Severna Park’s small businesses adapt

Our neighborhoods remain uncommonly quiet as families comply with Governor Larry Hogan’s orders to stay home to flatten the COVID-19 curve. Many small businesses continue to be shuttered but local eateries offer an array of innovative takeout or delivery options..

Cheered by mild April weather, friends admitted to me that they’re experiencing corona virus fatigue and hoping the end is in sight. Severna Park eateries are no exception. Meanwhile, they are carrying on.

Garry’s Grill & Catering

After a few days’ break to remodel, neighborhood mainstay Garry’s Grill & Catering owner Eddie Conway put on his thinking cap to come up with creative ways to serve his customers.

“While rocking family groceries, carryout, curbside and no-contact delivery, our staff’s putting together Grocery Baskets and Easter Basket Family Dinner Packages with menus that include Rack of Lamb and Garlic Rosemary Tenderloin,” Conway said.

He added that he’s sold 120 Easter Basket Dinner Packages and is officially sold out.

Conway eagerly awaits the day he can show off the restaurant’s streamlined and sophisticated new look to customers and serve them their favorite meals. Meanwhile, people can call to place an order at 410-544-0499, visit https://garrysgrill.com/ or check them out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/garrysgrill/ .

Neighborhood Updates

The red and white tents of Diehl’s Produce Severna Park

Diehl’s Produce tents signal that spring has sprung

Diehl’s Produce has been hesitating to open so as not to tempt people to be in greater contact as this critical time. But the familiar tents are already in place at the corner of B&A Boulevard and McKinsey Road.

“We’ve decided to wait for asparagus and more,” said Jen Diehl. “We’ve not missed an Easter opening since we started selling plants, so that’s a bummer and, of course, we’re stir crazy and want to get back to work. We miss our customers. With weather being warmer, it feels very wrong to not be open.”

Jen adds that the opening will happen soon, and when it does, it’ll be fast. In addition to flowers, Diehl’s Produce will have asparagus and tomatoes (hydroponic and/or southern) with strawberries to follow. They plan on offering curbside service.

Orphan Grain Train switches to sewing masks

Orphan Grain Train, located in Millersville, has a talented team of volunteers who respond to emergency situations here and abroad. Right now the charity is doing its part to battle COVID-19 by sewing masks for medical personnel and others who come in contact with the public.

According to media representative Linda Zahn, they have sewn and sent supplies to Anne Arundel General Hospital, Baltimore Washington Medical Center, and Johns Hopkins. Additionally, they’ve sent masks to Safeway in Severna Park and Crofton. Assisted Living facilities and restaurants have benefited from the masks and Orphan Grain Train continues to reach out to those who need supplies. If anyone would like to sew with them, or donate materials for the project, contact Linda Zahn at znam23@verizon.net or call 410-544-6167.

Osprey Cam

Severna Park residents and apprentice raptor rehabilitators Mark and Heather Jeweler have partnered with Comcast Business to deliver a live video feed of the local nesting pair of ospreys at Severna Park High School. They’re excited to share there are two eggs in the nest waiting to be hatched!

Everyone can join the Jeweler’s “hatch watch”. The live video feed of the nest is from a Baltimore Gas and Electric constructed platform at http://www.severnaparkospreys.com.

I hope everyone’s enjoying hearing news of Severna Park and that you’ll come to “Around The Park Again” weekly for the same kind of news, personalities and event coverage that I’ve long provided in my columns. Please tell a friend, share this post, and say hello when you see me out in the community. If you have news or a project underway, contact me at wingsorb@aol.com or on Facebook. And don’t forget to check out the recipes on sharonleestable.com. Your loved ones and your stomach will thank you!

September 3, 2019

Amaranth leaf salad with herbed balsamic vinaigrette – simple and refreshing for late summer days.

When friends unfamiliar with my gardening hobby come to call, I sometimes serve homegrown Amaranth leaf salad as a side dish. The beautiful magenta-tinged leaves of the Red Leaf Amaranth plant are mature enough by early summer to use as a stand-alone salad or mixed with other greens. Because they are not sold in grocery stores or even at produce stands, no one has a clue what the colorful greens are. Thus, I often refer to this dish as my “Mystery Salad”.

I only recently found I could grow Amaranth….. which I first discovered as a “seed or grain” that I use when baking cookies to add a crunchy texture. It also provides an extra depth of flavor when added to pancake or muffin batters.

Grown historically by the Aztecs, gluten-free Amaranth is high in protein , vitamins and minerals. I grow it in pots outside my kitchen door rather than in my garden where it can be nibbled by deer. The plants produce leaves, flowers and nutritious seeds similar to buckwheat and quinoa from May through October.

***Growing Amarinth is easy and fun with a profusion of colorful leaves for salads or cooking along with flowers and nutritious seeds similar to buckwheat or quinoa.***

Similar in taste to arugula but more delicate., the leaves are delicious in salads on their own or combined with Green Leaf or Romaine lettuces and/or red onion, red pepper, cucumber, radishes or cherry tomatoes. The greens are best when combined with an herbed Balsamic vinaigrette that’s simple to whip up.

Herbed Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 Tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon of sugar or to taste
Healthy dollop of Dijon mustard
1 large or two small garlic cloves chopped
2 or 3 stems of thyme stripped from stem
2 stems of flat leaf parsley – torn
2 leaves of basil – torn
2 stems of chives – chopped

Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, water, sugar, and the dollop of Dijon mustard. Add herbs, whisk again and allow the herbs to steep for a few moments before serving.

Simply layer the leaves, add some cat mint blossoms or other edible flowers and set the dressing out for guests to drizzle. I like to serve the salad as a compliment for casseroles made from richly sauced chicken or turkey and porcini mushrooms.

April 29, 2019

Forrest’s easy chops for two

Known to his friends as something of a globe trotter, Forrest Terrell loves to travel. But, when at home in Annapolis Maryland, he enjoys cooking and listening to jazz – usually simultaneously.

A widower since 2007, he enjoys heading to the West Coast to take in jazz events or visit family….. or indulging in long-dreamed of trips. He’s visited India, Russia, China, Japan and Thailand.

He first developed a taste for travel on work-related trips . But the international travel bug bit when he and his late wife Claire celebrated an anniversary in Rio de Janeiro. Subsequent trips to Budapest, Prague and Vienna in honor of Claire’s Hungarian heritage were followed by a trans- Atlantic cruise ending in London. Between trips, Forrest satisfied his wanderlust through travel to Amsterdam as a courier delivering documents and participating in educational adventures including a wildlife expedition to Kenya.

His culinary adventures began of necessity when Claire – a magnificent cook with a flair for entertaining – passed away. Fortunately, she left an immense book of recipes behind – a veritable treasure trove of good things to eat – that Forrest relies on.

Preferring to make simple dishes using the freshest ingredients and best meats, he’s chosen a recipe called 1+1+4+4 Pork Chops to share with us. They are quick, reliable and easy to make whether serving two or four people. We’ve chosen to prepare the recipe for two.

1+1+4+4 Pork Chops

2 one-inch pork chops (boneless or bone-in as mine were)
Salt, pepper or fresh herbs to taste (I added a bit of fresh thyme and rosemary)
1 Tablespoon of oil if needed (optional)

Forrest emphasizes that a one-inch chop is crucial to the success of the technique of searing the meat to seal in the juices and cooking through in a prescribed amount of time to retain moisture and tenderness. He buys his at The Amish Market in Annapolis.

Place your 1-inch thick pork chops on a plate or non-wooden cutting board. Pat them dry and lightly salt and pepper. I chose to add a bit of fresh thyme and rosemary from my garden.

Preheat the pan in which you are going to cook the chops. If using a cast iron skillet like the one I chose, heat the pan until a droplet of water sizzles on the surface. You may add up to 1 Tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil if you feel it is needed. Add the chops.

Over high heat, brown the first side of the meat for exactly 1 minute. Turn and cook exactly one minute more. Turn the chops again , reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 4 minutes. Turn the chops for a final time and cook 4 more minutes.

Transfer the pork chops to a cutting board . Cover and set aside to rest while you prepare your side dishes. (Once they’ve rested, they may be sliced or not.) I like to serve them with roast potato slices Sharon Lee style along with Brussels Sprouts and green peas. The sprouts are steamed in a saucepan with an inch and a half of water, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch each of sugar and red pepper flakes, salt to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice. The potatoes are a simple creation of my own that require a bit more work. Here’s the recipe.

Sharon Lee’s Roasted Potatoes

2 medium to large potatoes washed and sliced (skin on)
2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil combined with fresh thyme, parsley and sage
Salt and/or pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine 2 Tablespoons of olive oil with torn leaves of thyme, parsley and sage. Lay potato slices on a cookie sheet. I use an old standby that’s not pretty but works great. ( If you have a nicer cookie sheet that you’d like to use you can cover it with aluminum foil.) Coat with olive oil mixture. Place in oven to roast and watch carefully. Cook between 7 and 9 minutes on one side. Flip to other said and cook another 7 to 9 minutes. (Both sides will then be golden brown.) Remove from oven and serve.

Forrest serves his pork chops with one of two sauces

Bourbon and Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup bourbon (or other whiskey)
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons honey or to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
black pepper to taste

Deglaze the pan in which you cooked the chops by adding the 1/2 cup of bourbon and stirring for l minute. Reduce heat to low and add mustard, honey Worcestershire and pepper and cook, stirring, till warmed through.

Apple Cider Pan Sauce

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Simply deglaze the pan in which the chops were cooked with the cider vinegar and cook over medium heat, stirring from the bottom, until the sauce is reduced and thickened. Add salt and pepper.

I chose the latter recipe and set the table and poured a couple glasses of wine while it reduced. Then I retrieved my resting chops, plated them with the vegetables and pulled up a chair. They were delicious!

**Many thanks to Forrest Terrell for his delicious 1+1+4+4 recipe for pork chops. They were served with Apple Cider Pan Sauce on the side, roasted potatoes, Brussels Sprouts and green peas. Yummy**.

February 9, 2019February 9, 2019

Pocketbook Cookie recreation – Trial and many errors

A seldom-made but wonderful childhood treat were the raisin-filled Pocketbook Cookies baked by my late mother Margaret. Out of the blue one day, I remembered them. They’d been fun to make because they resembled tiny pocketbooks. But I hadn’t tasted them in years.

Eager to bake some, I discovered I didn’t have a recipe for them among my family favorites. In my cookbooks I found recipes for dainty filled cookies called Rugelach and Hamantaschen… but nothing resembling the sturdy “pocketbooks” I craved.

Finally, I asked my sister Barbara to check her recipes. Eureka! She found a written list of mom’s Pocketbook Cookie ingredients …but without any instructions. Nevertheless, I determined to recreate those cookies… which proved quite a challenge with lots of experimentation and many mistakes. Preparing a cookie dough came first.

Pocketbook Cookies

Sugar Cookie Dough

3 1/2 cups flour (unbleached is good)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening or butter
1 egg (beaten)
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Step one was to cream together the butter, sugar, beaten egg and teaspoon of vanilla. For step two, I combined the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a separate bowl;. Then I folded the dry ingredients slowly into the creamed mixture using a wooden spoon. Step three was adding the 1/3 cup of milk.

I next used my hands to gather the dough into a ball , covered it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator to firm up.

With the dough cooling its heels, I turned to making the filling. Here’s the recipe.

Raisin Filling

1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon Flour
1 cup chopped raisins
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
Vinegar???
2 tablespoons of butter

Note that there are question marks by the ingredient vinegar. I have no idea if this meant you could substitute vinegar for lemon juice or add vinegar in some undetermined amount. You may wish to experiment but I chose to ignore it..

I began my filling by chopping raisins, placing them in a saucepan and adding the 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of water and tablespoon of flour.

Squeezing lemon juice came next. (Half a lemon made two teaspoons worth.) I added the juice, followed by the butter, cooking them over medium heat. .

It’s necessary to keep stirring the filling as it begins to caramelize and thicken. When sufficiently thick, let the filling cool.

Time to retrieve the dough from the refrigerator, divide it in two, roll it into a ball to flatten it and roll it out on a floured surface. This dough rises considerably as it bakes so roll it out fairly flat.

Mistake #1 – The dough is sticky so I had to keep flouring my fingers, the rolling pin and marble surface I was using.. Through experimentation I found it better to roll it out between two sheets of plastic wrap.

Mistake # 2 was using a beer glass as a cookie cutter. In the oven, they puffed up and became huge even when folded in half.

And then, of course, it was time to place the cookies on a cookie sheet and fill them. Thus, I grabbed by favorite old tried and true cookie sheet to which cookies never stick.

I filled the cookies with 1-1’2 teaspoons of filling – a bit too much – and folded them over like a pocketbook. Then remembering that, as a child, I’d seen my mother crimp them with the tines of a fork, I did the same…badly

Mistake #3 – I missed seeing my sister’s note to “grease” the cookie sheet and bake the cookies at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Mistake #4 – I bore down too hard on the tines of the fork while crimping. Consequently, my cookies stuck, baked too long and looked more like seashells that pocketbooks.

For my first batch, the cookies were huge, a little overdone and leaking filling. So it was time to try, try again.

For my second batch, I used a water glass to cut the cookies out, achieving smaller circles of dough. I reduced the amount of filling to 1 teaspoon and learned how to best pinch them together. I also used a lighter touch crimping them with the fork tines. However, they still puffed up when baked and didn’t look like my mom’s.

I reverted to cutting my final batch of cookies out with a juice glass. Success at last!

They were the right size and almost resembled my mom’s.

And they were delicious….no matter which size!

November 26, 2018

Mid-November harvest yields pumpkins for “Grandma Owings’ Pumpkin Bread”

We’ve had a warm autumn so I’m not quite prepared on November 10th when the weather report calls for the first frost to occur overnight. By afternoon, the temperature is already dropping so I head for my garden to harvest herbs, collards and a veritable bounty of green tomatoes. I also grab some “pie variety” pumpkins.

I’ll dry or dehydrate the herbs on trays in the refrigerator while I spread my green tomatoes out on the marble counter to ripen or be used “as is” in recipes. The collards are headed for the saute pan for dinner but the pumpkins will be turned into puree.

Smaller and more solid than the large ornamental varieties used for Halloween jack-o-lanterns or porch decorations, pie pumpkins yield a lot of bright orange flesh to puree for soups, muffins, pancakes, pies and other desserts along with seeds for roasting. I turn my pumpkins into puree which I divide into 8 oz. portions and freeze. Here’s how to do it:

Pumpkin Puree

(This puree may also be made with acorn, butternut or other winter squash)

Wash pie pumpkins – Do not peel
Fill a large baking pan with 2 to 3 inches of water.
Add 1 large or two small pumpkins to each pan.
Bake at 375 degrees until done. (Rind will darken, take on a sheen…sides will collapse and flesh will be soft.)
Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds (rinse and save for roasting)
Scoop out flesh into large container
Use hand blender to turn the flesh into a smooth puree. Alternatively, add the flesh to a food processor or blender.
Divide the puree into ½ cup or 1 cup portions and use or freeze.

Pumpkins and squash are loaded with vitamins and minerals and the seeds are nutritional powerhouses.

One of my favorite uses for pumpkin puree is to make my mother Margaret Owings’ pumpkin cake. She dictated the recipe to me over the phone and I jotted it down in my recipe book. I called it Grandma Owings’ Pumpkin Bread. Whenever I make it, my kitchen smells heavenly. Rich, moist and fragrant with spices, the bread is truly comfort food for the soul.

Mom’s recipe was “purely pumpkin” though she often added nuts. While she generally made two loaves at a time, I prefer to make one. I’ll improvise and toss in extra ingredients like nuts, seeds, or raisins. Here’s my latest version of her recipe.

Grandma Owings’ Pumpkin Bread

8 ounces (1 cup) pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup water

2 eggs

1-3/4 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 /2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg (or grate fresh nutmeg if you have it)

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 cup raisins plumped in hot water

1/4 cup unsalted roasted sunflower seeds

2 handfuls of fresh cranberries chopped

Plump the raisins by pouring scalding water over them while you assemble the other ingredients.

Combine oil and water with sugar and and mix.

Add eggs and pumpkin and continue to mix until frothy.

Then add flour, the teaspoon of soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon ginger.

Finish by adding a handful or two of fresh cranberries that you’ve chopped along with the quarter cup of plumped raisins and quarter cup of sunflower seeds for texture and crunch

Pour mixture into a loaf pan which you’ve greased or oiled. (I line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper so the loaf comes out easily.) Bake at 350 degrees for 50 or 60 minutes.

The aroma of the baking bread is amazing. You’ll know it’s done when it’s golden brown and firm to the touch.. Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to sit for five minutes.

Then turn it out on a cooling rack. When cool, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

The final step complete, move the loaf to a pretty plate or tray and find a serrated knife for slicing. Offer slices to your family and friends with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea. They’ll likely ask for seconds.

Sweet…but not too sweet…. and richly flavorful with sunflower seeds for crunch and fresh cranberries to add a hint of tartness, Grandma Owings’ Pumpkin Bread is a treat for the taste buds.

Having made five different pumpkin bread recipes from my cookbook collection over the years, I have to say this is the best of them. It’s especially enjoyable during the holidays and makes a wonderful hostess gift. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do..

September 4, 2018

Oxford peaches inspired old-fashioned desserts on the porch

What could be more magical than a trip to Oxford, Maryland on a sunny summer day? Heading toward town on Route 333, we were enjoying the scenery – a mix of agricultural land and waterfront estates – when a family-run farm stand called Taylor’s Produce popped up. The opportunity to buy fresh-from-the-fields corn, tomatoes, squash, peppers and melons was too good to pass up. The corn looked great and was going for $6 per dozen ears. But it was the heavenly scent of peaches right off the tree that drew me like a bee to honey.

I buzzed right past the other produce and purchased some with visions of the peach shortcakes my grandmothers used to make.

Arriving in Oxford moments later, the trip that began with an offer to treat sons Eric and Jan to a birthday lunch at a restaurant of their choice turned into an all-day adventure.

Once a colonial port, the tiny Eastern Shore town on the southern bank of the Tred-Avon River fell out of use after the American Revolution and became the town that time forgot.

A stroll through four-century-old streets took us past some lovely old homes – a few dating to the 1700’s. Set against the backdrop of the river, several homes could only be approached down shady lanes like Swan’s Way or behind picket fences like River House. Gardens surrounding a majority of the well-kept residences were fully in bloom and beautiful. Historic buildings still in use included a market, a museum, and a small library.

One of three houses of worship, St. Paul’s Wesleyan Church was originally constructed in 1865. Known, at one time, as St. Paul’s Pilgrim Holiness Church, the structure was added to over time.

In a town surrounded by water, I assumed “fish” would star on restaurant menus but was only partially right.

At Capsize, the beer was cold and the wings with Old Bay seasoning delicious as we spent a lazy hour or two watching weekend boaters tie up at the docks in search of the ice cream for which Oxford is apparently famous.

Seafood was featured prominently on the Capsize menu too with Scallop Risotto an especially tasty entree.

We had more exploring to do, of course, and another restaurant to try. A steel band concert taking place on Sunset Grille’s outdoor deck and the tropical vibe of the place hooked us as did exotic drink specialties and seafood-based entrees. The crab imperial stuffed mushroom caps truly tickled my taste buds.

The lasting reward to our day away was my haul of produce – I’d gone back for corn – but especially the peaches.

Recalling that both my grandmothers preferred their peaches straight off the tree and unadorned, I initially found a cutting board and sliced some directly into dessert dishes.

Having invited friends to taste them, I added a few berries from my own patch to fancy them up. Unlike my grandmothers who sometimes topped peaches with cream straight from the cow, I offered Reddi-Whip. They were great. Luckily, I reserved enough peaches for that shortcake I was craving.

I first prepared the peaches by slicing them into a bowl, sprinkling a tablespoon or two of sugar over the top and placing them into the refrigerator. Then I got to work preparing the shortcake dough . Both grandmothers’ recipes are lost in time but I believe they modeled their shortcakes on biscuit recipes while my mother used Bisquick . I prefer to use a recipe for a sweeter lighter biscuit I adapted from one in Lighthearted Everyday Cooking by Anne Lindsay which is still in print.

Perfectly Peachy Shortcake

Between six and nine peaches depending on size with sprinkling of 1 or two Tbsp. of sugar
2 cups flour (I use unbleached)
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. softned trans fat free margarine (I like Land O’ Lakes)
3/4 cup non-fat or low-fat milk

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Divide margarine, add to flour, and use two knives to cut butter in till mixture is crumbly. Combine with milk.

Gather dough into a ball and pat into a circle approximately 3/4 inch thick.Use a three inch cutter or glass dusted with flour to make rounds of dough and place on a cookie sheet. (I use my faithful old aluminum one.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown (though my oven runs a bit hot so I cut cooking time to 11 minutes or lower oven temperature to 440 degrees.

Cool shortcakes on a rack for 10 or 15 minutes.

Then carefully slice them in half .

Spoon sweetened peaches over each half and and garnish with juicy blackberries. (Makes six to eight desserts.)

Though old fashioned, Peach Shortcake on the porch on a summer night is delightful. My taste testers gave it an A-Plus.

May 5, 2018May 5, 2018

Triple Crown racing season kicks off with Derby Brunch

With a grandfather, father and two uncles who were horse racing enthusiasts, it’s no wonder I have a soft spot for all three Triple Crown races – the Kentucky Derby, Maryland’s own Preakness Stakes, and New York’s Belmont Stakes.

Grandfather Robert Owings loved horses and was known to play polo in the Greenspring Valley of Maryland. He’s seen here on Doc. But I knew a later horse named Prince.

It wasn’t until my Uncle Howard attended the Kentucky Derby and brought back a cookbook as a gift for my mother, Margaret Owings, called “Kentucky Cooking, New and Old”, that I realized a tradition of good food and hospitality had grown up around the Derby. The cookbook was compiled in 1955 by the Kentucky Colonettes of Louisville.

My mother eventually handed the cookbook on to me and I have loved it and referred to it so often that it’s literally falling apart. I’ve always been charmed by the mix of traditional Southern recipes, 1950’s favorites and cocktail party and V.I.P. dinner party menus. From timetested standbys like scalloped oysters or easy meat barbecue recipes to tomato-based Rinktum Diddy, the food is delicious. Of course, I may substitute today’s improved ingredients from time to time.

Thumbing through one day, I came across the menu for the Susemichels’ Derby Breakfast seen below. I adopted the basic menu but generally prepare mine as a brunch. I love the idea of a simple but elegant Champagne Compote floating with strawberries. But I change out the scrambled eggs for an omelette and sometimes substitute corn or oatmeal muffins for the biscuits. I invited my son Eric Tegler- a deft hand with omelettes or fish – to come cook with me.

Eric most often makes one large omelette for company instead of individual ones. He like to use a large cast iron skillet and his preparation methods are unconventional. But the results are sensational. Here’s his recipe.

Eric’s Omelettes

Eggs – 6 to 8 depending on size of eggs and how many guests you’re serving
Milk, 3 Tablespoons
Extra virgin olive oil – 1 Tablespoon to season skillet
1 large pat of buter
Red pepper flakes
Chopped onion
Chopped bell pepper (green, red, orange or yellow)
Mushrooms
Other raw veggies (chopped) to your taste
Fresh herbs to your taste – Sage, chives, basil or oregano are good choices
Ham, bacon or sausage – Either on the side or cut into small pieces to whip into the omelette
Red pepper flakes to season the pan

You’ll need a skillet or non-stick pan, a cutting board, a bowl for the eggs, and a whisk.

Begin by dicing the onion, pepper and raw vegetables in preparation.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl,

Six to eight eggs should do it.

Add 3 Tablespoons of milk and whisk ingredients together.

Eric’s whisking technique is unconventional to say the least. He rotates the whisk handle between his palms “at speed”. He compares the action to using a vintage hand-drill.

When finished, the mixture should be light an frothy.

Next, prepare the skillet by adding olive oil and gently tipping the pan to cover the entire surface before adding and melting the butter. Lightly sprinkle red pepper flakes across the panAdd diced veggies all at once…

and saute gently before adding egg mixture.

Ta da!

A pizza pan becomes a lid for the skillet and has other uses as you’re about to see.

The burner should be set at a moderate temperature – a 6 or 7 – as the eggs cook. When the egg mixture sets, Eric moves it off the burner to cool and then shakes the pan to loosen it.

He then inverts the pan – first flipping the omelette upside down onto the pizza pan before deftly sliding it back into the skillet.

While it cooks two minutes more, assemble your easy to serve Derby brunch buffet. Place the muffins baked earlier in a basket, open the (chilled) champagne and pour it over frozen strawberries and black raspberries. Check the omelette and, if done, slide it out onto the pizza pan which doubles as a serving plate. Then invite your guests to grab a plate, help themselves and find a seat at the table.

This simple Derby brunch is a great way to kick off Triple Crown season. Champagne cocktails with strawberries and black raspberries for a toast or two, corn muffins, ham and helpings of omelette await. And afterwards…coffee on the screened porch.

It’s a delicious hearty brunch. A great foundation for eventing or for watching Triple Crown races on TV. My grandather, father or uncles would be set for the evening.

March 27, 2018March 27, 2018

Chicks & bunnies by the bunch – Easter critter cookies kids love to munch

Baby chicks and bunnies arrived at Anne Arundel County Farm, Lawn and Garden Center and Homestead Gardens Severna Park this week, reminding me that it’s time to bake sugar cookies in the shape of springtime’s cutest critters.

I first baked my Critter Cookies to bring along to my parents’ annual Easter dinner as a gift. Much appreciated by the grandchildren, they became a tradition.

I’ve honored the tradition, making and rolling out cookie dough on the same marble topped cabinet my great-grandmother Kate Shipley used. Grandma Kate handed down the cherry wood cabinet to her grandson – my father, Sheldon Shipley Owings, Sr. Nowadays, it resides in my kitchen.

It’s great fun to recruit kids to help cut out and decorate these cookies once you’ve assembled the ingredients and made the dough. You’ll need cookie cutters (I use chickens, bunnies and Easter Crosses) and a lightly greased cookie sheet or two.

Easter Critter Cookies from Sharon Lee’s Table

I slightly altered this decade-old recipe I found in an issue of Country Living Magazine and sometimes half the recipe which works equally well.

1 cup unsalted butter – room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all purpose or… I prefer unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

For Icing

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 pound confectioners’ sugar sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla
Milk

Cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time and add vanilla.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and fold them into the mixture.

Then remove the dough and, with floured fingers, lightly form it into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. You’ll need to chill the dough for at least 3 hours or leave it overnight.

Retrieve and divide the dough into sections for rolling out on a lightly floured surface.

Roll it out in a circle to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out shapes with your cookie cutters.

You should be able to cut out four dozen shapes. Arrange them on a lightly greased cookie sheet or two (I prefer my time-worn sheets that aren’t pretty but bake evenly.)

Place in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes or until cookies are just golden.

Cool on a rack and prepare icing. Divide into as many bowls as you like and add food coloring.

Spoon icing into pastry bags using your favorite tips. (I’m partial to ones that allow for plain piping.)

The cookies are delicious plain but it’s more fun to decorate them. You can spread icing over the entire cookie or you can outline them.

Add character by piping on eyes, wings or bunny tails… even dots or stripes.

You’ll have lots of yummy cookies to plate for a gift or for your Easter table….

along with a bowl of dyed Easter Eggs.

(See “Easter Eggs The Easy Way” under the Seasonal Category or Archives for April 10, 2017.)

March 5, 2018

“Hummingbird Cake” – Your guests will hover round Brenda Justice’s heirloom dessert

One afternoon, over coffee, my friend Atalie Payne’s mother Brenda Justice mentioned an old southern recipe with the charming name “Hummingbird Cake”.

She described the three-layer cake made on special occasions by her mother, the late Virginia Thomas, as sweet, dense and delicious. Daughter Atalie remembered tasting her grandmother’s Hummingbird Cake while visiting the family home in Cumberland, Maryland as a kid and finding it scrumptious.

Grandaughter Atalie Justice Payne, her mother Brenda Justice and her grandmother Virginia Thomas who said she’d gotten the recipe from her sister.

Brenda graciously offered to share the recipe her mother jotted down so many years ago on the 3 x 5 cards seen below. You’ll note that they are well-worn.

Like hummingbird nectar, Hummingbird Cake is sweet, as can be seen from the list of ingredients. So it’s offset with a cream cheese frosting made from four simple ingredients.

A native of Mathias, West Virginia before moving to Maryland, Virignia loved southern recipes like this one. Brenda and her daughter are equally fond of it. And now, her granddaughter Elise has tasted Hummingbird Cake for the first time….and loved it! So, chances are, the recipe will live on through four generations.

The Justice and Payne families now share it with us. We’ll take you through it step by step.

Hummingbird Cake

I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of cook and figure the fewer ingredients, the better. So I was seriously intimated by this recipe… with three layers and a dozen plus ingredients. But I laid out the ingredients ahead of time and plunged ahead.

I first measured 3 cups of flour and 2 cups of sugar into a large mixing bowl. Then I added 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients.

I turned the dry ingredients over from the bottom until well blended.

Then it was time to prepare and add the wet ingredients.

The recipe requires 2 cups of mashed bananas. I discovered I needed four bananas to equal 2 cups. Next, I beat 3 eggs together and measured out 1 cup of oil and set them aside. (I used canola oil but other vegetable oils work fine.)

I continued preparations by opening and setting aside an 8 ounce can of pineapple and finely chopping the required cup of pecans.

Next I added the beaten eggs to the dry ingredients, followed by the cup of oil.

The instructions said “DO NOT BEAT” so I stirred the liquids into the dry ingredients… a task that took a bit of muscle.

The resulting batter was stiff.

Luckily, it thinned out considerably when I added the pineapple, followed by the bananas and vanilla, and gave the mixture a good stir.

By the time I folded in the pecans, the batter had become dense but smooth and workable.

I was now ready to pour the mixture into three 8 inch layer cake pans I’d lined with rounds of brown paper cut to fit. (The recipe calls for greasing and flouring the pans which would probably work just as well. )

The filled pans were ready to go into a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

With so many good ingredients, the layers were already looking yummy.

They did not disappoint. They were golden brown and fragrant when I tipped them out to cool on racks for ten minutes.

Then it was time to assemble and frost the layers. For the icing, I creamed together 1/2 cup of butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese, added one 16-ounce package of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and beat till light and fluffy. I iced the first layer, set the second atop it, applied more icing and topped it with the final layer.

I finished the frosting with a swirl and carried the cake to my dining table…

where it took pride of place as a special dessert to be served with coffee.

Hummingbird Cake, with its bananas, pineapple and pecans, to say nothing of its creamy icing, is sweet, dense and delicious.

I generally depend on an easy-to-make standby recipe I call “My Mother’s Cake” (see the final blog entry under the dessert category) so I was apprehensive that I wouldn’t get this cake right. However, I received the seal of approval from both Brenda and Atalie who said my version tasted just like the Hummingbird Cake made by Virginia Thomas.

Though time-consuming, Hummingbird Cake was worth the effort. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have.

February 8, 2018

Cure That Cold Soup – Nourishing broth, aromatics, herbs and veggies

If, like me, you’ve been getting over that three-week flu with the cough that hangs on for a month, you’ll appreciate this recipe for a soup that will nourish your body and keep you going.

I love making homemade soups. From chicken noodle with garlic, ginger and dill to split pea or spicy lentil soups, they’re great on a winter day. This recipe for vegetable soup is particularly nutritious because I use hearty chicken stock as a base. I call it Cure A Cold Soup because every ingredient boosts the immune system and eases cold symptoms.

The first ingredient is homemade chicken stock I make from the carcass and bones of poultry simmered with 8 cups of water over low heat for hours. The minerals, gelatin, and amino acids that leach from the bones as they simmer can be easily absorbed by the body.

Round up a pot or dutch oven capable of holding a lot of soup. It’s easiest to chop the aromatic vegetables beforehand.

Cure A Cold Soup

8 cups of basic chicken stock (Can be homemade or purchased)

2 cups beef stock or broth

1/2 a yellow onion, or whole onion if small (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

2 ribs of celery (chopped)

2 carrots (chopped)

Several porcini mushrooms (sliced)

1/2 cup shredded cabbage

Handful of chopped red or green bell pepper (Can be frozen)

One 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 cups of beef stock

1 to 2 cups of leftover chicken

3 leaves of dried sage

Leaves and stems of fresh or dried parsley

3 stems of fresh oregano or dried

2 pinches of cayenne

Any leftover veggies you want to add (Optional)

2 handfuls of noodles

Salt to taste

Chop the onion, cabbage, celery, and carrots , mince garlic, and slice mushrooms and leftover chicken. Measure out diced tomatoes and beef broth and keep handy. Lay out herbs and spices.

Begin adding vegetables to the chicken stock warming on the stove top… starting with the garlic, onions, cabbage and carrots.

Continue adding the celery, sliced mushrooms, and red peppers (in my case they were frozen).

Garlic has Allicin and other compounds that boost immunity and combat colds and flu. Onions contain Vitamin C and phytochemicals that also boost immunity. Bell peppers are high in Vitamins C and A as well as niacin and potassium. Cabbage and celery are loaded with Vitamins C and K and mushrooms are high in B vitamins, folate and selenium.

Add the beef broth next which adds depth to the flavor.

Follow by adding the diced tomatoes.

Then come the seasonings. If using dried herbs crumble them into the soup. Add a pinch or two of cayenne, a potent germ killer, and salt to taste.

Lastly, add the sliced chicken and give the soup a good stirring from the bottom up.

At this point, if you have any leftover vegetables (like peas, green beans or corn), feel free to add them. For a final touch, I like to toss in a few handfuls of noodles… or you can substitute pasta of any shape or some rice. Allow the soup to simmer for an hour…or two. It’s even better warmed over.

Even if you’re not feeling up to par, you can round up some bread and butter and a simple salad for a truly nourishing meal that will warm you through and through. Enjoy!