A Cook & Garden, Together In The Pacific Northwest
I know, I know. We wait for tomato season all year, then at some point in the summer become buried alive by them and wonder if it will ever be over. We do not despise tomatoes, we are just overwhelmed. Once they are out of the garden we will crave them all winter long, so here’s a little recipe that will help you remember those tomato days of summer.
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There’s something about that first brisk nip in the air that shouts to my appetite that fall is on the way. And when that happens I think about baking. And when that happens I think about cinnamon, fall fruits, and caramel – not necessarily in that order. Put them together and you get a Baked, Stuffed French Toast filled with Roasted Pears and topped with a Salted Caramel Sauce. (That in and of itself is quite a mouthful. I will have to put more work into the title of this recipe for fear of boring you to tears before you even read it) My friend Ann-Marie is coming to visit for a few days next week. She is a tiny little thing, but has an appetite like a lumberjack. This should do the trick. Come along with me and we’ll make a batch together. First we’ll wash up some Bartlett Pears. These guys are just ripe, but feel free to use pears that are a little under-ripe and firm if you want.
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We have had season tickets to Oregon State University football games for as long as I can remember. We have also hosted a pre-game Tailgate celebration for the same amount of time. Dick and I provide the main course and sides, and friends chip in with contributions of what they are in the mood to cook that week. All informal. All fun. And as many football fans can attest, the best part of any game may end up being the Tailgate party that precedes it. the spirit of Tailgating, I’d like to share this Orzo Feta salad with you. It’s easy to make, travels well, and loves to be served at room temperature so no worries about keeping it cold or hot. It’s also one of those recipes you can adapt any way you choose. All it requires is a little plotting and planning ahead of time.What’s in your refrigerator? What’s left in the garden? And do not forget: This is a Tailgate. If you bring it – they will eat it. Here’s what I found lurking about in the refrigerator, pantry, and/or garden before the last game, and so it became Orzo Salad.
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What is it about Smores that makes us all go a little bit wacko? The crispy Graham Crackers? Or the melted (OK, sometimes burned) marshmallows? How about the melting chocolate? Or maybe it’s the combination of all three. Don’t know. Don’t care. Just know that sometimes you’ve just got to have one… or four. If a campfire is not in your immediate future, this craving can be remedied by a big batch of Smores Bars. Quick, easy, and just as good as the real thing….
In our household, Dick has a tradition of a mid-morning coffee break. Coffee is French Pressed, rich, and strong enough to stand a fork up in it. This brew is usuallly accompanied by a muffin or sweet bread of some sort to round out the experience, and to serve as a reward for a mornings’ work well done. These Carrot-Coconut Muffins are one of his all time favorites; rich and moist with grated carrot and coconut in the batter, then topped with a sprinkling of brown sugar and more coconut that toasts during baking. Oh. Yeah. Let’s make some!
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Just not into the regular, run-of-the-mill picnic fare? I don’t blame you one bit. Here’s an idea that might just do the trick. It’s fancy name is Pan Bagnat, but a pressed sandwich by any other name tastes just as good. I love this recipe because it begs you to make it your own, and put whatever your heart desires into it. I’ve made a couple of different versions for you to take a look at, so take or leave whatever you like. You drive. It’s your picnic.…
Photo by Ari Eshraghi
Lately I have heard many people talking about the unseasonably hot weather we have been having, and their accompanying lack of desire to get any hotter, i.e., slaving over a hot stove. Appetites can also suffer during the heat, and heavy food just doesn’t do it for me. This also poses a problem when you have been asked to “bring a salad” to a family picnic or other such event. Here’s an idea: How about whipping up a chopped salad? Ingredients can really be what you can scrounge out of your garden, what you have in the refrigerator that might be lurking from your latest trip to the Farmer’s Market. The one I’m about to show you is a big one – you may know by now that’s just the way I cook. Use as much or as little of these ingredients as possible, or pick some others. I’m not proud – this is just to get you thinking. No recipe required – we are not in the mood to follow a recipe in this heat. It would just annoy us further.
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Hello everyone! This posting was supposed to be published before the 4th of July. I was going for a kind of ‘fireworks’ effect in the Poundcake. Umm…I guess it worked in one way, since my first attempt exploded and ran all over the oven, then sunk in on itself. This, upon reflection, was due to the fact that I did not read my recipe with glasses on, so left an entire cup of flour out. Note to self: This is not a good strategy. However, despite the fact that it was awful to look at, it tasted pretty good. I baked a second cake, which is why this article is behind schedule. The second attempt worked better.
While cake #1 was baking, I started writing this posting. I got a big laugh out of the first paragraph when I came back to finish writing after the second cake was done. I’ve kept it because I think that it’s important to remember that if a little voice inside your head whispers that something is amiss, it usually is. Little did I know….
“I cannot lie to you about this because I feel that we are friends. I am sweating bullets right now. Why? Well, this Raspberry Swirl idea was just an idea, and one that I had never tried. Sure, I had baked this Pound Cake for years, but the swirl thing? Not really. Not ever. What could be the harm? What could possibly go wrong? At this moment, the timer on the cake will go off in ten minutes, and then we will both know. I was going for a beautiful, bright red fireworks kind of swirl in the cake, so that is our goal. I am praying it does not turn out a big old pink mess. Or that it will overflow all over the place due to the added jelly. But then again, who cares? Any of the above can be fixed, and I do enjoy living on the edge when it comes to cooking and baking, so there you have it. We will play the cards we are dealt. Until the timer goes off and the cake is cool enough to slice, I’ll just fill you in on all the steps that got us to this point:”
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I want to love kale. Heck, I want to like kale, but it has been a struggle. That is until one day, while having a kale conversation while getting my hairs cut by my most excellent hairdresser, Rebecca. She mentioned a Massaged Kale Salad that she had tried and loved. Hmm. Sounded interesting. She shared the recipe and I took it from there, making a few twists and turns along the way. We begin with kale, of course. I used Lacinato Kale, straight from Neeners’ garden. You could use the curly kind of kale also, but I just find it a bit unruly. Lacinato is very well behaved.
Once the kale is washed and dried, just lay several leaves on top of each other and slice into thin little ribbons. No need to take the stem out because you are slicing them so thin it won’t matter one bit.
Once that’s done, kale goes into a colander over the sink. Find a good sized colander for this because you are going to need some elbow room to work with. Once in the colander, sprinkle with a couple of teaspoons of salt – kosher or regular – don’t care which.
Put on some tunes, roll up your sleeves, and get to work on that kale. Yes, you are massaging it – and do not stop until you have done so for 2 full minutes. Luckily for me, Dick volunteered.
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Happy almost 4th of July! We usually entertain a crowd for this particular holiday, and it is almost always blistering hot outside. Keeping that in mind, I went in search for a do-ahead dessert that was relatively quick, easy, and cold that could also feed a small army. And here you have it. To be fair, this is a translation of a dessert that Neeners used to make when we were kids. We have unofficially named it ‘Blueberry Surprise’ since Neeners was surprised when I mentioned it because she does not recall making it and cannot find her recipe. If memory serves, hers was made when the very first boxed cheesecake kits came out on the market. This is why she cannot find a recipe, although she blames me for stealing it. Situation: normal.
We begin with a graham cracker crust. Get those puppies into your food processor, or put them in a ziplock bag and hit them with a hammer or rolling pin until you have crumbs. Feel free to grab a few for yourself. This will not affect the final outcome of the crust. I am speaking from experience.
Add sugar and melted butter…
Mix it all up until it looks like this:
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