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09/17/2020 12:01 AMMy eating patterns have changed over the past six months. During the shelter-in-place phase of the pandemic, I looked at my freezers and pantry and began using up what was in there, many of them doubles and triples.
Once the summer harvest became available, my meals became vegetable- and fruit-centric. I often had a late breakfast, with eggs in the mix along with lots and lots of greens, sweet corn, tomatoes (of course), and sweet peppers. I would skip lunch, but around three or four in the afternoon, my thoughts went to dinner.
If I had something thawed, perhaps a pork or lamb chop, a steak, a burger, I would add a carb (or two or three) and more vegetables. Sometimes my dinner was at 5, because I was pretty darned hungry. I am usually in bed by 9:30 and read until 11 p.m. or later. By that time I am hungry again, but not enough get out of bed and forage downstairs in the kitchen. We all know it’s best not to grocery shop hungry, but it was never a problem for me to read my food magazines at night in bed.
And then my eating patterns changed again. A couple of nights ago I read my new Fine Cooking magazine, one of my favorites. By the time I was done reading that, and turning to a new novel, I realized I’d dog-eared 17 pages of recipes.
Which would I give you first?
Obviously, it should be something that I hadn’t made once this summer and for which I had all the ingredients. No, I didn’t go to the kitchen at 11 p.m., but I made it the next day for dinner.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Tuna Panzanella
From Fine Cooking, August/September 2020
Ingredients:
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Kosher or sea salt
2 pounds mixed tomatoes, cut into ½ inch wedges, or cherry
or grape tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
4 half-inch-thick slices rustic sourdough or country bread,
toasted or grilled and cooled
1 large clove garlic, cut in half lengthwise, peeled
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 English or 2 to 3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ¼ cups loosely packed basil, large leaves torn
2 7- to 8-ounce jars or cans good-quality tuna in olive oil,
drained, oil reserved
In a small bowl, toss together onions, vinegar and ¼ teaspoon salt. In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, capers and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
Meanwhile, rub the toast slices on both sides with cut sides of garlic. Tear toast into small pieces. Discard the garlic.
Stir oil into bowl with the tomatoes mixture. Add cucumbers, toast, and onions mixture (including all liquids). Toss well to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper. (The salad can be made up to 20 minutes ahead of this step. Keep covered at room temperature.)
Toss the basil and tuna into the salad, drizzled with a little of the reserve tuna oil (if desired) and sprinkle with more pepper.