galette, summer.

Summer wouldn't be summer with out all the activity;  thankfully workmen are finished tramping through our house, the experiment (for our family) of summer day camps is over, and we can get to mid-summer lazy-busy.  (After we cleaned up from all the workmen, we put the porch work on hiatus whilst we work on our next adventure.  I'm happy to take this break from it, and we will hopefully come back to it excited to keep working.)

The fresh pea soup (made from every pea harvested in the garden) was wonderful, Greta enjoyed the process from plant to supper all in one afternoon.  We used this recipe, but used onion instead of shallots.  We should have strained it, like the recipe said, but didn't and didn't too much mind the pea "shells."  We barely had the three cups of peas, so I guess I didn't want to lose any to straining!

I've had galettes on the mind recently, with their promise of summer easy.  After picking from this recipe and that, we've had raspberry galette twice now, with my cups of slightly over-ripe berries every couple days from the bushes.  It seems, even with picking often, the berries are always overripe!  Perfect for galette.  So easy!  Try for yourself.

~~~
Raspberry Galette
~ 4 very generous servings

Make dough first, must rest an hour:
Put ice in a cup of water, put in fridge.
Cut 6 Tbs cold butter into small cubes, set in fridge.

1 C (5 oz) all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Mix these briefly in food processor.  Add cold butter, pulse just until grainy (don't overmix).

With processor running, drizzle in ice water 1 Tbs at a time, until dough forms a ball, and no more.  (Will use maybe 2-4 Tbs.)  Place ball in a plastic bag, gently form a 1" thick disk, set in refrigerator at least one hour.

Meanwhile (about 1/2 hour later):

Preheat oven to 400 F.

2 C fresh raspberries
2 T sugar (can use more, quite tart)
2 tsp cornstarch

Sprinkle sugar and cornstarch over berries, mix gently.

On parchment paper, lay dough, then cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Roll out until approx 1/8" thick in a rough round or oval shape.  Pile berries in center and gently spread, leaving 1" edge of crust.  Fold this edge over the berries, around the sides.  Brush crust with milk, sprinkle turbinado sugar over everything.  Transfer parchment with galette onto cookie sheet, bake 35-40 minutes.

Excellent with ice cream (especially chocolate)!

~~~
(Now it's packing time again...  hooray!!)

snowflakes, swords, and smoking (bishop)

Our Christmas holidays were blessedly quiet, with travelling mercies down to a week spent with family.  We "took a couple weeks off" from homeschooling, mostly meaning we didn't sit down on my choice to do anything specific.  We did finish Dicken's A Christmas Carol on Christmas eve evening, after church, so that was lovely.  We have a great unabridged edition with Eric Kincaid's  illustrations that captures Greta's imagination (though it does have "chapters" instead of "staves," ah, well).

We spent the week enjoying good food, good drink, and good company.  New board games are always part of the mix, and old and new films, and we're even happy moving furniture, setting up new movie rooms, and helping clean basements in exchange for the fun.  There's runs to the mall, walks with the dogs, playing by the creek (mostly frozen), and trying out new recipes.  And keeping old ones!

In honor of Dicken's, here is a wonderful one we've used the past couple years:

“A merry Christmas, Bob!” said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. “A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you, for many a year! I’ll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop, Bob! Make up the fires, and buy another coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit!”

Smoking Bishop

two oranges
one grapefruit
whole cloves
1/2 C sugar
one bottle (750ml) of dry red wine
1/2 bottle (375ml) of port

Wash fruit well.  Cut the grapefruit in half (the other half is not used).  Stud the half grapefruit and two oranges with 6 or so cloves in each.  Roast this fruit in the oven (350-ish), turning once or twice, until the fruit starts to brown.  Place fruit in a warmed large non-reactive (not metal) bowl, pour over the wine, add the sugar, cover, and let sit in a warm place for a day or so.

Squeeze the fruit into the wine, then strain into a saucepan.  Add the 1/2 bottle of port, and heat through, but not until boiling, stirring occasionally.  The drink will begin to "smoke" when it is ready.  Extra can be stored in the refrigerator, then brought back to smoking on the stove for drinking.  Take note of how you prefer your drink, you may like less or more sugar, or citrus, or a different wine or port.

Five adults whom enjoy wine (the sixth, not me, is pregnant!) went through a batch this size in a couple days, next year we may have to do the full recipe!  It is perfect for a Christmas or New Year's gathering.

read and eat (and knit)

Today I'm not going to get into what it's like having a super-picky eater in the family;  honestly, I never really like talking about it much at all, because it seems to be a topic that's full of judgement. (At least I feel like I'm being judged.  I can see those mental eye-rolls, you know:  "oh, yeah, your kid's picky, uh-huh (push-over parents).")  So I'll just move on through all that to say My Problem is ambivalence toward cooking...the endlessness of the constantly arriving dinner-times.  (I'd be happy opening a can of organic veggie soup and making grilled cheese every night of the week, thank you.)

So, I've been working on that.  Jeff and I really do like eating fun and different things, and I do think we're finding some that will work well for our family.  Thanks to the library, I stole some of Rachael Ray's great ideas, like making alfredo pasta, then adding a homemade lasagne sauce on top, layered with mozzarella and asiago.  (Completely ignoring her ingredients and instructions.)  We had a winner:  Kaatje eats the plan alfredo pasta with asiago, Gret eats some of the meat sauce with hers and a bit of cheese, Jeff and I can have it all together in its full glory.  That's just an example.

Although all us moms (and dads) do it, I first thought about this idea specifically while reading Jenny Rosenstrach's book, Dinner: A Love Story.  In this great book, Jenny talks about the winning dinner strategy of making one thing that can be disassembled then reassembled into things everyone likes to eat.  This helps me a lot, since I like to make one-dish meals.  (Note to Minnesotans:  this does not mean I like to make "hot-dishes;"  that's "casseroles" to the rest of us.  I rarely layer ingredients and bake, unless it's lasagne.  I am part Italian after all.)  I like soups, stews, stir-frys, things to eat over rice or pasta.   I also rarely make a slab of meat with a "starch" (I hate that word) and a veggie.  I'd much rather cut the meat into chunks and make something out of all those things.  I'm learning to do this and create a whole meal with parts for everyone.  Jenny has a very cute (though incorrectly labeled, the math-major in me must add) Venn diagram in her book that shows how her family eats one of her meals.

I guess this is a wordy post about how, after having kids for 10 years, I'm learning to cook.  Maybe it's a post about how we're always learning?

~
Oh, yeah, there's some knitting up there, too.  I was going to post on a knitting and reading link-up on another blog, but went off on this cooking tangent, then it went all over from there.  Hey, though!  I'm continuing to knit this scarf that's been around for, oh, a year or so.  There's another addition to the learning discussion:  this pattern is *way* easier than when I first started knitting it.  (Not to say that's making things go any faster, just more enjoyable, I guess.)

End of the summer basil.

Before the hardest of frosts, we picked the rest of the basil.  It had been nipped a bit, some stems a dingy dead brown, but most was fine.  My helper picked leaves from stems, and I only had to pull out a couple tree leaves from the bowl (before it went to the food processor, fortunately).

In the past, I've had a little problem with pine nuts.  Did you know there's a condition where eating pine nuts can cause a metallic taste in ones mouth everytime something is eaten, for up to weeks after eating the pine nuts?!  Having had it a few years ago, I know this problem quite well and am loath to repeat it.  Imagine metallic-tasting everything:  cereal, tea, coffee, pasta, meat, ice cream... every thing you put in your mouth makes a bitter, metallic taste.   (Similar to tap water in Michigan!  ha!)  Anyway, I know there are pesto recipes with different nuts, but that would have meant shopping for nuts and the basil, parmesean, and olive oil were sitting right there on my counter.
This recipe turned out great!  Pesto without nuts

Although I didn't have nuts for pesto, I did happen to have all the ingredients to make different pesto with my Thai basil:  Asian Basil Pesto 
Nothing compares to Thai basil when you need basil for Asian recipes.  I always throw some in stir fries or fried rice.  This pesto recipe I froze in an ice cube tray, but the oil must keep it from freezing solid, because days later it is still a bit soft.

I like to over-winter the basil plants inside, digging them out and potting them, but they'd already started to freeze, and they truly aren't particularly happy being houseplants in Minnesota, with our 8 hours of (weak) daylight in the winter.  (I'm already starting to wear a reflective jacket to walk the dog in the morning:  sad.)

The regular basil was lovely with a package of cheese ravioli...hmmm, what else to add it to?!

not that kind of shrub.

This is a shrub.

I'm sure I'm out of the loop on such things, having never heard of such, but these seem to be popular now and the idea appealed to me immediately;  me being the one who drinks apple cider vinegar in hot water in winter and cold in summer (approximately 1 tablespoon per 12 oz of water, if you're wondering).

A shrub is a old, fallen out of use technique for preserving berries.  The final liquid is used to add to other drinks, such as mixed drinks or juices, or, in my case, plain water.  (My plan is for sparkling water, but once you open that bottle, you know, there's no going back...)

The process isn't hard.

I used about 1 cup of mixed blueberries and raspberries (mine happened to be frozen, but fresh would be best), mixed with a very shy cup of plain table sugar.  Let this sit until it macerates;  I let it sit out a while, then put it in the fridge overnight, then mashed it up.  Add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, unfiltered.  (I like the little organic bottles from the popular neighborhood small grocery chain with the initials "TJ," though if I keep making this, I'll have to buy in larger quantities.)  The ratio is 1:1:1, but you can play with that to taste.

Let this fruit/sugar/AC Vinegar concoction rest in your fridge awhile (awhile being a few days).  Cover with plastic wrap when your husband complains about the smell.  Stir and mash up gently, often.  I couldn't resist trying some the next day:  a couple tablespoons in a glass of ice water, mmm!

After finally being sick of the big measuring pitcher in the fridge (about 2 days), I strained it through a regular kitchen strainer, pushing with a spoon, into a glass jar.  The remains went into the compost.

This couldn't be much prettier.  I like it in water, it's great in orange juice, too.  (I'd bet it would be good in lots of other things, including alcoholic, but sickness recovery is putting a damper on my adventuresome-ness with regard to drinks.)

It's tart and spicy and sweet all at once, a lovely end-of-summer (oh, no!) drink.

around the house this summer

~ yesterday my lovely neighbor gave me 3 tomatoes.  I immediately made caprese salad.  (And immediately ate it.  Nevermind Jeff was warming up dinner at the time.)

~ this sour cream is lovely with meat, or on sandwiches.  Especially if one has a tarragon plant that thinks it is a perennial in zone 3 and is now 3 feet tall.

~ lots of projects on and off the needles.  Anyone else with a fall baby?  I've found the Perfect Baby Sweater (thank you, all in the round).

~ the girls know they're on borrowed time, those evenings outside after our late suppers...we're pretty sure that's why they play so nicely. ("five more minutes, please!!"  and we usually give in...)

in which she bakes, and I expound.

so something happened somewhere and I turned around and Kaatje can make cookies all by herself.  it's not like I never taught her, it's not like I wouldn't let her until now.  she just wanted to and decided she would and then we had cookies.  I didn't even need to deal with the oven for her.
huzzah! = competent children!

(they were good!)

Kaatje's Tasty Peanut Butter Cookies
(from the back of the brown sugar bag...)

1 C dark brown sugar
1/2 C butter, softened
3/4 C peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C white flour (next time we're trying some whole wheat)
1 tsp baking soda

Heat oven to 375 deg. F.

Beat sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and egg on medium speed until creamy.  Blend in baking soda and flour.

Shape dough into 1" balls, place 2" apart on ungreased sheets.  Flatten with fork dipped in sugar.  Bake 6-9 minutes, cool 2 minutes on pan, move to wire rack.


~~~
a word here about our family's food philosophy...I've run across such silly things lately in the hows and whys of eating, and am reminded of Jeff's grandfather who just passed away over 90 years old - and was healthy almost to the end (and loved peanut butter spooned on his ice cream...)  God numbers our days, and all the expensive or complicated fad food in the world won't change that.  all we can do is eat our best to feel our best to do our daily work for Him.

I think our way of eating would best be described by Michael Pollan's quote, "Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants."   pretty much sums it up.  then not long ago, I ran across a specifically named "diet" that also encompasses the way we eat:  the Feingold diet, and I was a bit floored.  an actual named diet describing people who don't eat artificial colors/flavors/sweeteners/preservatives?  (people like labels on everything!)


we try to eat as simply and wholesomely as possible, while enjoying the food we've been blessed to have, through thoughtfully choosing what we're going to eat.  we're blessed to not have food allergies,  we're blessed with healthy bodies and active lifestyles, we're blessed with resources to purchase what we need when we need it, and try to buy no more than that.

healthy food = healthy bodies!  (and we enjoy our peanut butter cookies once in a while, too!)

in which we put raspberries in scones.

We sometimes need a little extra to get going on Saturday mornings.  I don't often cook or bake breakfast, since we have a dry cereal addiction in this family, but Saturday mornings, when I've come back from a long run, something sweet with a cup of coffee is exactly right.

How can one not put chocolate in raspberry scones?

This recipe:  whole wheat raspberry ricotta scones

With these changes: 3/4 C sour cream instead of ricotta (yogurt would work, too?),  a bit less than 1/3 C of 2% organic milk instead of heavy cream (less than 1/3 C because the sour cream or yogurt has more liquid than the ricotta), and added a handful of chocolate chips.  Because,  you know, I had to.  Sprinkled some turbinado sugar on top before baking.

These were excellent, enjoyed by all.  Much better the first day than later, but still so good there were no complaints about eating them Monday.

~
Right now we're between batches of raspberries from the garden;  the old branches from last year produced in the spring (which is why we leave them, right?  not because we're too lazy to cut them down?) and have now stopped, and now the new growth is setting the flowers for fall berries, with the bumble bees busily working out there as we speak.

It's hard to believe it's August already.  I'm all about concentrating on living in the day, but I'm so sad autumn is in view already.  We've been loving this summer!

what *eees* it?

(you have to say that title in your best "Ren and Stimpy" voice.)

(and yes, I was a teen in the 90's, why do you ask?)

So I didn't know what to do with the kale in the CSA, ran across an intriguing recipe, used up all the kale, and took some blurry photos for you... in that order.  They were salty and oily and crispy and... kale-y.  And addicting and good.  And no, I don't really care for kale, either.

Tonight we're having this (but a kale/chard mix). ..continuing in our CSA-finding-new-recipes theme.

So if unusual leafy things find their way into your kitchen, I recommend cheese sauce, oil, and salt.  Not necessarily together, but that probably works too.

Hey, I never claimed doing a CSA would equal low-calorie meals, but we're certainly eating a wider variety of organic fresh veggies!  Now, off to grate zucchini to freeze for chocolate chip zucchini bread come winter... (is there any other way to eat zucchini?!  wait... don't answer that, 'cause I won't listen...)

we ate all the marshmallows now, anyway.

So, time to get down off that marshmallow sugar high and get in some protein and carbs.  The kids will love helping with this recipe, too.  (At least the mixing part, the stirring while baking part is a bit of a pain, I must admit!)

People either like granola, or they don't, it seems.  I used to think I was someone who didn't like granola - but realized that granola doesn't have to have coconut flakes in it.  Isn't that the fun?  Make it how you want!

Here's a nice basic granola recipe, it's quick and easy.  ...and really pretty!  I put the granola in glass jars, it's too pretty to go in the bulk cereal boxes we use.

Granola

1/2 C roasted sunflower seeds
5 C oatmeal (not instant)
1/4 C canola oil (or, in a pinch, I've been known to use olive oil.  Works fine.)
1/3 C local honey
1/3 C packed brown sugar (again, white works; and better yet put molasses in w/ white)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. each nutmeg and cloves
1/2 C no-salt-added good-quality nut mix, chopped (or almonds or walnuts)
raisins

Preheat oven to 300 F

Combine sunflower seeds and oatmeal in a large bowl.
Put in a glass bowl the sugar, oil, honey, vanilla, and spices.  Microwave until soft (maybe 20 seconds) and mix very well.  Drizzle over the oatmeal mixture and stir well to uniformly coat.

Spread mixture in a large baking pan.  Bake 25 minutes, stirring every 5-7 minutes.  (Note that stirring is easier if you remove the pan from the oven, and stir with a pancake turner)   Cool well in the pan, stirring again when it's been out of the oven about 7 minutes, scraping the pan well.

Finally, add the chopped nuts, and store in an airtight container.  Sprinkle with raisins when serving.

~
Look at your local co-op for bulk oatmeal, nuts, and seeds.  If you buy more than you need, the leftovers store well in the freezer.  Play with the spices and nuts, use different combinations or amounts to your preference!  (and if you like coconut, fine, you can add that, too, I suppose... all the more for you to eat!)

do not try this at home

I should learn.  (you'd think we would.)

I bake bread weekly, 'cause the girls balk at eating any other (they'll do it grudgingly).  We make homemade pizza about 2/3d's of the weeks we eat it (the other weeks, I'm too tired/busy.  And the girls eat takeout pizza grudgingly.)  We make pretty much all our own cookies, muffins, sweet breads, snacks.  Make my own granola (oh, yeah, need to do that today).  Make our own ice cream.

Yes, yes; we're extremely spoiled, I realize that.

But we should have Stopped While We were Ahead.

We had to go and make our own marshmallows.

Please, save yourself the pain and torture and just keep buying the 99-cent bags from the grocery store...  if you try these, you'll be up to your elbows in boiling sugar and whipped egg whites, then spend an afternoon poking a sticky pan of white fluff trying to figure out when it's ready to cut.

(Note: next time, make in afternoon or evening, and wait until overnight to cut.  Saves so much impatience.)

Actually we learned a lot making these, and will change a lot for next time.  The recipe we used is from the lovely, but vaguely instructed, River Cottage Family Cookbook.  I do love this cookbook so, but it would be nice to know that "beating until thick" could require up to 10 minutes or more, as I found on-line.

So, I'd love to post a recipe for you, but I'd like to tweak ours first and really figure it out.  I just had to share the lovely, and to let you know, truly, don't be scared of doing this yourself.  Just keep the little ones away from the boiling sugar, and give yourself enough time.  You won't regret it!

(well, you will regret it, you know, because you won't be able to buy those tasteless white cylinders in a bag ever ever again.  at least without thinking, "I could be eating real marshmallows.")

p.s.  The latter cuts of these, I dredged in cocoa powder.  I can't even talk about this, they're so incredibly good.  Let's just not go there.  But don't say I didn't warn you.