Food

A few herbs, some good oil or but­ter, a tin of anchovies, salty cured black olives from Europe, tins of plain, unadorned whole tomatoes (until our own great ones come along in late July), a chunk of Parmesan — these are a few essentials to keep in the store cupboard and fridge during houseguest season. Pasta, which can be stored indefinitely either frozen or dry, seems to me one of the most suitable and least painful ways of dealing with unplanned meals.

If there is ever an egg season, it occurs now, in early spring. The symbolism of germinating, hatching and rebirth was celebrated by primitive man and embraced by modern religions. The folklore, if not the ritual, of Easter rejoices in the egg. In every Christian nation it becomes an artform, its culinary attributes outdistanced by the spell of talented brush. 

Covered-dish parties, one of East Hampton’s more venerable social institutions, are meant to provide tasty surprises. The hit of one several years ago was Picadillo, a dish provided by a participant born in Cuba. I have been making it ever since.

If you are in the mood to make gingerbread cookies, Whimseys offers this excellent recipe.

The sweetness of corn is fragile, evanescent. As soon as an ear has been picked, the sugars begin to turn to starch, the flavor palls. Corn is Cinderella as midnight approaches.

Over 400 recipes have been published in “In Season." At least two dozen of them are truly favorites of mine, the dishes I serve to family and guests on a regular basis. Here is a sampling.

Tomatoes were originally grown to be admired rather than consumed. When the tomato was first imported to Europe from the New World by the Spanish conquistadors, it was considered a decorative plant; pretty but inedible, possibly poisonous. And that was long before Florida farmers shipped them green or doused them with pesticides. 

The cultural revolution has come to East Hampton. There was a time, in very recent memory, when Chinese cookery involving ingredi­ents more sophisticated than scal­lions, celery, and soy sauce required a trip to Mott Street. Now, the shop­ping expedition may be only a few miles down the Montauk.

"The season" is upon us now. What sorts of terrific wonders can we suggest instead of the mountains of tender, chilled shrimp, creamy cartwheels of ripe Brie, buckets of tangy dip surrounded by kaleidoscopes of raw vegetables and stacks of crackers and chips, and endless rafts of pink ham slices carefully fanned out and artfully garnished? What new goodies can you offer during the next three months to the parched and ravenous mobs thronging your deck or lawn amid the non-existent clink of disposable plastic glassware?

Carrots are a staple. Available in fairly good condition all year long, at reasonable prices, they evoke little comment. Only a severe shortage and/or outrageous price increase will affect their status. (And you never know.)

A primer on the appreciation and cooking of mushrooms, complete with a favorite pasta recipe where mushrooms play nicely.

Avocados are not one of my favorite foods. Occasionally I find some in a salad I am served. It doesn’t interfere. However, I prefer seafood salad with an artichoke.

At this time of year, when tomatoes and many other fruits or vegetables are lemons, turn to lemons to refresh a tired menu.

"Whoever heard of Christmas without dried figs?" (Is that anything like New Year's Eve without a date?)

There is still time to enjoy local tomatoes. Another month (with luck) before the rich, ripe, winey crop disappears for good, to be replaced by the phony fruit from Florida. 

Many ovens also have a summer vacation. Meat, whatever the cut, is prepared on the barbecue grill. It couldn’t be simpler. Paint on the “basic red” (as Craig Claiborne calls it), let it sizzle until you finish your gin and tonic, and serve.

Squid are simple to prepare, and when prepared simply, are very delicious.

The rules of purchase for steamers are the same as for hard clams: no broken shells and only those which are closed or which close when tapped should be selected. Steamers are soft-shelled clams which flourish from Virginia to New England.

Lacy French cookies, served for tea or to accompany an elegant dessert, benefit from the addition of wheat germ, as do the diners.

In this navy bean soup recipe, a cup of cooked dried beans will provide as much protein as two hot dogs, a thick pork chop, or a good-sized chicken leg. And except for the chicken leg, the calorie commitment is about the same.

Before the many farm stands were boarded up for the winter, they displayed a handsome crop of winter squashes. Some even found their way into the produce departments of the chains. The pumpkins to be sure, but also hubbards with warty shells in shades of red, some small, some immense.

The gray hubbards looked unfinished, like concrete awaiting a coat of enamel. Turban squash, an apt name for the prettily striped and puffed shape, was a centerpiece on many tables.

A delicious but simple cooky, great for gifts, is a childhood memory. I had a friend whose mother came from Waterproof, La., and this is her recipe — actually a variation on the Viennese crescent.

Festive cupcakes so easy that a child could make them (with some adult supervision, of course).

“Cranberry Hole Road” is as aptly named as “Two Holes of Water Road” or “Highway Behind the Lots.” The area (Amagansett-Napeague) abounds in cranberries. Figuring Ocean Spray would be available if our mission failed, we set off for Napeague to go cranberrying. Truly pick your own, nature’s gift.

Forget everything I've ever said about growers and wholesalers devising ways to pick and ship produce while it is still green and how this works to the advantage of everyone but the consumer. The pear is the exception.

You've probably been eating local cucumbers for weeks. They have been with us since July and the season isn't over yet. There was a time, in early August, when you would have had trouble finding a cucumber that wasn't local. You could easily identify the outsiders by their excessively dark and shiny skins.

Real tomatoes, grown out of doors and in the sunshine, tasting juicy and fresh, are everywhere. Buy them; you have no excuses.

Now is the best time to make gazpacho. It is incredibly refreshing and all the ingredients are available locally grown, reasonably priced and fresh.

In New Orleans, this delectation was called “La Mediatriece,” a peace offering to an enraged wife when her husband trundled in after an evening in the French Quarter. I have served this for a first course, but it is really more suitable to Sunday lunch or a late supper. Serves four.

Jam-making is incredibly simple; in my grandmother’s circle, ladies who were not deft enough to piece a complicated quilt, could deflect scorn by creating delicious jams and jellies in unusual combinations of fruits and berries, wines and whiskeys. My favorite of all: Brandied Peach Butter.