Author: SaraTaft

My summer vegetable garden is waning. This as been a sad year for gardens. So much rain, so much humidity. Cool nights and sporatic sunshine. But I’m in the mood for cooking up something that will use the ricotta I have in the fridge before it expires. Something cheesy and scrumptious. With summer squash perhaps?

Earlier today I harvested some lovely tomatoes and cucumbers from plants generously given to me at the beginning of summer. Much to my delight I was surprised by two lovely zucchini stretching their necks out from under the waterlogged yellow leaves of the plant. Just enough to make a zuccini lasagna. Or so I hoped.

After bringing my basket of veggies into the kitchen I went to my pantry cupboard and found only four lasagna pasta sheets. Hmmmmmm…clearly I needed to improvise.

I pulled half of an Italian turkey meatloaf out of the freezer. I knew it was there and I thought I would eventually do something with it in a pinch. Well, now was my opportunity. Only four lasagna sheets, half a meatloaf and two small zucchini. One large overripe tomato and the will to find a way. There was certainly not enough of one thing to make a meal for two. BUT, if I put it all together I would have something scrumptious on our dinner plates.

I began by slicing the meatloaf into thin slices. These slices were going to do duble duty as lasagna sheets. I cut up the zucchini, peeled and sliced the tomato. I dredged the zucchini slices in a flour and herb mixture then began with two of the pasta sheets and started to layer. I spread ricotta over each layer and finished with the sliced tomato, evoo drizzled over all and a sprinkle of grated parm. I let it sit on the counter for a bit then put it in a 350 degree oven and baked it for roughly an hour. Bake it long enough for the center to be bubbling nicely. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

If the finished lasanga tastes anything like it smells as it is baking then I will wish I had had more of all the ingredients to start with. This however, is one of the best ways to exercise your culinary creativity and create something scrumptious from very little. Never think what you have isn’t enough. On its own perhaps it isn’t. But put it together with a bit of this and some of that and it suddenly becomes more than you can eat in one sitting. Like this dish of summer lasagna. WOW. Leftovers on the horizion!!!

With the high and ever rising cost of food not using what we have or thinking there isn’t enough to go around isn’t the way to think. One of my favorite posts from a few years ago is about what to do with leftovers.

This is my first blog post in quite a while and it feels so good to be back. I will be adding more posts, with more frequency and more good things to share and pass around our tables. For now this delicious looking lasagna is calling…Many Blessings

Meanwhile, a pot of soup is simmering on the stovetop. Today seemed like a good day for making a hearty soup for dinner tonight.

I had rainbow carrots waiting to be enjoyed in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator and some new red potatoes. What better than a soup made with both along with a sweet Vidalia onion and delectible roasted garlic.

It will be a while before I have fresh herbs in my garden. BUT, the sage and thyme wintered wonderfully and a few sprigs will give this soup a spark of green new life from the garden.

Entirely vegan and vegetarian if you use water as your broth base, this soup is made with quinoa to give it a complete dose of protein. If you so desire, you can add freshly grated parm to the bowl which of course takes vegan out of the meal. Add or not to your liking.

Since I am also trying to use up what I have (hiding) in the freezer I made a small pot of chicken stock this morning using chicken bones I had picked clean for a chicken salad not too long ago. They are just right for simmering enough stock for this soup, (which of course makes it non vegan or vegetarian). I simply put the bones in a stock pot, cover with water, add salt and pepper and let them simmer for an hour or two. I made about 4 cups to add to the soup pot.

So, as you can see from the photo above, I diced three carrots and four of the new red potatoes. To my 6 quart enameled cast iron dutch oven I added :

2 TB tomato paste and a TB or so of EVOO

1/4 cup of water

1 medium Vidalia onion, peeled and diced

I sauteed these together until the onion was translucent. I then added the diced carrots and potatoes, 2 cups of the chicken stock (slightly cooled and drained), OR (2 cups of water for vegan or vegetarian), salt and pepper to taste and let all of it simmer, covered, on a low flame for about an hour or until the carrots and potatoes were softening. Then, I added half a bulb of freshly roasted garlic, a sprig of well rinsed thyme and two or three leaves of sage from my garden. I let all of this goodness simmer, covered, for another hour or so and then added about a cup of uncooked quinoa and the rest of the chicken stock.

Once the quinoa fully cooked, I removed the sage leaves and thyme sprig. Now if you like a thinner soup feel free to add a bit more chicken stock or water to the pot. Otherwise, let the soup sit covered, on a low flame for another half hour or so. Just before serving, take a small taste and season with a bit more salt and pepper if needed. And, if you so desire, garnish with homemade crutons and a bit of grated parm or cheddar.

And here comes more rain, thunder and lightening. The wind is blowing everything sideways. Hang on…summer is on the horizion.

Enjoy every drop of this hearty soup…Many Blessings…

If only it were so simple. So carefree to move into this new year of possibilities without having to carry the weight of grief, inconsolable sadness, utter despair at the unfolding of so much loss, angst and fear from last year.

The human heart is wired to hope. To have faith, to believe. To endure, to move forward to find ways to keep searching for the light. Coping mechanisms are part of our psyche. Without them we would surely succumb to the horrors that life hurls at us. We would wither, and give up.

Tolkien’s quote fills my mind during these cold, sometimes bleak January days.

“No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must keep us from following the light unflinchingly”.

Another that resonates right now is from Robert Frost. A favorite poet whose words perpetually fill me with direction and worldly wisdom. and light.

“The only way out is through”.

Each day following the winter solstice, we gain a bit more daylight. A short month ago darkness descended here in our New Englad woodland by late afternoon. Already the light is returning and tho we have a lot farther to go before the summer solstice, daylight endures a few moments longer each passing day. In the deep of winter, light grows. It is all around us. We must continue to look for the light. It is how we find our way through.

Winter darkness heads unflilnchingly toward spring light. It is a natural journey. A pilgrimage from one season to the next. The darkness sits with itself among the bare, creaking trees and endures the bitter cold, the relentless howling winds, the ice, the snow, the shadows.

We in many ways do the same. We sit in the darkness, moving through it, looking for the light. The glow of candles, silent flickers of warmth. Logs burning in the fireplace deep into the longest, darkest nights. The lamp lit along the drive for a loved one returning home after a difficult day; its light reflected in drifts of snow. A lamp glowing in the window to guide one back home from a midnight walk in the woods. The moon and the stars unflinchingly, unfailingly fill the night sky.

The golden glow of sunrise and the smoulder of sunset.

I cannot presume to know how much sorrow others have had to face. How much loss, how much worry, how insurmountable life and its challenges has been and still is for so many. I can only speak for myself. And I can only say, in my single small voice, that Robert Frost and Tolkien are correct. We must look to the light unflinchingly and head toward it by going through. That is the only way out of the darkness.

And this I do know. Light is everywhere. We are surrounded by its ever present grace. We don’t have to look far to see it. But we do have to look…always.

Many Blessings…

Plump lapis blue berries.   Blueberries.   So many ways to savor their tart yet sweet deliciousness.   Fresh on waffles or pancakes.  On top of a bowl of creamy, frozen vanilla ice cream.  With a bowl of cereal swimming in milk.  By the handful, straight from the bush or basket.  Jams, jellies, pies and sweet breads.  Irresistible and filled with plump blueberries.

Blueberries contain flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that can help reduce damage to cells and can aid in boosting your immune system.  As a snack, a cup of fresh blueberries contains roughly 85 calories and 15 grams of sugar.  Don’t be put off by the seemingly high sugar content.  With 3.6 grams of fiber and high amounts of vitamin C, K and magnesium they pack a bit of a nutritional punch that can aid in heart health by reducing amounts of blood cholesterol.  Blueberries are also 85 % water.

Of course if you enjoy that cup of blueberries with a dollop of whipped cream or in a pie you can count on more calories and in some cases a lot more sugar.   Hard to resist the plump blue berries any way you can get them.  Their semi tough skin gives a slight pop when crushed by the teeth and tho filled with tiny seeds, the almost transparent pale green gel just inside the skin of the berries glides over the tongue with delicious ease, the skin leaving it a light shade of blue.

During my early childhood, through late July and all of August, we would occasionally pick blueberries from the wild blueberry bushes on my grandparents farmland.  My mother and one or two of her sisters, with all of us cousins in tow; would picnic first and then fill our pails with blueberries.

The old pastures were humming still with faded memories of cows meandering single file their well trod cow paths in the heat of summer; in search of shade under far reaching brances of a welcoming tree.

Sad old apple trees, gnarled and long left to their own devices; scratched and scraped our legs as we climbed their craggy nelected branches.  From our pearches in the apple trees we could see our mothers moving about the blueberry bushes, picking rhythmically in the hot sun.  We could hear the plop, plop of berries being dropped into the pails and the low murmuring of their voices mingled with the droning of bees and cicadas,  bird song and our own laughter.  Summer days…lazy, hazy, sweet memories.

Of course, the best was yet to come.  Those ripe and ready blueberries were headed for home and all kinds of scrumptious baked goodies were not far off.  Blueberry cobbler was and still is a favorite for me.  Blueberry pie is pretty hard to beat and blueberry muffins…well, they are in a league of their own.  Still warm from baking, with a generous pat of butter magically melting over the top, a fresh blueberry muffin is as close to blueberry heaven on earth as you can come.

Here, in my recipe, I have created a muffin that I believe is perfect.  Reduced sugar, just the right amount of grated nutmeg and vanilla extract; these not too sweet and so very flavorful muffins are irresistible.  This recipe makes 2 dozen muffins.  Enough to eat and some to freeze if they last that long.   Of course, you can always share some with the neighbors and your grandchildren.

In most of my baking, I use duck eggs.  Something about duck eggs for baking makes any and all baked goods so much better.  I don’t know why…but that is my opinion.  So, when I say 4 extra large eggs in this recipe, you don’t HAVE to use duck eggs.  Extra large eggs will do just fine.

Also, I have a convection oven.  So these muffins take less time for baking in my oven.  My advice to you is to set your timer for 20 minutes and then add time in 5 minute increments while watching the baking closely.  Once you know how long it takes for these muffins to bake in your oven, make a note of it for next time.

As always, I use pure ingredients.  Real butter, real vanilla extract, viable baking powder (yes, baking powder gets old and does not perform well if it is no longer viable).  You can do a simple test to see if your baking powder is still viable.  To 1/3 cup of hot water add 1 tsp of baking powder.  If it sizzles it is still usable.

Hugelhaus Blueberry Muffins

makes 24 muffins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Place paper muffin cups into two muffin tins

Into a large mixing bowl add:

4 cups of all purpose unbleached flour (I use King Arthur)

1/4 cup of almond meal

3/4 cup light brown sugar (not packed)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teas salt

1 teas grated nutmeg

5 teas baking powder

mix all dry ingredients together well

In a large glass bowl or measuring cup melt 2 sticks of butter (1 cup) in the microwave and set aside to cool

Into another large glass bowl or measuring cup add:

1 cup oat milk

1/4 cup sour cream

4  X large eggs

2 TB vanilla extract

whisk all together until egg yolks are broken and the sour cream is incorporated.

If you are using a mixer, place the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and with the paddle attachment and the mixer on low speed add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients simultaneously.  Mix well until all the ingredients are blended.

With a spatula, gently fold in 3 cups of rinsed and patted dry fresh blueberries.  Be sure to mix the blueberries in gently and evenly.

Using the spatula, evenly fill the paper muffin cups.  Place the muffin tins into your preheated 375 degree oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (if using a convection oven).   Bake longer in 5 minute increments in a regular oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Do not overbake.

One helpful and splendid blueberry (or any berry, cherry or grape) keeper I have discovered is a berry keeper produced by Hutzler.  I have found that rinsing any berries and letting them drain for a bit in the basket of this berry keeper before storing in your fridge, keeps berries fresh, ready to eat and longer lasting than any other method.  I highly recommend it.  I have been able to find these at Big Y markets and since I get them there I haven’t looked elsewhere.  But if you google Hutzler you will find a website that lists not only their products but where and how to purchase them.

I hope you enjoy every moist, bursting blueberry filled bite of these muffins.  I wish you a safe, healthy and happy August.

And always…Many Blessings.

 

 

In my opinion, nothing beats a thick slice of freshly baked bread, still warm from the oven and soaked with melted butter.  I devour the first slice, savor the second.  Still wanting more, the loaf doesn’t last long in our home.  This  soda bread is no exception, and is even better toasted!   In our home,  it doesn’t last long enough to freeze, but I’m confident it will freeze well.

I have baked this soda bread in an 8 inch enamel coated cast iron skillet and in a 2 quart enameled cast iron dutch oven, uncovered.  In the skillet, you get a loaf that is spread out and not as “high”.  It bakes higher in the dutch oven.   It is all a matter of preference.  The skillet loaf is perfect for slicing and serving with dinner.  The dutch oven loaf is ideal for toasting.  The photo above is a dutch oven baked loaf.  The baking time varies for each.  A matter of a few more minutes in the dutch oven, vs the skillet.

For many years past, my mother made Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick’s day.  Along with the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner.  Her mother’s family hailed from County Louth, Ireland, so I guess the Irish genes carried on in the baking.  That soda bread has always been my favorite part of that or any meal.  Slathered with butter.  Impossible to resist…

Here, I have created a recipe for soda bread using whole wheat flour and homemade buttermilk; which is so simple to make.  Adding dried currents is optional.  I am not a fan of caraway seeds, tho if YOU are, feel free to add a spoonful.

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this soda bread.

Into a large mixing bowl place:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose unbleached flour

1/2 cup quick oats

1 TB each, granulated sugar and light brown sugar

1 rounded teaspoon each, baking soda and baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

using a whisk, mix all the dry ingredients together well

To a small bowl add 1 extra large egg (I use duck eggs for baking but one extra large egg works fine here), and 2 TB of sour cream.  Beat well and set aside.

For the buttermilk you will need:

1/4 cup (half a stick) of butter (melted)

2 cups whole milk

roughly 1 TB white vinegar

Melt the butter in a 4 cup glass measuring cup.  (I use my microwave on low for a few seconds and watch closely or the butter will explode !!! )

Add the 2 cups of milk to the melted butter in the measuring cup.  Then drizzle in the vinegar.  Let the mixture set for a minute but do not stir.

Add the egg and sour cream mixture simultaneously with the buttermilk to the dry ingredients.  Mix all together just until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated.  Using a spatula, scrape the sides of the mixing bowl and give the mixture an extra turn or two just to be sure there are no dry ingredients left in the bottom of the bowl.

Pre heat your oven to 325 degrees

Lightly spray the bottom of an 8″ cast iron skillet (I use an enameled skillet) or a small (2 QT) dutch oven.

Using the spatula, scrape the dough evenly into the skillet.  Roughly smooth the dough so it is evenly placed but don’t make it totally smooth on top.  You want the rough, craggy top to give the bread a rustic texture.

Bake the bread in your 325 degree oven for 40 minutes if you are using a skillet. Check to see if the loaf is done by inserting a toothpick into the middle.  If the toothpick comes out with some dough on it, give the loaf another 5 minutes and check again.  Do this in 5 minute increments until the toothpick comes out clean.  If you are using a dutch oven, check the middle of the bread after 45 minutes and use the same method of checking the loaf. Continue checking until the loaf is fully baked.  I have a gas convection oven for baking and the loaf in the dutch oven took roughly 60 minutes.  All ovens vary,  just do not overbake this bread or it might be dry.

Once the bread is completely baked, remove it from the oven onto a cooling rack.  After 20 minues of cooling carefully remove the bread from the cast iron skillet or dutch oven.  Don’t get burned by the still very hot cast iron !!!

Let the bread cool before slicing.  This is the hard part…you will want to slice it while it is still warm!  It will crumble a bit, and you will want to melt gobs of buter onto its glorious surface.  Go ahead…do it.  We need all the joy we can get right now, more than ever.  So, GO AHEAD…DO IT.

Many BLESSINGS to you all…

 

 

I posted this pork and sweet potato pie on my blog facebook page a while ago and after my cousin Jennifer recently comented she wanted the recipe,  I figure I better get it out there!!!  Thank you Jennifer for the nudge…♡

I often use ground turkey for burgers, meatloaf, sauces and casseroles.  I buy meat from a favorite local business and tho I personally eat only poultry on occasion,  my husband Bill and my mom, who lives next door and dines with us at dinnertime, enjoy pork and beef in their diets.  So, occasionally I give them their fix of one or the other.

So, using ground pork and some creative experimentation I, a while ago, created this pork and sweet potato pie.  I have to admit…it’s scrumptious.

I made it last night using ground turkey.  It is equally scrumptious.   And I have no problem enjoying a large helping!!! I make a large pie, so there are plenty of leftovers.  It tastes even better the next day and warms easily, covered tightly with foil so as not to dry out, in a 325° oven.  I take the foil off for the last few minutes of warming so the biscuit crust can crisp.

Here is my recipe.

For the potato portion of the filling, you will need…

3 medium potatoes peeled and diced into 1″ chunks

3 small or 1 large sweet potato peeled and diced into 1″ chunks

1 large vidalia onion or sweet onion peeled and diced

1/2 stick, (4 TB)  butter

1 cup water

2 TB tomato paste

several grinds of salt and pepper

roughly a 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

A few dashes of ground cardamom and a dash of ground cloves (go easy on the cloves…you can always add more to taste but you just want the warm hint of it in the filling).

Place the butter, water and tomato paste into a 6 quart enameled Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add both sweet and regular diced potatoes and onion.  Add salt, pepper, dried thyme, cardamom and cloves. Mix well with a wooden spoon, cover and let potato mixture simmer on medium/low heat for about 20 minutes.   Uncover and stir well.  Cover and simmer for another 20 minutes or so or until potatoes are very tender and beginning to fall apart.  Remove from the heat and let mixture cool, uncovered.

Once cool enough to handle, using a deep welled spoon or ladle,  remove the potato mixture from the Dutch oven.   Leave some of the liquid in the Dutch oven.  Heat the liquid to just bubbling and add 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of ground pork or turkey.  Give it a few grinds of salt and pepper and the same dashes of cardamom and cloves as you did with the potato mixture.    Reduce heat if necessary and stir the ground meat until it is well and evenly cooked.  Add 2 TB of flour and stir well. Add 1/4 to 1/2  cup of half and half or milk and stir well until the meat mixture is thickened.

Add the potato mixture to the ground meat in the Dutch oven and mix well.  Let the mixture simmer ever so gently on the lowest heat.  If you feel the mixture is too thick gradually add a bit of water until a nice gravy is achieved. You do not want the gravy too thin.

For the biscuit crust you will need…

2 cups all purpose flour

1 heaping TB bsking powder

A few grinds of pepper and salt

A dash of dried thyme

1 stick of cold butter diced into small chunks

1/4 cup of cold milk and roughly 1/4 cup of ice water more or less…

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add the diced butter and mix until the butter has broken down into small bits.  Gradually add the milk, then the ice water until a dough is formed and no dry ingredients are left in the bowl.  The dough may be a bit sticky.  This is fine.

Flour your rolling surface well and drop the dough onto it.  With floured hands form a ball and using a dough scraper, slice the ball of dough in half.

Roll out half the dough to fill the bottom of a deep dish pie plate.   Once you have done that, carefully spoon the hot mixture from the dutch oven into the pie plate.  Top with the cup of grated sharp cheddar.   Roll out the remaining dough for the top of the pie, lay it evenly on top and crimp the edges tightly.

 

Pre heat your oven to 375 °

Place the pie in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the biscuit crust is a nice golden brown.

Once done, remove the pie from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.

I have added fresh baby spinach ( when I have it)  to this pie which gives it a bit more color and added nutrients.  I may try adding tender baby peas sometime.  But, as Bill says, “it’s a keeper just the way it is”.  I hope you agree.

Pour yourself a glass of wine, add a green salad or fresh spring asparagus as I did last night…and enjoy.

Many Blessings…

 

 

 

 

 

Thankfully, another weekend is upon us.  Today is Good Friday and many people across the country have the day off.  Hikes and bicycle rides, with social distancing in check; may be on the agenda for families across America as the Easter holiday comes and goes with large gatherings not able to be enjoyed now.

I hope we all will be blessed with a few days of sunshine and fair winds.  We have the gift of time to enjoy the miracles of Mother Nature.  My husband Bill and I are grateful to own several acres of mature forest and over the years of maintaining its magnificence we and our dogs have molded well travelled paths throughout.   We are extremely blessed to be able to open our mudroom door and enter the realm of nature.

However, I know many public parks and trails are unavailable to man or beast during this world pandemic. This reality induces us to yank up our boots, throw on our capes and reach deep into our top hats.  We search with great hope and a bit of desperation to pull out a magic that enables us to entertain ourselves and our children, at little or no cost to perilously empty wallets and pantrys,  in our own backyards.

So, with outdoor sun kissed activities in mind (or indoor picnics with all the lights on and the picnic blanket and basket taking center stage) these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies will bring a just sweet enough, delicious, chewey delight to your days.

Oatmeal Chcoate Chip Cookies

Makes 48 large, chewey,  scrumptious cookies. This recipe can be halved easily for 24 cookies of the same scrumptiousness.

4 1/2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 1/2 cups unpacked light brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup (2 sticks) room temperature butter

1 TB pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup quick oats

1 cup chocolate chips (we prefer dark chocolate chips)

1 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugars and vanilla extract until well mixed.  Add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the flour, oats, salt and baking powder.  Beat until well mixed.  Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and mix until well blended.  The dough will be stiff.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Using a table spoon (the soup spoon kind) scoop up a spoonful of dough and form a rough round scoop of dough. Evenly place  12 scoops of  cookie dough on a parchment lined baking sheet.   Bake for 14 to 16 minutes.  The top of the cookies will be light brown and the centers will appear doughy.  The cookies will be done…do not overbake.  Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let cookies cool for a minute on the cookie sheet.   Remove the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

OR…you can take delicious advantage of still warm from the oven, generously plump chewey cookies.   That’s  what we do.  And we wouldn’t do it any other way.

These cookies travel well…in picnic or Easter baskets, lunch boxes or backpacks.  They freeze well too.  But they usually don’t last that long around here !!!  ENJOY

MANY BLESSINGS…

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first week of April 2020 has come and gone.  Spring arrived on March 20 according to the calendar yet weather wise the days here in the hills are still chilly and sun starved.  April showers, so the saying goes, bring May flowers.  Let us hope for blossoms soon.

This spring has brought major changes and challenges to our lives.  We all must re-configure our days and nights in ways that we never imagined we would have to.  The necessity of social distancing for our health and our well being is crucial.  Yet we are social beings.  Much of our social lives revolve around gatherings of loved ones sharing a bounty of food and cheer.

Weekly trips for groceries cannot be right now.  We must plan ahead and use our imaginations and creativity when preparing meals.  I can only imagine the ways in which this must be similar to feeding a family when rationing made it next to impossible to have even a few of the ingredients necessary to prepare palatable food.

Canned and frozen fill in occasionally.  Fresh is hard to beat.  And fresh is tricky now since going to the market often is not a safe or responsible option.  I try to buy vegetables and fruits that will keep well for a few weeks.  Sometimes months.

Carrots and celery.  Steamed prepared beets vacuum packed and found in the produce section.  Apples, oranges, grapes.  Dried raisins, currants, apricots.  You can also find prepared butternut squash.  Spiralized veggies with lasting power…carrots, beets, cabbage.  Pick and choose wisely.

I make this carrot salad mostly during winter months.  When we long for fresh salads and fresh lettuce from the garden isn’t available.  It is simple to make and deliciously full of goodness.

All you need is 4 or 6 large carrots, washed and grated.  A crisp apple, honeycrisp or ginger gold are my favorites, washed, cored and diced into small chunks.  3 or 4 stalks (including leaves) of washed celery, diced into thin slivers. Two or three tablespoons of dried raisins or currants.

Place all of the sliced, diced and dried ingredients into a large bowl.   Mix well.  Add freshly grated salt and pepper to taste.  A few splashes of white balsamic vinegar and 2 to 3 tablespoons of Hellman’s mayonnaise. To taste.  You can’t mess this up.  Mix well and let set in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Feel free to add grapes, crumbled feta cheese, roasted pepitas…anything you might like.  It isn’t quite the same as fresh green salad but it comes darn close.  And I guarantee it beats “rationing”  apple pie made with Ritz crackers.  I am grateful for what we can get and for the gift of creativity.

MANY BLESSINGS to you all…IN GOOD HEALTH.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer, summer, summer. The lethargic days of July deliver warm, humid nights which are perfect for producing the edibles maturing in vegetable gardens. Green beans, tomatoes, and the ever longed for yet dreaded zucchini. Longed for in such a way that the first blossoms on the zucchini plants are welcomed with glee. Dreaded in that by mid July and throughout August and early September, zucchini are overtaking the garden, the counters, the refrigerator and the patience of our friends and neighbors who can’t take any more !!!

I am always interested in creating new dinner dishes with zucchini. I don’t use them in a lot of baking tho we do love the occasional chocolate zucchini cake and of course zucchini breads of which recipes abound.

Last week I made a pasta dish which was accompanied by garlic bread…naturally. What is pasta without garlic bread ? We are blessed here in the Berkshires by many artisan bakers, chefs, and edible, delectable offerings. One of my (and my daughter in law Gina’s) favorite stops when we are in Great Barrington, is The Berkshire Mountain Bakery. The fresh bread (and other goodies) the bakery creates and offers are beyond delicious. Typically I don’t bake bread in the summer. It is much too hot and oft times humid to do a lot of baking. So…I go where I know I will not be disappointed and buy to my souls delight.

Occasionally, we get a summer day that is cooler and rain infused. As was yesterday. On those days, I do bake. I try to refill the freezer with baked goods made with fresh fruit (think blueberries right now) and of course, zucchini bread. Baking two or three loaves of each means we can enjoy one right now and on those oppressively hot, lethargic, dog days of summer when the last thing I want to do is start the oven; I pull something out of the freezer to enjoy.

As I was going through the refrigerator yesterday, I pulled out a few leftover slices of that scrumptious garlic bread we had a few days ago with our pasta dinner. Not enough really to share again for another meal, this bread is too marvelous to waste (a practice that goes against my grain) so I decided to use it as a base for a zucchini and tomato lasagna. This dish is a keeper!!!

I began by slicing 4 or 5 small zucchini in half then slicing each half lengthwise into several thin slices (see photos above). I peeled and sliced 3 medium tomatoes and layered them with the zucchini slices in a colander with fresh basil leaves, parsley and thyme, generously scattered with salt and pepper. I left them to rest so the tomatoes could drain a bit while they and the zucchini slices would become herb infused. The aroma was heavenly.

After the mixture rested a bit I was ready to assemble my main course lasagna idea for our dinner.

I drizzled a bit of EVOO in the bottom of my 14″ enameled cast iron pan and placed as much of the garlic bread in the bottom as would fit. I then scooped a generous layer of ricotta cheese onto the top of each slice of bread along with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

Taking the zucchini slices out from the layers in the colander I began to place them around the sides of the cast iron pan and in the bare spaces on the bottom between the bread slices. I then added a layer of tomatoes topped with the fresh herbs. I randomly placed the remaining slices of bread, sliced into strips, on top of the first layers and added more dollops of ricotta and another generous sprinkle of Parmesan. I then added several cloves of roasted garlic. The scent of all this deliciousness was intoxicating. For those of you who love fresh herbs and roasted garlic, you know what I am describing. I layered the remaining zucchini and tomato slices with the herbs and topped it all with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Now, as with a lot of my creations, there are no set rules here. If you want to add different cheeses and herbs, by all means DO. Anything goes. Red pepper flakes, oregano, a splash or two of wine or balsamic. Go for it. Let your inner chef and your taste buds shine.

Once I had the lasagna fully assembled I drizzled a bit more EVOO on top and started my oven to pre heat to 350 degrees. I covered the lasagna with tin foil and let it sit on the stove top until the oven was heated to temperature. I baked it covered for about 45 minutes (until the lasagna was bubbling in the middle), then removed the tin foil and baked it for another 15 minutes until the cheese began to brown slightly. I removed the lasagna from the oven and let it sit on the stove top for about 15 minutes before serving.

I don’t think I need to say how delectable and savory this lasagna was, but I will ! The slices of garlic bread were just enough for the base layer. Draining the tomatoes ensured the dish was not too juicy (save that juice by the way…add it to soups or freeze it until you can use it). There wasn’t much, maybe a half a cup, so I added it to the pot of corn chowder I had simmering on the stove. The fresh herbs make all the difference and with the prolific amount I have growing it would be a sin to not use them. The more the merrier.

I served bowls of steaming corn chowder ( made with left over corn from our dinner the night before) along with this lasagna; and our bellies were pleasantly plumped with deliciousness.

This is the season of fresh picked veggies and if you, like we, have a garden teeming with green and yellow and red, well then, your life, like ours…is filled with Many Blessings…

As much as a child of 4 can recall, I have vivid memories of my Grandfather Monroe stepping cautiously, painstakingly down the crooked stone steps that led from our driveway to the woodshed door. I would stand at the kitchen window watching, waiting eagerly for his arrival, my taste buds sensing the sweetness of the honey I knew he would bring; the jar held firmly and protectively in his hands as he made his way slowly to the house. Grandpa would set that jar of honey on the kitchen table and make his cautious descent onto a kitchen chair. He would lift me into the nest of his lap and I would sit in the warmth of his arms while my mother cut his hair. He would hold that jar of golden honey in one hand and with the other he would spoon that thick, golden goodness into the tiny cradle of a long handled teaspoon. I would open my mouth like an eager little bird, tilt my head back and let the drizzle of gold trickle onto my tongue and flow in sweet, gentle rivulets down into my belly. Not long after, we lost my Grandfather, but my memories of him are golden.

My mother’s father, Hubert Reginald Monroe, born 28 January 1896, grew into a tall, handsome farmer and with his wife Mildred, raised their family of seven, six girls and one boy; on a farm in northwest CT. Grandpa had an older brother Jim, 15 years his senior, and inseparably, they hunted, trapped, farmed and raised their families in small town New England.

That one boy, my Uncle Bill, has helped me in the writing of this post, with some of the details about the honey bees my grandfather raised. As he, Uncle Bill, said to me on the phone the other evening…” I could go on forever about the bees”. I will be quoting him directly in a few paragraphs to follow.

As scientists and environmentalists study and observe honey bees, they are discovering the honey bees are in danger of decline. In fact if we lose the honey bees, we lose a vital ingredient to our survival as well. Alas, we must strive to save the honey bee…

Not all honey is alike. And in fact, the honey produced does not derive from the type of honey bee , but from the nectar source. The darkness or lightness of honey determines its flavor. The darker the honey, the stronger the flavor. Lighter honey, as I’ve used in the recipe for these cookies, is generally used for baking as it delivers a delicate flavor.

Uncle Bill tells me with clarity and gentle sentiment his recollections… “I began helping my father with the bees at about the age of 10 but Dad had the bees as long as I can remember. Dad had as many as 50 hives at one time. One year, from only 12 hives, we extracted 300 or more pounds of honey. We would tend the bees and hives with a just a smoker and veils. Each year we would extract 60 to 100 pounds from each hive. One year there was over a ton extracted. Another year, due to the perfect May weather, the apple blossoms were prolific and we got 100 pounds of apple blossom honey. Usually tho, the honey was from clover and goldenrod nectar.”

“The bee inspector would come around once or twice a year to inspect the hives. If disease was found, the hives had to be burned. The threat then was foul brood, which if found in the brood chamber caused the young bees to die. The comb had to be removed and a blow torch was used to scorch the inside of the hives.”

Uncle Bill continued saying, ” Dad raised bees until he died. He had the hives out behind the house where he had driven pipes into the ground and on two rows of 2×4’s , 30 inches off the ground, he set the hives. This was to keep the ants out. Dad was in France in WW1 and learned some french, so he used the name La Miel Ferme for the honey he sold.”

Listening to Uncle Bill reminisce about the bees, blessed me with more understanding and a deeper sense of one aspect of life on my Grandparents farm during the 1930’s and 40’s. Selling honey was, I know, just one of the ways my Grandparents provided for their family. I am beyond grateful and abundantly blessed to have not only loving, honey infused memories of my Grandfather, but the appreciation and knowledge provided by my Uncle Bill and his willingness to share his recollections with me. Thank you Uncle Bill.

Honey, Almond Butter, Oatmeal Cookies

(in honor of my Grandfather Monroe)

Ingredient list:

1 cup natural almond butter

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted room temperature butter

1/4 cup light honey

2 eggs

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. pure almond extract

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 cups quick oats

1 cup chopped walnuts or almonds

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 tsp. salt

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 cup raisins or dried cherries (optional)

In a mixing bowl on low speed combine butter, almond butter and honey until well blended and creamy. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl and add the vanilla and almond extracts and the eggs. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the mixing bowl if necessary. Add the brown sugar and beat until well incorporated. Add the oats and the nuts and mix well. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl and add the chocolate chips (and raisins or dried cherries if using). Mix together until blended but do not over mix.

Scrape the dough into the center of the bowl, cover and chill for at least a half hour. An hour is best as the dough will be a bit sticky. Once chilled, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Using a cookie scoop (or an ice cream scoop) form the dough into 2″ balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Put remaining dough back into the refrigerator until ready to bake the next batch.

Place the dough balls evenly apart in 4 rows of 3. Bake in a 350 oven for 14 minutes for a chewy cookie. Bake 16 minutes for a crunchier cookie. I bake in a gas convection oven so you may have to adjust the cooking time if you use electric.

Once baked, remove the cookie sheet from the oven an let the cookies sit for one minute on the sheet before removing them to a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely before storing. These cookies freeze very well, if any actually make it to your freezer !!! This recipe makes 30 hearty delicious cookies. Enjoy every bite!

Enjoy every delicious bite of these honey infused cookies. They are not too sweet and the delicate honey flavor is just right.

Thank you again to my Uncle Bill for sharing his memories. And thank you to my Grandpa Monroe for the legacy of bee keeping, family love and MANY BLESSINGS.