how to freeze Brussel sprouts

This was my first year growing Brussels sprouts and I was pleased with my crop.  In a year with many garden disappointments the Brussels sprouts did well.  I waited to pick my crop until we had had a couple of frosts as frost is supposed to make them sweeter.  I found internet directions for how to freeze the Brussels Sprouts.  They were pretty simple.  The link is below.

Soak the sprouts in a vinegar/water mixture for 30 minutes.  Use 2-3 Tbsp vinegar per gallon of water.  Rinse well.  Sort by size to large, medium and small sprouts.  Blanch the large sprouts for 5 minutes in boiling water and then chill for the same amt of time in ice water.  The medium size sprouts should blanch for 4 minutes and the smallest ones for 3 minutes. 

Once blanched and chilled the sprouts need to be frozen and they can be frozen by one of two methods.  Method one has you placing the blanched sprouts on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer and placing the sheet in the freezer. Once frozen the sprouts should be placed in a zipper bag or other freezer container and returned to the freezer.  The other method is to place the sprouts in a freezer bag after blanching and then place the bag in the freezer.  I did some both ways, the largest ones I froze individually and then bagged and the medium and small ones I bagged and then froze.

Source: here.

corn salad with fritos

This is a great salad with several ingredients that come from the garden... 

Corn Salad with Fritos

2 cans corn (we used a similar amount of our garden sweetcorn from the freezer)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
10 1/2 oz bag fritos chili cheese corn chips, coarsely chopped

Combine all but the chips and chill.  Right before serving top with the chopped corn chips. 


Source: here

elderly cucumber pickles

I found this recipe when I went looking for something to do with a bunch of overly large, yellow cucumbers that magically appeared in my garden.  This summer has been generously wet so there have been a few things that have not been done on a timely basis.  Like picking the cucumbers frequently enough to avoid these kinds of situations.  Anyway, I had a bunch of over sized ripening cucumbers and I did a quick internet search to see if the cucumbers could be salvaged or if they were destined for the compost pile.  Turns out they can be used.  One recipe I found actually called for waiting until the yellow cucumbers turned bronze/orange in color before making that pickle so I set aside the most orange ones and went to work with the yellow ones.

It sounds like cucumbers that get to this stage tend to make soft not crisp pickles unless they are soaked in lime or pickled with alum.  I have pickling lime so I decided to go that route.  The directions called for peeling the cucumbers, cutting them in half and scooping out the seeds and then cutting into strips that would fit into the jars that would be used to can the pickles.  My strips ended up being about 1/2 inch in width and 3-4 inches long.  Once the cucumbers are cut to size they are soaked overnight in the refrigerator in lime water.  The next day the cucumber pieces are drained and rinsed with three water changes until the water runs clear.  The cucumbers are then soaked in new clear cold water for another four hours or overnight and then drained and pickled.

The pickle recipe that I used called for the cucumber slices to be placed cold into the hot sanitized jars, seasonings added and then the hot vinegar/sugar brine poured over the cucumbers in the jar to the proper headspace, lids applied and then water bath canned.  This was a great way to do it because it allowed for some experimentation in the different jars.  The recipe that I followed (source at end of post) used ginger, peppercorns and mustard seed as the seasoning in a 2:1 white vinegar/sugar brine but offered several other combinations that also looked interesting.  I decided to do seven jars as that is what my canner holds using the vinegar/sugar brine with two different seasoning combinations and then doing the rest of them in a different combination, maybe cider vinegar and a sweeter ratio.  I used a few cucumber pieces and extra brine to some in the fridge for tasting without having to open a jar to evaluate the end results.  

So, in one batch I tried the ginger, mustard seed and peppercorn spices.  I was a little curious about how pickles with ginger would be and am pleased to say that I like them.  The pickles have good texture.  They are pretty tart, not curl your tongue and make your eyes water tart, but I might consider trying a different vinegar:sugar ratio next time, maybe 2:1.5 even if it is only a sample to see if it is better.

For the second batch I was looking for something that might be interesting in a bloody Mary.  I used red pepper flakes, celery seed and garlic.  Again the pickles were quite tart with good texture. 

Source: here

leek and potato soup base

This is the first year that I have grown leeks and I have not cooked with them before so they are a new experience for me.  I was seeing lots of recipes for soup but most of them included dairy which is not recommended for canning.  So I was glad to find this recipe for a soup base that will get cream and some other additions when I use the base to make soup.  This one is leeks and potatoes in a stock.  The leeks and potatoes are prepped and layered in the hot jars and the hot stock is added to the raw vegetables.  They then are sealed and pressure canned for 60 minutes at 11 pounds of pressure.  I did my soup base in pints thinking that would make a nice amt of soup for one or there would be the flexibility of opening more than one jar if needed.  I used potatoes from the garden as well as the leeks and homemade chicken stock.  I am excited to make soup from this recipe.

Canned leek and potato soup base

6 medium potatoes, red or white
5 pounds leeks
chicken or beef stock

Prepare the potatoes by peeling and cutting into 1/2 inch dice and then place in cold water to prevent discoloration until time to fill the jars.  Prepare the leeks by soaking in cold water until they are clean and then slice across the leek into 1/4 inch slices and keep in cold water.  File a sterilized hot pint jar with a layer of leeks at the bottom, then a layer of the potatoes and top with another layer of leeks.  Fill to a 1" headspace with hot chicken or beef broth or stock.  Use a spatula to remove any air bubbles and then refill with additional stock or broth to return to the correct 1" headspace.  Add a lid and ring and process in a pressure canner for 60 minutes at 11 pounds pressure. 

source here

zucchini jam

One of the recipes I found this summer when looking for zucchini recipes is this one for zucchini jam.  It has few ingredients and it uses jello in place of a pectin product.  Since zucchini is not strongly flavored the Jam benefits from the jello for both color and flavor.  I have made a couple of batches and both of them have set up well.  The first time that I made this jam I had not been specific enough with my grocery list and ended up with a small box of jello in place of the larger one that was called for so I used one small box of  apricot and for the other box I substitute a lime flavor and the jam was green in color and citrusy in flavor but still pretty good.  I am thinking that you could substitute a variety of flavors or combinations of flavors and all would be interesting.  I used my oversized zucchinis, peeled and seeded and grated, and it turned out great.  This year I had more than the usual amt of surprise finds and after freezing a bunch for baking it was nice to have another use for them.

Zucchini Jam

6 cups peeled, seeded and grated zucchini
6 cups sugar
6 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup lemon juice,
1 6 oz or 2 3oz packages dry apricot jello


Combine zucchini and sugar in large kettle or stockpot and bring to a boil.  Boil six minutes. Add the drained pineapple and lemon juice and boil another six minutes.  Stir in the jello and when mixed well pour into sterilized jars and seal.  I processed my jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.

Source: here.

leek and potato quiche

I have an old 2 in 1 cookbook with recipes for quiche on one side and when you flip it over there are recipes for souffles.  It is pretty beat up. I have had it for years.  It is even missing one of the covers.  It was copyrighted in 1972.  There are no photos, just drawings and the pages for the souffles are different colored than the pages for the quiches.  It is a small book, just 5x8 inches and about 85-90 pages of quiches and a similar number of pages for souffles.  It is my go-to book for either souffles or quiches and today I made this leek and potato quiche from this book.  

I like how the book is set up.  On the quiche side it starts out with some information about quiches and the different types of rings/pans.  Next are recipes for three different crusts followed by recipes for two different custards.  The rest of the section is recipes for different quiches using combinations of ingredients.  The way the book is designed encourages experimentation and ingredient substitutions.  

  This time I used the classic quiche pastry although I have also used the rich quiche pastry and I like both.  I used custard A which is described as richer and firmer.  This quiche is built by making the crust and lining the pan.  I used a one piece stoneware pan this time and once the crust is in the pan it is brushed with a little unbeaten egg white and then pricked with a fork.  The cooked vegetables are added to the unbaked crust and then the custard is poured over and the quiche is baked.  I was very pleased at how it turned out.  I grew leeks for the first time this year so I am learning how to use them.  I really like their mild onion flavor.  Next time making this recipe I think that I will increase the vegetables and the custard.  My pan is a little bigger than recipe called for and I think a little thicker filling would make for a more substantial portion and probably it could be cut into more pieces.

Leek and Potato Quiche

Classic Quiche Pastry

1 cup + 2 Tbsp flour
pinch salt
3 Tbsp firm butter
3 Tbsp vegetable shortening
2-5 Tbsp ice cold milk

Cut the butter and shortening into the flour/salt mixture until fine and mealy.  I used my food processor but a pastry blender or fingers would work as well.  Start mixing the dough gently as you add the milk 1 Tbsp at a time until you can just gather it into a firm yet crumbly ball.  Less milk will result in a flakier pastry.  Roll the dough into a circle.  The directions suggest rolling it between 2 sheets of wax paper but I use a cloth covered pastry board which works fine.  Line the pan. Prick all over the bottom and sides with a fork and then brush the surface with a bit of unbeaten egg white.

Vegetables

2 pounds boiling potatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium onion (I used leeks in 1/4 inch slices)
6 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet.  Add the leek and potato slices.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium heat until onions are soft and potatoes are browned and getting crispy.  Place the vegetables in the crust.

Custard

1 cup whipping cream
4 egg yolks
pinch each of salt, cayenne, nutmeg

Blend together and pour the custard over the vegetables in the crust  Bake in preheated 375°  oven for 40-45 minutes or until filling is cooked. 

traci's veggie pizza

A couple weeks ago I had a opportunity to sample Traci's veggie pizza and it was wonderful.  So I quick grabbed a picture before I had finished it off and vowed to ask for the recipe.  The flavors are great and the fact that it is colorful adds to the appeal.  I think that it could be used as an appetizer as well as an entree.  

Traci's veggie pizza

Crust: 1 can crescent rolls spread in a 9x13 pan and baked for 8-10 minutes at 325° and cooled.

Beat together:
 1/2 cup miracle whip
1 8 oz cream cheese
1-2 tsp dry Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix or to taste
 1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp dill seed or weed
1/4 tsp black pepper

Spread this mixture over the crescent roll crust.  Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and various chopped veggies in a thin layer.  Avoid watery veggies like tomato to keep the crust from getting soggy.  Cut into squares and serve. 

Thank you, Traci, for sharing.  It was a great treat and I am glad to have the recipe.  I am looking at the beautiful red and green colors and wondering if these could be cut with simple Christmas cookie cutters into trees or bells or stars to serve at holiday time, perhaps cutting them after the cream cheese mixture is spread on the crust but before the toppings are added.  Interesting possibilities. 

zucchini bisque

I found this recipe online with a little comment saying that it was a good one and it was.  It was also easy to do and pretty quick to make.  I am using my overly large zucchinis for this, making the soup up to the point where the cream is added and putting it in the freezer.  When I pull it out to serve I will add the cream during the reheating.   I used my homemade canned broth  which was very tasty. 

zucchini  bisque

1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup light cream

In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter. Add zucchini and chicken
broth. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes: add seasonings. Puree on
low in a blender. Return to pan: stir in cream and heat through.
Yield: 4-5 servings (6 cups)

Please be careful when blending hot soup.  I used my immersion (stick) blender and blended the soup right in the pan.  If you are using a conventional blender only blend half a blender jar full at a time.

original recipe here.

zucchini brownies

I saw this recipe on the web and they looked too good not to try since I had a zucchini fresh from the garden sitting on my counter.  I have paired zucchini and chocolate before in this bread recipe and that turns out moist and flavorful every time so I had high expectations.

The brownies turned out great.  Moist and fudgy with a pour over frosting that goes on as they come out of the oven and a few minutes later they can be served while still warm.  They are easy to do.  The best part is that you would never know there is zucchini in here.   I mixed them up in the saucepan that I used to melt the chocolate chips.  I used my batter whisk, no stand mixer or hand mixer needed. 

oil, chips and cocoa

melted and smooth

eggs, sugar, vanilla and zucchini

combined and ready for the dry ingredients

flour, baking soda and salt are added

poured into prepared pan

Frosting starts with butter, milk, chips and vanilla

when melted and smooth in goes the powdered sugar

the glaze goes on the cooked brownies

you would never know there was zucchini in here

Zucchini brownies

for the brownies
1/2 cup light tasting olive oil or canola oil
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup grated rung out zucchini or yellow summer squash
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour

for the glaze
1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line a 9x13 cake pan with parchment and grease parchment and sides of pan or spray with cooking spray. 

For brownies: in medium saucepan melt the oil, chips and cocoa together over low-medium heat.  Once melted remove from heat and add the sugar, eggs, vanilla and zucchini.  Stir in the dry ingredients and pour into prepared pan.  Spread evenly and bake for 15-20 minutes.  While brownies are baking make the glaze.

For the glaze: melt the butter, cocoa powder, chocolate chips and milk together and simmer gently one minute.  Remove from heat and add the vanilla and then the powdered sugar.  Whisk until smooth glaze forms. 

Once brownies are removed from the oven pour the hot glaze over the brownies immediately and smooth out evenly over the brownies.  Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes then cut and serve warm.

Source for original recipe here.

marinated watermelon and tomato salad

My sister shared some salad with me.  She found the recipe in a magazine called Real Simple.  It was on the cover and caught the eye of her daughter.  It tasted great so I asked for the recipe and vowed to take a picture of it and blog about it before I had finished it off.  This salad has some ingredients that I would never have thought to try together.  Watermelon and tomato.  Who would have thought? 

The colors were beautiful.  The red of the watermelon and the yellow/orange of the cherry tomato is such a happy color combination.  I just needed to decide how to do a picture of it that does it justice.

Nikole's handcrafted pottery bowl on tan?

Small white dish on green?

Glass salad plate on blue?

stack of glass plates on wood?

Look at those colors!

marinated watermelon and tomato salad

10 cups watermelon, cubed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, chopped or cherry tomatoes
1/2 small red onion
1/2 cup basil, freshly torn
2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine the watermelon and the lime juice and allow to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.  Add the remainder of the ingredients and serve or refrigerate until ready to serve. 

broccoli salad

In May there was a birthday party for my daughter Nikole's 30 birthday.  Colleen and Tom brought this broccoli salad and it was really good.  Colleen agreed to share the recipe.  The dressing is made the day before and refrigerated.  The bacon and seeds are added a few hours before serving and the only last minute task is to stir all the ingredients together.  Colleen said that she doubled it for the party.

broccoli salad

2 bunches broccoli, cut into florettes
1/2 cup raisins
1/2  medium red onion, diced
1 pound bacon, cooked, drained and cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (without shells)


Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp salad vinegar

Make the dressing the day before and keep in the refrigerator.  A few hour before serving add the bacon and seeds to the vegetables and right before serving stir in the dressing.

raspberry, onion, jalapeno chutney

I saw this recipe on the internet and I just happened to have some fresh raspberries from the garden so I decided to give it a try.  It is a chutney and Wikipedia describes a chutney as a condiment often associated with South Asian cuisine, a combination of vegetables, spices, herbs and fruits.  This chutney recipe has onion as its base vegetable, both red and sweet onions.  It also has a jalapeno pepper.  It has two kinds of sugar, white and brown and two kinds of vinegar, cider and balsamic.  Craisins and orange zest are part of the fruit component.  Add a little salt and this is cooked up on the stove with the raspberries added for the last few minutes of cooking.  I really liked the flavor.  I was concerned that it would be hotter than I would like so I used the jalapeno but not the seeds and there was really no heat.  I think that it would be good accompaniment for meat and also on a panini sandwich.  I think that it would be a great appetizer topping some cream cheese on a cracker or bruschetta 

I used a water bath canner and processed it in small 4 ounce jelly jars for 15 minutes..  I think that it will be just the right amount for a meal.  I ended up getting 12 small jars with a little for tasting that didn't quite fit into the jars.  My raspberries are a black raspberries so my chutney ended up a beautiful dark purple color.

onions and jalapeno

sugars, craisins, zest and vinegars

starting to cook down

raspberries in and ready for the jars

cooling jars

Raspberry onion jalapeno chutney

2 large sweet onions, diced
1 large red onion, diced
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 medium jalapeno, minced
1 Tbsp grated orange peel (zest)
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen (thawed)

prepare the jars, lids and rings by sterilizing them and leaving them in the hot water.  Start heating water in the canner and keep it at a simmer.

Place all ingredients except the raspberries in a large heavy pot.  The original instructions say to cook at a simmer for approximately 25-30 minutes or until it mounds on a spoon.  After 25 minutes mine was still very liquidy so I cooked it  longer.  I maybe should have had a little hotter heat on the burner.  When the liquid was starting to thicken I added the raspberries and cooked it for 5 minutes longer.  I then used a ladle and canning funnel to fill my hot jars leaving a 1/2 inch headspace and added the hot lids and bands and hand tightened.  I placed each jar in the canner and added hot water to cover by at least an inch.  I brought the water to a boil and boiled them for 15 minutes.  I turned off the heat allowed them to stand in the canner for a couple of minutes and then carefully set them on a towel to cool. 

source:  the original recipe can be found here.

cowboy caviar

This was a salsa that Robb brought to the birthday party.  It was made by his mom, Traci, and she graciously shared the recipe.  It was delicious, full of fresh, healthy ingredients, many of which will soon be available from the garden or farmer's market. 

Cowboy Caviar

1 each red, yellow and green peppers, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 cans shoe peg corn or mexicorn, undrained
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans or black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans or black beans with jalapenos, drained and rinsed

Cook the following and pour over vegetables and beans:

1cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar

Refrigerate overnight and serve with Fritos scoops or chips.

fruit and yogurt salad

My mom frequently makes this salad and she made it for Kaylee's graduation party.  It is a simple fruit salad, just fresh fruit lightly coated in strawberry flavored yogurt.  We usually use a combination of red and green grapes and strawberries as they are usually readily available but many other fruits could be added such as berries like raspberries or blueberries, stone fruits like cherries, peaches or nectarines, and maybe kiwi or mango.  This salad would be great with fresh fruit in season, picked at its peak of ripeness.   For the graduation party it was dished into individual servings in clear wide mouth drink cups.  It was an easy way for guests to grab a cup on their way thru the line and refilling the tray with new cups was easy for the kitchen crew.  Serving only a few cups at a time eliminated the need to keep a salad bowl chilled throughout the open house as the salad could be taken from the fridge to fill a small tray of cups at a time.  Mom prepped the fruit ahead of time and the yogurt was added to small batches as needed.  Mom usually uses the Yoplait strawberry yogurt which is really good but I would think that any sweetened, flavored yogurt could be substituted.   

veggie shooters

For the grad party Lisa was looking for a easy way to serve relishes with dip and this worked out great and couldn't have been easier.  While at the party store picking up paper plates and napkins she found these cute disposable square shot glasses and bamboo skewers.  A squirt of ranch dressing in the bottom of the glass was the dip and then we placed in the shot glass a carrot stick, a celery stick, a green bean and a skewer with two small cherry tomatoes.  Any long narrow vegetable would work.  Red, yellow, orange or green peppers cut into narrow strips would be colorful and tasty.  A pea pod would also work well or a stalk of asparagus.  We had the vegetables all prepped in the kitchen and filled the shooters a tray at a time and swapped out a full tray for the empty tray as needed.  The presentation was nice and they were very convenient for both the guests and the kitchen helpers.

Lisa used ranch dressing thinking that it would be familiar to most people but any favorite dip could be used.  The ranch worked out nicely as it had a squirt type top on the bottle.  Transferring your dip to a squirt bottle would make for filling the shooters neatly. Wouldn't these be good with fresh-from-the garden vegetables at their peak of flavor?

san marzano red sauce used two ways

Lisa served two sandwich choices at Kaylee's grad party.  Both were small, just a few bites, so guests could have one or both of the sandwiches.  One of the sandwiches was a panini grilled cheese and the other was a slider type hamburger.  She had a terrific red sauce that she used as a dipping sauce for the panini sandwiches. Guests could ladle some into a small disposable cup to dip their panini.  For the sliders, the burgers were in a crock pot in the same red sauce and guests were able to build their own sandwich as they went through the line, ensuring that everyone got a freshly made sandwich. The sauce was really good.  Similar to a spaghetti sauce but without the Italian herbs.  This one included only fresh basil.  San Marzano tomatoes are a plum style tomato from Italy.  Some interesting reading about the San Marzano tomato can be found here.

San Marzano Red Sauce

3- 28 oz cans of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
4-6 T garlic olive oil
1 red onion cut into small dice
Pinch of red pepper flakes 
Kosher salt and pepper  
4-6 T torn fresh basil
 
Break up the tomatoes with an immersion blender.  Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan and add the onion when oil is hot - saute 5-6 minutes.  Add the red pepper flakes.  Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to med low and saute for 30 min.  Makes a slightly chunky sauce with great fresh tomato flavor

Hambies  Slider Sandwiches

3 # hamburger
1 packet of McCormick Grill Mates Montreal marinade seasoning 
1 tsp season salt
1 egg
1/3 c Panko bread crumbs 

Combine the hamburger seasonings, egg and bread crumbs and form into burgers.  Lisa's burgers were very consistent in size and shape.  They matched the diameter of her bun and were about 3/4 pf an inch thick.  I think Lisa molded hers in a cookie cutter.  She then browned them in an electric fry pan and finished the cooking in the San Marzano red sauce in the crock pot. When building the sandwich, some of the sauce clings to the burger when you put it on the bun.   Delicious.

Grilled Cheese Panini 

The paninis were made with baguettes that were purchased from the Panera restaurant.  They were thinly sliced and buttered on the outside of the sandwich.  Inside the sandwich was a leaf of spinach and a thick slice of sharp cheddar.  They were grilled on the panini press but could as easily be done in an electric skillet, flipping the sandwich to cook both sides.  Once done they were transferred to  the buffet server to keep them warm.  The red sauce was available to use to dip the sandwich in.  We used a whole spinach leaf on the sandwich and in hindsight the whole leaf prevented the second slice of bread from adhering the the melted cheese.  I think that the spinach torn into smaller pieces or placed between two thinner slices of cheese might be something to try to keep the sandwich from coming apart when serving or dipping into the red sauce.  

roasted parnesan green beans

My sister, Lisa, found this recipe and served it at her daughter's graduation party.  These green beans are quick and easy and will be great with fresh beans from the farmstand when in season.  The infused oil and the few seasonings provide a great flavor.  Using freshly grated cheese as they come out of the oven adds a great touch.  A microplane is a great way to grate the Parnesan from a block of cheese right onto the beans.  

Roasted Parmesan Green Beans:

24 oz fresh green beans cleaned and ends trimmed
4 tsp Tuscan Basil Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4-1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 T shredded Parmesan

Preheat oven to 425°.
Lay beans on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and garlic powder - toss to distribute spices.  Spread them on the pan and place in oven on the lower third section of the oven.  Bake 10 minutes - remove from oven and shake the pan to turn.  Return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Lisa's kitchen helpers made these in batches and served them from the buffet server, swapping out an empty pan for a full one.  All of the beans were prepped ahead of time and in zippered storage bags.  

source of original recipe not known. 

sweet corn mac and cheese

Lisa found a great macaroni and cheese recipe that calls for corn as an added ingredient.   It tasted  wonderful and one of the fabulous things about this recipe is that it is so easy.  Everything goes into the crock pot and an hour and a half later it is done.  You don't even have to cook the noodles.  This would be a great use for excess sweet corn when it is at its peak of ripeness and abundant from the garden or farmers market.

Sweet corn mac and cheese  

2 C dry macaroni
16 oz regular Velveeta
2 sticks of butter
30 oz of sweet corn, (drain if using canned)
30 oz of cream style corn


Place all ingredients in the crock pot, cubing the cheese for quicker melting and stir to combine.  Start out on high and reduce heat partway through as the cheese gets melty and the noodles are cooking.  Lisa made six separate batches for her grad party.  I think that she had two ready to go at the start of the party and then started a third once the party started.  As the first one was finished she was starting the fourth.  The recipe that Lisa originally found called for cooking in the crock pot for a longer period of time.  She found in her trial of the recipe that it was ready sooner and actually lost quality the longer it was in the crock pot which is why she made smaller batches over the three hours of the open house.  The guests at the end of the party got the same fresh food as the first ones to arrive.      

black bean and corn enchiladas

I had company today.  Nathan and Michelle and their two dogs visited and we tried a new recipe for dinner while they were here.  Michelle wondered if I had a new recipe that I was dying to try and did I want to try it this weekend.  She volunteered to pick up any missing ingredients and we could try it together.

I have an extensive number of pins on pinterest that are food related and I selected a few to send her asking that she pick one.  She selected a vegetable enchilada recipe.  There is a homemade enchilada sauce that goes over top and the filling contains cheese, green onions, spinach, black beans and sweet corn.  We used canned beans and commercially frozen spinach but the corn was from the garden and frozen last fall.

We enjoyed the enchiladas.  We had a little filling left over when we got the tortillas filled and talked about how good it would be as a filling in a stuffed pepper and ended up eating some as a dip for chips.  We made the sauce first and while it was simmering to thicken it we made the filling and filled the  enchiladas.

The filling-cheese, beans, corn, spinach, cumin

filling on the tortilla

a few enchiladas in the pan

enchiladas topped with sauce and more cheese

Vegetable enchiladas

Sauce:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
14.5 oz can vegetable broth (we used homemade)
3/4 cup water

Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat.  Add cumin, flour and tomato paste and whisk, cooking one minute.  Whisk in broth and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook 5-8 minutes until slightly thickened.

Filling:

Coarse salt and pepper
1 tsp cumin 
3 cups grated Pepper Jack cheese (divided)
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (we used one that had jalapenos added)
1 10 oz box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 10 oz box frozen corn, thawed (we used our frozen from the garden)
6 scallions, sliced thinly, white and green parts separated

16 six inch corn tortillas

Combine 2 cups cheese, beans, spinach, corn and white parts of scallion.  Add cumin, salt and pepper.

To assemble the enchiladas:

Preheat oven to 400°.  Wrap the stack of tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for one minute on high.  Place a generous 1/3 cup of the filling on the tortilla and roll.  Place in oiled pan (we used 2 8x8 pans) seam side down.  When all are filled top with remaining 1 cup of cheese and sauce, dividing evenly between pans.  Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until bubbly then cool 5 minutes.  Garnish with green parts of the scallions and serve.

There were instructions included for freezing the enchiladas before cooking and then cooking from frozen by forming the enchiladas and placing them in the oiled pan.  Top with the cheese but not the sauce.  Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze.  Freeze the sauce in a separate container.  When ready to bake the enchiladas thaw the sauce in the refrigerator overnight and the next day preheat the oven to 400, remove the plastic and foil from the frozen enchiladas, pour over the thawed sauce and cover with foil.  Bake 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes until bubbly.  Cool 5 minutes before serving.

One of the comments for the original recipe suggested that authentic enchilada gravy does not contain tomato products and gave their recipe for a basic enchilada gravy that used chili powder.

We thought these were very tasty and the gravy was easy to make and had good flavor even if it was lacking authenticity 



Source: original recipe

spinach salad

This salad is the April recipe review from the Aggieville cookbook.  The salad is spinach, bacon and water chestnuts with a homemade dressing.  The spinach is fresh from the greenhouse, picked today with only a quick rinse.  The bacon is cooked crisp and crumbled and I used canned water chestnuts.  Water Chestnuts come in whole or slices and I used the sliced and then cut the slices crosswise.  I think that you could have left them as whole round slices or chopped them.

The dressing goes together very quickly and easily.  The recipe called for minced onion so I chopped mine quite fine in the food processor first and then added the rest of the ingredients and made the dressing in the food processor.  The dressing is red in color and reminds me of a french dressing but a little sweeter.  I used a sweet onion and I soaked it in some ice water for 30 minutes before I used it to try and reduce the hotness of the onion.  I used canola oil and white vinegar but I think good variations could be obtained by using olive oil and/or a different vinegar, such as a cider, wine or seasoned rice vinegar.  The dressing ingredients make enough for many salads.

Spinach salad and dressing

Salad

2 lb fresh spinach, washed
1/2 package cooked, crumbled bacon
1 can water chestnuts

Dressing

1 cup oil
1/3 cup catsup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
2 Tbsp minced onion

 For salad, tear the spinach into bite sized pieces and combine with crisply cooked, crumbled bacon and chopped or sliced water chestnuts.

For dressing: blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Pour over salad when ready to serve.   

I am linking to Tasty Tuesday

next year this will be a farmstand recipe

The farmstand cookbook is a small but expanding collection of recipes using ingredients from the farmstand.  I have other recipes too but they are blogged about either at The Bakery at Mom's Hobby Farm or A Dozen For Dinner where I have started reviewing a new cookbook each month and then each month after a recipe from that cookbook.  So, I am already behind.  But just a little behind.  In March I was to review a recipe from the January cookbook and a recipe from the February cookbook.  It is April 2 and I am cooking and writing for March.  I made a cabbage salad tonight that called for cabbage, red onion and green pepper.  These are all vegetables that I did not grow last year but are on the planned list for this year.  

Here is a picture of the salad:

and here is the recipe for the salad.

pasta with creamy carrots and Asian greens

Not all of my greens that are growing in the winter greenhouse are big enough to eat yet but these three are:

The back left are collards, the back right are pac choi and the front is mizuna.  I love them fresh in a mixed greens salad but was considering ways that I could use them cooked with pasta.  Here is what I did.

While the water was heating for the pasta I heated a skillet on the stove and when it was hot drizzled some olive oil in the bottom.  I then added an onion and a minute later some carrots.  I sauteed them stirring occasionally until they were almost tender.  I removed the carrots and onions and using the same pan I added three garlic cloves that were minced and then added heavy cream to the garlic in the skillet.  I used enough cream to make a 1/4  inch deep layer over the bottom of the skillet and stirred to distribute the garlic in the cream.  I continued to cook the garlic/cream to reduce it down and thicken it a little.  I added the greens--the collards and pac choi were cut into ribbons and the mizuna I left whole--and once they had started to wilt I added the drained cooked pasta and some of the carrot/onion.  I was cooking for just one so I did not use all of  the carrot/onion (mirepoix) but reserved some for another use.  If you were cooking this for a group you would use larger quantities of  all of the ingredients.  I use mirepoix a lot so I often make extra.  I stirred the mixture allowing the flavors to combine and to heat through. 

I thought it was good and would definitely make this again.  The carrots were sweet, the greens provided a  nice contrast, the cream infused with a little garlic clung to the pasta and pulled it all together.  I think it would be good with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the top as it is being served.

Pasta with creamy carrots and Asian greens

Olive oil
1 large yellow onion-cut into thin wedges
5 carrots-peeled and cut into bite size pieces
3 cloves garlic-minced
heavy cream
Asian greens- large handful-torn or cut into bite size pieces
pasta-cooked

Heat a skillet on medium high heat on the stove and when hot add olive oil to the pan--enough to partially cover but not fully cover the bottom of the pan.  Add the onion and a minute or to later the carrots.  Cook stirring occasionally until nearly tender.  Remove the carrots and onions to a bowl and using the same skillet add the minced garlic cloves and then immediately add enough heavy cream to make a thin layer over the bottom of the skillet.  Stir in the garlic to distribute and cook for a couple minutes to reduce and thicken.  Add the greens and stir to combine.  Once they have wilted a little add the pasta and the reserved carrot/onion mixture.  I wanted similar amounts of carrots and greens so I did not use all of the carrots and onions.  Cook while stirring to blend the flavors and heat through.

Linking to:

Foodie Friday 

a tale of two soups--soup two

Yesterday I made a soup using Nathan's venison bone broth, hamburger, vegetables and homemade pasta and it was really good.  Caitlin and I had it for lunch.  See here for soup one.  We talked about what else would be good in it and decided to add some stewed tomatoes, cabbage and barley for a different version. 

Since our vegetables and pasta were already cooked I felt that adding uncooked barley and cabbage and cooking the soup until those ingredients were thoroughly cooked would leave the vegetables and pasta overcooked and likely turn them to mush.  Adding cooked barley and cabbage seemed the way to go so I cooked the barley according to the package directions and roasted the cabbage and then added both to the soup along with a quart jar of stewed tomatoes that I canned from tomatoes that grew in the garden this summer.

This soup also  had good flavor.   The vegetables and pasta  retained good texture.  The tomato mixed with the broth was good.  The cabbage and barley I would do again. 

soup two in a handcrafted bowl made by Nikole on a potter's wheel

closer shot of the veggies, barley and cabbage

If I were to make this soup from the start I would probably cook the barley and cabbage in the broth and then add the frozen vegetables when the cabbage and barley were close to done.  I like that provides a little variety. 

I think that other additions could include wild rice, lentils, other beans, navy, pinto or black, potato, sweet potato, squash.

a tale of two soups--soup one

This year for Christmas one of my gifts were several pint jars of bone broth.  Nathan followed the instructions in this video to make bone broth from venison bones.  

After cooking the broth for several days he canned the broth. It was a rich brown color.

I used one of the jars to make a hamburger vegetable soup.  I browned the hamburger, added the pint jar of broth and then filled the pot with water until it was about 3/4 full.  I added an assortment of frozen vegetables--ours was carrots, peas, corn and green beans some from our garden and some from the store. When the soup came back to a boil I added homemade pasta and cooked it until the pasta was al dente.

Not ever having had venison stock before  we were unsure what the flavor would be like.  Caitlin and I discussed adding tomatoes to the soup and decided that we could add tomato when we reheated the leftovers and see which way we liked it best.   Soup number one turned out great.  The broth has a very good flavor.  I used very little seasoning--a little salt and pepper and I added some dried cilantro.

Soup number one

 Extra fun was eating it out of another Christmas present--my soup/pasta plates.

hamburger noodle vegetable soup

1 pound hamburger, browned
1 pint venison bone broth
water
frozen corn, peas, green beans and carrots
homemade fettuccine, broken into 2 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp dried cilantro

Brown the hamburger in a large stock pot.  Add the venison broth and water to about 3/4 full.  Add the frozen vegetables and the seasonings.  When the soup comes back to a boil add the fresh pasta and cook a couple minutes longer until the pasta is al dente,