Fantasy, Heat Problems, Mail Delivery.

Yesterday, Glenda Larke had a guest blogger (see Tropic Temper link this page) Alma Alexander, who is a writer. One thing she said which particularly resonated with me,  I paraphrase, all fiction is fantasy, a tissue of lies. Something I had never thought of and I don’t suppose many people have. It is a very good response to those who denigrate so called fantasy fiction. I haven’t the imagination to write fantasy, but often wish I had; although from all I have read since starting this blog, I don’t have the dedication these writers have to have as well. Alma Alexander has written a number of books including a young adult series, the first of which is World Weavers:  Gift of the Unmage. I often enjoy young adult books so I will certainly check these out.

I have been complaining about the heatwave we have in this part of Ontario; Thursday we are supposed to hit 36ºC which is about 97ºF with lots of humidity. That’s nothing to what some of the Midwest States are getting, with temps well into the hundreds. A report yesterday said its so hot it is setting off people’s fire alarms, now that’s hot. Of course one of my friends in Australia would think that was cool, she loves temps in the 40s. Way too hot for me. There have been lots of heat warnings in the States, particularly for the elderly and the very young. Plus warnings about how hot cars can get when left parked in the sun. I don’t remember the quoted temps but a car can get hot enough to boil your blood. At least once you get to your car you can switch on the air, but its the folks who leave their animals in a parked car who really need to heed this warning, don’t do so. I have also heard of a baby being left in a car parked in the sun. No it didn’t survive, nor would anything alive.

We actually got some pieces of mail today, some of which I know  were mailed before the strike, some I know was mailed after. However, we are still missing quite a few bits and pieces. One thing I did discover today, the bank can email me my statements apparently. I know I can get them electronically but I tried that for a while and find things get very complicated because they use different descriptions to me and things get muddled up. One thing I haven’t yet received is the case for my Kindle – its taking longer to get that from Amazon.ca (Canada) than it did to get the Kindle itself from Amazon.com (US).

Corn is now available at the local farms and fresh tomatoes soon will be, here is a recipe using both which sounds pretty good to me.

Tomato-Corn Pie

From EatingWell: July/August 2010

Tomatoes and corn have a natural affinity for one another: the slight acidity of tomatoes balances the sweetness of the corn. Here they partner in a delicious quiche-like pie. The dough is very forgiving and bakes up into a sturdy shell that’s great for just about any savoury pie or tart. Perfect for a summer brunch or try it with a tossed salad for a light supper.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

Crust

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Note)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 tablespoons cold water

Filling

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 large ear; see Tip) or frozen
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. To prepare crust: Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, add oil and water and gradually stir them in to form a soft dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.
3. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, preferably deep-dish, and press into the bottom and up the sides. Trim any overhanging crust. Line the dough with a piece of foil or parchment paper large enough to lift out easily; fill evenly with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil or paper and weights. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.
4. To prepare filling: Whisk eggs and milk in a medium bowl. Sprinkle half the cheese over the crust, then layer half the tomatoes evenly over the cheese. Sprinkle with corn, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Layer the remaining tomatoes on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour the egg mixture over the top.
5. Bake the pie until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving :258 Calories; 14 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 9 g Mono; 88 mg Cholesterol; 24 g Carbohydrates; 8 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 379 mg Sodium; 217 mg Potassium

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 lean meat, 2 fat

Tips & Notes

• Ingredient note: Look for whole-wheat pastry flour in large supermarkets and natural-foods stores. Store it in the freezer.
• To remove corn kernels from the cob, stand an ear of corn on one end and slice the kernels off with a sharp knife.

Have a great day