Hello Week 19......I cannot believe we are on the brink of finishing the 2010 season!! One week to go and as you can see from the picture we are enjoying hearty greens including kale, collards and a sweet surprise – Swiss Chard. The squash family continues to provide great options for our dinner table including butternut, acorn and those cute pumpkin pie size pumpkins!
Now is a great time to roast your favorite pie making squash/melons and freeze in recipe quantities ahead of the fast approaching Holiday Season. For my family our choice for making holiday pies has always been to use a Cushaw Melon. A crookneck squash from the family Cucurbitaceae, fruits average 10 to 20 pounds, grow to be 12 to 18 inches long, and are roughly 10 inches in diameter at the bowl. The skin is whitish-green with mottled green stripes. The flesh is light-yellow; it is mild and slightly sweet in flavor; meaty in texture and fibrous. It is sometimes called cushaw pumpkin and is often substituted for the standard, orange, jack-o-lantern pumpkin in pie-making. The cushaw has a green summer squash flavor and scent to it. It has a smoky-ness in taste and is moist without being wet.
The Cushaw is very versatile as it can be used for both savory and sweet dishes! I've included a picture of this wonderful treat so you can more easily recognize it. In our area this is not easily found...typically it will be at a Farmer's Market or local CSA since this variety it typically grown in small batches. If you don't see them, ask, I'm sure local growers will know someone who has them available.
How to prepare squash for pie filling:
To prepare the squash/melon for use in pie recipes just wash the outside and dry. Cut into manageable pieces (4” to 6” chunks), remove seeds and then rub all over with olive oil. Place flesh side down on a sheet pan and bake in the oven at 350 degrees till they are fork tender. Remove from oven and scrape the flesh out with a spoon. Portion into pie recipe amounts and freeze in ziplock bags for later use.
NOTE: This is not just for pies, if you need a quick side dish – un-thaw, heat and add salt/pepper/butter and serve. You can also add to mashed potatoes for something a little different!
Stoneybrook Farm - 2011
Stoneybrook Farm
Friday, October 22, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Shared Recipe Y'all....Chris W's Mac N Freak'n Great Cheese
You know we love sharing recipes and really get excited when friends and family share with us. Since our market basket this week also included Kale - I couldn't help but put this on the menu for the upcoming weekend...seriously, this is the best Mac N' Cheese recipe EVER!
With the holidays coming up this needs to be on your menu. Give it a try and let us know how you liked it.
Enjoy!
Cheryl
Chris W's Mac N Freak'n Great Cheese
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups dried macaroni
2 pounds collard, mustard, kale or turnip greens
14 tbsp of butter, divided, plus extra to grease the baking dish
1 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups heavy cream
4 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley
4 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 lb grated sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup panko
HOW TO:
Preheat oven to 350F, butter a deep casserole dish
Cook and drain the macaroni
Rinse and remove the tough stems from the greens. Pat dry and cut into strips. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 4 tbsp butter and the garlic and heat until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant. Add the greens and cook, gently stir until wilted, about 5 minutes. Empty the greens out on top of the macaroni to drain.
In the same pot, heat 8 tbsp butter with the flour over medium heat, and stir for 3 minutes. Gradually add the cream and stir until thickened. Mix the parsley, thyme, sage, and rosemary in a small bowl. Stir the cayenne, salt, pepper, and half of the herb mixture into the cream sauce. Mix the collards and macaroni into the cream sauce.
**Chris's modification: I took about 1/4 of the cheese, and mixed it in to melt with the cream sauce**
Spread a layer of the greens and pasta mix in the baking dish, layer with the cheese, repeating with layers until the dish is full. Top with the panko and remaining herbs. Dot the top with the remaining butter. Bake uncovered until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
With the holidays coming up this needs to be on your menu. Give it a try and let us know how you liked it.
Enjoy!
Cheryl
Chris W's Mac N Freak'n Great Cheese
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups dried macaroni
2 pounds collard, mustard, kale or turnip greens
14 tbsp of butter, divided, plus extra to grease the baking dish
1 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups heavy cream
4 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley
4 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 lb grated sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup panko
HOW TO:
Preheat oven to 350F, butter a deep casserole dish
Cook and drain the macaroni
Rinse and remove the tough stems from the greens. Pat dry and cut into strips. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 4 tbsp butter and the garlic and heat until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant. Add the greens and cook, gently stir until wilted, about 5 minutes. Empty the greens out on top of the macaroni to drain.
In the same pot, heat 8 tbsp butter with the flour over medium heat, and stir for 3 minutes. Gradually add the cream and stir until thickened. Mix the parsley, thyme, sage, and rosemary in a small bowl. Stir the cayenne, salt, pepper, and half of the herb mixture into the cream sauce. Mix the collards and macaroni into the cream sauce.
**Chris's modification: I took about 1/4 of the cheese, and mixed it in to melt with the cream sauce**
Spread a layer of the greens and pasta mix in the baking dish, layer with the cheese, repeating with layers until the dish is full. Top with the panko and remaining herbs. Dot the top with the remaining butter. Bake uncovered until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
Polenta!
Week 17, Fall is in full swing, came in rather like a lion this year and I hope that doesn't bode for a wicked cold winter!! The market basket is full of fall goodies...beets, acorn and butternut squash and some colorful patty pans. We're trying all sorts of different things lately - last night we turned zucchini into thin strips and sauted them like spaghetti and topped it with red sauce and grated Pecorino...it really was good and quite filling.
Looking at the abundance of squash I thought why not make a savory polenta and serve the squash as a side. Here is a great recipe that comes out great every time. I'll give credit where credit is due - this one came from Barefoot Contessa and our twist is using Sage in place of the Rosemary.
Hope you enjoy!
Cheryl
ROSEMARY POLENTA (Barefoot Contessa Recipe)
INGREDIENTS:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups milk
2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup good grated Parmesan
Flour, olive oil, and butter, for frying
HOW TO:
Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt, and pepper and saute for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, half-and-half, and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly sprinkle the cornmeal into the hot milk while stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for a few minutes, until thickened and bubbly. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan. Pour into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch pan, smooth the top, and refrigerate until firm and cold. (I spray the pan with Pam!)
Cut the chilled polenta into 12 squares, as you would with brownies. Lift each one out with a spatula and cut diagonally into triangles. Dust each triangle lightly in flour. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan and cook the triangles in batches over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until browned on the outside and heated inside. Add more butter and oil, as needed. Serve immediately.
OPTIONS:
We switched up and substituted fresh Sage for the Rosemary.
You can have some fun with this if you are near the holidays by using cookie cutters!
Looking at the abundance of squash I thought why not make a savory polenta and serve the squash as a side. Here is a great recipe that comes out great every time. I'll give credit where credit is due - this one came from Barefoot Contessa and our twist is using Sage in place of the Rosemary.
Hope you enjoy!
Cheryl
ROSEMARY POLENTA (Barefoot Contessa Recipe)
INGREDIENTS:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups milk
2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup good grated Parmesan
Flour, olive oil, and butter, for frying
HOW TO:
Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt, and pepper and saute for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, half-and-half, and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly sprinkle the cornmeal into the hot milk while stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for a few minutes, until thickened and bubbly. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan. Pour into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch pan, smooth the top, and refrigerate until firm and cold. (I spray the pan with Pam!)
Cut the chilled polenta into 12 squares, as you would with brownies. Lift each one out with a spatula and cut diagonally into triangles. Dust each triangle lightly in flour. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan and cook the triangles in batches over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until browned on the outside and heated inside. Add more butter and oil, as needed. Serve immediately.
OPTIONS:
We switched up and substituted fresh Sage for the Rosemary.
You can have some fun with this if you are near the holidays by using cookie cutters!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Fall infused Chinese Cooking - Squash Lo Mein
Who says you can't adapt recipes to fit seasonal harvest? Looking at what was on hand in the house, we determined that we could we come up a dish that would fill our hankering for Chinese food and use up our more Fall focused ingredients. Voila - Squash Lo Mein!! Super simple to pull together – certainly a dinner that could work for a busy family.
Hope you give this a try.....and please, feel free to share your recipe ideas and adaptations with us!!
Enjoy
Cheryl
Squash Lo Mein
INGREDIENTS:
1 small butternut squash peeled/seeded/cut into 1” pieces
1 small onion chopped
8 Sage leaves, sliced thin
1 large clove of garlic minced
1 2” thumb of fresh ginger, minced
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 Teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice blend
2 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Pepper jelly
¾ cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon butter
Sesame oil
Thin Spaghetti for 4 people, cooked/drained
We added 3/4 cup of Duck confit we had in the fridge to our sauce before serving!
HOW TO:
Cook off your spaghetti just till al dente, drain and toss with just a bit of Sesame oil and set aside.
In large saute pan add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Add squash and onion and salt/pepper, then allow to caramelize and soften. Add sage, garlic, ginger and saute till squash is tender but not overdone. Add chicken stock, jelly, Hoisin sauce and soy sauce, Chinese 5 spice and simmer for a couple minutes to just create your sauce. Add cooked spaghetti and serve!
OPTIONS: Add a protein like tofu or chicken, top with chopped spring onion, try other seasonings, vegetables or add hot pepper flakes for some heat!
Hope you give this a try.....and please, feel free to share your recipe ideas and adaptations with us!!
Enjoy
Cheryl
Squash Lo Mein
INGREDIENTS:
1 small butternut squash peeled/seeded/cut into 1” pieces
1 small onion chopped
8 Sage leaves, sliced thin
1 large clove of garlic minced
1 2” thumb of fresh ginger, minced
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 Teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice blend
2 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Pepper jelly
¾ cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon butter
Sesame oil
Thin Spaghetti for 4 people, cooked/drained
We added 3/4 cup of Duck confit we had in the fridge to our sauce before serving!
HOW TO:
Cook off your spaghetti just till al dente, drain and toss with just a bit of Sesame oil and set aside.
In large saute pan add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Add squash and onion and salt/pepper, then allow to caramelize and soften. Add sage, garlic, ginger and saute till squash is tender but not overdone. Add chicken stock, jelly, Hoisin sauce and soy sauce, Chinese 5 spice and simmer for a couple minutes to just create your sauce. Add cooked spaghetti and serve!
OPTIONS: Add a protein like tofu or chicken, top with chopped spring onion, try other seasonings, vegetables or add hot pepper flakes for some heat!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
"We got GAME" ...Duck and Venison that is!
Welcome to week 16! Refreshing, but somewhat overwhelming, rains this past week rejuvenated our lawn and the crops coming out of Stoneybrook we are happy to say!! The pic is full of wonderful items, from the field and from their store. They have a gentlemen pressing apples for fresh cider and it is amazing! We've had it hot and spiced, added it to our Butternut Squash Soup and are really loving it!
This weekend Bill and I demo'd and prepared some dishes for a private function using Game as the main focus. We did recipes with Duck and Venison and they were all well received. Today's posting will be long as I've included all the recipes for your enjoyment. Just remember you can adapt using other proteins – so experiment and most of all have fun cooking!!
Enjoy!
Cheryl
Duck Confit
We prepared the Red Grape and Rosemary pizza recipe and added the Duck Confit – it was so complementary and we encourage you to try this!!
INGREDIENTS:
Legs/thighs from one Duck
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon of ground black pepper
4 Cloves of Garlic
2 Tablespoons fresh Thyme
1 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns (cracked with a rolling pin)
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher salt
2 Bay Leaves
3-4 Cups of Olive Oil
HOW TO:
With legs skin side down on a cutting board sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Top with ½ the garlic cloves, thyme and bay leaves. Top with the Thighs and repeat with salt/pepper/garlic/thyme and bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Remove the duck from the refrigerator. Remove the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and duck fat that will have been created while the duck was refrigerated and reserve. Rinse the duck with cool water, rubbing off some of the salt and pepper. Pat dry with paper towels.
Put the reserved garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and duck fat in the bottom of a large cast iron pot. Sprinkle evenly with the peppercorns and salt. Lay the duck on top, skin side down. Add the olive oil. Cover and bake for 12 to 14 hours, or until the meat pulls away from the bone.
Remove the duck from the fat. Strain the fat and reserve. Pick the meat from the bones and place it in an airtight container. Cover the meat with some of the strained fat, making a 1/4-inch layer. The duck confit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Duck Breast with Ginger-Cherry Gastrique Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
2 Duck Breasts
1/2 cup pitted cherries
1/4 cup cherry juice
½ teaspoon ginger, microplaned
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Duck HOW TO: Use cast iron or stainless pan – do not use a non-stick pan!
Score each breast fat only in a crisscross fashion. Do NOT slice to the meat. These cuts allows the fat to render into the pan and the skin to get crispy.
Sprinkle the fat side generously and dust with black pepper
Heat skillet over medium high heat. Place duck breasts fat side down and cook until the skin is golden brown (about 5 min). Remember watch it carefully you want to crisp the skin, but not overcook the meat.
Remove the drippings from the pan before placing in the oven.
Place your skillet with your duck breasts into the preheated oven. Cook for about 12 minutes or until Medium Rare. Remember watch your duck carefully because cooking time varies on how thick your breast is and how much has already cooked through on stove top. It will also carry over cook once you remove from oven. If you have a thermometer it should read about 125 to 130.
Do NOT turn your breasts, keep them fat side down.
Remove and place on cutting board to let rest for 5 to 10 minutes and then slice about 1/2 inch thick and on the diagonal. Place a couple slices over top your polenta and top with Cherry-Ginger sauce.
Sauce HOW TO: (to be made while the duck is resting)
In a medium size stainless steel pot, combine the vinegar and sugar and cook over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Add the juice and simmer over low heat for 6-10 minutes.
Add cherries set the pan aside off the heat.
Venison Tenderloin with Vension Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
1 Venison tenderloin
1 large carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Bouquet Garni: In a small piece of cheesecloth: 5 peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, 2 sprigs fresh thyme – gather it up and tie with a piece of twine
2 Tablespoons Red Currant Jelly
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
¾ Cup Red Wine (what you would drink!!)
Salt/Pepper
1 Tablespoon Demi Glace (veal-you can get this in the meat section at Wegman's)
Splash of heavy cream
HOW TO: Use cast iron or stainless pan – do not use a non-stick pan!
Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper.
Heat the pan, add a splash of olive oil and sear the tenderloin on all side, nice golden brown.
Transfer pan and meat to a preheated 400 degree oven and cook for 10-15 minutes (med rare, inside temp 140 degrees using a meat thermometer)
Remove from oven and transfer meat to a cutting board to rest while you make the sauce.
Sauce HOW TO:
In pan with venison drippings add diced carrot/onion/celery and the bag of spices and saute till tender. Add the vinegar and red wine and simmer till reduced by ½ its volume.
Add the red currant jelly and demi glaze.
Taste and add salt/pepper to your liking.
Using a fine mesh strainer, pour the sauce through into a saucepan back over a very low heat
Add just a splash of heavy cream and whisk gently.
SERVING:
Slice the tenderloin in ½ inch slices and serve topped with the sauce.
This weekend Bill and I demo'd and prepared some dishes for a private function using Game as the main focus. We did recipes with Duck and Venison and they were all well received. Today's posting will be long as I've included all the recipes for your enjoyment. Just remember you can adapt using other proteins – so experiment and most of all have fun cooking!!
Enjoy!
Cheryl
Duck Confit
We prepared the Red Grape and Rosemary pizza recipe and added the Duck Confit – it was so complementary and we encourage you to try this!!
INGREDIENTS:
Legs/thighs from one Duck
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon of ground black pepper
4 Cloves of Garlic
2 Tablespoons fresh Thyme
1 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns (cracked with a rolling pin)
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher salt
2 Bay Leaves
3-4 Cups of Olive Oil
HOW TO:
With legs skin side down on a cutting board sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Top with ½ the garlic cloves, thyme and bay leaves. Top with the Thighs and repeat with salt/pepper/garlic/thyme and bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Remove the duck from the refrigerator. Remove the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and duck fat that will have been created while the duck was refrigerated and reserve. Rinse the duck with cool water, rubbing off some of the salt and pepper. Pat dry with paper towels.
Put the reserved garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and duck fat in the bottom of a large cast iron pot. Sprinkle evenly with the peppercorns and salt. Lay the duck on top, skin side down. Add the olive oil. Cover and bake for 12 to 14 hours, or until the meat pulls away from the bone.
Remove the duck from the fat. Strain the fat and reserve. Pick the meat from the bones and place it in an airtight container. Cover the meat with some of the strained fat, making a 1/4-inch layer. The duck confit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Duck Breast with Ginger-Cherry Gastrique Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
2 Duck Breasts
1/2 cup pitted cherries
1/4 cup cherry juice
½ teaspoon ginger, microplaned
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Duck HOW TO: Use cast iron or stainless pan – do not use a non-stick pan!
Score each breast fat only in a crisscross fashion. Do NOT slice to the meat. These cuts allows the fat to render into the pan and the skin to get crispy.
Sprinkle the fat side generously and dust with black pepper
Heat skillet over medium high heat. Place duck breasts fat side down and cook until the skin is golden brown (about 5 min). Remember watch it carefully you want to crisp the skin, but not overcook the meat.
Remove the drippings from the pan before placing in the oven.
Place your skillet with your duck breasts into the preheated oven. Cook for about 12 minutes or until Medium Rare. Remember watch your duck carefully because cooking time varies on how thick your breast is and how much has already cooked through on stove top. It will also carry over cook once you remove from oven. If you have a thermometer it should read about 125 to 130.
Do NOT turn your breasts, keep them fat side down.
Remove and place on cutting board to let rest for 5 to 10 minutes and then slice about 1/2 inch thick and on the diagonal. Place a couple slices over top your polenta and top with Cherry-Ginger sauce.
Sauce HOW TO: (to be made while the duck is resting)
In a medium size stainless steel pot, combine the vinegar and sugar and cook over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Add the juice and simmer over low heat for 6-10 minutes.
Add cherries set the pan aside off the heat.
Venison Tenderloin with Vension Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
1 Venison tenderloin
1 large carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Bouquet Garni: In a small piece of cheesecloth: 5 peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, 2 sprigs fresh thyme – gather it up and tie with a piece of twine
2 Tablespoons Red Currant Jelly
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
¾ Cup Red Wine (what you would drink!!)
Salt/Pepper
1 Tablespoon Demi Glace (veal-you can get this in the meat section at Wegman's)
Splash of heavy cream
HOW TO: Use cast iron or stainless pan – do not use a non-stick pan!
Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper.
Heat the pan, add a splash of olive oil and sear the tenderloin on all side, nice golden brown.
Transfer pan and meat to a preheated 400 degree oven and cook for 10-15 minutes (med rare, inside temp 140 degrees using a meat thermometer)
Remove from oven and transfer meat to a cutting board to rest while you make the sauce.
Sauce HOW TO:
In pan with venison drippings add diced carrot/onion/celery and the bag of spices and saute till tender. Add the vinegar and red wine and simmer till reduced by ½ its volume.
Add the red currant jelly and demi glaze.
Taste and add salt/pepper to your liking.
Using a fine mesh strainer, pour the sauce through into a saucepan back over a very low heat
Add just a splash of heavy cream and whisk gently.
SERVING:
Slice the tenderloin in ½ inch slices and serve topped with the sauce.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Week 15 - Acorn Squash for dinner
Here we are at week 15 - only 5 weeks to go and I'm already thinking ahead to next season! This week you'll notice I added a couple of purchases to my pic: (1) Wade's White Cornmeal and (2) Organic fresh yogurt. I was raised on cornbread made from white stone ground cornmeal, not the yellow mix that everyone seems to classify as "real" cornbread. I think the texture and flavor are much more subtle and gives you a lighter cornbread, so I hope you try it as an alternative bread side to your dinners.
Since we received lots of winter squash we decided to make it the focal point of one of our dinners this week. Acorn Squash is one of my personal favorites so we roasted it and even added a bit of leftover chicken, then cornbread complimented last nights dinner of White Chicken Chili. Hmmm, thinking the yogurt is going to appear in a dessert this weekend....stay tuned!
I hope you have an opportunity to support local growers and organic food merchants in your area. If not readily available to you, then locate the organic aisle in your grocery store to find some really special items that you can use in everyday cooking.
Roasted Acorn Squash
INGREDIENTS:
2 Acorn Squash
4 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
4 Tablespoons butter
olive oil
Kosher salt
HOW TO:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Slice off a small portion of the top and bottom of your squash and slice in half...the halves will now sit stable on your sheetpan. Remove all the seeds and membranes. Pour a bit of olive oil in your hands and then rub the squash halves all over. Place on sheetpan and put 1 Tablespoon of butter and 1 Tablespoon of dark brown sugar in each squash. Sprinkle the top rim with a bit of Kosher salt.
Bake for 1 hour then test with a sharp paring knife for doneness. You do not want the squash to collapse, but you do want all the meat to be tender. Serve immediately as a side or a main dish.
(we just fork the sides into the melted butter/brown sugar and mix inside the baked shell)
Options: add precooked shredded chicken when the squash is done to add your protein directly to the dish. This will work with other types of squash as well...however you may want to eliminate the brown sugar for a more savory dish. Try adding your favorite herbs as the squash is roasting.
White Cornmeal Cornbread
INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup white cornmeal
1 Cup flour
1/4 to 1/3 Cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like your cornbread)
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Buttermilk (if you don't have any handy just add 1 Tablespoon vinegar to the milk)
1/3 Cup vegetable oil
1 Egg
HOW TO:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a cast iron 10" pan in the oven during preheating.
Measure and mix together all the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another (make sure you whisk them well)
Blend with a spoon or spatula wet and dry together.
Remove the cast iron pan, add about 3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan well. Add your cornbread mix and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread 1 Tablespoon butter over the top while the bread is hot. Allow cornbread to cool for 5-10 min in the pan and then remove to slice.
OPTIONS:
Add 1/2 cup shredded cheddar (or any of your favorites) to the cornbread mix before baking.
Top the mix with 1/4 Cup shredded cheese before bakeing.
Add finely chopped jalapeno pepper to the mix before baking.
Add chopped cilantro to the mix before baking.
Top your warm sliced cornbread with honey or molasses.
As always....use your imagination!!
Enjoy,
Cheryl
Since we received lots of winter squash we decided to make it the focal point of one of our dinners this week. Acorn Squash is one of my personal favorites so we roasted it and even added a bit of leftover chicken, then cornbread complimented last nights dinner of White Chicken Chili. Hmmm, thinking the yogurt is going to appear in a dessert this weekend....stay tuned!
I hope you have an opportunity to support local growers and organic food merchants in your area. If not readily available to you, then locate the organic aisle in your grocery store to find some really special items that you can use in everyday cooking.
Roasted Acorn Squash
INGREDIENTS:
2 Acorn Squash
4 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
4 Tablespoons butter
olive oil
Kosher salt
HOW TO:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Slice off a small portion of the top and bottom of your squash and slice in half...the halves will now sit stable on your sheetpan. Remove all the seeds and membranes. Pour a bit of olive oil in your hands and then rub the squash halves all over. Place on sheetpan and put 1 Tablespoon of butter and 1 Tablespoon of dark brown sugar in each squash. Sprinkle the top rim with a bit of Kosher salt.
Bake for 1 hour then test with a sharp paring knife for doneness. You do not want the squash to collapse, but you do want all the meat to be tender. Serve immediately as a side or a main dish.
(we just fork the sides into the melted butter/brown sugar and mix inside the baked shell)
Options: add precooked shredded chicken when the squash is done to add your protein directly to the dish. This will work with other types of squash as well...however you may want to eliminate the brown sugar for a more savory dish. Try adding your favorite herbs as the squash is roasting.
White Cornmeal Cornbread
INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup white cornmeal
1 Cup flour
1/4 to 1/3 Cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like your cornbread)
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Buttermilk (if you don't have any handy just add 1 Tablespoon vinegar to the milk)
1/3 Cup vegetable oil
1 Egg
HOW TO:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a cast iron 10" pan in the oven during preheating.
Measure and mix together all the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another (make sure you whisk them well)
Blend with a spoon or spatula wet and dry together.
Remove the cast iron pan, add about 3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan well. Add your cornbread mix and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread 1 Tablespoon butter over the top while the bread is hot. Allow cornbread to cool for 5-10 min in the pan and then remove to slice.
OPTIONS:
Add 1/2 cup shredded cheddar (or any of your favorites) to the cornbread mix before baking.
Top the mix with 1/4 Cup shredded cheese before bakeing.
Add finely chopped jalapeno pepper to the mix before baking.
Add chopped cilantro to the mix before baking.
Top your warm sliced cornbread with honey or molasses.
As always....use your imagination!!
Enjoy,
Cheryl
Monday, September 20, 2010
Cookie Time...
Ok, this post has absolutely nothing to do with farm fresh ingredients! We made these cookies over the weekend and it didn't take them long to disappear....give them a try!!
I should have caught a pic of them right out of the oven....next time!
Chewy Oatmeal/Chocolate Chip/Cranraisin Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup CRANRAISINS
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
HOW TO:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Lightly spray cookie sheets with PAM.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.
Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended.
Mix in the quick oats, chocolate chips and cranraisins.
Drop by heaping spoonfuls (I use a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop) onto baking sheets (leave room to spread during cooking – I usually only put 8 per sheet).
Bake for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
These make great ice cream sandwiches!! Just take a good scoop of your favorite ice cream and flatten it out a bit put between 2 cookies and voila!! You can make ahead and re-freeze in cookie sandwich form for later.
Enjoy!
Cheryl
I should have caught a pic of them right out of the oven....next time!
Chewy Oatmeal/Chocolate Chip/Cranraisin Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup CRANRAISINS
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
HOW TO:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Lightly spray cookie sheets with PAM.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.
Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended.
Mix in the quick oats, chocolate chips and cranraisins.
Drop by heaping spoonfuls (I use a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop) onto baking sheets (leave room to spread during cooking – I usually only put 8 per sheet).
Bake for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
These make great ice cream sandwiches!! Just take a good scoop of your favorite ice cream and flatten it out a bit put between 2 cookies and voila!! You can make ahead and re-freeze in cookie sandwich form for later.
Enjoy!
Cheryl
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Fresh Pressed Cider and Winter Squash
Welcome to week 14! The weather is so amazing and we really enjoyed the ride this morning to pick up our market basket of goodies from Stoneybrook Farm. Today's items included winter squash, tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, okra, basil, arugula and mesclun greens and a quart of fresh pressed apple cider!
John was so excited and proud of what they had just harvested for all of us who join in this CSA when we chatted with him today. In fact he said most of what they had provided us today were only about ½ hour out of the field!! A quick look-up in a dictionary for the word ‘mesclun’ and a general description will be read: a salad made of greens and herbs. In fact reference to these greens in today's market really refer to baby lettuces and fresh herbs grown together and harvested early. While many of the greens in the mesclun mix can be grilled or sautéed and served warm when grown larger, the key to mesclun mixes are that they are grown and cut as small leaf lettuces making them more tender and less bitter than their full grown counterparts.
Dinner one night this week will certainly include a great salad featuring the fresh greens accompanied by a hearty soup....and of course I have a favorite recipe to share! This recipe will take advantage of the winter squash as well as incorporating the fresh pressed cider.
Cheryl's Butternut Squash Soup
INGREDIENTS:
1 large Vidalia or Yellow Onion, chopped
2 packages of pre-peeled butternut squash, usually comes in cut pieces
1 granny smith apple peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cups white wine
1 cup apple cider
4 cups chicken broth
8 fresh sage leaves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons brown sugar (you can use the Splenda Brown sugar if you like)
salt and pepper to taste
HOW TO:
Use a soup pot for the entire dish...
On med-hi heat melt 1 tablespoon butter in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil
Add onions and saute till tender
Add squash and apple, stir and cook for a couple minutes
Add white wine and cook for a couple minutes
Add cider, chicken broth, sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar
Simmer till the squash and apple fall apart
Remove sage and throw it away
Using a blender run the contents of the soup pot till all of it is smooth and then return to the soup pot.
Add about 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper, simmer a couple min.
Taste...you might need more salt or pepper. If you think its too thick, add more chicken broth (you can't add too much)
OPTIONS:
You can kick this up a little – add ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne, top with a dollop of crème fraiche, garnish with a crispy sage leaf, serve in a hollowed out mini pumpkin or a great mini boule....use your imagination!
ENJOY!
Cheryl
John was so excited and proud of what they had just harvested for all of us who join in this CSA when we chatted with him today. In fact he said most of what they had provided us today were only about ½ hour out of the field!! A quick look-up in a dictionary for the word ‘mesclun’ and a general description will be read: a salad made of greens and herbs. In fact reference to these greens in today's market really refer to baby lettuces and fresh herbs grown together and harvested early. While many of the greens in the mesclun mix can be grilled or sautéed and served warm when grown larger, the key to mesclun mixes are that they are grown and cut as small leaf lettuces making them more tender and less bitter than their full grown counterparts.
Dinner one night this week will certainly include a great salad featuring the fresh greens accompanied by a hearty soup....and of course I have a favorite recipe to share! This recipe will take advantage of the winter squash as well as incorporating the fresh pressed cider.
Cheryl's Butternut Squash Soup
INGREDIENTS:
1 large Vidalia or Yellow Onion, chopped
2 packages of pre-peeled butternut squash, usually comes in cut pieces
1 granny smith apple peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cups white wine
1 cup apple cider
4 cups chicken broth
8 fresh sage leaves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons brown sugar (you can use the Splenda Brown sugar if you like)
salt and pepper to taste
HOW TO:
Use a soup pot for the entire dish...
On med-hi heat melt 1 tablespoon butter in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil
Add onions and saute till tender
Add squash and apple, stir and cook for a couple minutes
Add white wine and cook for a couple minutes
Add cider, chicken broth, sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar
Simmer till the squash and apple fall apart
Remove sage and throw it away
Using a blender run the contents of the soup pot till all of it is smooth and then return to the soup pot.
Add about 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper, simmer a couple min.
Taste...you might need more salt or pepper. If you think its too thick, add more chicken broth (you can't add too much)
OPTIONS:
You can kick this up a little – add ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne, top with a dollop of crème fraiche, garnish with a crispy sage leaf, serve in a hollowed out mini pumpkin or a great mini boule....use your imagination!
ENJOY!
Cheryl
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Summer turns to Fall - Squash Baby!!
Coming back from vacation is never easy, it was especially hard leaving a great cruise full of live music and a stop at Grand Cayman Island. We got to swim in the most beautiful turquoise water and even kissed a stingray!! While on Grand Cayman we had a delicious lunch made right on the beach. The plate consisted of corn on the cob, beans and rice, fresh pan seared red snapper and a wicked good butternut squash sauce. Such spicy, sweet and tender flavor profiles...needless to say nothing was left behind.
This week's market basket had the feel of fall with crisp juicy apples, acorn and butternut squash and the largest patty-pan squash I've ever seen! Making it through the week with the lingering memories of our time in the Caribbean had us shopping for fresh fish, and you guessed it – we HAD to try to replicate that butternut squash sauce. What transpired was acceptable, but somehow without our toes in the water or our butts in the sand it wasn't exactly the same!
Butternut Squash Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
1 small butternut squash, chopped into small pieces
1 small onion chopped
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper
Cayenne
Brown Sugar
Thyme
Chicken Stock
HOW TO:
Use a large saute pan add about 3 Tablespoons of Olive oil and the onion and chopped butternut squash. Sprinkle with approx 1 Teaspoon salt and ½ Teaspoon pepper. Allow squash to become tender by cooking over med heat, approx 10 min. Add ½ cup chicken broth, ¼ Teaspoon cayenne and 1 Tablespoon brown sugar along with the Thyme (1/2 Teaspoon).
The squash will break down and become a chunky style sauce. If its too thick, add a bit more broth. Taste to make sure the seasonings are where you want them (does it need more salt, is there enough heat from the cayenne) and adjust to your likes.
Serve with fish or pork. We did a side of cranberry salsa with our sea bass this week and the sweet/tart combo was wonderful!
Cranberry Salsa
1 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries (you can use frozen if you can't find fresh!)
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup lime juice
2 garlic cloves minced
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
Use food processor to chop up cranberries. Add all ingredients together and refrigerate for a couple hours, or overnight. Serve with tortilla chips, or use as a condiment to fish, pork or chicken dishes.
ENJOY!
Cheryl
This week's market basket had the feel of fall with crisp juicy apples, acorn and butternut squash and the largest patty-pan squash I've ever seen! Making it through the week with the lingering memories of our time in the Caribbean had us shopping for fresh fish, and you guessed it – we HAD to try to replicate that butternut squash sauce. What transpired was acceptable, but somehow without our toes in the water or our butts in the sand it wasn't exactly the same!
Butternut Squash Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
1 small butternut squash, chopped into small pieces
1 small onion chopped
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper
Cayenne
Brown Sugar
Thyme
Chicken Stock
HOW TO:
Use a large saute pan add about 3 Tablespoons of Olive oil and the onion and chopped butternut squash. Sprinkle with approx 1 Teaspoon salt and ½ Teaspoon pepper. Allow squash to become tender by cooking over med heat, approx 10 min. Add ½ cup chicken broth, ¼ Teaspoon cayenne and 1 Tablespoon brown sugar along with the Thyme (1/2 Teaspoon).
The squash will break down and become a chunky style sauce. If its too thick, add a bit more broth. Taste to make sure the seasonings are where you want them (does it need more salt, is there enough heat from the cayenne) and adjust to your likes.
Serve with fish or pork. We did a side of cranberry salsa with our sea bass this week and the sweet/tart combo was wonderful!
Cranberry Salsa
1 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries (you can use frozen if you can't find fresh!)
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup lime juice
2 garlic cloves minced
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
Use food processor to chop up cranberries. Add all ingredients together and refrigerate for a couple hours, or overnight. Serve with tortilla chips, or use as a condiment to fish, pork or chicken dishes.
ENJOY!
Cheryl
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Vacation week....
Hello All
We are on vacation and will not be posting any recipes this week....but I did capture a photo of our market basket ingredients to share!! A wonderful new addition to the items this week were shallots, red and white. Can't wait to make something yummy with them when we get back.
I would like to ask any of those reading this week to feel free to share pics and recipes they've been making with all the fresh fruits/vegetables during the summer looking forward to hearing from all of you!!
Have a great Labor Day weekend!
Cheryl
We are on vacation and will not be posting any recipes this week....but I did capture a photo of our market basket ingredients to share!! A wonderful new addition to the items this week were shallots, red and white. Can't wait to make something yummy with them when we get back.
I would like to ask any of those reading this week to feel free to share pics and recipes they've been making with all the fresh fruits/vegetables during the summer looking forward to hearing from all of you!!
Have a great Labor Day weekend!
Cheryl
Sunday, August 29, 2010
It has been a busy week, lots of meetings and work related “stuff” to say the least. That means I'm late in posting my Wednesday market basket pic, sorry. We worked on a dinner for a special family most of the day on Saturday which included making a big batch of spaghetti sauce. We had 24 lbs of tomatoes to cook off - roasted 1/2 and made tomato soup and cooked down the other half into a wonderful tomato sauce. I've inserted a pic of the roasters because I thought they were just so darn beautiful!
You will see a "visitor" to the market basket pic - Organic Ginger Beer you can find in the refrigerated section at Stoneybrook - John gave out samples and it was really tasty!!
This week I thought I would share a dessert recipe rather than something savory from the market basket. We love cheesecake, but the more creamy type not the tall NY style, so I'm sharing a foolproof recipe we've used for years. I hope you give it a try – it is our favorite!
Will do our best to get a pick of week 12 up before we head out on vacation!!
Cheryl's Creamy Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS:
1 8 oz package cream cheese (full strength, low fat or non-fat works)
1 16 oz container sour cream (same goes as above)
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
¾ stick of butter melted
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Teaspoon cinammon
1 deep dish glass pie pan.
HOW TO:
Preheat oven to 370 degrees
Graham cracker crust:
Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon together, add melted butter and stir well with a fork. Add crumbs to pie pan starting with the bottom and then build up the sides compressing the mixture so it holds in place...make the thickness the same all 'round. Bake for 10 min and let cool while making the filling.
Filling:
Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature, put in stand mixer and beat till smooth and creamy. On medium speed add whole egg and egg yolk, vanilla, blend well. Add sour cream, blend well. Add sweetened condensed milk and blend well. Make sure you are scraping down the sides frequently to avoid any lumps.
Pour mixture into prepared graham cracker crust and bake for 13 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Move to refrigerator and allow to chill overnight for best results.
You can top with any favorite cheesecake topping – strawberries, blueberries, chocolate, raspberry sauce...
Options: in place of vanilla add 1 Tablespoon of Irish crème or any other favorite liquor or substitute with 1 Teaspoon almond extract.
ENJOY!!
Cheryl
You will see a "visitor" to the market basket pic - Organic Ginger Beer you can find in the refrigerated section at Stoneybrook - John gave out samples and it was really tasty!!
This week I thought I would share a dessert recipe rather than something savory from the market basket. We love cheesecake, but the more creamy type not the tall NY style, so I'm sharing a foolproof recipe we've used for years. I hope you give it a try – it is our favorite!
Will do our best to get a pick of week 12 up before we head out on vacation!!
Cheryl's Creamy Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS:
1 8 oz package cream cheese (full strength, low fat or non-fat works)
1 16 oz container sour cream (same goes as above)
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
¾ stick of butter melted
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Teaspoon cinammon
1 deep dish glass pie pan.
HOW TO:
Preheat oven to 370 degrees
Graham cracker crust:
Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon together, add melted butter and stir well with a fork. Add crumbs to pie pan starting with the bottom and then build up the sides compressing the mixture so it holds in place...make the thickness the same all 'round. Bake for 10 min and let cool while making the filling.
Filling:
Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature, put in stand mixer and beat till smooth and creamy. On medium speed add whole egg and egg yolk, vanilla, blend well. Add sour cream, blend well. Add sweetened condensed milk and blend well. Make sure you are scraping down the sides frequently to avoid any lumps.
Pour mixture into prepared graham cracker crust and bake for 13 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Move to refrigerator and allow to chill overnight for best results.
You can top with any favorite cheesecake topping – strawberries, blueberries, chocolate, raspberry sauce...
Options: in place of vanilla add 1 Tablespoon of Irish crème or any other favorite liquor or substitute with 1 Teaspoon almond extract.
ENJOY!!
Cheryl
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Aubergine.....aka Eggplant
For the longest time I thought Aubergine was a just a color, but noooo it is in fact the other name for that funny looking veggie no one knows what to do with other than bread it/fry it and add the name ...Parmesan to it. However, eggplant is much more versatile than we give it credit for!
We had an abundance of eggplant from this week's CSA market basket and not sure what we were going to do with them. We didn't have a lot going on this past weekend as I had to work – so we don't usually stray too far from the home office. Since we had plenty of cukes and small carrots and some pita laying around why not go for some sort of finger food and watch movies?? Cue the choir “Ahhhhhhhhhhh” yes, its Baba Ghanoush time!!
If you haven't had Baba Ghanoush here is a wiki-pedia description:
“it is an Arab dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various seasonings. Often, it is eaten as a dip with pita bread, and is sometimes added to other dishes. It is usually of an earthy light-brown color. It is popular in Egypt.”
We love the heady garlic flavor and smooth texture of this dish and it is something you can make and keep in the fridge for use over several days. It is also good as a spread in sandwiches versus mayo! So, let's get to it....
INGREDIENTS
3 small to medium eggplant
2 large cloves of garlic
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 Tablespoons Tahini (sesame paste found in the International aisle in most grocery stores)
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
HOW TO
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Place eggplant that have been rubbed with a little olive oil on a cookie sheet and bake 30 minutes, turning ½ way through the bake time. The eggplant should appear to be collapsing a bit and be soft when squeezed.
Move the eggplant to a cutting board and slice lengthwise. Scoop out the soft pulpy inside and put into a food processor. Pulse till smooth. Over a medium bowl, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer using the back of a ladle to push it through then discard any seeds/membranes and set aside.
On your cutting board, roughly chop the garlic and top with the salt. Working your flat side of the knife (blade toward the surface) drag the knife repeatedly across the garlic and salt till you have a paste.
Stir the garlic/salt paste, lemon juice, tahini and chopped parsley into the eggplant mixture and chill.
Serve with fresh cucumber slices, carrots, pita bread – or one of our favs plantain chips!
Enjoy,
Cheryl
We had an abundance of eggplant from this week's CSA market basket and not sure what we were going to do with them. We didn't have a lot going on this past weekend as I had to work – so we don't usually stray too far from the home office. Since we had plenty of cukes and small carrots and some pita laying around why not go for some sort of finger food and watch movies?? Cue the choir “Ahhhhhhhhhhh” yes, its Baba Ghanoush time!!
If you haven't had Baba Ghanoush here is a wiki-pedia description:
“it is an Arab dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various seasonings. Often, it is eaten as a dip with pita bread, and is sometimes added to other dishes. It is usually of an earthy light-brown color. It is popular in Egypt.”
We love the heady garlic flavor and smooth texture of this dish and it is something you can make and keep in the fridge for use over several days. It is also good as a spread in sandwiches versus mayo! So, let's get to it....
INGREDIENTS
3 small to medium eggplant
2 large cloves of garlic
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 Tablespoons Tahini (sesame paste found in the International aisle in most grocery stores)
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
HOW TO
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Place eggplant that have been rubbed with a little olive oil on a cookie sheet and bake 30 minutes, turning ½ way through the bake time. The eggplant should appear to be collapsing a bit and be soft when squeezed.
Move the eggplant to a cutting board and slice lengthwise. Scoop out the soft pulpy inside and put into a food processor. Pulse till smooth. Over a medium bowl, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer using the back of a ladle to push it through then discard any seeds/membranes and set aside.
On your cutting board, roughly chop the garlic and top with the salt. Working your flat side of the knife (blade toward the surface) drag the knife repeatedly across the garlic and salt till you have a paste.
Stir the garlic/salt paste, lemon juice, tahini and chopped parsley into the eggplant mixture and chill.
Serve with fresh cucumber slices, carrots, pita bread – or one of our favs plantain chips!
Enjoy,
Cheryl
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Gumbo...no need to say more.
This weekend has been full of making wonderful food with incredibly fresh ingredients. Today became Gumbo day and now that our bellies are full we can reflect on the steps it took to make this savory, spicy and delicious dish.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter
¾ cup flour
½ large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 small bell peppers (green, yellow, red)
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 cup sliced okra
1 can minced clams, with juice
3 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups roasted tomatoes, with juice (slice up about 5 tomatoes on a cookie sheet, top with a little olive oil/salt/pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes)
3 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Teaspoon thyme leaves
1 Teaspoon basil leaves
½ Teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ½ cups Andouille sausage, 1/4 inch sliced diagonally and cooked
2 pounds shrimp, cleaned and deveined – and no tails
olive oil
HOW TO:
You need a pretty large stock pot....preparing as follows....
COOK THE OKRA:
Start with 3 Tablespoons olive oil and 2 Teaspoons butter melted in a med-high heat. Add sliced okra and cook till sides are crispy brown, not burnt. Remove from pan and set aside.
COOK Onion, Celery and peppers in 3 Tablespoons olive oil till tender. Removed from pan and set aside.
MAKE THE ROUX:
Roux is cooked butter and flour used as a thickening agent to many dishes. In gumbo it is all about the roux being a deep brown, almost chocolate or brick red color. Just make sure to be quite attentive while it is cooking, cuz if you burn it you get to start all over again!
Over med-low heat melt butter and add the flour using a whisk. Stir often and allow to cook for 15 minutes (yes, please use a timer) and eyeball whether the color is rich and dark...if it is you are done, if not let it keep cooking for another 5 minutes or so. The end result is a very velvety smooth, dark brown, slurry. Keep this in the pan and get ready to finish the gumbo....
TO THE ROUX ADD:
Seasonings, all vegetables, stock, clams, tomatoes and simmer.
COOK the Andouille sausage in a skillet till the slices are browned on both sides and then add to the pot.
ADD the shrimp, stir well, cover and let simmer 30-45 minutes...done.
SERVE the gumbo in individual bowls (I think the ones used for spaghetti are best) over some steamed white rice. Garnish with a little chopped fresh parsley and serve with thick slices of crusty bread.
Enjoy!
Chery
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter
¾ cup flour
½ large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 small bell peppers (green, yellow, red)
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 cup sliced okra
1 can minced clams, with juice
3 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups roasted tomatoes, with juice (slice up about 5 tomatoes on a cookie sheet, top with a little olive oil/salt/pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes)
3 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Teaspoon thyme leaves
1 Teaspoon basil leaves
½ Teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ½ cups Andouille sausage, 1/4 inch sliced diagonally and cooked
2 pounds shrimp, cleaned and deveined – and no tails
olive oil
HOW TO:
You need a pretty large stock pot....preparing as follows....
COOK THE OKRA:
Start with 3 Tablespoons olive oil and 2 Teaspoons butter melted in a med-high heat. Add sliced okra and cook till sides are crispy brown, not burnt. Remove from pan and set aside.
COOK Onion, Celery and peppers in 3 Tablespoons olive oil till tender. Removed from pan and set aside.
MAKE THE ROUX:
Roux is cooked butter and flour used as a thickening agent to many dishes. In gumbo it is all about the roux being a deep brown, almost chocolate or brick red color. Just make sure to be quite attentive while it is cooking, cuz if you burn it you get to start all over again!
Over med-low heat melt butter and add the flour using a whisk. Stir often and allow to cook for 15 minutes (yes, please use a timer) and eyeball whether the color is rich and dark...if it is you are done, if not let it keep cooking for another 5 minutes or so. The end result is a very velvety smooth, dark brown, slurry. Keep this in the pan and get ready to finish the gumbo....
TO THE ROUX ADD:
Seasonings, all vegetables, stock, clams, tomatoes and simmer.
COOK the Andouille sausage in a skillet till the slices are browned on both sides and then add to the pot.
ADD the shrimp, stir well, cover and let simmer 30-45 minutes...done.
SERVE the gumbo in individual bowls (I think the ones used for spaghetti are best) over some steamed white rice. Garnish with a little chopped fresh parsley and serve with thick slices of crusty bread.
Enjoy!
Chery
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Okra, it IS good - whoda thunk it???
I can admit when I am WRONG!
I can admit when I am WRONG!
I can admit when I am WRONG!
Yes, I admit it – Okra is not the bottom of the vegetable food chain as I previous stated in one of my posts – of course now I have to figure out what is!! It has been bugging me that I didn't follow through on my promise to Debbie at Stoneybrook that I would indeed cook up the okra in our market basket, so today was the day to make good. In my head I'm thinking, ok I will just make a tiny batch because I KNOW it will be wretched. (sorry, being honest here)
I've added a picture of the fresh okra next to the blog – you'll see the difference between the standard variety which is very slender to the size difference of the Star of David variety.
INGREDIENTS (for my small batch)
2 Yukon Gold potatoes
2 Star of David Okra (these are much larger than the counterparts I'm used to seeing in my Gumbo)
¼ of a vidalia onion
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons butter
Salt/Pepper to taste
HOW TO:
Using a large skillet at medium heat I melted the butter in the oil. Using a mandolin I sliced the potatoes and okra (which do resemble stars once cut) into ¼ inch slices and put them in the skillet. I julienned the onion and added that on top of the potatoes and okra.
I cooked the potatoes and okra turning routinely so they browned evenly and once the potatoes were tender in the middle I took them out. Immediately sprinkle the vegetables with salt and some freshly ground pepper and you are done.
I think multiplying this quantity would be easy enough, however I would caution to not overcrowd your skillet so that you obtain maximum crunch factor on the outside of both the potatoes and okra. Probably easy enough to just do in batches, keeping the completed batches in the oven on warm till ready to serve.
RESULTS
I will admit it, I really enjoyed the okra. I think it absorbed a bit of the potato and onion flavors, but most of all it was not slimy! By turning the vegetables during the cooking process it kept them browning throughout and resulted in a nice crunch when you bit into it.
I can see doing this regularly with dinner or event at breakfast with a nice side of over-easy eggs!
Enjoy,
Cheryl
I can admit when I am WRONG!
I can admit when I am WRONG!
Yes, I admit it – Okra is not the bottom of the vegetable food chain as I previous stated in one of my posts – of course now I have to figure out what is!! It has been bugging me that I didn't follow through on my promise to Debbie at Stoneybrook that I would indeed cook up the okra in our market basket, so today was the day to make good. In my head I'm thinking, ok I will just make a tiny batch because I KNOW it will be wretched. (sorry, being honest here)
I've added a picture of the fresh okra next to the blog – you'll see the difference between the standard variety which is very slender to the size difference of the Star of David variety.
INGREDIENTS (for my small batch)
2 Yukon Gold potatoes
2 Star of David Okra (these are much larger than the counterparts I'm used to seeing in my Gumbo)
¼ of a vidalia onion
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons butter
Salt/Pepper to taste
HOW TO:
Using a large skillet at medium heat I melted the butter in the oil. Using a mandolin I sliced the potatoes and okra (which do resemble stars once cut) into ¼ inch slices and put them in the skillet. I julienned the onion and added that on top of the potatoes and okra.
I cooked the potatoes and okra turning routinely so they browned evenly and once the potatoes were tender in the middle I took them out. Immediately sprinkle the vegetables with salt and some freshly ground pepper and you are done.
I think multiplying this quantity would be easy enough, however I would caution to not overcrowd your skillet so that you obtain maximum crunch factor on the outside of both the potatoes and okra. Probably easy enough to just do in batches, keeping the completed batches in the oven on warm till ready to serve.
RESULTS
I will admit it, I really enjoyed the okra. I think it absorbed a bit of the potato and onion flavors, but most of all it was not slimy! By turning the vegetables during the cooking process it kept them browning throughout and resulted in a nice crunch when you bit into it.
I can see doing this regularly with dinner or event at breakfast with a nice side of over-easy eggs!
Enjoy,
Cheryl
Friday, August 20, 2010
Fresh Basil Pesto n' Pasta Dinner
I realize that I post these wonderful recipes and merrily go about my way to enjoy meals with my husband and family totally forgetting to share how nice these dishes look!! My sincere apologies, because we all know we taste with our eyes as well as our palates. That being said, please see a picture, when available, inset to the right of the posts!
Last night we made fresh Pesto. Seriously people how much more simple can a dinner be than to throw a few crazy good ingredients in a blender, mix it up with some hot pasta and serve? All told I think it was about 10 minutes prep and blend time and 7 minutes to cook the spaghetti...and don't forget the 1.5 minutes to open the bottle of wine and pour a glass. Yes, it was the most vibrant green on the cool cream color of the pasta and the deep crimson of the wine – satisfying to the eyes to say the least. The garlic, citrus and piquantness of the fresh Basil provided a lightheaded feeling from the rich aroma....even before one drop of the wine was consumed. The taste – well humbly I say that it was delicious!!
If you haven't made pesto before, do not fear....it is really easy.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed, dried and stems removed
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 rounded teaspoon garlic, minced
1-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
HOW TO:
Pull out your blender and put pine nuts, and pulse a few times to get them started. Add the garlic and basil, pulse a few more times. We add ½ the oil and blend really well then add lemon juice. While blender is on running, slowly add the remaining oil till you have a smooth mixture. Add cheese, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper – blend well. Taste – you may need to adjust the level of salt and pepper. We prefer our Pesto more sauce-like versus some of the recipes that feature a higher content of basil. Feel free to adjust according to your own likes! You can multiply this recipe up to cater to the size of your serving audience as this recipe can serve 2 very hungry individuals or 3-4 people as long as you are serving salad, perhaps a protein side and a yummy dessert :-)
SERVING:
Cook and drain the pasta and add the amount of Pesto you like and mix well – serve with a little more grated Parmesan on top!
OPTIONS:
Substitute Walnuts instead of Pine Nuts
Substitute Parsley in place of the Basil
Substitute your favorite oil
Try toasting the nuts in a dry pan on med-high heat just till they start to turn light brown (walnuts too)
Use as a marinade on fish, pork, beef or chicken before grilling or roasting
Enjoy!
Cheryl
Last night we made fresh Pesto. Seriously people how much more simple can a dinner be than to throw a few crazy good ingredients in a blender, mix it up with some hot pasta and serve? All told I think it was about 10 minutes prep and blend time and 7 minutes to cook the spaghetti...and don't forget the 1.5 minutes to open the bottle of wine and pour a glass. Yes, it was the most vibrant green on the cool cream color of the pasta and the deep crimson of the wine – satisfying to the eyes to say the least. The garlic, citrus and piquantness of the fresh Basil provided a lightheaded feeling from the rich aroma....even before one drop of the wine was consumed. The taste – well humbly I say that it was delicious!!
If you haven't made pesto before, do not fear....it is really easy.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed, dried and stems removed
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 rounded teaspoon garlic, minced
1-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
HOW TO:
Pull out your blender and put pine nuts, and pulse a few times to get them started. Add the garlic and basil, pulse a few more times. We add ½ the oil and blend really well then add lemon juice. While blender is on running, slowly add the remaining oil till you have a smooth mixture. Add cheese, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper – blend well. Taste – you may need to adjust the level of salt and pepper. We prefer our Pesto more sauce-like versus some of the recipes that feature a higher content of basil. Feel free to adjust according to your own likes! You can multiply this recipe up to cater to the size of your serving audience as this recipe can serve 2 very hungry individuals or 3-4 people as long as you are serving salad, perhaps a protein side and a yummy dessert :-)
SERVING:
Cook and drain the pasta and add the amount of Pesto you like and mix well – serve with a little more grated Parmesan on top!
OPTIONS:
Substitute Walnuts instead of Pine Nuts
Substitute Parsley in place of the Basil
Substitute your favorite oil
Try toasting the nuts in a dry pan on med-high heat just till they start to turn light brown (walnuts too)
Use as a marinade on fish, pork, beef or chicken before grilling or roasting
Enjoy!
Cheryl
Thursday, August 19, 2010
1/2 Way Thru the CSA Season-ALREADY! Mashers on the menu...
Welcome to Week 10 – cannot believe we are half way through the Stoneybrook Farm 2010 share!!! The potatoes from our CSA market basket are getting more and more plentiful and the size has increased as the season is lengthening. A new item, to us anyway, popped into the box this week – Star of David Okra. It is larger than the “normal” okra we're used to seeing. My son suggested making Gumbo – and with the tomatoes and okra at hand...that's a great idea...stay tuned!
You may notice in this week's picture a cup of coffee – I enjoyed this rich and very aromatic cup of when I went to pick up my CSA share at Stoneybrook. I was really pleased to learn that the beans are roasted locally! Just one more reason to go visit!!
In the newsletter from Stoneybrook Debbie publishes her simple way to prepare okra saying they are crunchy not goopy – so I really need to step up and try it this week. Pretty easy dish – slice potatoes and okra thinly, stirfry in butter and/or oil until brown then sprinkle with salt...voila!
For our family mashed potatoes are some what of a religious experience....they go with just about everything and our kids love them. That being said, mashed potatoes seem to stump a lot of us because they can turn out lumpy or have a glue-like texture. Thankfully my Mother-in-law provided the cure for ever having less than stellar mashed potatoes! I did add my own tweak here and there, but really is a pretty simple method and since preparing them this way they turn our wonderful every time.
INGREDIENTS:
5 pounds redskin, yukon golds or russet potatoes (your choice)
Chicken Stock – (homemade is great, but if not on hand use 2 large containers of your favorite store brand)
Water
Sour Cream
Cottage Cheese (small curd)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder (if you like)
Seasoned Salt
Fresh Parsley or Chives
HOW TO:
Prepare your potatoes by skinning ½ and leaving the skins on the other half of a 5 pound bag then cut them into quarters. Place in a large stockpot and add the 2 cans of chicken stock, if it doesn't cover the potatoes, then add water to top it off.
Boil potatoes till a knife stuck through the largest one slides in and out with no resistance. Drain well in a colander.
While potatoes are boiling mix in food processor or blender:
Approximately – 11/2 cup sour cream and 1 1/2cup cottage cheese with 1 TBLSP salt and 1 TBLSP pepper, add 1 Teaspoon garlic powder if you like. Blend them well and set aside.
When the potatoes are done and drained, while still hot put them into your mixer (use the paddle not the whisk) and start mixing the potatoes and your wet ingredients together a bit at a time. What you are looking for is smooth, but not totally lump free (because we like them with a little texture). If you don't think you have enough of the wet mixture, make more. If its not salty enough, add more...and so on.
Put in a serving dish and sprinkle a bit of Seasoned Salt on the top and if you like add a bit of chopped parsley or chives. These are great to make the day before - especially at Thanksgiving time when you don't have enough time to do everything you need to do anyway. Just cover and refrigerate in an oven-safe container, then just heat at 350 degrees for about 45 min to 1 hr and serve.
Enjoy!
Cheryl
You may notice in this week's picture a cup of coffee – I enjoyed this rich and very aromatic cup of when I went to pick up my CSA share at Stoneybrook. I was really pleased to learn that the beans are roasted locally! Just one more reason to go visit!!
In the newsletter from Stoneybrook Debbie publishes her simple way to prepare okra saying they are crunchy not goopy – so I really need to step up and try it this week. Pretty easy dish – slice potatoes and okra thinly, stirfry in butter and/or oil until brown then sprinkle with salt...voila!
For our family mashed potatoes are some what of a religious experience....they go with just about everything and our kids love them. That being said, mashed potatoes seem to stump a lot of us because they can turn out lumpy or have a glue-like texture. Thankfully my Mother-in-law provided the cure for ever having less than stellar mashed potatoes! I did add my own tweak here and there, but really is a pretty simple method and since preparing them this way they turn our wonderful every time.
INGREDIENTS:
5 pounds redskin, yukon golds or russet potatoes (your choice)
Chicken Stock – (homemade is great, but if not on hand use 2 large containers of your favorite store brand)
Water
Sour Cream
Cottage Cheese (small curd)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder (if you like)
Seasoned Salt
Fresh Parsley or Chives
HOW TO:
Prepare your potatoes by skinning ½ and leaving the skins on the other half of a 5 pound bag then cut them into quarters. Place in a large stockpot and add the 2 cans of chicken stock, if it doesn't cover the potatoes, then add water to top it off.
Boil potatoes till a knife stuck through the largest one slides in and out with no resistance. Drain well in a colander.
While potatoes are boiling mix in food processor or blender:
Approximately – 11/2 cup sour cream and 1 1/2cup cottage cheese with 1 TBLSP salt and 1 TBLSP pepper, add 1 Teaspoon garlic powder if you like. Blend them well and set aside.
When the potatoes are done and drained, while still hot put them into your mixer (use the paddle not the whisk) and start mixing the potatoes and your wet ingredients together a bit at a time. What you are looking for is smooth, but not totally lump free (because we like them with a little texture). If you don't think you have enough of the wet mixture, make more. If its not salty enough, add more...and so on.
Put in a serving dish and sprinkle a bit of Seasoned Salt on the top and if you like add a bit of chopped parsley or chives. These are great to make the day before - especially at Thanksgiving time when you don't have enough time to do everything you need to do anyway. Just cover and refrigerate in an oven-safe container, then just heat at 350 degrees for about 45 min to 1 hr and serve.
Enjoy!
Cheryl
Friday, August 13, 2010
Hi, I'm Cheryl and I'm a Carnivore....
No offense to my vegetarian, vegan or pescatarian friends and followers....but I love meat! My blog so far has really focused on the fruits of the field so I wanted to throw out a meat dish for those of us who do enjoy our carnivore status in this life. I'm really not TOO choosy when it comes to the protein of choice – chicken, pork, turkey, beef, venison (tenderloin only), lamb (chops only), etc. This is one of our favorite quick meals during the week, especially when you've had “one of those days” and just want to slap something quick, but yummy, together.
Today's recipe topic – Pork Tenderloin with Herb Marinade
INGREDIENTS:
Pork Tenderloin (normally 2 to a package)
Olive Oil
Herbs (your choice: rosemary, thyme, chives, basil, parsley, etc.)
Salt/Pepper
Garlic cloves (3-4)
PREP PORK:
Remove the tenderloin from their package and rinse, pat dry with paper towel. There is some membrane on the outside of the tenderloin, called silverskin, that you should remove. Use a sharp knife and separate the end of the silverskin and take hold – pull up a bit and run the knife closest to the silverskin and remove. Repeat as necessary.
MARINADE:
In a blender put ½ cup olive oil, 3-4 cloves of garlic and 1/4-1/2 cup of your herbs of choice, fresh of course. Add about a Tablespoon of salt and Tablespoon of ground pepper and blend well.
Place the marinade in a large ziplock bag and add tenderloins. Seal and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can leave marinating overnight to be ready for dinner the next day!
COOKING:
Step One: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Step Two: Sear the tenderloins. This can be done on your gas grill on your stove top. If using the grill put all burners on high for 15 min prior to searing the meat. Using your stove top use an aluminum or cast iron pan that is heated on med-high for a couple min (till a drop of water dances to evaporation quickly) add a little peanut or olive oil right before adding your meat.
Sear the meat rotating just till each side becomes golden brown and carmelized.
Step Three: Move seared meat to a cookie sheet (unless you seared in an oven safe skillet) and place in oven for 20 min. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes loosely covered with aluminum foil on a cutting board.
Step Four: When rested, with a sharp knife slice thinly on the bias and serve!
While this pork recipe is great all on its own with a couple of side dishes we like to pair it with a fresh fruit chutney, based on the season of course. It is a simple preparation with big reward in flavor!
Cherry Chutney
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and roughly chopped in large pieces
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup chopped onions
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup cran-raisins
2 tablespoon minced candied ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each ground allspice, ground cloves, ground nutmeg and cinnamon
HOW TO:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil covered for 3 min then reduce heat and allow to simmer uncovered till thickened...about 15-30 minutes – make sure you stir regularly during this time. Let cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator till ready to use. Serve at room temperature!
This is great with pork, chicken and can be used as a topping for brie, crackers or even pizza!
Enjoy!!
Cheryl
Today's recipe topic – Pork Tenderloin with Herb Marinade
INGREDIENTS:
Pork Tenderloin (normally 2 to a package)
Olive Oil
Herbs (your choice: rosemary, thyme, chives, basil, parsley, etc.)
Salt/Pepper
Garlic cloves (3-4)
PREP PORK:
Remove the tenderloin from their package and rinse, pat dry with paper towel. There is some membrane on the outside of the tenderloin, called silverskin, that you should remove. Use a sharp knife and separate the end of the silverskin and take hold – pull up a bit and run the knife closest to the silverskin and remove. Repeat as necessary.
MARINADE:
In a blender put ½ cup olive oil, 3-4 cloves of garlic and 1/4-1/2 cup of your herbs of choice, fresh of course. Add about a Tablespoon of salt and Tablespoon of ground pepper and blend well.
Place the marinade in a large ziplock bag and add tenderloins. Seal and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can leave marinating overnight to be ready for dinner the next day!
COOKING:
Step One: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Step Two: Sear the tenderloins. This can be done on your gas grill on your stove top. If using the grill put all burners on high for 15 min prior to searing the meat. Using your stove top use an aluminum or cast iron pan that is heated on med-high for a couple min (till a drop of water dances to evaporation quickly) add a little peanut or olive oil right before adding your meat.
Sear the meat rotating just till each side becomes golden brown and carmelized.
Step Three: Move seared meat to a cookie sheet (unless you seared in an oven safe skillet) and place in oven for 20 min. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes loosely covered with aluminum foil on a cutting board.
Step Four: When rested, with a sharp knife slice thinly on the bias and serve!
While this pork recipe is great all on its own with a couple of side dishes we like to pair it with a fresh fruit chutney, based on the season of course. It is a simple preparation with big reward in flavor!
Cherry Chutney
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and roughly chopped in large pieces
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup chopped onions
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup cran-raisins
2 tablespoon minced candied ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each ground allspice, ground cloves, ground nutmeg and cinnamon
HOW TO:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil covered for 3 min then reduce heat and allow to simmer uncovered till thickened...about 15-30 minutes – make sure you stir regularly during this time. Let cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator till ready to use. Serve at room temperature!
This is great with pork, chicken and can be used as a topping for brie, crackers or even pizza!
Enjoy!!
Cheryl
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Soup's ON!!
Ok, I realize it is 100 bazillion degrees outside and no rain in site – at least in the 20141, but even in the dead of summer I find soup to be a very enjoyable meal. Paired with a nice summer salad and a great bread it is a light, but very satisfying dinner.
Our tomato plants are finally giving up some tasty treats – we planted a couple Big Boys and one yellow Grape tomato plant and are very happy with our results. I did pick a few early for fried green tomatoes, but that's a subject for another post for sure.
Our CSA market basket has also been providing a lot of tomato action as well. We've made Gazpacho, Ratatouille and Spaghetti Sauce, so what's next....tomato soup! It is truly a simple 3 step process, not very labor intensive and the end result is just lovely. My recipe feeds 4, so you can double, triple to meet your family's needs.
INGREDIENTS:
8 medium tomatoes (if you have cherry or grape tomatoes you can use about 6 cups)
4 cloves garlic
olive oil
salt/pepper
HOW TO:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the top and bottom of the tomato then squeeze gently to remove some of the seeds. Slice in ¼ inch slices and lay on a cookie sheet. If you are using cherry tomatoes – just wash and put on the cookie sheet whole.
Sprinkle the tomatoes with olive oil and some salt and pepper.
Take each clove of garlic, DO NOT take off the outer casing, just cut a bit off the bottom and throw them into the pan with the tomatoes.
Bake for 30 minutes.
ASSEMBLY:
Remove the pan from the oven and pick out the garlic cloves. Squeeze the softened garlic from its casing and put in blender.
Add all the tomatoes and juice to blender.
PUT THE LID ON THE BLENDER :-)
Puree till smooth.
Using a fine mesh strainer – put the puree through using the back of a ladle and discard any remaining seeds and skins to the trash.
Add additional salt and pepper to taste, blend well and now you have an amazing tomato soup!!!
STORAGE:
I store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within a couple days of making the soup. I have not tried to freeze, but imagine it would do very well – would be great way to have fresh tomato soup in the winter for sure!
ENJOY!!
Cheryl
Our tomato plants are finally giving up some tasty treats – we planted a couple Big Boys and one yellow Grape tomato plant and are very happy with our results. I did pick a few early for fried green tomatoes, but that's a subject for another post for sure.
Our CSA market basket has also been providing a lot of tomato action as well. We've made Gazpacho, Ratatouille and Spaghetti Sauce, so what's next....tomato soup! It is truly a simple 3 step process, not very labor intensive and the end result is just lovely. My recipe feeds 4, so you can double, triple to meet your family's needs.
INGREDIENTS:
8 medium tomatoes (if you have cherry or grape tomatoes you can use about 6 cups)
4 cloves garlic
olive oil
salt/pepper
HOW TO:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the top and bottom of the tomato then squeeze gently to remove some of the seeds. Slice in ¼ inch slices and lay on a cookie sheet. If you are using cherry tomatoes – just wash and put on the cookie sheet whole.
Sprinkle the tomatoes with olive oil and some salt and pepper.
Take each clove of garlic, DO NOT take off the outer casing, just cut a bit off the bottom and throw them into the pan with the tomatoes.
Bake for 30 minutes.
ASSEMBLY:
Remove the pan from the oven and pick out the garlic cloves. Squeeze the softened garlic from its casing and put in blender.
Add all the tomatoes and juice to blender.
PUT THE LID ON THE BLENDER :-)
Puree till smooth.
Using a fine mesh strainer – put the puree through using the back of a ladle and discard any remaining seeds and skins to the trash.
Add additional salt and pepper to taste, blend well and now you have an amazing tomato soup!!!
STORAGE:
I store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within a couple days of making the soup. I have not tried to freeze, but imagine it would do very well – would be great way to have fresh tomato soup in the winter for sure!
ENJOY!!
Cheryl
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Ratatouille - NO, not the Movie!!
The abundance of vegetables gave us the perfect opportunity to do Ratatouille. There are many recipes for this dish and many of them cook everything in one pot. Well, I prefer to do each veggie separate and then layer in a casserole dish. I just think you get better flavor profiles as you bite into the dish versus all the flavors melding together. It can look a bit daunting, but it really isn't that difficult. We used this as a side dish to pork tenderloin and cherry chutney.
In this week's pic you'll see Okra - of all the vegetables in the food chain this is the one that is at the bottom in my opinion. I've never gotten the hang of it, but Debbie at Stoneybrook assures me that if you slice it and fry it up with potatoes (letting both vegetables get crispy) I will love them. I promise to give it a try!
Cheryl's Ratatouille
INGREDIENTS:
2 medium eggplant
2 Vidalia onions
6 small yellow squash
6 tomatoes (I mixed red, yellow and heirloom)
2 red peppers
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
3 cloves fresh garlic
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Fresh Thyme (1 ½ Tablespoons)
Fresh Basil (8 leaves sliced into thin strips)
Dried Italian Seasoning blend (1 ½ Tablespoons)
1/4-1/2 cup of Parmesean Cheese
HOW TO:
This is a somewhat orderly process, so be patient as you will be rewarded with a very flavorful dish!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the top and bottom of tomatoes and squeeze gently to remove some of the seeds (keep the shape of the tomato so don't squash it!) Once you've completed that step then slice all the tomatoes evenly and line them on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and olive oil. Put them in the oven for about 30 min. You want the tomatoes to be soft but not falling apart, take them out of the oven and set aside till you are ready to assemble.
Eggplant: slice in ½ inch slices and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt on both sides and allow to sit for 20 min to draw out the bitterness of the vegetable. Pat each slice with a paper towel then cut into ½ inch pieces, set aside.
While you are waiting for those you can prep your other vegetables: Slice onion in half then slice thinly, set aside. Slice squash (I like to use a mandolin because it goes faster, but if you don't have one just slice into ¼ inch round slices), set aside. Seed and devein the peppers and cut into ½ inch pieces, set aside. Chop the fresh garlic finely, set aside.
Use a good size saute pan, I prefer a 12 inch non-stick. Medium-high heat for each vegetable, cooking them individually.
Onions – add olive oil to pan (couple tablespoons) add onions and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Saute till onions are tender and a little carmelized, set aside in a bowl when done.
Peppers - add olive oil to pan (couple tablespoons) add peppers and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Saute till peppers are tender and a little but not mooshy, set aside in a bowl when done.
Squash - add olive oil to pan (couple tablespoons) add squash slices and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Saute till squash has a little color and are tender. Set aside in a bowl when done.
Eggplant - add olive oil to pan (couple tablespoons) add eggplant pieces and a sprinkle of pepper and thyme. Saute till the eggplant is tender and has a some color, add chopped garlic about ½ way through the cooking. Set aside in a bowl when done.
ASSEMBLY – use a nice casserole dish and put the eggplant in first spreading evenly across the bottom of the dish. Repeat with onions and squash. Place a layer of the tomato slices using a spatula to transfer from the cookie sheet to your dish. (should be enough for 2 layers..so split up what you have in half.) Layer peppers in and sprinkle some Italian Seasoning evenly across them. Add your second layer of tomato slices and then sprinkle your Parmesean cheese evenly over the top.
You can prepare this the day before and keep refrigerated.
HEATING / SERVING:
Before serving heat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes or until the dish is bubbling.
OPTIONS:
The nice thing about Ratatouille is that you can use the type of vegetables you enjoy. Other recommendations: mushrooms, zucchini, collard greens or Swiss Chard!
Enjoy,
Cheryl
In this week's pic you'll see Okra - of all the vegetables in the food chain this is the one that is at the bottom in my opinion. I've never gotten the hang of it, but Debbie at Stoneybrook assures me that if you slice it and fry it up with potatoes (letting both vegetables get crispy) I will love them. I promise to give it a try!
Cheryl's Ratatouille
INGREDIENTS:
2 medium eggplant
2 Vidalia onions
6 small yellow squash
6 tomatoes (I mixed red, yellow and heirloom)
2 red peppers
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
3 cloves fresh garlic
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Fresh Thyme (1 ½ Tablespoons)
Fresh Basil (8 leaves sliced into thin strips)
Dried Italian Seasoning blend (1 ½ Tablespoons)
1/4-1/2 cup of Parmesean Cheese
HOW TO:
This is a somewhat orderly process, so be patient as you will be rewarded with a very flavorful dish!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the top and bottom of tomatoes and squeeze gently to remove some of the seeds (keep the shape of the tomato so don't squash it!) Once you've completed that step then slice all the tomatoes evenly and line them on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and olive oil. Put them in the oven for about 30 min. You want the tomatoes to be soft but not falling apart, take them out of the oven and set aside till you are ready to assemble.
Eggplant: slice in ½ inch slices and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt on both sides and allow to sit for 20 min to draw out the bitterness of the vegetable. Pat each slice with a paper towel then cut into ½ inch pieces, set aside.
While you are waiting for those you can prep your other vegetables: Slice onion in half then slice thinly, set aside. Slice squash (I like to use a mandolin because it goes faster, but if you don't have one just slice into ¼ inch round slices), set aside. Seed and devein the peppers and cut into ½ inch pieces, set aside. Chop the fresh garlic finely, set aside.
Use a good size saute pan, I prefer a 12 inch non-stick. Medium-high heat for each vegetable, cooking them individually.
Onions – add olive oil to pan (couple tablespoons) add onions and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Saute till onions are tender and a little carmelized, set aside in a bowl when done.
Peppers - add olive oil to pan (couple tablespoons) add peppers and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Saute till peppers are tender and a little but not mooshy, set aside in a bowl when done.
Squash - add olive oil to pan (couple tablespoons) add squash slices and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Saute till squash has a little color and are tender. Set aside in a bowl when done.
Eggplant - add olive oil to pan (couple tablespoons) add eggplant pieces and a sprinkle of pepper and thyme. Saute till the eggplant is tender and has a some color, add chopped garlic about ½ way through the cooking. Set aside in a bowl when done.
ASSEMBLY – use a nice casserole dish and put the eggplant in first spreading evenly across the bottom of the dish. Repeat with onions and squash. Place a layer of the tomato slices using a spatula to transfer from the cookie sheet to your dish. (should be enough for 2 layers..so split up what you have in half.) Layer peppers in and sprinkle some Italian Seasoning evenly across them. Add your second layer of tomato slices and then sprinkle your Parmesean cheese evenly over the top.
You can prepare this the day before and keep refrigerated.
HEATING / SERVING:
Before serving heat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes or until the dish is bubbling.
OPTIONS:
The nice thing about Ratatouille is that you can use the type of vegetables you enjoy. Other recommendations: mushrooms, zucchini, collard greens or Swiss Chard!
Enjoy,
Cheryl
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Eggplant, Garlic and Hot Peppers...OH MY!!
Week 8 is bringing in some new produce items we are very excited about - in particular eggplant, garlic and hot peppers. I'm a fan of Baba Ghanoush, Hummus and fresh pita so this time of year really allows the home foodie to get creative with these types of treats. Stoneybrook has a really simple recipe for the Baba Ghanoush featuring the eggplant and garlic. I'm taking on the hot peppers this week!!
Since we are looking at tapas style dining featuring cool treats, here are a couple of salsa recipes I hope you find as delicious as we do. In addition we've added a fabulous Martini recipe we make that is sweet with a nice kick of heat thrown in!!
Cranberry Salsa
1 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup lime juice
2 garlic cloves minced
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
Use food processor to chop up cranberries. Add all ingredients together and refrigerate for a couple hours, or overnight. Put in bowl and serve with tortilla chips.
Mango Salsa
2 ripe Mangos, diced
1 small red onion diced
2 limes, juiced
2 Tablespoons fresh chopped Cilantro
Salt, to taste
Once you've prepped the mango, onion, Cilantro and lime juice – combine together then add salt to suit your taste. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour prior to serving.
Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
A great option is to substitute Pineapple for the Mango!!
FOR ADULTS ONLY:
Hot Blueberry Martini
Get a bottle of vodka and add frozen blueberries (for 1/5 probably 1/3 of the bag will do) – let sit for a couple days – it WILL turn blue.
In a saucepan add 2 cups sugar with 2 cups water, 2 jalapenos or 2 habaneros (depending on what you like better) seeds removed and cut in quarters, and one lime rind. Simmer this mixture for about 10 min – you are looking for the liquid to thicken up a bit and all the sugar to dissolve. Remove the lime rind and hot peppers then strain the liquid through a tightly woven strainer to make sure you get all seeds. Cool. Put in a sealed container and keep in the fridge.
Rim mix – take 1 rind of a lime chopped and ¼ cup sugar and grind together in a coffee mill till fluffy.
Juice a lime and put in a salad plate (or bowl as long as your martini glass can fit in it to get the rim wet)
Rim your glasses with juice then sugar/lime mix
Take a martini shaker and add ice cubes, 3 shots of vodka and 1 ½ shots of hot pepper simple syrup. Shake like mad :-) Pour into your glass and enjoy!
Cheers,
Cheryl
Since we are looking at tapas style dining featuring cool treats, here are a couple of salsa recipes I hope you find as delicious as we do. In addition we've added a fabulous Martini recipe we make that is sweet with a nice kick of heat thrown in!!
Cranberry Salsa
1 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup lime juice
2 garlic cloves minced
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
Use food processor to chop up cranberries. Add all ingredients together and refrigerate for a couple hours, or overnight. Put in bowl and serve with tortilla chips.
Mango Salsa
2 ripe Mangos, diced
1 small red onion diced
2 limes, juiced
2 Tablespoons fresh chopped Cilantro
Salt, to taste
Once you've prepped the mango, onion, Cilantro and lime juice – combine together then add salt to suit your taste. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour prior to serving.
Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
A great option is to substitute Pineapple for the Mango!!
FOR ADULTS ONLY:
Hot Blueberry Martini
Get a bottle of vodka and add frozen blueberries (for 1/5 probably 1/3 of the bag will do) – let sit for a couple days – it WILL turn blue.
In a saucepan add 2 cups sugar with 2 cups water, 2 jalapenos or 2 habaneros (depending on what you like better) seeds removed and cut in quarters, and one lime rind. Simmer this mixture for about 10 min – you are looking for the liquid to thicken up a bit and all the sugar to dissolve. Remove the lime rind and hot peppers then strain the liquid through a tightly woven strainer to make sure you get all seeds. Cool. Put in a sealed container and keep in the fridge.
Rim mix – take 1 rind of a lime chopped and ¼ cup sugar and grind together in a coffee mill till fluffy.
Juice a lime and put in a salad plate (or bowl as long as your martini glass can fit in it to get the rim wet)
Rim your glasses with juice then sugar/lime mix
Take a martini shaker and add ice cubes, 3 shots of vodka and 1 ½ shots of hot pepper simple syrup. Shake like mad :-) Pour into your glass and enjoy!
Cheers,
Cheryl
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Week 7 Veggies....and more!
I had to put out a quick post after getting home and unpacking all my goodies this week from Stoneybrook Farm. Why, you ask - whether you did or didn't I'm going to tell you anyway....
My basket had some familiar items: red leaf lettuce, basil, cantaloupe, carrots, swiss chard, tomatoes and new potatoes, but this week we had some wonderful new items as well....green and yellow peppers and eggplant. Very excited to see the eggplant coming in now!!
As you will see in the picture there were a couple items that were definitely NOT from the field. The Farm Store is carrying local organic goods including free-range chicken, local organic beef and eggs. Today was a bonus - fresh yogurt, ricotta and several varieties of cheese and BUTTER (sweet salted and unsalted)!!! They are also carrying blueberries and the largest sweetest blackberries I've had in a long time (sorry Wegman's).
Seriously, I've already snarfed down one bowl of yogurt and blueberries to which I added a bit of vanilla - and am ready for seconds! Look for another post as we work through the weekly items at dinner time.
Cheers!
Cheryl
My basket had some familiar items: red leaf lettuce, basil, cantaloupe, carrots, swiss chard, tomatoes and new potatoes, but this week we had some wonderful new items as well....green and yellow peppers and eggplant. Very excited to see the eggplant coming in now!!
As you will see in the picture there were a couple items that were definitely NOT from the field. The Farm Store is carrying local organic goods including free-range chicken, local organic beef and eggs. Today was a bonus - fresh yogurt, ricotta and several varieties of cheese and BUTTER (sweet salted and unsalted)!!! They are also carrying blueberries and the largest sweetest blackberries I've had in a long time (sorry Wegman's).
Seriously, I've already snarfed down one bowl of yogurt and blueberries to which I added a bit of vanilla - and am ready for seconds! Look for another post as we work through the weekly items at dinner time.
Cheers!
Cheryl
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Time for PIE!
Stoneybrook Farm Market Basket Week 6
As you can see from the pic the lettuce and cukes are still coming in strong. Beets, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes and Cantaloupe, fresh dill are also part of the veggie party in a box week 6 from Stoneybrook Farm. So, what's the newcomer to the party?? Potatoes, new baby white and red potatoes and they are so cute I could just eat 'em up...wait, that's exactly what I WILL do with them! As a matter of fact, our Wednesday nighs have turned into a veg-fest lately....take an assortment of the hearty vegetables from the market basket: add a chopped onion, some olive or peanut oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 30-45 minutes and serve with a salad or couscous and some fresh fruit and voila, dinner is on!!
One of the nicest things about enduring all this mid summer heat is the berries it produces for us to enjoy. Blackberries, Raspberries, and my favorite blueberries are busting with juicy goodness for a great snack, jam/jelly making and yes, pies! This week we had an abundance of blueberries so what better for one of our family dinner desserts than a fresh pie? I've tried lots of recipes and some are too sweet, the filling is too runny or it just doesn't call for enough fruit to make it a nice thick slice of pie when its done. I'll share one that proves over and over to turn out a perfect blueberry pie. You can use it for just about any berry you like, so blackberry may be in our future very soon!!
Easy as pie: Blueberry Pie
As with most pies, it really is all about the crust. While the preparation of pie crust can be intimidating, it shouldn't be! Try this recipe for a regular flour dough crust, but you can always purchase the prepared ones in your refrigerator section...and by all means, do not feel guilty! The other option is to use a graham cracker crust...it works great for berry pies and really is a nice change.
Crust INGREDIENTS:
6 Tablespoons Butter (frozen)
2 Tablespoons Crisco (frozen)
1 Cup flour
½ Teaspoon salt (I always use Kosher)
1 Tablespoon sugar
¼ cup ice water
HOW TO:
Measure out your butter and Crisco ahead, then keep in the freezer till you are ready to use it.
Mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl and with a pastry cutter (or as my grandmother did it, use two everyday knives) cut in your butter and Crisco till you get evenly distributed small pieces throughout. Using a fork, sprinkle in a bit of water at a time (I use a Tablespoon or 2 at a time), mixing after each addition, until the dough holds together enough for you to get it into a ball shape and then flatten into a disk. Wrap with cling wrap and put in the fridge for at least ½ hour to chill thoroughly.
You can do this in a food processor too – dry ingredients (5 pulses), add butter and Crisco (3-4 pulses)...then add a bit of the water, pulse a couple times and repeat till the dough holds together and can be prepared as above.
This recipe makes one crust...if you want a top crust or extra to do a lattice top then just double or do two separate batches.
Flour your prep surface and grab your dough and a rolling pin. Roll out the dough in a circular shape rotating the dough as you go. Once at about 1/4 inch thickness and a bit larger than your pie pan you are ready to go. Transfer to the pan and pinch the edges to give it a fluted appearance.
Pie INGREDIENTS:
4 cups blueberries
6 Tablespoons of Cornstarch (not heaping)
2/3 Cup Sugar
2 ½ Tablespoons of water
2 Tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
¼ Teaspoon of Cinnamon
HOW TO:
Put your crust in your pie pan.
Add berries.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl with a whisk...add the liquids and mix thoroughly.
Pour this mixture all over the top of the berries – DO NOT STIR INTO THE BERRIES
At this point you top with a second full crust, do a lattice crust, or put a crumble topping (which I think is the best option). Easy to do – mix ¼ Cup of sugar, ½ Cup of flour, a dash of Kosher salt and 1 Teaspoon cinnamon together. Using a fork cut in ¼ Cup of butter (1 stick) until crumbly and spread evenly over the top of the berries.
Bake this pie at 375 degrees for 1 hour – if you do not see the mixture bubbling you may need to go an extra 10 to 15 minutes to make sure the cornstarch gets activated to thicken your pie mixture. Also, take a peek about halfway through the baking because if you think the crust is golden enough then take a couple strips of aluminum foil and just cover the edges of the pie, it will keep it from getting over baked.
When done, let this pie cool completely on top of your stove or on a rack to allow good air flow all around the dish. I like to put mine in the fridge for at least a couple of hours before I serve it. The pie is just wonderful all on its own, but if you must dress it up...use fresh whipped cream or a good vanilla ice cream.
ENJOY!!
Stoneybrook Farm Market Basket Week 6
As you can see from the pic the lettuce and cukes are still coming in strong. Beets, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes and Cantaloupe, fresh dill are also part of the veggie party in a box week 6 from Stoneybrook Farm. So, what's the newcomer to the party?? Potatoes, new baby white and red potatoes and they are so cute I could just eat 'em up...wait, that's exactly what I WILL do with them! As a matter of fact, our Wednesday nighs have turned into a veg-fest lately....take an assortment of the hearty vegetables from the market basket: add a chopped onion, some olive or peanut oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 30-45 minutes and serve with a salad or couscous and some fresh fruit and voila, dinner is on!!
One of the nicest things about enduring all this mid summer heat is the berries it produces for us to enjoy. Blackberries, Raspberries, and my favorite blueberries are busting with juicy goodness for a great snack, jam/jelly making and yes, pies! This week we had an abundance of blueberries so what better for one of our family dinner desserts than a fresh pie? I've tried lots of recipes and some are too sweet, the filling is too runny or it just doesn't call for enough fruit to make it a nice thick slice of pie when its done. I'll share one that proves over and over to turn out a perfect blueberry pie. You can use it for just about any berry you like, so blackberry may be in our future very soon!!
Easy as pie: Blueberry Pie
As with most pies, it really is all about the crust. While the preparation of pie crust can be intimidating, it shouldn't be! Try this recipe for a regular flour dough crust, but you can always purchase the prepared ones in your refrigerator section...and by all means, do not feel guilty! The other option is to use a graham cracker crust...it works great for berry pies and really is a nice change.
Crust INGREDIENTS:
6 Tablespoons Butter (frozen)
2 Tablespoons Crisco (frozen)
1 Cup flour
½ Teaspoon salt (I always use Kosher)
1 Tablespoon sugar
¼ cup ice water
HOW TO:
Measure out your butter and Crisco ahead, then keep in the freezer till you are ready to use it.
Mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl and with a pastry cutter (or as my grandmother did it, use two everyday knives) cut in your butter and Crisco till you get evenly distributed small pieces throughout. Using a fork, sprinkle in a bit of water at a time (I use a Tablespoon or 2 at a time), mixing after each addition, until the dough holds together enough for you to get it into a ball shape and then flatten into a disk. Wrap with cling wrap and put in the fridge for at least ½ hour to chill thoroughly.
You can do this in a food processor too – dry ingredients (5 pulses), add butter and Crisco (3-4 pulses)...then add a bit of the water, pulse a couple times and repeat till the dough holds together and can be prepared as above.
This recipe makes one crust...if you want a top crust or extra to do a lattice top then just double or do two separate batches.
Flour your prep surface and grab your dough and a rolling pin. Roll out the dough in a circular shape rotating the dough as you go. Once at about 1/4 inch thickness and a bit larger than your pie pan you are ready to go. Transfer to the pan and pinch the edges to give it a fluted appearance.
Pie INGREDIENTS:
4 cups blueberries
6 Tablespoons of Cornstarch (not heaping)
2/3 Cup Sugar
2 ½ Tablespoons of water
2 Tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
¼ Teaspoon of Cinnamon
HOW TO:
Put your crust in your pie pan.
Add berries.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl with a whisk...add the liquids and mix thoroughly.
Pour this mixture all over the top of the berries – DO NOT STIR INTO THE BERRIES
At this point you top with a second full crust, do a lattice crust, or put a crumble topping (which I think is the best option). Easy to do – mix ¼ Cup of sugar, ½ Cup of flour, a dash of Kosher salt and 1 Teaspoon cinnamon together. Using a fork cut in ¼ Cup of butter (1 stick) until crumbly and spread evenly over the top of the berries.
Bake this pie at 375 degrees for 1 hour – if you do not see the mixture bubbling you may need to go an extra 10 to 15 minutes to make sure the cornstarch gets activated to thicken your pie mixture. Also, take a peek about halfway through the baking because if you think the crust is golden enough then take a couple strips of aluminum foil and just cover the edges of the pie, it will keep it from getting over baked.
When done, let this pie cool completely on top of your stove or on a rack to allow good air flow all around the dish. I like to put mine in the fridge for at least a couple of hours before I serve it. The pie is just wonderful all on its own, but if you must dress it up...use fresh whipped cream or a good vanilla ice cream.
ENJOY!!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Cukes – Hot and Cold!
How glorious to have the rain we have seen in the past couple of days! We plant a small garden each year because it is a real thrill to walk into our backyard and harvest veggies and herbs as our own mini “farm to table” experience. The much needed water out here in the 20141 has made our tomato plants jump into hyper-drive as there are globes of all sizes popping out all over our plants. We did have a little scare as one of the storms that rumbled through with its sideways rain just flattened out our squash plants – I am happy to report they recovered :-)
I can't believe it is Week 5 Market Basket time from Stoneybrook Farm already!! This week's bounty included cukes, tomatoes, basil, baby carrots, beets, red leaf lettuce, swiss chard and yellow squash. I hope you check out the pic of each week's blog post to see what a lovely bouquet this produce provides!
When I was growing up my Grandparents had a garden that was huge. I mean it was at least a third of their property, and in Herndon (way back when) that was not unusual! They grew everything, and I had the honor to help with planting to weeding to harvesting. During the summer and a little into the fall, we had fresh produce with almost every meal. We canned and froze some for use during the winter and even put up our own jellies. Since becoming a member of the CSA at Stoneybrook and getting to speak with the folks there – it brings me back to the precious memories of the passion surrounding food in general.
Let's focus on the cukes this week as they are the most plentiful at this time of the season:
We all know they are a great accompaniment to any garden salad but did you know you can also eat them hot? YEP, and they are goooood. It is a pretty simple process as you'll see below and you can switch up how you season based on your own particular taste in herbs.
Sautéed Cucumbers
Ingredients:
4 Large cucumbers peeled split in half lengthwise and seeds removed
2 Tablespoons butter
Dash of freshly grated nutmeg (use pre-ground if you don't have fresh)
2 Teaspoons fresh herbs (your choice, recommendations: mint, tarragon, flat leaf parsley ,oregano or thyme)
How to:
Once you have prepared the cukes per above instructions, cut each half into 3 equal pieces. Drop the cuke pieces into boiling salted water for about 2 min and drain immediately.
While cukes are boiling begin to melt butter in a large saute pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add cukes and toss in pan for about 3-4 minutes to insure they are tender. Remove from heat toss in the seasonings and the herb you choose and serve immediately. This is a very simple side dish, and most people don't think to “cook” cukes! Great choice for fish or chicken dinner!!
I mentioned my Grandparents earlier and one of the items on the dinner table during the summer months were what my Grandmother called “Supper Pickles”...I have heard others call this simple application “Icebox Pickles” (even though most of my reading public won't know exactly what an icebox is!! No, its not a cooler.)
Supper Pickles
Ingredients:
How ever many cukes you want to use (typically I do 5 or 6 at a time)
½ to ¾ cup Cider vinegar
½ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Pepper
1 Tablespoon Sugar
How to:
Slice all the cukes (pickle size) and put them in a large container with a sealable lid or a ziplock bag
Pour in Cider Vinegar and add salt, pepper and sugar. Close up the container and shake vigorously to melt the sugar/salt and coat all the cukes
Put in the refrigerator and chill till ready to serve. These will keep for several days!
The only change I make to this recipe is to add a thinly sliced red or vidalia onion to the mix.
Enjoy!
I can't believe it is Week 5 Market Basket time from Stoneybrook Farm already!! This week's bounty included cukes, tomatoes, basil, baby carrots, beets, red leaf lettuce, swiss chard and yellow squash. I hope you check out the pic of each week's blog post to see what a lovely bouquet this produce provides!
When I was growing up my Grandparents had a garden that was huge. I mean it was at least a third of their property, and in Herndon (way back when) that was not unusual! They grew everything, and I had the honor to help with planting to weeding to harvesting. During the summer and a little into the fall, we had fresh produce with almost every meal. We canned and froze some for use during the winter and even put up our own jellies. Since becoming a member of the CSA at Stoneybrook and getting to speak with the folks there – it brings me back to the precious memories of the passion surrounding food in general.
Let's focus on the cukes this week as they are the most plentiful at this time of the season:
We all know they are a great accompaniment to any garden salad but did you know you can also eat them hot? YEP, and they are goooood. It is a pretty simple process as you'll see below and you can switch up how you season based on your own particular taste in herbs.
Sautéed Cucumbers
Ingredients:
4 Large cucumbers peeled split in half lengthwise and seeds removed
2 Tablespoons butter
Dash of freshly grated nutmeg (use pre-ground if you don't have fresh)
2 Teaspoons fresh herbs (your choice, recommendations: mint, tarragon, flat leaf parsley ,oregano or thyme)
How to:
Once you have prepared the cukes per above instructions, cut each half into 3 equal pieces. Drop the cuke pieces into boiling salted water for about 2 min and drain immediately.
While cukes are boiling begin to melt butter in a large saute pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add cukes and toss in pan for about 3-4 minutes to insure they are tender. Remove from heat toss in the seasonings and the herb you choose and serve immediately. This is a very simple side dish, and most people don't think to “cook” cukes! Great choice for fish or chicken dinner!!
I mentioned my Grandparents earlier and one of the items on the dinner table during the summer months were what my Grandmother called “Supper Pickles”...I have heard others call this simple application “Icebox Pickles” (even though most of my reading public won't know exactly what an icebox is!! No, its not a cooler.)
Supper Pickles
Ingredients:
How ever many cukes you want to use (typically I do 5 or 6 at a time)
½ to ¾ cup Cider vinegar
½ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Pepper
1 Tablespoon Sugar
How to:
Slice all the cukes (pickle size) and put them in a large container with a sealable lid or a ziplock bag
Pour in Cider Vinegar and add salt, pepper and sugar. Close up the container and shake vigorously to melt the sugar/salt and coat all the cukes
Put in the refrigerator and chill till ready to serve. These will keep for several days!
The only change I make to this recipe is to add a thinly sliced red or vidalia onion to the mix.
Enjoy!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Gazpacho gives cooking the cold shoulder!
The cukes and squash are plentiful and here come the 'maters! It is amazingly hot, unusually so for this time of year in the 20141, which can make mealtime a chore. I mean who really wants to grill, bake or broil....even when you LOVE to cook! Immediately we begin thinking of the cooler side of the culinary arts. Let's talk soups, yes I said soup, Summertime soup – the collaboration of fruits and vegetables offered up cool and ever so yummy and refreshing bowl of goodness!!
There are plenty of choices from strawberry to beet to cantaloupe to one of our favorites – Gazpacho!! In our market baskets from Stoneybrook Farm CSA we had all the right ingredients, and then some. This past weekend marked our 5th anniversary and we threw a little party with live music in our backyard and had a blast. Thankfully Mother Nature bestowed a beautiful day for us on Saturday - low temps, no humidity and an ever so wonderful breeze which made our special event even better. In deciding what to feed the musicians we thought, why not serve soup? Soon a batch of Gazpacho was ready to go, and since it disappeared in between sets it must have been a-ok.
Here is our recipe along with some options for how you can use this cool summer treat.
Bill's Gosh Darn Good Gazpacho
2 Cucumbers
1 Green Pepper
1 Jalapeno
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Yellow Onion
1 Teaspoon each – fresh chopped – Parsley, Thyme, Basil and Cilantro
Put each of the above ingredients through the meat grinder attachment of your KitchenAid Mixer. If you do not have one, pulse each ingredient in a food processor just till minced. Mix them altogether in a bowl.
24 oz. V-8 Juice
Juice of 2 limes
¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chill overnight to let all the flavors meld together.....serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Options:
Add squash to the mix
Serve a good helping over a block of room temperature cream cheese with crackers for a different appetizer/party munchie
Use as spaghetti sauce – especially good in a vegetarian lasagna
Thin down with Bloody Mary mix, add vodka, lime wedge and a stalk of celery and rim the glass with a bit of Old Bay Seasoning - YUMM
Cheers!!
There are plenty of choices from strawberry to beet to cantaloupe to one of our favorites – Gazpacho!! In our market baskets from Stoneybrook Farm CSA we had all the right ingredients, and then some. This past weekend marked our 5th anniversary and we threw a little party with live music in our backyard and had a blast. Thankfully Mother Nature bestowed a beautiful day for us on Saturday - low temps, no humidity and an ever so wonderful breeze which made our special event even better. In deciding what to feed the musicians we thought, why not serve soup? Soon a batch of Gazpacho was ready to go, and since it disappeared in between sets it must have been a-ok.
Here is our recipe along with some options for how you can use this cool summer treat.
Bill's Gosh Darn Good Gazpacho
2 Cucumbers
1 Green Pepper
1 Jalapeno
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Yellow Onion
1 Teaspoon each – fresh chopped – Parsley, Thyme, Basil and Cilantro
Put each of the above ingredients through the meat grinder attachment of your KitchenAid Mixer. If you do not have one, pulse each ingredient in a food processor just till minced. Mix them altogether in a bowl.
24 oz. V-8 Juice
Juice of 2 limes
¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chill overnight to let all the flavors meld together.....serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Options:
Add squash to the mix
Serve a good helping over a block of room temperature cream cheese with crackers for a different appetizer/party munchie
Use as spaghetti sauce – especially good in a vegetarian lasagna
Thin down with Bloody Mary mix, add vodka, lime wedge and a stalk of celery and rim the glass with a bit of Old Bay Seasoning - YUMM
Cheers!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Fireworks - in my belly!!!
Pizza on my mind after our first highly successful venture into grilling it outside on our gas grill. In my last blog I mentioned a couple of less than stellar choices in retail pizza. Here in the 20141 we have to go into Leesburg, VA or further to get anything close to resembling edible pizza – unless of course we make it at home.
I thought I'd share one of our favorite local haunts. Fireworks pizza is located in the historic district in the building that used to be a freight depot. Snuggled up against what used to be an old mill which houses another iconic Leesburg eatery, Tuscarora Mill. I have to admit when this restaurant first opened – well rather than put into words how much we disliked the place let me just say it was over a year before we went back! That being said, we gave it a second try and were hooked on their creative toppings and that all too delicious wood fired aroma and taste!
Let's start with the bar – they have one of the most fun beer selections in our area – if you are the type of person who can let go of their PBR, RR, Bud! The bartender is a hoot, he sizes up your beer likes/dislikes and then makes suggestions – and I've not been disappointed yet! Usually 8 taps with something new all the time and much of it maps to the change in seasons. There are bottles galore ranging from American craft beer to a fun selection from Europe and around the Globe. Fireworks also has wine, but no spirits – but with the beer selection, who needs 'em??!!
On to the food....the menu is really well rounded from lite bites, salads, and antipasto to sandwiches, pasta, calzones and polenta dishes. Of course the superstar of this place is the wood-fired pizza. As a baker in my past life I savor good dough – and Fireworks uses some really key ingredients to make theirs so special – Italian “Caputo” flour which is fine milled, sea salt, filtered water and of course yeast. The great part of the crust isn't just the texture, flavor and aroma its that they do these free-form, no generic cookie cutter pizzas come outta these ovens!
Here are two of our menu favorites:
Bruschetta Trio using Ciabatta:
Topping 1 – Brie with Honey and Almonds
Topping 2 – Cherry Glen Farms Chipotle Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper
Topping 3 – Organic Tomato Jam with Fresh Mozzarella
The Barcelona Pizza ... yes I did a version of this one at home, and it was still yummy :-)
mahon Cheese, Spanish Chorizo, Olive Spread, Marinated Tomatoes and Roasted Red Peppers
Pair either or both with one of their fresh salad offerings and a cold craft beer and I guarantee you will be back again, and again, and again....
Cheers!
I thought I'd share one of our favorite local haunts. Fireworks pizza is located in the historic district in the building that used to be a freight depot. Snuggled up against what used to be an old mill which houses another iconic Leesburg eatery, Tuscarora Mill. I have to admit when this restaurant first opened – well rather than put into words how much we disliked the place let me just say it was over a year before we went back! That being said, we gave it a second try and were hooked on their creative toppings and that all too delicious wood fired aroma and taste!
Let's start with the bar – they have one of the most fun beer selections in our area – if you are the type of person who can let go of their PBR, RR, Bud! The bartender is a hoot, he sizes up your beer likes/dislikes and then makes suggestions – and I've not been disappointed yet! Usually 8 taps with something new all the time and much of it maps to the change in seasons. There are bottles galore ranging from American craft beer to a fun selection from Europe and around the Globe. Fireworks also has wine, but no spirits – but with the beer selection, who needs 'em??!!
On to the food....the menu is really well rounded from lite bites, salads, and antipasto to sandwiches, pasta, calzones and polenta dishes. Of course the superstar of this place is the wood-fired pizza. As a baker in my past life I savor good dough – and Fireworks uses some really key ingredients to make theirs so special – Italian “Caputo” flour which is fine milled, sea salt, filtered water and of course yeast. The great part of the crust isn't just the texture, flavor and aroma its that they do these free-form, no generic cookie cutter pizzas come outta these ovens!
Here are two of our menu favorites:
Bruschetta Trio using Ciabatta:
Topping 1 – Brie with Honey and Almonds
Topping 2 – Cherry Glen Farms Chipotle Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper
Topping 3 – Organic Tomato Jam with Fresh Mozzarella
The Barcelona Pizza ... yes I did a version of this one at home, and it was still yummy :-)
mahon Cheese, Spanish Chorizo, Olive Spread, Marinated Tomatoes and Roasted Red Peppers
Pair either or both with one of their fresh salad offerings and a cold craft beer and I guarantee you will be back again, and again, and again....
Cheers!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Pizza on the Grill
There aren't too many people I've met in my lifetime that have not loved pizza. Answers.com states that on average Americans eat 750 slices of pizza a year...that's 125 6-slice pizzas per person! My assumption is the majority of them are purchased, not homemade, and probably not all that great. I know I have had my share of Chuckie Cheese (bleh), Domino's, and the like - but there are some great places serving excellent pizza. Making it at home is not all that difficult, and the recipes are pretty foolproof. That being said, never fear to go to your local pizza parlor and ask to purchase raw dough. If you are fearful of dough prep that option is great and you can keep it in the fridge for several days!
Simple Pizza Dough Recipe:
1 pkg active dry yeast
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 ¼ cup warm water
3 to 3/12 cups all purpose flour (or mix ½ all purpose and ½ whole wheat)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
How to:
run your faucet to warm, so the temp is comfortable to your wrist – not scalding!
Add sugar to your measuring cup then add water
Add packet of yeast and give a quick stir, set aside
You will want a bubbly type foam to begin forming on top of the water before adding to dry ingredients
In mixing bowl wisk together your flour and salt
Add liquids (water/yeast and olive oil) and gently mix together, dough may be a little sticky.
Toss out of bowl onto your counter that has been dusted with flour.
Knead dough, adding a little flour at a time, only till dough does not stick to your hands and becomes smooth.
Splash a little olive oil in a clean mixing bowl and add your kneaded dough ball. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set someplace warm with no drafts. Allow dough to rise double in size, typically I let it go 1 ½ hrs.
Punch down and knead slightly on a floured surface, cut into 3 equal pieces.
Use a rolling pin to create a round, somewhat thin, layer. Move to a floured surface (cutting board, back of a cookie sheet or a pizza peel if you have one).
Cooking on a gas grill:
Heat all burners on high for 15 min, clean your grilling surface.
Slighly oil a washcloth then using a pair of tongs oil the surface grid of the grill.
Brush the pizza dough with olive oil somewhat liberally and slide off onto the grill surface. Rearrange if needed.
Put dough oil side down on grill, close cover and check in 3-4 min. Bottom should be brown and crusty, if not go another minute or so. The top will be puffy or bubbly, don't worry that is the way it should be.
Brush the exposed dough with oil and using a large spatula flip it over.
Cook another 3-4 minutes.
When happy with crust, pull off heat add toppings and put back on grill just till cheese is gooey!
Allow to cool a couple minutes and then slice and eat.
Topping suggestions – get inventive with your combinations:
Red sauce, no sauce, even a Tapenade!
Pepperoni
Banana peppers
Roasted tomatoes
Roasted peppers
Grilled chicken
Grapes and honey
Chorizo
Prociutto
Grilled Pineapple
Chorizo
Arugula
Goat Cheese
Pecorino
Parmesean
Brie
Blue Cheese
Cheddar
Mozzarella
Simple Pizza Dough Recipe:
1 pkg active dry yeast
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 ¼ cup warm water
3 to 3/12 cups all purpose flour (or mix ½ all purpose and ½ whole wheat)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
How to:
run your faucet to warm, so the temp is comfortable to your wrist – not scalding!
Add sugar to your measuring cup then add water
Add packet of yeast and give a quick stir, set aside
You will want a bubbly type foam to begin forming on top of the water before adding to dry ingredients
In mixing bowl wisk together your flour and salt
Add liquids (water/yeast and olive oil) and gently mix together, dough may be a little sticky.
Toss out of bowl onto your counter that has been dusted with flour.
Knead dough, adding a little flour at a time, only till dough does not stick to your hands and becomes smooth.
Splash a little olive oil in a clean mixing bowl and add your kneaded dough ball. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set someplace warm with no drafts. Allow dough to rise double in size, typically I let it go 1 ½ hrs.
Punch down and knead slightly on a floured surface, cut into 3 equal pieces.
Use a rolling pin to create a round, somewhat thin, layer. Move to a floured surface (cutting board, back of a cookie sheet or a pizza peel if you have one).
Cooking on a gas grill:
Heat all burners on high for 15 min, clean your grilling surface.
Slighly oil a washcloth then using a pair of tongs oil the surface grid of the grill.
Brush the pizza dough with olive oil somewhat liberally and slide off onto the grill surface. Rearrange if needed.
Put dough oil side down on grill, close cover and check in 3-4 min. Bottom should be brown and crusty, if not go another minute or so. The top will be puffy or bubbly, don't worry that is the way it should be.
Brush the exposed dough with oil and using a large spatula flip it over.
Cook another 3-4 minutes.
When happy with crust, pull off heat add toppings and put back on grill just till cheese is gooey!
Allow to cool a couple minutes and then slice and eat.
Topping suggestions – get inventive with your combinations:
Red sauce, no sauce, even a Tapenade!
Pepperoni
Banana peppers
Roasted tomatoes
Roasted peppers
Grilled chicken
Grapes and honey
Chorizo
Prociutto
Grilled Pineapple
Chorizo
Arugula
Goat Cheese
Pecorino
Parmesean
Brie
Blue Cheese
Cheddar
Mozzarella
Thursday, June 24, 2010
CSA - Week 2 - Grits ARE good
Welcome to week two's market basket from Stoneybrook Farm's CSA bounty. I've uploaded a new picture and you can see the shining star, in my humble opinion, is the bunch of baby carrots. Other items included: cucumbers, summer squash, zuchini, a bunch of basil, swiss chard, a head of purple cabbage, beets, and red lettuce.
The dog days have hit a bit early this summer season so even grilling is a sweaty chore. Tonight we decided to stay in the cool air conditioning and focus on these fresh vegetables for our dinner. For us a meal of roasted mixed vegetables, simply seasoned, dressed with a bit of olive oil and kosher salt - is a treat. Instead of meat as a main part of the plate the vegetables took over that star role quite well. We did make a side of spicy grits with a little cheddar cheese and sour cream.
If you think you have to use heavy cream and a ton of cheese to make grits palatable...think again!
2-4 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Quaker quick grits
2 cups Chicken Stock (canned broth that is low sodium/low fat is fine)
1/4 cup sour cream (low/no fat or regular - your choice)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
a pinch of cayenne
a pinch of nutmeg
Kosher salt to taste
How to:
Bring broth to boil on med-high heat
slowly add grits while stirring constantly
lower heat to med to med-low and cover
cook for 5 minutes - stirring occasionally
When done stir in spices, cheese, sour cream till smooth (or make adjustments to suit your mood) and enjoy the creamy Grits goodness.
(thinner grits, add a little extra broth - thicker grits, add a little less broth)
Options:
depending on dietary needs you can always substitute yogurt or pureed cottage cheese for the sour cream.
Add seeded chopped tomatoes and a jalapeno with some cilantro to spice it up
Switch up to use your favorite cheese
The dog days have hit a bit early this summer season so even grilling is a sweaty chore. Tonight we decided to stay in the cool air conditioning and focus on these fresh vegetables for our dinner. For us a meal of roasted mixed vegetables, simply seasoned, dressed with a bit of olive oil and kosher salt - is a treat. Instead of meat as a main part of the plate the vegetables took over that star role quite well. We did make a side of spicy grits with a little cheddar cheese and sour cream.
If you think you have to use heavy cream and a ton of cheese to make grits palatable...think again!
2-4 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Quaker quick grits
2 cups Chicken Stock (canned broth that is low sodium/low fat is fine)
1/4 cup sour cream (low/no fat or regular - your choice)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
a pinch of cayenne
a pinch of nutmeg
Kosher salt to taste
How to:
Bring broth to boil on med-high heat
slowly add grits while stirring constantly
lower heat to med to med-low and cover
cook for 5 minutes - stirring occasionally
When done stir in spices, cheese, sour cream till smooth (or make adjustments to suit your mood) and enjoy the creamy Grits goodness.
(thinner grits, add a little extra broth - thicker grits, add a little less broth)
Options:
depending on dietary needs you can always substitute yogurt or pureed cottage cheese for the sour cream.
Add seeded chopped tomatoes and a jalapeno with some cilantro to spice it up
Switch up to use your favorite cheese
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Popcorn...then and now
Saturday night we ended up having movie night under the stars in our backyard. You see we have this new toy, a blow up movie screen, that needed breaking in...so we did. With plans to see Toy Story 3 on Sunday what more fitting movie selection than Toy Story AND Toy Story 2??
Of course you have to have your standard theater snacks: M&M's, Mike & Ikes, Hot Tamales, Sour Patch Kids and oh yes, pop corn. In our household we succumbed to the inevitable years ago of using Microwave popcorn but here lately we've rediscovered how yummy it is to pop your own. There really is nothing like fresh, hot popcorn. It is more healthy because its not pre-slathered in artificially flavored ingredients sitting in a packaged box for who knows how long. I like being able to control the amount of oil used in the popping process as well as being able to add real butter in quantities I'm comfortable serving my family. Popping your own also allows each person create their own signature - some add an Italian flare with parmesan and herbs, others add Hot Salt (has a bit of cayenne in it) and at least one of our family members puts a small amount of M&M's in theirs for that sweet/salty/chocolate type of treat! You can't get this type of movie snack ready made from the store, and it takes away from the fun of everyone having a hand in either making the popcorn or just dressing it up to suit their own tastes.
We had invested some time ago, while shopping at Target, in the plastic red and white re-usable individual pop corn containers...oh so nostalgic. They came really handy this weekend and we all got a kick out of the whole experience. Family time slips away so quickly and anytime you can get most or all of the group together to do something in one spot is real treat!
If you haven't made your own popcorn it is quite simple:
What you need:
4 Quart pot with lid
2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
1/2 Cup popcorn kernels
Butter
Salt
How to:
oil and popcorn kernels in pan
cover and put on medium to medium-high heat
shake pan a couple times
when you hear the kernels popping, shake pan regularly
when the popping slows to about 3-5 seconds between pops - remove from heat
pour into a large bowl
Add melted butter and salt to taste...get inventive with your toppings as you can go savory to sweet in a variety of ways!
Suggested Favorites:
A handful of M&M's while the popcorn is still warm
A handful of Hot Tamales candy
Parmesean with Italian Seasoning
A little fine ground sugar and salt for that kettle corn taste
ENJOY!!!
Of course you have to have your standard theater snacks: M&M's, Mike & Ikes, Hot Tamales, Sour Patch Kids and oh yes, pop corn. In our household we succumbed to the inevitable years ago of using Microwave popcorn but here lately we've rediscovered how yummy it is to pop your own. There really is nothing like fresh, hot popcorn. It is more healthy because its not pre-slathered in artificially flavored ingredients sitting in a packaged box for who knows how long. I like being able to control the amount of oil used in the popping process as well as being able to add real butter in quantities I'm comfortable serving my family. Popping your own also allows each person create their own signature - some add an Italian flare with parmesan and herbs, others add Hot Salt (has a bit of cayenne in it) and at least one of our family members puts a small amount of M&M's in theirs for that sweet/salty/chocolate type of treat! You can't get this type of movie snack ready made from the store, and it takes away from the fun of everyone having a hand in either making the popcorn or just dressing it up to suit their own tastes.
We had invested some time ago, while shopping at Target, in the plastic red and white re-usable individual pop corn containers...oh so nostalgic. They came really handy this weekend and we all got a kick out of the whole experience. Family time slips away so quickly and anytime you can get most or all of the group together to do something in one spot is real treat!
If you haven't made your own popcorn it is quite simple:
What you need:
4 Quart pot with lid
2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
1/2 Cup popcorn kernels
Butter
Salt
How to:
oil and popcorn kernels in pan
cover and put on medium to medium-high heat
shake pan a couple times
when you hear the kernels popping, shake pan regularly
when the popping slows to about 3-5 seconds between pops - remove from heat
pour into a large bowl
Add melted butter and salt to taste...get inventive with your toppings as you can go savory to sweet in a variety of ways!
Suggested Favorites:
A handful of M&M's while the popcorn is still warm
A handful of Hot Tamales candy
Parmesean with Italian Seasoning
A little fine ground sugar and salt for that kettle corn taste
ENJOY!!!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Woodpeckers are NOT food - or are they??
Today, here in the 20141, is the last day of school. Friday, so looking forward to the weekend. Father's Day weekend - plans are to eat out and to see Toy Story 3-D. The quiet of the morning has given way to the vibratious pecking of our local woodpecker - ON OUR HOUSE! Mind you we have vinyl siding and prefer to not have holes in it.
Last week we were sitting on the deck and our neighbor's tree which had been his/her home was struck by lightning and the upper portion, full of perfectly round holes, had toppled over and had to be removed. As we were observing the damage we noticed the woodpecker circling the remaining trunk in an obviously confused manner trying to find his pecking sites. My thoughts as I try to work this morning, amid the rattling noise and sprints to the outside to yell at this industrious bird, has given way to the desire to look up fowl recipes! Ok, don't get your feathers ruffled - I'm not going to harm the woodpecker. However, I do have chicken in the freezer!
Thinking ahead to dinner and what I have on hand - herb citrus marinated chicken breast grilled with zuchini and summer squash sounds like a plan. The marinade - Rosemary (rough chop to release even more of the aromatics), Chopped Garlic Scapes, Olive Oil, Lime juice, fresh ground pepper and a touch of smoked salt sounds like a winner to me. I just throw all of the ingredients in a large ziplock bag add the chicken and put in the fridge till we are ready to grill. (See no woodpeckers were harmed in the development of this blog entry)
For the squash - well I was raised in a Southern cooking home so its pretty simple how we deal with these summer vegetables. Depending on the size of the squash, small use 2 each, large use 1 each. Heat a cast iron pan on medium add 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 2 Tablespoons butter - once melted throw in your sliced (1/4 inch, unpeeled) squash, a large Vidalia onion sliced, hit with a little kosher salt and fresh ground pepper move heat to medium high and cover. I haven't ever timed this dish as its all about the texture and doneness that floats your particular boat. We usually let it go till the centers of the slices fall apart and the outer circle of flesh and the onions are somewhat translucent. I do stir the veggies quite frequently and add butter if necessary to keep them tender and moist. Voila - side dish done!
Thinking about cornbread with this dinner...but we'll see! Have a great weekend and don't forget to call your Dad on Sunday!!
Cheers,
Cheryl
Last week we were sitting on the deck and our neighbor's tree which had been his/her home was struck by lightning and the upper portion, full of perfectly round holes, had toppled over and had to be removed. As we were observing the damage we noticed the woodpecker circling the remaining trunk in an obviously confused manner trying to find his pecking sites. My thoughts as I try to work this morning, amid the rattling noise and sprints to the outside to yell at this industrious bird, has given way to the desire to look up fowl recipes! Ok, don't get your feathers ruffled - I'm not going to harm the woodpecker
Thinking ahead to dinner and what I have on hand - herb citrus marinated chicken breast grilled with zuchini and summer squash sounds like a plan. The marinade - Rosemary (rough chop to release even more of the aromatics), Chopped Garlic Scapes, Olive Oil, Lime juice, fresh ground pepper and a touch of smoked salt sounds like a winner to me. I just throw all of the ingredients in a large ziplock bag add the chicken and put in the fridge till we are ready to grill. (See no woodpeckers were harmed in the development of this blog entry)
For the squash - well I was raised in a Southern cooking home so its pretty simple how we deal with these summer vegetables. Depending on the size of the squash, small use 2 each, large use 1 each. Heat a cast iron pan on medium add 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 2 Tablespoons butter - once melted throw in your sliced (1/4 inch, unpeeled) squash, a large Vidalia onion sliced, hit with a little kosher salt and fresh ground pepper move heat to medium high and cover. I haven't ever timed this dish as its all about the texture and doneness that floats your particular boat. We usually let it go till the centers of the slices fall apart and the outer circle of flesh and the onions are somewhat translucent. I do stir the veggies quite frequently and add butter if necessary to keep them tender and moist. Voila - side dish done!
Thinking about cornbread with this dinner...but we'll see! Have a great weekend and don't forget to call your Dad on Sunday!!
Cheers,
Cheryl
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Market Basket 101
Hello All
Last night we picked up the first of 20 market baskets from Stoneybrook Farm located in Hillsboro, VA. I love surprises, and purchasing our share this season, means I get one every Wednesday for 20 weeks!
This week's produce included: Swiss Chard, Garlic Scapes (don't worry-I didn't know what they were either), Red Leaf Lettuce, Nappa Cabbage, Zuchini, Summer Squash, Kale and Collard Greens.
It was so exciting to open up the box and see all that fresh produce and try and figure out what we were going to make with all of it. After cleaning all the leafy veggies and storing them in the fridge I focused on dinner, of course! The Swiss Chard was colorful and so hearty I knew we should have that as a side. The Garlic Scapes were new to me, in how they looked (somewhat like they could have been the snakes plucked from Medusa's head) with a subtle fragrance of garlic. I immediately Googled them to see how to use them. I had Bill (my husband and best friend) pick up a choice of fresh fish on his way home - in the door he came with a gorgeous red, skin on, piece of Salmon.
I removed the stalks from the chard (chopped and reserved for another evening) and just julienned in about 1 inch slices the leafy parts. In a saute pan I put olive oil, a dash of hot pepper flakes and a smidge of butter and let it melt over medium heat. I chopped 2 of the Garlic Scapes finely and added them as well, allowing them to cook about a minute or so, covered. Throwing in the chard and a dash of salt I covered and continued to cook for 4 minutes on med-low heat. Giving the greens a good stir I added a couple of tablespoons of water covering immediately to provide some steaming qualities in tenderizing the greens. About 3-4 min later I stirred again and added just a pat of butter and tasted for seasoning and tenderness. Happy, I left the lid on and set the pan aside, off the heat, till serving. The only thing I would have done differently was to have used bacon fat instead of olive oil.
Bill grilled the salmon on a cedar plank with salt and pepper and lime zest - to perfection I might add. We made a quick lime butter sauce. Serving was simply the salmon on a bed of the chard topped with the sauce and a couple slices of cantaloupe - and a glass of Barboursville Chardonnay (Virginia Wine). We really enjoyed the meal and are looking forward to what we'll pull together with our other veggies standing by!
Last night we picked up the first of 20 market baskets from Stoneybrook Farm located in Hillsboro, VA. I love surprises, and purchasing our share this season, means I get one every Wednesday for 20 weeks!
This week's produce included: Swiss Chard, Garlic Scapes (don't worry-I didn't know what they were either), Red Leaf Lettuce, Nappa Cabbage, Zuchini, Summer Squash, Kale and Collard Greens.
It was so exciting to open up the box and see all that fresh produce and try and figure out what we were going to make with all of it. After cleaning all the leafy veggies and storing them in the fridge I focused on dinner, of course! The Swiss Chard was colorful and so hearty I knew we should have that as a side. The Garlic Scapes were new to me, in how they looked (somewhat like they could have been the snakes plucked from Medusa's head) with a subtle fragrance of garlic. I immediately Googled them to see how to use them. I had Bill (my husband and best friend) pick up a choice of fresh fish on his way home - in the door he came with a gorgeous red, skin on, piece of Salmon.
I removed the stalks from the chard (chopped and reserved for another evening) and just julienned in about 1 inch slices the leafy parts. In a saute pan I put olive oil, a dash of hot pepper flakes and a smidge of butter and let it melt over medium heat. I chopped 2 of the Garlic Scapes finely and added them as well, allowing them to cook about a minute or so, covered. Throwing in the chard and a dash of salt I covered and continued to cook for 4 minutes on med-low heat. Giving the greens a good stir I added a couple of tablespoons of water covering immediately to provide some steaming qualities in tenderizing the greens. About 3-4 min later I stirred again and added just a pat of butter and tasted for seasoning and tenderness. Happy, I left the lid on and set the pan aside, off the heat, till serving. The only thing I would have done differently was to have used bacon fat instead of olive oil.
Bill grilled the salmon on a cedar plank with salt and pepper and lime zest - to perfection I might add. We made a quick lime butter sauce. Serving was simply the salmon on a bed of the chard topped with the sauce and a couple slices of cantaloupe - and a glass of Barboursville Chardonnay (Virginia Wine). We really enjoyed the meal and are looking forward to what we'll pull together with our other veggies standing by!
Welcome to my Blog
So, here I am entering the world of Blogging. I have read my share, but this is my first endeavor into actually putting my spin on one of my favorite things in life - FOOD! Personally I LOVE food and over the years have become more adventurous in what I try - even the stuff that scares me! As my Blog title will tell you - I am in the great Commonwealth of Virginia. Most of my life has been spent here, but my gastronomic influences are world-wide.
Food is flexible - whether fruit, vegetable, meat or grain it can be crafted into anything from a martini to a dessert to a main entree, its all up to your imagination and willingness to think outside standard fare. I found that foie gras (YES I EAT GOOSE LIVER) is as decadent as chocolate, Sweetbreads have nothing to do with flour and sugar and Blood pudding, well it is what it is!
What you will find in this blog:
This year is our first time having a share in a local organic farm's CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and will be sharing the bounty we pick up in the form of a weekly market basket review and share some of the creative dishes we pull together at home.
Restaurant reviews - as a reformed Yelp.com addict I feel my views and opinions are better served to an audience who will hopefully enjoy and find value in my experiences dining out.
Interactive conversation - I welcome posts that lead me to a new perspective on food. Recipe share is certainly high on my list - ranging from dusting off old family recipes to anything new and challenging in my kitchen.
Fun - why not?
I look forward to this new venture and creative outlet and hope you do too!
Cheers,
Cheryl
Food is flexible - whether fruit, vegetable, meat or grain it can be crafted into anything from a martini to a dessert to a main entree, its all up to your imagination and willingness to think outside standard fare. I found that foie gras (YES I EAT GOOSE LIVER) is as decadent as chocolate, Sweetbreads have nothing to do with flour and sugar and Blood pudding, well it is what it is!
What you will find in this blog:
This year is our first time having a share in a local organic farm's CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and will be sharing the bounty we pick up in the form of a weekly market basket review and share some of the creative dishes we pull together at home.
Restaurant reviews - as a reformed Yelp.com addict I feel my views and opinions are better served to an audience who will hopefully enjoy and find value in my experiences dining out.
Interactive conversation - I welcome posts that lead me to a new perspective on food. Recipe share is certainly high on my list - ranging from dusting off old family recipes to anything new and challenging in my kitchen.
Fun - why not?
I look forward to this new venture and creative outlet and hope you do too!
Cheers,
Cheryl
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