Panzanella -- Fabulous Summer Tomato Salad

It's payoff time!

Back in May, we turned and composted, planted and mulched; then we watered, fertilized, weeded, staked, pinched and watered some more.

And now, the wait is over. Out in our gardens, peeking out amidst the towering green vines, are bountiful bunches of Beefsteaks; grape and cherry, Romas and a wide range of wonderful heirloom varieties. Sweet and juicy tomatoes, calling for us to come 'n get 'em.

Now our salads come to life with the sunshiny flavor of fresh tomatoes. Salads taste better. Sandwiches take on a whole new dimension. Dinner tables pop with the intoxicating taste and fragrance of tomatoes that were on the vine this morning. Who doesn't love the run-down-the-chin goodness of fresh-picked tomatoes? Go outside, pick one and eat it. Right there in the garden!

If you don't grow your own, get some at the wonderful produce stands all over the county. Or talk to the folks at the Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op about their Community-Supported Agriculture, or CSA, program.

How do you like your tomatoes? Hollowed and filled with tuna or chicken salad? Generously distributed over a green salad? Grilled? Sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and broiled? I love to cut thick slices, dust them with Kosher salt and fresh oregano, and drizzle them with good olive oil.

Another favorite — panzanella, an easy-to-prepare Tuscan salad that is perfect for a warm August evening. Get a loaf of a good, crusty bread from your favorite bakery, and treat your family to this tasty, hearty salad.

PANZANELLA
3 tablespoons good olive oil

1 day-old Italian or sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 (or more!) large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 firm cucumber, seeded, halved, and sliced 1/2-inch thick

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped

For the VINAIGRETTE:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until they are nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk the ingredients together, drizzling the olive oil in last.

In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and basil. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Before serving, let the salad to sit for half an hour so the flavors can blend.

The beauty of panzanella is that there isn't a single best recipe. Start with the basics: firm, fresh tomatoes, toasted bread cubes, cucumber, red onion and fresh basil. Then add whatever additional ingredients strike your fancy: capers, mozzarella balls, feta or goat cheese, chopped fresh bell or roasted peppers, sliced fresh fennel, toasted pine nuts, chick peas or (my wife, Ellen's favorite) white cannellini beans.

Make up your own vinaigrette — there is no right or wrong here.

And, it's even better the second day, as the flavors marry and become more intense. The bread cubes may become a bit soggy, but a good, crusty bread will hold up well.

One more thing: Most people's gardens produce more tomatoes than a family can eat. Use that to your advantage, and savor the summer goodness all year. Fill a metal roasting pan with tomatoes, stem-side down, and roast at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Then cover the pan with foil and let them cool to the touch. Remove and toss the skins — they come off easily, pour off the excess water, and place the whole tomatoes in quart-size freezer bags, about a pound each, and freeze them.

Read more: http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/15/Talking%20Fresh/

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

I promised a second peach ice cream recipe, one with eggs. Here it is. This is incredible. Make this, and follow the recipe exactly. As I suggested in the "no-egg" ice cream recipe, follow your ice cream freezer maker's directions exactly. If the instructions say 20 minutes, don't do it for 21 or 22. Freezing the ice cream longer than recommended makes it icy. I know. I've tried doing in longer and shorter. The ice cream freezer maker (in my case Cuisinarts, spent millions on research to develop a perfect product. They know whereof they speak.

Both the cooked peaches and the custard mixture must be cooled to 40 degrees before you churn them. Since they are fine in the refrigerator overnight, you may want to prepare them the day before you plan to churn and serve the ice cream. You’ll get the very best results from using in-season, fully ripened peaches, and for a terrific treat, replace the vodka with peach-flavored liqueur or Amaretto. The ice cream is at its peak when eaten within four hours of churning, although covered, it will keep in the freezer for up to two days.

Ingredients

3	medium-size ripe peaches , peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1/2	teaspoon lemon juice from 1 lemon
	pinch table salt
1	cup granulated sugar
6	tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/4	cups whole milk
1 1/3	cups heavy cream
6	large egg yolks
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
2	tablespoons Absolut Peach vodka

Instructions

1. 1. Stir peaches, lemon juice, a pinch salt, and 1/2 cup sugar in medium-size nonreactive saucepan to combine; let stand until a pool of syrupy liquid accumulates and peaches soften slightly, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

2. 2. Position sieve over medium bowl set in an ice-water bath; set aside. Heat milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar in medium-size heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steam appears, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn off heat. Meanwhile, whisk yolks and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until pale yellow. Stir half the warmed milk mixture into beaten yolk mixture until just blended. Return milk-yolk mixture to saucepan of remaining warmed milk mixture. Heat milk-yolk mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon until steam appears, foam subsides, and mixture just begins to thicken (see illustrations below) or instant-read thermometer registers 180 degrees (mixture must not boil or eggs will curdle). Remove from heat, and following step 3 in illustration, immediately strain custard into prepared bowl. Cool custard mixture to room temperature, stir in vanilla, then cover and refrigerate until instant-read thermometer registers 40 degrees, at least 2 and up to 24 hours.

3. 3. Meanwhile, heat softened peaches and their liquid, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until peaches are tender and flesh has broken down, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl, stir in vodka, and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 and up to 24 hours.

4. 4. Strain chilled peaches, reserving liquid. Stir reserved peach liquid into chilled custard mixture; pour into ice cream machine canister and churn, following manufacturer’s instructions, until mixture is frozen and resembles soft-serve ice cream, 25 to 30 minutes. Add peaches; continue to churn until combined, about 30 seconds longer. Transfer ice cream to airtight container. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

Makes about 1 quart.