32—Cleveland Daily Banner—Sunday, January 3, 2016
www.clevelandbanner.com
FOOD — AMERICAN TABLE
rides
Despite new varieties, search for the perfect tomato goes on
By Dean FoSDiCK
Associated Press
Stevenson — mcCarty
Erica McCarty and Jonathan
Stevenson, both of Cleveland,
were united in marriage in an
afternoon ceremony on Nov. 14,
2015, at Faith Memorial Church.
The bride is the daughter of
Roy and Linda McCarty of
Cleveland. She is the granddaughter of the late McClain and
Leah Weyandt and the late
William and Harriett McCarty.
The bridegroom is the son of
John and Bonnie Stevenson of
Cleveland. He is the grandson of
Estelle Hawkins of Cleveland and
the late Charles Hawkins, and
the late Woodrow and Elizabeth
Stevenson.
The wedding was officiated by
the Rev. Jerry Tow.
Given in marriage by her
father, the bride was attended by
Stacey Rogers of Cleveland as
maid of honor. Bridesmaids were
Jennifer Rogers and Lindsay
Rogers, both of Cleveland, Kerri
Brown of Ringgold, Georgia, and
Dana McCarty of Old Fort, the
bride’s sister-in-law.
Jeremy White of Cleveland
served the bridegroom as best
man. Groomsmen included Tim
Myers and the bridegroom’s
cousins Andrew Bonner and
Nathaniel Bonner, all of
Cleveland, and Brett McCarty of
Old Fort, brother of the bride.
Children in the wedding party
were flower girls, the bride’s niece
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan stevenson
MaKenzie McCarty; the bridegroom’s daughter McKenzie
Stevenon, and Ensleigh Olivas,
all of Cleveland. Junior bridesmaid was Jaicy Olivas of
Cleveland. Gatlin McCarty, the
bride’s nephew, was ring bearer.
The reception was given by the
parents of the bride at the Little
People’s Church. Diane Mason
and Rebekah Freeman assisted.
Their wedding trip was a
Disney Cruise in the Caribbean
and they are now at home in
Cleveland.
Happy anniversary
EdwArd And
PriscillA BullArd,
who married Jan. 8,
1966, are celebrating
their 50th wedding
anniversary. A reception
in their honor will be
held Jan. 10 from 2 to 4
p.m. in the fellowship
hall of Georgetown
First Baptist Church,
8212 Highway 60,
Georgetown. Friends
and relatives are invited
to attend the celebration through this
Banner announcement.
(No gifts, please.)
Page through any of the freshly
arrived seed catalogs and you’ll
note the words “new” and
“improved” splashed across many
of the tomato varieties available to
home gardeners for 2016.
New flavors, lively colors, different sizes, higher yields, and better
disease resistance and pest tolerance are among the noteworthy
traits. Despite all the new varieties, however, breeders believe
there’s still more room for development. The search for the perfect
tomato continues.
“Iceberg lettuce is iceberg lettuce, but there are so many different kinds of tomatoes that we
strive for perfection in a number
of directions,” said George Ball,
chairman and chief executive officer of W. Atlee Burpee & Co., in
Warminster, Pennsylvania. “There
are cherries, small round salad
tomatoes, slicers and paste,
among others.
“We define the perfect tomato
for what it delivers in taste,” Ball
said. “Everything else is delivery,
with uniformity being a close second. We’re looking for consistency
in size and shape. We don’t want a
lot of different-looking tomatoes
on the same plant. We’re also trying to bring out a vibrancy in colors.”
Tomatoes originated in the
coastal highlands of South
America and are second only to
potatoes as the most consumed
vegetable in the U.S., the
Agricultural Marketing Resource
Center says.
Over 700 different tomato varieties have been brought to market, and each year sees more new
hybrids. But many consumers
prefer the rich flavors and proven
history of heirlooms — tomato
types that have been cultivated for
AP photo
This PhoTo shows a varied assortment of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes at the Bayview Farmers
Market near Langley, Wash. More than 700 different tomato varieties have been brought to the market
and each year sees still more new introductions.
at least 50 years. We’re talking
plants with a pedigree, like
Brandywines, German Johnson,
Persimmon, Beefsteak and
Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter,
the latter a large, meaty tomato
introduced by a West Virginia
radiator repairman to help him
stay financially afloat during the
Great Depression.
“We do carry many heirlooms,
and while the flavor is quite good,
productivity and disease resistance usually is not quite as good,”
said Janie Lamson, owner of
Cross Country Nurseries in
Stockton, New Jersey, who sells
more than 180 tomato varieties.
The solution to some of those
problems is a tomato series called
“heirloom marriages,’” says Sue
Amatangelo, brand manager for
Park Seed Co., a mail-order plant
and seed operation in Hodges,
South Carolina. That’s where two
classic varieties are crossed to
create a new tomato with the
advantages of both.
“Varieties such as Genuwine —
a cross of the heirlooms
Brandywine and Costoluto
Genovese — offer the deep, tangy
tomato flavor and aroma lacking
in so many modern varieties,
combined with improved plant
vigor, crop size and appearance,”
Amatangelo said of that 2015
Park Seed introduction.
What else is on the way for
tomato development?
Expect to see more blends from
grafting, or attaching desirable
fruiting varieties onto vigorous,
disease-resistant rootstalks. Also
look for more dwarf plants as gardening on patios and decks grows
still more popular. Anticipate finding the right blends of acids with
sugars to push tomato flavors forward.
And then there are weather
adaptations.
“We’re going toward regionalization big time,” Ball said. Now, for
instance, “in the Northwest, you
can grow a great cherry tomato
outside but you have to go to a
greenhouse for the big steak varieties. We want to improve upon
that.”
Are you ready for chicken breasts that aren’t bone dry?
By elizaBeth Karmel
Associated Press
Banner bridal
policy outlined
—Forms are available at the Banner for wedding and engagement
stories. Please type or print information. The Banner is not responsible for errors due to illegible writing. Errors in content must be reported
within three days of publication. (Article will be reprinted if error was the
fault of the Banner staff.) A typo is not considered an error in content.
—There is no charge for engagement, wedding or party stories if
received by set deadlines. Only two shower or party photographs will
be published.
—Good quality photographs which are no larger than 5x7 are preferred. However, quality is more important than size. Photos should be
picked up within 30 days following publication. Pictures will be returned
by mail only if self-addressed, stamped envelope is provided. The Banner
is not responsible for loss or damage to pictures.
—Banner editors reserve the right to refuse any photograph which
is not, in their opinion, of good quality for reproduction.
—In order for a wedding story to be published in the Banner,
information and photograph for an engagement or wedding for
Sunday publication must be submitted by Wednesday noon the
week before desired publication date. A charge will be made for
wedding stories not published within 90 days after the ceremony.
Deadlines are firm.
—Banner editors also reserve the right to edit any information
provided to conform to the newspaper’s requirements and Associated
Press style.
We’ve all suffered through
cardboard-dry chicken breasts.
We do it because periodically we
commit (or recommit or rerecommit) to healthy eating. And
boneless, skinless chicken
breasts are a fine and filling lean
protein well suited to the job.
Except for one thing...
Because boneless, skinless
chicken breasts are so lean,
they overcook and dry out
heartbreakingly fast. Doesn’t
seem to matter whether I grill
them or bake them or saute
them. I always end up with dry,
chewy and unpleasant chicken
breasts. No wonder everyone
gets irritable when they’re trying
to eat healthy.
But I have a secret for cooking
chicken breasts that produces
moist, tender meat every time.
In fact, it’s so foolproof and
effortless, you don’t even need
to watch the clock. Though the
chicken takes just 30 minutes
to cook, you can let them go for
as long as an hour and you
won’t risk ruining them in the
slightest.
The secret? Poaching the
breasts in a blend of stock, wine
and seasonings. But my poaching technique is slightly different
than what you’re used to. And
that’s what makes it so forgiving.
First, I use a flavor-packed
wine-infused stock to poach
instead of water. The flavor difference is big. Second, I use
mostly residual heat to cook the
meat. As in, I bring the chicken
stock, wine and aromatics to a
boil, then add the raw boneless,
skinless chicken breasts. I bring
the liquid back to a boil, then
turn off the heat, put a lid on
the pot, then let the chicken
cook. That’s it.
This method allows the chicken to cook slowly, absorbing the
seasonings and letting the wine
AP Photo
This PhoTo shows wine-poached chicken breasts in Concord, N.H. This recipe produces moist, tender meat every time.
in the broth deepen the flavor of
the meat. The chicken is never
tough and doesn’t taste “boiled,”
which sometimes happens when
you put raw chicken in cold
water and boil it.
I started poaching chicken in
this manner to use in chicken
salad. Moist chicken just tastes
better in salad than grilled or
baked. And because the chicken
is so juicy, you need less mayonnaise when you prepare it this
way. But now I make poached
chicken breasts for many other
dishes — on a green salad; sliced
and tossed with pasta; chopped
and mixed into soup; mixed with
barbecue sauce for an easy
“pulled” chicken wrap; etc.
However you use the chicken,
be sure to season it with salt
before serving, as there is no
added salt in the poaching liquid.
Wine-Poached Chicken Breasts
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Makes 6 breasts
1 1/2 quarts low-sodium
chicken stock or broth
3 cups white wine
3 medium carrots, cut into 2inch chunks
3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch
chunks
2 medium yellow onions,
halved
4 cloves garlic, smashed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 boneless, skinless chicken
breasts
In a large (at least 6-quart)
stock pot or Dutch oven over
medium-high, combine the
chicken stock, wine, carrots, celery, onions, garlic and thyme.
Bring to a boil, then gently add
the chicken breasts one at a
time.
If the chicken breasts aren’t
entirely covered by liquid, add a
bit more stock or water. Return
the liquid to a boil.
As soon as the liquid boils,
turn off the heat and cover the
pot. Allow the breasts to poach
for 30 minutes, then use tongs or
a slotted spoon to remove from
the liquid.
Chicken can be used immediately, or refrigerated for up to 3
days.
The poaching liquid can be
saved for another use. It can be
frozen, then thawed and boiled
before reusing.
———
Nutrition information per
breast: 150 calories; 30 calories
from fat (20 percent of total calories); 3 g fat (0.5 g saturated; 0 g
trans fats); 85 mg cholesterol; 55
mg sodium; 0 g carbohydrate; 0 g
fiber; 0 g sugar; 27 g protein.
Of chipotles, chicken and slow cookers ... weeknights are easy with secret weapon!
By Katie WorKman
Associated Press
One of the greatest secret
weapon ingredients I know is
chipotles in adobo sauce. These
are smoked jalapeno peppers
that have been stewed in a sauce
of tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt
and various spices, such as
cumin, oregano and paprika.
Imagine doing all that yourself!
No thanks! Luckily, the whole
thing — peppers and sauce — is
sold in tiny cans at just about
every grocer.
The easiest way to use these
peppers and sauce is to puree
the whole thing. I just dump the
contents of the can right into the
food processor or blender. Then I
store the puree in a sealed container in the fridge. Whenever a
soup, stew or a chili (or anything
that calls for a little touch of
smoky heat) needs a little something extra, in goes a tablespoon
or two of the puree.
Speaking of secret weapons,
one of the best appliances to
earn that description is the slow
cooker. For many of us, this
handy kitchen cooker takes up
permanent residence on the
counter during the colder
months. The unparalleled pleasure of walking into your home at
the end of a long day to be greeted by the scent of a cooked meal
is hard to overstate.
In this chili, these two secrete
weapons join together to turn
juicy and moist boneless, skinless chicken thighs into a somewhat spicy and couldn’t-be-easier chili. I often make chili with
ground chicken or turkey, which
we all love, but it was nice to
change it up with real cubes of
chicken. This one is a definite
weeknight keeper.
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
Start to finish: 4 to 6 hours on
high, 6 to 8 hours on low (15
minutes active)
Servings: 8
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 medium carrots, peeled and
sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons pureed chipotles in adobo sauce
28-ounce can diced tomatoes,
with juices
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Two 15 1/2-ounce cans black
beans, drained
3 pounds boneless, skinless
chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 scallions, trimmed and
chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt
Shredded cheddar cheese or
Mexican cheese blend
Sour cream
In a large slow cooker, combine the onion, carrots, garlic,
chipotles in adobo, tomatoes,
chili powder, cumin and beans.
Stir to combine, then add the
chicken and stir again. Cook in
the slow cooker on high for 4 to 6
hours, or low for 6 to 8 hours.
Stir in the scallions and lime
juice just before serving. Taste,
then season with salt. Serve with
shredded cheese and sour cream
on the side.
Nutrition information per serving: 410 calories; 110 calories from
fat (27 percent of total calories); 12
g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats);
175 mg cholesterol; 910 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrate; 9 g fiber; 6
g sugar; 44 g protein.
———
Online:
http://www.themom100.com/
about-katie-workman/