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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.)

 

 

 

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“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.

 

 

 

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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!

This hearty vegetable soup can perk you up when you’re feeling low. However, it’s so delicious, you’ll want to make it often.

 

 

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Temps were crisp so I made “Apple Cranberry Crisp”

Between a neighbor’s apple tree and two of my favorite produce stands, I’ve accumulated quite a haul of apples.   Just before Halloween I drove to Diehl’s Produce of Annapolis in the waterfront community known as The Maritime Republic of Eastport.

Found crates and crates of apples and pears from Adams County, Pennsylvania ranging from Honey Crisp, Crimson Crisp, and Red and Golden Delicious to Fuji varieties.

Adams Co., Pa. apples from Diehl’s Produce of Annapolis.
Pumprheys Farm Stand in Milersville, Md. had great Winesaps, Granny Smith’s and Golden Delicious varieties.

A week later drove to Pumphrey’s Farm Stand in Millersville, Maryland where I was guaranteed to find great Winesaps, Granny Smith’s and Golden Delicious  from Maryland orchards right up til’ Thanksgiving.  (Include chopped Winesaps in my turkey stuffing.)

Froze the apples from my neighbor’s tree and some of the Winesaps by slicing them and layering them in sealed freezer bags.  (Learned the trick from “The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest”.)   They come in handy in the dead of winter when you can use them for pancakes, upside down cakes, or sauteed as a side dish.

On the first cold day of November, I hunted up my  notebook of personally collected recipes and raided my store of apples to make Apple Cranberry Crisp.  I chose a mix of sweet and sour apples including Crimson Crisps, Golden Delicious, Winesaps and Granny Smiths.

My favorite Apple Crisp recipe can be found on a yellowed page I clipped from The Capital newspaper a decade ago.  I’ve altered the recipe by adding cranberries for an extra bit of tartness and renamed it accordingly.  Hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

4 cups of baking apples (about 6 medium)

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped raw cranberries

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup butter

 

 

Soften butter.

 

 

 

Blend flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and butter together.

Mix in nuts, and raisins.

 

Meantime, grease an 8-inch round or square pan. 

Peel and slice the apples and layer them in the pan along with the chopped cranberries.

Spread the crumb mixture over the apples and cranberries patting into place.

Bake in a 350 degree oven 35 minutes.  Depending on the firmness of the apples, I might bake a few extra minutes.  Remove from oven and  set out to cool for a few minutes.  Then slice and enjoy with or without a dollop of vanilla ice cream and a steaming cup of coffee.

Serve the Apple Cranberry Crisp while warm with or without a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

My idea of comfort food, Apple Cranberry Crisp is really great to serve for dessert or as a special treat when friends drop by.  It gets raves every time.

 

 

 

 

 

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From garden to table, late season string beans, squash delight the taste buds

Autumn leaves are falling so I checked my little vegetable patch to see what’s left for me to harvest.  There are lots of herbs, some tomatoes and, oh yes, beans.  I’m only able to raise a limited amount.  But nothing tastes better than string beans fresh from the garden.

Much like my mom and grand mom, I enjoy sitting on the porch and snapping the ends off string beans fresh from the garden. Husked corn’s already in the fridge.

I find it relaxing to sit on the porch and snap the ends off beans…even better when a friend or family member joins me in the effort.

My mother Margaret Owings and my grandmother Fanny Belle Elseroad made the most extraordinary string beans . They’d simmer them on the stove top with ham hocks or bacon drippings the old fashioned way for hours…a method  that produced a flavor and texture that can only be described as meaty.

My own method for cooking green beans is  similar but modified for a shorter cooking time.  It’s easy to grab a ham hock from my freezer but it takes time for the meat to give up its flavor.  So, if I’m busy, I’ll usually substitute  bacon.

The recipe I’ve come up with is more of a guideline that’s flexible depending on the amount of beans you’re using.  It requires that you taste the beans while cooking so that salt and seasonings may be adjusted.  I’ve based the following measurements and instructions on roughly 1-1/2 to 2 pounds of freshly harvested green beans.

I’ve shortened the time required to make the recipe to around 30 minutes but allowing 40 minutes or even an hour enhances the flavor.  While they are cooking I’ll work on other dishes including the summer squash recipe further down the page.

“String Beans My Way”

A large saucepan or dutch oven

1-1/2 to 2 pounds of string beans

3 or 4 strips of bacon

2  inches of water

A drizzle of olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt (start with less than 1/2 teaspoon and add more as needed)

Several pinches of dried dill

2 teaspoons of cider vinegar

Gather the beans from your garden or buy them from a local farmer’s market or produce stand.  As a last resort, buy them from a supermarket.

Snap the ends off the beans

Give them a good rinse and set them aside

While the bacon was cooking for the beans, I sliced tomatoes for another dish.

Fry 3 or 4 strips of bacon.  When done drain the bacon on paper towels and reserve 2 Tablespoons of drippings.  Set aside.

Place the string beans  in a large saucepan or dutch oven with 2 to 3 inches inches of water depending on amount of beans

Drizzle with olive oil

Turn the heat on the burner to high till the water begins to boil and then turn it down to simmer

Add 2 Tablespoons of bacon drippings

Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and sprinkle with less than 1/2 teaspoon of salt. (Add more as you go along according to taste up to 1 whole teaspoon))

Sprinkle liberally with dried dill

Allow beans to simmer on a back burner while you prepare other dishes and turn them from time to time

Had more vegetables to slice than room on my cutting board. But the water beneath the string beans was heating up nicely.

Add cider vinegar to beans starting with 1 or 2 teaspoons but tasting and adding  more as needed.

Crumble half the bacon and add to the pot

Before serving, top beans with remaining crumbled bacon

Meanwhile, prepare ingredients for other sidedishes.  The growing season for yellow squash is nearing an end so I like to saute them along with other vegetables.  You can’t beat the fresh taste and lightness of this dish.

Yellow Summer Squash with Mushrooms and Peppers

3 yellow squash

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

2 Tablespoons water

1 clove of garlic

3 slices of a large yellow onion

Half a red pepper sliced

4 or 5 mushrooms sliced

Leaves of fresh sage and  fresh basil if you have them

Add about a Tablespoon of olive oil to a saute pan along with 2 inches of water.  Arrange sliced squash in pan with onion slices and garlic and saute briefly

Layer in sliced peppers and mushrooms and add 1 or 2 torn or chopped sage leaves and basil leaves

The fragrances of the onions, garlic, sage and basil as they cook are wonderful. Such a colorful dish too.

Turn several times while cooking  (takes less than ten minutes).  Turn off heat but keep warm.  Both dishes go especially well with pork or chicken.  And if you have any string beans left over, they’re even better warmed over the second day.

 

 

 

 

 

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Chives in bloom? Perfect time for Mary Swanson’s Scandinavian Potato Salad

From the moment my garlic chives pop out of the soil each spring till frost threatens and they disappear to overwinter below ground, I use them by the handful.  I particularly love when the chives burst into bloom at the end of August.  Bumblebees and honeybees swarm above them in the afternoon sun and frequently touch down on the lovely white blossoms pollinating as they go.

Garlic chives are one of my favorite herbs.  They are mild with a flavor between spring onions and garlic.  I occasionally use them to make my friend Mary Swanson’s wonderful Scandinavian Potato Salad recipe – a salad that’s perfect for an outdoor meal.

I first tasted this dish at  a “race day” luncheon for six prepared by Mary and her husband Ernie, a fine cook in his own right.  The Swansons are avid Formula I auto racing fans – a passion we all share.  So getting together to watch live coverage from racetracks around the globe is a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Scandinavian Potato Salad was but one star of the race day meal.  Ernie’s perfectly prepared pork medallions were great and Mary’s colorful pepper-studded black bean salad  hit the spot.

Still, it was the potato salad that captured my attention.  Different from any I’d ever tasted, it was so good I had a second helping.  I immediately asked for the recipe and Mary kindly wrote it out for me.  I share it now with you.

Mary Swanson’s Scandinavian Potato Salad

6 to 8 potatoes (Any kind  will do.  I used some white potatoes I had on hand, however, Mary most often uses medium sized red bliss potatoes.)

2 teaspoons (Add most to cooking water but reserve a little for dressing. Adjust to taste in accordance with amount of potatoes used.)

1 bunch garlic chives  (lavender-blossomed onion chives can be substituted and are equally good)

1/3 cup oil  (extra virgin olive oil is good but your choice)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Remaining salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper (Or peppercorns – several grinds of the pepper mill)

Slice potatoes in rounds and place in a large saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of water and most of the salt. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat.  Simmer till done.  Drain potatoes and place in large bowl.

Meantime make dressing by combining oil, sugar, the remaining

salt, the Dijon mustard and pepper.  Mix well and pour over potatoes and chives.  (Best done while potatoes are still warm when dressing’s easily absorbed.)  Can set out early as this mayonnaise-free side dish will not spoil if the day is warm.

 

Mary emphasizes that this is truly a taste-as-you go recipe with the amount of salt added determined by the number and size of the potatoes used.  You can add an extra dash or two of vinegar for a more piquant flavor.

This tangy potato salad is a great accompaniment for meat or poultry and is so easy to make.  I served it this time with steak and end-of-summer veggies including Anne Arundel County corn on the cob from Pumphrey’s Farmstand on Veteran’s Highway in Millersville, Maryland and just picked green beans prepared the old-fashioned way.

Everyone grabbed a plate and enjoyed the meal,.  Even our guilty-looking  cat Biscuit (who invited himself to dinner) managed to con us out of several bites of steak and had a fine old time.

               Everybody grab a plate and help yourselves.  No…not you Biscuit!

 

 

 

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Company coming and pinched for time? Pork’s the answer

Company’s headed to my house for dinner…a sister and an assortment of sons, nieces and nephews.  But I’ve no time to spare…not even a few minutes to run to the supermarket.

Today, even those who love to cook – like me – are sooo busy we worry about having guests.  Will we be able to get dinner on the table in time?

I decide there’s no reason to panic.

I thawed a pork loin I took out of the freezer and have leftover ham slices to grill for a nephew who prefers it.  There are apples to saute with cinnamon and rice and peas for equally quick side dishes.  A cake and  fresh peaches will suffice for dessert.

So I can relax a little.

Roasting a pork loin is easy….and takes little time to prepare

Find a shallow roasting pan  and place the pork in the center.  Coat the roast with olive oil.  Tear or finely chop fresh thyme, sage and rosemary and sprinkle over the pork.  Or, substitute dried herbs.

Add a quarter cup of water to pan.  Roast on middle rack of oven at 400 degrees for one hour and fifteen minutes… or slightly longer for a larger roast.  (Can cut the pork loin in half to reduce cooking time.)  If you wish,  lightly salt meat halfway through cooking.

Meantime, set the table and prepare the side dishes.

Sauteed apples are simple.  

Just wash and slice the apples and layer them in a non-stick saucepan in which you’ve melted two tablespoons of butter.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  (Add a tablespoon or two of water if needed.)  Turn with a spatula as they cook.  Keep warm.

Rice would be nice…even better with olives and mushrooms.

Rice with olives and mushrooms

1 cup white rice

1 clove garlic smashed, diced

1 teaspoon diced onion

2 tablespoons diced red pepper

1 tablespoon diced celery

4 to 6 mushrooms sliced

4 or 5 black olives sliced

4 green olives sliced

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric for flavor (or more according to your taste)

Add rice to a saucepan and rinse several times until water runs clear.  Drain rice and move to side of saucepan.  Add olive oil and saute garlic, onion, red pepper and celery.  Then fold the rice into the oil with the veggies.  Add the mushrooms followed by 2 cups of water and teaspoon of salt.  Add the olives and turmeric and  bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer until the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked.

Dinner’s ready and the pork looks great.

Need last minute dessert 

                   Fresh peaches over cake

Am lucky I didn’t ice the cake I made yesterday.

And luckier still to have someone volunteer to slice it.

Mix sliced peaches (these were from a nearby produce stand) with a little sugar and a few raspberries. Pour them over the slices of cake. (You can easily substitute store-bought pound cake slices.)

 

 

All that’s needed is a dollop of whipped cream.

 

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Savor summer’s flavors with Curried Green Tomatoes, Zesty Zucchini Salad

Reasoning that Diehl’s Produce of Severna Park was the ideal candidate for a Local Food Picks column I was writing for Annapolis-based Capital Newspaper in July of 2011, I hopped on my bike and pedaled toward the open-air market.

From plums, peaches and melons to Eastern Shore corn on the cob, the produce beneath the red and white striped tents was picture perfect…great for the column.  But I needed a recipe or two to share with our readers so I  searched out manager Jennifer Diehl.  Pointing to several cardboard cartons of good-sized green tomatoes Jennifer said, “I have just the recipe for you.”

According to Jennifer, longtime customer Judy Ridgely shared her recipe for Curried Green Tomatoes with the Diehl family and they found it absolutely delicious.

It’s definitely one of the most delightful summer recipes I’ve ever tasted and very easy to make.  With Judy’s blessing, we shared it with Capital readers in 2011 and share it now with you.

Judy Ridgely’s Curried Green Tomatoes

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 onion chopped relatively fine

1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder

Pinch cayenne pepper

2 cups coarsely chopped green tomatoes

Salt to taste

 

 

 

 

Chop tomatoes and onions.  Melt butter in a skillet or non-stick pan.  Add the onion and cook slowly until translucent.

Add curry powder and blend well.  Stir in a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Add green tomatoes and cook, stirring for 3 to 4 minutes during which time they’ll from green to gold.  I like them served warm with a range of meats or poultry.

Green tomatoes were not the only great looking veggie “starring” at Diehl’s that day.  At a nearby stand, I found the makings for a recipe of my own creation.

With such a wide variety of local and regional vegetables available mid-July, it wasn’t hard to choose ingredients for a super salad.

Sharon Lee’s Zesty Zucchini Salad with Balsamic Vinegar Dressing

This refreshing salad makes a pretty first course for a summer supper. The main course this day was a casserole dish featuring chicken and mushrooms.

The  vegetables used for this dish can vary according to what looks fresh.  (Cucumbers substituted for the zucchini are equally delicious. )

                          The basic recipe

2 small zucchini (or 1 large)  –  sliced in rounds 

1 small yellow summer squash –  sliced in rounds

1/2 red and/or green pepper roughly diced

6 to 12 cherry tomatoes – sliced in half

Slices of mild onion (like Vidalia) to taste 

2 or 3 leaves of basil and/or freshly picked sage

Sprigs of flat leaf parsley

Extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon of sugar

Mushrooms (optional )

Wash and gently dry the vegetables.  Then chop the zucchini and squash into rounds, halve the cherry tomatoes, and slice the onions, peppers and mushrooms.

Layer the zucchini, squash and onions in a pretty bowl or serving dish.  Add additional layers of peppers, and cherry tomatoes.  Top with finely chopped basil, parsley and/or sage.  

When finished,  sprinkle sugar lightly over the top of the salad.

Drizzle with olive oil and  balsamic vinegar.  Finish by adding a splash of red wine vinegar for a pleasant touch of tartness.  Toss ingredients together and plate.

Serve separately or as an accompaniment to poultry, meat or fish along with other side dishes.  Though delicious when served immediately, the salad is even better when allowed to marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or more.

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It’s Berry Time – from Banana/Berry Pancakes to Chilled Blueberry Soup

It’s berry time, one of my favorite times of the year.  Nothing tastes quite like berries ripened on the vine.  And lucky me.  Strawberry season has begun and I’ve found several sources nearby.

Baltimore-based Zahradka Farms brought boxes and boxes of freshly picked strawberries to the Severna Park Farmers Market on Saturday.  Also found strawberries at Diehl’s Produce Severna Park and at Diehl”s Produce of Annapolis.

Of course,  when white blossoms appear on the black raspberry vines in my own garden in April, I love it.  By the end of May, they’re beginning to ripen and I watch with anticipation as they turn from light green to red and finally deep purple.

I love watching the black raspberries in my garden ripen as they turn from light green to red and, finally, to purple.

This year I’ll have quite a haul of my own berries.  But I also have local sources for pick-your-own red raspberries, blackberries and blueberries  – enough to pick and eat with plenty left over to freeze.

(To freeze,  rinse berries, scatter them  on a cookie sheet and place uncovered in your refrigerator’s freezer.  When frozen, transfer  into containers or seal in freezer bags.)

Berries are splendid eaten in dessert dishes unadorned…or with a dollop of whipped cream.  However,  I use fresh and frozen berries of all kinds in a variety of recipes including Banana/Berry Pancakes.  The easy-to-make recipe is one you can play with by substituting different grains or berries.

You’ll need a pan or grill large enough to accommodate several pancakes at once. A cast-iron skillet or non-stick saute pan works well.  An ice cream scoop is handy for  transferring the batter from bowl to  pan.

Banana/Berry Pancakes

Dry ingredients:

1-1/4 cup flour (all-purpose or unbleached)

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons of baking powder (Can use three if you go for fluffy)

Combine

Next four ingredients (which are optional) add flavor and  texture

1 handful Old Fashioned Oats (any brand)

1 teaspoon Sesame seeds (no need to toast)

1 teaspoon ground flax seed (grind in electric coffee grinder)

1 Tablespoon ground  buckwheat

Wet ingredients:

1 mashed banana

1 egg

1 heaping Tablespoon of plain yogurt (not Greek)

1 cup of milk (or more if needed to thin batter)

2 Tablespoons Canola oil

Berries (any variety and as many as you like)

First, mix dry ingredients together.  (You’ll note that I do not include sugar as an ingredient since the banana adds sweetness enough.)

Next, add the mashed banana followed by the egg, plain yogurt and milk. Add the Canola oil last.  Mix well by hand.

Add berries.  In this case, I used sliced strawberries, black raspberries and blueberries.

Mix well and let batter stand while you coat the pan with a light film of canola oil and heat it.

When the pan is hot, add a pat of butter and swirl pan.  Then, use a spoon or ice cream scoop to transfer batter into the pan. These hearty pancakes are quite filling so I make them medium sized.  When bubbles appear on top of the batter, flip the pancakes over with a spatula.  You’ll see that they are nicely browned.  (You may have to flip again if any uncooked batter remains on top.

You’ll note that they are not perfectly symmetrical (but they are delicious) . When done on both sides, transfer the pancakes  to a plate and top with  butter and syrup.

For house guests, I’ll add bacon or ham but for busy family members, grabbing a plate full of these hearty pancakes with a cup of coffee is a fine start to the day.

My most recent recipe discovery blueberry-wise came as a surprise to me and all who tasted it at Benevolent Baskets‘ luncheon at Chartwell Golf and Country Club.  Organized by co-founders Karen Lerario and Lesley Geisel as a fundraiser for Benevolent Baskets’ transitional skills  program for homeless women, the luncheon featured a three-course meal prepared by Chef Andrew Maggitti  including his amazing Chilled Blueberry Soup.  We were delighted to get his recipe.

As cocktail hour ended at the Benevolent Baskets’ fundraising luncheon, our first course –  cups of Chef Andrew’s Chilled Blueberry Soup – appeared on the tables. The soup’s deep purple hue perfectly matched the table centerpieces.

Chef Andrew Maggitti’s Chilled Blueberry Soup

4 cups blueberries

4 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon all spice

Blend the first five ingredients in blender

Then add:

1/3 bottle of Riesling

2 Tablespoons sour cream

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Blend  and then add:

8 ounces of plain yogurt

2 ounces of simple syrup

Blend until smooth and strain through chinois (strainer)

Chef Andrew created the soup in conjunction with the fundraiser’s “Be Fit for Benevolence” theme and followed the first course with an entree of Lemon Pepper Marinated Chicken Breast on a bed of Quinoa topped with Pineapple Relish and a dessert of Chocolate Hazelnut Polenta Torte.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Anyone for a cookie? Betcha can’t eat just one.

Nothing like a cookie with friends over coffee…or as a bribe to get a husband or son to remove the dead bird your cat just dropped at your feet.

The recipes for peanut butter cookies and oatmeal cookies that follow fill the bill in either case.  I’ve made both kinds  hundreds of times and often serve them as after-dinner dessert.

I’ve adjusted the measurements of ingredients so each recipe now provides 2-1/2 dozen cookies…enough for guests with only a few left over for me to pig out on.

My recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies comes from the well-thumbed pages of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook I was given by my Aunt Ann as part of her wedding gift.  (Since I didn’t even know how to boil water, it was a great gift.)

I’ve changed just two ingredients over the years. The recipe called for “shortening” which I was told  meant “Crisco”.   Never had any on hand so have used butter or trans-fat free margarine.  I’ve also used chunky as opposed to smooth peanut butter.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1/2 cup shortening  (I like to use  www.landolakes.com butter or trans-fat free margarine)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter (hubby’s favorite SKIPPY® chunky peanut butter)

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer unbleached)

1 teaspoon soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening, sugars, egg, vanilla and peanut butter.  Sift and stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture.

Drop by rounded teaspoons or soup spoons) on ungreased cookie sheet.  Press back of fork into each to make crisscrosses.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet  in 350 degree oven for approximately 10 minutes till lightly browned

I have to hide these peanut butter cookies or they’ll get eaten before I’m ready to serve them.

My second go-to cookie also began as a Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook recipe called Oatmeal Crisps.  Due to my penchant for changing recipes, the original version has evolved quite a bit.  I love incorporating unusual grains in my recipes so this variation for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Amaranth includes amaranth, millet, sunflower seeds and raisins.  The cookies are yummy.

Cultivated centuries ago by the Aztecs, amaranth is not a grain that’s well-known today.  It’s gluten-free and a high-quality source of plant protein.  It’s also high in iron and calcium.  I use just a handful in this recipe to add texture and a delightful crunch.  Amaranth can be found in organic markets as well as some supermarkets.

Millet is another gluten-free grain that originated in Africa.  It’s high in essential minerals and has a sort of nutty taste that I’m fond of.  I use millet in many recipes, usually grinding it first in a coffee grinder.  The millet adds additional texture to the recipe along with sunflower seeds.  Look for millet in supermarkets or organic stores.

The addition of amaranth gives these oatmeal raisin cookies a pleasant crunch.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Amaranth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and plump 1/4 cup of raisins and/or dried cranberries in hot water

1/2 cup shortening (or substitute butter or margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup all purpose flour (I use unbleached)

Scant 1/4 teaspoon of cinammon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 handful of amaranth grains

1 handful of millet (ground in a coffee bean grinder is best though can leave whole)

Approximately 1/4 cup of hulled sunflower seeds (or can use walnuts)

1/4 cup of plumped raisins (and/or dried cranberries)

Cream shortening or butter and sugars.  Add egg and vanilla.  Beat well.  Mix together and add flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.  Stir in oats, handful of amaranth, handful of millet, and sunflower seeds.  Mix.  Fold in plumped raisins and/or cranberries.

Form into rolls and refrigerate in plastic wrap.  When chilled, slice dough into 1/4 inch thick rounds and place on cookie sheet……or simply cover dough in the bowl with plastic wrap and chill. Then scoop dough from bowl with teaspoon or soup spoon.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees and bake until lightly browned (10 to 12 minutes).