June 4, 2015 | Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

June 4, 2015

Creole tomato season is here, although I'm told it's going to be skimpy because of all the rain we've had this spring. If you don't have access to true Creole tomatoes, there are lots of other options out there; just make sure you never refrigerate your tomatoes. That kills the taste.

I put a platter of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers on the table several times a week during the summer -- sometimes with just a little salt, sometimes with a sprinkle of fresh basil, crumbled feta, and a sprinkle of cane or champagne vinegar, and sometimes with a full-on, decadent bowl of thick, creamy bleu cheese dressing. It's all good.

The New Orleans French Market's second annual Harvest Gala is June 10; tickets are on sale now. The money goes to support the development of new farmers markets; last fall they added a Wednesday Crescent City farmers market to the venue, and a Saturday morning farmers market this spring. Chefs include Justin Devillier, Slade Rushing, Vishwesh Bhatt, Kristen Essig, and Rebecca Wilcomb; it's sure to be a stunning evening. Tickets and more information available here.

We have a new advertiser; The Oyster Bed is offering our readers a 15% discount for Father's Day. See their ad below in the recipes.

Do you know someone who'd like to learn to barbecue? Gary Wiviott and Colleen Rush have produced a sequel to their 2009 hit Low & Slow - the catchy title is Low & Slow 2: The Art of Barbecue, Smoke-Roasting, and Basic Curing. It really is a great book to get anyone started on the grill. There is a good selection of seafood recipes, including a smoke barbecue shrimp recipe I can't wait to try. You can read more about the book here.

You know how sometimes the simplest meals are the best? Over the weekend I didn't feel like doing a big complicated dinner. I had some bone-in pork chops on hand, so I browned them well on both sides; behind them I sautéed trinity (chopped onion, bell pepper, celery) and some garlic, then added 1.5 cups of my favorite Jazzmen rice and toasted that a bit. I nestled the chops in the rice, added 3 cups of chicken broth, and simmered that for about half an hour; steamed some sweet potatoes, wilted some greens in a little more trinity, and finished them with a good dose of hot pepper vinegar. The chops in rice and the sweet potatoes got a liberal sprinkling of hot pepper -- I can't cook without it. Delicious, and 40 minutes start to finish.

See our list of what's happening around Louisiana below. Whatever you do this weekend, enjoy this week's recipes, share them with family and friends, and, as always, let me know what's on your mind.

Susan Ford

Susan Ford, Publisher

Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

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Tip of the Week:

All peanut oils are not the same

Miss last week's recipes?

• Shrimp Scampi (#1 last week)

• Crab Remoulade Salad

• Easy Chicken and Dumplings

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	West Indies Salad This simple crab salad is from James Beard award-winning Martha Hall Foose and is a staple on the bridal shower circuit in the South. She laughs when she says she always doubles the recipe because she can't help but eat a full pound herself a spoonful at a time over the 24 hours its supposed to marinate, and I don't think she's kidding. Click to forward this email and recipes.

	Classic Shreveport Creole Stuffed Shrimp LK&C regular contributor Chris Jay told the story of Shreveporters beloved creole stuffed shrimp, and went to Jason Brady (Wine Country Bistro) to do his best to recreate the recipe for our readers. This beauty first appeared in the May/June 2013 edition of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture. Click to forward this email and recipes.

	Chicken with Smoked Bacon and Creole Tomato Sauce This easy weeknight dish is packed with flavor - good smoked bacon, ripe tomatoes, Creole or Cajun seasoning, and of course some garlic. This recipe first appeared in the May/June 2014 edition of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture. Click to forward this email and recipes.