sous vide chevre

sous vide chevre 

(goat cheese)

1 quart goat milk

1/3 cup lemon juice

salt

optional flavorings

Place the goat milk in the sous vide bag.  Freezer bags are not sturdy enough for this high of temperatures.  Set the sous vide at 180° and place the bag in the water.  When the water comes to temperature begin checking the milk in the bag with an instant read thermometer.  When the milk reaches 180 remove the bag from the water and set it upright in a bowl or large measuring cup.  Add the lemon juice and agitate the bag.  Let stand undisturbed for ten minutes.  After ten minutes pour the curdled milk into a colander that has been lined with cheesecloth or a dishtowel that has been placed over a bowl to catch the whey.  Allow the cheese to drain for 90 minutes.  When finished draining transfer to a container and add salt to taste.  Stir in any flavorings such as herbs, garlic, black pepper, or lemon zest.  Refrigerate over night for best flavor.

sous vide heating the milk

finished cheese

source 

dandelion jelly

This year is my second year making dandelion jelly.  I found the recipe online and gave it a try and it was really good.  Every year I have acres of dandelions.  I do not spray them and there are too many to pull so I get these huge waves of yellow and now it is fun to do something with them.  The jelly is made by first steeping the petals in boiling water to make a dandelion tea.  Then the tea is mixed with lemon juice, pectin and sugar to create the jelly.

This week, before mowing, I 'harvested' about a gallon of the flower heads.  I just pulled the tops off of the plant and threw them in a container.  After that I brought them in the house and proceeded to separate the yellow petals from the green parts.  Only the yellow parts are used.  It is a bit tedious to separate them but a good project for television watching or podcast listening.  I gently pulled the yellow petals from the green base and when they were all separated I poured boiling water over them and let them stand overnight.  It is said that the green parts can be bitter so I tried to not get any green in with my petals.  If you are not growing your own dandelions you would want to choose flowers from an area that has not been sprayed.

my dandelion field AKA my front yard

The next morning I strained the tea.  The flower petals are discarded and the dark amber liquid is saved.  The tea is brought to a boil with the lemon juice and pectin and when boiling the sugar is added.  It is returned to a boil, allowed to boil for 1-2 minutes and then transferred to the jars and water bath canned.

Dandelion jelly

3 cups dandelion tea

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 box powdered pectin

4 1/2 cups sugar

Place the tea and lemon juice in a pan.  Stir in the pectin and bring to a boil.  Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.  Continue to heat until it returns to a boil and boil for 1-2 minutes.

Pour into prepared pint or half pint jars leaving a 1/4 inch headspace.  Apply the lids and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.  Begin timing when the water is boiling.

To make dandelion tea cover 4 cups of yellow petals with boiling water and allow to cool to room temperature or overnight if possible.  Strain.  I didn't have a full 4 cups of petals and used more water than three cups and I ended up with enough tea for two batches.  The flavor was good.  I did allow it to stand overnight.  It is possible that had I not left it to stand the longer period of time that it might have made for a weaker tea and less flavorful jelly.

The original recipe can be found here.  It includes a version using the liquid pectin instead of the powdered, which I have not tried.

Next I will be researching recipes for dandelion wine.

Joining Met Monday at BNOTP here.

arugula salad

This past weekend I spent a good part of the daylight at a painting party.  A bunch of us were helping paint Robb's house.  We all brought food so it was fun.  I took a salad both days.  The Saturday salad was one that I have made several times before: mixed greens from the greenhouse, goat cheese, candied pecans and apples with a balsamic vinaigrette.  Alas, no pictures of that salad.

On Sunday I tried a new recipe that I found in an e-cookbook called Salads that Inspire-A cookbook of Creative Salads.  Although I am seeding for the winter greenhouse I don't have a lot that is harvest ready yet but I did have some enough mixed greens for the Saturday salad and some arugula.  So I went looking for an arugula salad.  

arugula in the greenhouse

 The salad from the cookbook called for grilled watermelon, pistachios and mint.  It was topped with a honey lime dressing.  

watermelon on the grill

 I chopped the mint from the garden with the mezzaluna and added it to the torn arugula. 

mint

 We all thought it was pretty good.  The watermelon was only slightly softened and a little caramelized.  The arugula was young and not as peppery as it would get as it matured.  The mint and the lime in the dressing added a brightness that really made the salad. 

finished salad

Arugula Salad

Dressing
1/4 cup honey
1/4 lime juice
zest of one lime

Salad
1 watermelon
4 cups loosely packed arugula
olive oil for drizzling
salt (I used pink Himalayan)
2 cups chopped mint
1 cup unsalted chopped pistachios, toasted (I could only find dry roasted and they were good)
Freshly ground pepper

 Cut the watermelon in slices.  Drizzle with olive oil and salt.  Grill 1-2 minutes per side.  Alternatively broil the watermelon.  They should be warmed and slightly charred.  Move the watermelon to a cutting board and remove the rind and cut into pieces.  Combine the dressing ingredients.  Add the pistachios and watermelon to the arugula and mint and toss.  Top with the dressing.

The arugula wilted  upon standing awhile so I would put the salad together right before serving.  I grilled the watermelon ahead of time so it had cooled but I think that slightly warm would be nice too.

Sharing with MM at BNOTP.

elderberry cordial

This year is the first year that my elderberry bushes have produced flowers and then berries.  The flowers are a white flat cluster.  The tree flowers in a rolling pattern with the lowest branches flowering first and the upper branches later.  I have harvested the ripe berries from the low branches and the top of the bush is just now flowering.  The berries are small, less than 1/4 inch in diameter and they form in clusters.  I picked the berries by trimming the cluster from the branch with a hand prumer.  Once picked I submerged them in water and then swished them gently.  I removed the clusters from the water and then set about to destem the berries.  The stems are slightly toxic so I worked carefully to make sure that no stems were missed.  Once they were all destemmed I placed a pint of berries in a quart mason jar and filled the jar with vodka.  Three one inch pieces of lemon rind are added to the jar.  Making sure that the white pith is removed as it is bitter.  The jars are sealed up and placed in a dark place to age.  Once the berries have steeped in the vodka for one to six months the vodka is strained and sugar is added to the vodka and it sits again.  My berry harvest was enough for two batches and a partial third batch.  My plan is to complete the process for each jar at a different number of months and see which amount of steeping is best liked by our family.

Elderberry Liqueur

1 pint fresh elderberries
1 quart vodka
3 1 inch pieces lemon rind, white pith removed
1/4-1/3 cup sugar

Put the washed, destemmed elderberries in a  quart jar.  Pour over the vodka.  Add the lemon rind.  Place a cover on the jar and put in a dark place for 1-6 months.  The longer it sits the darker it will become.

Once it has reached the level of darkness that is preferred strain the mixture into a second jar and add the sugar and shake to combine.  Return the jar to the cupboard for another few days or weeks.

The vodka is already taking on the color of the berries

A cordial or liqueur is usually served in one to two ounce amounts in a tiny glass.  It is served neat, no ice or mixer, and meant to be sipped.  I am acquiring a collection of such glasses, most vintage or antique, many discovered on thrift shop outings.

I talk about my collection here.

The original recipe can be found here. .   

stuffed pepper soup

This is a great soup full of garden veggies.  It is almost too hearty to call a soup.  Nikole made this soup as part of a healthy welcome home meal and it is great.  It has all the flavor of a stuffed pepper without having to stuff and bake the peppers.

Unfortunately this picture does not do it justice.  It goes together, start to finish, in less than an hour and serves 6. 

Stuffed Pepper Soup

1 pound lean ground beef
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small yellow onion, chopped (1 cup)
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper (just over 1/2 of a medium)
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can low sodium beef broth
2 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, more for garnish
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 cup uncooked white long grain or brown rice

In a large pot heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Once hot add the ground beef to the pot and season with the salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally while breaking up the beef until browned.  Drain and then pour onto a plate lined with paper towels, set aside.

Heat remaining olive oil in the pot and add onions, red bell pepper and green bell pepper to the pot and saute for 3 minutes.   Then add the garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.  Pour in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, parsley, basil and oregano.  Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring just to a light boil and reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While soup simmers cook the rice according to package directions.  Once soup is done simmering stir in the cooked rice (see below) and serve with garnish of additional parsley and grated cheese (optional)

For a thinner soup add only part of the rice.  For a thicker soup add all of the rice.  If making the soup ahead of time or planning for leftovers add the cooked rice to each bowl as it is served rather than adding it to the pot to keep it from turning mushy.  Orzo can be substituted for the rice.    .

healthier stir fry with Thai peanut sauce

In an effort to make a stir fry with less sodium Nikole made a great stir fry with a Thai peanut sauce.  The stir fry included carrots, onions, celery, garlic, fresh ginger, bell pepper, cauliflower, water chestnuts, pea pods and chicken thighs.  The ingredients were cooked in stages in a wok in oil and then combined and cooked all together for the last couple of minutes.  The chicken was seasoned with Mrs. Dash.  Once the stir fry was done it was served over a small portion of rice and topped with the peanut sauce that added great flavor while being more healthy for those watching their sodium intake than the traditional soy sauce or soy sauce based sauce.  It was great.  There are some of our family that prefer less heat and so the red curry paste was left out.  It was still very good and it the omitted salt was not missed either. 

Thai Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup coconut milk

2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste (Nikole left this out but would recommend using it)

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar or to taste

2 Tbsp ground peanuts (Nikole did not use this but would recommend)

Salt to taste (none added)

Place all the ingredients except for the ground peanuts in a saucepan and whisk together.  Place the pan on the stovetop and cook over low heat.  Continue to whisk until all ingredients are well combined.  Once it begins to simmer and bubble, remove from the heat.  Add the ground peanuts and drizzle over the cooked vegetables and chicken.

lemon chicken orzo soup

I received this recipe from my daughter after having a chance to sample it when she had made it.  The recipe included a caption which absolutely captures the essence of this soup perfectly describing it as full of hearty veggies and tender chicken in a lemony broth.  It was originally found by my younger daughter who shared it with my older daughter who cooked it for us and then shared the recipe.  It was so tasty and done in only 30 minutes.  Makes six servings.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cloves garlic minced
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
5 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 sprig of rosemary
 juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in dutch oven or large stock pot over medium heat.  Add chicken thigh pieces, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes, then set aside.

Add remaining olive oil to the stock pot.  Add  garlic, onion, carrots and celery.  Cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Whisk in the chicken stock, bay leaves and 1 cup water.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in the orzo, rosemary and chicken.  Cook until orzo is tender, 10-12 minutes.  Stir in the lemon juice and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

sweet and sour meatballs

This is a recipe that I have had for over 30 years that was shared with me by a co-worker at my first nursing job. This recipe is for meatballs that are cooked separately and then added to the cooked sauce.  I bake my meatballs in the oven but they can be browned in a fry pan on top of the stove instead.  The cooked meatballs are then added to the sauce which has been cooked on top of the stove and then baked or put into a slow cooker.  If I am in a hurry I have served it right from the stove top and it is just as good.  I serve it over cooked white long grain rice.  I often make this for a crowd by tripling the meatballs and doubling the sauce.

Sweet and sour meatballs

meatballs

1 pound hamburger

small onion, chopped

2 slices white bread, cubed or made into crumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

2/3 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients.  I used the food processor to make the bread slices into crumbs and then mixed everything in the stand mixer.  Form the meat mixture into small balls a little bigger than an inch and then bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  I bake mine on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Sauce

2 Tbsp cornstarch

15 ounce can pineapple chunks in heavy syrup

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 Tbsp soy sauce.

Drain the pineapple, reserving the syrup.  Place the cornstarch in a cold pan with reserved syrup and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved.  If you do this while it is cold it is easier to get it mixed together without any lumps.  Mix in the brown sugar, vinegar and soy sauce and begin heating over medium or medium high heat, cooking until it thickens.  Once the brown sugar, vinegar and soy sauce are combined add the pineapple chunks and green pepper.  When the sauce has thickened add the cooked meatballs and place in crock pot or bake in a casserole dish in the oven at 350 for 30-60 minutes.  Serve over cooked white rice. 

I first started making this when there was only one kind of brown sugar.  Either light or dark will work but I think the dark will give a richer, more interesting color to the sauce.

Thai peanut slaw

This recipe was found on facebook and it looked so pretty and sounded healthy so I decided to give it a try.  It was great.  Very colorful and flavorful.  It gave the knife a workout but I think that you could, if you were so inclined, buy at least some of the vegetables pre-shredded at the grocery store.  I planned this salad to be served at two events a couple days apart and the first event was kind of a run through for the second event.  I prepped the vegetables for both salads at the same time, placing the chopped and shredded veggies in a zipper bag in the fridge.  I then made the dressing for the first salad and will make the dressing for the second salad on the day that I serve it.  This was an easy salad to make.  Prepping the vegetables was a little time consuming but not hard.  I used a mandoline to make thin slices of the two cabbages and the carrots and then chopped the slices smaller with a knife.  I think that you could use purchased shredded cabbage and carrots or use a box grater or the shredding blade of a food processor to obtain the same results.  I was attempting to get slightly bigger pieces than your standard cole slaw.  I used a knife to slice the table onions and to chop the cilantro and peanuts.  The dressing came together quickly whisking a few ingredients in a small bowl and then poured over the vegetables.  The dressing calls for both grated ginger and grated garlic and I used my microplane to do both and it worked well.  It is a nice sized salad.  I used my big stoneware bowl to mix all the ingredients together and then transferred it to the bowl I planned to serve it in.  It did shrink down a little bit once the dressing was added.  The cilantro and ginger brought a nice freshness to the salad.  Definitely a keeper.

Thai Peanut Slaw

Ingredients

Green cabbage shredded (I used a whole large cabbage for two salads)
Red cabbage, shredded (I used two small heads for two salads)
carrots, shredded or cut into thin small slices (I used a pound for two salads)
scallions, one bunch sliced, both white and green parts (I used about 10 for both salads with all of the white and half of the green)
1/2 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped.  (I chopped up a large bunch and split it between the salads)

2/3 cup dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Dressing:

1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp Truvia
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 Tbsp sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

Prep the vegetables, I elected to use slightly larger pieces hoping for a bigger pop of color and it was a good choice.  Place in a large bowl and mix together.  Place the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until the oil and soy sauce is thoroughly combined.  Roughly chop the dry roasted peanuts, stopping before they get to be too fine.  Pour the dressing over the vegetable mixture and stir.  Add the peanuts and stir.  Can top with additional peanuts and cilantro if desired.  The original recipe says that it will keep in the refrigerator covered for three days.

For my second salad I placed the prepped cabbages, carrots, onions and cilantro in a zipper bag in the fridge and will make a fresh batch of dressing the day it is served and toss together with the peanuts just prior to serving.  Alternatively, the dressing could be doubled and one half poured over the first salad and the second half stored in the fridge and re-whisked before pouring it on the second salad. 

source: here

omelet with browned butter and sage

I was wanting a quick lunch and figured eggs would be fast and easy.  I have a rack of seedlings under lights in my living room and decided to sacrifice a few of the sage leaves for my lunch.  I had started the sage plants in a couple different groups.  The earliest ones are already potted up in the greenhouse and I have some smaller ones that will be potted today or tomorrow with inch long leaves that were perfect for today's lunch.  The fresh herbs were just right for this omelet.   I have never been a great omelet maker.  Mine are never neatly rolled thin layers of egg, mine is kind of a folded scrambled egg pancake. 

Omelet with Browned Butter and Fresh Sage

1 Tbsp butter
3-4 large eggs
Splash of heavy cream (approximately 1-1 1/2 Tbsp)
Salt
Pepper
herbs, torn (6-7 smallish sage leaves)

Heat a small skillet over medium high heat.  While the pan is heating crack the eggs into a bowl with the cream and break the yolks with a fork and whip with the fork until the eggs and cream are well mixed.  When the pan is hot add the butter and it should quickly start to turn brown.  Immediately add the egg mixture and stir the eggs around a bit and then stop stirring a let them set into a flat disk.  Salt and pepper. When the bottom is set and starting to brown gently turn the eggs over to cook the other side adding the herbs to the top on one half.  When the bottom is about set fold the omelet with the herbs inside.  Slide the omelet from the pan onto the plate and if desired, top with an dab of butter and garnish with a few pieces of sage.  . 

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.