands-on time: 51 min. Total time: 3 hr. 34 min.

4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup almonds, toasted and finely ground
3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
8 tablespoons chilled butter, divided
Baking spray with flour (such as Baker's Joy)
3 cups fresh blackberries
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 large egg whites
1/3 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level. Combine flour, powdered sugar, almonds, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse to combine. Cut 7 tablespoons butter into small pieces. Add to flour mixture; pulse just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press in the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan coated with baking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

3. Combine berries, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes. Place mixture in a blender; let stand 5 minutes. Blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a medium bowl, pressing on solids. Discard solids. Wipe pan clean; return mixture to pan. Combine cornstarch and egg yolks, stirring until smooth. Stir yolk mixture into berry mixture; bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Scrape mixture into a bowl; cover surface directly with plastic wrap. Chill.

4. Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, cream of tartar, and egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Combine remaining 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/3 cup water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 250°. Gradually pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at medium speed, then at high speed until stiff peaks form.

5. Preheat broiler.

6. Spoon curd over crust; top with meringue. Broil 2 minutes or until golden.

SERVES 12 (serving size: 1 slice)
CALORIES 285; FAT 10.2 g (sat 5.3g, mono 3.3g, poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 3.7g; CARB 46.6g; FIBER 2.5g; CHOL 55mg; IRON 0.9mg; CALC 27mg

May is both National Hamburger Month and National Barbecue Month. Never wanting to miss an opportunity to stir up a food turf war, I asked the staff: When hosting a backyard summer cookout, which is it: Hamburger? or Barbecue?

Hamburgers took it home in an almost-clean sweep. (Only one person voted for BBQ.)

Editors even shared a few of their favorite recipes and toppings.

"Jalapeño cream cheese has a special place in my heart as a topping." -- Dréa Zacharenko, Designer

"I'm a burger guy from way back. I love grinding my own, from a mix of skirt and ribeye. They come out super juicy and flavorful. Once you grind your own burgers, you'll never go back to store-bought ground beef." -- Tim Cebula, Senior Food Editor

"Burgers, hands down. Tomato, onion, Dijon. Maybe some cheese, maybe not. But it has to be on a toasted bun. This is crucial. The burger is (hopefully) going to be juicy. Same for the tomato. You need a toasted bun to avoid a soggy mess." -- Phillip Rhodes, Executive Managing Editor

So which is preferred in your home: Hamburger or BBQ?

Just back from a visit to Schramsberg in northern Napa, maker of some of America's very best sparkling wines and a company that has roots in one of the oldest wineries on the west coast. Tasted six with Hugh Davies, who runs it now, including one from 1997 and one from 1995. Old sparkling wine takes on caramel and nut and "maderized" flavors of brown sugar and baked fruits. But it's still bubbly and light--amazing stuff, and it begs to be matched by complex food. I think I'd drink it with roast five-spice duck with plums, or something like that.

In many ways, a recipe is a lot like a scientific query--if you follow step A, will be result? That's the idea behind FoodCorps volunteer Daniel Marbury's lesson planning, only instead of books, he uses fresh salsa.

Together, Marbury and his students taste and analyze each ingredient in fresh salsa--jalapenos add heat, onions add crunch, and tomatoes, acidity. What would happen if more jalapenos were added to the salsa, Marbury asks. One student suggests the salsa might be too spicy to eat. In short, they're learning the scientific method--observing, hypothesizing, and experimenting.

Using their observations, students measure and mix their own recipes in the school cafeteria. "The next day, we conduct a taste test. Students can vote for their favorite," he says. The winning recipe is served later that week with chicken fajitas.

"I try to reinforce what students are already learning about science while introducing them to new foods," Marbury says.

Daniel Marbury is a FoodCorps service member serving with the Michigan Land Use Institute in Traverse City, Michigan.