Janet's House

Nona Lim Soups and Broths Part 2

Nona Lim Soups are Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Vegan.  Starting with this pouch of soup I can enjoy it as is, or add other ingredients to suit my pallet or dietary needs and preferences.  I love that! Easy and tasty either way. The other day my friend and I enjoyed heating, eating, embellishing, then photographing Nona’s delicious soups. 

 

Using 2 pouches of French Onion Soup we simply heated, then poured it into the bowls.  We topped it with a slice of baguette and grated cheese, then placed the bowls under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until the cheese was melted and brown. Parmesan or Gruyere cheese are both perfect additions for a traditional serving of this delicious soup. 

 

Our next dish was the All Bean Chili.  You can simply heat and eat, as we did (delicious!), or you can add a meat of your choice. Hamburger, buffalo, or chicken would be a great addition.  Add spices for heat, or Fritos for decadence (yum!).

 

Served with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and a slice of bread, our meal was complete. 

 

Two other pouches that I haven’t yet tried: The Red Lentil Veggie Soup and the Zucchini Soup.  Both chock full of vegetables and wholesome broth.

 

Next time you’re thinking soup, think Nona Lim! Like she says: Real : Simple : Delicious. That’s what cooking and eating should be all about! Enjoy! Click here for her website.

Nona Lim Soups and Broths

I’ve been asked by Nona Lim to cook up some recipes using her wonderful soups and broths.  Today I’m sharing two of my go-to favorites.  Nona Lim’s soups and broths are a perfect heat and eat meal, but they’re also great as a base, a starter to add even more health filled fresh produce, meats, seafood, or wherever your tastes and eating habits take you. For these two recipes I’ve added fresh, healthy vegetables and a few other ingredients to create two separate meals.

Nona Lim makes her  ready-to-heat soups and entrees from scratch in small batches.  Using fresh, non-GMO ingredients her soups have incredibly rich flavor.  Certified gluten-free, all vegan, the soups contain no preservatives, they are just full of naturally fresh flavors. Nona’s soups can be found at Whole Foods and other healthy food stores.  Check her website for much more information.  

For the tomato soup I wanted to use the sweet cherry tomatoes available at the grocers, as well as the wonderful, fresh mozzarella. It’s like a Caprese salad but it’s soup. Here’s the recipe:

Caprese Soup

Slice cherry and other small tomatoes in half and lay on cookie sheet. Drizzle with oil and salt and cook at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until soft but not mushy.

Place large spoonfuls into bowl and pour warm tomato soup over top. Shred fresh basil (about 2 large leaves per serving). Add a slice of mozzarella cheese on top and serve.

It’s a simply delicious meal. Serve with crusty bread or maybe a salad for even more deliciousness. The perfect soup for fall that will remind you of summer.

 

The next soup I made using the delicious Thai Curry and Lime Broth and the Laksa Noodles. The small pouch of broth was the perfect starting point to add a few more veggies, shrimp, and just a bit of coconut milk to stretch it into 2 full meal servings.

It’s not only full of healthy goodness, I think it looks beautiful too.

Here’s the full recipe:

Nona Lim Thai Curry and Lime Broth with Shrimp

1 package Thai Curry and Lime Broth

1 package Laksa Noodles

12-20 med wild shrimp (or as desired)

1 lime for juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 shallot, sliced thin

1 large handful of snow peas (or as desired)

1 carrot peeled then shredded with peeler

¼ cup coconut milk (optional)

Olive oil for stir frying

Salt - optional

Place shrimp in a bowl of lime juice for 15-20 minutes, then place on long skewers. Grill over flames for a few minutes until pink and firm. Set aside.

Heat Nona Lim broth to medium warmth and add extra coconut milk (to stretch recipe). Keep warm as you assemble the rest of the items.

Add olive oil to large pan, heat, then add garlic, shallot, and carrot. Toss to cook, then add snow peas. Cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile have a pan of boiling water ready to add noodles. When vegetables are ready, add the noodles to the water for one minute. Use a large fork to gently pull noodles apart. Do not overcook.

Add cooked noodles to vegetable mixture, then pour broth overtop. Lay shrimp on top, either on or off the skewers.

 

 

 

Stay tuned. Next week I’ll offer more recipe ideas. Thanks Nona for letting me be a part of sharing healthy eating.

There’s Something About Pie

Pies are so wholesome. I think the fact they they hold fresh fruit gives them a redeeming quality not often found in other desserts.  Therefore I have decided to master the art of pie making. 

 

“Easy as pie” was always lost on me.  I would end up with hard, burned, or soggy crusts.  We would dutifully eat the filling, while setting aside the offending shell.  So I read, asked questions, and decided to give pies my attention.  Years ago my mother advised “make it cold and bake it hot.” Okay, but what does that mean?  Others would say “don’t work the dough too much.”  “Got it”, I’d think, but I didn’t really get it. 

In  doing a bit more research I think I get it now.  By keeping the dough cold and not over working it  those little bits of butter are distributed throughout and help puff up the pastry, making a nice flaky crust.  I also put the finished, but uncooked pie in the refrigerator to chill before baking in a hot oven.  Cover the  edges of the crust with tin foil during the last few minutes to avoid burning.

I’m still working on presentation; mine look pretty rustic at this point.  But they taste delicious.

 

I’ve learned that baking pies in metal produces a better crust than glass or ceramic. The metal allows the pie to cook hotter, avoiding that soggy crust.  I found these little 6” inch tins at the local market.  They’re perfect for two or three people and it allows me to practice making pie crusts more often.  If you hold any other suggestions for successful pie making, please share!

 

Photo from Food52

Now I’m wondering if I might need a Pie Box.  Aren’t these sweet for traveling with pie? They are available at Food52, a wonderful website full of everything you need for food. Or as their mission states: Helping people become better, smarter, happier cooks.

Happy Pie Making!

A Simple Lemon Drop

The hot weather is here in the Northwest and I’m ready with an easy evening cocktail.

I love a good lemondrop, and I’ve written a couple of times on how fun it is to make a big batch of Limoncello. See here and here for that info. I also love finding a good simple way to get similar results without sacrificing flavor, quality and my time.  I saw this method a couple of weeks ago and gave it a try.  I’m giving it two thumbs up.  Ready in a jiffy, very tasty, and no waiting for the limoncello to mellow.

 Start with a good quality Vodka. I chose Absolut Citron, because it has been infused with a little lemon to begin with.  San Pellegrino Limonata  is an Italian carbonated soda.

 

Run the cut lemon around the rim of the glass, then dip the glass rim in a bowl of fine sugar.  The lemon is sticky and the sugar forms a tasty, crusty edge that adds to your drinking pleasure.

 

Pour about an inch of vodka, then fill the rest with limonata.  Of course you can adjust it to your taste.  I keep the vodka in the freezer so we don’t need ice cubes. Vodka won’t freeze and it’s always ready for the perfect cold drink.  Simple! 

Enjoy!

Raspberry Crumble Bars

For Easter I made these wonderful raspberry crumble bars from Ina Garten’s Foolproof cookbook.  They were such a hit and I didn’t get a good photo before they were all gone, so what’s a girl to do…I made more.

They are so good and truly so easy.  They can be made ahead, ready to take to a party or saved to enjoy throughout the weekend or packed in a lunchbox.  I can only imagine them with ice cream on the side, but I don’t dare.  For this batch I cut up rhubarb and cooked it down just a bit and then stirred it into the raspberry jam. It cut the sweetness and added that seasonal flavor of rhubarb . 

I’m quite certain it’s one of those recipes I’ll turn to again and again.  I’m thinking lemon curd might be something to try as the filling, and of course when my berries ripen I’ll be trying it with fresh, smooshed fruit.

Enjoy the recipe, it really is foolproof.  We knew we could trust Ina.

 

Raspberry Crumble Bars (Makes 9 to 12 bars)

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
10 to 12 ounces good raspberry jam, such as Hero
2/3 cup good granola without dried fruit
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Confectioners' sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed just until combined. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla.
Sift the flour and salt together and, with the mixer on low, slowly add to the butter mixture, mixing until it almost comes together in a ball. Turn the dough out on a board. Lightly pat two-thirds of the dough evenly on the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan and about ¼ inch up the sides. Spread with the jam, leaving a ¼-inch border. Mix the granola into the remaining dough with your hands. Break the dough into small bits, and distribute it on top of the jam, covering most of the surface. Sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake the bars for 45 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cool completely and cut into 9 or 12 bars. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners’ sugar.

Oregon Wine Country

There are those who think it only rains in Oregon.  It rains a lot, so when we get a beautiful spring day, we are quick to embrace it.  Today was one of those days; the perfectly clear day in mid April, when the mountains were out for viewing.  We took a drive to Dundee to visit a couple of our favorite wineries and enjoy the views with a glass of their finest.  Growing grapes is certainly a beautiful way to farm.  I’ll let my photos speak for themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers!

Granola~Nutty Sweet and Crunchy

I was in the mood to make my favorite granola the other day so I pulled out my tried and true recipe from way back when, and was happy that I had everything I needed in the fridge and cupboard.  I think I’ll add it to our Easter Brunch menu, if there’s any left by then.

There’s just something  so wholesome about a big batch of nutty granola.  A little goes a long way and it couldn’t be easier to make.  Melting butter,  sugar, honey and maple syrup, then adding that gooey, warm mixture to the oats and nuts.  The only real time is waiting for it to slowly bake to its sweet goodness in the oven.  In the meantime, the house smells delicious.

The perfect way to begin a beautiful sunny morning!

To follow my recipe click on this link right here.

Happy Spring

Ahhhhh, finally.  Does it feel like this every year?? The need for Spring?  Even though we in the Pacific Northwest weren’t experiencing the worst winter ever, it’s what we saw on the weather report every evening, as our rain kept coming down and our 3 days of snow and ice rendered us housebound and nearly helpless.  It’s time to break out with joyous screams of delight as we watch our flowers emerge from our soggy soil.

 

 

On my list of things to do in the next couple of months:

 

• Walk, walk and walk some more.  In November I bought a Nike + fuelband. If you’ve not heard of it, it keeps track of fuel, ie: any movement I do. I set a goal and have beat it every day for the last 112 days.  Time to up my goal?? I can’t decide. I love beating it by a lot, so there’s nothing wrong with keeping it where it is. It also tracks steps, calories burned, and the number of 5 minute periods I get my heart pumping. Read about it here.

 

• Clean out the garden beds.  For the first year ever, we have decided to employ a yard service.  I love the designing, planting, replanting, harvesting, and creative aspects of gardening, but I’ve never rejoiced in the maintenance.  This will give me more time to spend in my vegetable garden, and newly planned cutting garden.  I’m quite excited!

     

 

• Recovering the worn out cushion and pillows on the long window seat in the kitchen.  Choosing fresh green patterns to co-mingle in our only (dining) seating area is fun for me.  I love mixing patterns and knowing when I’ve got them just right. So far these two linen/cottons are my front runners. I love the textural hand-printed look of both.

 

• Juicing- I’m quite enthused in learning more about juicing.  Health benefits, new recipes to try, and flavors to embrace.  I’m doing my research on juicers so if anyone has any suggestions, thoughts, or favorite combinations, please let me know.  I’m finding recipes and storing them on my Pinterest site . It’s so easy to love all of the fruit juices; a bit more challenging to find the right vegetable combination that isn’t overly robust in flavors. Click here to keep to see what I've pinned so far.  Our local juicers, Portland Juice Company is a bit out of my way, but I’m learning more from them each time I visit and taste a new favorite.

So until next time, Happy Spring!

If you need pillows I’m having a heck of a sale in my Etsy shop right now.  The gray Wine Country pillow covers at $10!  A great time to stock up for gifts!  Many other markdowns too, including lower shipping prices!  Check it out here.

Rainy Day Soup

Our brief fling with snow is in the past and we are left with our typical rainy days.  It doesn’t slow us down much, but I always think of warm offerings for dinner.  This soup fits the bill perfectly.  A friend served it recently and it’s delicious.  Italian Sausage and Pasta; a bit like minestrone.  I think it was originally in Sunset magazine. For the link to the online recipe click here.

It’s one of those dishes where you probably have everything you need in your pantry and fridge.  I made it as directed through step 2 then took about half and froze it for another time.  When I’m ready to make it again I’ll just add the pasta and spinach and I’ll be all set.  The link to the recipe is provided above but I’ll add the directions below for convenience.

Enjoy! 

(Oops, forgot to get the onion in the picture)

 

Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup

· 2 pounds hot or mild Italian sausages (I used a pound of each and mixed them)

· 3 carrots (12 oz. total), peeled and chopped

· 1 onion (12 oz.), peeled and chopped

· 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

· 3 quarts fat-skimmed chicken broth

· 2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) diced tomatoes

· 2 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini (white) beans, rinsed and drained

· 1 tablespoon dried basil

· 2 cups dried large shell-shaped pasta

· 4 quarts spinach leaves (about 12 oz.), rinsed

· Salt and pepper

· About 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Squeeze sausages from casings into an 8- to 10-quart pan over high heat and stir often, breaking them apart with a spoon, until browned and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon out and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.

2. Add carrots, onion, and garlic; stir often until onion is limp, 5 to 7 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes (including juice), beans, and basil and bring to a boil.

3. Add pasta, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until pasta is just tender to bite, about 10 minutes. Skim and discard fat. Stir in spinach and cook just until it is wilted, about 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve soup from the pan, or pour into a tureen. Offer parmesan cheese to add to taste.

Note:

You can prepare soup through step 2 up to 1 day ahead, but do not bring mixture to a boil; instead, cool, cover, and chill. To reheat, lift off and discard fat; bring soup to a boil.

 

You may have noticed I haven’t been blogging much lately. Who knows why, perhaps I’ve run out of things to say, but anyway, I think I’ll take a break.  I’m still loving Instagram and if you’d like to join me there, download the Instagram app and search: Janet Brown Studios.  It’s a fun way to share pictures.  I’d love to see yours too.

 

I'll leave you with a new favorite quote:

The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.           ~ Aldous Huxley~

                                                                 

Catching Up

I’ve been neglecting writing so have decided to play catch-up as I look outside to our little winter wonderland.  Portland gets snow irregularly, but these last few days are making up for it.

Raleigh and I took a long walk this morning before it started snowing again. He’s an ‘only dog’ now that our funny little Harper has gone to live with his Mommy (my daughter) in California.  My son and I drove him down in January and stayed a few days, enjoying the beautiful weather.  Hard to believe that we could drive 500 miles in the middle of January and have nothing but blue skies both ways.  We timed it perfectly!

We spent time in the city, lots of walking and ogling the homes in the Billionaires Row area ( yes,  Google it; it’s a real location)  for views like this. All the hills earned us some wonderful meals.

I love fresh looking gardens in January. These Euphorbia have the greatest shape and color.

Back home, with only one dog, we spent a beautiful day at the Oregon Coast. The perfect day; yes,  still January!  A lot of grinning, happy dogs and people filled the little beach town.

 

    

 

I’ve been catching up on my reading and cooking while holed up and a bit snowbound. This book (all 784 pages, although I’m reading it on Kindle), is the perfect book to really spend time on.  Wonderful characters, set in New York City, and a small painting as a large part of the story. I’m not finished, so I’m hoping the snow stays a few more days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When in the Bay Area, I found this grain called Farrow.  I had heard of it, an heirloom wheat grain.

I cooked it up, chopped onion, carrots, celery, avocado, and the juice of one lemon and it was a delicious salad.  If you find it, make sure you get the semi pearled variety; much faster cooking.

So there you go, all caught up.  Stay warm everyone!

Hugs goodbye! Love you Harpie!

Cupcake Presentation

If you need a quick, portable little dessert that’s easy and makes a sweet presentation these little cupcakes might be just the ticket.  I used a cake mix but you could make them with any favorite recipe.  No need for a cupcake tin, these paper sleeves just sit on a cookie sheet to bake.

 

For frosting I chose to whip cream, adding a drop or two of peppermint oil.  I crushed peppermint to sprinkle on top, and  I had an easy dessert that was fun and enjoyed by everyone.  I put our ice cream choices in the center of the table and let everyone pass the cartons and serve themselves.

      

Often the key to entertaining is a fun presentation of something quite simple.

 

If you Google ‘simply baked baking cups’, you’ll find them available everywhere.

The Countdown Until Christmas

We are scurrying around here at Janet’s House trying to get everything in place.  My son is home from college and we’ve been last minute shopping instead of decorating.  My daughter gets here Friday evening so we have two more days to finish decking our halls.  I thought I’d take a minute to pass on a few fun finds I’ve found during our shopping sprees.

I love these salt shot glasses from The Meadow, one of my new favorite shops.   Perfect for the tequila lover who thinks they have everything.  They’re bored out of a solid piece of Himalayan salt and I think they’re just beautiful.

 

Air plants are perfect for someone who thinks they have a black thumb.  An occasional dousing and they’re happy anywhere you set them…even in an old bed-spring display here at Boys Fort, another cool, downtown Portland shop.   The shop bills themselves as Manthropology, a carefully curated collection for boys of all ages and those who love them.

 

If you still want to make something kind of crafty and natural, my recipe for spoon oil can be found here.  Presented in a wooden spooned adorned jar and tied with a sprig of rosemary and a ribbon, you’ve got the gift someone will use again and again.  It smells so good!

 

If you’re still looking for a Christmas cocktail, I think this Champagne Ginger one sounds perfect!  Ginger infused vodka that you prepare the day before, then pour over chilled sparkling wine.  It just sounds so Christmasy.  I can’t wait to serve it; my vodka is already being infused with nice big slices of fresh ginger. For the recipe, click here.

Wishing everyone the Happiest of Holidays!

Italian Jam Shortbread Tart

I’ve been cooking to keep warm.  I can’t seem to get enough of the comfort foods when it’s so cold outside.  I’ve also been trying to cook with what I have in the pantry and freezer so I am not running to the store so often . 

 

I spotted this recipe for a simple Italian Jam Tart on the Food52 Website. I liked the sounds of it because I had everything I needed, except for the ice cream of course.  The tart really is simple and the ingredients are what you already have on hand: butter, sugar, flour, almonds, and jam.  Any jam will work, but I found some of my favorite fig jam in the fridge and it was delicious.

I also think this recipe would work in the summer using fresh smooshed up fruit.  Raspberries and marionberries sound delectable.  Until then, jam will have to do.  It’s a great little recipe; easy, and it looks beautiful, baked in a fluted tart pan. I think it would make a great addition to any festive holiday event.

Follow the link to Food 52 and have a look around at everything else they have; not just recipes, but also wonderful products to fill your kitchen.

Enjoy!

By the way, Salt and Straw Butter Roasted Chestnut ice cream was worth a trip to their shop, and in the frigid cold weather I didn't have to stand in the usual long lines.  Win Win!

Autumn in the Country

Oregon is well known for its cloudy, wet weather, but it rarely stops any of us from going outdoors.  Last weekend we took a drive to the Oregon Wine Country and it couldn’t have been more beautiful.  The colors were vibrant, the weather was mild and the wine was delicious.

 

           The tasting rooms allow you to enjoy the flavors and learn the process of winemaking.

 

Each winery is unique.  The personalities show through the architecture, the wine labels, and the descriptions of each varietal.  The tasting room staff are always knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their favorites.

 

We stopped at Red Ridge Farms for a tour of their small olive oil facility and gift shop.  I’m so happy to see olive farming coming to Oregon.  The perfect companion to the wine industry. 

 

                      A drive in the country is always good for the soul.  It’s good place to breathe.  

Autumn Curry

I always enjoy curry, but there’s something about using vegetables that ripen in autumn that makes it all the more delicious.  It feels heartier, warmer and is the perfect dish for a cool fall evening.

I gathered together an onion, yam, carrot, apple, corn, garlic and chanterelle mushrooms.  I also planned on adding langostino, the little lobster like seafood.  I chopped, cut and sliced everything and then got the pan sizzling with about two tablespoons of oil. I added a teaspoon of red curry paste and swirled it around for about two minutes and then added the garlic.  As the aromas were released I added everything else (except the seafood), including a couple of tablespoons of stir fry sauce.  I cooked it all for 2 more minutes and then added water. I added one cup and kept another available for adding later. I like my curry thick and didn’t want to water it down too much. I let it boil until the yam and carrots were fork tender. I then poured in 1 can of coconut milk and let the broth cook down for another 10 minutes. While it was doing that, I tossed the langostino in a separate hot pan to serve on top of the curry mix. 

Spoon broth and veggies over rice and enjoy! It’s really a pretty quick and easy dish. It tastes wonderful too!

Notes:

• If using chicken, add to the garlic and curry paste before the other veggies.
• I wasn’t too hot about the apple flavor after all, but the others liked it.  A tart contrast to the curry.
• Adding a cut potato or squash would be tasty.
• Substitute shrimp for chicken or Langostino.

Lemon Tea Cake with Blueberry Sauce

I love it when I'm in the mood to bake something and I have all the ingredients necessary.  Of course other times, I look at my available ingredients and scan my recipes to see what will work. This little lemon tea cake comes from a family recipe book I was given so I don't know the original orgins of the recipe. It's a light fluffy little cake and would be just as good with a lemon glaze or served with fresh fruit. I've included the sauce from the recipe. I left out the nutmeg, cinnamon and wine, going with a lighter fruity compote.

Cake:

½ cup unsalted butter-room temp.

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups sifted cake flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup sour cream

 

Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Spray 8-inch square glass baking dish with nonstick spray and dust with flour. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in grated lemon peel, lemon juice and vanilla. Sift cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Mix dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with sour cream.

Bake about 45 minutes. Cool cake on rack 10 minutes. Cut around sides of cake, turn out onto rack; turn cake over. Cool.

Sauce:

½ cup water,

½ cup dry red wine

1 ½ tablespoons corn starch

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

 

Stir water, wine, cornstarch, and lemon juice in medium saucepan over medium heat until cornstarch dissolves and mixture boils. Add blueberries. Boil until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Stir in spices. Cool.

Cut cake into triangles; arrange on plate, spoon sauce over top.

                     Enjoy!

Tomatoes and More

Honestly, I haven't forgotten to blog. My computer is broken and although that doesn't mean I can't use another one, it does mean that all my pictures are trapped in the vast darkness of the old one.  I wanted to share this years tomato process and luckily one picture from the project was left on the camera. So here you go with that and a bit of catching up.

Last weekend I picked all the tomatoes that I'd been neglecting. I chopped them along with a couple of onions and 6-7 cloves of garlic. I tossed them all into my big roasting pan and slid them into the oven set at 300 degrees. Every couple of hours I'd stir and at some point I added chopped basil, oregano, salt and pepper. I really just let it cook for hours (like 6). When I had to heat the oven hotter to prepare dinner, I left the roaster in. Really I was just cooking it down, letting the moisture evaporate.  In the evening I smooshed it a bit and let it cool before placing servings into bags and containers for the freezer. It was very easy and now we have several meals ready for whatever: Italian, Mexican, soups or sauces. It's like a starter - already to go.

I've also been sewing lots of pillows. I just sent off a big order to Wente Vineyards. The pillows are big (25" X 25") and will be used for lawn seating for the wonderful concerts they hold at the winery.  Thank you Wente for using a small pillow making studio instead of outsourcing. I really appreciate it!  They also chose several of the Wine Country pillows for their tasting room. Nice, huh?!

One of the other things that's been going on is a new Pinterest page for Janet Brown Studios. My lovely daughter has taken on this project and I think it looks wonderful.  There's a new link to it over in the right column. Different from the blog Pinterest page that reflects my many interests, this one is more design and textile related.  Lots of beautiful images she finds for inspiration and a great place to see the pillows in the variety of photo shoots I'm always setting up. Please check it out and follow along.

I should have a new computer soon. Our weather is gray and stormy, not much for taking pictures, but I was inspired the other day being surrounded by the grayness, with this picture...proving that gray can be a very nice color choice.

Inside or outside, wet or dry-Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Pear Tree Torte

My sweet little pear tree produced three ripe pears. They were very heavy, weighing down the slender branches.

                                                                                                 I picked my three pears

     

                                                                                              Took a quick picture of them

      

And within a couple of hours of picking made this wonderful Pear-Hazelnut Torte. The recipe comes from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison. It’s very delicious! If you find yourself with three pears, give it a try.  The hazelnuts add an earthy, nutty flavor that makes this the perfect autumn dessert.  Here’s the recipe:

TOPPING:

3 tbsp. hazelnuts

2 tbsp. sugar

3 ripe pears, peeled, quartered and sliced

CAKE:

3/4 cup hazelnuts or hazelnut meal

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs, at room temp

1 tsp. vanilla

 

1. Lightly butter an 11" tart pan or a 9" springform pan. Roast all hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 15 minutes at 375F. Let cool and rub off skins. Pulse 3 tbsp. of hazelnuts with 2 tbsp. sugar until sand-textured.

2. Mix remaining 3/4 c. nuts in food processor with flour, salt and baking powder. Pulse until nuts are finely ground. If using hazelnut meal, mix with flour, salt and baking powder.

3. Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add eggs and beat until smooth. Add vanilla, then dry mixture. Mix slowly until combined. Scrape into buttered pan and smooth out; arrange pears on top. Sprinkle with ground nuts and sugar. Bake at 375F for 30-35 minutes until risen and browned. If you're using a tart pan, bake 45-55 minutes in a springform.  Let cool briefly, then remove the rim.

Making Pesto With Friends

Four of us got together yesterday to make pesto.  My friend grew it from seed and had massive amounts.  Grand pots full of that wonderful smelling herb are all over her porch and deck.  She harvested and we got busy with the rest of the necessary ingredients and chopped, minced and whirred until we had  batches and batches of fresh pesto for our freezers.  We tried different olive oils for different menu ideas and now we’re set…until the next harvest.

                                                                                  Freshly picked and rinsed basil

 

               

            Freshly toasted pine nuts                                                              Chopped Parmesan and Romano cheese and garlic

                                                         Everything in the food processor, ready for mixing

 

                       Adding olive oil and pulsing until everything is well mixed and blended into a beautiful green paste

 

                                                                      All spooned up into our small freezer containers (1/2 cup)

 

Here’s the basic recipe but you can really just go with your feelings

4 cups basil leaves

1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

4 garlic cloves

salt

1/2 cup olive oil

Stuff basil into food processor with cheese, pine nuts, garlic and salt.  Pulse, then run while drizzling olive oil.  Continue until mixtures resembles a thick, coarse paste. As the leaves break down to form the pesto, we continued to add another batch on top of this one, re-adding more basil, cheese, etc. until we had two batches in our food processor.

Spoon into small containers or ice cube tray. Layer a thin film of olive oil on top. Cover with lid, slide into freezer bags and place in freezer.  For thawing, remove to refrigerator overnight. Will last several days in fridge; 1 year in the freezer.

We all enjoyed trying different varieties of flavored olive oils.  The lime oil (our favorite) was delicious and we all considered menu suggestions like shrimp or chicken pasta to really appreciate the freshness that the lime added. The Romano cheese was saltier and made a more pungent pesto, and we found our choice of how much salt to add varied among us.  We chose not to over salt, realizing we can always add salt to our pesto upon serving.

 

Basil the dog, who thought we were talking about him all day as we declared the Basil perfect and amazing.

                                                                                                          He is too!

Freezing Berries

It was so hot, that I was afraid the berries would parch right on the bush. It’s cooler now and there are still plenty of berries to be used on pancakes and cereal, as well as added to ice cream and smoothies.  I like to make sure I freeze some of them for later.  Nothing quite like a pie at Thanksgiving or in the middle of winter from your own summer berries.

 

 

 

One way to freeze them, if you know you’ll eventually make a pie, is to freeze them right in the pie tin.  This works best for juicy berries like the blackberry varieties.  I rinse, then smoosh them right into the tin and freeze them overnight.  I then remove the pie shaped slab of berries and put them in a sealed bag. A freezer bag works ok, but if you have a seal-a-meal, it perfectly seals the berries and keeps out any air. If they’re frozen firm, there’s no ice/air mixture to cause freezer burn.  At cooking time just let them thaw and proceed as usual. You know you’ll have just the right amount of berries for the perfect pie.

Blueberries are so simple to freeze. No need to wash them, just toss them onto a cookie sheet and freeze overnight.  Once frozen, dump them into a freezer bag. The berries will stay loose and can be easily removed a few at a time, and will thaw as they are rinsed by the handful or colander full.  Easy as pie!

Ice Coffee for a Hot Day

I love my iced coffee and am always keeping an eye out for the easiest way to make it.  Last year I went to the trouble of making coffee concentrate and simple syrup, but honestly, it wasn’t any better than the one I made today out of the leftover coffee from this morning.   I’ve decided that the key is a rich, dark brew and superfine sugar.  When I buy coffee beans I always choose the darkest roast and add espresso beans to the blend . The result is a strong cup of morning coffee and perfection for my favorite afternoon beverage. 

Tips for the best, easiest iced coffee:

• Leftover morning coffee works great, just make sure the coffee is strong.
• For best results pop the morning leftovers in the fridge so it’s nice and chilled for later.
• Superfine sugar stirs in quickly to a cold beverage.
• Make ice cubes out of leftover coffee to keep it from becoming diluted.
• Stir in a little half and half or milk for the perfect cup.
• Click here for last years recipe if you’d like.

Food to Feed the Soul

After another senseless tragedy in Boston I again turned to comfort via food.  After 911 I made soup…a lot.  Just ask my kids, who seemed to wonder about my constant chopping, sautéing, and simmering.  That’s also when I pulled out my old knitting needles and re-learned to knit.  I think in these times when we’re unable to control our world it’s nice to bring some comfort into our lives and cooking is pretty obvious.  I’ve heard this is quite a common reaction so I just go with it.

Upon hearing reports, then checking to make sure family in the area were safe, I automatically turned my attention to cooking up something delicious.  It’s not baked goods or sweets I crave at these times, but healthy, honest well cooked meals.  I want us to take the time to sit down,  open a good bottle of wine,  and enjoy conversation with one another.

I decided on Steelhead, asparagus and salad.  All favorites; healthy, nutritious  food to make us take our time and appreciate life.  I added roasted garlic and onions to the asparagus and cut a Meyer Lemon from my little tree, along with fresh basil from my window. Strawberries in the arugula salad added a touch of spring.

I’m old enough to remember when we never gave a thought to school shootings, bombings at sporting events or mass murders in shopping malls.  Unfortunately the generation that my children were born into never will enjoy that innocence.  How very sad that it has become a way of life for them. Peace to everyone.

Lemon Blueberry Honey Almond Pancake

Yum, just writing those words makes me feel good. I’ve been enjoying one pancake and one farm fresh egg for breakfast for quite some time now.  A little extra effort in the morning compared to dry cereal, but look at that title again…it’s hardly fair to compare.  Only one cake and one egg, no bacon...not a big, hearty, weekend style breakfast.

I begin with a good, healthy mix, like Kodiak Cakes, using a couple of hefty tablespoons. I then add a rounded teaspoon of almond meal, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, a tablespoon of lemon juice (the baking powder and lemon juice fizz and add fluffiness),  about 2 tablespoons (or a good glug or 2) of egg white and a teaspoon or two of honey.  Add a splash of water for proper consistency then pour into the (preheated and non-stick sprayed) pan.  Rinse a handful of frozen blueberries, shake off excess water and sprinkle them around the pancake.  When underside is golden, carefully flip and cook for another couple of minutes.

Served with warm real maple syrup and a perfectly cooked organic egg, you’ve got the beginnings to a perfect day.  On the weekends I simply mix up a more generous batch to share.  I can hardly wait for those warm summer mornings when I can enjoy my breakfast outside.   That really makes it the perfect morning. 

                                                                                                     Enjoy!

Just Add Ice Cream!

What to do when your son turns 19 and isn’t at home to celebrate? I decided to send him a box of celebration.

Today is his 19th birthday and he’s way off in Montana at school. I sent his presents of course but wanted to do something special too. I pulled together everything I could think of that went with ice cream and put it in a box.  Waffle bowls, syrups, sprinkles, marshmallow cream, mini chocolate chips and of course napkins, bowls, spoons and an ice cream scoop.  I know college students don’t ordinarily celebrate with ice cream but not too many will turn it down. I added some $$$ so he could supply the mandatory ice cream of his choice and he was set.  It was a fun surprise.

                                                             Happy Birthday Sammy! 19 Wow!!

 

p.s. forgot to turn on the comment field on my last post. I asked for comments then couldn't accept them. Sorry about that. Still would love to know your choice for the next wine pillow...or anything else you'd like to say. 

Biscotti

Last week I noticed there were two bananas that looked just about perfect for banana bread. You know; when they’re just this side of rotten and you know if you don’t make banana bread you’ll have to toss them.  Okay, I had rotten bananas so got everything else together to bake, using this favorite recipe for chocolate swirl banana bread. Only I didn’t have the yogurt the recipe called for, so I used light sour cream. And I didn’t have any chocolate chips (!!), so I used bakers chocolate, sugar and a splash of milk (heated and stirred to a creamy paste). I didn’t even think to add any vanilla to make up for the vanilla that would have been in the yogurt.

Anyway, the banana bread wasn’t spectacular. It was okay, but lacked sweetness and I think I baked it a bit too long because it was kind of dry.  I didn’t want to toss it out because, after all I was using up the bananas to avoid being wasteful. I decided to try and salvage my blunder by making biscotti. Biscotti requires a second baking, so I cut the proper lengths, laid them out on a cookie sheet and put them in a 250 degree oven for about an hour and a half. I checked them every 20 minutes or so and turned them often.  After I decided they were nearly dry enough I turned the oven off and left them in there to finish.

Now I am happy with these yummy biscotti to dip in my afternoon coffee. They are just sweet enough to feel like a treat but not the least bit boring.  So there you go…from banana bread to biscotti, nothing to it.

Taco Bar

What to have for dinner for college kids when they come for a visit?  A taco bar is fun, can be prepared ahead, and has something for everyone, vegetarians and carnivores alike.  Best of all they come to your house to eat! Yay!

There were chips, salsa and guacamole for starters then all I had to do was heat the tortillas and taco shells and left everyone to fill their plates with whatever favorites were at the top of their list. It's a simple meal plan because it's so easy to go bigger or smaller depending on how many guests you have.

Lots of chatter as everyone shared their first term college experiences with old friends. We joined them because when your own kid leaves for college you realize how many of his friends you miss when he goes. It was good to have everyone together again, laughing and talking, because before you know it they’re gone and everything is quiet again.

A Very Cool Gift

Every gift I received for Christmas this year was wonderful. I like to think my friends and family really know me because every single thing is something I would have picked out for myself.  My family sometimes gets frustrated with me because I don’t like to give hints…I just want them to know.  They roll their eyes and threaten to give me weird gifts if I don’t come right out and ask for specifics. They don’t want to make a mistake, but I think my plan is working; they really get me.

My sister gave me this very cool tool.  She got it on the Williams-Sonoma website and it’s for embossing stickers to go on my fruits and veggies processed from my garden.  I have to admit that although I knew it was an embosser I didn’t quite understand what I might use it for at first and thought maybe it was for embossing my garden books. I couldn’t wait to use it and grabbed one of my favorite garden books off the shelf and added my name plate.  I proudly showed it off to my sister whose look told me she thought I was a bit daft.  She wondered out loud what I was doing and I happily explained I was marking my books.  She explained what the tool was for and wondered (again, out loud) at my confusion, as she had also given me a box of beautiful Weck canning jars and the little gold stickers, all set for embossing.

Now I can’t wait to create these wonderful little stickers. Next harvest season, my jars will be properly labeled and will look very sweet upon my shelves. I can order other plates to work with the embosser, including my initials,  Janet Brown Studios or From the Library.  Now I’m certain my sister knows I not only love the gift but I know what to use it for, how to use it and where to use it. Thanks!!

Lemons in Winter

As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons,  make lemonade. Well, my little Meyer Lemon tree gave me a big bunch of beautiful lemons and I decided I’d rather make Christmas Eve lemon drop martinis.  We all agreed they were the freshest lemon drops we’d ever had; made just minutes after picking. It seems crazy to me that citrus season is in the middle of winter but what a nice treat when the weather outside is frightful.  They would be lovely for New Years Eve too.

Since I raised the lemons from blossoms, I felt they deserved a really good Vodka so I used Grey Goose Citron. I found this recipe on the Grey Goose website, so it’s aptly called Grey Goose Perfect Lemon Drop Martini and it’s delicious. The recipe below is for 4 servings, one drink each, but they're so yummy you might just need a little bit more.

Grey Goose Perfect Lemon Drop Martini

6 oz. Grey Goose Vodka
2 oz. triple sec
4 tsp. superfine sugar
3 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Mix the vodka, triple sec, sugar and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice cubes. Shake well to make sure sugar is blended. Pour strained liquor into a sugar-rimmed martini glass and garnish with a twisted peel of lemon.

 

         

To create a sugar-rimmed glass, rub a lemon wedge round the drinking surface of the glass so it is barely moist. The stickiness of the lemon is the perfect medium to glaze the sugar to the rim. Dip the edge of the glass into sugar. I used a wine coaster to hold the sugar, but any shallow plate or bowl will do nicely.

                                                                                                              Cheers!

Chocolate Peppermint Toffee

It must be good with a name like that. Butter, sugar, chocolate, and peppermint candy.  I was thinking about peppermint bark but felt like adding the toffee would be a good idea. It’s a great combination of flavors. Not too many ingredients, in fact you might very well have everything you need without making one more trip to the store.

I used last years recipe for Toffee Roca as my base and improvised (scroll over the red words to find that recipe).  I started with the toffee; simply melting 2 cubes of butter and 1 cup of sugar and cooking until it turns golden brown, which took about 15 minutes.  My candy thermometer registered 275 degrees.

I spread the hot caramel  onto a warm baking sheet .  Smooth out to the edges. Cool in the fridge for a few minutes then spread a thin (or thick) layer of melted chocolate over the top.  Use about half of what you’ve melted and save the other half for the other side.  Working quickly, sprinkle 1/2 of your broken peppermint pieces on top of chocolate while the chocolate is still warm. Place back in the fridge for another few minutes until everything has hardened.

When it is cooled, flip over the entire block. You’ll have to work the edge of a sharp spatula under a corner to loosen it, but the butter will not let it stick.  It will probably break into pieces but that’s  ok, as you’d be doing that eventually.  Use a pastry brush to apply the remainder of the melted chocolate, then sprinkle with the rest of the  peppermint pieces.  Return to the fridge to cool.

Once it’s fully cooled, break up any remaining large pieces and start enjoying. It’s different than peppermint bark because of the toffee, but the flavors blend in the most delicious way.  Great for gift giving or to enjoy with coffee or cocoa.  Check my notes below for suggestions for success.

 

**Notes**

• I used about 2 bars of dark chocolate and 1 of milk so we’d have two varieties
• I added a few drops of peppermint flavoring to the chocolate.
• I ran hot water over the baking sheet to keep it warm so that the caramel would flow. If the sheet is too cool the caramel will harden on contact.
• When I crushed the peppermint candy some of it was kind of powdery but I used that too because it stuck so well to the chocolate.
• Work in sections so that the chocolate is still warm when you sprinkle the peppermint.
• If there’s a little chocolate left over, drizzle it over the finished candy. It will help hold the peppermint in place.

Autumn Curry

You may have noticed I haven’t been including any recipes lately. We’re down to two around here and the food has become simple and whatever I make seems to last a lot longer. Fortunately, to satisfy my creative needs I was hosting my book group this month. I was longing for a warm curry, filled with autumn vegetables. I scanned my recipes and the internet and adapted a couple of different ones to come up with this delicious meal.

It’s full of yams and potatoes but you could also add acorn squash or pumpkin.  I love curry flavor but not too spicy so I use a mild curry and plenty of it. You’ll have to decided and adjust to your taste.  I was quite busy that day and divided the recipe into two parts. In the morning I got everything started then as you’ll notice in the recipe I set it all aside in the fridge and ran errands. When I returned I put it all in a big pot for several hours of simmering.  I didn’t want it to simmer all day and end up with mush but I wanted plenty of time for the flavors to blend. I think it worked because the dish was full of warm curry flavors, the potatoes and yams were done and the kitchen smelled wonderful.  Here’s the recipe. It can be adjusted in a variety of ways to suit your needs. This fed six of us with leftovers for two.  Perfect!

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

5-6 tablespoons curry powder (divided)

Salt

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons minced ginger-divided (use 1 tsp. early in recipe, 1 tsp. later)

1 large yam, peeled and cubed

1 pound of Russian fingerling potatoes, cut small (or any potato cubed)

48 oz. chicken broth, fresh or canned

Thai basil

1 Lemon grass stalk (cut to 5-6” length)

2 cans coconut milk

1 cup golden raisins

2 Tablespoons Major Greys Chutney

Directions:

Put 2 tablespoons of curry powder and 1 teaspoon of salt on a plate. Coat chicken with mixture. Heat a large kettle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the coated chicken. Sauté until lightly browned. Remove chicken and set aside in a large bowl. Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil to pan and add onion, garlic and 1 teaspoon of the ginger. Remove and lay atop of chicken. Add yam and potatoes and cook for a about 5 minutes, tossing. Remove to chicken/veggie bowl. Add chicken broth to pan, scraping up all the tasty bits. Warm slightly. Pour over bowl of chicken/veggie mixture. Lay lemon grass stalks and basil atop. At this point you can cover the bowl and set aside in the fridge for a few hours if necessary.

Later: In large kettle, heat 2 cans coconut milk just to warm. Add the lemon grass and basil (from the bowl), 1 tsp. more of fresh minced ginger, 1 tablespoon more of chopped basil, 1-2 teaspoons curry powder. Heat, stirring, then add everything from the chicken mix bowl into the kettle. Cook for 2-3 hours until yams and potatoes are cooked through. Continue to add more curry powder and salt to taste. During the last hour add the golden raisins and Chutney. Serve over rice.

*I added a teaspoon of cornstarch/water mixture to thicken.

                                                                                     Enjoy!

A Trio of Tomato Basil Soups

Please forgive me for writing one more thing about tomatoes but it seems to be all we’re eating lately. Luckily there haven’t been any complaints. This could be called the End of Summer Tomato Soup or the Fresh Tomato Basil Soup of October or the Grand Finale Tomato Soup but I wanted to make one more attempt at the perfect tomato basil soup.  I ended up with three options. All distinct enough and all very good.

 

I picked all the ripe Romas that were left on the vine. They were still warm from the sun and I reminded myself to enjoy that, as soon the selection in the grocery store would be cold and weirdly too firm for ripe tomatoes.  I ended up with 6 pounds and I rinsed and coarsely chopped them, skins and all. I added them to the 1/2 chopped onion and 3 cloves of garlic that I sautéed in olive oil.

I also picked a big handful of basil and packed (not smooshed) it into 1 cup. I rinsed and chopped the basil and added it to the tomato mixture. I put the lid on and let it cook hard (lightly boiling for about 15 minutes until everything had cooked down a bit.

I got out my hand blender and blended everything. Not too much, because I still want a textured rather than smooth soup. Remember, you can always blend more later if it’s too chunky . Then I left the kitchen and let it cook for about 5 hours, uncovered, checking and scraping the sides about every 1/2 hour. I still let it boil lightly because I wanted the crusty build up and evaporation to bring out the richness.  In the end I added a bit of water and blended it again to get the consistency I desired. The long cooking really gets it down to pure tomato flavors.

All three soups at the top of the page came out of the same pot. The one on the left is my favorite with shredded cheddar and croutons. The middle bowl is a creamy tomato. I added a bit of 1/2 and 1/2 for a rich flavor but smooth texture. The bowl on the right has a cube of pesto waiting to be stirred in.

Other options could include different cheeses, the addition of vegetables or spices. Add corn, chopped green peppers and cilantro and you’ve got Mexican tomato soup. Along with the pesto add tiny fresh mozzarella balls and you’ll have a Caprese soup. Yummm!  The leftovers went in the freezer for future meals. That Caprese idea is sounding pretty good. This tomato mixture is really a great base.  It will go wherever you take it.

                                                                                                           Enjoy!

The Ingredients

6 pounds Roma tomatoes-coarsely chopped, skins on

3 cloves garlic

1/2 onion-chopped

2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 cup Basil, packed lightly

Salt

Pepper

Follow the basic instructions above and add your own favorites.

More Mac and Cheese

I’ve already written about my love for macaroni and cheese here but it was the “last supper” request of my son before he left for college.  I love the mac and cheese of my childhood, baked, crusted and totally delicious. The only unfortunate thing is that my childhood mac and cheese was from a restaurant, not my mothers kitchen. I love that through my own stubborn perseverance in mastering this ultimate comfort food I can share it with my own family at home.

This time I used cheddar, Gouda and Havarti cheeses. I used an organic pasta in a curly shape called Conchiglie.  Baked and served in these big soup bowls they make such a nice presentation, hardly a common kiddie food, but I can’t imagine any kid not falling for it as I did…way back when.

Roasted Tomato Paste

The sun keeps warming the soil and I keep up with the watering so the magic of tomatoes continues to happen. We are going to be eating a lot of tomato based dishes this winter and I couldn’t be happier. There aren’t too many things in my dinnertime repertoire that wouldn’t work with tomatoes.

I’ve tried a variety of processing. Last week I showed you my canned sauces. Truth be told I got nervous because I began reading more about tomato processing and how important it is to stick to the exact recipes for fear of spoilage. I rarely stick to exact recipes so I emailed the Oregon State University Extension Service and asked for their opinion. Mostly I wanted to know if it was spoilage I would see or smell. I was willing to take my chances as I was pretty sure it they would be fine. They advised that botulism is neither smelled nor tasted and suggested I put my jars in the freezer. I did.

This week I’m back to making tomato jazz. I sliced many many tomatoes very thin (1/4-1/2”) and laid them flat onto oiled cookie sheets. I sliced onion and garlic equally thin, salted everything lightly and put them in a 250 degree oven and quite literally forgot about them. Of course the house smelled wonderful and sometime in the evening there was just the slightest change in the smell. Almost burned. Not burned though, more like the sugars in the tomatoes has caramelized. I leaped out of my chair and pulled everything out of the oven. It was all perfectly finished. Often I  become impatient and take them out early so I can get everything cleaned up and done. All in all it was probably about 4-5 hours in the oven.

This morning I scrapped everything into the food processor and whirred it until it was a chunky paste. I froze some of it in ice cube trays and a bit more in small containers. It is so rich and full flavored that I won’t need much in any soup or main dish. If you’ve got an abundance of tomatoes I highly suggest roasted tomato paste.

The Tomatoes Are Ripe!!

A cool weekend upped my productivity in the kitchen. I picked all the ripe roma tomatoes to make a big batch of spaghetti sauce. There are still loads of green ones, and weather permitting I’ll get a chance to make more before the fall rains.

               I added fresh garlic, oregano and basil from our garden so we’re sure to have delicious dinners this winter. I simmered it for hours to cook it down, down, down until it was rich and thick. I canned it all in much smaller (1/2 pint) jars and then continued to cook the remainder until it was thick enough for pizza sauce. I canned this intense sauce into very small weck jars and I can’t wait to use it on my homemade pies. Cooking down yields much smaller batches but it’s well worth the full flavored results.  It was lots of work and the kitchen was a steamy mess but there’s something quite satisfying in preparing food for the coming winter months…especially after the kitchen is cleaned up and back to normal.

                                                                                                  Enjoy your week! 

Tomato Jazz 2012

So far not exactly an abundance of tomatoes, but enough to make a batch of tomato jazz. This year I’ve decided to try something a bit different since there are only two of us to feed and I don’t want to waste any food. I cut up Roma tomatoes, garlic cloves and onion and laid them on an oiled cookie sheet. I put them in the oven at 250 degrees for about 5 hours. At this point last year I froze the mix before going to the next step, but this year I dumped everything onto one cookie sheet and put it in the refrigerator until morning. The next day I put all of it into the food processor and added a couple of handfuls of basil.

 

 

 

 

A few good pulses and everything was well mixed.

 

 

 

 

 

I scraped every last bit into my large muffin tins (sprayed with non-stick)and put it in the freezer until frozen solid.  Each cup holds about 1/3 cup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t want to risk freezer burn so I took the time to wrap each large cube in plastic wrap and added a little seal with the date. Now they can all go into one big freezer bag to be retrieved shortly before dinner. It’s the perfect amount for a small pizza or to stir into hot pasta. Cooking for two sounds like a breeze!

Freezing Herbs in Oil or Chicken Broth

I decided to try something new in herb freezing. A friend sent me this link on a couple of different ways to freeze herbs. I liked the suggestion to think about the ways you’ll use the herbs and then decide on the best way to freeze them.

I froze the rosemary in chicken broth because I’ll probably use it for turkey soups during and after the holidays.  I did some of the basil in olive oil and some in chicken broth for tomato soups.  I chopped the cilantro with red onion before freezing in oil and the oregano got both treatments to see which I like better for spaghetti sauces. It’s a pretty cheap test.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was easy enough to chop the herbs and put them in ice cube trays. I then poured a couple of tablespoons of oil or broth to just about cover them. After freezing overnight I placed them in labeled freezer bags and returned to the freezer.

 

I suggest making a little notation to keep track of everything.

They’ll look a bit different after freezing.

 

 

                          There are a lot of different ways to freeze herbs. This is just a way I hadn’t tried yet. It looks promising.

Oregon Wine Country

Saturday we took a drive to the little town of Dundee, which is full of some of Oregon’s favorite vineyards and is right in the heart of the wine county.  We were starving on our arrival so chose to eat lunch at the Dundee Bistro.Everything on the menu was tempting with lots of local food choices. I opted for the cheese/meat platter which was served on a very country organic style slate serving tray. The salad was beautiful with fresh Oregon blueberries, toasted hazelnuts and chevre cheese.  The meats and cheeses were wonderful; everything combining nicely. The day was hot so we asked our server for his recommendation for a fresh cool wine. His suggestion was spot on with a 2011 Pinot Noir Rosé from the Ponzi vineyard. After lunch and a quick purchase of a couple of bottles from the Ponzi tasting room next door we headed up the hill to the Winderlea Vineyard, recommended by the staff at Ponzi’s. The name Winderlea means wind in the meadow and it’s a beautiful place to sit and taste their Pinots.  We joined their wine club which means that twice a year they’ll select an assortment for us. To claim our wines we join them at the winery for dinner. Sounds like a good plan. I can hardly wait until November for our return visit.

Perhaps these grapes will make it into a future bottle of ours. Notice how red the soil is. It’s part of what makes the world class Pinots that come out of this area. The grapes sure seem to like it. A hot Oregon summer day was the perfect day for the 30 miles drive from Portland. Something else to put on your list of things to do on your next visit to Oregon.

Summer Harvest Meal

My neighbor brought me fresh green beans from her garden the other day (thanks Sandy!) so I planned a simple meal around them. I nipped the ends off and tossed them in boiling salted water for about 4 minutes until just tender. I drained them and set them aside while I set the sausages on the grill and peeled the fresh peaches from the farm stand. Just before serving I heated the pan back up and tossed in a sliced onion, adding a drizzle of olive oil and just a dab of butter. I let the onion cook for about a minute before I added the beans.  I threw in a big handful of slivered almonds, a bit of salt and let everything sizzle a bit before sliding it all onto the serving plate.

By then the sausages were ready along with a big salad of fresh lettuce and home grown tomatoes. We took everything outside and enjoyed it with a glass of home made beer from another friend. Great to have friends, don’t you think?

Dinner With Friends

Last evening we enjoyed dinner with very dear friends. We enjoyed drinks and appetizers outside while the meat was grilled, then moved inside for dinner as the evening began to chill. Our hostess served one of my favorite salads, a variation on traditional potato salad. I wrote about it here last year but she had changed it just a bit and I think it was even better than before. I’m listing the recipe as she made it last night. Try it. I’m sure you’ll love it too.

The addition of Kalamata olives added a wonderful flavor, while the lack of mayonnaise leaves me almost guiltless.

Here’s the latest version of the recipe:

 

Red Potato and Tomato Salad

1 pound baby red potatoes, halved or quartered (depending on size)

1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved

1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large lemon, zested

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add the potatoes to a medium saucepan with enough cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Set the saucepan over medium heat. Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and allow them to dry for 5 minutes.

In a serving bowl, add the potatoes, tomatoes, scallions, olives, parsley, capers, thyme, olive oil, lemon zest and mustard. Toss gently until all the ingredients are coated and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour and gently toss again before serving.

                                                                                                         Enjoy!

Fresh From the Vine

I finally got around to making jam. I love raspberry jam so I used some of my own and some from the farm stand.  I love that we have a farm stand nearby. I was short on time so I made freezer jam. It’s so easy and tastes so fresh, since you don’t have to cook it. Really, just a few minutes and there’s jam to last several weeks, if not months.

The longer I have my garden, the more I’m liking the fruits. As I was watering tonight I was mentally planning where I can add more raspberries and blueberry bushes. They are just such a treat. Veggies are great but fruit is oh so sweet!

                                                                 Have a lovely weekend!

Another Delicious Salad

Looking through the fridge the other night, I only had to come up with the makings for salad for one. Me. Everyone else was out doing something or other. I found the little bit of bacon left over from Fathers Day breakfast, enough lettuce to get by, crumbled bleu cheese, beets and pistachio nuts. Perfect! A bit of oil and balsamic and I had a great salad.       

I set the table, because after all I was going to take a picture and besides, I like nice. This little tablecloth made me think how silly of me not to wander out to the garden and pick strawberries instead of canned beets. Luckily I thought of them in time for dessert. A small glass of Limoncello, a favorite book and dinner wasn’t lonely after all.

English Muffin Recipe from The Beekman Boys

I’m kind of a weirdo when it comes to lunch. Most days when I’m home I eat a toasted peanut butter and jam sandwich, and depending on the season I have either cocoa or chocolate milk. If it’s really warm out I’ll have an iced coffee. Must be the whole comfort food thing or reaching back to my childhood. My kids think its very boring, but every day at noon, that’s what sounds good. Sometimes I get busy and make something more creative or even more healthy, but most days it’s just me and my PB &J.

I do enjoy a good organic peanut butter and homemade jam and I like it best on an English muffin like the one above with homemade raspberry jam (thanks Laurie!). I saw this recipe for homemade muffins on the Beekman Boys website and decided to give it a try. Yum! You’ll need a cookie cutter and some time to spend in the kitchen, but they’re worth it. They’re not baked, they’re cooked on the griddle, then left in a warm oven as each batch is completed. Upon flipping each muffin I pressed it down just a bit for a flatter finished product. My griddle doesn’t give degrees but I found it worked best at medium low. Slow but steady, they cook 10 minutes on each side. On my second batch I found using the 3 1/2” ring from a canning jar was the perfect muffin cutter. This recipe makes about 24 muffins.

                                They really are far superior to any packaged brand I've tried.  I'm hooked!

 

NANCY’S ENGLISH MUFFINS

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

¼ cup melted butter

2 TBS white sugar

6 cups all-purpose flour [King Arthur is best]

1 [.25 oz.] package yeast

2 TBS Wheat Germ

1 cup warm water [110 F]

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles; then remove from heat. Mix in the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Let cool until lukewarm. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In large bowl, combine the milk, yeast mixture, wheat germ, butter, salt, and 3 cups flour of the flour. Beat until smooth, add salt and add the remaining three cups of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place. Usually about 1 hour.
3. Punch down. Roll out to about ½ inch thick. Cut rounds with biscuit cutter [you can also use a drinking glass or empty tuna can]. Sprinkle waxed paper with cornmeal and set the rounds on this to rise. Dust tops with cornmeal also. Cover and let rise for ½ hour.
4. Heat greased griddle [to about 270 F]. Cook muffins on griddle for about 10 minutes on each side. Keep baked muffins in a warm oven [250 F] until all have been cooked [about 20-30 minutes for each batch]. Allow to cool and place in plastic bags for storage. To use, split and toast. Can be frozen!

                                                                                                          Enjoy!

Summer Salads

We’ve been eating loads of salads lately and loving them. We’re all good fruit and vegetable eaters so it’s been fun to have salad bars. We started out eating a variety of wraps and then we moved on to include burritos with a variety of fillings. Pretty soon we  started leaving the carb filled wraps behind and filled our bowls with all kinds of salad fixins’.

This  salad features arugula and smoked salmon. I layered the bowl with spinach, lettuce and my favorite green, arugula. It’s got a spicy bite to it that I just love. Next I added a smoked and peppered Chinook salmon.  I included feta cheese, avocado, pistachio nuts and Roma tomatoes. I drizzled it with a light bleu cheese dressing. It was perfectly complimented by a small glass of Limoncello. Click on the link for that recipe.

I was worried that there might be complaints that all we’ve been having is salad, but quite the contrary. Everyone is happy and creativity abounds in the wide variety and combination of each salad.  Our nightly salad bar includes shredded cheddar, beets, almonds, grilled chicken, sliced strawberries, cranberries and a variety of dressings and toppings. It keeps everybody happy and imaginative in their food selections.

A salad bar is a great summertime dinner. No hot kitchen, everyone can fill up on what they love best and clean-up is minimal. Preparation can be done hours ahead when the house is still cool so there’s really no excuse. It’s a meal with very little guilt so if you need that dab of ice cream later, or a bowl of fresh berries, what the heck, go ahead!

I usually offer a different protein like ground beef, chicken or fish. Then I build around that. For instance if I’m using ground beef I’ll add some taco seasoning , lite sour cream and salsa to the salad bar. Chicken always calls for avocado and nuts, for me at least. That’s the point, everybody can put together their favorite every time.

Here are a few recent favorites:This one was delicious! Kind of a BLT with avocado. Spinach, lettuce, bacon, tomato, avocado, bleu cheese chunks, oil and vinegar dressing. The bacon, from the farmers market and was thick sliced and oh so delicious. A little went a long way.

                                                    Lettuce,  shredded cheese, tomato, corn, beef with bleu cheese dressing

 

                          Bar-B-Q beef, spinach, avocado chunks, bleu cheese crumbles, red onion, balsamic dressing

I had this salad last night. It might be my new favorite. For the salad dressing, I’ve just been drizzling one of my new olive oils from our recent trip, then another drizzle of really good aged balsamic , salt and pepper. That’s it. The salad itself consists of lettuce, spinach, avocado, Roma tomato, crumbled bleu cheese, slivered red onion, tuna chunks. Yum! 

Our weather has finally improved and it appears we are in for a stretch of sunny days! Yay! Let the outdoor dining begin.

A Little Summer Reading

I got a new cookbook for my recent birthday.  If the truth be told, I bought it for myself. No guilt though; I’ll use it to guide me through the recipes to feed friends and family. Ripe: A Cook in the Orchard,  by Nigel Slater is a big beautiful book with a strong emphasis on fresh grown, summer ripe fruit.  What could be more wholesome??                                            

The time the author takes to describe a particular fruit or berry fresh from his English garden is like reading poetry. He is truly in love with fruit. In the introduction he sets the tone for the book:  “The last berries, apples, and plums, wet and almost rotting from the late sun and autumn rain, lend a mellow, alcoholic scent to the space, like the dregs of an abandoned glass of wine. The garden is falling asleep with an air of damp tobacco and wood smoke, but it still abundant too, with late blackberries, damsons, and a grapevine at breaking point.” Ahhh!

The author shares much of his early gardening experience, including the failures of too close plantings and pollination issues. His entertaining, over the top enthusiasm for his fruit garden and his humorous self deprecation of his gardening mishaps make for a fun read. His garden is small but it sounds like he’s learned how to use it to full advantage and I’m quite sure he loves every single piece of fruit he harvests and every square inch of ground on which it’s planted.

                                          This photograph reflects the same colors as the needlepoint I’ve been working on.

It’s fun to read of his beautiful garden and then pick out favorite recipes to count on this fall. It makes gardening all the more worthwhile when you know what you plan on doing with your bounty. There are some less typical recipes like a casserole of apple and rabbit or rollmop herrings with beet and apple, but then I turn the page for mouth-watering suggestions like little fig and blackberry pies.  I’m anxious to work my way through this delicious book, earmarking particular recipes for the ripened fruit from my garden and the farmers market. If you want to fall in love with fruit, consider giving yourself the gift of Ripe as an addition to your cookbook shelf.

                                                                                                          Anticipation!

Perfect Iced Coffee

Anyone who knows me well, knows I like my coffee. My morning coffee is like a little ritual and I require the perfect balance of coffee, half-and-half and rich brown raw sugar. Even after 20 years I’m hesitant to let my husband prepare my coffee because I’m a bit of a perfectionist in this area. It’s the beginning of the day and it must be just so. Because I dress it up I like the coffee very dark and rich. I often mix espresso beans with a good Italian or French roast to get the heartiness I desire. I don’t drink a lot of coffee; I prefer quality over quantity.

I’ve been anxious for warm weather because I also enjoy a good ice coffee sometime during the day; most often a perfect break from working in the garden. I already use my leftover morning coffee to make coffee cubes. (Just pour the dregs into an ice cube tray and next time you fix an iced coffee, add the coffee cubes so you don’t dilute your drink.) I also decided to make milk cubes. Why not??  I found this iced coffee recipe (almost too simple to be called a recipe) on the Pioneer Woman Website.  Like I said, it’s very simple. It’s brewed with cold water and all it has to do is sit overnight, strain and it’s ready.

 

This elixir will keep in the fridge for several weeks if covered. I cut the recipe in half because of space limitations. I used this container that previously held Orville Redenbacher popcorn from Costco. It held 1/2 pound of coffee and 4 quarts of filtered water.

 

It’s easily as good as any coffee shop iced coffee and for a fraction of the price. Win win! I’m taking it on our road trip to California next week. No stops at the coffee drive through for us. We’ll have our delicious coffee ready for pool side.

 

Here’s the recipe as given on the website. Remember, I cut it in half. Give it a try this summer.

Perfect Iced Coffee

1 pound ground coffee (good, rich roast)

8 quarts cold water

In a large container mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for eight hours or overnight.

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over top a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds. Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.

              

To make iced coffee: Pack a glass full of ice (coffee) cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add a healthy splash of half-and-half (or milk or cream).  Add sugar, vanilla syrup or sweetened condensed milk to taste. 

                                                                                                      Stir and enjoy!

Farmers Market

It’s finally opening day of the Beaverton Farmers Market. One of the largest markets in the Northwest and so close to home that we could easily walk or bike ride, but we know we’ll be bringing home several bags of produce, meat and berries so we opt to drive. We attempt to arrive early but spend time winding our way up and down the neighborhood streets, eventually ending up parking in the high school parking lot and walking several blocks to our destination.  Oh well, it’s a perfectly beautiful morning and that’s why everyone has come to celebrate.  I love seeing people so happy to be out shopping for their food. It’s crowded yet there’s no crabby edgy feeling; just a wonderful community atmosphere. It’s fun to see what the new vendors are offering this year and of course visit our favorites. There are stalls with many varieties of tomato plants which makes me think I must go home and prepare the beds to accept them.

There are beers, wines,  gluten free everything, honey, meat, fish, wild game, eggs, and vegetables. The market holds the vendors to high standards and all produce must be farm fresh, direct from a local grower, and grown, raised, produced or collected in Oregon or Washington.

We carefully plan our evening meal to include fresh line caught halibut, roasted red pepper hummus, strawberries and hand made beer.  I’ll work in the garden this afternoon then we’ll enjoy our Oregon fresh meal. So nice to have the market open again. Spring has really arrived!

 

 

Just for fun I’ll be showing off this   and this     at Funky Junk Interiors this weekend. Follow the link to see what’s happening over there.  Have a sunny, happy Saturday everyone!

Salmon Burrito

In our never ending quest to eat healthy A-list foods, we thought we’d try a salmon burrito. I pulled in a few other healthy options like yams and avocados, and left out the cheese. We opted for brown rice and fresh Pico de Gallo. Rather than make everyone eat their burritos the way I thought they should, I laid out a burrito bar. It was fun to see the different choices and the ways each of us assembled our individual dinner.

Left to right we have grilled salmon, shredded cabbage,  guacamole, low-fat refried beans, sliced olives, lite sour cream, Pico de Gallo, sliced limes, brown rice, cilantro, chips. yam/onion/garlic/zucchini/polbano chili mixture (recipe below)

                       This was my preparation of choice, wrapped in a warm low-carb tortilla. No beans or olives. Yum!

                              In a variation on a theme my son chose to enjoy each selection independent of the tortilla.

Setting out choices has worked well for us. It doesn’t take long to lay out all the ingredients and the assembly process seems to make each person more creative with their meal. If someone is eating less and someone else comes home starving, this can fill both needs. If somebody is running late, everything is still available and easily assembled when they arrive.  My kids are old enough to put together their own plate and often their choices look much more interesting than what I was planning.  I always go last to see what everyone comes up with.

This works great with tacos, all kinds of wraps and even pizza. Instead of making one large pizza I sometimes make individual crusts. The toppings are available to each one of us before we pop them into the oven or on the grill.  Always good to keep mealtime happy and this helps them with their own cooking experience. Try it!

For the yam mixture:

1 yam- cubed

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 zucchini-unpeeled-cubed

1 garlic clove-minced

Poblano chili- chopped (I had one in the freezer that had been grilled). Any smoky chili will do

2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat oil in large fry pan. Add yams and toss with garlic. Add onion and zucchini and toss until yams have softened.

 

                                                                 Don’t fear the yam! It’s good for you. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

This wonderful soup was served at my mother-in-laws 90th birthday celebration in February. It is so rich and delicious, and I was anxious to serve it to my recent guests.  I followed the recipe ingredients and directions except chose not to bring the broth to a boil. Being a milk based soup I didn’t want to take the chance that it might curdle.  It tasted perfect and served  with salad and bread it was plenty filling; a perfect mid-week meal.

Here is the recipe as listed from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food.

• 6 ears corn, husks and silks removed
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 8 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
• 2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning (I used Pike Place Fish) 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Cut off tip of each cob. Stand corn in a wide shallow bowl; using a sharp knife, slice downward to release kernels. Scrape length of each cob with a spoon to release pulp. Discard cobs.
2. In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium-high until crisp and browned, 4 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels.
3. Add scallion whites and potatoes to pan; cook, stirring, until scallions have softened, 1 to 3 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add milk, seafood seasoning, thyme, and 2 cups water.
4. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add corn, shrimp, and scallion greens. Cook until shrimp are just opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Season chowder with salt and pepper. Serve topped with bacon.

 

                      A big garden bouquet, bowls and plates ready, favorite tablecloth, new napkins and dinner is served.

                                                                                                  Enjoy!

Planning for Easter Brunch

I just realized that Easter is next Sunday. Yikes!! Time to do a bit of menu planning for brunch. Flowers are the first step and the spring colors in this mixture of daffodils and green tulips are an obvious choice. The sweet vase is a vintage milk bottle I found in my favorite antique shop on my recent Montana visit.

Always a top menu choice are my favorite oat scones. The original recipe is from Deborah Madison’s cookbook Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. I’ve made a few changes over the years and have listed my recipe below.

Pears are always a wonderful choice for brunch. They add a sweetness to a spinach salad or are perfect in a pear torte.

Brunch is a fun way to entertain. Mid morning meals lend themselves to an easy-going atmosphere. The food can be simple and fresh and everyone always seems more at ease in the morning. With a few simple plans you can make sure you, as the hostess are having fun too.  Enjoy yourself!

Here’s the scone recipe. It’s also a great choice if you’ve been invited to someone else’s home for brunch. They travel quite well and you can bring along a delicious jam or spread.

Oat Scones

1 cup rolled oats, plus extra for the counter
1 ½ cup all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
7 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk or cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 425 F. If you have a baking stone, heat it for an extra 10 minutes.
Mix the dry ingredients together, then cut in the butter with your fingers or two knives until coarse crumbs are formed. Beat the egg with the milk and vanilla and stir it into the dough. Mix just enough to moisten the dry ingredients evenly. Scatter some oats on the counter and turn the dough out on top of them. Pat into a circle about ½” thick, then cut into eight wedges and place each piece on the hot baking stone, if using, or on a sheet pan. Bake until nicely browned, 15-18 minutes. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Fresh Berry Nut Bars

 

My son and I have been toying with this recipe for a week or two, each time adjusting and refining until it was healthier and tastier than before. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com via another blog but have since changed it so much I’m pretty sure I can call it my own.

The original calls for 1 cup of flour, but we kept reducing the amount of flour and replacing it with almond meal (I’ll tell you how), until we no longer felt the need for any flour at all. The original also called for 3/4 cup of seedless raspberry jam but after several different fillings that all tasted too sugary we opted for smashed fresh strawberries. We cut them up and combined them with a squirt of lemon juice and a scant teaspoon of sugar to draw out their juices. We tried frozen but they made the bars too damp and a little gooey. Still good but not the best presentation. If frozen berries are your only option, I’d suggest draining them before using. We also opted to add the teaspoon of organic vanilla.  I think when our own berries are ripe this recipe won’t need any added sweeteners. Yum! I’m also anxious to try other fruits as they come in season; think figs, pears or raspberries!

In our quest for a more healthy dessert we were able to leave out the carbs of the flour while adding in the almonds. We couldn’t quite get away from the butter. We tried coconut oil in one of our trials and it was good but after researching found it has more saturated fat than butter. These are really a nice little bar that as far as my family is concerned ‘hits the spot.’ In some ways it’s less of a bar because its center is soft and the outside crumbly. It’s best eaten with a fork rather than fingers. More like dessert than a grab and go bar. Let me how you like them.

 

Here is our recipe:

1 cup rolled oats + 1/4 cup reserved

1 cup almond meal

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter (1 stick, cut into small pieces)

1 cup fresh strawberries chopped small-combined with 1 teaspoon of sugar or 1/2 packet Truvia

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/2 cup ground almonds for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 X 8 inch square pan with cooking spray (sides and bottom)

 

Place oats, almond meal, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and vanilla into food processor and process for about 10 seconds to blend.

Add butter while processor is running and continue until mixture is well combined. The dough will be crumbly and dense.

 

 

 

Spread about 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture in pan. Press. Set 1 cup aside. Place this cup of crumb mixture back in food processor and add reserved cup of oats. Pulse briefly to combine. This will make the topping a bit more crumbly.

Spread the berries over the dough to within about 1/4” of the edge. Press. Spread remaining crumb mixture over the top and lightly press it into the berries. Sprinkle ground almonds on top and press again.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

 

Notes:

• To make almond meal: Place 1 cup of raw almonds in food processor and pulse until a soft meal is formed.
• For ground almond topping simply do the same as above but for a shorter time. When the almonds are chopped coarsely they are ready.

 

                       Can’t wait till summer! Enjoy!