Christmas Cherries

From Carol Gordon's Sleep On It

3 cans (1 pound each) pitted tart cherries, packed in water
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup Bordeaux wine
Seasoned whipped cream for garnish

1. Empty 1/2 jar of Trader Joe's Morello cherries and all their juice into large pot. Add the juice from the second jar, but reserve the cherries.  Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, lemon, sugar, salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
2. Place the cream in a medium saucepan and heat just until steaming (do not boil!) Whisk in the flour and allow to cool slightly and add to the berry mixture.  Add the wine and bring just to the boiling point. Strain and cool the mixture, discarding the boiled cherries.   Add the reserved can of cherries, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Serve by placing 5 oz. of the mixture in a glass bowl or compote and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream. We decided we might like this best over vanilla ice cream!

Christmas Blossoms

4 parts Absolut vanilla vodka, 1 part freshly-squeezed lemon juice, 1 part local (preferably Canelli's) honey. Gently muddle 2 leaves fresh basil in the glass.  Pour liquid over the basil.  Use a glass rimmed with sugar and a 'hint' of cinnamon. Add a splash of Campari for the holiday color.

Yummm!

Christmas Eve 2011

We found Honey Blossoms at the Barclay Hotel in New York City over Thanksgiving weekend and we've perfected them at home, adding a splash of Campari for a Christmas Blossom.  Christmas Cherries might be a new tradition here - we are trying it for the first time this year.

Winter Guacamole

We love guacamole. Especially on football day. Or golf tournament days. Well, that makes we love guacamole on any weekend day! Gerry's watching Tiger's tournament (has it really been only two years since that fateful Thanksgiving weekend and where is Elin these days?)

Gerry bought the ingredients and I took some time out from writing columns this Sunday afternoon to make the guacamole because I love making guacamole as much as eating it. Years ago a friend taught me to make guacamole with lots of fresh cilantro and that's how we like it. We also like it chunky instead of smooth but it's personal taste!

2 or 3 ripe avocados, sliced and coarsely diced
1 or two ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 large onion, diced
1 T. freshly ground sea salt
1/2 lime squeezed or lemon if necessary
1 T. dried or 1 small can diced jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Let sit to meld the flavors. Serve any way!

Colin's Buffalo Chili

Colin loves anything hot and spicy. He has collections of hot sauces in the cabinets and the refrigerator. We even bought him a special plate with sauce cups and he uses hot sauce every time he gets the chance.

No wonder he loves chili, then. We had bison chili at Montana Joe's in Durham, North Carolina recently and that combination - buffalo and heat - is right up Colin's alley.

So today, I taught Colin how to make bison chili at home. The ground bison at BJ's Wholesale Club is about $3.50 a pound which is pretty good because it's sweet, delicious and low in fat. The finished chili has a bite though. Cut the chili powders if you need to.

Colin's Bison Chili

First, coarsely chop 1/2 cup of onion and cook it in 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large soup pot. Let it cook on medium for about 10 minutes. Brown the bison and 1-1/2 tsp. black pepper.

Mix together 1-1/2 T. salt, 1-1/2 T. dried basil, 1-1/2 T. dried oregano, 2 beef bouillon cubes, 1/2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa, 2 T. sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, 2 T. chili power and 1 T. chipotle chili powder, 2 T. cumin, 2 T. paprika and 1/2 tsp. coriander.

Mince 1 Tablespoon of garlic. Measure 1/8 cup Dijon mustard. Open 1 large can of tomatoes and 2 smaller cans of chopped tomatoes (we used the kind with chilis in them.) Measure 1/2 cup of tomato paste. Juice 1/2 lemon, measure 1/4 cup red wine.

Cook 1/2 yellow, red and green diced peppers in oil until still firm and set aside until the end..

Add the seasonings to the browned bison. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on medium for about an hour. Drain two large cans of red kidney beans. Add to the chili. Add the cooked peppers.


Let sit together for 1/2 hour and serve. Top with sliced avocado, sliced black olives, grated cheeses, fresh cilantro and sour cream!

Bettye's Banana Bread

This weekend we had three bananas that had ripened beyond deliciousness and so I dug out my favorite banana bread recipe. I don't bake much anymore because we simply cannot afford the calories of such a decadent snack. I've had this recipe for years and years. It's from a 1971 cookbook given to me by my mother - The Gift-Giver's Cookbook by Jane Green and Judith Choate. I made a few changes to the recipe 40 years later. I added a tsp. of black walnut extract and 1 cup of chopped walnuts and baked them in a muffin pan which I did many times when my children were growing up. The recipe made 12 nicely rounded muffins.

Bettye's Banana Bread:
1/3 cup of butter
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
3 mashed bananas
1-3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. black walnut extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream the butter and two eggs and then add the sugar. Stir in the mashed bananas. Add the dry ingredients and mix very well. Add the flavorings and chopped nuts.

Bake about 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Week Night Dinner with Kevin Sheldrake

There is nothing like dining with friends from faraway (in this case, England). I've been looking forward to meeting Kevin Sheldrake, or AKA Charlie's Dad. Charlie is Kevin's daughter who is not only beautiful but very smart. She reads Gerry's Bee Blog and is intently interested in the life of our bees ... and the taste of our honey! We are looking forward to someday meeting Sarah, Kevin's wife, and his two gorgeous girls. In the meantime, we have to be content shipping off honey and maple sugar candies to England.

In a very short time beginning at about 5:54 pm, I was able to put together some ingredients that I shopped for on the way home with Colin from work and school. We always have garlic and shallots, butter, jams and jellies, fresh rosemary, hard-cooked eggs and frozen bacon. Dinner was easy and fun and I only needed about three small plastic bags of groceries and a bag of locally-grown apples!

First things first (after you've lit a fire, set the table and tidied up the place) you assemble your main course, a Pork Loin Roasted with Garlic, Pepper, Rosemary and Cherries. Then you ready some Fingerling Potatoes with Olive Oil, Sea Salt and Rosemary to roast with the pork. Saute Butternut Squash and Shallots, Crisped Brussels Sprouts and assemble a Spinach Salad. Serve with a store-bought bread (no time for homemade) and lots of Tempranillo. Oh, and don't forget the fresh apple crisp, New England Barnstable Road Apple Crisp, for dessert.

Crisped Brussels Sprouts

Colin loves these! Halve about 18 brussels sprouts. Steam until al dente. Place cut side down in a saute pan with olive oil, a bit of butter, sea salt and pepper. Crisp them until they are nicely browned on the one side. Turn if desired. Throw in extra leaves that have fallen from the sprouts. Serve!

Butternut Squash with Shallots

Trim, peel and cut a small butternut squash into 1/2 inch chunks. Steam until they are al dente - not crunchy but not smooshy. In the meantime, cut about six peeled shallots in half and slice them. Saute these in a mixture of butter, olive oil, fresh sea salt and pepper, and fresh thyme leaves until they are soft. Add the squash and cover, cooking until the squash is soft.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Olive Oil and Rosemary

Steam halved fingerlings (unless they are small and can roast on their own.)  When they are softer than al dente, remove from the steamer (either microwaved or stovetop) and mix with olive oil, a bit of butter and chopped rosemary leaves. Top with freshly ground sea salt and pepper.  Put them in a roasting pan and roast for about 20 minutes on 350 degrees next to your main entree.

Roasted Pork Loin With Garlic, Rosemary, Pepper and Cherries

We usually buy a two-pack of pork tenderloins. They are about 10 inches long and 2 inches around. Slit the tops of both loins. Lightly oil a baking dish with olive oil. Press about 10 cloves of garlic (slice in two lengthwise if they are large) and press them into the slits on the pork. Generously grind fresh black pepper and sea salt on the whole loins. Press sprigs of fresh rosemary onto the garlic and top these with one jar of Trappist Cherry Preserves.* Let sit until your oven (on convection roast if possible) is ready at 350 degrees. You'll roast this for about 25-30 minutes depending on how well-done you like your pork. Test in the very center of the thickest loin for doneness.

*I like this brand because there are whole cherries in it. Other brands have whole or halved cherries. You can make a sauce of this when you are done, if you'd like but I didn't this time. When you slice your meat top it with the juices on the place. Be sure to include most of the garlic on a garlic-lover's plate! It is crispy and not very soft but garlic-lovers (my Gerry) go wild.

You can come up with your own concoctions of herbs and jams - apricot is delicious with thyme and sliced green onions.

Halloween Soup, Cider, Sweets and Treats

On Halloween we celebrated at the library with a luncheon of soup, hot and cold ciders and sweets and treats. I made the soup and heated the cider and the rest of the staff brought plates of baked cookies, cupcakes and lots of sweet treats.

We knew we would be losing our power due to the Halloween eve snowstorm on October 29-30 that downed trees and power lines throughout New England. So I shopped Trader Joe's on the way home in the snowstorm and hoped for electricity at the library. And of course, there was. So I was able to assemble the soup in my wonderful All Clad stainless slow cooker and took off for work where it heated for a few hours until the start of the luncheon at 11:30 a.m.

Here's the recipe for Smokey, Spooky Halloween Soup

(4) 15 oz. cans Trader Joe's Chicken Chili with Beans
(2) 15 oz. cans of Trader Joe's white beans or any beans
(1) 16 oz. jar Trader Jose's Hot Chipotle Salsa "with a slightly smoky taste"
(2) boxes Trader Joe's organic chicken broth or (1) large can of College Inn chicken broth
16 oz white chicken meat, cooked
1 green pepper chopped and four Roma tomatoes chopped

If desired, one bag of Trader Joe's frozen roasted corn kernels (I forgot to add them!)

Cook on high in a crock pot 1 hour to heat everything and then turn to low. Top with finely grated Mexican cheese blends, tortilla chips, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced black olives and IF RIPE, avocado slices!

Barnstable Road Apple Crisp

I love to make apple crisp because it is easier than the pie. Probably not less calories but crusts just leave me cold.

Peel and slice a bunch of apples depending upon your dish. I use nearly one full orchard bag which is about twenty small apples. I highly recommend an apple corer and plunger - it is a simple utensil that makes peeling apples much easier and they cost from $5-$20.

I've made apple crisp in the crockpot and it is delicious and easy. Sometimes it works well to dust your apples with a little fresh lemon juice and then a mixture of a bit of sugar, Wondra baking flour and some apple pie spices.

In any event, place the apples in the baking dish or crockpot.

Crumb: Mix about 1/3 cup flour into 1 stick melted butter. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed and about 1-1/2 tsp. apple pie spice. Add 1/2-3/4 cup nice and chewy oatmeal (Trader Joe's toasted oats or Silver Palate Thick and Rough Oatmeal is what I use. Mix this all up and then press onto the top of the apples covering as much of the apples as you can.

Bake 350 degrees in your over (convection bake if possible) for about a half an hour depending upon your apples. If you overbake, well, they are delicious anyway. If you are using your crockpot, Top with the crumb mixture and cook on low for about 2-3 hours.

Making Beautiful Mozzarella Together*

*Thanks to Ann Clark for her suggestion for a title!

Fresh, homemade mozzarella cheese is easy and cheap to make and it is delicious. I started with The Cheese Lady's (Ricki Carroll) Cheesemaking kit. It includes everything but the milk and equipment (although there is a thermometer in the kit.) The $24 kit (you can find it online or in some cheese shops like Murray's in NYC) makes 30 batches of cheese - about six 3-oz balls.

You'll need a gallon of milk. We've found that Garelick's works really well. Apparently, some of the small dairy milks do not work as well. You'll have to experiment. Garelick's is a local Franklin, MA company so we have no problem finding it. What you want to make sure is that you are not using an Ultra-Pasteurized milk. Obviously, you can use nonfat, lowfat or whole milk. If you are using fresh, raw milk you should get Ricki Carroll's book, Home Cheese Making and follow the directions in it.

First things, first. Pour the gallon of milk into a large saucepan. A pasta pot is too deep and you'll steam yourself when your milk is heating. You will need a wider saucepan that isn't too deep. I bought a new thermometer that clips to the side of the pan and in that case you definitely need a pot that isn't too deep.

Ricki's kit includes rennet tablets, citric acid and cheese salt. You will need to assemble measuring spoons, small glass cups or measuring cups, a slotted spoon or strainer with handle, a bowl full of ice water, your large saucepan, latex or vinyl gloves, a clean workspace and a large pyrex glass bowl of some type. The second time you make the cheese you'll know exactly what you need to assemble. Have someone on hand to help the first time.

• First prepare your rennet and citric acid and measure your salt. I use small glass ingredient bowls and measuring cups for these. Cut one rennet table into quarters very evenly. Use a small knife or pill cutter. Dissolve the quarter of one rennet tablet in 1/4 cup cool, unchlorinated water (I use bottled spring water.) Return 3/4 of the tablet to the rennet packet and place all of it in a plastic ziploc bag. Tape the bag to the wall of your freezer to store there.
• Dissolve 1-1/2 level teaspoons of citric acid in 1/2 cup cool, unchlorinated water and keep handy.
• Measure 1 to 3 tsps. of cheese salt and keep handy in a glass dish. Use whichever measurement you prefer. Ricki's kit calls for 1 Tbsp. and her recipe book calls for 1 tsp.

When your milk has been standing and is at least 55 degrees you'll add the citric acid solution to the milk and mix thoroughly.

Next you'll need to heat the milk to 90 degrees, stirring constantly. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the diluted rennet with an up-and-down motion. (Thereby mixing it thoroughly with all the milk in the pot, not the bottom or top layers.) Let this sit at least five minutes covered and undisturbed. Check the curd and it should look like custard with a clear separation of the curd and the whey. The whey may appear yellowish - the curd will be milky white.If you are unsure let it sit for a few more minutes. Then cut the curd with a long knife or pastry spatula - anything that cuts through sharply right to the bottom. Cut the curd into squares or make a grid. Place the pot back on the heat until the curds and whey have heated to 105 degrees, gently stirring and moving the curds around. Take off the heat and continue stirring slowly for 2-5 more minutes. The longer the stir, the firmer the cheese. Now get your strainer and large glass bowl or mixing bowl ready to use.

Using the strainer, scoop the curds into the glass bowl somewhat quickly because you don't want the cheese to cool down. Periodically tip the bowl and pour out the excess whey using the strainer in one hand and tipping the bowl with another. Whey can be saved to cook other things (ricotta cheese can be made with it or you can add it as liquid in breadmaking. I add it to the sweet potatoes, barley and oatmeal mixture that we feed to our dog.)

Press gently on the curds and pour off as much whey as you can. Place the glass bowl in the microwave and microwave the curds on high for one minute. Drain off any excess whey. Gently fold the cheese over and over with a spoon, distributing the heat. Continue to microwave at 35 second intervals and add the cheese salt. Knead with the spoon to distribute the heat. You should do this until the cheese is 135 degrees (test with thermometer outside of the microwave.)

Knead the cheese quickly until it is smooth and elastic. I find that it is easier to do this with a large spoon.

Stretch the cheese with your hands and it will be shiny and smooth. The cheese should stretch like taffy. It should not break - reheat if that it is the case.

Roll the cheese into small balls (I make 6 balls). Taste now if you'd like - the cheese is delicious warm! Place the balls in the bowl of ice water for 1/2 hour to bring the inside temperature of the ball down rapidly and this will make your cheese consistently smooth throughout. Alternately, you can cool the whole batch in one ball in the ice water and cut it into logs.

We drain the balls and wrap them individually in a square of plastic wrap and twist the ends tightly to form a nice ball. You can store these in the refrigerator, unwrap and use however you'd like. We find that the fresh mozzarella is soft and oozy at room (summer) temperature. We slice the cold mozzarella between layers of freshly sliced tomatoes and then top with chopped fresh-from-the-garden basil leaves. Leave at room temperature, top with some fresh sea salt. We scoop this onto grilled warm slices of homemade bread. Yum! It is also delicious plain as a snack. Try to use it within a few days. We haven't tried freezing it yet (there hasn't been enough to freeze!) but we will and I'll update the blog.

Gerry made wonderful appetizers last night with Triscuits and homemade croutons he bought at the farmer's market. He topped those with assorted combinations of blackened green peppers (skins removed), roasted cherry tomatoes with olive oil and salt and pepper, salami, parmesan shavings and wonderful mozzarella cheese!

Honey, Cheese, Pickles and Yogurt

This week was productive in our household! We made (well, the bees made) honey but we bottled it. The Literate Bees is in production!

We also made fresh yogurt with our new Waring Professional Yogurt Maker. So easy and so quick. When I saw what had happened in 12 hours overnight I was simply amazed!

In addition, we canned Bread and Butter pickles using the Victory Garden Pickle Kit that I bought at the Williams-Sonoma Outlet and gave Gerry for his birthday last fall. We have 3 more batches to make, dills and sweet pickles.

To top it all off, we made our first batch of fresh mozzarella cheese using Ricki's Cheesemaking Kit. Ricki is the Cheese-Making Queen of Western Massachusetts and her kits are so easy it will astound you. I bought the kit at Murray's Cheese Shop in Greenwich Village, NY for Gerry for Christmas and we just got around to it now. I made cheese at my book group about 2 years ago and it was so easy and so delicious that I have been waiting for the opportunity to show Gerry how to do it. We have 29 more batches left in the kit (each batch only takes 1 gallon of milk that we have to purchase. Garelick Farms is one of the best.) We'll be buying more cheesemaking kits from the Cheese Queen.

Hmmm. Foodie gifts. Sounds like a pattern.

I'd recommend them all. What fun.

Salmon-Peach-Tomato Salad

Canelli Honey-Peach Dressing

1/4 peach with skin
1 tsp Rainbow peppercorns (Trader Joe's)
1 tsp freshly ground Himalayan Pink sea salt (Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 cup Canelli honey
1/8 tsp. ground dry garlic or fresh garlic, crushed

Use immersion free hand blender and blend ingredients until smooth.

Serve over salad of fresh greens, grilled salmon, avocado slices, peach chunks, halved cherry tomatoes, fresh corn off the cob. Or whatever.

Magnolia Bakery

I have only posted recipes here for food that we have prepared ... or eaten. My sister-in-law Laurie sent this to me and I'm posting it here for future reference. I even ordered The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, Recipes from the World-Famous Bakery and Allysa Torey's Home Kitchen (paperback, 2009) for the library.

Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcake
Recipe courtesy Allysa Torey, More From Magnolia: Recipes from the World-Famous Bakery

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients
Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream
The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners' sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake

Fish! Tacos and More

We came home from the Cape with about 10 pounds of striped bass. This is the recipe we decided to use to make Grilled Fish Tacos and they were delicious. We added some Pico de Gallo on the side, as well, and used large flour tortillas.

Note that Gerry did not buy Adobo Sauce for the dressing. Instead he added one Tbsp. Smoky Paprika Chipotle Seasoning by Victoria Taylor with some apple cider vinegar.

Ingredients

Marinade
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into chunks

Dressing
1 (8 ounce) container light sour cream
1/2 cup adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
salt and pepper to taste

Toppings
1 (10 ounce) package tortillas
3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 small head cabbage, cored and shredded
2 limes, cut in wedges
Directions

To make the marinade, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, honey, garlic, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning, black pepper, and hot sauce in a bowl until blended. Place the tilapia in a shallow dish, and pour the marinade over the fish. Cover, and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours.
To make the dressing, combine the sour cream and adobo sauce in a bowl. Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning. Add salt, and pepper in desired amounts. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.
Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. Set grate 4 inches from the heat.
Remove fish from marinade, drain off any excess and discard marinade. Grill fish pieces until easily flaked with a fork, turning once, about 9 minutes.
Assemble tacos by placing fish pieces in the center of tortillas with desired amounts of tomatoes, cilantro, and cabbage; drizzle with dressing. To serve, roll up tortillas around fillings, and garnish with lime wedges.

Hot Crab Dip

We rented a very large house in South Chatham for the Fourth of July week, July 2-9, 2011. We needed to accommodate our entire family so we chose a house close to the beach (1/3 mile walk) but only midway down 'the Cape.' The house was perfect with five bedrooms and at least five bathrroms and an upstairs family room that had a futon for extra sleeping. The kitchen was perfectly outfitted (we admit it lacked enough cutting boards, colanders, a garlic press and good knives)but it was large enough to work in with sometimes six of us cooking. And the dog underfoot! The dining room was large enough to cozily seat fifteen one night.

We ate only one meal out - that was lunch the day we arrived while we waited for the house to be cleaned and ready at 3:00 pm. Luckily, the house is across Route 28 from the Box Office Cafe which has outdoor seating (for Baker, the pup) and great sandwiches. Our breakfasts were homemade cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven, strata, waffles or oatmeal with blueberries and lots of fresh fruit and coffee. Lunches were salads, sandwiches and leftovers from the night before. Dinners were Spinach Salad, whole wheat pizzas by Rob and Beth, Apricot-Artichoke Chicken, fresh Ricotta Braids, Gerry's spaghetti and meatballs, Carolyn's Clam Chowder and a Fourth of July barbecue with Charlotte's Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Potato Salad, fresh fruit salad and ribs.

The very first day we arrived I discovered the owner's own book, Sleep on It: Prepare Delicious Meals the Night Before That You Can Pop in the Oven the Next Day! Alyssa made the Artichoke Spinach Dip (page 10) and I made the Hot Crab Dip (page 5.) Both were yummy served with crackers and toasts. We doubled the crab dip recipe and amended as necessary due to the fact that I gave up on finding the plain prepared horseradish when lost in the grocery store and we had run out of onions.

Hot Crab Dip

8 ounces cream cheese
2 tsp. milk
2 tsp. grated onion or shallots
1 tsp. prepared horseradish sauce
4 ounces fresh crabmeat
Slivered almonds to taste

Combine all but crabmeat and mix well. Add crabmeat and fold together until thoroughly blended. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, sprinkle the dip with the almonds and bake about 20 minutes. Serve hot with sturdy crackers.

Breakfast Caramel-Cinnamon Rolls

My favorite caramel-cinnamon rolls always go over big with a crowd. You can prepare these in aluminum pans (with plastic lids) and freeze them in varying sizes before you go on a trip.

These were adapted from my favorite breadmaking cookbook, The Bread Machine Book by Marjie Lambert.

A neighbor of mine made delicious cinnamon rolls for us many times. When my daughter left for Dartmouth College I wanted to make them and bring some up to her so I asked my neighbor for the recipe. She told me that I couldn't have it! So I adapted this recipe and have loved it ever since. It's just as good and maybe a bit more delicious! I was able to freeze them in the aluminum pans and bring them up to Beth (she had a community oven in her dorm.) You can make these with pecans or walnuts ... but don't try it if you have a nut-allergic family member!

Breadmaker Caramel-Cinnamon Rolls

Place 4-1/2 Tbsp. of butter cut into 1/4 inch cubes, 7/8 cup of milk and 1 egg in the breadmaker pan. Top with 3 cups bread flour, 6 Tbsp. sugar, 3/4 tsp. salt and 1 Tbsp. (or 3 tsps) yeast. Set the breadmaker to dough and wait until the dough cycle has completed.

Make the cinnamon filling with 4-1/2 Tbsp. melted butter, 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. cinnamon. Double that if you like a lot of cinnamon filling.

Make the caramel topping with 4 Tbsp. butter, 3/4 c. brown sugar and 3 Tbsp. Karo syrup. Boil these three ingredients until foamy. The more you boil it the more it becomes caramel-like and candy-like. Pour the caramel into a pan and rock the pan to cover the bottom.

Take dough from breadmaker and knead all the air from it. Shape the dough into a rectangle and roll the dough into a large rectangle approximately 16 x 12 inches. Top with cinnamon sugar mixture and spread it all over the dough. Roll the dough into a long tube.

Cut the tube into 12, 16, 20 rolls depending on the shape of the pan and the number of rolls in each pan (3 rolls x 4 rolls, 4x4, 4x5 etc.) Place in a baking pan that has the caramel mixture in the bottom. Let rise about 1/2 hour or more depending on how cold your kitchen is. They'll rise quickly in the summer. In the winter you might need to put them in a warm, safe spot. (On top of a cast-iron radiator is NOT recommended. One whole pan fell behind mine in Peterborough once.)

Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden and bubbly.

The best way to finish is to invert the pan onto a baking sheet or another baking pan. Put the rolls (caramel on top) under the broiler for a few minutes being careful not to burn them. Serve!

Vermont on the Rocks

We were going through old magazines and finding tidbits to savor. We found this in one of last summer's issues of Martha Stewart Living:

Green Mountain Cooler

Combine 1-1/2 oz apple brandy with 1 oz of Grade A Vermont maple syrup and 1/2 oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice in an ice-filled shaker. Shake well and strain into a small glass of ice. Garnish with a slice of green apple.

Yum.

Summer Soltice Saturday with Paul and Gina Coles

Gerry had been wanting to get Paul and his wife, Gina, to dinner. What better excuse to enjoy their company and try out some great new recipes! We started with this Provincal White Bean Dip that Gerry had found on Serious Eats. We increased the salt and oil a touch. We served it with rounds of a French baguette, brushed with olive oil and Tuscan seasoning and baked/broiled until they were crisp.

We eat cucumbers like crazy in our house when they are prepared this way with fresh cilantro, sliced spring onions, freshly-ground sea salt and pepper and rice vinegar. Sometimes we use the large or small European type. This time we used the everyday cucs. We slice them paper-thin on our mandolin and use lots of cilantro and onions and salt and pepper. Then we douse them with rice vinegar. We keep them this way in the refrigerator to top our salads or eat them by the forkful.

The Crab Chowder with Corn and Celery was published in the Boston Globe Magazine June 12, 2011. "Down East Delicious" included recipes from the new cookbook, Maine Classics by Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier with Rachel Forest. This adapted recipe was delicious and we halved it due to the fact that we didn't want THAT much cream and fat hanging around the house all week.

The bread is my favorite recipe adapted from my favorite bread baking book, The Bread Machine Book by Marjie Lambert. The Ricotta Braid is moist and flavorful and I bake it in the oven after letting it rise and then brushing on a beaten egg yolk and sprinkling generously with sesame seeds until it is a golden brown. Sometimes I make the bread into small braids or rolls. It's best as a large braid, however, with moistness in all the nooks and crannies.

Baby Red Potatoes with Radishes was adapted from the Adam Reid's Boston Globe Magazine, "Pep Squad" June 5, 2011. We already had lobster and crab on the menu so we left out the shrimp in Adam's recipe, Potato Salad with Radishes and Shrimp. We also halved this recipe.

The last recipe for the Fresh Strawberry and Ricotta Tart was a bit challenging. I had made a photocopy of the recipe from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber. I remembered to copy the Short Dough recipe on page 152 but left off the baking directions. Big mistake.

Had I realized that my baking instructions were missing, I might not have started the recipe. I am a librarian, after all, and had access to the recipe at work on Monday. However, I had made the filling AND the dough before I realized it.

Because I was on a deadline (starting much later that afternoon that I should have) I was a bit panicky when I realized that I had no idea how long to cook the crust. I make breakfast and dessert tarts all the time with a recipe that I rely on. Unfortunately, I was a bit unsure about this one because the liquid cream cheese filling would be placed on top of the cooked crust.

I went online and Googled "Rustic Fruit Desserts Strawberry and Ricotta Tart" and came across the recipe online. Unfortunately, I think that the blogwriter got the time in the oven (35-40 min) wrong so I've included my own timing after I threw out one batch of crust. Instinct told me to bake the crust 20 min. and that is what I did in the end, with success. The tart was delicious! The crust will get soggy if you save it, even in the frig. Don't make it too far ahead and make sure you finish every morsel within about 24 hours.

Crab Chowder with Corn and Celery

The Crab Chowder with Corn and Celery was published in the Boston Globe Magazine June 12, 2011. "Down East Delicious" included recipes from the new cookbook, Maine Classics by Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier with Rachel Forest. This adapted recipe was delicious and we halved it due to the fact that we didn't want THAT much cream and fat hanging around the house all week.

3 ears of butter and sugar corn
1 quart of heavy cream
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
3/4 c. chopped shallots
1/2 c. chopped celery
Freshly-ground sea salt
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chervil
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1-1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
8 oz. crab meat

Cut the kernels off the fresh, uncooked corn cutting right into the cob. Don't toss the cobs but them in half. Pour the cream into a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, place the cobs in the cream and simmer the cobs in the cream until it is reduced by 1/3, or about 30 minutes. Remove the cobs and add the kernels. Cook for 4 minutes

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the shallots, celery, 1 tsp. salt and saute until translucent about five minutes. Add to the corn and cream and cook 1 minute. Add the thyme, tarragon, chervil and 2 Tbsp. of the chives and cook 5 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and 2 tsps of salt.

Place half the crab meat in the chowder. Divide the remaining among 4 bowls and pour the chowder over the crab. Garnish with the remaining chives and freshly groung pepper.

Short Dough for Fruit Tarts

For any fruit tart, first, prepare the Short Dough. Use a 10-inch tart shell with a removable bottom. Trader Joe's has a great sea salt in a large cylindrical container. I always keep my baking butter in the freezer and it cuts nicely into small cubes for blending.

1-1/2 cups of all-purpose or pastry flour
1/4 sugar
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 cup or one stick cold unsalted butter cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 egg yolk

Use a pastry blender to blend the flour, sugar, salt and butter until it has the consistency of coarse cornmeal. Lightly beat the cream and egg yolk together and then stir into the flour mixture with a fork. When the dough is blended, place it all in a small plastic bag (a thin one not a Ziploc-type.) Mash this together until you have a ball or disk. Refrigerate 1 hour or put into the freezer for 20 min.

Remove the disk of dough and press it into the tart pan and up the sides. Press hard so that you have a firm crust, tamping down so that there is a tart-pan shape.

Bake 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Turn down the heat to 350 degrees and bake another 10-15 minutes. There may be craters where the butter has melted. Unless the tart pan shows through it is fine. However, there should be no cracks or indentations that will allow the filling to leak through under the crust. Fill any cracks or craters with dabs of cold butter. Let the crust cool.

Fresh Strawberry and Ricotta Tart

First, prepare the Short Dough. Bake and let the crust cool.

I use King Arthur Flour's ground vanilla beans. You can also scrape the seeds from 1/2 of a vanilla bean, as the recipe actually dictates.

Filling:
1 cup of whole milk ricotta
2/3 cup of cream cheese (6 ounces) at room temperature
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 Tbsp of ground vanilla beans or 1/2 of a scraped vanilla bean
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Mix the ricotta, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla beans, salt and nutmeg on medium speed. Add eggs one at a time beating smooth after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Pour the filling into the prebaked and cooled crust. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. The tart filling should be slightly puffed up and wobbly. Cool to room temperature and the filling firms up.

3 pints strawberries
1/2 cup good strawberry jam

Just before serving, place the halved strawberries in a bowl with warmed strawberry jam. Coat the strawberries and place them cut side down on the tart filling. Use whole strawberries if they are small around the edges or in the center. Brush the strawberries again with warm jam.

Remove the tart from the pan, keeping the bottom under the tart. Serve!

Tip: You can make the tart (without fruit) in advance and wrap the entire tart in plastic wrap and freeze. However, after fruit has been placed on it you should eat it within hours.

Baby Red Potatoes with Radishes

Baby Red Potatoes with Radishes was adapted from Adam Reid's Boston Globe Magazine, "Pep Squad, June 5, 2011. We already had lobster and crab on the menu so we left out the shrimp in Adam's recipe, Potato Salad with Radishes and Shrimp. We also halved this recipe.

1/2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/3 c. Greek plain yogurt
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 medium shallot, finely chopped about 1/4 cup
1-1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh dill
6 large radishes, thinly sliced with a mandolin

We cooked the potatoes the way we normally do by steaming them in microwave until they are tender but not mushy. Arrange them in a single layer and drizzle with vinegar and let cool.

In a glass bowl whisk together the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, shallots, half of the dill, 1 tsp. salt and pepper to taste.

Scrape the pototoes into a bowl with the yogurt dressing and fold in the radishes. Adjust the seasonings. Sprinkle with the remaining dill. Serve room temperature.

Grilled Fish Tacos

Ingredients

Marinade
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into chunks

Dressing
1 (8 ounce) container light sour cream
1/2 cup adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
salt and pepper to taste

Toppings
1 (10 ounce) package tortillas
3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 small head cabbage, cored and shredded
2 limes, cut in wedges
Directions

To make the marinade, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, honey, garlic, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning, black pepper, and hot sauce in a bowl until blended. Place the tilapia in a shallow dish, and pour the marinade over the fish. Cover, and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours.
To make the dressing, combine the sour cream and adobo sauce in a bowl. Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning. Add salt, and pepper in desired amounts. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.
Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. Set grate 4 inches from the heat.
Remove fish from marinade, drain off any excess and discard marinade. Grill fish pieces until easily flaked with a fork, turning once, about 9 minutes.
Assemble tacos by placing fish pieces in the center of tortillas with desired amounts of tomatoes, cilantro, and cabbage; drizzle with dressing. To serve, roll up tortillas around fillings, and garnish with lime wedges.

Carolyn's Clam Chowder

My mother made great New England clam chowder or as she would say, 'chowdah.' She never lost her Boston accent after living in California for over 1/4 of a century. I have used her recipe for over thirty-five years. Be sure to use variations (leave out the clam for NON-seafood-lovers, add fresh or frozen corn, leave out the salt pork and add bacon garnish for the meat-tolerant) to accommodate your own families.

Remove the thick skin from 1 small slab of salt pork. Dice the pork and place in a hot, deep soup pot. Don't burn the salt pork but heat until the fat has cooked off the pork. I have also used fatback. In that case, strain the salt from the fat and remove all the slabs and salt before proceeding. Or use just some butter and olive oil.

If you need to add some butter to the pot, do it now.

Add leeks and onion to the pot and cook until limp:

3 large leeks, sliced thin and cleaned if necessary

1 large onion cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Add about 2 Tbsp. Wondra and stir and heat until bubbly. Stir in 1 large can of chicken stock.

Chop about 8 cups of potatoes into bite-sized pieces. I leave the skins on California golden or white potatoes. Place the potatoes in the soup pot and cover with more stock or water. Boil on medium-high until potatoes are just tender.

Heat crock pot to medium.

Place 1/2 stick of butter and 1/4 cup of Wondra in a small saucepan and heat until bubbly. Slowly add 1 quart half and half until you have a very creamy chowder. Place in crock pot.

At this point you can transfer the chowder to a crock pot. Stir. Heat about 3 cups of fresh corn kernels in the soup pot with some butter or reserved pork fat. Add to the chowder.

Add 4 cans of drained baby clams (whole clams or use minced if you prefer) to the chowder.

Top with fresh thyme (1 tsp) or dried (2 tsp).

Update: use pepper bacon instead of salt pork. Add at least 2 cups fresh or frozen corn. Start your chowder with corn cobs simmered in the chicken broth.

Goat Cheese, Artichoke and Smoked Ham Strata

This Goat Cheese, Artichoke and Smoked Ham Strata is ideal for Christmas morning — it can be assembled a day ahead and baked just before serving. Gerry found the recipe on Epicurious.

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup olive oil
8 cups 1-inch cubes sourdough bread, crusts trimmed
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), crumbled (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
12 ounces smoked ham, chopped
3 6 1/2-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained, halved lengthwise (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup (packed) grated Fontina cheese
1 1/2 cups (packed) grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk milk and oil in large bowl. Stir in bread. Let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
Whisk cream and next 5 ingredients in another large bowl to blend. Add goat cheese. Mix herbs in small bowl to blend.
Place half of bread mixture in prepared dish. Top with half of ham, artichoke hearts, herbs, and cheeses. Pour half of cream mixture over. Repeat layering with remaining bread, ham, artichoke hearts, herbs, cheeses, and cream mixture. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
Bake uncovered until firm in center and brown around edges, about 1 hour.

Hot Crab Dip at the Cape

Hot Crab Dip

8 ounces cream cheese
2 tsp. milk
2 tsp. grated onion
1 tsp. prepared horseradish
4 ounces fresh crabmeat
Slivered almonds to taste

Combine all but crabmeat and mix well. Add crabmeat and fold together until thoroughly blended. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, sprinkle the dip with the almonds and bake about 20 minutes. Serve hot with sturdy crackers.

*Substitute prepared horseradish sauce if you'd like and shallots instead of onion. No need to refrigerate overnight - it was delicious cooked immediately.

Christmas Brunch 2010

We made Christmas Brunch together in 2010 and had a wonderful time. I say 'we' because the whole family joined in to create a delicious menu.

The Goat Cheese, Artichoke and Smoked Ham Strata is ideal for Christmas morning — it is assembled a day ahead and baked just before serving. Gerry found the recipe on Epicurious.

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup olive oil
8 cups 1-inch cubes sourdough bread, crusts trimmed
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), crumbled (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
12 ounces smoked ham, chopped
3 6 1/2-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained, halved lengthwise (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup (packed) grated Fontina cheese
1 1/2 cups (packed) grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk milk and oil in large bowl. Stir in bread. Let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
Whisk cream and next 5 ingredients in another large bowl to blend. Add goat cheese. Mix herbs in small bowl to blend.
Place half of bread mixture in prepared dish. Top with half of ham, artichoke hearts, herbs, and cheeses. Pour half of cream mixture over. Repeat layering with remaining bread, ham, artichoke hearts, herbs, cheeses, and cream mixture. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
Bake uncovered until firm in center and brown around edges, about 1 hour.

See Baked Eggs in Mushroom Sauce.