Rained Out

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In his poem "The Waste Land," the poet T.S. Elliot wrote "April is the cruelest month." He may be right: we had snow in April. If he says the month that brings showers is cruel, I say September is "iffy."

It can be hot as Hades or cool air could flow from Canada. Because the weather can behave badly, it’s a good idea to keep all sorts of ingredients in the fridge, freezer and pantry for those dinner occasions I like to call "just in case."

One of my favorite cookbooks is Judith Huxley’s "Table For Eight." She was married to Matthew Huxley, son of Aldous Huxley (the celebrated writer). Her book offers menus and recipes for entertaining with the seasons. It’s out of print, but you may get lucky on eBay or Amazon.

For September, Huxley offered recipes for roasted peppers and watercress salad, baked ham with raisin sauce and grated zucchini with cream.

Ham is a common holiday dish, but it also is perfect for "iffy" days. I always buy the spiral-sliced variety for easy carving. All you have to do is set it in a roasting pan, pour in about 1 inch of water and bake in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for about 15 minutes per pound. Ham is so easy to make and the leftovers are glorious.

I love the peppery taste of watercress. It’s great as a salad or pureed for a light creamy soup. Pairing watercress with sweet red roasted peppers is a fine idea. I always have several jars of roasted peppers in my pantry.

With these dishes, I would serve a crisp Chenin Blanc and a slightly chilled Beaujolais. Beaujolais pairs well with baked ham.

Since this is a starch-free dinner, I would splurge a bit on dessert. You can dress up a store-bought poundcake with ice cream, fresh sliced strawberries or blueberries topping it off with whipped cream. It’s a good idea to keep a poundcake or two in the freezer for an "iffy" "just in case" meal.

• 1 15-ounce jar of roasted red peppers, washed, drained, patted dry and sliced
• 2 bunches of watercress, washed and patted dry
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

• Place the roasted peppers and watercress in a large bowl. Add the salt and pepper.
• Whisk together the oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.
• Serves four to six.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of raisins
• 1/3 cup of dried currants
• 1-1/3 cups of dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon dried nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced celery leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried cinnamon soaked in 1 tablespoon of cold water

Directions:

• Soak the raisins and currants overnight in the wine. When done, drain, reserving the wine.
• In a double boiler, mix together the flour, mustard, sugar, cloves, nutmeg, parsley and celery leaves. Stir in the wine and cook over hot water, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and boils. Add the raisins, currants and cinnamon. Boil for one minute and taste for seasoning. Remove from the heat and serve warm.
• Makes about two cups.

Ingredients:

• 6 small thin zucchinis, grated
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1-1/2 cups of heavy cream

Directions:

• After grating, squeeze out as much water as possible from the zucchinis, wrap in a kitchen towel and pat dry.
• Melt the butter and oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the zucchini and saut� for a few minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the cream and simmer for a few minutes until it thickens.