The Artful Omnivore

ZUCHINNI CASSEROLE WITH SEASONED BREAD CRUMBS

2011-07-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a great quick vegetarian main dish or you can alter it just a bit and it becomes a side dish. I love to make this on those rare days in summer when it is rainy and gray. I generally add more garlic than this recipe calls for (up to 6 cloves) which really revs it up.

What you need:
2 med or one large zuchinni, thinly sliced
1 med onion, thinly sliced
1 med green or red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 med fresh tomatoes* or 2 large ones, peeled and quartered
3 garlic cloves
Olive Oil for sauteing
1 tablespoon of Italian herb mixture
or use just oregano and/or basil, fresh or dried, to taste
1 Cup Bread Crumbs**, preferrably seasoned
1 Cup Cheese (your choice but I prefer parmesan and romano)
Sugar
Salt and pepper

Slice the onion and pepper into nice thin round slices. Chop the garlic finely or you can use equivalent in another form. The garlic is a matter of taste. Adjust to your liking. Saute the zuchinni, onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil until veggies are just starting to soften, do not overcook. Reduce heat to med-low.

Add tomatoes and cook until mixture is like a thick soup (should be about 10 minutes or so.) Season with salt, pepper and Italian herbs. (If using fresh herbs, a small handful is fine, if dried about a tablespoon.)A half teaspoon of sugar added here will help to balance the flavors, but is not necessary, if you don't do sugar. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick to pan or burn.
At this point, this recipe can be used as a simple side dish. To make as a main dish casserole, complete the rest of the recipe.

Using a small oven-proof casserole dish, spray or wipe with olive oil,to reduce sticking. Line the bottom of the casserole with a layer of bread crumbs. Seasoned ones work the best but any kind will do. This layer needs to be about 3/4 to one inch thick. Next, add a layer of cheese, not as thick as bread crumbs. Spoon your hot tomato-zuchinni mixture over these layers. Add another layer of bread crumbs (not as thick as first layer) and more cheese on top of that. Continue to layer, making sure that the final layers are bread crumbs and cheese on the top. Bake this uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until top begins to brown slightly. Let it rest just a bit before serving.

*You can always use canned tomatoes, if you do not have fresh. One 16 ounce can should be perfect for this recipe. f you are making for more than 2 people, just increase the recipe. If you find you would like to make it thicker, add more cheese and breadcrumbs. You get the idea.

Homemade Seasoned Bread Crumbs
**Try making your own breadcrumbs. Bread that is too stale to eat plain is perfect to use. I take the bread and cut into cubes, then saute in a just little butter (or olive oil, depends on the mood, you know) and garlic. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. You can also make all kinds of seasoned crumbs, just by seasoning with herbs and spices, at this point. Try adding a little pesto...that makes amazing bread crumbs, especially for this dish.

Toss frequently while sauteing. After they are nice and coated and just beginning to turn brownish, I put them on a cookie sheet and bake at 200 degrees in the oven until completely toasty. How long that takes depends on how much butter you used and how saturated they were. They will not be dry like storebought crumbs, but boy are they tasty. Use your hands to crumble them when they are cool enough to handle..that is the fun part. Even though not fine crumbs, they give this recipe a kind of rustic character. If you want them finer, use the blender.

Or don't crumble then and you can use them as croutons in your salads. Store crumbs or croutons in an airtight container. If you want to make them ahead or in quantity, store container in freezer. I don't recommend long term storage (more than a couple of days) for croutons, unless you are willing to retoast them before you use them, but the crumbs will do fine, since you can add them staight from the freezer to your recipes.

Since stale bread works so much better, when I am making croutons (crumbs) to store, I buy a loaf of whatever bread I want to use, take it home and leave it sitting on the counter, open to the air, for a day. It gets stale pretty quickly that way. Sounds like a waste of a good loaf of bread, but an 8 oz container of bread crumbs costs $1.89 or more and I can get twice the volume from a loaf of bread. So, unless the bread costs $3.78, I am ahead.

Salsa, Salsa, Salsa!!!!

2011-07-03T06:11:00.000-07:00

Note before we get started. ANY of these salsas can be adjusted to your taste as far as heat. I generally don't put any heat at all; however, these recipes are for medium hot salsas. You can also use other peppers like bananas or chiles, if you have them. That is the beauty of salsa making, there are NO RULES!!!! Just basics. If you want to serve to kids, sensitive stomachs or tongues, just totally leave out the peppers. These salsas are all good with or without the kick!

Watermelon Salsa
3 cups chopped watermelon
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped red onions
1 tablespoon very finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (fresh garlic is overpowering in this recipe, so use powered)
Salt to taste
Directions In a large bowl, combine the watermelon, green bell pepper, lime juice, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno and garlic salt. Mix well and serve.

Blueberry Salsa
2 cups chopped fresh blueberries
1 cup whole fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 fresh lime, juiced
Salt to taste
Directions In a bowl, combine chopped and whole blueberries, jalepeno pepper, onion, red pepper, lime juice, and salt.

Peach Salsa
6 large fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup red pepper, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 piece of crystallized ginger, slivered (I use one about the size of quarter)
1 teaspoons sugar (add a little more if you want sweeter)
Directions Make sure first three ingredients are chopped about the same size, small is better. In a medium bowl, mix together peaches, onions, pepper, juice, crystallized ginger and sugar. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Recipe #2
I personally like this one....it has a very distinct flavor
8 fresh peaches, chopped
2 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Asian five-spice powder
2 teaspoons garlic chile paste
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Directions In a medium bowl, combine peaches, green onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix in five-spice powder, garlic chile paste, and white pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Green Tomato Salsa
4 green tomatoes, diced
1 onion, diced (I like red onions for this recipe)
1 small cucumber, diced same size as tomatoes
1/2 bunch cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno pepper, very finely chopped
1 Tbs black pepper
Sea Salt
Directions: Chop jalapeno very finely. Either juice the lime or cut the flesh out and chop with the remaining ingredients. Chop all other ingredients to a small dice (1/4" inch or as desired). Toss it all together and enjoy! This gets better after it sits for a while.

Recipe #2 ( personally like this one best)
3 – 4 Green Tomatoes (chopped finely)
2 – 3 Peppers (a variety of colors and ‘heats’ also depends on preference, chopped finely)
1/2 medium Red Onion (chopped finely)
2 – 3 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
1 T. Cilantro (chopped)
1 T. Parsley (chopped)
1 Lime (juice)
1/4 C. Rice (sweetened) Vinegar
Salt & Ground Pepper to taste
Add Sugar to taste
Mix all the ingredients and let it sit for at least a 1/2 hour before serving, all the wonderful flavors marinate and blend nicely.

Mixed Fruit Salsa
1 cup (when chopped) of fresh fruit (ataulfo mango, cantaloupe, strawberries, honeydew, watermelon, peaches, nectarines, papaya, apricot, etc.)
1/2 bunch cilantro (about 1/4 cup chopped)
juice of 1 lime
1/2 medium sweet onion (walla walla, vidalia, etc.)
1 small jalapeño

Cut fruit into small cubes and place in small mixing bowl.
Add lime juice and finely minced cilantro.
Chop onion and jalapeño (remove pith and seeds first) into cubes the same as fruit.
Mix everything together in bowl and let sit in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to meal to allow the flavors to blend.

Cabbage Salsa
1/2 head small red (green is fine, too...not a pretty), finely shredded and chopped (small pieces)
2 large tomatoes, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons cilantro, finely diced
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1-2 limes, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar

Directions: Combine all ingredients and serve! It gets better as it sits, so if you can make it ahead of time, that's even better.

Red Cabbage Salsa
1 small head red cabbage, shredded and chopped (small pieces but not grated)
2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cane sugar
1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & finely chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
Chop the cabbage and put into a large serving bowl. Toss with the salt, vinegar and sugar and set a side while you chop the remaining ingredients, or just let set for a few minutes. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro and toss to combine. It's best if you let the salsa sit for a while to let the flavors mingle and serve at room temperature. This salsa/slaw is beautiful and delicious but the flavor is quite strong, almost pickled. I LOVE this one!!!

You say "Tabulleh", I say "Tabouli".

2011-05-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

This dish is the Middle Eastern equivalent of American Potato Salad, in that every one has their own favorite recipe, usually their Mama's, although the basic recipe is the same. (See? Just like 'tater salad.) I have found versions of this dish in several cultures, all with variations on the same theme. Traditionally it is made with bulgur wheat, but I make it with couscous. It is a much lighter dish made my way and can be either a main dish cold salad for summer meals or warm as a side dish or light lunch, any time. It is healthful, lo-cal, delicious and satisfying any way you prepare it.

For this page, I started with a basic, traditional and simple recipe. Tabouli/Tabulleh, like hummus, is a staple of health food store deli's. That is probably because it is easy and cheap to make, but still looks impressive. More good news is that it is totally vegan. If you have ever purchased it pre-made at a store, once you make your own, you will never go back!

If you are sensitive to wheat, I really don't have a suggestion for a substitute for the bulgur or the couscous. Both are made with wheat, although there is probably a non-wheat alternative that I am not aware of, since I don't know everything.

Making the Traditional Lebanese Tabbouleh

2 bunches of parsley

A small bunch of mint

2 medium-sized spring onions or white onions

1 large red and firm tomato

1/3 cup of fine bulgur

1/3 cup of olive oil

Juice of 2 lemons

Salt and pepper

Clean the parsley and sort it into bunches and strip off the mint leaves. Wash the parsley bunches, mint leaves, tomato and onion, and leave them to dry. For a non-crunchy tabbouleh version, wash and drain the burghul. Dice the tomato and add to the burghul. Chop the mint and parsley finely, and add to the burghul and tomato. Finely chop the onions, rub with salt and pepper, then add to the rest of the ingredients. Season the tabbouleh with lemon juice, olive oil and salt as desired. Adding a finely diced green or red hot pepper is optional but gives the tabbouleh additional flavor. The end result should be juicy, without being drenched. Serve with fresh Romaine lettuce, white cabbage leaves, tender vine leaves, or Lebanese bread.

My personal version of Tabouli/Tabulleh is basically the above recipe with the following changes. I substitute couscous, available at almost any grocery store these days, for the bulgar and prepare it according to the instructions on the package.

TAO Tabouli:

Set the couscous aside to cool. Dice or chop the tomatoes, cukes, onions and peppers, into similarly sized pieces. Make sure you dice or chop; slicing veggies for this dish is bad chef karma. I usually leave out the mint leaves, unless I have fresh growing in the garden. Be sure to add lots of fresh garlic. Just toss everything together with the warm pasta, let sit 15 minutes to blend flavors and serve. If you like it chilled, cover and put in the 'fridge. This is also one great leftover! At times, I have added sunflower seeds, walnuts or red peppers (which I roasted myself) just for a change.

Serve it up on a bed of lettuce and you are ready to go! There is a light, fresh taste to this dish but at the same time, it is hearty enough to satisfy. If you are going to serve to someone else and want to make it more "festive", use a purple onion and red and yellow tomatoes, red, yellow or green pepper, etc. You get the idea.

(If you buy couscous in bulk, which is possible at a good health foods store, you basically boil 1 cup of water, season it with a little sea salt, add about 3/4 cup of couscous, remove from heat, cover and wait 7 minutes. It is such a fine pasta that it soaks up the water and voila! it is done. This is great camp food, because you can heat the water in any way, use any vessel and cover with just about anything. I made couscous over a fire once in a rinsed out bean can with a rock on top.)

Brown Sugar----Make it better at home!

2011-05-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

Note about brown sugar: Brown sugar is just processed white sugar that has been sprayed with molasses or, heaven forbid, corn syrup. This means if you are using storebought brown sugar, you are still using processed white sugar. Fortunately, it is very easy to make your own brown sugar with "healthier" ingredients. I use some sort of organic evaporated cane juice crystals, to which I add local molasses or sorghum. Just pour the molasses/sorghum into the sugar and stir until you get the level of "brown" you desire (or use the blender...that is faster) . Obviously, the more molasses you add the "browner" the sugar. Tastes way better, too.

Pork Ribs in a Pot Recipe (Excellent recipe)

2011-05-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

This recipe makes a very large quantity of very delicious pork. This recipe is geared at a throw down, not Sunday dinner with the fam. You can tailor the recipe to a smaller family meal by reducing the recipe accordingly.

What you need*:

1 head garlic, cloves peeled (or you can use an equivalent measure of pre-chopped garlic...about 2-3 tablespoons should do it...this is a garlicky sauce.)
1/3 cup sweet paprika
1/4 cup ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 1/3 cups sherry vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2-by-1-inch strips
4 pounds baby back ribs, cut into individual ribs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups water

The Method*:

Puree the garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano and 1/3 cup of the vinegar until smooth. Add the remaining 1 cup of vinegar; process until blended.

Heat 1/3 cup of the olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron casserole. Season the pork shoulder with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, about 13 minutes. Transfer the pork to a platter.

Add the remaining 2/3 cup of olive oil and heat until shimmering. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and add half of them to the casserole in a single layer. Cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add them to the pork and brown the remaining ribs. Do not pour off the oil.

Return all of the meat to the casserole and season with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar mixture and enough water to cover the meat and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until very tender, 50 minutes to an hour.

*You can make this meat into a more traditional barbecue type recipe by adding a can of tomato paste and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. You would need to reduce the water by about a cup to do that.

VEGGIE FAJITAS

2011-05-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a no-brainer, but tastes magna cum yummy. You can always add chicken or beef to make more traditional fajitas, but these fill the bill just fine! Serve them up with warm flour tortillas, shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, onion and peppers, and sour cream. Or serve them with my World's Best Salsa and World's Best Guacamole for something really special.

What you need:1 med. Onion
2 Carrots
1 Cup Red/Green/Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Red Jalapeno Pepper(Optional)
4 Cloves garlic, chopped
1 med. Yellow Squash 1 med. Zuchinni
(For added color, try adding some butternut squash or sweet potatoes Julienned of course)
6 Large Mushrooms
1 med. Tomato
Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Cumin, ground*
1/2 teaspoon Adobo Seasoning*
Dash of Liquid Smoke*
Salt and Pepper, to taste

*Substitute a good fajita seasoning for these ingredients, if you have one.

Julienne all of the above veggies. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add veggies one at a time, in the order listed above, tossing each new addition together with the rest. Add seasonings. Cook quickly on fairly high heat, tossing veggies as they cook, until everything is well seasoned and sizzling. Turn out onto a large platter and serve with warm flour tortillas. Wrap veggies in tortillas and garnish as you like.

Oven Dried Tomatoes from Food Network Kitchens Recipe

2011-05-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

This one differs slightly from my recipe but you might like this method better. It yields a product that is meant to be used quickly, as opposed to the long term version I use.

2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cored and cut in half lengthwise

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Extra-virgin olive oil

4 to 5 sprigs fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, or marjoram

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Lay the tomatoes in a single layer on a sheet pan and sprinkle with the salt. Cook the tomatoes for 5 to 6 hours or until dried and slightly shriveled, but still plump.

If not using immediately, store tomatoes in a sealed container in the refrigerator, for 3 to 4 days; or layered in a container with herbs and covered with olive oil. Store, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Note: Olive Oil will solidify in cold temperatures but will liquify at room temperature.

Oven Dried Tomatoes

2011-05-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

I LOVE sundried tomatoes but in our climate, it is too humid to effectively actually "sun dry" them, so the next best thing is to dry them in the oven. (Unless you have a thermostatically controlled dehydrator, I recommend that you use the oven drying method. Most common kitchen dehydrators are too hard to control conditions and you end up with an inferior result.) When my grape tomatoes start coming in buckets, I dry at least 5-10 pounds of them for use in the winter. I hardly ever rehydrate them to use, either, although I do pack them in oil sometimes.

(These instructions may seem long and complicated but don't let that daunt you from trying this. The actual method is pretty simple and straightforward. In my usual style, I am giving you tips and advice based on my experience with this method.)

(Method 1)
You need:
5 pounds Roma or large grape tomatoes, very ripe but not ones that are getting soft
Fine sea Salt
You will also need metal cake racks, vented pizza or cookie pan or cookie/pizza sheet

Instructions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. , or the lowest setting possible. Remove the oven racks except for the center one.

Trim and discard the stem ends of the tomatoes. Halve each tomato lengthwise. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, side by side and crosswise on cake racks set on the oven racks. Do not allow the tomatoes to touch one another.

If you are using a smaller type of tomato, you can dry them on a vented pizza pan (they look like they are made from wide mesh or just have holes poked in them) You can also use a regular cookie sheet or flat pan but you want to use one with very low sides, so the air flows around them. You will need to stir them periodically if you use a solid pan.

Sprinkle lightly with fine sea salt. Sometimes I sprinkle with an Italian herb or garlic salt mixture, to create a seasoned version.

Place in the oven and bake until the tomatoes are shriveled and feel dry, anywhere from 6 to 12 hours. Check the tomatoes from time to time. IMPORTANT: They should remain rather flexible, not at all brittle. (Smaller tomatoes will dry more quickly than larger ones. Remove each tomato from the oven as it is dried.) Once dried, remove the tomatoes from the oven and allow them to thoroughly cool.

Transfer the cooled tomatoes to zipper-lock bags. Properly dried tomatoes will last indefinitely. I always put them in the freezer to be on the safe side, however. You can process them in jars of oil for long term preservation, but I have never used that method so I won't describe it here.

To use them, I take the dried tomatoes from the freezer, thaw them and pat them dry with a paper towel. Then I pack them in a small jar and cover with olive oil. I also pack in a couple of peeled garlic cloves and let the packed jar stand at room temp overnight. Once they have absorbed some of the oil, I return the jar to the refrigerator. The cold of the fridge will turn the oil cloudy but that is not a big deal. I then can use these by snipping them with my kitchen shears into salads, onto pizza (my personal favorite), put them on bruchetta, whatever you would use dried tomatoes for. I find that making my own results in a far superior product to what I might purchase at the market.

Roasted New Potatoes with Vegetarian Gravy

2011-05-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned before, sometimes even when you are dedicated to eating healthy food, you need a shot of comfort food. The bad news is that most people tend to overdo once they step off the healthy path. The good news is that you can have comfort food that is not so bad for you, if you are willing to take time for its preparation. The following is a healthier alternative to old-fashioned new potatoes, smothered in a hearty brown gravy. I adapted this recipe from my husband's mother's version, which he loved but he liked this one even better.

What you need:
New potatoes or small-med potatoes cut into quarters
Olive Oil
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped*
One small onion, finely chopped*
(*The garlic and the onions should be chopped as finely as possible.)
2-3 Tablespoons unbleached or whole wheat flour
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup water

Roast or cook the potatoes until completely done. If they are very small, cook whole. Quarter if larger but do not peel. Place in a casserole dish or roasting pan. Set aside.

Prepare the gravy by sauteeing the garlic and onions in the olive oil, until the onions are starting to brown slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Reduce the heat slightly and continue to cook until well browned. Sprinkle the browning onion mixture with the flour, stirring all the time. If you sprinkle just a little at a time, you will not form lumps (or you can create a sort of roue by mixing the flour with some of the olive oil until very smooth and adding that to the onions. Make sure you stir constantly to mix throughly.)

Should the pan seems a little dry, just add a teeny bit more oil. Once your onions are throughly coated with flour, slowly pour in the water a little at a time. Again, keep stirring.

Let this cook down until thickened, over medium heat, making sure not to burn. Pour over the potatoes and bake for about 15 minutes at 325 degrees, to allow potatoes to absorb some of the flavor. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired and serve.

Savory Butternut Squash Casseroles (2)

2011-05-15T06:33:00.001-07:00

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
Preheat oven to 400°F.
With a sharp knife cut squash crosswise into 2-inch-thick slices. Working with 1 slice at a time, cut side down, cut away peel and seeds and cut squash into 1-inch cubes (about 9 cups).

In a large bowl stir together squash, bell pepper, oil, garlic, herbs, black pepper, and salt to taste. Transfer mixture to a 2- to 2 1/2-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

Bake casserole in middle of oven until squash is tender and top is golden, about 1 hour.

Serves 6 as a side dish.

****************************

2 1/2 lb Butternut squash - (up to 5 lb)
1 Carrot (2 if you use more squash)
1 c Rolled oats (uncooked oatmeal)
12 oz Green peas
1 T Butter
2 Eggs, beaten frothy
1 pn Salt
5 T Cinnamon sugar (or less)
1/2 t Vanilla

Boil squash and carrot together until the carrot is tender. Allow both to cool. Slide skin off carrot. Being careful with squash, remove its seeds and peel. Blend carrots and squash together. Don't over-blend: preserve some texture. Add cinnamon sugar and salt to taste.

Add frothy eggs to carrot/squash mixture. Grease an 8-inch loaf pan. Coat the grease with oatmeal. Mix about 1/2 cup oatmeal into casserole. Gently fold in green peas, then put mixture in casserole pan. Sprinkle remaining oatmeal on top and dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees F. 30 to 40 minutes until brown on top. Once cooked, it can be served immediately or frozen for later consumption.

NOTES: * Cinnamon sugar is a mixture of sugar and powdered cinnamon. Commercial cinnamon sugar mixtures are mostly sugar. Make your own using mostly cinnamon. Cinnamon and sugar are mixed not only for the addition of sweetness but to give the cinnamon something to bind with to make it easier to distribute from a shaker. It is hard not to overdo finely powdered cinnamon when using a shaker.

ULTIMATE BUTTERMILK PANCAKE AND WAFFLE MIX

2011-05-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Makes 4 quarts of wonderful mix to give as gifts or use yourself. You could combine this with the Blueberries with orange liqueur & lavender recipe found here. This recipe would be relatively easy to make with organic ingredients.

Ingredients:
8 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour
1 cup corn flour
1/2 cup stone ground cornmeal
1/2 cup instant oatmeal, powdered in blender
2 cups buttermilk powder
5 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons baking soda
1/4 cup vanilla powder
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons malt powder (optional)

In an extra large bowl, using a strong wire whisk, blend all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, buckwheat flour, corn flour, cornmeal, powdered oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla powder, sugar, salt and malt (if using). Place mix into four 1 quart jars (you may need to tap the bottoms to get it all to fit) and store in a cool, dry place for up to one year. NOTE: Whole wheat flour can go rancid if it gets too warm, so it may be a good idea to refrigerate this mix if you do not have a very cool place to store it. Please refrigerate this mix until used.

Gift tag instructions: To use this mix, follow these instructions:
1 cup Ultimate Pancake and Waffle Mix
1 egg
1/2 to 2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
In a medium bowl, stir pancake mix with water, egg and vegetable oil. Add more water, if necessary, to make a medium thickness batter.If using as waffle batter, double recipe and follow manufacturer's directions for your waffle iron. Make pancakes in the usual fashion.

FRESH BERRY SYRUP

For something quick, yet special, to go with your your Ultimate Pancakes, I suggest making your own fresh syrups when fruits are in season or from frozen fruits. Simply wash and prepare which ever fruit you are going to use. Place in a small pan, with a tight fitting lid. Note: I do not recommend making this in the microwave. Too hard to control the heat. Pour a small measure of honey over the fruit. You don't need much at the outset. You can always add more later if you want sweeter syrup.

Turn heat to medium and stir occasionally as fruit and honey heat up. Once it starts to bubble, cover and turn the heat to low and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Do not let burn. DO NOT ADD WATER. There is plenty of liquid in the fruit.

Mash fruit with fork or other utensil, and return to heat for just a minute or two. If you want chunky, just serve at this point. If you want to, you can strain into a clean jar. The syrup will not be thick, but it will be good!!! Any that is left will save for up to 10 days in the 'fridge.

I have used the following: Peaches, Blueberries, Cherries (you need to pit those), blackberries, mango, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, and pineapple. My favorite is blueberry with a squeeze of fresh orange juice. Use your imagination to come up with your own combo. A sprinkle of toasted pecans on the peach is unbelievable!

REFRIGERATOR PICKLES

2011-05-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Right up front, this is going to be one of those "use a pinch of this and a smidge of that" kind of recipes. This is actually a "to taste" recipe, which requires just a bit of explaination, hence the recipe looks long and complicated. It isn't.

We love pickles in my family, but who has time to spend 14 days or even 14 hours making pickles. Plus, pickles that are heated too much, no matter how long you soak the cukes in ice water, are still kinda soggy, which I hate. (This pickle thing must be a family trait because we all hate soggy pickles.) So here is my family's recipe for making quick, very easy (if my dog had thumbs he could make these) and almost instant gratification pickles. And they don't require but 5 ingredients and about an hour of your time to prepare them. You can make them in the morning and eat them for dinner.

*Just remember that this recipe is for fresh pickles, not long term storage pickles.*
Also, these are so good that you can serve them to your friends and family without worrying if you made those dreaded "Aunt Bea" pickles. Some of you may remember the episode of the "Andy Griffith Show" where Aunt Bea made pickles that tasted like kerosene, but nobody wanted to hurt her feelings, so they kept saying how good they were, while spitting them into their napkins. She was so flattered that she kept making more and more. I once had an in-law that made really terrible pickles but we loved her and nobody wanted to tell her that her pickles tasted like the wrong end of a rhino. So, we just kept on eating them and smiling and then spitting them into our napkins. This recipe is guaranteed not to make that kind of pickles.

What you need:
1 Qt Apple Cider Vinegar --the brown kind makes the best pickles but they are not as "pretty" as those made with white vinegar. If you use white vinegar, make sure it is distilled from grain...otherwise it might be motor oil's first cousin...

1 cup of sugar or equivalent sweetner (you can use honey or sucanat, but expect
taste to be different. I am not sure about using Splenda or Equal)

3 tablespoons salt (iodized salt will make pickles look cloudy, but won't hurt taste)

25-30 small to medium fresh, firm pickling cucumbers--enough to fill two qt jars

Water

In a sauce pan (or in the microwave, if you are a nuker), combine the vinegar, the sugar and the salt and bring almost to a boil, just enough to dissolve everything thoroughly. Do not lean over the pot and smell the hot vinegar, unless you are in the mood for a major head rush. Seriously.

Set aside and let brine cool off. At this point, I always taste it and adjust if needs a little more sugar or salt. You may like yours a little sweeter or a little more sour. (If you want dill, leave out the sugar and double the salt. Add a garlic clove and a pinch of dill seed to the jar with the cukes and follow the rest of the recipe. The dill version takes about 3-5 days longer to pickle.)

Wash throughly and slice cukes into 1/8 inch thick slices (you can slice a little thicker, but will take a day or two longer to be completely pickled). If your cukes are small enough (but not more than 2-3 inches long) you can use them whole. Soak them in very cold water for about 10 minutes, drain off water and pack slices into clean jars*.

*Since you are not processing these pickles for long term storage, you can just make sure that your jar(s) are washed with soap and hot water, along with your lids. These will go straight into the 'fridge.

When brine has cooled to just the hot side of lukewarm pour over the cucumber slices, until jar is 3/4 full. Finish filling the jar with cold water, until slices are all covered. Put the lids on tight, give the jar a shake or two and put in 'fridge. In 12-24 hours, your pickles will be ready to eat. This recipe usually makes 2 quarts, but size of slices may make a few more or less.

I keep the brine in the 'fridge and just add more cukes as the jar gets empty. It will keep for a couple of months.

Tip: Try growing a cucumber hill (3-4 plants in same large pot) in a container on your deck or in your garden and you can make these fresh anytime. Or you can easily obtain these few ingredients as organic and use sea salt.

Carrot Halwa

2011-05-14T19:43:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Indian dishes is Carrot Halwa. It is absolutely delicious and I gather that most people that make it have their own spin to put on it. I have included a very simple recipe with just a handful of ingredients and a much more ambitious version that is probably delicious. However, if you like this dish, master the easy version before attempting the harder one. I gather that it is hard to get the right consistency to this dish. I have not made it myself, but am including it here just because I like it so much and plan on trying to make it very soon.

Simple Carrot Halwa

2 lbs. fresh carrots

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

2 tsp. ground cardamom

4 tbsp. fresh butter or ghee

5 tbsp. powdered milk

1 cup raisins

Peel and grate the carrots. In heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the evaporated milk, ground cardamom and carrots. Heat to boiling and stir constantly.

Reduce the heat and continue stirring. Cook the carrot mixture on medium heat for approximately 30 to 45 minutes until milk is completely absorbed.

Remove from heat, and add sweetened condensed milk and butter. Stir vigorously until well blended. Return to low heat to continue cooking.

Return mixture to low heat and continue cooking until carrots become very soft and dry.6

In small bowl, combine powdered milk with a few spoons of water to make a paste.7

Add milk mixture to carrot mixture in small spoonfuls. Combine slowly, then stir in raisins.8

Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 8 to 10 hours, preferably overnight before serving. Can be served cold but is much better warm.

CARROT (GAJAR) HALWA

1.5 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter...regular butter may work too)

3 cups packed, grated carrot

2 cups whole or evaporated milk or 1 cup Half and Half

a pinch of salt

1/3 to half cup sugar, depending on taste

3 shelled green cardamoms, powdered

a few drops rose water (optional)

**or a couple strands of saffron (also optional)

2 tablespoons each chopped cashews and golden raisins

1/4 cup cashews (or almonds), toasted lightly and ground to a powder (optional)

1. Melt the ghee, fry the raisins first until they puff up, take them out. Fry the nuts until golden and take them out.

2. Add the carrots to the same ghee and fry until dryish.

3. Meanwhile, reduce the whole/evaporated milk on a medium flame to 1 cup. If using Half and Half, just heat it up before adding it to the carrots. Either way, do not use more than 1 cup liquid.

4. Add the milk, sugar and salt to the carrots and cook down until really thick and it begins to come off the sides of the pan. To aid thickening, you can add the nut powder. This is optional, but the nut powder makes it creamier and enhances the flavour.

5. The carrots should have texture in the end, and they should not be too ‘milky’. So cook them for 10-12 minutes, max on medium-high heat. (This too can be done in an uncovered container in the microwave, stirring every couple of minutes.)

6. Add the powdered cardamoms, rose water, cashews and raisins. Stir and serve warm.

OKRA CREOLE

2011-05-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

This dish is a great simple version of a classic recipe. Since lots of folks have never eaten okra or what they have eaten turned them against it, maybe this dish will change their minds. Simple, spicy, quick and good. What more could you ask for in a recipe.

Food Trivia: Cajun and Creole recipes are often referred to as Gumbos. That only means that they contain okra. Okra came to North America via the slave trade and "gumbo" is the African name for okra. File Gumbo contains okra and sassafras powder, which is used as a thickener.

What you need:

10-12 medium pods of fresh okra, washed and sliced in 1/4 inch pieces
1 med green or red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 med fresh tomatoes or 1 very large one
1 med onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves
Olive Oil for sauteing
Cayenne pepper
Sugar
Salt

Chop the onion and pepper in to uniform chunks. Chop the garlic finely or you can use equivalent of dried. The garlic is a matter of taste. Adjust to your liking. Saute the onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil until just starting to become transparent. You want them to stay relative crunchy. Reduce heat to med. low.

Peel, core and quarter the tomatoes. (I don't peel, but you will find the little peely pieces in the dish...if you don't mind that, just wash tomatoes thoroughly.) Add to onion mixture and let them simmer until they fall apart. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Add the okra to the tomato-onion mixture and turn heat back up to med-high, bringing back to a slow boil. Cook for approx. 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it starts to get too thick, add a little water at a time until returns to desired thickness. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to balance the flavors. Season with cayenne pepper to your taste.

This dish can be made thicker and served as a side dish. It can be served over rice as a vegetarian main dish. You can throw in a handful of peeled shrimp and it is Shrimp Creole. This is another one to use your imagination on. Enjoy!

Strawberry Suggestions

2011-05-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

Simplest Way To Freeze Strawberries:
Wash well, drain until dry. Cap and place on a cookie sheet (I set them on end, like little pyramids) and freeze overnight. Put in freezer bags and remove as much air as you can. . Label with date, they should keep for 3-4 months.
Then you can use them over the winter to make the
SMOOTH OPERATOR SMOOTHIE
This is my favorite fruit smoothie:
(USE ORGANIC IF YOU GOT IT....EVERYTHING HERE IS AVAILABLE AS ORGANIC)
This recipe will make one big smoothie
Handful of nice, ripe strawberries (use some of those you froze)
1 ripe banana
1 small container of any berry-type or vanilla yogurt
Handful of blueberries (freeze them just like the strawberries...on a cookie sheet)
1/4 cup of coconut milk
A shake of vanilla protein powder* (the addition of this makes it more like a meal)
About 1/8 cup of soy or regular milk.
Put in the blender and make it into a smoothie!

SIMPLE STRAWBERRY BUTTER

6 CUPS OF STRAWBERRIES, WASHED AND SLICED
1/2 TO 3/4 CUP ORGANIC CANE JUICE CRYSTALS (OR you COULD use regular sugar)
1/2 TEASPOON FRESH LEMON JUICE

Place berries and lemon juice in a Dutch oven or large pot over low heat. Slowly heat berries until they start to liquify, stirring occasionally. DO NOT ADD WATER unless it is no more than a tablespoon. Raise heat to medium and add sugar (by now the berries sould be starting to cook down pretty well), stirring continually to mix. Continue cooking until all sugar is dissolved and lower heat to medium low.

At this point, all you need to do is stir frequently and cook down until berries thicken (this may take over an hour..but you won't care because the entire house will smell like strawberries.)

IF you have a handheld mixer, you can use that to puree the berries once they have begun to heat up and loose some of their moisture. This isn't necessary but will give you a smooth consistency instead of leaving pieces of fruit in the butter.

If you want a "real" fruit butter, you can actually stir in about a tablespoon of real butter while this is hot....not necessary but it does add a creaminess to the texture. Pour hot berry butter into clean, HOT jar (so it won't break...you can just fill a jar with hot water and let the glass heat up so it isn't cold when you pour in the hot stuff), slap on a lid and let it cool. Store in the fridge until you are ready to eat. If you want to preserve it for much later use, you have to put it through a hot water bath for 10 minutes, but that constitutes canning which is another subject.

This is going to cook down quite a bit and you will end up with about 3 half pints. I just put it in a quartsize airtight container (like Tupperware) when I make a small batch like this. Or you can cut this recipe in half just to make some for your breakfast muffin. It will keep in the fridge for several week, if it lasts that long.

Summer Squash with Cream Cheese and Basil EASY!!!!!

2011-05-05T07:38:00.001-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
3 medium squash, cubed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a glass serving dish, combine the squash pieces and garlic. Season with salt, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 5 to 8 minutes on high, or until tender. Stir after every 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the cream cheese over the top, and return to the microwave, uncovered for about 1 minute, or until the cheese is melted. Add basil. Stir until the cheese is smooth and blended into the squash. Let set for a minute or two before serving.

If you do not cook in the microwave, you can make this on the top of the stove in a saucepan. Cook the squash and garlic in a bit of water, until the squash is tender. Pour off any excess liquid. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, stirring to melt. Add the basil and continue to stir until smooth. Let sit for a couple of minutes before serving.

SUMMER SQUASH FRITTERS

2011-05-05T07:36:00.001-07:00

RECIPE #1
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups grated squash
1/4 cup self - rising flour
1/3 cup self - rising cornmeal
1 small onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
pepper to taste
PREPARATION:
Mix all ingredients together. Spoon out into hot greased frying pan (I use olive oil). Brown both sides. Drain on paper towel.

RECIPE #2
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 pounds squash, about 2 medium, cubed
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, grated
vegetable oil
PREPARATION:
Add squash to saucepan and cover with salted water. Cook, covered, 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash enough squash to make 1 cup. Combine squash and egg and blend well. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt, stir well. Add squash mixture and onions, stir until blended. Drop squash mixture by level tablespoon into hot oil. Cook until golden brown, turning once. Makes about 2 dozen.

Seasoned Croutons and Bread Crumbs

2011-05-05T07:15:00.000-07:00

Homemade croutons rock! I love them on a salad or in soups or just to snack on. Also, when recipes call for bread crumbs, I like make my own....much better than storebought.

Bread that is too stale to eat is perfect to use. I have occasionally gotten bread that was a couple of days old for a fraction of what it cost fresh, from my baker friend. If you don't have access to home-made bread, just about any bread will serve the purpose. You can also make all kinds of seasoned crumbs, just by seasoning with herbs and spices. Try adding a little pesto...that makes amazing bread crumbs.

What to do:

I take the bread and cut into pieces about the size of sugar cubes, then saute in a just little butter (or olive oil, depends on the mood, you know) and garlic. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. Be sure that you toss frequently while sauteeing, so that your seasonings permeate the bread cubes.

After they are nice and coated and just beginning to turn brownish, I put them on a cookie sheet and bake at 200 degrees in the oven until completely toasty. How long that takes depends on how much butter you used and how saturated they were. Just stir them a couple of times and don't let them get too hard. This step is not absolutely necessary for croutons but really kicks up the breadcrumb making process.

The result of this method will not be dry like store bought crumbs, but boy! are they tasty. Use your hands to crumble up the bread cubes, once they are cool enough to handle...that is the fun part. Even though not fine crumbs, they give recipes a kind of rustic character. If you want them finer, use the blender. Of course, you don't crumble them if you are going to use them as croutons.

Store crumbs or croutons in an airtight container. If you want to make them ahead or in quantity, store container in freezer. I don't recommend long term storage (more than a couple of days) for croutons, unless you are willing to retoast them before you use them, but the crumbs will do fine, since you can add them straight from the freezer to your recipes.

Since stale bread works so much better, sometimes when I am making croutons (crumbs) to store, I will buy a loaf of whatever bread I want to use, take it home and leave it sitting on the counter, open to the air, for a day. It gets stale pretty quickly that way. Sounds like a waste of a good loaf of bread, but an 8 oz container of bread crumbs costs $1.89 or more and I can get twice that volume from a loaf of bread. So, unless the bread costs more than $3.78 I am way ahead.

PattyPan or Scallop Summer Squash

2011-05-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

Patty Fact: This vegetable is one of the "three sisters" (corn, beans and squash) that the Native Americans grew as part of their staple diet. The type of white scallop squash that we grow is relative unchanged from the original wild version that was originally cultivated over 3000 years ago, possibly longer. Not only is it an heirloom, it is a piece of human history.

*This recipe is for one baked large (up to 1 lb) patty pan, used as a vegetarian main dish. Just multiply the recipe by however many you need to prepare. Use smaller pattys if using as side dish. If you can get them, the yellow or green patties make great looking dinner party food.

What you need:1 large Patty Pan (Scallop) Squash
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 C. chopped peppers, your choice sweet, red, green, hot or not
2 cloves of garlic, chopped or garlic oil to taste
Olive oil for sauteing the veggies.
1 Cup Cooked Brown (or any) Rice
1/4 C. Grated Cheese, your choice, but mild cheddar is good.
Salt and pepper

Preparation of the Patty Pan
Wash squash thoroughly. Slice a thin slice off the bottom to make the patty sit on a plate without wobbling (or you can turn the other way, depending on how your patty is shaped..be creative!). Take a sharp knife and remove the inside of the squash by piercing the shell and cutting in a circle (as if removing a core); you want to remove the entire inside of the squash, leaving enough thickness of the shell to create a "bowl" for your filling. Set the flesh aside. You can then take a spoon and scrape the inside of the scallops out if you choose. That leaves a bigger cavity to fill and you should adjust your recipe accordingly.

The Filling
Take the flesh that you removed from the squash and chop it finely or grate it. Finely chop some onion, green and/or red peppers. Saute the squash, peppers, and fresh garlic (optional) in olive oil until barely cooked, leave the onions and peppers crispy. Add 1 cup of cooked brown rice and stir throughly. Season this mixture any way you like. Simply salt and pepper is good, but try using dried herbs, seasoned peppers and salts, etc. This veg-rice mixture is very basic and a perfect way to create your own version. Stuff the hot mixture into your squash shell, wrap in foil and bake at 350 degrees until you can just stick a fork into the shell of the patty. Open the foil, spinkle with grated cheese if you like, and place under the broiler until the cheese is melted (just a bit, careful not to burn the cheese.) Serves one as a main dish.

Smaller squash can be stuffed as a side dish. Optional additions to the stuffing mixture include spinach, artichoke, green peas, grated carrots, the possibilities are pretty endless. You might even substitute an herbed stuffing for the rice. Also try using this recipe to stuff zuchinni or marrow squash, even winter squash like acorn or butternut. As with many of my recipes, I urge you to be creative! The worst thing that can happen is that you make an inedible dish and you learn something from what you did wrong.

A Really Good Alternative Filling
For those of you who do not fear eating pasta (ergo carbs),here is an interesting alternative to this stuffing that I make using couscous. This delectable miniscule pasta is indigenous to North Africa, where it is traditionally made by hand by Berber women. (of course, here in the U.S. it is machine-made). Couscous (the pasta) is served with a stew that is also called a couscous. Not to be confused with a "cousa" (Recipe here). Whole wheat couscous is readily available and I even buy one that is made with sundried tomatoes, basil and carrot, and is tri-colored as a result. It is a good summer dish, for when you want something a little bit hearty, because it cooks so quickly you hardly have to heat the stove up. It is also great as a cold dish, such as tabulleh.

To make the couscous alternative, just follow the above recipe up to the part where you wouldadd the brown rice. Instead, prepare whatever amount of couscous you need for the number of servings you are preparing (Directions and measures should be on the package.) Add about a tablespoon of a really good Indian curry powder (get the real deal, you will see a huge difference) and a little more water if your mixture gets a little dry after adding the curry, about a tablespoon at a time. Mix everything together and stuff back into the shell and complete cooking according to above recipe. Using a hot pepper with this version really spices it up. Just be sure you leave out the cheese....there is a reason why you never see cheese curry recipes.

Cousa? Koosa? (Middle Eastern Stuffed Squash)

2011-05-05T06:56:00.001-07:00

Cousa or koosa is the name of a wonderful stuffed squash dish. The type of squash used to make the dish is also called by the same name. I have been growing these for years and LOVE them. I have spoken to several people about these interesting squash and the dish they are named for and it seems every family has their own special way of making them. I picked out three recipes I thought sounded the most authentic, based on my discussions and experience. I have not actually made any of these three recipes. I am posting these here for those of you who are interested in the traditional use of this squash. By the way, all of these contain meat. I think you could find an endless variety of ways to make this vegetarian or vegan. Substituting soy crumbles or something similar would probably be fine.

Koosa (stuffed squash)

Ingredients:

10-12 sm. koosa (cousa) squash

1 qt. prepared laban yogurt

1 qt. water

2-3 tbsp. flour

2-3 tbsp. dried mint

2-3 pats of butter

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp. salt

STUFFING:

12 tbsp. rice, washed

1 1/2 to 2 lb. ground lamb or lean beef

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. allspice

1 tbsp. lemon juice

Wash the squash in cold water. Cut off tops and

hollow and scoop out with special utensil.

Make stuffing mixture, mixing meat and spices.

Stuff squash. Prepare yogurt sauce. Put yogurt

through a strainer with flour added. Stir thoroughly

until flour is dissolved completely in yogurt. Place mixture over

low heat and stir constantly to prevent sticking or scorching.

When yogurt comes to a boil add a quart of water. Continue to stir

and raise heat. Add lemon juice. When mixture boils, add stuffed squash

and cook until tender and stuffing is cooked, about 30-40 minutes.

Add dry mint and a pat of butter. Cornstarch can be used

instead of flour and also 1 beaten egg white if desired.

Version #2

Ingredients:

1 Doz Koosa

1 c Rice

1 sm Can tomato sauce

1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes

Cinnamon Pepper & allspice to taste

1 1/2 lb Ground lamb

1 ts Salt

Instructions:

Water Preparation :

Cut stems and scoop out seeds of squash and wash.

STUFFING: Mix rice lamb and all spices together.

Stuff squash with mixture do not pack tightly.

Arrange in pan. Add tomatoes

tomato sauce salt and pepper over squash.

Add enough water to cover bring to a boil;

then reduce to medium-low and cook for 25 minutes.

Same stufing may be used for green peppers and small eggplants.

Here is yet another variation:

12 sm. white squash

1 lamb bone

3/4 c. rice

1 1/4 lb. ground lamb meat

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. salt

2 c. water

Wash squash, cut off tops and scoop out insides with special utensils.

Rinse squash in mixture of 1 tablespoon salt with 2 cups water.

Mix stuffing combining meat, rice, allspice, and salt and 3 tablespoons

of tomato sauce. Stuff in squash loosely and push in with finger.

Place lamb bone in the bottom of the pot and arrange stuffed squash

in rows and layers. Pour over remaining tomato sauce and 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon salt.

Simmer on low heat for 30-35 minutes. Serve.

Black Beans and Rice with Mango Salsa

2011-05-01T06:51:00.002-07:00

This is about as simple a meal as you can make and still have something pretty special. You could even make this in a slow cooker. I usually serve this over Rice, topped with the Mango Salsa. On the side I also offer sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh tomato and sweet onion, chopped, for extra garnishing, but these are optional. Homemade tortilla chips or Jalapeno cornbread round out the meal, if you like. An added bonus to this dish is low cost. I can make this meal for about 75 cents a person. The most expensive ingredient is the Mango, unless you have to buy the spices. Black beans are very economical if you buy in bulk, like I do. They are also easier to find organically grown as dry beans. Using canned black beans doesn't affect this recipe in any way, other than the cost.

What You Need for Black Beans:
1 pound black beans, washed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
5 cups water
1 sm. can tomato paste
1/4 cup diced jalapenos, drained (optional)
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
Some type of cooked rice

Place beans in a large saucepan with enough water to cover, and soak 8 hours, or overnight; drain.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and saute onion, green bell pepper, and garlic until tender.
Into the onion mixture, stir the drained beans, water, tomato paste,jalapenos, and vinegar. Season with cumin, salt, sugar, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender.
Serve over rice, with Mango Salsa and your choice of garnish. This will make 8-10 servings.

Mango Salsa

2011-05-01T06:51:00.001-07:00

What You Need for Salsa:
1 mango - peeled, seeded and chopped
1 fresh red jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 fresh green jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
Juice of 1 fresh lime
1small bunch Cilantro, finely chopped, stems removed
Tablespoon of honey
In a medium bowl, toss well the mango, peppers, cilantro, lime juice and honey.
Cover, and allow to sit at least 30 minutes before serving.

For a little twist, you can roast the peppers and/or add some finely chopped green onions.
I prefer it simple, however, although I have made this with finely chopped avocado added.

Back to Black Beans and Rice with Mango Salsa

MOSTLY VEGGIE ENCHILADAS

2011-05-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

Enchiladas don't have to be Mexican in flavor, although that is the best way to prepare them. I do use a little different recipe when I make them, however. I prepare whatever filling I am in the mood for, be it spinach and cheese or sauteed veggies, fold my stuffed tortillas* and cover them with cheese. The last step is to pour on your sauce and bake until bubbly, usually about 30 minutes covered and 10 more uncovered or under the broiler. While this is not a traditional preparation method, it works for me! Enchiladas are easily prepared as a vegan dish, too. Or you can try making up your own version. Have fun with this one!!!!

Some examples of fillings:
Sauteed spinach and sharp cheddar cheese
Sauteed veggies such as onions, peppers squash, zuchinni, mushrooms, broccoli, etc.
Black beans and brown rice
Seasoned ground beef and onions
Shredded seasoned chicken or turkey (I use ground cumin and garlic)
Actually the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Some examples of sauces:
Easy, Creamy Sauce (TAO)
1 8 oz cup of sour cream
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, finely chopped, stems removed
1 jar of a good salsa (or make your own, you need about 8 oz.)
Throw all that in the blender or food processor and whirl until smooth. Pour over enchiladas and top with cheese.
This one is good with shredded chicken stuffed tortillas or spinach and cheese.

Easy, Tomato Based Sauce
1 8 oz jar of salsa
1 8 oz jar of Mexican Mole Sauce
Chopped onion
Chopped Green Pepper
Saute the peppers and onions, stir in the mole sauce. Add the salsa just before pouring over the stuffed tortillas.

This is good over ground beef or plain cheese stuffed tortillas. If you want to get really ambitious, you can use green chiles, fresh or canned, to spice up either one of the above sauces or make up your own.

*There is a trick to folding enchiladas. I find the easiest way for me is to fold over each side of the tortilla, which will be lying flat on your plate. Carefully hold onto the folded ends, while you slowly and gently start to roll the tortilla around whatever filling you are using. I take a bit of water and run along the edge of the wrap and press the last flap down, so that it sticks a bit. I place these with the flat side down in my baking dish, which I have misted with a good olive or other oil. Since most enchiladas contain cheese at some point, they do stick to the pan sometimes....

2011-05-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

THAI CHICKEN PIZZA

This is my version of a wonderful dish that I ordered in a trendy Atlanta restaurant a long time ago. It was really good but too hot for me so I toned it down just a bit. I found a couple of recipes on the Web that claimed to have invented this dish, but it was a chef's signature dish at the place I had it, so I consider this the original version. It is exotic, tasty and simple to make. I sometimes use the Thai Peanut Sauce mix that I find at my local market, because making your own from scratch is time consuming and expensive. I also use the lower fat coconut milk, which doesn't affect the sauce in any way. If you want to make your own peanut sauce, the recipe is at Thai Peanut Sauce.

What You Need

1 Recipe Basic Pizza Dough for a 16 inch pizza or purchased crust
1 Cup peanut sauce
3 boneless chicken breasts*
1 carrot
6 green onions, chopped, green tops included
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts (optional)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
Crushed red pepper, to season individally when served
(*If desired,marinate chicken breasts in 1/2 cup of peanut sauce overnight. This makes a richer dish, but is not necessary. I also think it gives the chicken a weird texture, kind of rubbery. Reserve marinade for later if you use this step.)

Preheat oven to 400° F. Roll out the pizza dough and bake until very lightly browned. Cool slightly before building your pizza.

Julienne the carrot. Slice green onion. Chop cilantro. Set aside.

Sauté chicken breasts in oil until just brown on both sides. Cut into slices or cubes and stir in a few tablespoons of peanut sauce, set aside. Spread 1/2 cup peanut sauce evenly on crust,leaving a 1/2 inch border Spread chicken evenly over pizza. Sprinkle the onions and carrots on top of that, add raw bean sprouts and cilantro in that order. Drizzle reserved peanut sauce over pizza. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top of desired. Bake pizza for 10 to 15 minutes or until the crust is a light brown. Let cool a bit, slice and serve.

You can serve with crushed red peppers and more fresh cilantro, for individual tastes. The original version I had was very hot, so I imagine it was intended to be that way. Remember, my version is the toned down one because I am basically a wuss when it comes to really hot foods.

There is also a recipe on this website for making a grilled pizza. Since the main ingredients are precooked in this recipe, it is a good choice for that method.

Thai Peanut Sauce

2011-05-01T06:39:00.001-07:00

This sauce can be used many ways. It makes a great grilling sauce for meat or veggies.
4-6 minced garlic cloves
1 T minced shallot*optional
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp lime zest
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 T crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 T honey or dark sugar
1/3 cup lite soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos
4 T smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1 can coconut milk
Shake of sea salt
Makes about 4 cups
Take all the ingredients and put in a blender or food processor blend on high until puréed. Put puree in sauce pan and simmer until thickened (but not thick like peanut butter). Stir often. Cool and pour into airtight container, if not using right away.

Back to Thai Chicken Pizza Recipe

Curried Veggie Stew

2011-05-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

Curried Veggie Stew
This stew is very substantial and this recipe makes alot. The recipe actually should be made with fava beans, but Fordhook limas (those are the big fat ones) work just as well. You can also add some winter squash if you have it, uncooked.

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
24 ounces of vegetable broth
1- 8 ounce pkg Lima beans (Use the fat ones)
3- Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 1/2-2 lb Cubed winter squash *optional
2- 8 ounce cans Garbanzo beans
1- (8 ounce) container plain yogurt or sour cream
Sea Salt
Cilantro leaves, for garnish

DIRECTIONS: Heat the olive oil and cayenne pepper in a large pot over medium heat, and saute the onion until tender. Season with curry powder. Pour in the broth, and mix in the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until potatoes are very tender. Mix in the squash and limas and continue cooking 30 minutes. Mash the garbanzo beans with a fork, and mix into the pot. Continue cooking 5 minutes, until heated through.

Top with yogurt, and garnish with cilantro to serve. This is really good served with warmed flatbread and some sort of raw veggies to balance the heaviness of this stew. Fruit would be good, too.

World's Best Salsa

2011-05-01T06:34:00.001-07:00

This salsa recipe was originally given to me by a friend who grew up in Southern California. I have never tasted better salsa. Her family owned a huge cattle ranch and she learned to cook Mexican food from the workers who lived and worked on the ranch. Her recipes were out of this world. I have now lost touch with her and I wish that I had saved more of them. I have added a few of my own little touches to this recipe.

Of course, most people eat salsa as a dip with chips, but it makes a great filling for a quick veggie burrito. Just place a tortilla on a plate, pile on some cheese and nuke it for about 30 seconds, until the cheese just starts to melt. Remove from microwave, add a couple of spoonfuls of salsa, wrap, roll and eat!! Makes a great lunch or snack. Try using a low fat cheese and whole wheat tortillas to really make it healthy.

What you need:
This recipe makes a lot of salsa. Scale it down if you need to.
6 large heirloom tomatoes of different colors, washed,cored and quartered
2 green and 2 red jalapenos, seeded and chopped finely*
1 sweet onion, quartered
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
Juice of 3 fresh limes
2 large bunches of cilantro, stemmed and chopped

In your food processor or blender, add the tomatoes, the onion, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, lime juice and cilantro. Pulse until not quite pureed.
(If you do not have a food processor or blender, simply chop all of your ingredients. This will be more like a pico de gallo or a very chunky salsa, however.)

Pour mixture into a large bowl. If chunks of veggies remain, chop them again. Add the japalenos, and stir well. Cover and let sit at room temp for at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate in a tightly sealed container. Will last about a week, unless it all gets eaten, which happens. Serve as a dip with blue corn or other chips or as a side dish to another meal.

If you want this hotter, add some of the jalapeno seeds or use a hotter pepper such as habanero. If you don't want hot at all, use Anaheim chiles or even plain bell pepper.

*To kick this up, roast your jalapenos over either the open flame on a gas stove or grill or broil until blackened in your oven. Take peppers from flame or heat, place in a brown paper bag, seal it up and wait about 15 minutes, until the peppers are cool. Peel and chop to use. If you make more than you need, they will save in the 'fridge for about a week, especially if you place them in a little olive oil. Olive oil congeals when cool, so you will need to warm them up a little to use.

World's Best Guacamole

2011-05-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

This may not actually be the best in the world, but it is the best in my world! I get lots of compliments on my Guac, so I guess other people think it is good, too. It took me 20 years and 3000 miles to learn to love avocados. Now I can't find enough ways to use them.

What you need:
2 Ripe Avocados
Juice of 1 Fresh Lime
1 med. Heirloom Tomato, chopped *optional
4 small green onions, chopped
1 clove finely chopped fresh garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash of Cumin
If you have fresh cilantro, you might add a bit, but don't overdo.
Peel and mash the avocado. Add lime juice and mix well. Add garlic salt, tomato and onion, mix one final time. Fresh guacamole should be eaten as soon as possible after making. (If you will not be serving immediately, reserve the seed and place it in the guacamole. It will help to keep the avocado from turning dark for a short time.)
Serve this as a dip or as a garnish to other dishes.

Salad Days! (salad dressing recipes)

2011-05-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

SALAD DAYS
There is a lot of info on this page, so scroll all the way down.

The following salad dressings are simple and a little different than store bought, if you have the time to make fresh. Always try to keep a couple of lemons and limes and a good extra-virgin olive oil in the house for whipping up fresh dressings. First, however, here are a few simple prep directions:

Spinach: This wonder veggie is a challenge to clean properly. It grows in a rosette shape very close to the ground and tends to get gritty. To remove the maximum amount of grit in the quickest way, fill you sink with cold water and place the amount of spinach you want to use in the sink. Gently swish it back and forth, changing the water a couple of times if necessary, until the water stays clean. Drain and pat dry, trim the larger stems and it is ready to use.

Kale: Prepare it in much the same way as spinach, although it grows tall and very rarely gets gritty. Stack the washed leaves, 3-4 at a time, trim the leaf from the stems (don't discard the stems for salads) and chop or shred the leaves for fresh use or leave whole for steaming or cooking.
Chop the stems into small pieces for a crunchy and healthy addition to your salad.

Lettuce and Arugula: Rinse under cool running water.
(Click here for Food Safety Info and how to properly wash veggies)

"Italian restaurants often serve arugula on its own with a strong garlic flavored oil and vinegar dressing. Mixed with milder greens and a good dressing, arugula is less dominating."

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ARUGULA SALAD
Yield: 4 servings
1 Garlic clove; peeled
1/4 ts Salt
2 tb Balsamic vinegar
1 ts Dijon mustard
1/3 c Olive oil
2 c Mixed lettuce leaves
1 c Arugula; any large stems removed
1/2 lb Mushrooms; sliced
1 Sweet red pepper
In a wooden salad bowl, rub garlic and salt into the bowl to season it. Combine vinegar, mustard and olive oil; stir. Tear lettuce into bite sized pieces, along with arugula. Add mushrooms and slices of red pepper. Toss well and serve.

SALAD DRESSINGS

"Not on the First Date" Red Onion/Shallot Dressing
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1 medium shallot, minced, or 2 T red onion, minced
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp general purpose spice blend
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp Seasoned or Sea Salt
Combine in blender at top speed for about a minute, so that all of the onion or shallot is reduced. The result should be a creamy pink dressing.
Chill overnight in refrigerator. The result is a mild, oniony dressing with a slightly sweet edge.
This type of dressing is good with salads containing strong greens as the sweetness is a counterpoint to the slightly bitter taste of kale, for example.

Mom's Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 C balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp cold water
6-8 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp each of salt and black pepper
Optional: 1/4 - 1/2 tsp herbs such as dill or basil
Warm vinegar and honey in microwave for 20 seconds or more until honey dissolves in vinegar. Add remaining ingredients and whisk well. Shake vigorously after pouring into a bottle and chill before serving.

Southwestern Vinaigrette
1/2 C extra light olive oil
1/4 C white or rice wine vinegar
1 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cilantro
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
Shake, chill and serve. If you generally top your salad with cheese, pair this dressing with a mild cotija or colby. Avoid sharp or bitter cheeses such as bleu and feta.

Basil-Sesame Dressing
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 T rice wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice
2 T asiago or the cheese of your choice
1/2 tsp dried basil
2-4 leaves of fresh basil
2 T chopped Italian or regular parsley
1/2 C extra light olive oil
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
Combine in blender until thoroughly mixed. Chill and serve with a green salad. It's a spooky color but tastes great.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
1/2 C extra light olive oil
2 T plain yoghurt
2 T lemon juice
2 T rice vinegar 1/4 C fresh, shreaded cilantro leaves, tightly packed
1/4 tsp each garlic powder, thyme and black pepper
1/8 tsp cumin
a squeeze of fresh lime juice - about a quarter lime Combine in a blender until fully mixed. Chill and serve.

No Name Salad Dressing

Don't have a name for this one but this slightly herby, garlic-scented dressing is delicious tossed with mixed greens as well in a hearty chef’s salad. It can also be served as a dip for crudites.
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon sliced green onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
salt and pepper
1. In a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade or your blender, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, garlic, green onion, parsley, and tarragon.
2. Process until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary.
3. Transfer to a bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend.

CAJUN OMELET

2011-05-01T06:25:00.001-07:00

In many parts of the world, omelets are eaten as a light dinner, as opposed to a heavy breakfast. The following recipe will serve as either, but keep in mind that it is a very hearty version. You can make a lighter version using egg substitute, like Egg Beaters or egg whites only, turkey or tofu "sausage" and soy cheese.

What you need:
4 large fresh eggs
1 Med sweet onion, chopped
1 Med Green or Red bell pepper, chopped
3 links of any mild or hot sausage, cubed or chopped into small pieces
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning with an extra shake of cayenne pepper added
Salt and Pepper
Oil for sauteing
Shredded mild cheese

In a non-stick skillet, saute the garlic, peppers, onion and sausage,along with the cajun seasoning, until sausage is well done, stirring frequently. Lower the heat to medium.
Beat the eggs in a bowl,adding about a Tbsp. of cold water. Pour eggs over the sausage/onion mixture and cook until eggs begin to set. Spread cheese on top and fold over. Flip once and allow to finish cooking.

This omelet will serve two. Serve hot omelet with grits or hash browns,toast or biscuits and fresh sliced tomatoes or fresh fruit. Hot coffee and cold milk round out the meal.

Sugar Snap Peas

2011-05-01T06:22:00.001-07:00

SUGAR SNAP PEAS

In my opinion, sugar snap peas are best just washed and eaten raw or steamed slightly to enhance their sugary flavor. Cooking them takes away the crispy crunchy texture which is half the fun of eating them in the first place. But for those of you who want to try something different with them, here are a couple of recipes that are pretty basic and simple.

SPICY SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH MUSTARD

1 lb. fresh sugar snap peas
1 tbsp. whole mustard seeds
4 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 hot dried red chili
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the garlic, then add the red chili and stir for a few seconds. Put in the sugar snap peas and season to taste. Let cook for a few minutes until they have absorbed the flavor of the spices.

SNAP PEAS WITH BACON DRESSING
3 slices bacon, diced
1/2 lb. fresh sugar snap peas
2 tbsp. water
2 tsp. finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. tomato juice
1 tsp. vinegar
Brown bacon lightly in saucepan. Add peas, water, onion, celery seed, and salt. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until peas are tender. Add tomato juice and vinegar. Heat and serve. Makes 3 servings.

SNAP PEA STIR FRY

1 c. cooked pork *
1 lb. sugar snap peas
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp.olive oil
1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
1 c. thinly sliced celery
1 c. thinly sliced mushrooms
15 oz. can water chestnuts, sliced, drained*
1/3 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. sherry

In a wok heat oil over high heat. Reduce heat, add ginger, garlic, peas, pork, chestnuts and celery. Stir fry 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; stir fry 1 minute. Mix cornstarch, soy sauce and sherry together. Stir into wok. Bring to boil. Serve at once. Serves 4-6.

*If you are vegetarian, substitute a firm tofu, cubed, for the pork. Also, you can leave out or reduce the quantity of water chestnuts in this recipe. I don't eat water chestnuts, so I just use bok choy stems or something else crunchy as a substitute.

ROASTED POTATOES, SHALLOTS, AND KALE WITH CARAMELIZED GARLIC DRESSING

2011-05-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

This takes a lot of prep, but it is very good.
Roasted garlic produces a rich dressing using very little oil.
1 pound small red potatoes (preferably about 1 inch in diameter)
1/2 pound shallots, cut lengthwise into eighths (about 1 1/2 cups;
Small onions will work, too.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/4 pound kale (about 1 small bunch), rinsed and stems and tough ribs discarded
1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
Preheat oven to 450°F. Quarter potatoes and in a bowl toss with shallots, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to a shallow baking pan. Wrap garlic tightly in foil and put in pan with potatoes. In a large bowl toss kale with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and salt and pepper to taste until combined well. Arrange kale in one layer in another shallow baking pan. Roast kale, potato mixture, and garlic in middle and bottom thirds of oven, switching position of pans in oven halfway through roasting and stirring vegetables occasionally, until potato mixture is golden brown and tender, kale is crisp, and garlic is soft, about 15 minutes. Transfer vegetables (except garlic) to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Carefully remove garlic from foil and peel. In small bowl with a fork mash garlic with vinegar until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Add dressing to vegetables and toss. Potatoes may be made 4 hours ahead.
Serve potatoes hot or at room temperature. Makes 3-4 Servings.

KALE WITH SAUTEED APPLE AND ONION

2011-05-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

Start to finish: 15 min
1 Granny Smith apple
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
Bunch of kale, tough stems and ribs removed and leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water
Peel, quarter, and core apple, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges. Heat oil in a 5-quart pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add apple and curry powder and sauté, stirring, until apple is almost tender, about 2 minutes.
Add kale and water and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender and most of liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Season with salt. Makes 2 servings.

Bird's Nest Mashed Potatoes

2011-04-25T14:14:00.001-07:00

BIRD'S NEST MASHED POTATOES:
What you need:
Potatoes
2 eggs, separated
1 stick real butter (may substitute margarine)
Sea salt
Milk or cream
Cook potatoes as you would for making mashed potatoes. Add sea salt and partially mash potatoes. Combine 1/2 to 1 stick of melted butter (or margarine), a couple tablespoons of milk or heavy cream and the yolks of two eggs and beat well.( Save the egg whites you separated for later). Add butter/milk/yolk mixture to potatoes and continue with preparation. When they are the consistency you want, prepare a cookie sheet with a piece of foil that you brush with oil to prevent sticking. Place consistent sized heaps of mashed potatoes onto the cookie sheet and make an indention with a spoon in the top of each mound of potatoes. Brush the tops and sides of potatoes with egg white and place under the broiler of your oven (on the middle rack, so you do not scorch them) until they begin to just start to brown. This part is kind of like making meringue, so watch them carefully.

(Best served by arranging on platter around a roast, chicken, etc. and spooning sauce/gravy over potatoes.)

Very Simple Berry Trifle ~ TAO exclusive

2011-04-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

I make a simple trifle that is easy and excellent. It does not call for lady fingers or anything fancy and you can make it up in a snap. It is not even a recipe so I will explain what I did here. I used frozen organic berries when I made this back in the winter. Now that it is spring, fresh berries are starting to appear and I made this recently with organic strawberries and it was was sublime. I still prefer the mixed berries, however.

Took a 16 oz package of frozen mixed berries and thawed them (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries). Sprinkled them with 1/2 cup of sugar and added a dash of a true mint extract...NOT strong peppermint. It was made with spearmint and mint leaves, steeped in grain alcohol. Do not over do this part....just a drop or two is more than enough. I was going to use Grand Marinier or Medori but was out of both. Let berries sit in fridge for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until ready to assemble the trifle.

Use a steep sided clear glass container for presentation but any steep sided container will do. I have used one of my Corning ware casseroles and it is perfect. In the bottom I spread a layer of the juice from the berries, just enough to moisten the bottom of the bowl. On top of that I added very thin slices of lemon cream cake. Pound cake or other cake would do okay, too. Angel food is good but for this recipe, you would need to use thick pieces. Hence a denser cake works better. I made this once with carrot pound cake and while it was not a fave, it was passable. Guess what I am getting at is that you can experiment with this and still have something good as a result. On top of the cake, I put a layer of the berries, more cake, more berries, layering it until I finished with a layer of berries.

Topped that with whipped cream (made my own, flavored with a little sugar and some vanilla....if I had used the Grand Marinier, I would have added some of it) Put it back in the fridge and chill another 20-30 minutes.

It was very easy, pretty to look at and very, very tasty! One note, though....do NOT use something in a can, like Redi-Whip or Cool Whip. You want to beat your own cream until it is very, very thick. That is one of the secrets to this recipe.

My father is diabetic and I made this for him a couple of times with Splenda. It was not half bad. I haven't tried to find a sugar free cake yet, but I imagine you could find something suitable. If I try that, I will post it here at TAO.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Curry (love this one!!)

2011-04-25T09:41:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

4 tbl butter or margarine

2 cup finely chopped sweet yellow onions

1 tbl yellow curry powder

1 med -size butternut squash (1 1/2 pounds) peeled, seeded and chopped

2 x tart, green apples, peeled, seeded and chopped

3 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp marjoram

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

1 cup apple juice

Salt and pepper

Sour cream (optional)

Apple slices, for garnish

Melt butter in stock pot. Add onions and curry powder. Cover and cook over low heat until onions are tender, about 20 minutes.

NOTE: I do this a little differently. I saute the onions, curry and apples in my skillet first, adding a little sea salt and some garlic. I also use only rosemary and little or no marjoram. You can adjust the herbs to your liking. I also put a pinch of sugar in while sauteeing the onions and apples. Once everything is cooked, I go on to this next step. Also the hot sauce is optional.

Add squash, apples, chicken broth, hot pepper sauce, salt, marjoram and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash and apples are tender, about 25 minutes.

In several batches, puree soup in food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until smooth. (Return pureed soup to stock pot and add apple juice. NOTE: I have an emersion blender that is heat resistant and I find that is a lot easier to use for this part because you don't have to take the soup out of the pot and risk being scalded pouring it back and forth. ) Heat through, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Garnish soup with dollop of sour cream, if desired. Personally, I just put a splash of heavy cream or vanilla soy milk in each bowl when serving it. You can vary this soup just about anyway you like....long as the basics are there.

Balsamic Glazed Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash

2011-04-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

4 lrg sweet potatoes peeled, and

cut into 3/4" by 3" cubes

1/4 cup olive oil plus more

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar plus more

2 tbl unsalted butter melted

2 tbl chopped fresh herbs such as

rosemary and thyme

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

2 med butternut squash peeled, seeded,

and cut into 3/4" by 3" cubes

1 sm arugula bunch washed, and

stems removed

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon herbs, salt, and pepper.

In a separate bowl, toss together squash, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon herbs, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on two 13- by 18-inch baking pans. Transfer pans to oven, and roast vegetables until golden and tender, 45 to 60 minutes, rotating the pans between the shelves halfway through roasting.

Remove the pans from the oven, and allow vegetables to cool slightly. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Toss the vegetables with the arugula. Drizzle with additional olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and serve immediately.

This recipe yields 10 to 12 servings.

Mexican Butternut Squash Soup

2011-04-25T09:36:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

2 tsp Olive Oil

2 cup Butternut Squash Peeled And Cubed

2 cup Chopped Onion

1 cup Chopped Red Bell Pepper

1 cup Chopped Celery

1/2 cup Poblano Peppers Seeded And Sliced

1 tsp Dried Oregano

1 tsp Chili Powder

4 cup Vegetable Broth

15 1/2 can Whole Kernel Corn, Frozen Thawed

1/4 cup Fresh Lime Juice

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash and next 6 ingredients (squash through chili powder); saute 3 minutes. Add broth and hominy; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in lime juice and cilantro.

Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Sage and Croutons

2011-04-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

3 med or 2 large butternut squash, (4 lbs.)

OR acorn squash

28 oz canned vegetable broth, (1 quart.)

1 tsp coarse salt

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

4 tbl extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tbs. vegetable oil and 1 Tbs. walnut

oil

24 x fresh small sage leaves

4 slc firm-textured white bread

For an extra-special touch toast the squash seeds to sprinkle over the soup. Rinse seeds, pat dry with paper towels, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes, tossing occasionally. This make-ahead soup can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds; save seeds for toasting if desired (see above). Place squash halves cut side down on large baking sheet with sides. Bake until skins are browned and squash is tender, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Scoop cooked squash from skins and transfer to large saucepan. Mash well with potato masher, then stir in broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Soup should be as thick as tomato sauce-add up to 1 cup more water to thin if necessary. If you prefer a finer texture, cool slightly then puree soup in a blender or food processor. Let cool completely, transfer to container with lid and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Up to 4 hours before serving, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sage leaves and cook until lightly browned, turning once, about 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer sage to paper towels to drain.

Reserve oil in skillet.

Trim crusts from bread, discarding crusts. Cut each bread slice diagonally into 4 triangles, then cut each triangle in half to make 32 croutons total.

Heat reserved oil in skillet over medium heat. Add half the croutons and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet and cook remaining croutons as before.

Rewarm soup over low heat, stirring occasionally. Ladle soup into howls and scatter 3 toasted sage leaves over each portion. Garnish each with 4 croutons and serve hot.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon

2011-04-25T09:32:00.001-07:00

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon

Ingredients:

2 slc Bacon

1/2 med Onion, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)

White and pale green parts of 1 large, chopped fine and leek, washed well (about 1 cup) ( If you don't have leeks, either leave them out entirely or use a mild green onion. Regular onions arenot a good substitute)

1 lrg Garlic clove, minced

1/2 x Bay leaf

1 1/4 lb Butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

1 med Granny Smith or other tart apple

2 cup Low-salt chicken broth

1/2 cup Water plus additional for thinning soup

2 tbl Sour cream or creme fraiche

Garnishes:

Sour cream or creme fraiche

Chopped unpeeled apple

In a skillet cook bacon until crisp and drain, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons fat. Crumble bacon.

In a heavy saucepan cook onion, leek, garlic, and bay leaf with salt and pepper to taste in reserved fat over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.

Add squash, apple, peeled and chopped, broth, and 1/2 cup water.

Simmer mixture, covered, until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes, and discard bay leaf.

In a blender puree mixture in batches, transferring as pureed to a clean saucepan, and add enough additional water to thin soup to desired consistency.

Whisk in sour cream or creme fraiche and salt and pepper to taste and heat soup over moderately low heat until hot (do not boil). Serve soup topped with crumbled bacon and accompaniments.

Asparagus and Mushroom Frittata

2011-04-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
3/4 pound fresh asparagus spears or one 10-ounce package frozen cut asparagus
6 eggs
3/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
A little oil for the pan
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small tomato, cut into wedges, or 1/4 cup chopped tomato

Directions:
Cook fresh asparagus spears in a small amount of boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Reserve 3 spears for garnish; cut remaining asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Or, cook frozen asparagus according to package directions; drain. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl beat eggs until foamy. Beat in cottage cheese, mustard, salt, and pepper; set aside.
Coat a 10-inch ovenproof skillet with thin coating of oil. Cook mushrooms over medium heat until just tender. Stir in asparagus pieces. Pour egg mixture over mushrooms and asparagus. (If using fresh asparagus, arrange the 3 reserved spears on top.)
Cook mixture over low heat about 5 minutes or until mixture bubbles slightly and begins to set around the edges.
Bake frittata, uncovered, in a 400 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until set. Garnish each serving with tomato. Makes 4 servings.
This recipe is from Good Housekeeping Magazine. I included it because it is asparagus season here in my area. The fritatta looks yummy but based on the prices for local asparagus, mushrooms and eggs, it would be quite expensive to make. Might be worth it, though.

Baba Ganoush (Roasted Eggplant Dip)

2011-04-22T14:49:00.001-07:00

Baba Ganoush - A Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip
This roasted eggplant dip is a great party food or special treat. It is very easy to make. If you do not have tahini in the house, you can leave it out. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds and is sort of expensive. I can't think of a substitute you could use successfully. Leaving it out doesn't affect the end result all that much.

What you need:
2 large eggplants
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 teaspoon teriyaki sauce
1 clove crushed garlic
Wash both eggplants, and pierce them with a knife. Place eggplants on a cookie sheet, put them in a 450 degree preheated oven until you can easily pierce the skin with a fork (should be about 20 minutes). After eggplants are baked and cooled, peel the skin off. Put eggplant in a mixing bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, salt, olive oil, and plain yogurt. Mix ingredients until smooth. Stir in tahini according to taste. When all ingredients are added, transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Stir in teryiaki sauce and garlic. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Serve with toasted pita bread wedges or any hearty wheat cracker.

(One note of warning. This dish is not a pleasant color...it looks a bit like day old oatmeal. Don't let that put you off. You can always experiment with the basic eggplant puree and add ingredients that affect the color. See my version listed next. It is a beautiful golden color, thanks to the tumeric in the curry powder. )

I also made a different version, while experimenting of course, that was wonderful. We have had it frequently, served with warmed flat bread with cucumbers and/or sprouts.

Bubba Ganoush New Moon Curried Eggplant Dip

This recipe has my own personal spin on Baba Ganoush using the previous basic recipe, with a few personal twists on it. I think this version is much better.

Wash both eggplants, and pierce them with a knife. Place eggplants on a cookie sheet, put them in a 450 degree preheated oven as with the previous recipe. After eggplants are baked and cooled, peel the skin off. Put eggplant in a mixing bowl. Stir in sea salt, some fresh garlic (I used about 6 cloves but it's all about preference here), just a drizzle of olive oil, and about 1 tablespoon or more of a really good curry blend, again to your taste if you want more.(I get my curry at a Middle Eastern market and the regular grocery store brands pale in comparison.) Puree all ingredients until smooth. If you want to rev it up, add a dried or fresh chili pepper when pureeing. Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve as a dip with chips or like I mentioned above. This dish is very similar to hummus but not so starchy and bland.

Dyeing Easter Eggs Without Using Chemical Dyes....

2011-02-27T06:10:00.000-08:00

Start saving those onion skins and carrot tops! If part of your Easter celebration includes dyeing eggs, try using natural dyes instead of those laced with chemicals. Natural dyes tend to color your eggs in more earthy, toned down colors, which personally, I like so much better than those garish colors that result from Paas and other commercial dyeing kits. The following is a chart showing what colors you might be able to achieve from various plant materials and after that, I have included some links on the subject as well as an instructional videos. Have fun!!!

COLORS AND HOW TO GET THEM (Remember these colors will be much subdued.)

RED

Lots of Red Onions Skins (boiled)
Canned Cherries with Juice
Pomegranate Juice
Raspberries

PINK

Boiled beets or Pickeled Beet Juice

Cranberries or juice

Raspberries

Red Grape Juice

ORANGE

Boiled Yellow Onion Skins

Cooked Carrots

Chili Powder or Paprika (these 2 leave neat little dots on the eggs)

BROWN

Strong coffee (brewed or instant)

Black Walnut Shells

Strong Black Tea

GOLDEN BROWN

Dill Seed

YELLOW

Orange or Lemon Peels

Carrot Tops

Celery Seed

Ground Cumin or Tumeric

Chamomile Tea

Green Tea

YELLOW GREEN

Yellow Apple Peels

GREEN

Spinach Leaves

Liquid Chlorophyll or

Blue Green Algae (I take these for energy and just grind up a tab or 2)

BLUE

Blueberry juice

Red Cabbage Leaves

Purple Grape Juice

VIOLET BLUE

Violet blossoms

Red Onion Skins

Hibiscus Blossoms

Red Wine

LAVENDER

Violet Blossoms plus lemon juice

Red Zinger tea

Diluted Purple Grape Juice

How to make the perfect hardboiled egg (Food Network video) Pretty good tips on how to make perfect boiled eggs. The dyeing technique she uses is not related to the natural dyeing method so you can turn this off after that point if you want.
Instructions on how to dye eggs using vegetables and spices. This is a brief video that shows one technique for using natural dyes.

Taken from another of my blogs.....

2011-02-23T16:06:00.001-08:00

Help stamp out Food Snobbery!!!!

I think that it is time that I do my part to bring attention to the issue of food prejudice. Since I am so in touch with food, I am going to address the food snobs of the world here on my blog today. That's right, it is my blog and I can say what I want to about whatever subject I am inclined to write about....mu-ah-hahahahahaaaa.I love the power of the blog!! Okay, I am getting a power high so I better get back on subject. This just has to be said.

My simple definition of food snobbery: Refusing to even try or consider trying a particular fruit, vegetable, regional or local dish for any reason at all. I may not like or regularly eat all these things, but at least I have tried them all. If you are a food snob, let me help to set the record straighter on a couple of things:

Sushi versus Chitlins

I went to a Sushi restaurant in Japan once where there were a bunch of fish swimming happily together in a huge tank. We ordered and the next thing I know, the chef is screaming like a ninja and grabbing a live fish out of the tank and flinging it down on the table in front of us. When he pulled out a cleaver and hacked the head off right in front of me, I almost fainted. Needless to say, I didn't eat sushi (or much of anything else) for a while. Chitlins on the other hand are quite civilized by comparison. I have seen them being cooked before but that is it. Chitlin preparation has the good manners to stay out of the public eye as much as possible.

Grits versus Polenta

Grits and polenta are the same thing. If you let your grits simmer too long and they get really thick, you have made polenta. In Northern Italy, where polenta is a staple dish, it was first made when maize or corn was brought there by explorers. It is cooked down more than grits, but there is not much difference except for the seasoning and serving methods. Of course, grits can be pretty bland and boring if you buy those wussie white ones at the grocery store or you don't know how to cook them. I buy stone ground, organic yellow corn grits. Fortunately, I do know how to cook them (Granny taught me) and mine are delicious.

Livermush versus Blood Sausage

Do I even need to explain this one? Yes, I guess I do.

Livermush is decidedly Southern and Blood Sausage is decidedly disgusting.

Livermush probably had its origins with German settlers to the Southeastern areas of the US from Pennsylvania. Blood Sausage never quite caught on here in this area although I understand it is popular elsewhere. My best friend growing up moved to the US from Europe and I helped them to make BS at their house once. I repeat, ONCE. And I never ate any that I am aware of but sometimes when I ate dinner at their house, I was a little confused as to exactly what I was eating.

Okra versus anything

I already wrote an entire blog entry about okra, so refer to that post to read up on okra here . One quick note about okra: it is NOT indigenous to the Southern US (it just loves our climate); it is native to Africa; is an edible hibiscus; and is eaten all over the world.

Caviar versus Catfish Roe

I have eaten caviar once or twice myself, but don't remember particularily liking it. It tasted a little fishy. And speaking of fishy, there are people willing to pay $50+ for Beluga caviar yet look down their noses of folks who catch and clean their own fish and eat the roe. Joke is on them. Back in the late 1990's, the FDA busted a caviar "importer" who had been packaging and selling catfish roe as Beluga for years. Took DNA testing to determine that the roe in question was not from sturgeon, but in fact from the lowly Ictalarus punctatus or the common channel catfish. Nobody noticed the difference because, lets face it, who eats caviar on a regular basis? Do you know anyone who does? Neither do I.

Cow Peas versus English Peas

Cow Peas- A drought tolerant and warm weather crop, cowpeas are well-adapted to the drier regions of the tropics, where other food legumes do not perform well. It also has the useful ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen through its nodules, and it grows well in poor soils with more than 85% sand and with less than 0.2% organic matter and low levels of phosphorus. In addition, it is shade tolerant, and therefore, compatible as an intercrop with maize, millet, sorghum, sugarcane, and cotton. This makes cowpea an important component of traditional intercropping systems, especially in the complex and elegant subsistence farming systems of the dry savannas in sub-Saharan Africa. English peas are just a cooler weather, slightly different cultivar of Fabaceae or Leguminosae, or the legume family. There is nothing sophistocated or gourmet about English (green) peas. In fact, if you compared the common field pea grown in the South to the English pea, the English pea is by comparison a thin and pale relative, as far as adaptability and usage.

Water Cress versus Creasy Greens

If you ever watched the Dobie Gillis show back in the 60's, you most probably remember Mrs. Chatsworth Osborne, Jr., Resident RB&S, who was forever giving parties where they served watercress sandwiches. This is probably about the silliest food affectation I know of, in all of my culinary experience. Watercress on buttered slices of bread with the crusts cut off was supposedly the height of snooty cuisine. Somehow the idea of a weed that grows along the sides of the road, in ditches where there is standing water pasted onto a tiny piece of white bread doesn't really impress me all that much. And why couldn't they even have a "big boy" sandwich with the crusts still on...did those rich people have weak choppers or just still long for mama? I don't get it.

Creasy greens on the other hand are delightful. I don't remember my Granny even planting this wonderful little green plant, but she certainly got excited once it showed up in the corn field in the fall. It grows in a rosette, kind of like arugula. Today, you can buy creasy green seeds (Upland Cress is how it is sold) and plant some for yourself, but in the foothills and mountains of NC, they were/are considered a wild, uncultivated food, not to be taken for granted. I think maybe planting creasys would not set well with some old timers. Creasy greens are cousin to watercress and the name "creasy" is probably an Appalachian mispronunciation of cress. They are peppery and add a little spice to other greens.

There are lots more foods I could mention, but my fingers are tired and my break is over and I need to get back to some real work. Hope you enjoyed my little tongue in cheek (Really? Maybe.) missive today.

Tomatoes I Have Grown

2011-02-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

Aunt Ruby's German Green

Big Rainbow

Big Zebra

Black Brandywine

Black Cherry

Black Ethiopian

Black Pear

Black Prince

Black

Brown Berry

Carbon

Copia

Golden Currant

Gold Grape

Great White

Green Grape

Green Zebra

Henderson's Pink

Honey Grape

Isis Candy

Ivory Pear

Jaunne Flamme

Jolly

Juliet

Long Keeper

Mortgage Lifter, Radiator Charlie

Odoriko

Pineapple

Pink Brandywine

Purple Calabash

Cherokee Purple

Purple Cherry

Red Pear

Red Zebra

San Marzano Paste

Snow White Cherry

Sungold

Sweet 100

Black Plum

Red Grape

Tomato Berry

White Beauty

White Queen

White Tomesol

Yellow Brandywine

Yellow Mortgage Lifter

Yellow Roma

Yellow Teardrop

Wonderful Lettuces to Grow in Your Home Garden!

2011-02-22T09:21:00.000-08:00

CATALOGNA

COCARDE

GRANDPA ADMIRE'S

LUBIANA

RED ICE

SLOBOLT

TENNIS BALL

WEBB'S WONDERFUL

AUSTRALIAN YELLOW LEAF

YUGOSLAVIAN

Rustic Venison Stew with Turnips, Rosemary and Marsala Wine

2011-02-21T07:09:00.000-08:00

I have prepared this for people who swore they would never eat either venison or turnips, especially not in the same dish. So, I didn't tell them what they were eating and almost every time there was a call for seconds. Then I told them. This is another dish that I have been making for a very long time and which originated in my vintage French Game Cook Book. I have, of course, made what I consider improvements to the original recipe. This is not a thick stew, more like a soup, actually.

What you need:

1-2 lbs venison. Choose one of the more tender cuts and cut into pieces about the size of half a sugar cube.
1 stick unsalted Butter (use butter, not margarine)
6 cloves Garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 long stems fresh Rosemary (use fresh, dried will not do); wash well, pat dry but do not remove leaves from stems.
1-2 cups of Marsala wine (in the cooking wine section of your supermarket...don't waste your money on a good bottle of Marsala...the cheap grocery store brand is fine...this is a hunter's dish and should be rustic)
8-10 ounces of beef stock (your choice as to what kind you use...I have made my own and I have used canned)
4-6** medium-large turnips peeled and cubed the same as the venison. (*You will need at least 3-4 cups of cubed turnips so how many you need will depend on their size.)

In a large Dutch oven, melt the stick of butter until it just begins to sizzle. Toss in the garlic and the rosemary and saute until the rosemary becomes limp and darkens. Remove the rosemary stems (if you let them cool a little, you can remove the leaves and add but not necessary). Brown the venison in the garlic-rosemary butter. Lower the heat slightly and add the beef stock and Marsala wine. Simmer venison for 30-40 minutes or until very tender. Increase to med-low heat and add turnips. Cook an additional 10-15 minutes.

NOTE: Potatoes are usually what thickens a stew but in this case, there are no potatoes, so you have to do it yourself if you want a stew thicker than this recipe produces. Use a teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in COLD water, added to the still cooking stew, stirring the whole time. It will begin to thicken quickly so do not leave unattended. Remove from heat as soon as it reaches the consistency you want. I prefer this stew the way it was meant to be but I have experimented with a thicker version and it was okay, too.

Serve with herbed scones, biscuits or other savory non-yeasted bread. This is a stew that is meant to be "sopped" or have the broth absorbed by bread, which is the way the peasants who created this type of dish would have eaten it. Enjoy!

(One more thing. Don't waste your time or ingredients making this with beef. It is just not very good.)

Peasant Chicken (Cooked in White Wine Sauce)

2011-02-21T06:28:00.000-08:00

For this recipe you need:
Whole Chicken
Garlic
White Wine
White Pepper
Sea Salt
Mushrooms *optional
Cornstarch

Put whole chicken in crock pot with 1 to 1 1/2 cups white wine. Season with sea salt and white pepper (this is a must as black pepper will ruin it) ( Ingredient aside: if you don't keep white pepper in your spice rack, you can get little packs of it in the Hispanic section of your food store much cheaper than buying in the regular spice section. It is great on chicken and fish....much better than black. If you like it then you can get a larger quantity) Toss in about 5-6 peeled garlic cloves

Cook chicken until it is almost falling off bone but not quite for presentation. Depending on crock pot, this could take between 5-8 hours. I used to cook mine on low overnight and it was usually perfect but I had a really oldschool crock pot that never got all that hot...lol.

After chicken is done, remove from the liquid in the crock pot. It should have increased in volume from the original amt of wine you put in. You will want to remove as much of the chicken fat as possible from this liquid. You can pour in a bowl and let it come to the surface and remove with a spoon or just let the crock pot cool if you are not in a huge hurry. DO NOT PUT THE CROCK POT AWAY YET..WE ARE NOT DONE WITH IT.

Take about 2 tablespoons of corn starch (organic of course) and and about 1/4 cup of COLD water and stir until it is the consistency of heavy cream....put your wine stock into a small saucepan and bring to just the edge of a slow rolling boil, add the cornstarch mixture a little at a time and stir until it begins to thicken. You may not have to add all the cornstarch to get the consistency you want. It should be the thickness of a glaze or gravy. Put the chicken back in the crock pot and cover with the glaze. Leave on lowest setting. If you want, you can throw in some thinly sliced mushrooms during this cooking phase.

BIRD'S NEST MASHED POTATOES:
What you need:
Potatoes
2 eggs, separated

Cook potatoes as you would for making mashed potatoes. Add sea salt and partially mash potatoes. Combine 1/2 to 1 stick of melted butter or margarine, a couple tablespoons of milk or heavy cream and the yolks of two eggs and beat well.( Save the egg whites you separated for later). Add butter/milk/yolk mixture to potatoes and continue with preparation. When they are the consistency you want, prepare a cookie sheet with a piece of foil that you brush with oil to prevent sticking. Place consistent sized heaps of mashed potatoes onto the cookie sheet and make an indention with a spoon in the top of each mound of potatoes. Brush the tops and sides of potatoes with egg white and place under the broiler of your oven (on the middle rack, so you do not scorch them) until they begin to just start to brown. This part is kind of like making meringue, so watch them carefully.

Remove chicken from pot, place on platter. Surround with potato "nests" and pour glaze over the potatoes and the chicken. Serve.

This is an amazing recipe. I have been making it for over 30 years. It came from an antique French game cookbook I got a long, long time ago and still have. The recipe begins by telling you how to catch, kill and prep your chicken....lol.

2011-02-20T08:49:00.000-08:00

Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi (German turnip) (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes group) is a low, stout cultivar of the cabbage that will grow almost anywhere. The name comes from the German Kohl ("cabbage") plus Rübe ~ Rabi (Swiss German variant) ("turnip"), because the swollen stem resembles the latter. The same roots are also found in the German word "Kohlrübe", which refers to the rutabaga. Kohlrabi has been created by artificial selection for lateral meristem growth; its origin in nature is the same as that of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens, and brussels sprouts: They are all bred from, and are the same species as, the wild cabbage plant (Brassica oleracea).

Both the leaves and swollen underground stem are edible, specially the stem which can be green, white or purple. The taste and texture of kohlrabi are similar to those of a broccoli stem or cabbage heart, but milder and sweeter, with a higher ratio of flesh to skin. Its flavor is milder than a turnip's. If young and tender they may be eaten raw, very thinly sliced. Diced or julienned kohlrabi is good in salads, stir-fries, coated in batter and deep fried or steamed, and accompanied with a cheese sauce. If sliced kohlrabi is blanched first it can be frozen for up to 12 months. The young stem in particular can be as crisp and juicy as an apple, although much less sweet.

Except for the Gigante cultivar, spring-grown kohlrabi much over 5 cm in size tend to be woody, as do full-grown kohlrabi much over perhaps 10 cm in size; the Gigante cultivar can achieve great size while remaining of good eating quality. The plant matures in 55–60 days after sowing. Approximate weight is 150 g and has good standing ability for up to 30 days after maturity. It is tolerant to cracking.

There are several varieties commonly available, including White Vienna, Purple Vienna, Grand Duke, Gigante (also known as "Superschmelz"), Purple Danube, and White Danube. Coloration of the purple types is superficial: the edible parts are all pale yellow. The leafy greens can also be eaten.

Kohlrabi Recipes

Rutabaga

The rutabaga, Swede (from Swedish turnip), or yellow turnip (Brassica napobrassica, or Brassica napus var. napobrassica, or Brassica napus subsp. rapifera) is a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip. The roots are prepared for food in a variety of ways, and its leaves can also be eaten as a leaf vegetable.The word rutabaga has been derived from the Swedish word ‘rotabagge’ where ‘rota’ means ‘root’. Rutabaga is a root vegetable with a golden skin, having a purple tinge near the crown. Some sources say that rutabaga originated in Scandinavia or Russia. There have been records of the vegetable being widely used in England and France. Today, the vegetable is quite popular in Europe and America. Canada is one of the largest producers of rutabaga in the world. The root vegetable is known for its delicate sweetness and flavor that gives a hint of the light freshness of cabbage and turnip. Rutabagas form an important part of the Scandinavian cuisine.Unlike turnips, rutabaga are a powerhouse of nutritional value.

Rutabaga Origins/History Article

Rutabaga Nutrition Article
Rutabata/Turnip Recipes

Turnip
Turnips are sometimes thought of as a "peasant food" but this southern staple root actually has a long, illustrious and varied history. Its image can be is found in heraldry and used as an icon. The turnip is eaten in many cultures, prepared in a multitude of ways. The turnip was a well-established crop in Hellenistic and Roman times, which leads to the assumption that it was brought into cultivation earlier. Wild forms of the hot turnip and its relatives the mustards and radish are found over west Asia and Europe, suggesting that their domestication took place somewhere in that area.

The most common type of turnip is mostly white-skinned apart from the upper part which protrudes above the ground and are purple, red, or greenish wherever sunlight has fallen. One of my personal favorites is a yellow heirloom called Amber Globe (center above). This above-ground part develops from stem tissue, but is fused with the root. The interior flesh is entirely white. The leaves grow directly from the above-ground shoulder of the root, with little or no visible crown or neck (as found in rutabagas).

Turnip leaves are sometimes eaten as "turnip greens" ("turnip tops" in the UK), and they resemble mustard greens in flavor. Turnip greens are a common side dish in southeastern US cooking, primarily during late fall and winter. Smaller leaves are preferred; however, any bitter taste of larger leaves can be reduced by pouring off the water from initial boiling and replacing it with fresh water.
Varieties specifically grown for the leaves resemble mustard greens more than those grown for the roots, with small or no storage roots. Varieties of B. rapa that have been developed only for use as leaves are called Chinese cabbage. Both leaves and root have a pungent flavor similar to raw cabbage or radishes that becomes mild after cooking.

Turnip roots weigh up to 2 lbs. , although they are generally harvested when smaller. Size is partly a function of variety and partly a function of the length of time that the turnip has grown. Most very small turnips (also called baby turnips) are specialty varieties. These are only available when freshly harvested and do not keep well. Most baby turnips can be eaten whole, including their leaves. Baby turnips come in yellow-, orange-, and red-fleshed varieties as well as white-fleshed. Their flavor is mild, so they can be eaten raw in salads like radishes. Many of these smaller varieties have Asian origins.

The turnip's root is high only in vitamin C. The green leaves of the turnip top ("turnip greens") are a good source of vitamin A, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K and calcium. Turnip greens are high in lutein (8.5 mg / 100g).
I am personally a big fan of turnips. I love them julienned and added to a platter of crudites. They are particularly good dipped in Ranch or Green Goddess dips. I have also used them mixed with cabbage to make cole slaw or occasionally by themselves in the same. My grandmother used to cook and mash them like potatoes, seasoned with butter and cream, salt and pepper. I also know people who mix them with mashed potatoes. They are very chameleon like in their flavor, which is strong because of the natural sulfur they contain (that is where the bad smell comes from when you cook them....but it is good for you!). I have a most excellent wild venison stew recipe that is basically venison and turnips (in some very, very savory marsala and rosemary flavored broth). The turnips pick up the flavor of the stew and lose their own strong flavor in that dish.

One of my most favorite foods in the world, however, are turnip greens. If they are prepared properly there is nothing better. The trick is in the preparation and it can go wrong very easily, so if you are going to eat turnip greens, learn how to cook them. Don't miss out on this wondrously rich green veggie by eating them ill prepared the first time!

Turnip Trivia: Turnip lanterns are an old tradition; since inaugural Halloween festivals in Ireland and Scotland, turnips (rutabaga) have been carved out and used as candle lanterns.[2] At Samhain, candle lanterns carved from turnips — Samhnag — were part of the traditional Celtic festival. Large turnips were hollowed out, carved with faces and placed in windows, used to ward off harmful spirits. In 19th century Scotland, masqueraders in disguise carried lanterns made out of scooped out turnips to celebrate Halloween.

Beets ~Learn to Love Them!~

2011-02-14T08:45:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, most people have only experienced canned or pickled beets, what I refer to as “salad bar beets”, which are pale, bland versions of this most delicious root. I can't say I blame someone who doesn't like canned beets but without giving fresh beets a try, they are really missing out. There are many ways to prepare beets and one favorite method is slow roasted in a sweet and savory balsamic vinegar glaze (recipe here at TAO). Beets can be grated raw into salads, slow roasted, boiled or juiced (beet juice is delicious mixed with carrot juice). Beets can even be made into preserves and jellies.

Beets, like so many root vegetables, are very good for you. They are high in folic acid (great for pregnant women), potassium, calcium and antioxidants (betacyanin, which is what gives beets their rich red color). And the root is not the only part of the beet that can be eaten. Leafy beet greens are also very nutritious and can be used for juicing, or cooking as you would any other green. In fact they are very similar to Swiss chard (which is as it should be, because they are first cousins). Beet greens are actually the more significantly nutritious part of a beet plant and contain more iron, vitamin A, potassium and calcium than the roots.

“Beet juice is rich in natural sugar, sodium, sulphur, chlorine, iodine, copper and vitamin B1, B2, C and bioflavonoids. Some holistic practitioners believe that beet juice combined with other juices like carrot and cucumber are excellent for cleansing the kidneys and gallbladder and for restoring health to these organs. Additionally, beet, being a fibrous root, is excellent for aiding in and eliminating constipation. The fiber adds bulk to the diet and therefore helps to improve peristalsis activity in the large intestine” (Info from HealthyDiet.com)

Beets are one of my favorite vegetables, hands down. Sweet, earthy, rich are all words I would use to describe the flavor of beets. As a child my grandmother grew Crosby's Egyptian beets, which she pickled with cloves and honey. Before they could be pickled, they had to be prepared so, she would scrub the beet roots and then boil them in a big kettle on her stove. They smelled wonderful. When they were done, she would put 3 or 4 in a bowl to cool down a little. I'd slip off the skins and eat those warm beets right then and there. That is one of my favorite childhood food memories and to this day, there is nothing I like better than beets eaten in this fashion.

Beets are amazing all around. Their color along makes them royal among the root veggies. The juice of beets can be used as a beautiful dye (I have used it to color everything from soaps to fabric to food. However, it does fade rather quickly when exposed to bright sunlight. ) The red color from the the heirloom 'Bull's Blood' beet variety is the only red food coloring allowed in Sweden, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden website.

Butternut Squash Soups

2011-02-04T10:53:00.000-08:00

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Curry (love this one!!)

Ingredients:
4 tbl butter or margarine
2 cup finely chopped sweet yellow onions
1 tbl yellow curry powder
1 med -size butternut squash (1 1/2 pounds) peeled, seeded and chopped
2 x tart, green apples, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1 cup apple juice
Salt and pepper
Sour cream (optional)
Apple slices, for garnish

Method:
Melt butter in stock pot. Add onions and curry powder. Cover and cook over low heat until onions are tender, about 20 minutes.

NOTE: I do this a little differently. I saute the onions, curry and apples in my skillet first, adding a little sea salt and some garlic. I also use only rosemary and little or no marjoram. You can adjust the herbs to your liking. I also put a pinch of sugar in while sauteeing the onions and apples. Once everything is cooked, I go on to this next step. Also the hot sauce is optional.
Add squash, apples, chicken broth, hot pepper sauce, salt, marjoram and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash and apples are tender, about 25 minutes.

In several batches, puree soup in food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Process until smooth. Return pureed soup to stock pot and add apple juice. Heat through, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Garnish soup with dollop of sour cream, if desired. (Here again, I just a splash of heavy creamor vanilla soy milk in each bowl when serving it. You can vary this soup just about anyway you like....long as the basics are there)
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Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon
Ingredients:

2 slc Bacon
1/2 med Onion, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
White and pale green parts of 1 large, chopped fine and leek, washed well (about 1 cup) ( If you don't have leeks, either leave them out entirely or use a mild green onion. Regular onions arenot a good substitute)
1 lrg Garlic clove, minced
1/2 x Bay leaf
1 1/4 lb Butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 med Granny Smith or other tart apple
2 cup Low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup Water plus additional for thinning soup
2 tbl Sour cream or creme fraiche

----------------- ACCOMPANIMENTS ----------------
Sour cream or creme fraiche
Chopped unpeeled apple

Method:
In a skillet cook bacon until crisp and drain, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons fat. Crumble bacon.

In a heavy saucepan cook onion, leek, garlic, and bay leaf with salt and pepper to taste in reserved fat over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.

Add squash, apple, peeled and chopped, broth, and 1/2 cup water.

Simmer mixture, covered, until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes, and discard bay leaf.

In a blender puree mixture in batches, transferring as pureed to a clean saucepan, and add enough additional water to thin soup to desired consistency.

Whisk in sour cream or creme fraiche and salt and pepper to taste and heat soup over moderately low heat until hot (do not boil).

Serve soup topped with crumbled bacon and accompaniments.

Makes about 4 1/2 cups.

******************************************************************************

This one is another personal favorite.
Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Sage and Croutons
Ingredients:

3 med or 2 large butternut squash, (4 lbs.)
OR acorn squash
28 oz canned vegetable broth, (1 quart.)
1 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
4 tbl extra-virgin olive oil OR 3 Tbs. vegetable oil and 1 Tbs. walnut oil
24 x fresh small sage leaves
4 slc firm-textured white bread

Method:
8 SERVINGS DAIRY-FREE

For an extra-special touch toast the squash seeds to sprinkle over the soup. Rinse seeds, pat dry with paper towels, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes, tossing occasionally. This make-ahead soup can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds; save seeds for toasting if desired (see above). Place squash halves cut side down on large baking sheet with sides. Bake until skins are browned and squash is tender, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Scoop cooked squash from skins and transfer to large saucepan. Mash well with potato masher, then stir in broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Soup should be as thick as tomato sauce-add up to 1 cup more water to thin if necessary. If you prefer a finer texture, cool slightly then puree soup in a blender or food processor. Let cool completely, transfer to container with lid and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Up to 4 hours before serving, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sage leaves and cook until lightly browned, turning once, about 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer sage to paper towels to drain.

Reserve oil in skillet.

Trim crusts from bread, discarding crusts. Cut each bread slice diagonally into 4 triangles, then cut each triangle in half to make 32 croutons total.

Heat reserved oil in skillet over medium heat. Add half the croutons and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet and cook remaining croutons as before.

Rewarm soup over low heat, stirring occasionally. Ladle soup into howls and scatter 3 toasted sage leaves over each portion. Garnish each with 4 croutons and serve hot.

*********************************************************************************************
Mexican Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients:

2 tsp Olive Oil
2 cup Butternut Squash Peeled And Cubed
2 cup Chopped Onion
1 cup Chopped Red Bell Pepper
1 cup Chopped Celery
1/2 cup Poblano Peppers Seeded And Sliced
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Chili Powder
4 cup Vegetable Broth
15 1/2 can Whole Kernel Corn, Frozen Thawed
1/4 cup Fresh Lime Juice

Method:
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash and next 6 ingredients (squash through chili powder); saute 3 minutes. Add broth and hominy; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in lime juice and cilantro.

Balsamic Glazed Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash

2011-02-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

I have also made this and added carrots.....Ingredients:

4 lrg sweet potatoes peeled, and
cut into 3/4" by 3" cubes
1/4 cup olive oil plus more
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar plus more
2 tbl unsalted butter melted
2 tbl chopped fresh herbs such as
rosemary and thyme
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
2 med butternut squash peeled, seeded,
and cut into 3/4" by 3" cubes
1 sm arugula bunch washed, and
stems removed

Method:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon herbs, salt, and pepper.

In a separate bowl, toss together squash, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon herbs, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on two 13- by 18-inch baking pans. Transfer pans to oven, and roast vegetables until golden and tender, 45 to 60 minutes, rotating the pans between the shelves halfway through roasting.

Remove the pans from the oven, and allow vegetables to cool slightly. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Toss the vegetables with the arugula. Drizzle with additional olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and serve immediately.

This recipe yields 10 to 12 servings.

Butternut Squash Soups

2011-02-04T10:46:00.001-08:00

Butternut Squash and other recipes for CSA

Here are some really good recipes for some of the stuff you are getting now:

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Curry (love this one!!)
Ingredients:

4 tbl butter or margarine
2 cup finely chopped sweet yellow onions
1 tbl yellow curry powder
1 med -size butternut squash (1 1/2 pounds) peeled, seeded and chopped
2 x tart, green apples, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1 cup apple juice
Salt and pepper
Sour cream (optional)
Apple slices, for garnish

Method:
Melt butter in stock pot. Add onions and curry powder. Cover and cook over low heat until onions are tender, about 20 minutes.

NOTE: I do this a little differently. I saute the onions, curry and apples in my skillet first, adding a little sea salt and some garlic. I also use only rosemary and little or no marjoram. You can adjust the herbs to your liking. I also put a pinch of sugar in while sauteeing the onions and apples. Once everything is cooked, I go on to this next step. Also the hot sauce is optional.
Add squash, apples, chicken broth, hot pepper sauce, salt, marjoram and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash and apples are tender, about 25 minutes.

In several batches, puree soup in food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Process until smooth. Return pureed soup to stock pot and add apple juice. Heat through, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Garnish soup with dollop of sour cream, if desired. (Here again, I just a splash of heavy creamor vanilla soy milk in each bowl when serving it. You can vary this soup just about anyway you like....long as the basics are there)

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and BaconIngredients:

2 slc Bacon
1/2 med Onion, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
White and pale green parts of 1 large, chopped fine and leek, washed well (about 1 cup) ( If you don't have leeks, either leave them out entirely or use a mild green onion. Regular onions arenot a good substitute)
1 lrg Garlic clove, minced
1/2 x Bay leaf
1 1/4 lb Butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 med Granny Smith or other tart apple
2 cup Low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup Water plus additional for thinning soup
2 tbl Sour cream or creme fraiche

----------------- ACCOMPANIMENTS ----------------
Sour cream or creme fraiche
Chopped unpeeled apple

Method:
In a skillet cook bacon until crisp and drain, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons fat. Crumble bacon.

In a heavy saucepan cook onion, leek, garlic, and bay leaf with salt and pepper to taste in reserved fat over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.

Add squash, apple, peeled and chopped, broth, and 1/2 cup water.

Simmer mixture, covered, until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes, and discard bay leaf.

In a blender puree mixture in batches, transferring as pureed to a clean saucepan, and add enough additional water to thin soup to desired consistency.

Whisk in sour cream or creme fraiche and salt and pepper to taste and heat soup over moderately low heat until hot (do not boil).

Serve soup topped with crumbled bacon and accompaniments.

Makes about 4 1/2 cups.

Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Sage and CroutonsIngredients:

3 med or 2 large butternut squash, (4 lbs.)
OR acorn squash
28 oz canned vegetable broth, (1 quart.)
1 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
4 tbl extra-virgin olive oil
OR
3 Tbs. vegetable oil and 1 Tbs. walnut
oil
24 x fresh small sage leaves
4 slc firm-textured white bread

Method:
8 SERVINGS DAIRY-FREE

For an extra-special touch toast the squash seeds to sprinkle over the soup. Rinse seeds, pat dry with paper towels, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes, tossing occasionally. This make-ahead soup can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds; save seeds for toasting if desired (see above). Place squash halves cut side down on large baking sheet with sides. Bake until skins are browned and squash is tender, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Scoop cooked squash from skins and transfer to large saucepan. Mash well with potato masher, then stir in broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Soup should be as thick as tomato sauce-add up to 1 cup more water to thin if necessary. If you prefer a finer texture, cool slightly then puree soup in a blender or food processor. Let cool completely, transfer to container with lid and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Up to 4 hours before serving, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sage leaves and cook until lightly browned, turning once, about 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer sage to paper towels to drain.

Reserve oil in skillet.

Trim crusts from bread, discarding crusts. Cut each bread slice diagonally into 4 triangles, then cut each triangle in half to make 32 croutons total.

Heat reserved oil in skillet over medium heat. Add half the croutons and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet and cook remaining croutons as before.

Rewarm soup over low heat, stirring occasionally. Ladle soup into howls and scatter 3 toasted sage leaves over each portion. Garnish each with 4 croutons and serve hot.

Mexican Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients:

2 tsp Olive Oil
2 cup Butternut Squash Peeled And Cubed
2 cup Chopped Onion
1 cup Chopped Red Bell Pepper
1 cup Chopped Celery
1/2 cup Poblano Peppers Seeded And Sliced
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Chili Powder
4 cup Vegetable Broth
15 1/2 can Whole Kernel Corn, Frozen Thawed
1/4 cup Fresh Lime Juice

Method:
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash and next 6 ingredients (squash through chili powder); saute 3 minutes. Add broth and hominy; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in lime juice and cilantro.

Here is one for a little later in the season....once we have sweet taters!
Hang onto this one.....
Balsamic Glazed Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Butternut SquashIngredients:

4 lrg sweet potatoes peeled, and
cut into 3/4" by 3" cubes
1/4 cup olive oil plus more
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar plus more
2 tbl unsalted butter melted
2 tbl chopped fresh herbs such as
rosemary and thyme
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
2 med butternut squash peeled, seeded,
and cut into 3/4" by 3" cubes
1 sm arugula bunch washed, and
stems removed

Method:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon herbs, salt, and pepper.

In a separate bowl, toss together squash, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon herbs, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on two 13- by 18-inch baking pans. Transfer pans to oven, and roast vegetables until golden and tender, 45 to 60 minutes, rotating the pans between the shelves halfway through roasting.

Remove the pans from the oven, and allow vegetables to cool slightly. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Toss the vegetables with the arugula. Drizzle with additional olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and serve immediately.

This recipe yields 10 to 12 servings.

Eggplant a/k/a Aubergine

2011-01-17T11:49:00.000-08:00

The humble eggplant is known by many names, all over the world. Aubergine, melongene, brinjal, or guinea squash (Solanum melongena) is a plant of the nightshade family, genus Solanum.Fruits are called by the same name as the plant. Most but not all are used used in cooking but there are several that are strictly ornamental as they are too bitter to eat. The fruit is classified as a berry, and contains numerous small, soft seeds, which are edible, but are bitter because they contain nicotinoid alkaloids which is not surprising because eggplant is a close relative of tobacco, as well as the tomato and potato, all members of the nightshare family. Eggplant is native to Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

It is a delicate perennial often cultivated as an annual. Eggplant thrives in hot weather and is a good plant for the South. It requires a good bit of water when the plants are growing but can tolerate drought conditions better than many summer vegetable plants. The plant itself can grow 16 to 60 inches tall, with large broad, coarsely lobed leaves, 4-8 inches long snd up to 4 inches across.The semi-wild types can grow much larger, up to 7 feet tall with leaves over a foot tall and 6 inches across. The stem is usually spiny, the leaves covered in tiny coarse "hairs". The flowers are white to purple and pendant. The fruits are protected by hard, sharp spines around the calyx and are fleshy, with a meaty texture. Different varieties of the plant produce fruit of different size, shape and color, though typically purple, even orange or red eggplant exist.

The most widely cultivated varieties in Europe and North America today are elongated ovoid, with a deep purple, almost black skin. Most of these are considered Italian type eggplant. A much wider range of shapes, sizes and colors is grown in India and elsewhere in Asia. Larger varieties weighing up to 2 pounds are grown in China, although most Chinese varieties are much smaller. Thailand also producer a wide array of eggplant with colors that vary from white to yellow or green as well as reddish-purple and dark purple. Some cultivars have a color gradient, from white at the stem to bright pink to deep purple or even black. Green or purple cultivars in white striping also exist.

Many of the Asian varieties are commonly shaped like a narrower, slightly pendulous cucumber, although there are some that are small and round and the size of a pea, some that are round and the size of a golf ball and some that grow about 2-3 inches long and are torpedo shaped. It is possible to grow many heirloom varieties of eggplant, in your home garden, from many regions of the world. Because it is such a popular vegetable in many cultures, seeds are relatively easy to find.

Cooking with Eggplant
The raw fruit can have a somewhat bitter taste, but becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, complex flavor. Salting and then rinsing the sliced fruit (known as "degorging") can soften and remove much of the bitterness though this is often unnecessary. Some modern varieties do not need this treatment, as they are far less bitter. The fruit is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fats and sauces, allowing for very rich dishes, but the salting process will reduce the amount of oil absorbed. The fruit flesh is smooth; as in the related tomato, the numerous seeds are soft and edible along with the rest of the fruit. The thin skin is also edible, so peeling is not required.

Many well known and traditional dishes, from cultures all over the world, use eggplant as their basis. In France, there is ratatouille, in Greece, moussaka. Eggplant parmesean is offered in most Italian restaurants and baba ganoush is a Middle Eastern staple. It is a very important vegetable in Asian cuisine, especially curries.

Nutrition in Eggplant
Nutritionally speaking, studies have shown that eggplant may be effective in the treatment of high blood cholesterol. It helps to block the formation of free radicals and is also a source of folic acid and potassium.
Eggplant is richer in nicotine than any other edible plant, but that is not really a cause for concern. The amount of nicotine from eggplant or any other food plant is miniscule because, on average, 20 lbs. of eggplant contains about the same amount of nicotine as a cigarette. I dont' know too many people who would consume 20 lbs. of eggplant at one sitting. This negligible amount of nicotine which would not affect the average person. Occasionally, as with any food, people have exhibited an allergic reaction to eating eggplant.
Nutritional information for Eggplant

Pan Fried Pork Chops with Savory Tomato Gravy

2011-01-17T07:04:00.000-08:00

Just reading this recipe's title may give you pause, but I can assure you it is wonderful. It is also novice cook simple, requires nothing you probably don't regularly have in your kitchen. I grew up on this recipe and so I imagine that it was originally in Woman's Day or on the back of a soup can. My grandmother, Southern Cook Extraordinaire, probably “doctored” it up, then my mom worked her magic on it and then when it came down to me, I added my own spin. It has always been one of my eldest son's favorite meals and I recently went over to his house so I could show him and my daughter-in-law how to make it. Since it is fresh in my head, I am gonna share it here. And FYI, this recipe does not belong in my Healthy Eating Hall of Fame. It is comfort food, plain and simple...literally.

Ingredients:

Pork Chops with Savory Gravy

4-6 Pork chops, (bone in and fat still on....using lean pork loin will result in an inferior version. This is a good thing, however because those chops are generally considerably less expensive.)

1 can Campbell's Tomato Soup

1 large bell pepper, sliced into thin rings

1 medium sweet onion, also sliced into thin rings

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (you can use more, less or none at all....but fair warning....don't over do it..garlic is a nice addition to the dish but you don't want it to overwhelm the flavor of the peppers, which it will do if you use too much)

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Put a drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of salt and a quick grind of black pepper in the bottom of a large pan frying pan. Brown the chops, letting them get a little crispy brown around the edges but don't let them burn. It takes about 10-12 minutes, turning once or twice and cooking over medium heat to achieve this. Salt and pepper them a little more, as they cook.

Once the chops are browned, remove them from the pan and add the onions and the garlic (there should be some drippings in the pan from the chops) and saute until the onion start to become limp. Deglaze the pan with a couple of tablespoons of water, stirring well. Add the green peppers and cook for just a couple more minutes. Add tomato soup and half a can of water. Stir until the peppers and onions are coated. If it seems a little too thick, you can add a little more water but you don't want it to get “runny”...remember that thick is good here. Lay the chops on top of the pepper/onion/tomato soup and lower the heat. Cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes, turning the chops over at least once. You want them to sink down into the liquid so that they are mostly covered in the sauce, but do that after they have cooked a while, not at the beginning.

While the chops are simmering, you can prepare the special mashed potatoes that makes this dish unique.

To serve:

Place the chops and the gravy in the same serving vessel. Use the gravy like you would any other.

Miracle Mashed Potatoes*

Ingredients:

5-6 large potatoes, peeled, cubed and cooked (this is not a good recipe to leave the skins on)

½ stick of butter or margarine (that is about ¼ cup if you don't have sticks)

Milk

Salt and pepper

Miracle Whip Salad Dressing

Cook the potatoes in a salted water, until they are soft enough to mash. Drain off any excess water and add the butter and just a splash of milk before you start to mash them. You can add more milk if they seem too dry but do not add more butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Once you have the potatoes mashed to the consistency you want, add 1 cup of Miracle Whip and stir well to incorporate into the potatoes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

(By the way, if you don't make mashed potatoes often, here are a couple of tips. If you do not have a potato masher, you can use a big fork. I like to use my potato masher so that the potatoes are slightly lumpy but my mom always used the electric hand mixer. Makes no real difference how you do it, long as you mash them. Add milk, butter, etc. a little at a time and while the potatoes are hot. It will make a big difference. Lumpy mashed potatoes are not a crime but runny mashed potatoes kind of are.)

You can serve this with a couple of other veggies but keep it light, to balance the dishes. This is the basis of a pretty substantial meal and you don't want to over do it. We served it with green beans and homemade biscuits and that was it.

TURKEY POT PIE

2011-01-02T06:44:00.000-08:00

I try not to post holiday and other seasonal recipes and such because there are just too many and I can't choose my favorites, so I stay up all night posting recipes. I have to practice a little self control once in a while. However, I did make a wonderful turkey pot pie, using the left overs from Christmas dinner this past week, so I am going to share that one. It is a made from scratch pie and it is delicious. Plus, it takes less than 30 minutes to make start to finish. This is not really a recipe so much as a suggestion on how you might make this dish. It would be pretty hard to mess this up, it is so simple.

First of all, this recipe is going make an assumption that you are going to use pre-purchased pie crusts, for convenience sake. And I didn't want to have to include a pie crust recipe here for several reasons. Making a good pie crust is a learned skill and this recipe is supposed to be easy.

You will need:
Pie Crust
1-2 cups of leftover chicken or turkey, cut into bite sized pieces. Make sure to remove any bones, skin, fat, etc.
1 can or pkg. of mixed peas and carrots
1 large onion, chopped
8 ounces chicken stock (or canned chicken broth)**
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or use equivalent powdered)

Salt

Pepper

Poultry seasoning (optional)

Cornstarch

Butter or oil for sauteeing the onion

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
(If you choose to make this pie with only a top crust, which is perfectly acceptable and up to the cook's discretion, leave out this next part, although you probably need to read it.)
You can make this pie in almost any sized baking dish. I prefer my 9 inch square clay baker but I have made it in a 13 X 9 inch pan. (You can take this basic recipe and put the pie together anyway you choose. If you want your pie to be thick, put it in a smaller dish, if thinner, put it in a bigger one. There is no wrong way to do that part. You just need to make sure your crust covers the entire top and bottom of whatever you choose to use.) Spray your baking dish with cooking spray or rub with oil. Cover the entire bottom of the dish with pie crust. No need to cover sides, just the bottom will do, unless you want the sides crusted. Your choice. Prick with a fork and bake until it begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven. If you do not pre-bake the bottom crust, it will be doughy and soggy.

FILLING:
You can use chicken or turkey for this recipe. (*I have occasionally made a vegetarian version. I will include those instx below. I made this once with the left overs from a pot roast and it was good, too, but I would recommend using beef stock if you try that version.)

Saute onion with garlic and onions until just starting to turn soft. Lower heat to med-low. Add the meat and stir well. Salt and pepper to taste. It is not necessary but you can also add some poultry seasoning if you like but go easy on it. Remember that a little goes a long way.). Add peas and carrots (well drained) to the mixture and stir. Add chicken stock. In a small container, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in COLD water and stir until it is completely dissolved. Add to mixture and stir well. Let continue to simmer until thickened. There should be little or no liquid left in your filling.

Spread your chicken filling over the pre-baked crust. Add top crust, prick with fork. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown.

Try serving this with orange cranberry relish, also easy because it is just a can of whole cranberry sauce with
a squeeze of fresh orange juice and about 3 tablespoons of orange zest, mixed well and chilled.

*Make a vegetarian version of this by substituting cooked, cubed potatoes for the chicken/turkey and using mixed soup vegetables, instead of just peas and carrots and a little more onion. It was also very good.
**Using canned soups instead of chicken stock and cornstarch will work okay but it will give you a moister filling. I would use cream of chicken, cream of celery...cream of something or other...but remember that the soup will be highly flavored and salted so you will need to adjust for that.

Note if you are making your own crusts:
On the rare occasions when I do bake, I do not used white flour for obvious reasons. However, I do not use whole wheat flour like most people think of it. I use Wheat Montana products, specifically the Prairie Gold flour. It is whole wheat but made from a lighter type of wheat that what most people think of a whole wheat. It is naturally light in color, the flavor is delicate and it has all the nutritional value of whole wheat. It is also non-GMO, has no chemicals in it and is, in some ways, superior to wheat grown organically. You can order it online if you can't find it in your supermarket.

SPICY PEAR AND DRIED CHERRY CHUTNEY

2010-12-31T06:53:00.000-08:00

SPICY PEAR AND DRIED CHERRY CHUTNEY
(Makes 5 pints)

2 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
5 pounds hard, under-ripe pears
2 1/2 cups organic cane sugar
2 cups dried tart cherries
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, rubbed through a microplane grater
1 tablespoon dried red chili flakes
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger

Sterilize six pint-size canning jars in a boiling water bath over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot and allow the jars to stand in the simmering water while you make the chutney.
Pour the vinegar into a large mixing bowl. Peel and core the pears and cut them into 1-inch dice. As the pears are cut, drop them into the vinegar; this will keep them from browning.
When all the pears have been cut, drain off the vinegar into a large preserving kettle or Dutch oven and stir in the sugar, the dried cherries, onion, garlic, chili flakes, salt and ginger. Bring the liquid to a full rolling boil and add the pears.
Stir the chutney uncovered over high heat for 15 minutes then reduce heat to low, cover the pot and simmer the chutney for another 15 minutes.
Transfer the chutney to the sterilized jars, cover them with new lids and return them to the boiling water bath and process for 10 minutes.

~Recipe from Canning Across America

Cranberry Sage Chutney

2010-12-31T06:48:00.000-08:00

6 Cups Cranberries, fresh

1 1/2 cups Sugar

1 Orange - unpeeled, seeded, chopped

1 cup Orange juice

1 cup Onion - finely chopped (small)

1/4 cup Raisins

1/4 cup Slivered almonds

12 Dried dates - pitted, chopped

1/4 cup Chopped crystallized ginger

1/2 cup Cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Ground mustard

3 tablespoons Chopped fresh sage - divided

Place the cranberries, sugar, orange, orange juice, onion, raisins, almonds, dates, ginger, cider vinegar, salt, mustard and 1 tablespoon of the sage in a non-aluminum saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Increase the heat and boil until the berries "pop" and the mixture thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sage.

The chutney will keep, refrigerated, for up to 6 months. Or ladle it into sterilized jars and can accordingly.

This recipe yields 1 3/4 quarts.

~Taken from the L.A. Times

Farmer' Wife Chutney Recipe

2010-12-31T06:41:00.000-08:00

(This Chutney recipe is meant to be canned.)
4 cups chopped peeled cored pears - (abt 3 med)
2 cups chopped peeled turnips - (abt 2 large)
2 cups chopped onion - (abt 2 med)
1 3/4 cups dried currants
1 cup chopped seeded sweet red pepper - -- (abt 2 med)
1 cup chopped peeled cored tomatoes - -- (abt 2 large)
2 cups brown sugar
1 hot red pepper -- finely chopped
1 tablespoon mustard seed
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cider vinegar, 5% acidity

Prepare jars and closures according to
manufacturer's instructions.

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Cook slowly until thick. As
mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Carefully ladle hot chutney into hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.
Remove air bubbles with a nonmetallic spatula. Wipe jar rim clean. Place
lid on jar with sealing compound next to glass. Screw band down evenly
and firmly just until a point of resistance is met -- fingertip tight.

Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. At elevations higher than
1,000 feet, boil 2 additional minutes for each additional 1,000 feet
elevation.

This recipe yields about 3 pints.

Use caution when cutting or seeding any hot pepper; wear latex gloves to
prevent hands from being burned; avoid rubbing face or eyes.

2010-12-25T06:28:00.001-08:00

Growing your own....

2010-12-16T06:43:00.000-08:00

The first year we started homesteading (back in 2000, before we got into organic farming for our living) we used a plan I found in a book about preservation that showed a chart for how much to plant to yield certain quantities, etc. and I planned an entire year around that garden. It was a 100 X 100 plot, which is not that large and we grew 4 seasons of veggies.

The only things we bought at the store were whatever we could not produce ourselves. All organic, all fresh, all by our own hands. It required a lot of planning, a lot of work, etc. but we figured it was hours we would have spend working for someone else to earn money to buy what we were producing, so it was in essence our "jobs". I calculated how much of our income would go toward just our food budget and we decided that the value of growing our food equaled a 20 hour work week (after calculating time spent and taxes paid).

I don't think many people realize how much of their time at work goes just for paying for food. Anyone who says that growing some veggies in the backyard is too time consuming should think about how many hours they are away from their homes and families, just earning the money to feed them. A backyard garden can be a family project and involve everybody and there is value in that, too. From the time spent together to the lessons learned, it is a worthwhile project for any family.

I preserved a good bit of the harvests and we ate almost exclusively from that patch for the entire year. Since I had grown up at my granny's side whenever she was canning, freezing, etc., much of what was required to do this was already something I had first hand experience with but it isn't that hard to learn. Most extension offices teach classes on preservation.

I know we saved way, way more than $500 that first year. It also launched our careers for the next decade...growing certified organic produce. My husband passed away earlier this year but I will continue to grow organic food for a living. So when I say I know it can be done,, I am speaking from experience. It is also one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself and your family. In these days and times, it is nice to know that you can be proactive at being more self sufficient, even if you can only manage a few tomato plants on the patio.

This is a picture of that original garden plot, expanded to 150 X 200 feet.
Yellow Crookneck Squash planted in 150 foot rows. Next three rows are yellow wax beans and the final two rows are specialty summer squash. We eventually expanded from this small plot to include over 15 acres of organic vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs.

TRIPPING AT THE SUPERMARKET

2010-12-15T09:30:00.000-08:00

TRIPPING AT THE SUPERMARKET
I hate grocery shopping. It is exhausting for me to go to the grocery store, so I try not to go unless I absolutely have to because all I can think about are where the food came from. Who handled it, how far did it travel, is it imported and if so from where and is it fair trade, etc.. And I am buying organic foods, so I don't have to worry too much about "is it genetically engineered", since that is not allowed with certified organic foods (and the reason I am so vigilant about where my food originates). Imagine what I'd go through if I was buying conventional foodstuffs.

Luckily, I rarely have to go for much more than milk, cereal and our beloved organic blue corn chips. Plus, I buy staples like grain products, rice, etc., in bulk, directly from the source in most cases. During our growing season, I preserve a lot of foods by canning, freezing and drying. I make relishes, ketchups, sauces, pickles, jams and jellies from things when they are at their peak. I know every ingredient that went into the end result, intimately.

Additionally, we have our own bee hives, chickens, buy local meats from neighboring farms, get our butter and cheese directly from Calico Dairy. We also attend the Davidson Farmer's Market (we are founding farmers and are vendors there) which runs year round, so I generally don't need very much thru the winter months.

In our own late fall/winter garden each season, we usually have pac choi, mixed and head lettuces, arugula, several kinds of kale, cabbages, broccoli, spinach, chard and cress which we plant to eat fresh as long as they last, along with sweet potatoes and winter squash stored from earlier harvest. If the winter is mild, we would be able to glean from this garden all winter or until it was regularly cold enough to freeze things. And we plant things that can withstand extremely low nighttime temps, provided the days warm up. And still, even with all of the local bounty available at the Farmer's Market, and what we plant to see us through, there are times when I have to make a market run.

Another thing that wears me out at the market is that since I love to cook (and winter is the only time I really have time to seriously be in the kitchen), everything I see (except for paper products, etc.) is a potential ingredient for something tasty. So, I end up with total sensory overload and buy things that I have no idea how they got into the cart. I am also in the grocery store for hours sometimes because I read every label and
package to make sure I am getting what I am paying for. For example, I used to buy Silk Soy Milk because it was just a superior product to everything else I have available to me in my area. It was organic and although I have a corporate beef with Dean Foods, the owner of Silk Soy, it was my soymilk of choice (I am truly allergic, not lactose intolerant, to cow's milk and grew up drinking goat's milk, which I never acquired a taste for, and soy milk for which I did.) I am still not too pleased with the "bait and switch" that the manufacturers of Silk Soy pulled with the organic labeling of their products, but since I know about it and what to look for, that eased my mind a teenytiny bit.

Because I do only buy organic, this can get quite expensive so a trip to the grocery store for me is an exercise in self-control. But, as I said earlier, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes and recently, I went to Super Target, since they have the best selection of organic products in my immediate area. It is always like sticker shock on a new car every time I do go to shop and this most recent trip was not exception. It was off season for us, so I bought some things I would not normally buy.

2 medium sized Slicing Cukes (What a disappointment these things were. I cut the first one and it had a big hard mass of seeds in the middle that I couldn't even cut with a knife and we threw it out. The other one was dry and yellow inside, even thought the outside looked perfect.)
1 Pgk (7 Small) Tomatoes (Campari's, about the size of a pingpong ball)
12 ounces was the pkg wgt. These are the only tomatoes I will buy that I didn't grow and only when I am desperate for a fresh tomato. They were quite tasty but they didn't go very far.
1 Med. Yellow Squash and 1 Med. Zuchinni (pkgd. together - not quite 1# wgt. We had 2 meals from those.)
4 avocados (which were partially black inside...yuck...I made gray guacamole...tasted okay but looked horrendous)
1 lb bag of green onions
2 pkgs organic cheddar cheese (8 slices per pkg.)
1 Amy's Spinach Pizza (on sale so we indulged)
2 bags organic frozen french fries (don't ask)
1 lb bag carrots (there are 5 carrots in the bag)
1 head of broccoli (cold killed ours early)
2 boxes of organic oatmeal (on sale)
1 Pkg of 6 flatbreads
2 pkgs shredded organic cheddar cheese (likewise on sale and an indulgence)
1 Jar of organic peanut butter (staple)
1 lb organic butter (staple)
3 lb. bag of onions (staple)
5 lb bag of russet potatoes (staple)
1 Jar of non-organic Mayo (staple)

(Note: Everything I bought was certified organic, except for the mayo...hard to find organic mayo that doesn't taste like Elmer's glue, or at least what I imagine it tastes like. The staples will last us a while. They were out of those blue corn chips I mentioned.)

That is the entire list of what we bought. If it looks like a lot, it isn't. Everything listed above fit into 3 bags...and the total was $106.87. That means that the average cost of each item listed was $3.34 (of course some were more, some were less...but that is the average.) I think if I had been buying conventional food, I could have gotten 2 or 3 times as much for my money but I would have stressed so much over it that it wouldn't have been worth it.

Another thing that happens when I go to the supermarket is that I watch people more than I intend to, I think. Good thing I am discreet about it, although I have been known to volunteer information if someone is looking at an organic product and looks confused. Like the other day, there was a man looking at the soy milk in the cooler and he looked really confused so I kind of sidled up to him and asked him which was his favorite. He said he thought he liked the Silk Soy the best (see....) but he thought it was organic and he didn't see the label on it anywhere. So, seeing my opening, I told him about how the company had repackaged the organic Silk products but basically just took the green certified organic label off the non-organic products, leaving the cartons looking exactly like they did originally. I also said that many of their customers were really upset about this (remember the previous comment about the "bait and switch" that peeved me) but since the label did say that the soybeans were domestically grown and non-GMO, I was still buying it.

I am also a bit obsessed with what other people have in their carts and it hurts my soul to see what is being fed to children. Adults have the ability to choose what they eat and I feel bad for them, too, but not as much as for the little people. That day at Super Target, I was kind of on the same route around the store as a youngish woman with three small children. Bless her heart, she had her cart jam packed with Cheetos, sugary cereals, loaves of white bread, sodas, frozen pizzas and other processed and packaged foods. Not a single fresh fruit or vegetable or anything that I would consider healthy in the whole cart. And I left the store at the same time she did, so I am pretty sure that she was not going to head back around to the produce section of the store.

I know it is partially an economic thing, the reason we buy such horrible foodstuffs, but I think it there are a lot of other factors in play. It saddens me to think that she could have done so much better for her children with just a little guidance. Too bad American food manufacturers don't take more responsibility for what they are stocking the shelves these days.

This article was written just over 18 months ago and was taken from my Simply Sustainable blog site.

Chile-Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon and Orange

2010-11-24T09:45:00.000-08:00

At our farm, we grew about an acre of organic sweet potatoes every year and we got really tired of the usual sweet potato casserole recipes. I ran across this one and it has now become a favorite. Also, it is from one of my favorits chefs, Rick Bayless. Since Rick is a stickler for authenticity he mentions a lot of ingredients you may not be familiar with or have access to but you can make do with whatever reasonable substitute you have. Even if you just make your own version of this, it is muy delicioso.

[Text and Recipe excerpted from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the vibrant flavors of a world-class cuisine.(Scribner) and FronteraKitchens.com website.]

(This recipe also seems very long, but it is actually quite simple.)

"This casserole has all the homey appeal of the sweet, crusty, orange-scented, sweet potatoes most of us put on our Thanksgiving tables. But keep in mind that these are Mexican--robust with chile, tempered with honey, perfumed with herbs and spices. Vegetables stewed in a rich and robust red chile sauce, either as a taco filling dusted with crumbled aged cheese or as a vegetable main course (customary for fast days on the Church calendar), are deeply rooted in Mexican cuisine."

Serves 6 to 8 as an accompaniment

To make 2/3 cup Sweet-and-Spicy

Ancho Chile Seasoning Paste:

5 garlic cloves, unpeeled

6 medium-to-small (a scant 3 ounces total) dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably freshly ground Mexican canela

A generous 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground

A generous 1/8 teaspoon cloves, preferably freshly ground

1/2 cup chicken broth or water

********************************

3 pounds (about 5 medium) sweet potatoes, unpeeled

1 tablespoon finely chopped orange zest (orange rind only), plus some thinly-slivered zest for garnish

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons honey

Salt, a generous teaspoon

2 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil (optional), plus a little extra for the pan

A few tablespoons chopped cilantro, for garnish

1 or 2 tablespoons Mexican Thick Cream, crème fraîche or sour cream thinned with a little milk, for garnish

1. Making the Sweet-and-Spicy Ancho Chile Seasoning Paste.

Roast the unpeeled garlic on an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until soft (they’ll blacken in spots), about 15 minutes; cool and peel. While the garlic is roasting, toast the chiles on another side of the griddle or skillet: 1 or 2 at a time, open them flat and press down firmly on the hot surface with a spatula; in a few seconds, when they crackle, even send up a wisp of smoke, flip them and press down to toast the other side. In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and let rehydrate for 30 minutes, stirring regularly to insure even soaking. Drain and discard the water. Combine the oregano, cinnamon, black pepper and cloves in a food processor or blender, along with the chiles, garlic and broth or water. Process to a smooth puree, scraping and stirring every few seconds. (If the mixture just won’t go through the blender blades, add a little more liquid.) Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a small bowl.
2. Assembling the dish.

Slice each of the sweet potatoes into 4 lengthwise wedges. Lightly butter or oil a 13x9-inch baking dish, and lay in the sweet potatoes in a single layer. Combine the chile seasoning paste with the orange zest, orange juice and honey. Taste and season with salt (it should taste salty, since this is the seasoning for the potatoes). Spoon evenly over the sweet potatoes.

3. Baking the potatoes.

Turn on the oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle the sweet potatoes with the (optional) butter or oil, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are almost fork-tender. Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees, uncover the potatoes, baste with the juices and bake until the potatoes are nicely glazed and the sauce reduced to a medium-thickness, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with slivers of orange zest, chopped cilantro and a drizzle of cream if you wish, and it’s ready to serve.

Advance Preparation:

The seasoning paste may be made a week or so ahead. The potatoes can be assembled through Step 2 several hours in advance, or they can even be baked and reheated. Garnish right before serving.