Nana Cooks

The peaches that remained on the Little Peach Tree after the Big Grab have doubled in size. They are beautiful like the ones at farmer’s markets. They are also calling to the area yellow jackets. And the jackets have come–in droves. For me to go out and collect any that may fallen off  during the night is a fearful endeavor. The fallen peaches are quickly covered with the jacket brigade. and if there happens to be a blemish on a still hanging peach– a jacket is soon to follow.

 I understand that it is important to keep the ground under the tree clean. I tried to pick up, claim, or throw away any fallen fruit.  Hard to do when there’s this thing that can fly really fast and is kinda’ drunk on nectar and is always mad at the world–and it can HURT you! Fear is not an emotion I want connected with The Tree.
I’ve had a run-in with jellow jackets before. While cutting grass I ran over a yellow jacket’s nest and saw a few jackets–and thought, ‘is that a yellow jacket’s nest?’ so I ran over it again!!
HA! At that point–they started to run over me! I’m wearing a sun dress–they swarmed under it, I started running, screaming, and yanking that dress off faster than a run-way model and headed for the camper! Bruce helped me swat the  jackets away, and I got inside with only a baker’s dozen stings. I have a high regard for the power of yellow jackets.
BUT, there are these lovely, full sized, sweet peaches on The Tree. This called for covert action. So, after it got really dark–really dark, and all those nasty creatures had gone to their nest to sleep it off, out we went–ladder, flash light, containers, and combat clothing–long pants, long sleeves and gloves. I’m gonna’ get my peaches tonight.
And we did. Only one very drunk jellow jacket was seen, and the peaches were ready. We climbed up, picked up, and saved up about 5 dozen lovely peaches. It will take one more midnight raid to get the rest, and I’ll leave the top most for the birds to enjoy. But I am a happy woman.
These are the peaches you can eat out of hand–maybe over the sink. Sweet and juicy and almost too pretty to believe. Inside their slightly fuzzy, lovely skin they contain the goodness of summer. It is easy to believe that everything really is going to be OK, when you’re eating a summer peach.

It is also easy to freeze peaches. And here is my recipe for the day.

Freezing peaches

Peel

Slice

Use  something like Fruit-Fresh to keep fruit from browning. Lemon juice also works.

Place in freezer bags

Put bag of peaches in freezer

note: no need to sugar peaches

Use later for all sorts of good dishes

Sometimes you do need to make an effort to avoid stings, but the reward is at hand. 

Enjoy your summer.

 

I have excuses.  Yes, I know I have been away from my post for far too long, but hey, things happen. There were the trips [all wonderful], the visits [all fabulous] , the computer problems [all awful], and the lack of a “wholesome discipline” [all mine]. But I am once again, as my friend Zeke once said, ” at the ready.” And in front of the now working computer

I have been thinking about many things on my off time.  My wonderful peach tree is one thing. Gratitude, and some of my favourite things, are two more.

I want to write about the peach tree first. It’s young.  Probably 3 , maybe 4 years old.  This year it decided to join the ranks of the BIG producers. I  refer to it as the one who thinks its working for Del Monte. After blooming beautifully, it set out peaches.  and how. You think, “how can such a little tree work so hard?” The books, and my friend Shealy, said that after the June drop, when nature wisely drops many small peaches off the limbs, you are suppose to thin the number to something like 1 per every 6 inches.  I tried.  Honest, I did try.  But it was so hard to pull off something that wanted to grow.  I mean, it was something that wanted to grow in my yard.  But many, and I’m talking hundreds, stayed on the slim branches. I propped up two low branches and tried to feel safe about the tree.  Checking on it this week, I could tell it was under stress. OK, I’ll admit, I talk to the tree–in a low voice.  Not that I think the tree needs me to speak softly, but I’m hoping my neighbours don’t hear.People tend to worry about old people taking into the air. The tree and I decided water was needed.  So it got a good soaking.  There was a small rain storm that night with some winds..the next morning as I snuck outside at 6:30 in my pajamas- there was the peach tree with its top branches nestled in the tomato plants. oh good grief. I did change clothes, got paper bags, and started stripping almost ripe peaches.  Did I mention that there are also two rose bushes in with the tomato plants?  After many scratches, and shaky trips up  a step ladder, I had two large paper grocery bags nearly full.  The top of the tree began to lift.  Three days later it remains bent, but is about 5 feet above the now grateful tomato plants and rose bushes.  I wiped off the peaches and separated them into 3 groups–those that might ripen, those with less chance, and those with almost no chance of making it. I’ll try to see if I can at least save some to freeze for cobblers. Maybe I learned something. If that wonderful tree gives me another chance, I’ll try to remove  more fruit next time.  I know I learned that you really do need an orchard ladder.  Step ladders are scary things on uneven ground. Orchard ladder is on my ‘get list.’ I will also keep taking to my tree,  I love it

I think maybe we all love many of the same things.  And as it turn out–they usually are little things. OK, the tree isn’t little, but you know what I mean.  And since I love to make lists, here is a partial list of little things I love.  I’m going to show you mine; if you’d like, you can show me yours.

Small things I love:

Lists–all kind of lists

Newspapers

Notebook paper

Quiet mornings

Hooting owls

Open windows

Tablecloths

Cloth napkins

Clean bathrooms in restaurants

Homegrown tomatoes

Peaches

Emails from friends

Texting

Animals –maybe all animals

Books

Making hot tea

Honey

Small seedless cucumbers–who  knew they could be so good?!

Birds greeting the new day

Hugs from a grandchild–if this is still not in the works for you–    just you wait!

I know this type of list can go on and on.  Just sometimes I forget to keep it in the back of my head.  And when I forget these things, I forget gratitude. When I get too far away from gratitude, I get way off track.

But I have another list–favourite kitchen things–small things, not big like the dish washer which may actually be number 1 on my kitchen list.  But little things that I enjoy using and in some cases, just discovered.

So here’s the kitchen list:

Pastry blender–wonderful small gadget

Silicone stirrer/scraper thing-how did I live without this and how many plastic ones did I melt? Actually, I was even late in getting plastic scrapers–Moffett once commented that as a kid, she thought they were things that other people had , but not us.

Cast iron corn bread skillet- the very best!

Metal scraper for chopped vegetables - this is my new love. I can chop onions, green peppers,-whatever, and scoop it up quickly

Pretty dishes- they  make it more fun to be in the kitchen

A meal with people you really like

 

And on that last item – I had a wonderful simple  meal in Seattle.  Hart and Tessa had all of us over for a meal.  It consisted of a sandwich, asparagus,chips,wine, and  conversation among friends. 

 It’s a wonderful  lunch or dinner and meets many criteria for good meal: simple, inexpensive, and good for you. One item is best bought at your local Trader Joe’s.  The others are found anywhere.

Here it is–Thanks to Hart and Tessa

A Continental Lunch

Ingredients:

Smoked Herring from Trader Joe’s–in the green tin

1-2 cloves of garlic

Mayonnaise

Juice from one lemon

Butter or bibb lettuce

Soft baguette  almost like a hoagie roll

Salt and pepper

Mince the cloves of garlic and sprinkle on some salt. Use the side of the knife to make  the garlic and salt into a paste, mix that with some mayonnaise, and lemon juice. [You are making aioli here]

Spread the aioli on the bread, put down the lettuce, and place the herring in the middle.  And there you have it. It’s great.

Serve with asparagus-fixed anyway you like–and put out mini pickles/cornichons and salt and vinegar potato chips. Beverage of your choosing.

Excellent!

 

 Small things are important in my life.  Really big things occur only so often.  But little ones, they are so  abundant, they fill my days.  I hope your days are filled ’till they runneth over.

 

When you are young, there are lots of wishes to be made. There’s the new doll, the new movie to see, and maybe some more candy. I could never get enough candy. Get a little older, and you start wishing for a certain boy to ask you out, a new dress, –and the ever popular–I wish I were pretty.  A little older, and there’s the wish for more money, more time, more rest. But in between these everyman wishes, there are the very personal ones. I’ll share two. Two that will never be. Same old story. Waited too long. Missed my chance.

The first loss is shared by thousands it seems.  I longed to be on Law and Order.  The one they just canceled.  I so wanted to be one of the street people, a dead person, a member of the jury–anything!  Not gonna’ happen.  Dream dead.  I mean, I really like Bones, but being her victim doesn’t carry the same type of allure.  

 The other wish denied–parachuting from a plane.  It was always too expensive, too dangerous,too scary–too everything!  Now the age factor is there and all of those former “too’s” are multiplied by the age factor.  sigh.

But on a recent visit to family in St Pete, Florida, I witnessed my nephew parachute in his bright orange suit and do a perfect landing!  It was very, very exciting. I remember taking him on his first airplane ride and how he laughed delightedly when the plane bumped in midair.  Bob has accomplished much in his life, overcome some obstacles, and is now soaring high! He and Ted are such wonderful hosts!  Bob- always excited about what’s next on the agenda and Ted quietly making certain that all is being taken care of and that the guest are comfortable.

And another wish granted in Florida–I was able to see an old friend-39 years of friendship-whom I had not seen in 16 years. He and his wife took us to lunch at a super Greek restaurant in Tarpon Springs. [ if you are ever there, check out Hellas-good food]. When you see people from your past, people that mean a great deal to you, it can almost overwhelm you.  It is as if time slipped away and it was only a few weeks since you last met. Memories. Of course, there’s food.   When shared with those we love, it becomes a sacrament.

And share food we did–Barbara, Bob, Ted and Bruce and I had several wonderful meals together.  We took down the holy grail of food, as we always do for those in need–North Carolina BBQ !  It’s a fine, fun meal.  And we went to a great, great local restaurant.  So if you are visiting St Pete, you must go to The Hangar.  It is located at Albert Whitted Airport Terminal. Great service, great prices, and really great food.  They had spicy wings with a maple syrup dip–good grief it was good! All around the table you could hear ‘This is really good.  We need to come her more often.”  We considered finding Barbara a rich companion so she could go there lots.

Seeing my sister is a special treat.  We talk weekly, if not daily- me in North  Carolina, she in Florida, and that’s great.  But in person,– laughing, talking, watching Bob jump!– and eating –are  special moments.  Barbara became a chief cook in our house after my mother began to work at a department store when I was about 10. They only let me do the dishes–a job I still dislike!   Barbara,only 3 years older, but much more self aware, became a very good cook. Many of the dishes of my childhood were fixed by her.

You share memories with a sibling as with no one else.  I ask her,”do you remember..”  sometimes neither of us really can remember details, but we often come close.   It is a wonderful wish come true when you become close to your sister.   Having her in my life makes it better.  Life is not always easy.  Having an old friend is a good cushion for bad falls. 

 She may not be cooking as much as she did, but she’s still got it in the kitchen.  I love her potato salad and asked her to make it while we were there.  She did.  It’s good. Very good. And that’s the recipe that I wish to share today. She remembered that our mother liked it also.

Wish granted—Barbara’s Potato Salad

notes:  Barbara likes to use more salt than I usually do–but her way seems to work in this recipe.  She uses small  “Irish” potatoes in this recipe.  At least one  per person and two for the pot. We used seven potatoes, so that is the amount I’m putting down here.  You could, and should, adjust the recipe for the number you are serving.  And for lordy sake, do not use relish instead of pickles!  But do put lots of salt in the potatoes while cooking–and add  more later!

Ingredients:

7~ Irish potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes

4~ ribs of celery–inside pieces finely chopped

1/4 of a green pepper~finely chopped

4~ pickles~2 sweet, 2 baby kosher~ finely chopped–no     relish use small pickles

1/2 lemon~ squeeze over cooked potatoes

1/2 teaspoon dry dill

1/2 large sweet onion~finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 cup Dukes, and only DUKES, mayonnaise

salt and pepper–lots and lot of salt.

Peel and cut potatoes into cubes.  Cook until done, but NOT mushy. squeese  the lemon over cooling potatoes.  Allow to cool before adding the dressing.

Mix the celery, pepper, pickle combination, dill, onion, sugar, Dukes, and salt and pepper.  After potatoes have cooled, mix all ingredients together and place in refrigerator.  Enjoy sometime later.

I wrote this recipe down as Barbara was cooking.  It is on the back flap of  my book, The Body Has a Mind of Its Own.  And you know what?  The heart has a mind of its own–so does love.

I hope you are loving your life–and your food –and your wishes.

 

 

 

 

Any one who cooks has their own style in the kitchen. The more you cook, the stronger the style image. Some people have an easy flow that allows others to help; some are more constrained. All move to a rhythm in their head.  It’s  the  kitchen dance. People who  cook together  learn how to “dance” around each other and avoid the other cook’s direction even before they move there. They do this in small kitchens as well as large ones. Fun to watch. They dip and sway and circle and practically do-si-do. The next time you get to watch people cook together, take a few minutes to observe. You can almost hear the caller.

My family is full of dancing cooks! Good cooks. I love to watch them prepare food. And over the years I have also noticed a  utensil/dance relationship in cooks. They can remind you of certain kitchen utensils as well as dance moves.

I’m an easy pick. With the speed I show in a kitchen I can only be described as the –Slow Cooker, or possibly the Crock-Pot!  I do not seem capable of the fast meal. A fast meal to me is a sandwich. After that it gonna’ be close to an hour.  I’m like the Stroll. [Remember that one from the '50's?] The food may be good, but it is slow coming out of the kitchen.
My daughter, Moffett–an excellent cook–is the opposite. Which gives her an easy tell–she is a Microwave! And How! That woman can get a meal–a good meal–on the table in less than 15 minutes. No kidding. She has a fabulous recipe using frozen scallops that I have not mastered. So far it is way too fast for me.  I’ll pass it along when I learn it. And yes, she uses the microwave to its best advantage and knows how to put food together quickly. One of the few times I remember Moffett ticked at me was when I forgot to use the microwave to preheat/boil the potatoes! So when you dance with her in the kitchen, you had better be ready to Foxtrot!
My son, Hartman, is the king of the HOT pan! I, of course, am certain I will burn the pan, burn the food, ruin the meal. But he turns up the heat and proceeds with speed, dexterity, and confidence. The guy likes to play with fire. He does lean toward fabulous sandwiches  with creative sides. His meals are quick, creative, and good.He has excellent ‘other cook in kitchen’ understanding. He dances fast, but as long as you don’t touch the heat controls, he can dance around several people in the cooking space.  He practically sets the pan a blaze and proceeds with a fiery Tango!
Ah, and Enslow, well, a little harder to describe. After much observation and thought, I found it –the salad spinner. I know, I know, but listen–I don’t really understand why a salad spinner works so well and does its job so successfully.  Add some water, turn it around a bunch and voila–there it is. Like Magic. I’ve seen her go into her kitchen,–a very small New York kitchen, opens some drawers, check the refrigerator, turn on the stove, check with the kids, come back to kitchen , rearrange things, go back to the kids and sing songs or quiet a sleepy child, get back to the kitchen, repeat the above ,spin around ,do some magic and and suddenly announce, “Dinners ready”! When did it happen?  When did the the magic happen? And it is a full on meal–often with desert. She is a woman who gets up and fixes great banana bread at 6 am while she –and everyone else- is getting ready for the day!? She is a Swing Dance full of energy and great moves–you’re never certain what you saw, or how she did it, but it worked and you certainly liked it!  Like a salad spinner.
And then Douglas, my son-in-law. Must tell it like it is–the man is a great cook. And his kitchen utensil– Fine China. yep. When Douglas cooks–the meal is going to be really good–and it is going to be Fancy. Get out the good stuff and light the candles. The guy can ask the right questions at the meat market, plan the menu, and fix the goodies. Did you put on a nice tablecloth? You never see a missed step. His meals are remembered for years. Like that lamb meal from a few years ago. Great meal. Great memory.  His dance–naturally, is the Waltz. Classy and Lovely.

When the Swing Dance and the Waltz cook together–there’s a lot of motion in that kitchen!

Food is not the only thing to enjoy in a kitchen. It is also where people get to show their mechanical side –and their personal dance. There are other members of my family that I’m still watching cook. Each of us has a little machine and a dance in us.

The recipe this time is really brief– not really a recipe, but a cooking tip. I got it  from Enslow. And it has a magic quality about it, but it also involves a slow cooker. If you like beets–you be grateful for this tip.

Get out the slow cooker.  Wash beets and remove greens [can save to cook separately]. Leave enough stem on beets to avoid ‘bleeding’. Put beets in crock pot. Cover with aluminium foil. Turn on low.  Leave for 10 to 12 hours.

Turn off slow cooker.  Remove beets.  They are ready to eat or to use in a  recipe.

What’s your kitchen devise?  Are you dancing?

Time must be different for everyone. I think scientist “proved” that we all see colour slightly differently. Certainly we see and remember events from our own perspective, so why not time? This comes to mind each week as I prepare for writing my post. I get busy with something else and time goes Away. Because I am all but retired from my paying job, my mind is assured that I have lots of time. So I make the list of to do’s. I’ve learned to make it shorter. But I work very slowly–at every thing I do. It’s madding. How can someone who could fly plod so heavily? Ah, but I think I am missing my own point! I do have lots to do! It does take me longer to do these things! I actually have more to do than I can get done! This might call for a “Hallelujah!” Life is good.

Beginning in April and still continuing on, I have been putting in my garden. As with many things in life , “garden” is also a relative word. I have tomatoes in large buckets, various herbs in pots, bell peppers in containers and a few annuals just put in the ground. Shrubs are blooming, the mock orange is lovely, and the peach tree thinks it is in line for a promotion from DelMonte. My yard is starting to look as if I cared. And I do care. I  really care about that small, but healthy looking frog that somehow found our very small plastic pond. The pond contains about eight goldfish of varying length–some as big as four inches. We put them there . But where did the frog come from? Yeah, I know about tadpoles, but there were none, so did he just find the time to hop up the hill to this garden spot? I hope he is happy. I hope he stays a long time. I am honoured that he picked my pond. Maybe he will be content and stay.

In the mist of all this nature explosion, Bruce and I went to New York to be part of the birthday celebration for  Blake, who is now a joyful one year old.!
As part of the celebration, our hosts, Enslow and Douglas treated both sets of grandparents to a dinner in New York. Yea! I love eating in restaurants in New York. We went to Klee. The info on it said it had Austrian leanings.  No wait, was that Alsatian?  As with many restaurants in the City, it was small–I think “intimate” is a word they use. It was great. I do not remember all the dishes ordered but I remember I loved mine! I had a whole fish–which they very nicely showed me and the whisked it back to the kitchen to remove the head.  Thank you very much.  The fish was quite good, but the lovely surprise was the vegetables.  They were so good I asked how they were prepared, and the answer was ’sous vide’. I did not remember how to  pronounce it, had to write my daughter and son-in-law for help with spelling and pronouncing–but I knew it was good! Sous vide is a very old method of slow cooking with low temperature and a vacuum.  The end result is incredible.  The equipment to cook this way is quite expensive, so I’m looking for a variation on a theme.  I’ll let you know how close I come. I mean, I had parsnips and carrots that were the hit of my meal.  And of course there was that chocolate bread pudding with a sauce to die for. I love to eat out in New York. : ) Thank you Enslow and Douglas

But good food is everywhere!  Even is my own kitchen.  I am trying to teach myself  –and allow myself –to expand my cooking menu.  I am afraid of cooking fish.  So I make myself buy the  fish that is on special each week and then find a way to cook that fish.  It is a plan that works fairly well.  This past week the sale of the day was cod.  Ok , cod it is.  I fixed in in foil with onion and spices and then it was put on the grill.  I realize that fish is foil can be cooked in an oven, but the recipe called for a grill.  It was good, and I had two pieces left over.  And there is my second challenge!  Use the leftover so it becomes a plan-over!  I ended up using it in a soup–much to my delight!  Bruce really liked this soup also.

I’m putting down the simple recipe as a guide for future ideas.  Soup is sooo forgiving, it is difficult to go wrong if you are using good ingredients. And if this recipe sounds familiar, it should.  The beginning is just like the potato soup I set down for St. Patrick’s Day. 

 I think the fish should be cooked for dinner one night and some saved for the soup. Broiled, grilled , or steamed–but not fried. Remember, you are using planned-over fish.

If you like to have all your ingredients at the ready, do so.  If you like to go directly from cutting to cooking that works too…  have a large pot ready and add to it as you cut.

My Fish Soup

` 3/4 cup celery finely chopped

` 1 cup carrots finely chopped

` 1 cup onions finely chopped

`2 potatoes-diced

` water–enough to cover vegetables

` 2 pieces of cooked fish [I used cod]

` 1 large can of diced tomatoes

` salt and pepper to taste

Have pan hot and melt butter; add first 3 vegetables and cook about 5 minutes- stirring often.  Add potatoes and cover with water. Cook until potatoes are done. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Heat. It’s done. Serve alone, with crackers, with a sandwich, as an appetizer.  It is good. You can certainly vary the amounts of anything in this soup. It is a good soup.

Cooking the fish and then turning it into a soup was a big step for me. But I love to cook.  It is one of many things that I love. I hope you have many loves.

 

 

 

 

I am definitely feeling guilty. I  love writing in my blog. And after 2 people asked if I was really still writing–I figure it is time to crank it up again!   I feel the strong need to write just why I have taken so long to return.
Way back in March we had a  Friends Night Out at a local restaurant, which was quite good, quite expensive for a bunch of purse minded women, and quite loud for a bunch of talk-minded women. We planned our next night out at a member’s house–we can talk all night! Shortly after that evening, my family took a Group Gathering Trip to the west coast of Mexico–Sayulita. I can freely and easily say it was paradise. The people, the food, the weather, the beach, everything was wonderful! I could have stayed a month. After coming home, I got sick, and thought maybe I had a Mexican borne illness–but nope, it was a plain old American flu–which took me some time to recover from. Then - back to work for a 4 day week. Man! how do people do 5 days?! I miss my 2 day week!
All of the above is a way to explain my laziness.
As a food blogger, I can not let the wonderful food eaten in Mexico go by with only a small mention. The food cooked in the small restaurants was so great. How did that guy catch the pineapple slice and tuck it so neatly into the taco?  All meals cooked at the casas were so tasty. I don’t normally like shrimp–but fresh -wins out. The fruit and fish were supreme. But the one item that wins the prize for hands-down best were the macaroons, sold by a lady walking around the beach with a tray of pastries. Unbelievably good.
But now it is mid April, I’m back from Mexico, feeling good, and–remember the Ladies were going to have a Night Out at Shealy’s? Well we did, and Shealy cooked two quiches, a vegetable soup, and several of us brought food too. Jayne brought a wonderful cake, and I brought –A Mexican Bean Salad and Corona! Could not let Mexico completely go. I got the recipe from a Moosewood cook book–Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates. It takes a while to fix, but it is worth it.
 I’m writing my notes on making it and giving you the recipe. If you have an event coming up, Cinco ce Mayo?-  this is a dish to take and be remembered. I think it gets better as it sits, so making it ahead is a good way to go.

But.. before the food…the thanks.

Being in Mexico was a event to remember–because I shared it with family and friends. The land was beautiful, the company I was with–magnificent.  I am a lucky woman to be welcomed by my children as they travel.  I believe that one of the most important aspirations of  life is to create memories–at every age. And I am still gathering them.

And then  we have Women’s Night Out!  Many things do fade and dim as we age, but friendships become more clear.  More dear.  At our dinner we once again laughed, consoled, congratulated,reminisced, and reminded ourselves how fortunate we are.  I no longer remember the door I opened to allow this treasure into my life, but somewhere, years ago, I turned the knob, and left the door open. Lucky me.

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo–here is the recipe for Mexican Bean Salad!

Personal notes: 

This salad takes a while to prepare.  But it really does keep well. So making it the day before would help if you thought you would be rushed the night you planned to serve it. Make certain you cover it well and store in the refrigerator. I used canned black beans and frozen corn  from Trader Joe’s.  Rinse the beans well.  I used more corn than the reciepe calls for.  And because I do not like red onion, I used a sweet onion.  I had rice left over from the night before, so  I included it.  If you can, it helps. The recipe says it will serve 6.  I think it serves lots more. Oh yeah, I cut the pith off the oranges and grapefruit, and certainly cut the pieces into small pieces, but did not really cutting off all the membrane. That is a little over the top for me.

 ~ 3 cups cooked black beans [two 15oz cans]

~ 1 cup fresh, frozen, or canned corn kernels [I used 1/2 a bag]

~ 1 tomato [I used 2]

~ 1/2 cup chopped red onion

~ 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

~ 2 oranges, peeled, sectioned, and cut into small pieces

~ 1 grapefruit, peeled, sectioned and cut inot small pieces

~ 1 ripe Hass avocado, cubed

~ 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

~ 1 cup cooked rice [optional]

Dressing

~ 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

~ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

~ 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

~ 3 tablespoons vegetable oil [I used olive oil]

~ 1 tablespoon ground cumin

~ 1/2 teaspoon salt

Rinse and drain the beans. Blanch the corn in boiling water to cover for 3 to 5  minutes, until just tender. Drain well In a large bowl, toss together the beans, corn, tomatoes,onions, bell peppers, orange and grapefruit pieces, avocado cubes, cilantro, and rice.  In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing  ingredients. Toss salad with the dressing.

Serve right away, or store in refrigerator.  it will keep 3 to 4 days.

Good stuff! Celebrate!!!

 

I guess every family has secrets. Some are so well kept they just pass out of memory. Some go on for years and then –zap– there you are caught by surprise at some one’s distant knowledge, when suddenly a secret is brought to your attention.

 I think there are at least two type of family secrets: the one’s that are family skeletons that tend to rattle people when talked about, and the type that cause you to wonder, “what’s is all the secrecy about?” I’m certain my family has a few skeletons, but the one I’m writing about is the latter type.
And NO ONE talked about it for over 60 years, but here it is: I’m 1/4 Irish. Is that a joke? Who could possible care?! But somehow my family cared.

But for me it quickly became funny!

I learned this gem a few years back from my elderly aunt. Turns out my grandmother’s [the one with the tobacco farm] parents came over from Ireland. Exactly how they arrived in this country isn’t clear. Grandma’s marriage to a gentleman with English background made my mother 1/2 Irish. Which she never mentioned.
It was the “never mentioning” that kinda’ surprised me. You would think it would have come up in conversation. Like when my sister married a man who was 100% Irish. Or when Kennedy was elected President, or when he went to Ireland, or when he died.
But, nada from any family member until recently. Because it was so not talked about and we were  led to believe that we were 100% English, my sister and I were quite surprised. Actually, my sister was a little dismayed, but I believe she is reconciled to the information. Now it is a reason for laughter and amazement.

 I’m Irish!!   But before we don too much green–my family colour would be orange. So I’ll go on celebrating St Patrick’s Day the way I always have–I’ll keep a secret and wear green!

To help celebrate this great day, I have an easy, quick, and very good soup to share. Of course it is Irish potato soup. Does anyone else remember when all white potatoes were called Irish potatoes? I am also adding a recipe for Irish soda bread. This has got to be the easiest bread to make, and is surprisingly good.

So, as you enjoy St Patrick’s Day you can quickly whip up an Irish soup, and if you’ve planned a little, real Irish bread. All from a women who’s really Irish–at least a little.

Potato Soup 

I first made this soup when my kids were very young.  It was quick and easy, and everyone liked it.  I have no idea where I got the recipe, or how much I may have changed it from the original. But as with most soup, you can vary the amount of each item to suit your need. I will give amounts in general terms. Cooking hint: try a product called “Better Than Bullion” when you need broth.  Easy to store, easy to measure, and excellent taste.

* 4 – 5 Irish potatoes

* 1 – 2 onions [any type but red]

* 3 – 4 peeled carrots

* 1 – 2 stalks of celery

*  some butter

* 1 large can of condensed milk

*  water for cooking

*   you may add 1 cup broth–can be chicken or vegetable–don’t over do broth

 

Chop the carrots and celery into small pieces.  Heat a heavy bottomed pot and add  one or two tablespoons of butter.  Stir in carrots and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Chop onion rather small, and add to carrot and celery mix and cook another 5 minutes. Stir.

Peel and chop potatoes into half inch cubes.  Add to pot and just  cover with water and broth. Cook until potatoes are done.  Add can of  milk. 

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Turn off heat ands let soup rest for 5 minutes.

Soup’s on! 

The Soda Bread also has a secret:  it is actually a very large biscuit.  But it is a good biscuit, makes wonderful toast- with butter,or cheese,or French! And so very, very easy. I understand you can fancy this up by adding 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of raisins, but I did mine plain–with great success.

After cooking this bread, it should be wrapped in a damp cloth and allowed to rest and settle for 8 hours.  It is best that way.  I tried it while fresh from the oven, and it was quite good then too.  The wrapping made it even better.  I kept it stored in a tightly closed container after the initial wrapping and was able to enjoy it for days.

This is from”The Fannie Farmer Cookbook”, 13th edition.

 

* 4 cups flour

* 1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375*. Grease a baking sheet or a cake pan.  I liked the cake pan.  Put all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix with a fork.  Add buttermilk and stir quickly until mixture  holds together. Place on a slightly floured surface and knead for about 30 seconds.  [Everything in this is done quickly--because the only leavening action is between the soda and the buttermilk- and it happens fast.] Place  the dough in cake pan in a slightly rounded mass and slice an X on top. [this is supposed to let the devil out--but most likely allows for proper cooking of a large loaf.]  Cook for about  40 -50- minutes, until it is nicely brown.  The X will have opened.  Let it cool, and then wrap in a slightly damp towel for at least  8 hours. 

The soup and the bread are good and make a wonderful supper on any weeknight–any time of the year.  And both bread and soup last for several days.  Wonderful.

I hope you enjoy cooking–and get lots of compliments in the kitchen!

Have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day–no matter what colours you wear!

 

 

 

I come from Southern families. We love biscuits. I think it is just part of being from the South. Bagels, yep, we’ve learned to like them, but fix them? Not so much. But biscuits, we understand.

 

My daughter,Enslow, who now lives in New York City makes biscuits. Once while I was visiting, she served cheese toasted biscuits and I wondered out loud,” Are we the only people that do this”? Her thinking was that we were the ony people who made biscuits that you could put cheese on.

 

I know that’s not true, but I know we go way back with biscuits. My mother, one of 15 children on the tobacco farm, often spoke of making biscuits before leaving for school. These biscuits would be part of every family meal that day and also food for the field hands. I think the number started at 50, but over the years, I believe it got to about 500. In another story she explained how you cleaned your patent leather shoes with old biscuits. Made them shine. Maybe it was the lard.

 

My father was raised in a really small town,and his family also loved biscuits. Actually the family member that was most found of them was Remus, the hound dog that belong to my uncle. Remus would catch,swallow, and catch again, as quickly as you could throw them. He was a great delight to watch. My uncle often visited the Angle Inn just outside of town, and Remus liked to join him. Feeling badly that his great dog had to sit outside while he enjoyed his beer, my uncle would call the local cab driver and send Remus home. It was wonderful to see the cab pull up in front of Big Mama’s house and the cabbie let Remus out. Life was slower then. And it was a small town.

 

All of my mother’s sisters could cook. I know with so much work and so many helpers, my Grandma quit cooking as soon as she could. No problem. Everyone was a great cook. We lived on my Gradma’s farm for a few years. My sister, Barbara, and I became accustomed to good country food.

 

But time passes and soon it was the early ’50’s and the things -they were a changing. We moved to a different small town and  only got to visit the country.  And they changed there too. Barbara  remembers with dismay the first time she saw Myrtilla, a great bread maker, open a cardboard “can” of biscuits. The world stopped. Actually part of it had. These women, who had cooked for so long, and worked so hard in kitchens and in the fields, now had companies presenting them with prepared food in the grocery store.  Hallelujah! Free at last! Who could blame them. But some of us missed the real biscuits.

 

But I also understand Time and the choices we make when we spend it. And I’ve used “canned biscuits”. They are still awful. But I think today’s shoppers are trying to be more authentic in food and cooking, and still have good food with out too much time preparing.

 

So I did my own small study of what’s available in the biscuit line. We[Bruce, my husband, and I] tried 4 different types:

Canned

Bisquik

From scratch

Frozen

My Aunt Lacy’s Angel Biscuits

The last recipe was written down for me by my Aunt Lacy, my mother’s sister.  She kinda’ gave me  a list of the ingredients, wrote refridgerator and wrote bake.  I filled in the rest.  Lacy was a great cook.  I used the bowl given to me by her twin, Lena, as my mixing bowl.  Family things mean a great deal to me. So, this is a tribute to all those wonderful cooks in my mother’s family–this time it’s mostly for Lacy.

Here are the recipes and our evaluations.
Fair warning, Bruce and I see and taste food quite differently.

Canned biscuits:  just say NO.  they are all awful, and have strange words in them.

Bisquik:  Bruce liked them, thought they had flavour; I thought they were way too dry, and crumbled when trying to open. Did not hold up well over night-even more dry. Still better than can

From scratch: Bruce thought they need salt; I liked them, thought they “opened” well, toasted well and held up the next morning as a cold biscuit; took 13 minutes to fix before cooking.

Frozen; Used Pillsbury Southern Style: we both liked them; really easy to fix–only need cooking time; hold up reasonably well overnight and toast well next day. You can cook as few as one and save the rest.

Lacy’s Angel Biscuits:  Oh good grief. Really, really good. We both loved them.  Great taste, opens well, holds up well over night. wonderful alone, with butter, honey, jelly, cheese.  This is the ONE. Absolutely great. The most time to fix, but oh so worth it if you want a great biscuit. But you need to commit to the bit of extra time and planning.  And the recipe makes about 3 dozen.  Maybe a party for this, or good neighbours, or lots of freezer room. I have great neighbours–who really liked them too–and a freezer. I’ll let you know how well they keep over time.

Two recipes:

Notes:

Don’t mess with the dough too much.  It will make the biscuits tough.

You may have a favourite biscuit recipe or a favourite mom to ask. This is the one I used, and I liked it enough to try it again. There is an art to biscuit making. And it takes a little practice.

From the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 13th edition

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

2/3 cup of buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425*F.  Grease two 8 inch cake pans. Put flour, salt baking powder, sugar and baking soda in a large bowl. Stir with a fork.

Cut the shortening into the dry mixture with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour milk in all at once and stir just until the dough forms a ball in the bowl.Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead 14 times.  Pat until 1/2 inch thick. Cut into rounds and place in cake pans with sides touching. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

 

And now The Recipe:

Lacy’s  Angel Biscuits;

* 5 cups flour

* 1 package active dry yeast

* 2 tablespoons warm water [this is for the yeast]

* 2 cups buttermilk

* 2 teaspoons baking powder

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1 tablespoon salt

* 1 cup shortening

   The dough needs to be kept in the refrigerator over night or for about 8-9 hours. This is the extra time and planning part.

Have all the necessary ingredients out on the counter.  Then mix the yeast with the water and set on counter. Combine ALL of the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork. Add shortening. Cut it in with two knives or a pastry cutter. Dump in yeast mixture and buttermilk all at once. I turned the dough in a bowl, but it can be kneaded on a lightly floured surface about 15 times. Pat it into a ball and place in a bowl.  Cover with a cloth and a plate. Put in refrigerator.

Wait.

Take out of refrigerator and pat or roll  into a 1/2 inch round. [learn to measure 1/2 inch by your index finger]cut with biscuit cutter.  I like slightly smaller biscuits than some, but choose your size and cut away. Place on ungreased cookie sheets-have them touching. Put in a 400* oven  for about 18 minutes. This makes a lot of biscuits–really good ones.

Please just try this recipe.  It is fun and wonderful.  As I have done the cooking research for this post, I have learned a great deal about biscuits. Something like a biscuit was one of the first items early people learn to cook over a fire.  And here we are still cooking them.

Cooking is a pleasure–it is also a human gift.

 

 

 

Some times there are nice surprises and sometimes you get socked.  As I was finishing last week’s blog about chickens, I realized I really didn’t feel well. Surprise! Turns out I had the flu–even with shots. Seems I can always find a stray strain out there. But now it is a new week and I have a great recipe to share!

This one has eggs, would make a super, super brunch main dish – just pair it with a vegetable or fruit salad and the guest will rave. Or cut the recipe in half and have it for supper for two.  Wonder if it could be reduce further and be a meal for one?  If you try that , do let me know.
This is not my recipe–I got it from Cooking Light Magazine, January/February edition, 2010. It is on page 198.

 I want to make several observations; I have cooked this dish several times. Once was for a group, using the regular recipe  and once for just my husband and me, cutting the recipe in half . It is easily halved.  So it makes a very nice dinner for two. And it is simple to make.

I also feel that it really helps if you pre -heat the potatoes in the microwave for several minutes. It starts the cooking process and I think that’s good. Ok, here it is–a hearty casserole.

Rosti Casserole with Baked Eggs [extra points for all who know what a rosti is!]

 

1 & one/fourth cups fat free Greek-style yogurt [ I used regular Greek yogurt]
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1& 1/2 grated peeled turnip [about 8oz, 2 small]
1&1/4 cups shredded Gruyere cheese[you can use smoked Gruyere. Also Trader Joe's has the best price on Gruyere cheese]
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup chives [once I used minced onion--it worked]
1& 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 [30-ounce]package shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed[Ore-Ida is good]
Cooking spray
8 large eggs
Chopped chives-optional
Freshly ground black pepper-optional

 

1    Preheat oven to 400*
2   Combine yogurt and flour in large bowl, stirring well.
3    Add grated turnip, cheese,butter, chives,salt, black pepper, nutmeg and potatoes to yogurt mixture. [ Remember to preheat the potatoes  in a microwave. they should not be really hot--just warm.
4    Coat your casserole dish with cooking spray and spread potato mixture into a 13 X 9 -inch baking dish.[ If you are making half the recipe, use smaller baking dish.]
5    Bake at 400* for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
6   Remove from oven
7    Using a large spoon, make 8 indentations in top of potato mixture.
8    Crack one egg into each indentation and return to oven
9    Bake for 8 more minutes or until egg whites are firm and yokes barely move
10  Remove from oven and cut into 8 piece’s
11   Garnish with chives and black pepper if desired
12  Serve immediately

Serving size 1 piece. {Everybody gets an egg!]

You can serve with  lovely toast, vegetable, or fruit salad. It is good.

 The serving of food is one way people show they understand what it is to be human.

Chickens get up early. On a farm ‘early up’ is one of the rooster’s jobs. I have not seen a rooster this morning, but I certainly qualify for the ‘early up.’ [It is about 3 am--ever have one of those,"I just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep nights?" So here I sit, ready to talk about chickens and some of the gifts they bring to the world.
I like chickens. I like they way they coo and cluck. They  look like one of those bobbing head dolls when they walk--up down, up down. And for an animal who suffers from the distinction of being the root of the expression, "stupid as a chicken,' they've got some good survival skills. Watch their eyes--they are always at the ready! And they scoot, flap ,and almost fly at any provocation.
I don't know if I have always  loved chicken. When I was young, I spent a lot of time on my grandmother's farm. And I helped with gathering eggs. One of the roosters did not like me. He jumped me and knocked me down--in the chicken coop! There I lay, dirty, crying, and screaming until my mother got him off. In my defence I really was a scrawny 4 year old. I was very careful after that, and I came to like getting the eggs from the nest, looking for the real ones and gleefully being able to spy the marble inducer egg. Grandma wanted me to avoid snakes. I certainly was willing to avoid them. But some how these black snakes always seemed to avoid me.
Now I live in a city--that allows people to have chicken coops in their back yard. but I have my excuses , so I don't have chickens..
But my friend Shealy does.
She has four. They live in a super looking, very safe, hen house. Sometimes when she's home, she lets them out into the yard. They follow her like little puppies. She's so lucky. She has two Delawares and two Dominiques. And as Shealy told me--with pride--they are heritage chickens-kinda' like walking heirloom tomatoes. They have names. There is Mary Ethel, Nell, Georgia and Xan Thippe. They are named for great grandmothers, grandmothers and aunts--no wonder they follow her around! {Extra points for anyone who knows who the first Xan Thippe was.}
I asked her for advice on eggs and egg recipes. This is pretty much what she told me;
"Get 4 day old chicks and pamper them like crazy. Build a really pretty coop. Make sure they are safe. When they start to lay, praise them and thank them. Feed them all sorts of good things--like collards. Collect the eggs and wipe off dirt, but do not wash until ready to use." [ Did you know that when a hen lays an eggs, she coats it with "bloom" ,which acts as a protective covering and keeps the egg fresh. Factory eggs must be washed before they are packaged, so the companies re-coat the eggs with mineral oil. The oil,or bloom, keeps the inter membrane from slightly shrinking--it is the shrinking that allows for easy peeling. }See I told you--chickens are smart--they coat the eggs to keep them fresh.
Shealy came over for dinner the other night and shared her recipes for deviled eggs. These are different for this southern woman, but I really like them, and hope you will try them.

Obviously you gotta' first cook the eggs, and there are lots of ideas on the amount of time necessary. Shealy suggests boiling them for 5 minutes and then covering and letting them sit for 20 minutes.  I prefer to just bring to a boil and then remove from  heat and let them sit until I get to them.  You may have your own method, but try to have them ready to boil.  If very fresh, let them sit out over night; if that's not possible, add a little vinegar to the boiling water--this will help remove the oil from the shell and  make them easier to peel!  Make certain the eggs have a little wiggle room and are covered with water.

Ok, now they are cooked and  ready for peeling.  Again, lots of methods.  Some people like to drain the water , cover the pot and shake it like crazy.  The eggs really do peel if they are still warm.  I prefer to take my chances, let them cool and use a spoon inserted into the cracked shell. This will clean the shell off.  Works like a charm. Now cut the eggs length wise and dump the yoke into a bowl.  Smash.  Save whites.

Now here are Shealy's three recipes

Wasabi Devils

Mix regular mayonnaise and Trader Joes Wasabi Mayonnaise to suit you taste.  Mix with egg yoke We found we preferred 2 parts mayonnaise to 1 part Trader Joe Wasabi mayo, but, suit yourself. 

 Add a dash of lemon juice 

Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill egg whites

Garnish--and this is where Shealy showed her egg smarts-- garnish with a sliver of Trader Joe's pickle ginger.! wow

Chipotle Devils

Mix yokes with regular mayo and mustard--until it looks right to you--not too runny

Add 1 tsp [or  more ] chipotle powder-mix

Fill whites and garnish with a sprinkle of chipotle powder

Curried Devils

Substitute cumin or curry for the chipotle.  Mix with regular mayo and salt and pepper. Cumin can be sprinkled on top.

All of these eggs are great and if you take them to the next gathering of friends–you’ll be famous.

 More mundane recipes:

Add mayo and chopped pickle to yokes.

Add cottage cheese  and mayo to yokes.

Add creamed cheese and mayo to yokes.

I love chickens and their eggs.  I’ll have a couple  more eggs recipes soon.

Hope your day is wonderful and your cooking fun and your meals satisfying.