Early Girl 52

I consider tomatoes gold from the earth. Those who know me know a really good tomato can make my day. Pair it with a really good loaf of bread, fresh mozzarella + a very good olive oil and balsamic, now that's GOOD STUFF! 

Looking forward to a good summer's yield from my tomato plants. This year my tomato plants need a good blast of sunshine and steady heat like spring of last year. So far, it's been a bit too cool, we'll see what the rest of June brings.

I’m anticipating the mouthwatering plates I will create with my seven tomato varieties, including Pesto al Trapanese. I pick varieties with multi-purpose in mind; cooking, sides dishes and just eating tomatoes simply with a drizzle of a good quality olive oil. You'll notice my selected plantings don’t all ripen at once; with the first of the bounty in 52 days and the later maturing in 78 days.

Early Girl, ripe 52 Days

La Roma, ripe 62 Days

Grape, Summer Sweet, ripe 75 Days 

Cherry, Super Sweets, ripe 65 Days 

Burpee Big Boys, ripe 78 Days

Green Zebra, ripe 78 Days

Beefsteak, Beefmaster, ripe 78 Days

Sang Lee Farms: Heirloom tomatoes include: EVERGREEN, STRIPED GERMAN, LEMON BOY, STRIPED CAVERN & mixed specialty cherry tomatoes.

When ripened, I can step right outside my backdoor for a fresh pick, but I also rely on the high quality farm stands thankfully available in my local surrounding communities. The people who organize and support these markets have true passion for sustainable lifestyle and the importance of these quality goods being readily available. Although you can get most high quality seasonal items at any stand, one on-farm market I filmed was with Fred Lee. As most of my farming friends his family history is rich in the earth. Ever adapting and changing from suppling bok-choy in decades past for NYC Chinese restaurants to today's high demand of micro greens & heirloom tomatoes (where there are more varities than you can imagine) at Sang Lee Farms, in Peconic-North Fork, LI. For more on farms on Long Island and the East End, visit my friends at Long Island Farm Bureau.

George Hirsch Living it UP! TV SERIES: watch the video

TV Segment with Fred Lee at Sang Lee Farms

Organic farm : TV Segment George Hirsch Living it UP!

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Sunchokes

Aka, Jerusalem artichokes + the earth apple; a species of sunflower, native to North America. Italians refer to this plant as girasole, a possible fore runner of the name Jerusalem. 

sunchokes

Prepare as you would potatoes - roast, sauté, bake, boil or steam. Cook with or without the skin - scrub clean and leave it on for added nutritional benefit. Like an avacado or apple that oxidizes, after peeling or cutting, drop pieces into water with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Unlike potatoes, sunchokes can also be eaten raw as a crunchy addition to salads. They are also an excellent addition to stir frys, when sliced and added raw as a crisp substitute for water chestnuts.

Sunchokes contain vitamin C, phosphorus and potassium and are a very good source of iron. Sunchokes are very rich in inulin (not insulin), a carbohydrate linked with good intestinal health due to its probiotic properties. 

roasted sunchoke chips recipe

Sunchoke Chips Gremolata

Makes four servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle 

1 pound sunchokes, well scrubbed and sliced 1/4 inch thick

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

For Gremolata:

2 Tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon, Lemon Zest

Mix all ingredients and sprinkle gremolata on roasted sunchokes.

Pre heat oven to 425 degrees F. 

In a heavy duty roasting pan big enough so sunchokes are on one layer and not crowded, mix sliced sunchokes, rosemary, olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender and golden. Turn sunchokes over with a spatula to allow top side to brown. When golden brown, remove and top with gremolata.

Serve with an optional Aioli.

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The technique with making an aïoli is to try and create an emulsion with the egg yolks supporting the liquid from the olive oil. Do not over pulse or pound the yolks and oil, don't add the oil too slow or too fast. This technique may take some trial and error. If done correctly  you will have a thick mayonnaise like sauce; or if the sauce is broken the oil will have separated from the yolks and will look more like a vinaigrette.

Classic Aïoli

Makes 1 1/2 cups

*8 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

Coarse sea salt

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon juice

couple drop of water

Fresh ground black pepper

Always use caution with raw eggs. And this sauce must be kept chilled after it is prepared. 

In a food processor or preferably a mortar pound the garlic cloves with pinch of sea salt and Dijon mustard until a thick paste forms. Add in the egg yolks and begin adding in the olive oil a few drops at a time with a fork or whisk. Continue to add the olive oil in a steady stream as the aioli begins to thicken. Stop and add a few drops of lemon juice, gradually add remaining olive oil and a few drops of water if the sauce becomes too thick. When all of the oil has been incorporated, season the aïoli with additional lemon juice, sea salt and pepper to taste.

Serve chilled. The aioli can be tightly covered and refrigerated overnight. 

* A classic aïoli is made with raw garlic but again I prefer usingcaramelized garlicin place of raw garlic which offers a much sweeter and nuttier taste.

Good as Earth, Grilled Asparagus

Earth Day is a time to take note and act in support for environmental protection, not just one day a year but in our everyday experiences. Eating and cooking more veggies for our diet is a healthy and fun way especially when grilling.

George Hirsch Grilled Asparagus

Serve this easy make-ahead dish as a starter or a side.  The asparagus is enhanced by the marinade and grilling.

Grilled Asparagus

Makes four servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | From George Hirsch Living it UP! TV series

1 pound fresh asparagus

1/2 cup olive oil

juice and zest of 1 lemon

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tablespoon  of fresh oregano, chopped

2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup calamata olives, pitted and split

Fresh ground black pepper

Cut the stem ends off the asparagus and discard; peel the asparagus up to the beginning of the tip ends with a vegetable peeler. 

 Combine a 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and oregano in a shallow rectangular dish. Marinate the asparagus in this mixture for 1 hour. 

Preheat the grill or a grill pan to medium temperature.

Remove the asparagus from the marinade and grill for about 5 minutes, basting with the marinade. Turn the asparagus as needed so they do not burn. 

Remove the asparagus from the grill, top with lemon zest, parmesan cheese and olives. Top with remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Serve at room temperature.

Roasted Spring Tuber

Try something new when picking up a starch or side for tonight's meal. The new potato, named after its young spring harvest, is chock full of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C. 

There are varieties of sping potatoes, like fingerlings, to choose from; each offer a rich buttery flavor and taste well with many different cooking applications like boiling, roasting or grilling. And all simple to do.

Enjoy with its thin tender skin on, just scrub and cook. There's no need to get fussy, they taste best in their original form. To prepare: simply roast with olive oil, garlic and rosemary for about 25 minutes. Garnish with chives. Roasted new potatoes are a great side for my Grilled Steak Chimichurri. 

Melon Mondays

Believe it or not, watermelon has higher concentrations of the antioxidant lycopene compared to any other fresh fruit or vegetable. A two cup serving of watermelon contains almost nineteen milligrams vs. four milligrams contained in tomatoes, and has only 48 calories. It can also provide 25 percent of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C. Let's not omit that watermelon also marks summer fun and eating outdoors!

Tip. Pick a melon that feels heavy for its size, that's an indication it's juicy and fresh. Enjoy eating it freshly cut or make my refreshing summer cocktail made with watermelon. For my Melon Mojito recipe.

Make the melon a take-along to the beach or boat chilled on ice, in the collapsable bucket.