Fall Brunch on Wildflower Lane

We had our Marion-Wildflower Lane neighbors for brunch on a late September weekend and what a delightful time it was.

Mimosas and Bloody Marys

Greens with Strawberries, Mandarin Oranges and Almonds with Poppyseed Dressing

Artichoke-Ham and Goat Cheese Strata

Mushroom-Scallion-Goat Cheese Tart

Pumpkin Cake with Maple Glaze

Cranberry Apple Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Don't be intimidated with the steps in this recipe.  It is a delicious fall cake - we had it for brunch but it would be good for breakfast, tea or after dinner.

Filling: Toast ¾ cup finely chopped pecans in 350 degree oven in a single layer in shallow pan for 6-8 minutes. Stir halfway through and then cool 15 minutes when done.  Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Toss 1-1/2 cups of peeled and diced apples with 2 T melted butter.  Add ½ cup of finely chopped dried cranberries.  Add cooled pecans, ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar and 3 T flour.  Set aside.

Cake:

Beat 2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter until light and fluffy.  Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating until just blended and add 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin and 1 T vanilla. Stir until blended.

Stir together 3 cups flour and 2 tsp. baking powder, 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice and ½ tsp. baking soda.

Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet and beat on low speed until just blended.

Spoon half this batter into a bundt pan greased and floured.  Spoon the filling onto the batter but scrape it away from the edges (about ½ inch). Spoon the remaining batter on top and even off. Bake 325 degrees for 1 hour 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake (not filling) comes out clean.  Cook in pan on a wire rack 15 min. and then remove from the pan to cool on a wire rack about two hours.

Maple Glaze:

Bring ½ cup of pure maple syrup, 2 T butter, 1 T. milk to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. vanilla extract and 1 cup powdered sugar and stir for 3-5 minutes until thickened.  Pour over cake and sprinkle on sugared pecans and pepitas.

Sugared Pecans and Pepitas

Stir together 1 cup pecan halves and ½  roasted, salted shelled pepitas and 2 T. butter and spread in a single layer in a shallow baking pan.  Bake 12-15 minutes until toasted.  Toss with 2 T. sugar.

Hearty Turkey, Farro and Greens Soup

With my late nights I don't contribute much to weeknight dinners, so I decided to take the guerrilla crock pot approach and Sunday I stocked up on some hearty soup ingredients at Trader Joe's. Voila! A hearty soup.

A loaf of fresh bread and salad is perfect with it. Top the soup with shaved Parmesan cheese if desired.

Place these in a crockpot:
1 bag (16 oz.) Trader Joe's Flame Broiled Turkey Meatballs, fully cooked (frozen)
1/8-1/4 bag Trader Joe's 16 oz. Sliced Leeks (frozen)
1 32 oz. Trader Joe's Organic Free Range Chicken Broth plus 2 cups water
8 oz. Trader Joe's Farro or large earthy grains, rice or beans (even freshly chunked potatoes)
A couple sprigs of fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, marjoram, etc.)
1/4 bag Trader Joe's Southern Greens Blend (collard, spinach, turnip, mustard)
1/4 bag Trader Joe's Kale
Cover with freshly grated salt and pepper to taste/

Cook on low 6-8 hours. Add another 2-4 cups broth and warm before serving.

Oh, Baby!

We showered Beth and her bump (affectionately nicknamed BakerII or Cupcake) with love and affection on August 11.





The venue was Joan and Ed Shankle's gorgeous conservatory in their amazing home in Bolton, MA.



What a beautiful setting and what lovely weather for a summer Sunday morning in New England. The conservatory was adorned with white paper hydrangeas, tin watering cans filled with fresh flowers, lots of burlap and green-ribbon trimmings. Joan, Ed, Beth and I assisted the party planner (AKA, Auntie Ciara Rabbitt.)

Ciara did herself proud with a menu of homemade flatbreads and Caprese Lasagna Rollups.

A carrot cake for dessert was decorated with what we had on hand - Ciara's Creations (a tiny watering can favor complete with a baby carrot seed packet) real tiny baby carrots,wildflowers and a touch of greenery from the garden for carrot tops.

Caprese Lasagna Rollups

Photo cropped from CookingClassy.com

Gerry posted the recipe from CookingClassy.com on Facebook and I sent it to Ciara for Beth's baby shower menu. With a little bit of chopping advice and a few changes, Ciara made a yummy, delicious, pretty and elegant main dish.  In the Cooking Classy link the blog author explains why you wouldn't want to use fresh mozzarella cheese. You also don't want to drown the roll-ups in pasta sauce.

Ciara made a quadruple batch - it was certainly more than enough although I would recommend at least two roll-ups each for a hungrier crowd. The directions below are for one batch.

Cook 1/2 box (8 noodles) organic lasagna noodles (available at Whole Foods) until they are al dente. Drain them and then line them up on parchment paper on the counter.

Whisk together 3/4 c. Ricotta cheese and 1 large egg white.  Stir in 1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese and about 12 ounces of shredded, low-moisture, part skim Mozzarella cheese and some freshly ground black pepper.  Spread an even layer of the cheese mixture over each noodle.

At this point, you can slice Roma tomatoes VERY thin or dice them. You'll need about 3-4 Roma tomatoes and Ciara diced them. Place equal amounts of the fresh tomatoes on each cheese layer on the noodles. Cover with 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil.

Spread 1/4 cup sauce (see below) in a baking dish.  Roll the lasagna noodles up as tight as you can without squeezing out the cheese and place them seam-side down in the sauce. Top each roll with 2 T. of the pasta sauce and sprinkle all with about 2 oz of Mozzarella.  Bake 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven and then sprinkle with more basil cut into ribbons.

For the sauce, Ciara used one she found at Whole Foods.  Use your favorite or use this CookingClassy one:

Simple Marinara Sauce
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 
  
• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions to hot oil and saute about 3 minutes until soft, adding garlic during last minute of sauteing. Pour in crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and allow sauce to cook for about 25 - 30 minutes (which will allow some of the water in crushed tomatoes to evaporate) while you prepare pasta and lasagna filling (you can freeze or refrigerate left over sauce in a small airtight container for later use, adding fresh basil if desired).

Summer Weekend in Marion

I'm planning a relaxing weekend in Marion with Tim and Julie July 12-14. I think I'll surprise them with some tasty goodness. I found recipes in some Taste of Home cookbooks donated to the Friends of the Library book sale and a copy of Sheila Lukins "celebrate!".  

Saturday Afternoon Cocktail Hour

Cranberry-Jalapeno martini

Cook 1 cup turbinado sugar with ¾ cups cranberry juice and ½ cup fresh cranberries and ½ tsp. chopped seeded jalapeno pepper.

Bring to a boil and reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 3 min. or until sugar is dissolved.  Cover and let stand 20 min.

Strain the liquid, discard cranberries and jalapeno.  Cover and refrigerate syrup.

3 oz. vodka,  1 T cranberry syrup and 1 T cranberry juice. Stir, strain and serve over ice with mint and cranberries.

Pistachio Gorgonzola Cheesecake

Chop 2 shallots in food processor and add 2 cups Gorgonzola, 1 cup butter, 1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, ¼ cup Madeira wine, 2 T. grated orange peel, 1 T. heavy whipping cream, ½ tsp. white pepper and ½ tsp. ground mustard. 

Combine 1 cup toasted, chopped pistachios with 8 thinly sliced green onion, 2 T. minced fresh basil, 2 T. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped and drained, and 2 cups Gorgonzola.

Spread half the mixture in a parchment lined springform pan.  Top with half of the cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers.  Pat down. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Remove the sides of the pan and unmold.  Press ½ cup finely chopped pistachios over sides. Serve with crackers. 

Late Dinner

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Chili Lime Dressing

Cube 2 pounds sweet potatoes and toss with 2 T olive oil.  Roast at 400 degrees for 40 min. until potatoes are tender stirring twice.  Combine 1 large red pepper cut into ½ inch pieces, 8 green onions chopped, ½ cup minced fresh parsley and ¼ cup fresh minced cilantro.

Dress with 1/3 c. olive oil, ¼ c. lime juice, 4 tsp. chili powder, ¾ tsp. salt, ¾ tsp. ground cumin, ½ tsp. pepper and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper.

Tilapia with Basil Oil and Summer Salsa

Combine ½ c. fresh corn, ½ cup chopped nectarine, ½ cup chopped tomato and ½ cup cubed avocado with 2 T. fresh basil, minced, 2 T. fresh lime juice, 1-1/2 tsp. grated lime peel, 1 tsp. finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper, ¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper.

Place 1 cup loosely packed basic leaves, 2 T. lime juice, 1-1/2 tsp. grated lime peel, 1 garlic clovein food processor and pulse until chopped, adding 1/3 c. oil while chopping.

Serve baked or grilled tilapia with salsa and oil.

Grilled Red Potato Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon

Toss 3 pounds small red potatoes, quartered, 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, 2 T olive oil and 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper and seal up in foil and grill, covered over medium heat for 40-50 minutes.  Turn once.

Toss with 1 c. mayo, ¼ c. minced chives, ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp. sugar, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard.  Sprinkle with 1 cup blue cheese and 6 bacon strips, crumbled.

Blackberry-Basil Panna Cotta

Combine 2 cups heavy whipping cream and 2 cups half and half with 3/4 cup sugar in a saucepan. Sprinkle with two envelopes of unflavored gelatin and let stand for one minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until sugar and gelatin are completely dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and 2 tsp. lemon peel. 

Pour the panna cotta into six ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups fresh blackberries with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup blackberry wine or ruby port wine.  Bring to a boil and cook until mixture is thicken.  Reduce to 1-1/4 cups in this process and then remove from heat, stirring in 1/4 cup minced fresh basil and 2 T cold butter.  Cool.

Unmold panna cotta onto dessert plates, serve with sauce and garnish with additional blackberries and basil.

Sunday Morning Breakfast

Grapefruit in honey-thyme sauce – 3 large grapefruit sliced.

½ cup white wine or white grape juice and ¼ c. honey and 2 T minced fresh thyme simmered 15 min.

Overnight Yeast Pancakes

1 pkg active dry yeast or ¼ ounce dissolved in 1-1/2 cups warm buttermilk for 5 min.

Combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup wheat flour and ¼ c. sugar and 3 tsp. baking powder and 1 tsp. baking soda and ½ tsp. salt

Whisk in 2 eggs, 2 T canola oil and 1 tsp. vanilla extract until moistened. Stir in yeast mixture and refrigerate for 8 hours.

OR

Cheese grits and sausage breakfast casserole

2 pounds bulk Italian sausage, cooked

Bring 2 cups water and 2 cups chicken broth, ½ tsp. salt to a boil. And slowly stir in 1-1/4 cup quick cooking grits.

Reduce heat and cook and stir for 5-7 minutes.  Removed from heat and add 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, 1 cup milk, 1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. sage and stir until cheese is melted.  Stir in sausage and 6 eggs, beaten.  Transfer to a greased dish and bake uncovered at 350 for 40-45 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes.

16 Age-Busting Power Foods

Today I picked up the library's copy of The Longevity Kitchen : Satisfying, Big-Flavor Recipes Featuring the Top 16 Age-Busting Power Foods  by Rebecca Katz because the cover looked delicious and the book intriguing.  

I figured the top 16 foods would be more of the same foods I've been trying to learn to use - grains and soy-based products or non-dairy ones.  It's true that the list doesn't include cheeses, but I was surprised at the list of foods that offer ' the highest levels of antioxidants, those invaluable nutrients that help sweep the dangerous metabolic by-products known as free radicals out of the body." (p. 2, Katz):

Asparagus, avocado, basil (and mint), blueberries and other dark berries, coffee, dark chocolate, garlic, green tea, kale, olive oil, pomegranates, sweet potatoes, thyme, walnuts, wild salmon and yogurt.

Hallelujah!  With the exception of kale (I'm sure I could learn to enjoy and use it), we are wild about all the others on the list.  Other foods are allspice, almonds, apples, apricots, artichokes, bell peppers, black cod, broccoli, buckwheat, cabbage, cardamom, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cherries, chicken, chickpeas, chile peppers, chives, cilantro and coriander, cinnamon, coconut milk and oil, corn, cranberries, cumin, edamame, eggs, fennel, ginger, halibut, hibiscus, honey (yes!), kombu, leeks, legumes, lemons, lemongrass, limes, maple syrup (yes again!), miso, mustard seeds, onions oranges, oregano, parsley, peas, pistachios, potatoes, quinoa, grass-fed red meat, brown rice, saffron, sage, sardines, scallops, shitake mushrooms, shrimp, sesame seeds and tahini, spinach, winter squash, strawberries, swiss chard, tomatoes, turkey, turmeric and wasabi.  

What a list of delicious stuff. The chard, kombu and miso are the only foods I don't use regularly.

I was surprised at the recipes in the book because they are very similar to the 'recipes' I use all the time when I am putting ingredients together in a weekday rush or a on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I keep most of them on hand all the time.

Here's one using Kale in a way that I might enjoy:

Farro with Kale-Basil Pesto

To make the pesto, add 4 cups stemmed and chopped lacinato kale to rapidly boiling water over high heat.  Cook 30 seconds and then drain and rinse under cold water.    Squeeze the kale to remove water from it.  Place the kale, 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, 1/2 cut olive oil, 1/4 cup vegetable broth, 2 tsp. finely chopped garlic, 1 T. fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp. grated lemon zest and 1/4 tsp. salt in a food processor and process until well blended.  Taste to see if you need to add more lemon juice, zest or salt. 

Cook the farro by placing 1 cup soaked, rinsed and drained farro in 3 cups boiling water with 1/2 tsp. sea salt, stirring well.  Decrease the heat from boiling to medium and cook for 20 minutes.  Drain the farro and return it to the pot.  Add 1 cup of the pesto and 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese, 1 cup cooked white beans, drained and spritzed with lemon juice and salt, and 1/4 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes.

Serve hot or at room temperature.