Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

The number of batches of bread pudding that I have made in my life really can't be calculated.  For a while in England, my roommates and I had a really hard time judging how much bread to buy for all of us.  We tended to overbuy and then have a real back-stock of bread.  I would make bread pudding to use up the extra.  The sweet custard with little bits of fruit became a staple.  It has been years since I made it now, but it sounded like a good idea again.  The air almost feels like fall here and caramel apple is one of my favorite flavor combinations, so this seemed a natural.

Serves 9

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
Zest of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
8 cups french bread cubes (3/4-1 loaf)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped small
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Caramel sauce, for serving

1. In heatproof bowl, microwave milk until bubbly.  Stir in butter, brown sugar, and lemon zest.  Butter will melt with the heat of the milk.  Add cinnamon and vanilla, stir well, and set aside to cool.
2. If bread is not already cubed, cube bread into a large bowl.  This is also a good time to peel, core, and chop the apple.  Stir until apple is evenly distributed.
3. Beat eggs into milk mixture.  Pour milk/egg mixture over bread cubes and stir well.  Let stand for 10 minutes to allow bread to absorb liquid.
4. Pour bread pudding into greased 9-inch square pan.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Serve warm or cool with ice cream and caramel.

Yellow Squash and Onions

I had these in North Carolina when I was there this spring.  It seemed like a fitting way to use the yellow squash that has been building up and to accompany a Southern entree. 

Serves 3

1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 slice onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 small yellow squash, cut into coins
Dash garlic salt
Dash salt
Dash ground black pepper

1. In skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and squash and saute until edges are brown and vegetables are soft.  Season with garlic salt, salt, and pepper.  Serve hot.

Chicken and Dumplings

This recipe was developed last year, when we decided that chicken and dumplings were pretty Southern.  I think it is one of the few recipes that I invented that has not changed since I started making it. To me, it is perfect just as it is.

Serves 3-4

1 onion, quartered
2 carrots, quartered (or about 15-20 baby carrots)
1 stalk celery, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
2 slices of lemon
3 lbs chicken thighs with bones and skin, skin removed
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Extra water as needed

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Dash ground black pepper
3 tablespoons shortening
1/4-1/2 cup cold water
Extra flour, for rolling

1. Place onion, garlic, celery, carrots, lemon, and chicken thighs in large stock pot.  They can be stacked.  Pour chicken broth and water over top.  Add thyme, garlic salt, and bay leaf.  Stir to distribute, cover, and heat to a simmer.  Simmer on low heat for at least an hour or until chicken is tender.
2. Remove vegetables, bay leaf, thyme, and chicken from pot. Discard vegetables and herbs.  Allow chicken to cool while you prepare the dumplings.
3. In bowl, combine flour and seasonings.  Cut in shortening until mixture resembles crumbs and a a handful clumps when you squeeze it.  Stir in water until it forms a dough.  On floured surface, knead dough until smooth.  Roll dough out into an oblong rectangle that is about 1/8 inch thick.  Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut dough into 1-inch wide strips.
4. Return broth to a simmer, if it isn't still. If broth looks lower than 1-2 cups, add a cup of water and bring broth to simmer.  Tear strips of dough into pieces and drop into simmering broth.  Simmer dumplings for 10 minutes, uncovered, while you shred the chicken and drop it into the broth over the dumplings.  After 10 minutes of uncovered simmering, cover the stockpot and simmer for 10 minutes more.  Serve immediately.

Week 13 Box

I didn't do a great job with using last week's box, so this week the goal is to get it gone before another box shows up. We'll see how that goes.

• Swiss chard
• Kale
• Onion
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Okra
• Green peppers
• Sage
• Thyme
• Tarragon
  

Farfalle with Kale and Ham

I have posted this sauce before on this blog, but it tasted so different with this combination of ingredients that I thought it warranted another post.  I struggle every year to find things to make with greens.  This pasta dish might also warrant repeating, since it uses kale.

Serves 3

2 cups farfalle
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup diced ham
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and garlic salt to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.
2. If you have not already done so, now is a good time to chop the kale and mince the garlic.
3. In same saucepan as pasta was cooked in, melt butter over medium heat.  Add garlic to pan and saute until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add ham to the butter and garlic and stir until ham is fragrant. Mix kale into garlic and ham, stirring and sauteing until kale is wilted.  Toss pasta into kale mixture and remove from heat.  Pour sour cream and Parmesan cheese over hot pasta mixture.  Stir well until sour cream is evenly distributed and Parmesan cheese is melted.  Serve immediately.

Vanilla Custard with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

I'm not a huge fan of custard.  Mostly I think it tastes like eggs and I'm also not a huge fan of eggs, so I suppose it isn't surprising.  So when we were running out of ideas for Southern desserts and custard was suggested, I figured I should make it as flavorful as possible.  I also have vanilla beans that I have been meaning to use for a while now, so it seemed like a good time.  Creamy custard, sweet sauce, lots of layers of flavor.  Even I like this custard.

Makes 6 custard cups

2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean pod (use the seeds for something else)
Pinch nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon
4 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups hot water

1. Pour milk into small saucepan.  Add vanilla bean pod and nutmeg.  Set aside.
2. Butter 6 custard cups.  Place cups in large glass pan, spacing so that they barely touch.
3. In small skillet, pour 1/2 cup sugar in even layer.  Place skillet over low heat and stir until sugar caramelizes.  Sugar will crystallize and turn tan, then the crystals will dissolve into deep brown liquid.  Stir in bourbon and mix well. Divide syrup evenly between the 6 custard cups.
4. In heatproof bowl, beat yolks and egg.  Add 1/3 cup sugar and salt.Whisk until frothy.  Set bowl aside, but close at hand.
5. Place small saucepan of milk on medium heat.  Stirring constantly, scald milk.  You should see a film on top of milk and tiny bubbles appearing around the edge of the milk when it is ready.  Remove vanilla bean pod.  Whisking with one hand and pouring with the other, stir milk into egg/sugar mixture all at once.  Stir until smooth.  Divide custard evenly between custard cups, pouring over caramel.  Pour hot water in pan around custard cups, stopping once water is about an inch up the side of the cups.
6. Bake custard in water bath for 30-35 minutes or until it thickly coats a knife inserted into the center.  Cool in water bath and chill before serving.  Invert on small plate to serve.  Some caramel may stick to bottom of cup.

Hashbrown Casserole

 I normally just make the hash browns that are on the package of hashbrowns, but since we got so many nice leeks this week I thought I would try a different take on the old favorite.  It had a lot more flavor and kept all of the elements of the regular hash browns that I like. 

Serves 6-8

1 large or 2 small leeks
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1 package refrigerated shredded potatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use the Healthy Request kind)
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste

1 tablespoon butter
2 cups cornflakes

1. In microwave-safe bowl, mix 2 tablespoons butter with leek and garlic.  Microwave at high power for 30-60 seconds or until soft and bright.  Mix in potatoes.  Add soup, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.  Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt as needed. Set aside.
2. Grease a 2 quart casserole. Set aside.
3.  In custard cup, melt 1 tablespoon butter in microwave.  In ziploc freezer bag, crush cornflakes with a rolling pin.  Pour melted butter over crushed cornflakes, reseal bag, and shake.
4. Pour potato mixture into greased casserole dish.  Smooth until potatoes are distributed evenly.  Top with crushed cornflakes.
5. Bake casserole in 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes.  Serve hot.

Week 12 Box

With all of the flooding that we have had around here, we received a notice in our box that the selection and quality of the vegetables might be effected.  I'm hoping that I'll still be able to continue to have enough each week to do the CSA portion of the blog.  Time will tell.

• Kale
• Yellow squash
• Garlic
• Green beans
• Tomatoes
• Red pepper
• Watermelon
• Potatoes
• Leeks
• Honey
• Basil

Potato Leek Soup with Homemade Crostini

I have a real fondness for potato leek soup.  I lived in England for a time and was first introduced there.  The organic grocery near my college also sold it in cartons, where I was introduced to using it in recipes (it makes a fantastic box macaroni and cheese, if you are so inclined).  But it was the bistro here in town with me now that really deepened my addiction to this simple dish.  There they serve a superb soup with homemade croutons, but they also only serve it in February.  I decided to figure out how to make it myself so I could have it whenever I want.  This recipe tastes even better than some I have had, though I kept some of the potatoes as chunks to prevent that baby-food texture that can sometimes happen.

Serves 5-6

4 leeks, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
3 lbs russet potatoes (about 8 potatoes)
3 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
3 cups milk (I used 2%)

1 small loaf French bread
2 tablespoons butter

1. In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat.  Add leeks and garlic.  Stir well and leave to sweat on medium low heat until soft and caramelized.
2. While leeks and garlic are softening, peel and cube potatoes.  Once all potatoes are cubed and leeks are soft and golden, stir potatoes into leeks and garlic in saucepan.  Pour chicken broth over potatoes in saucepan and increase heat to medium high.  Stir in garlic salt and salt.  Simmer potatoes, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes or until potatoes begin to break down.
3. While potatoes are cooking, slice loaf of bread thinly and melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave.  Place bread slices on cookie sheet and brush with melted butter.  Bake bread slices in a 325 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until edges are brown and center is crispy.  Remove from oven and allow crostini to cool on cookie sheet.
4. Once potatoes in saucepan are falling apart, ladle about half of potatoes and any accompanying pan liquid into a blender.  Add 1 1/2 cup milk to blender.  Put cap on blender and blend until mixture is smooth.  Pour pureed soup into large serving bowl or soup tureen. 
5. Repeat step 4 with remaining potatoes in saucepan, reserving about 1 cup cooked potatoes.  Stir reserved cooked potatoes into soup in serving bowl.  Season soup with ground black pepper. Serve soup with crostini, which can be dunked in soup or torn up and stirred into soup.

Marshmallow Ripple Brownies

Though I have had brownies like this before, I have never tried to make them.  But I wanted something with marshmallows and chocolate.  These fit the bill pretty perfectly.

Makes 24 bars

3/4 cup butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
2 cups miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1. Grease a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.
2. In heatproof bowl, microwave butter and 4 oz unsweetened chocolate for one minute.  Stir well.  If chocolate is not fully melted, heat for another 30 seconds and stir until melted.  Let cool 5 minutes.
3. Stir sugar into butter-chocolate mixture.  Add eggs, one at a time, until batter is smooth.  Add vanilla and stir well.  Beat in flour just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth until even.
4. Bake brownies for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Top brownies with marshmallows immediately and return to oven for 3 minutes more.  Remove to a cooling rack until brownies are cool.
5. Bring brown sugar, water, and 1 oz unsweetened chocolate to a boil in a small saucepan.  Stir mixture occasionally while it is coming to a boil.  Stirring constantly, boil mixture for 3 minutes.  Remove saucepan from heat and add tablespoon butter and vanilla to mixture.  Stir until butter is melted, then add powdered sugar.  Beat until smooth and drizzle over marshmallows on brownies.  Smooth slightly on brownies and allow to cool.  Frosting should harden before cutting brownies into bars.

Red Beans and Rice

I made red beans and rice last year and wasn't real impressed.  The recipe I made took a really long time and didn't really taste good enough to justify the work.   We had a lot of flooding in my town this week and were on severely restricted water usage, so my main goal with this meal was to make something filling with as little water and as few dishes as possible.  It was a real bonus that it also tasted fantastic.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 ring link smoked sausage, chopped (I used turkey)
14 oz can diced tomatoes
14 oz can chili beans
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Rice, for serving

1. In medium saucepan, heat oil and butter over medium heat.  Add onion, pepper, and garlic and saute until bright.  Stir in sausage and heat until fragrant. Add tomatoes and beans.  Stir well and add seasoning.  Heat to a simmer and reduce heat to low.  Simmer steadily for 45 minutes or until thick.  Serve over rice.

Week 11 Box

The city I live in flooded pretty badly this last week, so there has been a lot of distractions around here.  I was actually surprised that our box came on time and full this week.  At the moment, we have all the roads open here and have no restrictions on using water--earlier this week we were limiting to a bare minimum--but we are still boiling everything used for washing dishes and in or on food.  Hopefully it's all over soon.

• Swiss chard
• Kale
• Green beans (from the CSA and my mom)
• Zucchini
• Cucumbers
• Okra
• Jalapeno pepper
• Leeks
• Savory

Banana Cupcakes

I am one of those people who celebrates their dog's birthday.  My dog's birthday is today, so even though we don't have clean water to drink or to use for dishes, I still made my dog cupcakes.  My dog really likes bananas and peanut butter, so I adapted a couple of recipes to come up with these cupcakes.  I paired my banana cake cupcakes with peanut butter frosting here, but they would also be fantastic with cream cheese or vanilla frosting.  Notice that even though I gave one of these cupcakes to my dog for her special day, they are intended for human consumption and are delicious.

Makes 12 cupcakes

2 ripe bananas
5 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cake flour
Pinch baking powder
Scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Peanut Butter Frosting

1. Grease 12 cupcake cups or line them with paper liners.  Set aside.
2. In mixing bowl of an electric mixer, beat bananas until mashed.  Add shortening, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, cinnamon, and buttermilk.  Beat until shortening is broken up.  Add flour and beat until smooth.
3. In 1-cup measuring cup, measure cake flour.  Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt to cake flour in cup.  Mix with a fork until mixed.  Add cake flour mixture to banana mixture in mixing bowl and mix just until combined.
4. Evenly distribute batter between prepared cups.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until cupcakes test done.  Allow to cool before frosting.  Store cupcakes in an airtight container and eat them within 2 days for best flavor and texture.

Peanut Butter Frosting

I have had mixed results making peanut butter frosting.  It seems like it always comes out too dry and is hard to spread. I decided that more butter and less powdered sugar would help make it more fluffy.  This came out tasting like great whipped frosting, but with a strong peanut taste.  I call it a winner.  Notice that I used it on banana cupcakes, but it would also be fantastic on brownies or chocolate cake.  I would recommend doubling this recipe if you want to use it on a layer cake.

Makes about 2 cups frosting (enough for 12 cupcakes)

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
Splash vanilla
1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar

1. In mixing bowl of an electric mixer, beat peanut butter and butter together until combined.  Add vanilla and whip to incorporate some air, about 1 minute.  Scrap bowl.  Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and beat to incorporate.  Working in 1/4-1/2 cup at a time, add as much of the remaining powdered sugar as it takes to make a spreadable frosting.  Use frosting at room temperature.

Marinaded Steak Kabobs

I feel that it is a development to mention here that my city is currently flooded and our water is limited in access and under a boil alert.  Luckily I had planned a dinner that was low on dishes.  Anything using a grill or the oven with no dishes will probably be very popular in my house for like a week or so, until the boil ordinance is lifted.

Serves 4

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary (1 full sprig)
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper
Salt
2/3 cup dry red wine
1 1/2-2 lbs beef roast, cut into large cubes
1 red onion, cut into large pieces
1 green pepper, cut into large pieces
1 zucchini, sliced
8 oz baby bella mushrooms

1. In medium bowl, mix garlic and rosemary.  Add worchestershire sauce, oil, salt and black pepper.  Mix well and add wine.  Stir in meat chunks well, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
2. On skewers, thread meat chunks and vegetables in desired pattern.  Once skewers are threaded and bowl of meat is empty, brush remaining marinade over kabobs.
3. Over hot flame, cook kabobs until browned.  Vegetables should be still crunchy and the meat about medium well.  Remove from skewers to serve.

Lemon Garlic Rotini with Swiss Chard

 I wanted to try something different with swiss chard.  It seemed like the earthy flavor of the chard would pair well with lemon, though I figured the slight sweetness of garlic and butter would be needed to keep it from getting too acidic.  It was a nice light summer dinner.

Serves 2-3

2 cups whole wheat rotini
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chopped swiss chard
Zest of one lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Dash ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  If you have not already done so, now is a good time to chop the swiss chard and mince the garlic.
2. In same saucepan as you cooked the pasta, melt the butter over medium heat.  Saute garlic until soft, then add swiss chard to pan.  Stir and cook swiss chard until wilted but still bright green.  Remove pan from heat.  Stir lemon zest and juice into swiss chard.  Return pasta to the pan and stir until swiss chard is evenly distributed.  Add Parmesan cheese and stir well.  Serve immediately.

Rosemary Potatoes

The potatoes that we get from our CSA are very crisp and fresh.  They tend to roast really well and, since I usually roast potatoes at about the same temp and time as the Cornish game hens were baking at, making these seemed like a given.

Serves 3-4

10-15 small red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash ground black pepper

1. Toss potatoes, rosemary, and garlic in a gallon-sized plastic bag that seals.  Shake to distribute garlic and herbs evenly.  Drizzle oil over potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Seal bag and shake well.
2. Place potatoes in shallow pan.  Distribute potatoes evenly in pan.
3. Roast potatoes in 375 degree oven for 1 hour or until brown.  Serve immediately.

Roasted Cornish Game Hens

I have always wanted to try making Cornish game hens.  When sage and rosemary appeared in the box this week, I thought I would make something chicken and potatoes.  One of our grocery stores had twin packs of game hens on sale and I figured now was as good a time as any to try them.  I don't really know how you would eat them delicately--since I always imagined them being something you would eat at a fancy restaurant--but my husband thought they tasted awfully good.

Serves 2

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 small onion, quartered and separated into sections
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh sage, plus two leaves for garnish
1/2 lemon, cut into slices
2 Cornish game hens (2-3 lbs total)
1/2 cup water
Salt and ground black pepper

1. Grease a roaster or dutch oven.  Line the bottom of the roaster with onion, celery, garlic, rosemary, sage, and lemon slices. 
2. Brush game hens with softened butter.  Place game hens over vegetables in roaster.  Flatten sage leaf over breast of hens, if using, and brush sage with butter.  Any leftover butter can be dropped into roaster around game hens.  Sprinkle hens with salt and pepper and pour water around hens in roaster.
3. Roast game hens in 375 degree oven, uncovered, for 1 hour or until thigh meat tests done.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Discard vegetables for serving.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad

Even though I served this over field greens, it can actually be eaten on it's own as well.  I would recommend, though, that if you are eating it alone you add about a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar when you add the vinegar.  It makes a pretty good lunch for a hot summer day.

Serves 2

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup cubed fresh mozzarella
1/4 teaspoon dried basil or 1 teaspoon fresh basil, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
3 cups field greens, cleaned and chopped

1. In small bowl, toss together tomatoes and mozzarella.  Top with basil and drizzle with vinegar and oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Stir well.
2. Divide greens between two bowls.  Top with tomato mixture and serve immediately.

Week 10 Box

I've been sick the past few days, so you might notice that the entries have less of a description of what the food tastes like.  Mostly I have been tasting metallic, so I don't really feel comfortable talking about how things taste.  The vegetables in the box this week look really good, though.

• Potatoes
• Onions
• Okra
• Zucchini
• Grape tomatoes (those are from my bushes)
• Sage
• Basil

Mint Brownies

I make cookies with creme de menthe chocolate candies, which means that I inevitably buy more of them than I need and end up with extra.  This recipe grew out of an attempt to use them.  What came out was fudgy brownies with a nice minty taste and a good solid minty frosting.

Makes one 9x13 inch pan

1 cup sugar
10 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 heaping cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups creme de menthe candy pieces, broken in half

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons green creme de menthe liquor
1 tablespoon milk

1. Grease 9 by 13 inch pan.  Set aside.
2. Combine sugar, butter, and milk in microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until butter is melted.  Stir chocolate chips into butter mixture until melted, microwaving another 30 seconds if needed to melt chocolate.  Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.  If you have not already done so, this would be a good time to unwrap and break your candy pieces in half.
3. Stir eggs into batter one at a time.  Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until smooth.  Stir candy pieces into brownie batter.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Place on rack to cool completely.

4. To make frosting, beat butter and 1 cup powdered sugar with an electric mixer.  Add creme de menthe and milk, then beat until combined.  Frosting at this point might appear curdled.  Beat in as much of the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar as needed to make a spreadable frosting.  Spread frosting evenly over cooled brownies.  Cut into desired squares.

Slow Cooker Gumbo

I have made this gumbo a number of times, regardless of the season.  I started making it when fresh okra showed up in our CSA box, but continued once I realized that frozen okra works too.  This gumbo lacks the usual rue base, but it has that classic gumbo bite and flavor.  And putting it in the slow cooker makes it much less time-consuming.

Serves 4

3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups okra, chopped
1 chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
8-10 oz Andouille sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups chicken broth
14 oz can diced tomatoes
Salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste
Rice, to serve

1. Combine celery, onion, green pepper, and garlic in a microwaveable bowl.  Add butter and olive oil.  Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until vegetables are softened.  Mix 3 tablespoons flour into vegetables until a paste forms.  Pour vegetables into pot of a slow cooker.  Stir okra, chicken, and sausage into vegetables.  Add bay leaves and cayenne pepper.  Pour chicken broth and tomatoes over meat and vegetables and stir well.
2. Cook gumbo on low for 8-12 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.  Remove bay leaves and season to taste.  Serve over rice.

Tomato Eggplant Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella

I have always wanted to have a good pasta recipe that uses fresh mozzarella.  I got a pretty small eggplant in the CSA box this week and that seemed like the sort of thing that would go well with mozzarella.  Tomatoes also seemed necessary to make some kind of sauce, so I picked up a can of whole tomatoes at the store because that way I could take out the seeds and make a thicker sauce.  The whole thing turned out really well.

Serves 3-4

2 cups penne
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 very small onion, minced
1 small eggplant, chopped
28 oz can whole tomatoes, drained, seeded, and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
Salt to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.
2. In skillet or same saucepan that you cooked the pasta in, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and onion, cooking until soft and translucent.  Add eggplant and cook until soft and darkened in color.  Pour tomatoes, basil, and garlic salt over eggplant and cook for about 5 minutes more, until tomatoes begin to reduce.
3. Add pasta and mozzarella to sauce in pot.  Stir sauce, pasta, and cheese well until all is combined and cheese just begins to melt.  Season with salt as needed.  Remove pan from heat and serve immediately.

Yellow Squash Risotto

I started making risotto about a year ago.  It still stands as one of my go-to meals that seems infinitely variable, so I change up the meat and vegetable when I make it.  It also scores points with me for being relatively quick to make, for not requiring the oven, and for reheating well as lunches.  For being pretty basic, it has a lot of flavor.

Serves 4-6

 4 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
1 large or 2 small yellow squash, diced
1 very small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz bag arborio rice (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup Chardonney
4 cups chicken broth, hot
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash ground black pepper

1. In medium saucepan, cook bacon over medium high heat until bacon is brown.  Stir bacon occasionally to prevent burning.  Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon pieces to a paper-towel coated plate and leave drippings in pan.  Set bacon aside.
2. Saute squash in bacon leavings until squash is soft and somewhat reduced.  Using a slotted spoon, remove squash from pan and leave liquid behind.  Set squash aside.
3. Add minced garlic and onions to pan liquid.  Saute garlic and onions for a few minutes until they are soft and translucent.  Add rice to pan and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is white and less opaque.  This will not take long.  Pour wine into pan and cook, stirring constantly, until wine is almost absorbed.  Ladle about 1/2 cup broth into rice and stir until liquid is almost absorbed.  Continue adding broth to the rice, one ladle at a time, until you have used all 4 cups of the broth.  This will take about 20 minutes.
4. Stir cheese into rice mixture.  Add squash and bacon to pan, stirring well.  Season with garlic salt and pepper before serving.  Serve hot.

Lemon Raspberry Cake

My best friend and I have an agreement that we will make each other's birthday cakes every year.  There is usually a planning period where we map out exactly what kind of cake we will make (it's a collective process) and this year this was her request.  Dense lemon cake, fruity raspberry curd, and light lemon buttercream over it all.  Her birthday is today, so I made her cake yesterday and we had the first tastes last night.  Yummy.  It might be a little fancy for everyday, but for a birthday or other special occasion, it is awfully good.

Makes 9-inch layer cake

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
3 tablespoons lemon zest (about 3 lemons)
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup flour, plus 2 tablespoons for pans
1 3/4 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, plus 1 tablespoon for pans
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
Raspberry Curd
Lemon Buttercream Frosting

1. Grease layer cake pans with tablespoon butter.  I also like to cover the bottom of my layer pan with a round of parchment, cut to fit, and grease that as well.  Place the 2 tablespoons flour in one cake pan, shaking to coat pan, and then shake excess into other pan and coat it in flour.  Discard excess flour once both pans are coated.
2. In small bowl, mix together lemon juice and zest and sour cream.  Set aside.
3. In medium bowl, combine flours.  Using a small whisk, mix baking powder and salt into flours.  Set aside.
4. In bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Scrap sides of bowl.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until mixture is fluffy and incorporated.
5.  Beat roughly 1/4 of the flour mixture into the butter mixture.  Add 1/3 of the sour cream mixture and beat well.
6. Repeat step 5 until all of the flour mixture and sour cream mixture is incorporated into butter mixture.  You should end with flour.  When adding these ingredients, be sure to beat as little as possible to prevent cake from being tough.
7. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.  Bake layers in 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean.  Place cake pans on oven rack to cool completely.
8. Remove cakes from pans.  If parchment was used, peel parchment off layer bottoms.  Using thread pulled taut or a serrated knife, split each layer in half horizontally.  This should leave you with four layers of cake.
9. On plate or serving platter, arrange one layer of cake.  Spread 1/2 cup raspberry curd over cake layer, making even and spreading within 1/4 inch of cake edge.  Top with a second layer of cake.  Spread second layer with 1/2 cup curd like the first, then top with a third cake layer.  Spread remaining curd over third cake layer.  Top with fourth and final layer.
10.  Spread a very thin layer of frosting over entire cake.  This should seal in crumbs and make cake more stable (it can shift somewhat with four layers). Refrigerate cake for 20-30 minutes or until frosting is hard.
11. Frost cake with remaining frosting, evenly distributing buttercream over the cake.  Allow cake to sit for at least 2 hours before serving to allow frosting to firm up and cake to settle.  Cake can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to three days.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

I have made frosting with butter and egg whites, but I wasn't a huge fan.  I guess I am just more of a fan of the traditional buttercream frosting, even for flavors.  This frosting was developed to go on lemon cake, but could also be used on more powerful cakes like spice or a more basic cake like white.

Makes frosting for a 9-inch layer cake (about 3 cups)

7 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
3 tablespoons fine lemon zest (about 3 lemons)
2 teaspoons milk
4 1/2-5 cups powdered sugar

1. In bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until fluffy.  Add 2 cups powdered sugar and beat well.  Add lemon juice and zest.  Beat well, scraping sides of bowl, and add milk.  Mixture will appear curdled.  Add another 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Continue to add powdered sugar to mixture until it is desired spreading consistency.  Store at room temperature until ready to use.

Raspberry Curd

I had made lemon curd before, but not really any variations on it.  The idea for this raspberry curd came about as a cake filling, but it would also be good on cookies or other baked goods like scones.  It might seem like a lot of work but I think it's worth it.

Makes 1 1/2 cups

8 oz red raspberries
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
6 tablespoons butter
Red food coloring, optional

1. Crush berries with a potato masher.  Line a strainer with two layers of cheesecloth, layered crosswise like a +, and place strainer over a measuring cup or bowl.  Pour crushed berries into cheesecloth in strainer, bringing cheesecloth up over berries.  Apply pressure to the bundle of berries.  Increase pressure, squeezing cheesecloth bundle any way you can, until 1/3 cup of raspberry juice has been extracted from the berries.
2. In small heatproof bowl, beat eggs until integrated.  Set aside.
3. In small saucepan, mix together sugar and cornstarch.  Stir until cornstarch is integrated into sugar.  Mix in raspberry juice and butter.  Place saucepan on medium heat and stir constantly until mixture thickens and bubbles.
4. Using a whisk, stir eggs constantly in bowl.  Stirring constantly, pour half of the hot raspberry mixture into the eggs.  Whisk quickly until eggs are incorporated into mixture.  Pour egg mixture back into saucepan with remaining raspberry mixture and stir very quickly until incorporated.  Return saucepan to heat and cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in food coloring, if using, to make the curd a pretty pink color. Pour curd into a container with a lid and place in refrigerator until cold.

Tomato Cucumber Salad

Our CSA this year has been giving us cucumbers (honestly, I don't remember if we got cucumbers last year) which presents to me a special kind of dilemma.  They don't really cook and they are just part of a mix of vegetables that I got this week.  I suppose when life gives you miscellaneous vegetables, make a salad.  This one tasted really good alone, but it could also be served over greens as more of a meal.

Serves 3-4

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small cucumber, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 very small onion, finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Combine oil, vinegar, and mustard in small bowl.  Place garlic, cucumber, tomato, and onion on top of mixture in bowl.  Toss well and season to taste.
2. Refrigerate salad for at least 4 hours before serving to mellow the flavors.

Fried Okra

Usually okra in the box means that I make gumbo in the crockpot at some point.  I'll probably still do that, but this okra was so fresh and so firm that it seemed a shame not to at least try and fry it.  For figuring out a recipe as I went, it turned out well.

Serves 3

3 cups sliced okra
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash ground mustard
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg.  In another bowl, whisk together flour and cornmeal.  Add salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and mustard to flour and cornmeal.
2. In large saucepan with a flat bottom, heat 1/4-1/2 inch oil over medium high heat.  Heat until flour sprinkled over oil sizzles.
3. Dredge half of the okra pieces in egg-buttermilk mixture, then in flour-cornmeal mixture.  One-at-a-time, drop coated okra pieces into hot oil.  Okra pieces should not touch.  Using a slotted or mesh spoon, turn okra as needed until it is golden.  The okra should take under 5 minutes to turn golden in the oil.  Once okra is cooked, remove it to a plate covered with paper towels.  Sprinkle with more salt and pepper as needed.
4. Repeat step three with remaining okra.  Serve hot.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I am not sure quite when garlic mashed potatoes happened upon my radar, but I remember striving to develop a good recipe for them when I was in high school.  A lot of trial and error went into this recipe, which I consider pretty near to perfect.

Serves 6-8

3 lbs small red potatoes, clean
1 whole bulb of garlic, intact
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon instant chicken boullion
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan.  Cut smaller potatoes in half and larger potatoes in quarters.  Do not peel potatoes.  Pour enough water into the pan to cover potatoes and salt the water.  Place pan on high heat and boil potatoes until done.
2. Meanwhile, roast the bulb of garlic.  This can be done in a slow oven with the bulb wrapped in foil, but I like to roast garlic in the microwave.  Cut the top off of the bulb to expose the inner cloves of the bulb.  Use the tip of a paring knife to pierce the outer cloves in the bulb.  Drizzle the olive oil over the bulb.  Place bulb on a heatproof plate and top with a heatproof bowl.  I like to put a wooden toothpick between bowl and plate to vent.  Microwave on medium power for 2 1/2-3 minutes or until cloves are soft.  Set aside until cool enough to handle.
3. Place chicken bouillon in heatproof one-cup measuring cup.  When potatoes test done, drain part of the water into the measuring cup until there is one cup of broth.  Drain the rest of the potato water into sink to discard.
4. Mash potatoes.  Place each clove of roasted garlic in with the potatoes and mash them in.  Mash in cheese until combined and stir in all of the made chicken broth.
5. Place garlic mashed potatoes into greased casserole dish.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until potatoes are puffed and top is brown.  Serve hot.

Week 9 Box

The greens were back in our box this week, so the farm must be recovering from the storm of a couple of weeks ago.  It is still really wet, though, which I have heard from others in the area is taking a real toll on root vegetables and bulb plants.  Our onions have been tasty but very small, which is also how the potatoes have been.  I was awfully excited for the okra this week.

• Potatoes
• Garlic
• Onion
• Okra
• Eggplant
• Cucumber
• Swiss chard
• Kale
• Tomatoes (these were actually from a coworker)
• Rosemary