TulsaPeople / July 2010 / Table Talk

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Table Talk

The buzz on Tulsa's tastiest products, restaurants and events.

Please pass the mustard

Summer is most definitely condiment season, with perhaps the most common being mustard. Whether stirred into potato salad and deviled eggs, drizzled over grilled brats and burgers or whisked into fresh vinaigrettes, mustard comes in many guises — none more recognizable than the bright “mustard yellow” squeeze jar. Here’s a tiny primer to help you navigate the mustard section in your favorite market.

Hot English mustard. This is the hottest available, made from white mustard seeds but still bright yellow in color. Traditionally served smeared over roast beef. Look for Coleman’s brand.

Wholegrain mustard. This is the grainy variety seen in most pubs and is made from a mixture of roughly crushed mustard seeds (rather than smoothly pureed), vinegar and spices. I like to use this in potato salads or vinaigrettes for added texture and flavor.

Dijon mustard. Originating from the French city of the same name, this pale-yellow mustard ranges from mild to very hot. It is made from black mustard seeds, wine, salt and spices.

German mustard. A smooth blend of vinegar and black mustard seeds, this variety varies in strength and sweetness. Perfect with pastrami and Swiss on marble rye.

American mustard. I find it hard to get through a baseball game without a dab of this bright-yellow mustard ending up on me. Flavored with vinegar and colored with turmeric, this mild mustard is a favorite hot dog topping across the country.

Mustard powder. Powdered mustard is made from a mixture of brown and white mustard seeds, turmeric and saffron. Mixing it with water to form a paste will release its full flavor, but it can also be added to dressings, rubs or chili in its powdered form.

Great gadget

Similar to Alton Brown on the Food Network, I am not a fan of uni-taskers in the kitchen, not only for the most obvious reason (only one use) but because they also tend to rob the drawers and pantry of valuable storage space. Yet one tool of which I am a huge fan, and use several times a week, is the salad spinner. “Do I really need one?” you ask. I’m sure home cooks on the frontier got by just fine without one, but fresh produce can certainly benefit from its use. It is not only important to wash your greens well before using them (especially after seeing romaine in the news recently), but it is also important for salad greens to be as dry as possible before making salads, as wet leaves will wilt when dressed. Salad dressing also sticks better to dry leaves, and the water won’t dilute its flavor. I wash my greens as soon as I get home from the market, dry them well and store them in a paper towel-lined zip-top bag in the crisper. This makes salad-making so much easier at dinnertime — just grab a bag and dump it into serving bowls.

Salad spinners come in all shapes and sizes and are even made to collapse for storage. They range in price from $15 to $50 and can be found in virtually any store that sells kitchenware. I have had my $25 Oxo version for more than a decade and it’s still spinning strong.

How to skin a peach Personally, I adore the velvety down that coats our delicious Okie peaches. But sometimes it is necessary to remove the skins to have full access to the delicious, juicy fruit. Eat these skinned peaches alone or use as a starting point for any number of summer recipes — think preserves, chutneys, salsas, fruit salad. The list is endless.

Here’s how to peel them:

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cut a small “X” in the bottom of each peach and immerse in the water, letting peaches simmer for 1 minute. Remove peaches with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of iced water until the skins start to wrinkle, about 5 minutes. Remove the skin by gently peeling it away with your fingers. If you are not using the peaches immediately, squeeze lemon juice over them to prevent any browning.

What to do with these guys?

• Slice and serve over vanilla yogurt with a drizzle of honey.
• Slather fresh ricotta over toasted brioche and top with sliced peaches and a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid.
• Wrap slices of prosciutto around wedges.
• Serve slices with a selection of cheeses and crusty bread.
• To poach peaches with a little more character, add vanilla bean, rosewater, red or white wine, cinnamon sticks or lemon zest to the simmering water. This method also works for other stone fruits — plums, apricots and nectarines.

Vanilla poached peaches

Serves 4
Place 3 cups water and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cut an “X” in the bottom of 6 peaches (I like to use half white and half yellow peaches) and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove and allow the peaches to cool slightly and then remove the skins. Add the pod and scraped seeds from 1 vanilla bean to the saucepan and simmer rapidly until the syrup is reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour the syrup over the peaches and let stand until ready to serve — at least 15 minutes and up to 2 days. Serve warm or chilled.