If yesterday’s post was an embrace of all things grey and overcast, today’s is the complete opposite. The Anti-June Gloom, as it were. Remember a little while back when I wrote briefly about my favorite way to eat watermelon? A dash of chile powder, a pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lime. Yum. Well just this past week, I had a very large watermelon from which to make a relatively small portion of watermelon salad for the news. When all was said and done, I probably had about 2/3 of that bohemoth left over. Even a watermelon lover such as myself (and my pooch, it’s his very favorite food in the entire world), this is a LOT of watermelon to consume before it goes all soft and mealy and not very good at all. I got to thinking about my chile/salt/lime method, and then I got to thinking about sorbet. Then I put my thoughts together, and made this amazing watermelon-cucumber-chile-lime sorbet. Ohmygoodness is this stuff good! I wish I’d had more cucumber on hand when the idea struck, but alas, I only had one hangin out in the fridge. Had I realized just how much sorbet my little idea was going to generate, I probably would’ve run out to pick up a couple more. But I didn’t, and so I didn’t. Next time I make it I’ll be sure to rectify that, as I’m sure a stronger cucumber flavor could only make it even better. As it stands, it’s cool, refreshing, sweet but not cloyingly so, and for about 2 seconds after you’ve swallowed, spicy. I kept tasting the base as I stirred things together, and couldn’t for the life of me get the chile to come through. I just kept adding more chile powder until I got up to about 2 or 3 tablespoons, and finally switched to cayenne. I’d estimate about a teaspoon found it’s way into the mix before I was satisfied. The spicy element barely even comes through until it warms your throat right at the end. It’s lovely. And pretty, to boot!

As homemade sorbets tend to set up into rock solid blocks rendered inedible until they melt into soup, I took some precautions here. The recipe I adapted this from is for watermelon-cucumber popsicles, so I knew it was meant to freeze through and through. Salt is in fact one of the flavor elements I was going for, and it has the added benefit of lending a hand in situations where you don’t want something to freeze too quickly or too completely. There’s another substance that also helps in these sorts of situations – alcohol! Since my inspiration comes straight from Tijuana, tequila seemed only fitting. A single shot in the entire batch doesn’t affect the flavor at all, but I just like knowing it’s in there.

Like I said, I wound up with a TON of this stuff, as I was just using up all my leftover watermelon. I’m going to attempt to cut the recipe down to a more manageable quantity, ideally about a quart and a half for a standard ice cream maker. These are educated guesses based on what I made tonight, so feel free to make your own tweaks and adjustments!

Watermelon Cucumber Chile Lime Sorbet
Adapted from Watermelon-Cucumber Popsicles by Chef Deborah Racicot

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

4 pounds seedless watermelon

1 pound cucumber

1/4 C fresh lime juice

2 tsp chile powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 oz tequila

Directions

Place the sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Set aside to cool completely. Cut the watermelon into chunks, discarding the rind. Peel the cucumbers, and cut into pieces. Purée each in a blender. (You should produce 4 cups of watermelon purée and 2 cups of cucumber.) Then combine the two purées with sugar syrup, and blend until smooth. Stir in the lime juice, salt, chile powder, cayenne, and tequila.

Chill mixture thoroughly, then freeze according to your ice cream maker’s manufacturer’s instructions.

San Diego is a funny sort of place, where we have beautiful gorgeous perfect weather almost completely year round. But then a funny thing happens. May rolls around and the skies turn sort of greyish pewter colored, especially in the mornings, most often giving way to sparkly sunshine by about 10am. It persists with such regularity that we refer to it as “May Grey.” The gloomy drizzly mornings are persistent little buggers, hanging around a full 60 days or so all the way through “June Gloom.” (you’ll notice from the comments section that I originally made some incredibly idiotic sleep deprived remark about April coming between May & June, which has subsequently been swapped out for something slightly less “um…didn’t we all learn that in first grade?”)
Personally, overcast days are some of my favorites. Everything is nice and cool, I can go outside sans sunglasses without fear of searing my retinas, I can drive with my windows down instead of the A/C blasting, and best of all - they make me want to make soup. I LOVE soup. I would eat soup every single day if it weren’t usually too warm out to warrant it.

Of all the soups out there, corn chowder ranks pretty high in my personal standings. I like clam chowder just fine, except for when it tends to be super duper thick bordering on gloppy. And while the flavor of them tickles my fancy just fine, the texture of cooked clams makes me gag. I hate chewing on those rubbery little bits. Blech.

Corn chowder is this fantastic alternative, where you still get all the best bits (the bacon, the potatoes, the lovely velvety texture), but without those gross little chunks of rubbery mollusk. Again I say blech.

Problem is, the urge to make corn chowder usually strikes in the Fall, when the wind starts to bluster, and I get to eagerly break out all my favorite sweaters. Why is this a problem? Because corn is at it’s sweetest, tenderest, most amazing seasonal peak in SUMMER, that’s why! Sure, the frozen stuff will do in a pinch, but nothing compares to kernels freshly sheared from their cobs with a nice sharp knife.

Thankfully, this is where June Gloom stands up and makes itself useful. It tricks me into thinking I want to make soup, even in the middle of summer! Today’s gloom persisted all throughout the day, so that by the time I was leaving work, I’d made a mental list of all the ingredients I already had at home for a big pot of my very favorite soup.

My attention span being what it is, there are very few dishes I’ve ever felt compelled to replicate repeatedly. Usually I get an idea in my head, either execute it or get distracted by the next thing, and then move on. This soup is a rare exception to that rule, I’ve probably made it half a dozen times over the last year or so. The original version is actually an Emeril Lagasse recipe for corn and oyster chowder. Freshly shucked oysters aren’t typically in my budget, so the first time I made it I swapped out the shellfish for a couple of cans of crab meat. It was delicious, but every time since, I’ve never felt compelled to include any seafood. It’s really the corn I’m after. I simply increased the quantities of corn and potatoes, and that’s how I’ve been making it ever since. Another adjustment to my version is that after I render the bacon, I remove it from the pot and drain it on paper towels. I left it in the entire time once, and by the end of the cooking process, any modicum of flavor had been completely cooked out. Flabby, mushy, flavorless bacon = not so delicious. Now I wait until the very last step, when I’m stirring in the half & half and fresh parsley, and let the crispy little bits of bacon rejoin the party.

Lucky for me, I still had four ears of super sweet Farmers Market corn left over from this morning’s TV segment. I cooked it just like I told everybody they should, in a ziplock bag in the microwave. No huge pots of boiling water, no grill to fire up, no muss no fuss! It made for the very best version of this soup yet, I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it with frozen corn ever again. I’ve been ruined forever for Fall corn chowder! This is destined to be a Summer dish from now on.

June Gloom Corn Chowder
adapted from Oyster and Corn Chowder by Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

3/4 pound bacon, julienned (about 10 slices)

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup diced carrot

1 cup sweet corn kernels (as much as you want, I like about four ears worth)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 bay leaves

3/4 cup flour

8 cups chicken stock

2 cups diced white potatoes (my version has 3-4 cups)

1 cup half and half

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

2 pounds shucked oysters with liquid (totally optional, swappable for crab, or nothin’ at all)

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco Hot sauce (optional)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Directions

In a large nonstick stock pot, over medium heat, render the bacon for 10 minutes. (this is where I remove it from the pot) Stir in the onions, celery, carrots and corn. Season the vegetables with salt, cayenne, and bay leaves. Saute for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and tender. Stir in the flour and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (this never works for me – I always wind up stirring in a couple cups of stock early, or I’d have a burned sticky mess on my hands) Stir in the chicken stock and bring up to a boil. Add the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. (this is where I’d add the crab, if using) Stir in the cream and parsley (and toss the bacon back in the pool). Simmer the soup for 5 minutes. Add the oysters with liquid (if using), hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer the soup for 2 minutes, or until the oysters start to curl. Ladle the soup in a shallow bowl and garnish with and parsley.

If Fall is my favorite time of year for the weather, Summer is my favorite for the food. All these gorgeous fruits are in peak season, from berries to watermelon to cherries to stone fruits and everything in between. My fab friends down at Specialty Produce (follow them on twitter and facebook!) are stocked full with all sorts of great stuff right now, and the Farmers Market Bag has been amazing lately. They supplied me with everything I needed to head down the NBC studio this morning, and chat about Summer sides and desserts – no oven or stove required. Here are four fantastic, fresh, flavorful recipes to beat the heat!

Watermelon, Feta, Black Olive Salad
from recipezaar.com

Ingredients

1 small red onion, cut into thin half moon slices

2-3 limes, juice of

1/2 lb feta cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes

4 cups watermelon, cut into 1 inch cubes

1/2 cup pitted oil-cured black olive

1 cup whole flat leaf parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
 
Directions
 
Place the onion slices in a small bowl, add the juices from the limes; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the feta cheese cubes with the watermelon cubes, the black olives, parsley, mint, olive oil, and pepper.

Add the onion and lime juice mixture and gently toss to combine.

Corn & Blueberry Salad
from Better Homes & Gardens

Ingredients
6 ears fresh sweet corn, husked

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 small cucumber, sliced

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped*

2 Tbsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Directions

1. Remove most of the husk and all silk from the corn. Place three to four ears at a time into a zip top plastic bag, and leave un-sealed. Microwave on high for 7-9 minutes, depending on your microwave.

2. In a serving bowl combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. For dressing, in bowl whisk lime juice, oil, honey, cumin, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Add to salad; toss. Cover and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours). Makes 6 to 8 servings.

3. *Hot peppers, such as jalepeños, contain oils that can burn skin and eyes. Wear plastic gloves when working with them. If using bare hands wash well with soap and water.

Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet
By Danilo Zecchin of Ciao Bella

Ingredients

1 cup water

½ cup sugar

¾ cup cabernet wine

2 cups blackberries

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 egg white, whipped

Directions

In a bowl of cold water, gently clean the blackberries. Be sure to remove all debris and any soft or discolored berries.

In a food processor or blender, combine the berries, water, sugar, lemon juice and wine. Process or blend mixture until smooth. Add the whipped egg white and stir until thoroughly blended. Chill mixture.

Freeze (churn) cooled mixture in an ice cream machine, according to the manufacturer’s directions. Garnish with fresh blackberries and mint leaves.

Chilled Peaches in White Wine
from Orangette, adapted from A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes by David Tanis

Ingredients

8 ripe peaches (white or yellow, or a mixture), washed well and rubbed dry

4 Tbsp. sugar, or more to taste

1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine

Directions

Slice the peaches thinly. (I get about 16 slices per peach.) Combine the peaches and sugar, and toss gently to mix. Add the wine, and toss gently again. Taste, and adjust sugar as needed. Cover, and refrigerate for several hours – or up to a few days, if you want.

Serve the peaches cold, in a glass or shallow bowl, with a small ladleful of their liquid. Eat the peaches with a fork and then drink the liquid left in the glass.