Fun Summer Appetizer for Parties: Ladybug Tomatoes #GardenCuizine #recipe

Ladybug Tomatoes 

Summer Appetizer

      
Non-hybrid heirloom tomatoes are quite hardy and easy-to-grow from seeds. Saving seeds from tomatoes takes a little more effort than some seeds, but it's always worth it. I think every single seed I planted this year germinated, which means more for us and more plants to share with friends. We are still planting out our cherry tomatoes. I usually plant them in both pots and directly in the garden.

On our recent adventure to Sicily, we were often served cherry tomatoes at meals. I had never really seen a bowl of sliced cherry tomatoes served in a restaurant before that. Bite-sized cherry or grape tomatoes are an easy way to increase your vegetable intake too. 

Just 1 cup of cherry tomatoes provides an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, plus they're a good source of Potassium, making them a nutritious snack or an ideal choice for use in recipes.

This ladybug tomato appetizer recipe is fun to put together and makes a tasty conversation piece at summer BBQ picnics and parties. Try some this Memorial Day weekend!

This is another one of my freestyle recipes, meaning that you can use as little or as much of the ingredients to create the number of servings desired. No exact measurements are necessary.
 
Ingredients

• Cherry or grape tomatoes (for the ladybug body)
• Neufchâtel cream cheese (has 1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese) 
• Garden herbs (I snipped some chives, parsley and oregano for our Memorial Day batch) 
• Onion powder
• Ground black pepper 
• Black olives (for heads and spots)
• Black artificial color to dye a little portion of cream cheese - optional (can pipe on dots or use as a glue for attaching the olive spots)
• Rosemary (for antennae; or use your imagination, chives...)  
• Crackers or sliced garlic bread toasts
• Any garden greens (lettuce, mizuna, arugula etc)

Putting it all together

1. Set aside crackers or make garlic and olive oil toasted bread slices
2. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and slice again but not all the way through and set aside.
3. Cut the olives in half and set aside. Also, cut tiny olive bits for spots. Dye a little of the cream cheese mixture black or dark gray to use as a paste to attach the olive spots on.
4.  In a mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese. Stir in the garlic powder, black pepper and chopped herbs.
5. Now you are ready to put them together and have some fun! Spread a little round of cream cheese on the tops of your crackers or toasts.
6. Spread the partially split tomato half over top to make the wings. Add the head (a small amount of cream cheese helps hold it in place). Add antennae. Decorate with spots dipped in dyed cream cheese to hold them on.
7. Serve your ladybug appetizers atop a mixed bed of garden greens on a red, white or black serving dish. Enjoy!

GardenCuizine Nutrition Data for Cherry Tomatoes: 1 cup (149g): 27 calories; total fat 0g; cholesterol 0g; dietary fiber 2g (7%DV); total carbohydrate 6g (2% DV); Vitamin A 1241 IU (25% DV); Vitamin C 18.9 mg (32% DV); Potassium 353 mg (10% DV); Folate 22 mcg (6% DV); Phytosterols 10.4 mg

Happy Memorial Day! 

Check out my Dave's Garden 'Ladybug Love' article, featuring photos of ladybug cupcakes - another summer party favorite!

Related Links: Ladybug Appetizers Recipe
Choosemyplate.gov Vegetable Group
Memorial Day History
Blog post and photos copyright ©2012 Wind. All rights reserved.

Prevent Nausea, Vomiting and Diarrhea from Food Poisoning #Foodsafety #Publichealth

4 C’s of Summertime, all-the-time   

1) Clean  

Wash you hands often! Sanitize and clean your sinks and counter tops. Rinse all fruits and vegetables before eating them - even if they are organically grown.

2) Check 
Check what foods you’re preparing: Keep raw meats and ready-to-eat foods separate from each other to avoid cross contamination.

3) Cook 
Cook to the proper internal temperatures. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature. Be sure your thermometer is sanitized, clean and calibrated so your temperature is accurate.

4) Chill 
Refrigerate food right away. The temperature should be below 41°F. A thermometer in your refrigerator makes it easy to check.

Prevent Summer Sickness

Did you know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 76 million people in the United States get some form of food sickness and food poisoning every year? Food poisoning can leave you with flu-like symptoms, fever, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea from harmful bacteria, toxins, viruses or parasites. The good news is that it can be prevented.

Avoid the Danger Zone

The FDA Food Code now identifies the temperature danger zone that most of these foodborne pathogens thrive in as between 41°F and 135°F (5°C and 57°C). For foods to be safe cold foods must be refrigerated at 41°F or below and cooked foods must be kept hot at above 135°F. It should be noted that when reheating cooked foods, the temperature should first be reheated to above 165°F for at least 15 seconds for the food to be safe. According to the FDA, foods should not be held hot for longer than 4 hours.

Easy Food Safety Tips
Get yourself a few food thermometers and a refrigerator thermometer if you don't have them already. Remember my food safety 4 C’s: Clean, Check and separate, Cook to the proper internal temperature and Chill in the fridge at a cool temperature below 41°F and above 32°F [32°F (0°C) is freezing].

Enjoy your summer in good health. Follow GardenCuizine's 4 C’s of Summertime, all the time!  Help your family and friends be food safe. Share this link with those you care about: Homefoodsafety.org.

"For helping spread the word about the importance of home food safety, I was entered into a drawing for a $15 Starbucks gift card and an iPad through Summertime Food Smarts, a contest run by the American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods' Home Food Safety program. Home Food Safety is dedicated to raising consumer awareness about the seriousness of foodborne illness and providing solutions for easily and safely handling foods. Learn more at www.homefoodsafety.org"

Related Links:  
Grilling Guide/Safe temperatures for foods  
Use a Food Thermometer 
Blog Article © 2011 D.Wind. All rights reserved.
Photos courtesy of USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Grilled Clams and Oysters

New England-style
Grilled Clams and Oysters
Low Sodium, Low Fat

Is there anything more ideal than grilling by the garden the day after a romantic and picturesque Cape Cod summer wedding? My Aunt and Uncle's New England summer BBQ featured locally grown corn-on-the-cob, tomato-basil salad, steamed lobster, and Cape Cod's local clams and oysters cooked right on the grill. 

The weather couldn't have been more beautiful, with low humidity and a caressing, bug-less, summer breeze that kept us cool and refreshed. While the jubilant bride and groom were long on their way across the sea to honeymoon in Italy, family and friends gathered around tranquil flower and vegetable gardens, complete with garden statuarys, frog pond, and garden arbor. A wide, yellow umbrella shaded us from the bright, late day sun.

A mouthwatering array of locally grown vegetables enticed our palates. Fresh garden tomato-basil salad, made with tomatoes and basil picked fresh from my relatives' home garden. Sliced tomatoes and hand-torn basil leaves tossed with soft balls of creamy mozzarella were drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The delectable seafood Cape Cod is known for was a real treat. Have you ever tried to cook clams or oysters on the grill? This was our first time; it was easy and delicious. Here are the recipes:

Grilled Clams
Simply place rinsed clams over a hot grill and cook until they open; that's all there is to grilling clams. They steam in their natural juices and open when cooked. Remove the clams from the grill (we used tongs) as soon as they open. Try not to spill out the flavorful clam nectar. Pile the cooked clams in a serving bowl garnished with sliced lemon and fresh parsley. Serve with homemade cocktail sauce. 

Clam Nutrition

Clams are very low in sodium and saturated fat, and high in protein and vital nutrients. A small serving is an excellent source of Vitamin B12, Iron, Manganese and Selenium. Clams are also a good source of Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Phosphorus and Copper. Shellfish contain cholesterol, yet can be part of a healthy diet if eaten in moderation. 

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: Calculated from USDA Nutrient values
Excellent source: Vitamin B12, Iron, Manganese, Selenium
Good source: Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Phosphorus, Copper
Serving size: 5 small clams (48g), Calories: 70; Protein: 12g (24%DV), Carbohydrates: 2; dietary Fiber 0 (0%DV); total Fat: 0 (0%DV); Omega-3: 188mg; Vitamin C: 11mg (18%DV), Riboflavin: .2mg (11%DV), Vitamin B12: 47mcg  (78%DV), Iron: 13mg (74%DV), Phosphorus: 161mg (16%DV), Sodium: 53mg (2%DV), Copper: .325mg (16%DV), Manganese: .5mg (24%DV), Selenium: 31mcg (44%DV), Cholesterol: 32mg (11%DV)

Harry's Grilled Oysters

My husband Harry was eager to recreate his version of the fantastic chargrilled oysters he had at Drago's Seafood Restaurant while in New Orleans... but first, he had to learn how to shuck an oyster. My cousin Richard, an expert oyster shucker - who grew up on Cape Cod - quickly showed him how. "It gets easier, the more you open," Rich told us.

Once shucked, and the top shells removed (garden note: oyster shells make lovely borders in the garden), it was time to whip up a butter sauce. 

Garlic butter sauce

As you know, butter adds fat. To add flavor with less saturated fat, melt the butter using 1/3 butter blended with 2/3 oil. Harry added garlic too, with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (one of Drago's secret ingredients). Next time, we'll add a squeeze of lemon, a splash of hot sauce and a pinch of fresh herbs to make the butter sauce even more amazing. 

• Drizzle garlic butter over the oysters on the half shell, place on a hot grill
• Grill just long enough to heat through
• Serve immediately

Oyster Nutrition   
According to The National Institutes of Health, oysters have more zinc per serving than any other food. Six medium oysters have a whopping 77mg of zinc, 7 times the RDA! The RDA of zinc for men (age 19+) is 11 mg. The RDA of zinc for women (age 19+) is 8 mg (pregnancy, slightly higher: 11 mg). 

In addition to zinc, oysters (mollusks) are an excellent source of Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Iron, Copper and Selenium. Oysters are also a good source of Protein, Magnesium and Manganese. As previously mentioned, shellfish can be high in cholesterol if you over indulge - enjoy in moderation.

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: Calculated from USDA Nutrient values
Excellent source: Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Selenium
Good source: Protein, Magnesium, Manganese
Serving size: 6 medium (84g) wild eastern mollusks, Calories: 57, Total Fat: 2.1g, Protein: 5.9g (12%DV), Vitamin D: 269IU (67%DV), Vitamin B12: 16.3mcg (275%DV WOW!), Iron: 5.6mg (31%DV), Magnesium: 39.5mg (10%DV), Phosphorus: 113mg (11%DV), Sodium: 177mg (7%DV), Zinc: 76.3mg (509%DV Incredible!), Copper: 3.7mg (187%DV), Manganese: 0.3mg (15%DV), Selenium: 53.5mcg (76%DV), Cholesterol: 44.5mg (15%DV)

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are reference values for adults and children age 4 or older, and are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your personal daily values may be higher or lower based on your individual needs.   

Buon Appetito! 

Congratulations Kristine and Matt! 

Thank you Aunt Jo, Uncle Richard, Richard, Brenna, and Philip

Related Links 
Grilled Oysters by Jaden, Steamy Kitchen 
AboutSeafood.com
Are Shrimp and Shellfish still considered bad if you have high Cholesterol?
Photos and blog article Copyright 2011 Wind. All rights reserved.  rev 11/18/11