Summertime!

Summer has been such a great season this year.  For me it started coming together in late spring when I decided to make raised garden beds. After seeing step-by-step instructions in Sunset Magazine on line, I decided to give it a go.  It was easier than I thought.  I bought the lumber at Home Depot and had them cut it into the lengths that I needed.  Next, I laid it all out in the garage on a rainy weekend and stained the lumber the same color as my fence.  I measured and marked with string the location of the two beds.  My father came over one weekend and helped me to screw it all together. This was the most difficult part of the project, so make sure you have a helper and drill bits that are long enough.

I added a paver walk way to keep the area tidy--lot's of digging, leveling and measuring (and a sore back) and it turned out just how I wanted it.  Then I replanted lavender shrubs in front for the bees,

Once the beds were in place, I needed to augment the soil.  Several bags later with tossing and turning it all in, I was ready to plant starts.  Tomatoes--three types, beets, peppers, cucumbers, Swiss chard and basil are now flourishing and the garden is producing delicious fresh vegetables.  I do need to learn how to grow lettuce as the last two seasons' efforts have not been as good as I had hoped.











What I learned this summer:

1. How to prune basil to make it more productive. 
2. Before the first frost, uproot the entire tomato plant, turn upside down and hang in root cellar or garage and tomatoes will continue to ripen.  
3. Contain your tomatoes in cages or they will get out-of-control.
4. If you want to start from seeds, start them indoors in March.
5. How to convert pop-up sprinkler heads to drip.
6. How to make a nice walkway in front of the beds.
   
   

Swiss Chard

If the thought of Swiss chard leaves you uninspired, get some from a farmer's market or your garden that has been freshly picked. It is sort of like the difference between white corn picked that day, or the same corn two days later. The tastes don't even compare.

Swiss Chard Recipe

Ingredients

1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard

1 small clove garlic, sliced

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp water

Pinch of dried crushed red pepper

Salt

Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly. Remove the toughest third of the stalk, discard or save for another recipe or to make stock. Roughly chop the leaves into inch-wide strips.

Heat a saucepan on a medium heat setting, add olive oil, a few small slices of garlic and the crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute. Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves. Cover. Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Flip the leaves over in the pan, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover again. Check for doneness after another 5 minutes (remove a piece and taste it). Add salt to taste. Remove the swiss chard to a serving dish. From Simply Recipes

Spiced Sweet Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

A snap to make--just roast the red peppers and put everything in the food processor--voila!

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
3-4 red peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Artichoke & Olive Pizza

This delicious pizza is a great one--and there's no cheese in the ingredients!

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup pitted green olives
• 8 ounces jarred or frozen artichokes, drained and quartered
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Toppings:

• Feel free to increase or decrease the amount of toppings.
• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers
• 1 tablespoon chopped green olives
• 1/4 cup fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup chopped artichokes

Plus one pizza crust

Directions:

1. You can use frozen artichokes for this recipe, or canned or jarred artichokes. If you are using frozen artichokes, boil them for 3-4 minutes and then drain the water before using.
2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and make the sauce by taking all of your ingredients and combining them in a food processor.
3. Spread the sauce on your pizza crust and brush the edges with extra virgin olive oil. 
4. Add the toppings and bake the pizza for 10-15 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. 
5. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Porcini-and-Pecan Pâté

I just made this and it is BIG winner; knock your-socks-off good! I did not have the sun dried tomatoes or miso but clearly that didn't deter the taste for me.  I used fresh rosemary and will serve with thin crisp rosemary Wasa crackers.


    Ingredients
        1 cup pecans
        1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
        1 cup boiling water
        1/2 pound portobello mushrooms, stemmed
        2 tablespoons tamari
        2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
        1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast (see Note)
        1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
        1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
        1 teaspoon light miso
        2 dry-packed sun-dried tomato halves
        Salt
        Toasted baguette slices, for serving

Directions

   1. Put the pecans in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 1 hour.
    2. Meanwhile, in a small heatproof bowl, cover the porcini with the boiling water and let stand until softened, about 15 minutes. Rub the porcini to remove grit; transfer them to a small bowl. Reserve the soaking liquid.
   3. Cut the portobello caps in half and, with a sharp paring knife, trim off the dark gills on the underside of each one. Slice the caps into 1/4-inch-thick pieces.
    4.  In a bowl, whisk together the tamari, olive oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, rosemary and miso. Add the sliced portobellos and toss to coat thoroughly. Let stand for 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.
     5. In a small saucepan, combine the soaked porcini and sun-dried tomatoes. Slowly pour in the porcini soaking liquid, stopping before you reach the grit at the bottom. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat until the tomatoes are tender, about 4 minutes.
    6.  Drain the pecans and transfer them to a food processor. With a slotted spoon, transfer the marinated portobellos, porcini and tomatoes to the processor; puree to a coarse paste, adding about 1/4 cup of the porcini cooking liquid. Add a little more of the porcini liquid if the mixture is too thick. Season lightly with salt.

    7. Transfer the pâté to a crock and serve with toasted baguette rounds.


Make Ahead
The pâté can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve lightly chilled or at room temperature.
From Food & Wine

Baked Spring Rolls

Easy Baked Spring Rolls

Sambal Oelek is a very hot paste made from chile peppers, vinegar, and salt. Reduce it or eliminate it if you don't like spicy foods, or replace it with any chili sauce or red pepper flakes.

1/2 head Napa Cabbage (about 8 ounces cored and shredded) 1 carrot 1/2 tablespoon sambal oelek (or other chili paste, to taste) 6 ounces extra-firm tofu 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari 2 teaspoons water 1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil 24 spring roll wrappers (I used 4x4-inch wrappers)

Cut the cabbage in quarters lengthwise and cut out and discard the hard core. Slice two of the quarters thinly, and reserve the other two for another use. Cut the carrot into thin matchsticks about 1-inch long. Mix the cabbage with the carrot in a large bowl and stir in the sabal oelek (chili paste). Cut the tofu into 1/4-inch thick slices. Lay them out on a double-layer of paper towels. Top with another double layer of towels and gently press down on each slice with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. Remove from paper towels and cut into tiny, 1/4-inch cubes. Place into a medium-sized bowl. In another bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Pour over the tofu, stirring gently (I used my hands) to distribute the sauce without breaking up the tofu. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place one spring roll wrapper on your work surface with a corner toward you. (Keep the remaining wrappers covered to prevent them from drying out.) Place a heaping tablespoon of the cabbage mixture in the center and top it with a line of tofu cubes. Bring the bottom corner over the filling and the two sides in, forming an envelope-like packet. Moisten the top corner with a little water and roll up from the bottom, pressing the edge to seal. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Bake for 6-9 minutes. Turn over and bake for another 6-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a sweet and sour dipping sauce such as Apricot Duck Sauce.

Servings: 6 Yield: 24

Nutrition Facts Nutrition (per 4 spring rolls): 97 calories, 15 calories from fat, 1.7g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 154.8mg sodium, 62.9mg potassium, 18.9g carbohydrates, less than 1g fiber, less than 1g sugar, 3.2g protein, 1.9 points.  From non-fat vegan

Burritos with Spanish Rice and Black Beans

Spanish Rice with Black Beans

This is a mildly seasoned dish, so you fire and spice lovers will probably want to increase the amounts of jalapeno peppers and chipotle powder.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green or yellow pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 – 1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and finely diced (add more or less to taste)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned fire-roasted, liquid reserved)
• 1 1/2 cup black beans (or 1 15-ounce can), rinsed well
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder (or other pure, mild chili powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or more, to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat a deep, non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown. Add the pepper, jalapeno, and garlic, and cook for another 2 minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes. If it becomes too dry, add a little vegetable broth or reserved tomato juice. Check the flavor, and add salt and additional seasonings to taste.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s) | Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

Nutrition (per serving): 172 calories, 11 calories from fat, 1.3g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 89.9mg sodium, 324.8mg potassium, 34.7g carbohydrates, 5.9g fiber, 2.6g sugar, 6.2g protein, 4.9 points. 
From fat-free vegan kitchen

Red Lentils

Serves 4

Ingredients:

    ½ cup red lentils
    2 cups vegetable broth
    1 tsp turmeric
    1 tsp cumin
    1 whole tomato, chopped (with juices)
    3 ounces tomato paste
    2 whole garlic cloves, minced
    1 small onion, diced
    1 tsp paprika
    1 tbsp ground ginger
    a dash of cayenne pepper
    1 tbsp coriander
    2 tsp garam masala

Instructions:

In a medium pot, saute onions and garlic in 1/4 cup water until translucent.

Add spices, except garam masala and coriander, and cook for 2 minutes, adding more water if necessary to prevent sticking, burning or drying out.

Add lentils, broth, tomato paste, tomatoes and coriander. Cover and turn heat to high.

Once boiling, reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until lentils are cooked (they will expand and turn orange).

Add garam masala and stir to combine. Cover and set aside for 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.  From Happy Herbivore

Basalmic Beets & Strawberries on Spinach

You can eat this as an entre, place it on top of salad or use it as a side dish.


4 beets - red or gold
10 strawberries, rinsed and quartered
¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Place beets in boiling water with the skins on and cook for about 45-60 minutes, until you can pierce a knife through the beets. Place beets in a colander and rinse with cool water. Remove the skins. Slice beets and set aside. Quarter the strawberries and place in a non-stick pan with the beets, strawberries and basalmic vinegar over low heat, stirring frequently. Continue cooking until the balsamic vinegar is reduced and has a thick syrup coat over the beets and strawberries. You may enjoy this hot, or refrigerate until needed.

My version:
I put the beets on top on spinach, sprinkled toasted sunflower seeds and fresh mint that grows in my windowsill.

Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

This aromatic, creamy soup with a Thai twist is made with carrots and sweet potatoes, which are rich in alpha and beta carotene, antioxidants that turn into vitamin A in the body. Carrots and sweet potatoes are also good sources of vitamin C, dietary fiber, and other heart-healthy nutrients. Studies have shown that diets high in carotenoids are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. Some laboratory studies have found that vitamin A may enhance the immune system, slow tumor growth, shrink tumors and make some cancer treatments work better.

 
 Servings: 6
       
Ingredients

    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 medium onion, chopped
    1 tablespoon ginger, minced
    1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and shredded
    1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
    2 teaspoons curry powder
    4 kaffir lime leaves
    1 stalk lemongrass, tender parts only, cut into 2" pieces
    6 cups vegetable stock, unsalted
    1 1/2 teaspoons salt (if using salted stock, reduce added salt)
    1/4 cup light coconut milk

Directions

    Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.

    Add onions and ginger, and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.

    Add carrots and sweet potatoes.

    Cook until they begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add curry powder, mix well, and cook 1 minute to develop flavor.

    Add kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, vegetable stock and salt.

    Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook, covered, for 20-25 minutes, until vegetables are soft.

    Stir in coconut milk and cook 2 more minutes. Remove kaffir lime leaves.

    Puree soup in batches in a blender (I fill the container just below the halfway mark), being careful to remove the stopper in the cover to prevent hot soup from splashing.

    You can also puree the soup in a food processor. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. This soup will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles

A delicious Asian inspired noodle salad which incorporates our beloved Plain Jane Peanut Butter. A great balance of protein, fresh veggies, and carbs.
Bon Appétit
Ingredients:
serves 4, active time 15 minutes, total time 15 minutes

• 8 ounces fresh Chinese noodles (substitute 1/4 lb of your favorite noodle or pasta)

For the Dressing:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons fresh ground chili sauce (we like Sriracha), more or less to taste
• 2 tablespoons juice from 2 limes (rice wine vinegar works too)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar or Agave
• 3 tablespoons warm water

To Assemble:

• 2 large red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, sliced into thin strips
• 1 large cucumber, seeded and sliced fine
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil (substitute with mint or cilantro leaves)
• 8 scallions, sliced in long thin strips
• 2 jalapeño peppers diced (remove seeds to lessen heat)
• 1 to 2 red chilies minced
• 1/2 cup crushed peanuts

Preparation:

1. Prepare noodles according to package.
2. Drain and transfer to a large bowl of ice water.
3. Let noodles sit until thoroughly chilled. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, chili sauce, lime juice, sesame seed oil, garlic, brown sugar (or Agave), and water.
5. Whisk until blended. Add drained noodles to bowl.
6. Add bell peppers, cucumber, bean sprouts, basil leaves, scallions, jalapeños, and chilies (if using).
7. Lightly toss to combine.
8. Serve immediately, topped with crushed peanuts and Salt and Pepper to taste.

Mom's Chicken Soup

No cooking for awhile due to a broken wrist and elbow but thought I should share my mom's delicious chicken soup recipe.  Mom will be 89 in June and still makes this soup.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 TBSP. olive oil
½ head of cabbage, chopped
3 large stalks of celery, chopped
2 large heads of broccoli, chopped
15 baby carrots, chopped
1 bunch of spinach, chopped (2-4 cups)
½ cup chopped red pepper
1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
6 cups chicken broth
¾ cup white wine
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper

Boil chicken in water until done, approx. 20 minutes.  Drain, cool, then shred chicken. Set aside.  

Put olive oil in a large pot, over medium heat.  Add garlic and simmer until golden; add onion, sauté until transparent.  Add all vegetables, salt and pepper to pot, stir, cover and simmer over low heat for 6-8 minutes.  Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, wine, chicken and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  

Genisis of Goodideas

Instigator & accomplice

Free thinker

Cocktails parties can be a good environment for free association thinking and when great minds gather at such events, like they did on Dec. 8 at Lindsey's holiday cocktail party, a lot of good ideas were generated.  "Instead of a book group, let's have a recipe group..." and here we are.

We had some great cocktails prepared by two charming bartenders.  Food was delicious and here are a few of the recipes.  Suzy made her own ricotta and then added some herbs and had crostini to spread it on.  I made blini with creme fraiche and caviar.

Ketchum, Idaho

Caprese Salad

Red Fish Lake

 I was in Ketchum for a week in late September.  I brought fresh tomatoes from Pettingill's fruit stand in Perry, UT and made caprese with a recipe from the Salt Lake Tribune. While there, we went to this great restaurant for a late lunch on our way back from a bike ride.   The restaurant was Christina's--my friend had been there many times and sitting on the patio, having lunch at 3:00 was well, heavenly.  On another day, we drove over Galena Pass to Red Fish Lake for a picnic and then a hike.  The place was deserted--good time of year to go if the weather is good.  The fall Indian Summer weather was perfect all week. I am also sharing a chicken picatta recipe that I made twice because it is easy and so GOOD! I use panko bread crumbs and you can use wine instead of chicken broth, which makes it even more yummy.

Winter Solstice

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Cranberry Relish

At last, the days are going to start getting longer and we celebrated the fact with an evening snow shoe walk around Silver Lake in Big Cottonwood Canyon.  It was bliss under the stars with trees covered in fresh snow from the day before.  Quiet and peaceful. We toasted to the longer days with hot spiced wine, and cranberry relish and ham on crostini. Susie's gingerbread cookies dipped in wine were divine!   Daytime conditions on Christmas Eve were warm and sunny and of course you could see (and needed to wear sunscreen.)   We were wishing we would have brought snacks with us because the conditions were perfect for a picnic. Either way, night time or day time, you can't go wrong at Silver Lake for snow shoeing.