GO TEXAN presents "Let's Eat, Texas!" Summer Edition

SUMMER EDITION

Let’s Eat, Texas!

A GO TEXAN Recipe book featuring the very best Texas has to offer.

Produce Availability Chart

Zucchini April-November

Watermelons May-November

Turnips Year Round

Greenhouse Tomatoes Year Round

Tomatoes May-November

Squash April-November

Potatoes April-September

Persimmons August-November

Hot Peppers May-December

Sweet Peppers May-June, August-December

Pears June-September

Peaches April-August

Field Peas April-December

Onions March-August

Kohlrabi November-April

Kale November-April

Mushrooms Year Round

Lettuce April-October

Honeydew May-July; October-November

Herbs Year Round

Green Onions May-October

Pickling Cucumbers April-December

Fresh Cucumbers April-December

Carrots Year Round

Cantaloupes May-July; October-November

Red Cabbage January-May

Green Cabbage Year Round

Blueberries May-July

Blackberries April-June

Apples June-November

Product Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Recipes Chunky Watermelon Lemonade

3

Texas Vegetable Confetti

5

Blackberry Chipotle Chicken

7

Chicken-Fried Shrimp with Green Onion Gravy and Watermelon JalapeĂąo Salad

9

Blended Burger with Avacado, Pickled Onion and Garlic Mayo

11

Linguine with Chicken, Corn and Summer Tomatoes

13

Lemon Basil Crunch Watermelon Custard

15

Unicorn Popsicles

17

1

Chunky Watermelon Lemonade 2 cups water 1/3 cup raw sugar (or to taste) 2 cups seedless Texas watermelon puree 1 fresh lemon, sliced thinly 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups seedless watermelon flesh (optional for the “chunky� part)

In a half-gallon pitcher with lid, mix 1 cup of the water with the sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the rest of the water, watermelon puree, sliced lemon, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Stir to mix well and chill thoroughly.

For the chunky watermelon lemonade, stir in the 2 cups of chopped watermelon flesh at the end.

Recipe courtesy of the National Watermelon Board 3

Texas Vegetable Confetti 1 medium Texas carrot, peeled 1/2 large Texas red bell pepper 1 medium Texas zucchini 1 medium Texas yellow squash 4 ounces fresh Texas green beans, cut into pieces 1 ear Texas corn, kernels cut from the cob 3 Texas green onions, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Salt and pepper, to taste Garnish with Texas cilantro or parsley, if desired

Dice carrot, red bell pepper, zucchini and yellow squash into 1/4 to 1/2 -inch cubes.

Combine with the remaining vegetables.

In a large skillet or sauté pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add vegetables and cook — stirring often, until the vegetables are tender-crisp — about 7-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; garnish with fresh herbs; and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Texas Vegetable Association 5

Blackberry Chipotle Chicken Chili-blackberry Sauce 4 teaspoons Texas extra- virgin olive oil 1 medium shallot or sweet onion, diced 2 cups fresh blackberries 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (canned), diced 2 teaspoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon mint leaves, minced Chicken Breasts 12 oz chicken tenderloins boneless, skinless 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Chicken Breasts Preheat oven to 375°F. Place tenderloins on a baking sheet and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of olive oil, salt and pepper on chicken.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature has reached 165°F. Chili-blackberry Sauce While chicken is cooking in the oven, heat a 3 quart saucepan on medium-high heat.

Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and the diced shallots. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until soft.

Add blackberries, chipotle pepper, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove sauce from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve the sauce over the chicken and top with mint leaves.

Recipe courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Dinner Tonight 7

Chicken-Fried Shrimp with Green Onion Gravy and Watermelon Jalapeño Salad Chicken-Fried Shrimp Vegetable oil 1 pound large Texas Gulf shrimp (16/20 count) 1 cup flour 3 eggs 1/2 cup whole milk Salt and pepper 1 lemon Green Onion Gravy 2 bunches green onions 4 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup flour 2 cups whole milk Salt and pepper WatermelonJalapeño Salad 1 jalapeño, diced 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese 3 cups cubed Texas watermelon 1 lemon Salt and pepper

Watermelon-Jalapeño Salad In a mixing bowl combine the jalapeño, feta and watermelon. Squeeze with fresh lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Toss together and marinate for 30 minutes before serving.

Chicken-Fried Shrimp Fill a saucepan halfway with vegetable oil; over medium-high, heat to 350°F. Spear two shrimp on skewers until all shrimp are used. Spread flour in one shallow dish. Beat eggs with milk in another dish. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, dusting off any excess. Coat with egg mixture and back in flour. Repeat until all of the shrimp are coated. Cook 2 skewers at a time in hot oil until the shrimp is golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. While the shrimp is still hot, season with salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Serve while hot.

Green Onion Gravy Thinly slice the green onions, separating the green from the white part. Add butter and the white part of the onions to a small saucepan and bring to medium-high heat. Cook until the onions are tender and start to caramelize.

Add the flour; stir until the butter is absorbed and cook the roux about 2 minutes. When it starts to turn golden brown, slowly add milk while continually whisking. Reduce the heat to medium and keep whisking until thickened.

Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper. Stir in remaining green onions just before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Dairy Max 9

Blended Burger with Avacado, Pickled Onion and Garlic Mayo Garlic Mayo 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 clove garlic, grated 1 green onion, finely chopped Pinch fine sea salt Burgers 1/2 pound white button mushrooms, roughly chopped 1 tablespooTexas extra virgin olive oil 1 pound lean ground beef 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/3 cup drained pickled red onions 1 large avocado 5 whole grain hamburger buns extra sea salt and coarse ground black pepper Easy Pickled Red Onions 1 cup sliced red onion 1/2 teaspoon pickling spice 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Garlic Mayo Stir together all ingredients in a 1/2 pint mason jar, or similar container with a lid. Secure the lid and refrigerate until ready to use.

Burgers Add the mushrooms to a food processor and pulse 4 to 5 times, until finely chopped. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they soften, about 3 minutes.

Set aside to cool. Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt. Add the mushrooms.

Stir, or use clean or gloved hands, to mix the ingredients. Form into five patties. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook about 4 minutes on each side, or until they reach your desired doneness.

Spread an equal amount of garlic mayo over the bottom of each bun. Top with a burger patty. Add pickled onions and slices of the avocado. Sprinkle with sea salt and coarse ground pepper. Serve and enjoy.

Easy Pickled Red Onions Make these the night before you use them so that they have plenty of time to rest in the fridge and absorb all the tangy flavor!

Add onion and pickling spice to a 1/2 pint jar.

Warm the water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar and salt dissolve. Pour the liquid into the jar.

Cover with lid and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Keep leftovers for up to 2 days in the fridge.

Recipe courtesy of Mushroom Council 11

Linguine with Chicken, Corn and Summer Tomatoes 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch slices 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 pound linguine 2 tablespoons Texas olive oil 4 slices pancetta, cut into small dice 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 1/2 cups fresh Texas corn kernels, cooked and removed from the cob 2 cups diced fresh Texas tomatoes 1/2 cup fresh thinly sliced basil, for garnish

Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain but do not rinse.

While linguine cooks, season chicken slices with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken slices and sautĂŠ until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet to a bowl and reserve.

In the same pan, add pancetta and sautĂŠ for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan and reserve. Add broth to pan, raise heat to high and bring to a boil.

Reduce for 2-3 minutes. Add corn, tomato, and chicken to pan, reduce heat to low and heat through for one minute. Cover and remove from heat until pasta is finished cooking.

Pour cooked pasta into chicken mixture.

Toss until well combined. Place in serving bowl, sprinkle with reserved pancetta, and serve garnished with basil.

Recipe courtesy of the National Chicken Council, www.chickenroost.com 13

Lemon Basil Crunch Watermelon Custard Watermelon Custard 3 cups of Texas watermelon pulp (the flesh and juice crushed in blender until liquefied) 1 cup milk 3/4 cup sugar 5 eggs 1/2 cup cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup lemon juice Lemon Basil Crunch 5-6 sheets phyllo dough 1/3 cup sugar 1 tablespoon lemon zest 4-6 leaves fresh basil 1/2 cup Texas blueberries, for garnish

Watermelon Custard In a large pot on low heat; combine watermelon puree, milk, eggs, sugar, salt and cornstarch. Stir continuously until it thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat when boiling begins and add in unsalted butter and lemon juice. Stir until well combined and pour in serving dish.

Lemon Basil Crunch Cut phyllo into strips, spray with nonstick spray and place on baking sheet. Preheat oven 400°F and bake dough until crunchy, about 15-20 minutes.

In a food processor place sugar, lemon zest, and basil leaves. Pulse until well combined.

Crumble baked phyllo on a tray and mix with lemon basil sugar.

Assembly: Pour watermelon custard in dish, layer with fresh Texas blueberries and pieces of fresh Texas watermelon. Add a handful of lemon basil crunch and a small basil leaf for garnish.

Recipe courtesy of National Watermelon Board 15

Unicorn Popsicles 2 cups non-fat vanilla yogurt 1 cup Texas strawberries, hulled 1 cup Texas blueberries 1/4 cup coconut milk

Run your strawberries, blueberries and the top of the can of coconut milk under cool running water.

Blend 1 cup of the yogurt and the strawberries together in a blender until smooth. Reserve strawberry mixture.

Blend 1 cup of the yogurt and the blueberries together in a blender until smooth. Reserve blueberry mixture.

In popsicle mold evenly distribute coconut milk, then strawberry mixture, then blueberry mixture. Freeze for a minimum of 3 hours. Store in the freezer for up to 1 week.

Recipe courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Dinner Tonight 17

From Texas farms to your table, the Lone Star State has so much

to offer. With over 60 commercial fruit and vegetable crops it’s not hard to find something to help fill your plate. Whether you crave something sweet or spicy, Texas fruits, vegetables, nuts and honey will always satisfy. Here are some helpful tips to make sure that you and your family can fully enjoy the bounty of Texas.

Produce Tips: • To keep your vegetables crisp longer, wrap them in foil before refrigerating at 45°F. • When buying pre-cut, bagged or packaged produce such as half a watermelon or bagged salad greens, choose only those items that are refrigerated or surrounded by ice.

• All of the watermelon is edible, even the rind! Be sure to wash the entire melon before slicing to ensure that bacteria does not transfer from the rind to the flesh. Scrub the melon with a clean produce brush.

• Peppers: Bell peppers should be firm, smooth skinned and have solid coloring. Chili peppers with “dry lines” are more mature and most likely spicier than those peppers without the lines.

• Zucchini: Bigger is not always better. The most flavorful zucchini are small to medium sized.

• Blueberries: Look for berries that have a uniform color and aren’t bruised or damaged. Refrigerate unwashed berries in a tightly covered container for up to ten days.

• Stone fruits, avocados, tomatoes, mangoes, melons, apples and pears will continue to ripen if left sitting out on a countertop, while items like bell peppers, grapes, citrus and berries will only deteriorate and should be refrigerated.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER SID MILLER

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