One of the drawbacks of eating out of the panty is a lack of fresh vegetables, so the last time I went shopping (Back in June!), I stocked up on an assortment of frozen veggies. But what to do with them to make food more interesting is the big question.
My answer was throw them all together in a pot and put it over pasta.
I know we've shared similar recipes here before, but the selling point for mine is the lemon, butter, dill sauce.
Backing up a bit, I was reading a book last week, and in one scene, a secondary character was tossing vegetables with olive oil and serving over pasta. That had me craving something similar.
I have tons of pasta in my pantry, and I had that freezer full of veggies, but I didn't know what to do about sauce. Out of the blue, I thought of the lemon and butter and dill that I'd used on my salmon the previous week, so I cooked the vegetables (I used spinach, kale, corn, green beans, and broccoli) with the dill, squeezed some lemon in and melted butter over the pasta.
Here at the cafe, you all know that I have fondness for blueberries. And one of my favorite flavor pairings is blueberry and lemon. So when I received a complimentary copy of Food Network Magazine a couple of months ago and saw Ina Garten's recipe for Fresh Blueberry Pie (you can find that recipe here), which happened to include lemon, you know I had to try it. There were two components I was waiting on, though. Other people to help eat it and courage.
I love pie and like to make pie, but it's the crust that always trips me up. I cannot make a good pie crust to save my life. I usually use the Pillsbury variety that you simply roll out, but they just aren't the same. But as I looked over Ina's recipe for her Perfect Pie Crusts (also found at the link above), I was determined to give it a go. And you know what? They didn't turn out too bad.
I think a lot of that had to do with her instructions and tips. Which would also explain why she's one of my favorite chefs to watch on the Food Network. I like her teaching style. Teaching is different than telling. Teaching involves guidance and instruction and we all need that sometimes.
As luck would have it, blueberries were on sale the week I decided to make this attempt. Here they are, all rinsed and dried.
They were then tossed together with only a handful of ingredients, including lemon zest and juice, then spooned into my awaiting crust.
I held my breath as I added my top crust, then pinched the edges together.
Next, I cut a few slits for the steam to escape, brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with sugar.
Less than an hour later...
I had my first pie with a homemade crust in ages. It's not nearly as pretty as Ruthy's pies, but I'd done what I set out to accomplish.
And it was delicious. In the future, I think I might add and extra quarter to half a cup of sugar to the filling, but that lemon was the perfect compliment to the blueberries. And the crust? That's now my go-to recipe.
So Ina Garten, wherever you are, thank you for giving me the courage to make my own pie crust.
Have you ever been determined to make something you once struggled with? What helped you take it across the finish line?
Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com
I remember back in the 70's when zucchini was a fairly new vegetable on the scene for backyard gardeners. It was different. Who knew how to use it?
Then people discovered how prolific it was.
Old joke alert! "How can you tell if a person has no friends?" "They buy their zucchini at the grocery store."
LOL! Up until my daughter's zucchini plants started producing, that was me!
But then she gave me a giant zucchini, and we're back in the zucchini bread business!
My favorite recipe comes from this cookbook that I got for a wedding shower gift thirty eight years ago:
I've been making a version of the zucchini nut bread recipe in this book ever since!
You can tell this book is well-loved and well-used!
1 cup sugar
1 cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1 egg
1/4 cup cooking oil (I use coconut oil)
In a small mixing bowl, stir the first five ingredients together.
In a larger mixing bowl, whisk the egg, then add the sugar and zucchini and stir them in. Then add the oil and stir until everything is combined.
Add the flour mixture and stir until it's all mixed together. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan (8" works best.)
Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until done.
In other news, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was last week. The numbers were down, but I guess that's expected this year. Another change this year is that the bikers seemed to be taking more "long rides" to the Badlands, Devils Tower, etc. rather than hanging out in Sturgis all week.
But then on Wednesday, this happened (I chose the video without sound.)
According to witnesses, the woman tried to approach a baby bison and an adult attacked her. (I think I would say that according to the bison, the woman tried to attack a baby and the adult protected the the little one!)
The woman only had minor injuries, which was a miracle.
Just a reminder - bison are not fuzzy cows. And the signs that are scattered throughout the park are serious: "Bison are dangerous. Do not approach."
Whenever I take photos of wildlife, I always stay inside our vehicle...unless we're hiking.
And then I make sure we keep our distance, walk away, and let them have the right of way!
But with the end of the Rally comes the end of the summer. Starting this week our temperatures will be moderating toward fall, the bucks lose the velvet on their antlers, the fall wildflowers start blooming. Soon the aspens will turn to gold and the north wind will bring the promise of snow...
...all in the next four weeks.
I'm looking forward to it!
Jan Drexler has always been a "book girl" who still loves to spend time within the pages of her favorite books. She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her dear husband of many years and their active, crazy dogs, Jack and Sam. You can learn more about Jan and her books on her website, www.JanDrexler.com.
My oldest made dinner for us recently. I didn't even share the name of the recipe in the title, because it was just so nice to have him cook for us! That was the best part.
However, it turned out so delicious, I wanted to share it here.
Nick saw this dish on Instagram and contacted the friend to find out how to make it.
I only have one photo. I didn't think to photograph him while he was cooking, because I was sitting with my feet propped up! :)
Salmon Rice Bowl
Cook rice according to directions. We used brown rice.
Boil water, and cook several eggs to the soft-boiled stage.
Brush salmon with olive oil and then season generously with salt and pepper. Roast at 450 degrees for about 12-14 minutes (depending on thickness).
Once the rice is done, for each serving (approximately), stir in 1 tsp of sesame oil, 1 Tbs. soy sauce, and a squeeze of honey (or to taste). The rice doesn't photograph well, but the flavor is very rich.
Serve the salmon over the rice, along with the jammy eggs and avocado. Sprinkle the whole thing with toasted sesame seeds. (You can see we didn't actually use bowls.)
Very yummy! And I was very impressed with Nick's cooking skills. He has always enjoyed cooking. I wanted to make sure all my kids could take care of themselves, so I started teaching them to cook early on (I also made them start washing their own clothes in middle school!). :) It's nice when they return home later and use those skills.
I've posted this before... but it's peach season and this is the best peach pie I've ever made.
My mother-in-law isn't a baker, but she had this pie and realized it had all the components I love in a pie... great taste, a blend of textures (flaky crust, delicious filling) and it wasn't soggy.
I don't like soggy crust.
I like that balance of crust to cream/fruit, etc. That's what makes pie so special to me, and this recipe has that wonderful balance so here it is... and while you're reading this, I'm at a Cleveland Indians game so that Farmer Dave can see Mike Trout play for the Los Angeles Angels... because he missed Trout in NYC. Trout was out on injuries and this is part of Dave's bucket list: To see a future hall-of-famer play.
Now mind you, he's seen a lot of Hall of Fame guys play in the last ten years, but Trout's not on this side of the country very often, so off we go.... and this weekend our house fills with kids and grandkids for our annual "CousinPalooza" celebration... and this pie is on the menu!
Okay, here it is, as promised! I can't believe I didn't post this a few weeks ago. We are to say NOTHING of Ruthy's memory lapses from this point forward, 'kay????
'Kay!
:)
So here is the basic pic of recipe ingredients:
Of course, you need pie crust so go HERE and use my Country Tearoom recipe that has won awards all over the place. I know this because the magazine said so a gazillion years ago when dinosaurs made pies.
Basic recipe with Ruthy flair:
1 1/2 cups sugar 1/3 cup flour 2 Tbsp. quick cooking tapioca Dash salt * Note for you purists.... Add it. Look at what Lindt has done for dark chocolate by adding a hint of sea salt???? Chocolate covered pretzels??? Delish, right? Trust me, adding incidental hints of salt and savory tastes will not (most likely) end the world. And it gives a background pizzazz. 1 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. cinnamon or nutmeg or both (if desired) It's great with or without the spices, but I love the scent and taste of fall.
Peel and slice 6-7 cups of fresh peaches, or use frozen peaches, thawed and drained
Combine all dry ingredients. Mix all but a tablespoon or two of the heavy cream with the vanilla. Save the extra bit of cream for brushing the top crust... Add to sugar mixture. Add peaches. Toss lightly. Let sit for 10-15 minutes while you do the crust.
Take two sections of pie crust, either fresh or frozen. Roll one out to fit a deep dish 9" pan. Don't roll top crust yet...
Once peach/sugar/cream mixture has sat a while and maybe you've had a cup of coffee or a glass of tea, roll that top crust out. Using a sharp knife or 'ruffle edge' cutter, make a bunch of 1" (one inch wide) ribbons of crust. To do a lattice crust, start in the middle of the pie with the longest pieces. You usually only use about 10-12 pieces of crust, and if you start in the middle, you can easily raise the piece below up enough to "weave" the next piece of crust. It's like making a potholder only more delicious than any stretchy cotton yarn I've ever eaten. And I've had my share!
Tuck the edges under, then flute the edge by pinching. Brush remaining cream over the pie crust and sprinkle with sugar. When the little boys help me sprinkle with sugar we get LOTS OF SUGAR.
They were nowhere to be found today, so we have NORMAL sugary sparkles!!!
I use aluminum foil strips to prevent the edges from over-browning. I'm fussy that way. I like them golden, not brown. But then, I like wimpy toast, too. Clearly, I'm a wuss.
Eat. Eat. Eat. Truly, this is by far the best peach pie I have ever eaten. I'm not a peach pie person, although I love peaches. I hate soggy pies. I get SO MAD when a pie crust is ruined by day 2 because the crust is soggy. Obviously I'm a little OCD when it comes to pie, but this pie????
Oh.... THIS PIE doesn't do that. It's just perfect, even several days in.
'Sall I'm sayin'.
I think this is one of those old fashioned famous desserts that must be repeated on a seasonal basis.... until someone comes up with one that's better, at least
Multi-published author Ruth Logan Herne loves to bake, is somewhat tired of cooking (it's been a lot of years of cooking, my friends!) and loves, loves, loves writing stories that folks love to read.... But she mostly loves God and Jesus and she thinks her family is generally amazing, and she does have a thing for dogs... because they love unconditionally! Write to her at loganherne@gmail.com, visit her website ruthloganherne.com or friend her on Facebook where she tends to talk too much!
Like everything else in the world, the gardens have been closed since March, but they were recently reopened for limited visiting on a timed/ticketed basis. Since my daughter has a membership, she took a break from bread baking and visited on the first day they were open. The morning had been rainy (like Biblical proportions rain), so there were few visitors, but the skies cleared enough for her to have a lovely stroll and take over 200 photos!
I thought I'd share some of them with you today (rest assured NOT all 200+). I hope you enjoy.
Some places make it hard to remember you're still in the center of the city.
Then there's the Rose Garden - slightly more cultivated.
The Cherry Trees are no longer in bloom, but the esplanade is still peaceful.
The Japanese Garden
Everything looks a bit murky on this overcast day.
