Cooking Corner

with Nancy Adams

Eggplant Parmesan

Sesame seeds, herbs and cheese add flavorful nutrition to this vegetarian meal served on brown rice, Makes four servings.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, sliced 1/2-inch oil, as needed

2 cups canned tomatoes, mostly drained

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 bay leaf

1⁄4 teaspoon each oregano, thyme, and rosemary

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons each grated onion, green pepper, and carrot

1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1⁄4 cup sesame seed, roasted lightly and crushed coarsely

1⁄2 lb. mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

2 cups raw brown rice, cooked

Sauté the eggplant slices in oil over high heat until browned slightly, drain on paper towels, and set aside. Combine tomatoes, salt, herbs, garlic, and grated vegetables in a skillet, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf, add Parmesan cheese and roasted sesame seed; blend well. Place a layer of eggplant in an oiled, shallow two-quart baking dish. Cover with half the tomato sauce, then half the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, and bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and begins to brown. Serve over the cooked rice.

Grilled Chicken Kebabs with Strawberry Chutney

The strawberry chutney can be made early in the day and refrigerated. Then when you’re ready to eat, grill the chicken breast kebabs and serve topped with the chutney; rice and fresh green beans pair well with this dish. Serves six.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon water

1/2 cup raspberry vinegar

1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced pinch each ground cloves, cinnamon, salt and pepper

1 pint strawberries, hulled and chopped, divided

2 whole chicken breasts, boned, skinned and cut into kebabs

Combine sugar and water in heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat; boil for two to three minutes until mixture is caramelized. Stir in vinegar and apples; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium low, add candied ginger, garlic, jalapeño, spices and salt and pepper; simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and pour mixture into food processor or blender. Add half the strawberries; process lightly for about 10 seconds. Mixture should be chunky. Pour into a bowl; add rest of strawberries and set aside. Grill chicken kebabs until nicely browned and cooked through. Place on individual serving plates and top with several spoonfuls of chutney.

Chicken, Asparagus and Apple Salad

Unwind with this refreshing, simple salad for one.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup cooked, chopped chicken breast

1/2 cup steamed asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces, cooking water reserved

1/4 cup diced apple

Dressing:

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon honey salt and pepper, to taste

Combine chicken, asparagus, and apple. Mix together vinegar, oil, honey; season with salt and pepper. Toss with salad, adding one teaspoon or two of asparagus water if desired.

Nancy Adams is a native of Peterborough and resides in Hancock. She and her husband, Bud, have raised four sons. She has been featured as one of Yankee Magazine’s great New England cooks. Nancy welcomes suggestions – send them to: Nancy P. Adams, 22 Birch Road, Hancock, NH 03449.

In 1535, French explorer Jacques Cartier was exploring Canada’s eastern coasts. He was looking for a northwest passage to Asia and its riches. When his ships became frozen in the ice for five months, food supplies ran low and his crew became critically ill with scurvy, a disease resulting from a lack of Vitamin C in the diet.

After witnessing an amazing recovery from the illness by the Iroquois, Cartier turned to the natives for help. The Iroquois saved the explorer and his crew by giving them a “tea” made from the bark and needles of a tree they called “Annedda.” This tree is thought to be the eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis). The tree is extremely rich in vitamin C and other nutrients. According to accounts, the crew’s recovery after drinking the tea was so rapid “they almost killed each other to have it first“. It is no wonder they would come to call the tree arborvitae or “Tree of life”.

By the spring of 1536, Cartier crew’s health had been restored and they were able to return to France.

Woods and Gardens

with Phyllis Shemchuk

Eastern White Pine ( Pinus Strobus) is another conifer with a past. The needles of the white pine grow in clusters of five and were seen as a symbol of unity to warring native tribes. So when the Five Nations of the Iroquois were at war, they gathered below a giant white pine tree to work things out.

White pines grew to towering heights over other trees. This made them good candidates for ship masts for England’s royal navy ships.

The Pine Tree Riot occurred on April 14, 1772 in Weare, NH. It was the result of men from Weare and surrounding towns resisting British authority. They had illegally cut white pine trees that had been

The Eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) is extremely rich in vitamin C and other nutrients. reserved for the Royal Navy. Not only did the colonists cut the pines, but they also refused to pay the penalty fine which the colonists viewed as another tax from King George.

Of the approximately 125 pine species in the world, 101 pine species can be found in the US.

The Eastern white pine tree is native to the northeastern US and Canada and is the state tree of Maine and Michigan. It is a slow to moderate growing conifer. Trees at least 800 years old are known to exist and they can grow to a height of 100 feet tall. They have an edible and nutritious inner bark which was used by the native Americans as a food source when all other food became scarce.

Gram for gram pine needles have more vitamin C in them than an orange.

Conifer needles and tree bark make up most of the porcupine’s winter diet. However, some types of conifers can be toxic and others can harm pregnant women. Careful research or help from a knowledgeable forager should be sought before ingesting any conifer product.

Phyllis Shemchuk has gardened in Athol, MA for more than 30 years.