From Soup to Dessert

My itching eczema seems to be responding to the dietary changes I am instituting into my daily routine.  It seems that the biggest culprit affecting my condition has been sugar.  I am day 3 without refined sugar, and the itchiness is much reduced, as well as the redness.  The size of the patch also seems to be shrinking.  It may be a combination of the lotions and creams and the diet, but whatever it is it seems to be working. 

Here is my regime for creams.  First thing in the morning I put on Aveeno Eczema Therapy on the patch.  Within about 6 hours, I put my first application of oil and vaseline.  First the baby oil, then about 5 minutes later I put on the vaseline.  At supper I put on more of the Aveeno, and during the night, if I find myself itching the area, I put on another application of oil and vaseline.  The burning I used to get from my prescriptions no longer occurs. 

Now for my diet.  I did not totally go macrobiotic, but I had a leftover soup from Thanksgiving so I used it.  It is called Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque, and I pulled off the recipe from the Two Rivers Country Club.  Here is the recipe, with a few changes that I added.

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ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH BISQUE From Two Rivers Country Club Ingredients: 2 butternut squash (approximately 4 pounds total) - halved and seeded 6 tablespoons unsalted butter Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper Fresh ground nutmeg (about ¼ teaspoon) 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup finely diced onion 1 cup finely diced leek 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger or ¼ teaspoon dry ginger 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock ½ cup of heavy cream or ½ cup crème fraiche Instructions: Preheat oven to 375°. Cut each squash in half and discard seeds. Brush the cut sides with 6 tablespoons of the butter. Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Place the squash cut side down in a baking dish and bake until tender, approximately 1 ½ hours. Cool, scoop out the pulp from the skin. Puree the squash in a food processor. Reserve. In a large saucepot, heat the olive oil and add the onions and leeks. Sweat over low heat. Do not brown! Add the puree of the butternut squash, cinnamon,  ginger and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream, if desired or ladle in serving bowl and add small dollop of crème fraiche.

  
                                     








































             The two changse I made was adding a 3 oz jar of pimento to the soup, and using sea salt.  To keep a primarily macrobiotic recipe, use a homemade vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, as I did.

Link to the recipe


Since this was a leftover, I had some of my Savory Brown Rice left from the previous night.  So I added it to the squash soup, and it was postively magnificent. 

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Main Course - Spinach And Goat Cheese
                        Mini Quiche

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped leeks
1 10 oz package fresh spinach
1/2 cup non fat organic plain yogurt
3/4 cup skim milk
3 large eggs
1/4 tblsp ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp Dulse granules (available at natural food stores)
1/2 pound raw goat cheese
1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning
large cupcake pan
olive oil

Wash spinach.  Do not drain.  In a large sauce pan on high heat, place raw spinach and stir until spinach starts to wilt.  You may need to do this in steps because you don't want to have too much spinach in the pan at once.  After spinach has wilted, transfer to a colander and let spinach cool.  After the spinach is cooled, squeeze dry and chop coarsely. 

Combine mushrooms, garlic and leeks in the same saute pan with 1 tblsp olive oil.  Add Dulse granules and saute for about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and add spinach.  Divide the mixture evenly in your six holes in the large cupcake pan.

Take your goat cheese and divide it into six, and place a dolop on each spinach cup in your pan.

In a medium bowl whisk the yogurt, milk, eggs, pepper, and garlic and herb seasoning.  Combine well, then pour in equal amounts over the spinach/cheese mixture in your cupcake cups. 

Bake for about 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees until eggs are set and tart is browned.

These are so good that you will probably want to eat two, so this recipe makes 3 servings.

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Flourless And Sugarless Oat and
Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups rolled oats
A handful of  raisins (maybe 2 or 3 tblsp)
A handful of walnuts
3 tblsps raw honey
1/4 cup Polenta Cornmeal
1/4 cup unsweetened, unsalted natural peanut butter
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
2 tblsp organic butter substitute (available at health food stores)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix well until batter is blended evenly.
Portion cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  I actually picked up about a tablespoon, and with my hands tried to compress the batter as much as I could, then when it was on the cookie sheet I pressed down to flatten.
Bake cookies for approximatey 12-15 minutes.
Makes about 12 cookies.

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My journey into healthier eating continues, though I am currently looking at Entenmann's chocolate covered doughnuts.  It is taking everything in my power to remember what sugar apparently does to my eczema, but so far I have been okay.  The cookies are actually very tasty, and hopefully they will satisfy my sweet craving.  Tonight, though it isn't macrobiotic, I will be making beef stew for the family.  My recipe for stew includes an onion broth that I cook the meat in, then I add carrots and potatoes in the last 20 minutes or so of cooking.  It is simple, hearty, and the family loves it. 

New Diet - Have to go macrobiotic. Recipes begin today

Hi to all my readers.  So sorry it has been so long since my last post, but I have not had lots of time to keep the blog.  The produce from my gardens has been canned or frozen, and now I am diving into summer flavored tomatoes that I froze, and wonderful melons, tropical fruits, and apple slices.  I am poking away at my homemade salsa's, but the jams will have to sit, as white sugar is a no no. 

So what exactly is a macrobiotic diet?  Basically it is a diet that relies heavily on whole, unprocessed grains, lots of vegetables and fruits, and very little meat and dairy.  What has generated this new diet?  My skin.  I am now joining the ranks of millions of others who have been "blessed" with eczema.  The condition leaves your skin itchy, red, patchy, sometimes oozing, and can lead to arthritis, infections and leg ulcers.  I am lucky that my single patch is on my ankle, but it is spreading up my leg, and I am concerned that it may start showing up all over my body. 

The thought process is that eczema occurs due to an imbalance in your biology.  In other words, it is not a surface or skin condition, but is a symptom of internal issues.  So the way to treat eczema is to start on the inside with diet.  I have tried everything else, from prescriptions to creams and so far nothing has worked.  We will go to the inside now and see if I can alleviate the itch and pain on my ankle, and prevent it from spreading further.

Okay, so what do I have to go without?  Firstly, no more refined sugar.  That means white, brown, molasses, corn syrup, anything that has to be processed to reach its shoppable state.  What I can use is B grade pure maple syrup, honey, stevia, and things like agave nectar.  I can also sweeten with pineapple juice, as long as it is not processed.  So I will have to start buying pineapples, then use my juicer to extract the juice. 

Next, I have to go without white flour, or any flour that is processed in any way.  All products made with flour, such as pasta products and breads are also off the diet.  So this is a tough one.  It means that I will have to make my own whole grain breads and go without pasta of any kind.  I can eat things like oatmeal, 100% whole grain products, and brown rice, but not white rice.  So are you squirming yet?  Imagine not being able to use sugar or flour any longer.  Do a quick calculation in your head, right now, and check off how much you eat with sugar and flour in it every day, and you will see the task facing me is nearly impossible.

Okay, now the really hard part.  I have to give up coffee and chocolate, and anything with caffeine.  If you haven't screamed yet and run from the room as you think of that, I give you permission to go do that now.

Are you back?  Technically, I also should not eat my home canned fruits or vegetables, and I also should not eat my frozen vegetables, but I am hoping that since I did it myself, the pitfalls which come with commercially canned or frozen vegetables won't be as bad.   I am not giving up my freezer of frozen produce which I grew organically, or purchased from farmers markets.  There is time for that.  I have been dealing with the eczema for over a year now, and if using my home canned or frozen stuff continues the condition, I will start fresh with the right way to do this diet once my freezer is empty.

Right now I am treating the eczema with a combination of baby oil and vaseline, and Aveeno Eczema Cream.   Most have said that baby oil and vaseline are very bad for the condition, but it alleviates some of the itching and burning I get from just walking.  The patch is right where my shoes hit my ankle, and even walking without shoes and socks the motion is causing irritation and inflammation.  It is a difficult area to treat, because the ankle is constantly being used to walk.  The skin never gets a rest. 

I began reducing my intakes of foods for supper last night.  What I ate was a brown rice dish, some salad and half a hamburger with salsa on it.  I drank water.  For breakfast this morning I had an oatmeal creation, which was incredibly tasty.  Here are the rice and oatmeal recipes.

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Savory Brown Rice
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup brown rice
1 cup Fresh organic leeks, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup to 1 cup dried fruit mixture (recipe follows)
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
2 tsps celiac salt

Bring water to boil.  Add brown rice and cover.  Simmer on low heat for about 40 minutes, or until water is absorbed.  Remove from heat.

Add remaining ingredients, mix and serve.

Dried Fruit Mixture

Combine dried cranberries, sliced almonds, sliced pistachio nuts, raisins, and currents.  Spritz the mixture with a little agave nectar for a sweet taste, or a little fresh lemon juice if you want it less sweet.   You can do equal amounts of each, or do more nuts than fruit, but it is for your tastes. 

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Breakfast Oatmeal
Ingredients for single serving:

1 cup water
1/2 cup whole oats
1/3 cup sliced apples
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsps. maple syurp

Bring water to rolling boil.  Add oats.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients, then cover and let stand for about 3 minutes.  Ready to eat.  This oatmeal is more like a soft granola.  It does the heart and body good, so try it even on the kids and I bet they will eat it too.

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Well that's it for today.  I hope that I can keep up my blog now that the colder season is here.  More information will be coming regarding my battle with eczema, as well as tips and tricks that are successful for controlling it.  Stay tuned.  Have a good day.

Melon Harvest - Lot's of cantaloupe and watermelon

Well, I have had a summer of growing, harvesting, canning and freezing.  It has been awhile since I could find the time to make an entry into my blog.  I have many recipes that I have been doing all summer, and hope I can catch up with them now that most things are done growing for the year.  We are heading into the best time of year for melons of all kinds.  Watermelons, cantaloupe, muskmelons and honeydew melons are all in season right now. 

The prices for melons at farmers markets and grocery stores are currently at the best you will find all year.  It seems such a shame to let all that good pricing go to waste.  But what can you do with melons?  Most people know that they can eat a few of them, but to buy too many seems a waste because their shelf life is not all that long, even when they are in season.  There are things you can do to enjoy the flavor of melons, even in December when the going rate for a cantaloupe can be over $4.00 a piece. 

The question arises, can you freeze melons?  The answer is a resounding yes.  You do lose some of the summer flavor, of course, but a frozen melon ball is nearly as good as a fresh melon ball from a December cantaloupe.  You can also create your own melon freezes now with in season watermelons.  If you happen to have popsicle molds, you can fill them with pureed melon, freeze and eat at your leisure.  Children love popsicles, even if they have been outside sliding in the cold snow.  Melon popsicles are better than regular popsicles because they have a lot more nutrients and a natural sugar.  Don't have popsicle molds?  You can create melon ice cubes instead.  Use ice cube trays to freeze the pureed melon, then package in freezer bags or canning jars.  They are almost like eating an Italian ice.  Add a few flourishes, such as lemon or orange, for a different flavor.  I have even pureed the melons with vanilla yogurt for another great treat.

There is no trick to freezing melons.  Generally all you need to do is cut them into 1/4 inch cubes, or use a melon baller to create melon balls.  This works not only for cantaloupes, but for watermelons and honeydew as well.  Once you have cut your cubes or made your melon balls, place them into glass canning jars or plastic freezer containers.  I like canning jars because for some reason there is rarely any freezer burn.  When you freeze in canning jars, there is crystallization but the flavor is always very fresh when thawed. 

If space is a problem, you can use plastic freezer bags, but you will most likely get freezer burn.  However you can buy a vacuum sealer, and then vacuum seal all your produce.  Where can you get a vacuum sealing system?  A search will bring you to many sites that sell systems.  Here are a few that I found.  One is available at Kohl's.  You can also buy a very inexpensive one at Amazon.  There is also a very nice system available through the official Foodsaver website. 

In my harvesting of cantaloupe in the past, I actually developed one recipe that can be canned.  I had a bumper crop of cantaloupe one year.  I had so many melons, I cried at the thought of wasting all that melon.  Never grow cantaloupes on a hill.  If you do, you will have dozens of cantaloupes to use up.  They love growing on hills.  I happen to have a relatively steep one in my backyard, and when I planted cantaloupe and watermelon on the hill one year, the harvest was endless.  However, I was not going to be beaten by too many melons.  So I went to work trying to develop a way to can my cantaloupe. 

The recipe I came up with was a rich, delectable conserve.  Some might think it too sweet, but I had a wonderful winter of eating this conserve on toast, and using it in baked goods such as coffee cake.  It lasts for a few years if you can't eat it all in one year..  That sometimes happens when you have a bumper crop.  Try this conserve for a very special, expensive tasting treat.  It is the kind of recipe that you will find at the finest bed and breakfasts, that is how special it is. 

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Spiced Cantaloupe Conserve

Ingredients:

6 lbs cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into
1/2 inch cubes

2 tsp fresh grated lemon peel

1/2 cup lemon juice

8 cups sugar

1/2 cup shredded coconut (I used bagged.  Try it with fresh)

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins (optional)

1 tsp. whole allspice

Place cantaloupe cubes in a large bowl.  Toss with the sugar and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to stand at room temperature for 8-10 hours.  Place in large stainless stockpot with remaining ingredients.  Bring all to a boil and cook until mixture is thickened, stirring constantly (should reduce by 1/2 to 2/3's.) 

Remove from the heat and skim off any foam.  Ladle into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space.  Seal and process for 15 minutes.

Yield - 8-10 half pints if cantaloupe is dry
          7-8 half pints if cantaloupe has
                high water content

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My next attempt at using cantaloupe will be to try making a cantaloupe marmalade and cantaloupe butter.  If I succeed, the recipes will be posted.  However, for now, I am still in the planning stages as to how I think it will best be handled.  If any of my readers discover a great way to make either, let me know. 

The Green Has It - Green Tomato Salsa and Sweet Dill Pickles

It has been a very busy couple of weeks.   The vegetables have been coming in dribs and drabs, which means I have to create smaller batches for canning and freezing, but more frequently.  No sooner do I get one thing frozen or canned, when a few days later something else needs to be done.  It is sometimes harder to do so many small batches, but it is the way I have had to do most of my canning this year.

I have been looking at the tomatoes, hoping they would turn red in bulk, but instead I am only getting perhaps 8 or so every few days.  This means that I can't can my salsa in bulk.  This year I have taken to making fresh salsa, but the recipes I have tried to create have not been the tastiest, so until I get a really nice batch of fresh salsa, I won't post my attempts.  Suffice to say that I tried combining things like red tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, chili peppers and basil.  Not the best salsa, but it is now gone. 

As I looked at all the green tomatoes, I decided to try a Mexican tomatillo salsa, substituting green tomatoes for the tomatillos.  This morning I was able to pick about 3 pounds of green tomatoes, and I noticed that many of the tomatoes I didn't pick have gotten just a tad beyond the green stage, so I will continue to cross my fingers that there will be enough ripe ones to make at least one batch of red tomato salsa next week.

A note about green tomatoes.  If you want to try your own green tomato salsa, be sure the green tomatoes you pick are a pale green.  If they are dark green, they have a substance in them that may give you some very bad stomach aches and diarrhea.  The substance disappears as the tomatoes ripen. 

I have also been collecting pickling cucumbers all week.  The bees have been busy pollinating, but the cukes have not come as abundantly as I would like.  However, I finally had enough to make a few quarts of pickles today, along with the salsa. 

The day began at 7 a.m.  First thing I did was take out the Bisquick and a jumbo muffin tin.  From that, I made 6 fresh blueberry muffins.  So we had muffins with coffee for breakfast. 

Then I got out my collection of cucumbers and began scrubbing.  They were still nicely crisp, even though a few of the cukes were just about 5 days old.  They had been in the refrigerator from the time I had picked them.  I do not scrub the cucumbers until they are ready to be used. 

This particular recipe is very good for a change of pace.  It is a cross between a dill pickle and a bread and butter pickle, so it has a unique combination of sweet and sour.  They will taste better if your seasonings are relatively new.  As a rule of thumb, you shouldn't keep your jarred herbs and spices for more than 6 months in your cabinet.  The flavor loses much of its pungency the older the herb or spice is. 

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                      Sweet Garlic Dills                  

Ingredients:

4 pounds small pickling cucumbers (About 12 - 16)

             I discovered that I was able to fill 5 quart jars with only 5 pounds of cucumbers.  The

             measurements of this recipe is for 2 quarts, but the cucumbers are difficult to gauge

             as to how many you actually need.

4 large cloves garlic, split

4 heads fresh dill or 4 teaspoons dill seeds (I used dill seeds this time)

1/2 tsp. celery seed

2 cups white vinegar

2/3 cup water

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons pickling salt

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1.  Wash cucumbers thoroughly, then cut a thin slice from the ends of each cucumber.  Cut cucumbers

      lengthwise into quarters.  I mostly cut them in half, but if the cucumbers were very large, I did

      cut them into quarters. 

2.  Remove hot quart jars from canner.  Place 2 cloves of garlic, 2 head of fresh dill or 2 tsps. dill

     seeds and 1/4 tsp celery seeds into each jar.  Pack in your cucumbers.  You may have to use

     different lengths of cucumbers to fill the jar.  Tuck as many cucumbers as you can in each jar.

3.  Meanwhile, combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt and turmeric in a saucepan and bring to a boil.   

     Pour boiling vinegar mixture over cucumbers to within 1/2 inch of rim (head space.)  Process for

     15 minutes for quarts. 

How to process.  Clean jars, then place in large canner or stockpot.  Fill pot with water about 1 inch above the jar rim.  Heat and let boil while you prepare your recipe.  5 minutes before you are going to fill jars, place your lids and caps in the boiling water.  Take out each jar, dumping a small portion of the water back into the pot, but the bulk of the water you want to dump into the sink.  I use tongs to remove my jars.  Then when you have all your jars filled, place back into canner, and bring water back to boil.  When it is boiling rapidly, put cover on pot and begin timing.  15 minutes later you will remove the jars and place on a rack to cool. 

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Now that we have the pickles under our belt, it is time to start the green tomato salsa.  This salsa I have made in the past and it is very tasty.  The first time I made it I combined green tomatoes and tomatillos, because I didn't have enough tomatillos.  That was okay, but I wasn't thrilled with the combination of tomatoes and tomatillos. 

The next time I made it I just used tomatillos, and instead of green chili peppers I used a wonderful chili pepper called bulgarian carrot.  This is a type of thai pepper.  The salsa was awesome.  It has

very little spice when you first eat it, but when you swallow, then you get a burn.  This time the salsa has been made only with green tomatoes.  Try it if you have lots of green tomatoes.  It will be a little different then using tomatillos, but the flavor is still quite good.

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Green Tomato Mexican Salsa

Makes 2 cups.  Increase accordingly when making larger batch

Ingredients:

1/2 pound green tomatoes (pale green)

2 hot green chili peppers, seeded and chopped.  (I used a combination of bulgarian carrot chilis,

                         red chili peppers, and green chilis)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/4 cup each apple juice and cider vinegar

3/4 tsp pickling salt

1/2 tsp each cumin and dried oregano.

1 tblsp sugar

1.  Wash tomatoes and coarsely chop in a food processor or by hand.  Transfer to a medium stainless

      steel or enamel saucepan.  Add chile's, garlic, red pepper, onion, carrot, apple juice, vinegar, salt

      cumin and oregano.  Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover and boil gently for

      10 minutes.

2.  Stir in sugar; return to boil and boil gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes or untill mixture is

     thickened.  Remove from heat.

3.)  Remove hot jars from canner and ladle salsa into jars to withing 1/4 inch of rim.  Process 20

       minutes for half pint and pint jars.

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Bisquick Spinach Bread - With A Few Changes

We all had a hankering for a nice bread recipe.  Cooler temperatures yesterday, and the stores bringing out their fall merchandise must have set us in a warm, fuzzy mood.  The kitchen is usually scented with baking vegetable, fruit and bread machine bread beginning in mid August, when the apples begin to ripen.  Some of my favorites include zucchini bread, cottage cheese dill bread, apple bread, and tomato-basil bread. 

Since it is still considered mid-summer despite the temperatures barely making 75 yesterday, I didn't want to worry too much about lots of work.  I looked through my bread books, went online, and couldn't find anything that seemed to be relatively quick.  Then I remembered a small pamplet style cookbook put out by Bisquick many years ago.  I went rifling through all my cookbooks and on the third look I finally found it. 

As I scanned the pages, it dropped open to a page with a recipe called Spinach-Cheese Bread.  I have made this many times before, and always thought it a bit salty, but my family always loved this bread.  So I knew the one thing I would be changing right off is instead of spinach I would be using swiss chard.  The chard has slowed down a lot in its growth compared to a few weeks ago, but there was definitely enough to get the amount I needed for the recipe. 

Some of the equipment I would recommend to make it easier to make the bread is a food processor.  It isn't necessary because the chard can be first cut into ribbons, then hand chopped, but the food processor does make the task a bit quicker. 

This particular bread is a wonderful summer bread if you follow the directions as Bisquick wrote them.  The bread doesn't take much to make and it doesn't keep the kitchen super hot for long periods of time.  First I will provide the Bisquick recipe for the cowards out there (only kidding.)  No processor required, and because you are playing with frozen vegetables, it is great to work with on a hot summer day. 

My one problem with the Bisquick recipe is that it does seem too salty.  I am salt sensitive and find the use of processed or canned products make the flavor too drying for my tastes.  However, when I bake this for the men in my life and the children, they all think it is awesome, and it gets eaten quite quickly, so it definitely will be a winner with any family. 

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Spinach-Cheese Bread by Bisquick

3 cups Bisquick baking mix
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon caraway seed
3 eggs
1 can (11 ounces) condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3 inches

Mix all ingredients except spinach until well blended.  Beat 1 minute; stir in spinach until well blended.  Pour into pan.

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes.  Cool 20 minutes; remove from pan.

High altitude directions (3500 to 6500 feet)  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir 1/4 cup all purpose flour into baking mix.  Increase eggs to 4.  Decrease oil to 2 tblsp.  Bake 50 to 55 minutes.

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That is the quick and easy way to make this bread.  Since I had a problem with the flavor of the bread using the cheddar soup, I had to think of a way to get the soup without using the soup.  I decided on a nice cheddar white sauce mixed in instead of the soup.  Here is my more labor intensive bread, using fresh swiss chard instead of frozen spinach.  The time involved in making it my way is about 3 1/2 hours, which may be a bit much for one loaf of bread, but as I make it more often I will get quicker at it.  Of course, I also missed my original intention of finding a quick recipe that didn't take too much work.  But the work was well worth the result.

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Savory Swiss Chard-Cheese Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups Heart Smart Bisquick baking mix
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dill seed
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 cup cheddar white sauce (recipe below)
10 ounces fresh chopped swiss chard, stems removed (about 2 cups)
1/4 to 1/3 cup feta cheese (your preference.  I did not measure, I just grabbed three handfuls and mixed in)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch bread pan. 

Swiss chard prep:  Cut away stems from chard.  I ususally cut about 1/2 inch above where stem attaches to leaf.  Stems can be kept for other recipes if you wish.  After removing leaf, using a scale measure about 10 ozs.    Once measured

wash leaves in a bowl of water.  Continue dumping and filling bowl with fresh water until you no longer see any grit in water.  Squeeze leaves to remove all excess water, then place in small batches in food processor and chop the leaves.  If you don't have a processor, then cut leaves into ribbons, then chop them.  This is probably the most lengthy part of the whole recipe.                                                                   

Once again measure the chopped leaves on a scale to get about 10 ozs.  Set aside. 

To make the cheese white sauce, grate 1 cup of cheddar cheese.  Set aside. 

Scald one cup of milk (heat just to before boil.  I use a microwave, and heat about 2 minutes.)  Set aside.

Place two tablespoons butter or margerine in stainless saucepan and melt on medium low.  Add two tablespoons unbleached flour, stirring to blend.  Always use a wooden spoon when making white sauce.  Do not cook too long or flour will burn.  The milk and flour will create a paste.  Slowly add scalded milk, stirring constantly.  Add some salt and pepper..

Continue stirring on medium low for about 10 or 15 minutes as sauce begins to thicken. You will feel the milk mixture get thicker as you stir. Once mixture is thickened to about the consistancy of a medium gravy, remove from heat. Stir in cheese. Continue stirring until smooth. If you have to place back on burner to melt, make sure burner is off. Set aside off of stove to cool.

As your cheese sauce cools, mix all other ingredients except the chard.  Beat for about a minute.  Add cheese sauce when it is just lukewarm.  Mix.  Add chard.  This is where your preference comes in.  When I measured the 10 ozs, as I was putting it into the bread mix, it seemed to be too much so I did not use all the chard.  I also did not measure how much I used, so I would say anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 cups. 

Place bread dough into bread pan, level it, and then bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, until long toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

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The bread was incredibly well textured, though it did come out a little high.  Perhaps reducing the eggs to 2 might decrease the height of the bread, but I did not mind that it was so high.  The first taste of this bread, and I knew I had finally done something right.  It is delicious, and the time spent making it just disappears as you take a second piece and then a third.  Love this bread.  It is definitely a keeper.

Leftover Steak - What can be done?

It was a busy day today.  The weeds have reached over the vegetables in some parts of the gardens, so they had to be tamed down.  We have gotten some showers in the past few days, which put everything into overdrive for growth.  Despite the drizzle today, I still had to go out to see what I could do for my poor veggies.  The weeding took perhaps 2 hours, and now the gardens actually look like a garden, rather than a scruffy patch of tall grass in the middle of the yard. 

Once the weeds were gone, I realized I had a huge area in my spring garden with absolutely nothing growing in it.  The peas are gone, the cauliflower is gone, much of the dill is gone, and my lettuce and french greens are gone.  I hate seeing garden space not being used, so after turning up the dirt and dressing it with Moo Doo, which is a composted manure for organic gardening,  I took a huge chance by planting Danvers Half Long Carrot seed and spinach seed.  Tomorrow I will take another chance and plant beets.  I am taking a chance because it is already July 24,  and it is a little late to try planting anything from seed in an area of Connecticut that has similar conditions as southern Maine.  Though we supposedly fall into zone 6 for hardiness, everything I plant is hardy to zone 5. 

It is cold around the marsh in the winter.  We have a constant breeze all summer long, and the winds in the winter howl like a train.  We do see temperatures at times to as low as  22 below zero.  So we may very well see a good frost in mid September, though carrots and beets should be able to weather at least a minor freeze.

So what does this all have to do with leftover steak?  In all honesty, the work today used every ounce of energy I had.  I did not think I could even cook, let alone be creative.  However, a hungry family must be fed no matter how one feels.  I wanted something easy, quick, and still with a little creative flow. 

Last night we had a marvelous dinner of N.Y strip steaks, and we had barbequed them over charcoal, brushing them with bourbon barbecue sauce (less the bourbon.)  We ended up with 4 strip steaks leftover.  I wondered what I could do with them.

After perusing my pantry, I spotted a box way in the back that may have been there for awhile, but I took it out anyway.  It was a box of Near East vermicelli with roasted garlic, parmesan, and olive oil.  It sounded like it might work with the steak.  We also had fresh yellow squash from the garden.  So I had the beginnings of a dish.  Putting it together was relatively easy, since I wasn't overly worried about herbs and spices for this night.

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Leftover Grilled Strip Steak with Vermicelli

Ingredients:
4 leftover grilled strip steaks, cut into bite size pieces
1 box Near East Vermicelli with roasted garlic and olive oil
red wine vinegar
chopped jalapeno pepper
yellow summer squash
butter or margerine
olive oil
chives
salt and pepper

Cook vermicelli according to directions.  (I am currently looking to create my own recipe for this vermicelli) 

Cut yellow squash into 1/4 inch circles.  Place in medium saucepan and cover with water, then cook on medium heat until tender.  Drain and add butter, salt and pepper.

Take your cut up steak, place on microwave safe dish, and shake on about a tablespoon of red wine vinegar.  Cook in microwave on power level 7 or 8 (roast) for about 4 minutes or until hot. 

I did not do it this time, but if I make this again I will be sure to keep some of the bourbon barbeque sauce to be used as a glaze on the plate before creating the finished dish.  Place vermicelli on dish, mix in cut steak, top with yellow squash, place about 1/2 tsp of chopped jalapeno pepper on squash, and garnish with a couple of pieces of thin chives. 

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The various flavors do not overwhelm each other.  I was a bit concerned since yellow squash tends to be very lightly flavored, but even with the jalapeno pepper, the delicate flavor of the squash is still detectable.  This dish will work as well without the pepper, but I always like a little spice with everything I eat, so chile peppers and their many varieties become my spice in most cases. 

The Pasta Wins Today - Quick and tasty penne pasta for a summer night

Well, it was a refreshing day today on the marsh.  While many in the state were experiencing oppressive air, we had a delightful breeze all day.  The day began with a watering of my summer garden.  I know the heat is moving in, and wanted to give the tomatoes and squash a little relief.  Fun, fun, fun as I played with the sprinkle system for about 1/2 hour to figure  out which direction it wanted to go in.

Next I decided it was time to pull up all my pea plants.  There have been fewer and fewer peas, and they were looking a bit yellow, so I thought it was time.  Of course, I scrutinized every plant before tossing it in the compost, and got quite a full basket of pea pods.  That left me with a decision of what to make for supper.  Most of the pods have gotten too starchy, and very chewy, but there were fully formed peas inside, so I split the pods and kept the peas.  That was my first ingredient for my decision on supper.

My cauliflower is now forming large heads, and one was totally ready to pick.  I could not come to a conclusion as to what I could do for a dish using cauliflower and peas, so I wrapped the cauliflower up after picking and decided it could wait for another day.

The basil has recuperated from its clipping last week.  The two jars of pesto from that trim are now gone, between my sisters family and me.  The pesto is on tap to be made tomorrow, but I haven't used the herb much in dishes yet, so I wondered how basil would taste with peas.  My mind started calculating ingredients once again.

My sister dropped a bunch of pickling cucumbers off from her garden, and mine are still very behind in growth, so they had to be done up in something today as well.  My day was filling up with tasks, but being a workaholic, I thrilled at the prospect. 

When things begin to pile up, you just have to get them done one thing at a time.  First order of business was the cucumbers.  My family are real dill pickle lovers, so we never can have enough to eat.  There is a recipe that all of us have been using for 25 years.  These pickles are the best tasting I have ever had.  Even people who hate dill pickles like this recipe.  It is easy, quick, and the flavor is amazing.  The only drawback is that the pickles lack that crispness that is enjoyed when biting into a brined and crocked pickle.  However, the ease of it makes up for that one shortcoming.

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Never Fail Dill Pickles

Ingredients:
20 pickling cucumbers ( I have discovered that cucumbers vary so much in size
                                       that sometimes you only need 4 or 5)
2 dill heads ( or a tblsp of dill seed)
2 medium cloves garlic (this is preference.  We love garlic so I use
                                        4 cloves of garlic)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar (the best is Heinz in glass bottles.  Plastic bottles
                                                  tend to have lots of floaters in the vinegar)
1 tblsp pickling or kosher salt (kosher salt is saltier tasting.  I get my pickling
                                                  salt at Agway)

Thoroughly scrub the cucumbers.  Even if it seems that a light brown spot may be just part of the color of the cucumber skin, I get rid of it.  I use a scrub brush and my fingernail to get rid of any brown discoloration.  Very important, because bacteria houses in dirt and crevices. 

Slice the unpeeled cucumbers lengthwise into halves.  Occasionally if the cucumber is really large, you might have to slice the halves into quarters. 

Fill 2 clean, dry, hot pint canning jars with cucumbers.  I don't use pints, I use wide mouth quart canning jars.  Tuck dill heads and a clove of garlic, split in half, into each jar.

Mix the water, vinegar, and salt and bring to a rapid boil.  Pour into jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the rims.  Seal with canning lids.  For pints, process in boiling hot water bath for 5 minutes.  For quarts process for 15 minutes. 

 A word about hot water boiling bath.  Start timing after the water is back to boiling after putting jars in.  If you are using a glass or ceramic top stove, make sure your canner is flat bottomed.  I use a large stock pot, not a canner, and my rack is actually a circular metal  cooling cake rack.

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The cucumbers are now done, and I decide the day is too beautiful to be stuck inside an air conditioned kitchen, so I take a walk.  My eyes always scan the roadsides for berries, but today there are none to be found.  The seckle pear tree along my route is producing a lot of pears, but today is not the day to pick them.  I walk the trail to the marsh, walk around it, then head back home. 

 Refreshed, I am ready to set my sites on supper.  I have one very small zucchini squash that is beginning to turn yellow on the blossom end, so I pick it.  It is barely the size of a pickling cucumber but if I don't pick it the entire squash will turn yellow.  So what can I do with peas, a small zucchini squash and basil?  Well, there is always pasta.  So after scanning to see what kind I had, I settled on a box of penne pasta.  Here is the recipe I came up with for a side dish for supper.

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Waste Not Want Not Penne Pasta
Serves 3

Ingredients:
1/2 Box of penne pasta
1/3 cup fresh peas
1 mini zucchini squash
1/2 medium onion
your favorite ready made alfredo sauce (I used Classico Four cheese)
several basil leaves
Smart Balance original spread
garlic
Fresh parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
chopped pimento











Slice zucchini into circles, then cut circles into quarters.  Chop onion, but not too small.  Place peas, zuccini, and onion in microwave safe dish and add just enough water to fill bottom of dish.  Cook on high for about 6 minutes.  Set aside. 

Cook pasta accoring to directions.  Drain.  Toss garlic butter into pasta.  Heat up the alfredo sauce.  Want to make your own?  Make this simple 5 minute microwave alfredo sauce.

You know that vegetable dish you microwaved?  Well, add about 2 tblsp Smart Balance, and reheat in microwave for about a minute, just until butter is melted.

Chop basil leaves into small pieces, and chop pimento.  Keep an unchopped basil sprig for each dish.  To serve your pasta, first layer pasta in dish.  Top with 1/3 of the vegetables.  Spoon alfredo sauce on top of pasta/vegetables.  Grate parmesan cheese on top of sauce, then sprinkle some of the chopped basil on the sauce.  Take pimento and add on top of everything.  Place a sprig of basil off to side.  You have a tasty and beautiful pasta dish.

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Our meat choice was boneless, skinless chicken tenders.  Now we have a very simple way to cook the chicken.  You need Kraft grated parmesan cheese, olive oil, and minced garlic.  Place oil in frypan, add garlic, start to heat to release garlic smell, then add tenders.  Shake on cheese, and cook at medium heat.  Keep turning over chicken and shake more cheese on when you turn.  When chicken is nicely browned, it is ready to eat.  Just make sure there is no pink in chicken, but it is usually not a problem when cooking tenders. 

Well that is it for now.  Have a great day.

Summer Canning - July 18, 2011

What is happening on the "farm" this week?  The harvest is ready to start canning.  Growing up in a farming family, canning was as much a part of our year as going back to school in September.  My father used to can pickles and tomatoes.  My grandfather lived with my uncle, and they used to go head to head to see who could get the best garden, and they both canned not only pickles, but beans, relishes, corn, just about anything they could grow. 

Every one of my relatives canned every year.  It is totally natural that I would follow along with the tradition.  The moment I moved into my house in Tolland, I thought about gardens and canning.  No more apartment living, and I took full advantage of that fact.   So every year I have canned something, and I have shared that love with many of my friends and acquaintances.  It  is great fun to be hanging over a hot stove cooking apple butter when you have somebody to do it with.   I choose that example because apple butter has to be one of the hottest dishes to can.  We would take turns stirring the butter over the heat, because when you make any kind of butter the cooking can go on for an hour or two, but it is worth every minute once you taste the apple butter, and have it on toast on a cold morning in January. 

So what am I canning this week?   We have cucumbers, dill, basil, and blueberries.  So that means it is time to can dill pickles, make a batch of pesto, and make spiced blueberry jam.  My dad remembers fondly the spiced blueberry jam he would get from my aunt in Cushman, MA.  Growing up on our hill in Ellington, CT., we had numerous wild blueberries, but never enough to make jam.  What do you expect.  We were kids that were sent out to pick the blueberries.  By the time we were done, many would fall out of carelessly held coffee cans.  If they did not fall out, they ended up in our bellies.  Three hours later we would come home with just enough blueberries to make one batch of blueberry muffins. 

We have remedied the problem of  blueberries by planting several high bush variety.  Admittedly, nothing is as tasty as wild blueberries, but the cultivated bushes do bring enough blueberries for several pies to freeze, lots of jam, plenty of breads and muffins, and some years even enough to make blueberry wine. 

Cucumbers and dill are never a problem.  Every year it seems we have too many of both.  I usually plant just the pickling cucumbers, because they are versatile and can be used in salads like the long cucumbers you buy in the store, with a crispness and small seeds.  I always start my pickle season with dill pickles.  I make bread and butter pickles later on.  There is something about homemade dill pickles that can't be beat.  I don't do brine pickles.  I do refrigerator pickles or canning by the jar. 

Of course, basil is an herb that produces a great deal of leaf throughout the season.  I am making pesto for now, but I am exploring other uses of basil in fruit dishes and things like that.  Pesto is a spread that I made for the first time last year.  I am sold on the stuff, and love every teaspoon that gets spread on crackers, toast, pasta, and meats such as chicken.  Here are the recipes I used this week.

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Spiced Blueberry Jam
Ingredients:
3 cups blueberries
1 tsp lemon juice
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 pouch liquid pectin


Remove stems from blueberries.  Crush them,
one layer at at ime.  Measure 2 1/4 cups, packed solidly.  Add water to make up amount.  Pour into saucepan.  Add lemon juice, sugar and spices; mix well.  Bring to a full rolling boil (a boil that can't be stirred down) and boil, stirring, for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in pectin.  Ladle into hot jelly jars.  Cover with lids, then process in boiling hot water bath for 5 minutes.  Makes about 4 8oz. jars  of jam. 

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Dill Pickles By The Quart

Ingredients:

1 quart (1 1/2 pounds) pickling cucumbers

1 clove of garlic, split in half

1 red hot pepper, dried (I used cayenne)

2 tblsps white vinegar

1 tblsp pickling salt

2 (or more) fresh dill heads

boiling water

Wash the cucumbers.  Slice a small piece from each end of the cucumber.  Prick two or three times in different places with the tines of a fork.  Pack cucumbers in a 1 quart canning jar (I always use wide mouth for dill pickles.)  Add the garlic, pepper, vinegar, salt and dill.  Cover with boiling water, seal with canning lid.  Store in the refrigerator.  Should be ready to eat in 2 or 3 weeks.  The longer you let the cucumbers pickle in the refrigerator, the stronger the flavor will be. 

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Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.
Yield: Makes 1 cup.

This recipe was provided by Simply Recipes

I have had advice from a top notch Italian cook who says that you can use about half the olive oil that most recipes call for.  Instead of using 1/2 cup, use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of olive oil.  I also use fresh parmigian cheese.  If you would like to try a less expensive "nut" I have used roasted, unsalted soy nuts in my pesto.  It still tastes very good. 

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Recipe From Kalyn's Kitchem - Baked Swiss Chard Stems

I am still collecting an abundunce of swiss chard.  Today I will be freeaing the swiss chard, but the stems do not freeze well so I wanted to find a recipe using the stems. In my search, I stumbled upon another blogger, Kalyn's Kitchen. So here is a recipe using stems

Baked Swiss Chard Stems Recipe with Olive Oil and Parmesan

Last week I posted a great recipe for Swiss Chard and Mushroom Squares, and told everyone not to throw away their chard stems, since I'd spotted this recipe on Up a Creek without a PatL. Pat also introduced me to the book the recipe came from, Vegetables Every Day, without a doubt one of the best cookbooks I've ever owned. (Thanks again, Pat!) The cookbook version of Swiss Chard Stems with Butter and Parmesan was no doubt delicious, but I decided to substitute the butter for a slight misting of olive oil, and it still tasted wonderful. I think it would take as many as three bunches of chard to come up with the pound of chard stems the original recipe calls for, but I used the stems from one bunch of chard which made about two servings (or in my case, a whole dinner because I ate the entire thing at one sitting.) If you like chard but haven't stumbled on a good way to cook the stems, this is simple and delicious, and I love the idea that you're making a side dish out of something that might get thrown away.

I did share a lot of good information about swiss chard in the post last week, but in case you missed how nutritious chard is, it's something you should be eating every week. Plus, if you're a vegetable gardener, here's an expert's take on why you should be growing swiss chard. Swiss chard is also one of the most versatile ingredients you could ever ask for. I've noticed over the last few weeks that a lot of food bloggers are falling in love with swiss chard, so I thought I'd join the trend and use the same ingredient two weeks in a row for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Erin of The Skinny Gourmet. (She's currently living in Ghana which makes me so jealous I can hardly stand it.) Now here's how I made this fabulous side dish from chard stems, plus lots of other chard ideas from other bloggers.

Just a reminder of how to cut the chard leaves away from the stems. I think leaving a bit of leaf on the stem is fine; I actually liked the way it added some color to the stems.

I cut the stems on the diagonal, cutting each chard stem into 3 or 4 pieces, with each piece about three inches long.

Stems are parboiled in salted water, then misted with olive oil and sprinkled with coarsely grated parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes. Yum!

Baked Swiss Chard Stems with Olive Oil and Parmesan
(Makes 2 side dish servings, can be doubled. Recipe slightly adapted from Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop.)

1 bunch chard stems
1/4 tsp. salt
olive oil for spraying pan and chard
1/4 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese (I used Grana Padano from Costco, but any type of hard aged cheese would be good here.)
coarse ground black pepper to taste

Trim any discolored ends from chard stems, then cut stems on an angle into pieces about 3 inches long. If some stems are very thick, you may wish to cut them lengthwise so all pieces are approximately the same thickness.

Preheat oven to 400 F (or 375 F with convection.) Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and chard stems and boil about 6 minutes. Let chard drain well.

Spray a non-stick baking dish with olive oil. Place chard in the pan and mist lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with cheese. (If doubling the recipe, make two layers, misting each layer with oil and sprinkling with cheese.) Bake about 20 minutes, or until chard is softened and cheese is slightly browned on the edges. Season with fresh ground black pepper if desired and serve hot.

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Here is the link to the page with this recipe, as well as a  number of other recipes using swiss chard. 
http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2008/02/baked-swiss-chard-stems-recipe-with.html