The Charmed Kitchen

Apple Cake Roll

I’ve made a lot of cake rolls in the past. Pumpkin, chocolate, Yule logs, lemon and more. I really like this apple cake roll. With fresh apples around I wanted to use them in something other than pie. This is a fun dessert and easier to make than you might think. I also used whole berry cranberry sauce. I just made my own, but feel free to use canned if that is what you have.  The filling is also not terribly sweet. I like it that way but you can add more sugar to the cranberry sauce. I plan on topping it later with home made pumpkin ice cream. It can also be served for breakfast or brunch. 

 Apple Cake Roll

4 eggs, room temp

2/3 c. sugar

¼ t. vanilla

¾ c. sifted cake flour*

1 t. cinnamon

¾ t. each baking powder and nutmeg

¼ t.  salt

Powdered sugar for sprinkling

2 lbs. apples, peeled and sliced thin- about 5 medium apples

1 c. whole berry cranberry sauce- homemade or canned**

Whipped cream, optional

Grease bottom of 15×10-inch jelly roll pan and line with wax paper. Grease wax paper. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla 5 minutes. Sift together flour with dry ingredients and fold into eggs. Spread in prepared pan and bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 13 minutes or until light golden. Meanwhile sprinkle a tea towel with the powdered sugar. Loosen hot cake from sides of pan and invert onto tea towel. Remove wax paper carefully and roll up cake from the narrow side. Cool. Meanwhile combine apples with cranberry sauce in saucepan and simmer until apples have softened, but still hold their shape. Stir occasionally. Cool to lukewarm. Carefully unroll cake and spread with the apple mixture. Re-roll cake, discarding towel. Serve with dollops of whipped cream. Serves 8.

* To make your own cake flour just measure out a cup of all purpose flour- and remove 2 tablespoons for 1 cup of cake flour- or – remove 2 tablespoons of flour and replace them with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. I normally do the cornstarch thing with several cups of flour at a time so I have cake flour on hand when needed.

** For homemade cranberry sauce place 1 1/2 cups of cranberries in a saucepan and add a little orange juice or water- about 1/2 c.- and sugar to taste. Simmer until berries burst and mixture thickens. Yield- about 1 cup of whole berry cranberry sauce.

Roll freshly baked cake in a towel

Unroll cooled cake and spread with apple mixture

Carefully re-roll cake

Cake can be served plain or with powdered sugar, whipped cream or caramel sauce

Concord Grape Jelly

If the only grape jelly you have ever tasted is the mass-produced stuff you get at the grocery store you really should try homemade Concord grape jelly. It is so much better. I was lucky enough to get some local grapes from 2 friends. Most were Concord grapes but there were also some lovely seeded green grapes. I combined the 2 to create a jelly that tastes amazing.

Ideally you’ll need about 1/4 of the grapes to be a little under ripe. When making grape jelly you have to first extract the juice from the grapes.  Best method is to wash and stem the grapes and place them in large kettle with a little water. For every 3-5 pounds of grapes 1/2 cup of water should suffice. Crush the berries and cook over high heat until they are softened. Stir once in a while to prevent scorching. Drain the juice with a colander then strain again through a jelly bag or several layers of dampened cheese cloth. Place juice in the fridge for 12 hours or up to a couple of days. Sometimes crystals form in grape juice. After chilling you can strain the juice again to remove any of them.

Skipping this chilling/straining step may result in crystals in your jelly. Harmless but unappetizing. Now that you have juice you can make your jelly. Here is the recipe I used.

Concord Grape Jelly

5 1/2 c. grape juice

1 box powdered pectin

5 c. sugar

Combine juice and pectin in pot and heat to boiling over high heat- stirring often. Add sugar and return to the boil, stirring pretty much the whole time. Once the mixture comes to a full, rolling boil- cook it one minute longer. Remove from heat and skim off any foam. Ladle hot jelly into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water bath 10 minutes. Yield- about 6 half-pint jars.

Swiss Chard with Bacon

I really enjoy the taste of Swiss chard- but then I also like beet greens. Swiss chard is a close relative of beets. Unlike beets, chard does not produce edible roots. All leaves, all the time. They cook pretty quickly and have a rich, earthy flavor. Combined with a little bacon the chard is elevated to a whole new level. 

Braised Chard

1½ lbs. Swiss chard

2-3 slices bacon, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash chard and trim ends off stems. Place leaves in large pot with boiling water and cook until stems are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse chard with cold water. Cool and squeeze out excess water. Coarsely chop chard and set aside. Heat skillet and add bacon, cooking until bacon starts to brown. Add chard and garlic and cook, stirring often until chard is sizzling- about 5 minutes. Season to taste and serve. Serves 4.

Kale Chips

You can’t get much better than kale chips when you are looking for a healthy snack. They are easy to prepare and fun to eat. My garden is producing a lot of kale these days and I find myself making a fresh batch every few days. If you never had them before I urge you to give kale chips a try. While I often make mine with Tuscan kale you can make them with any variety of kale you like. Cooking times my vary.

Tuscan Kale Chips

These make a different and fun appetizer when served upright in a tumbler or vase.

12 large Tuscan kale leaves, rinsed, dried and split lengthwise with the ribs removed

1 T. olive oil

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl toss kale leaves with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange leaves in a single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until crisp- about 30 minutes for flatter leaves and 33 minutes for more crinkly leaves. Makes 24.

Brie Truffles

I love brie. There are several classic ways to serve it and I have done them all. This is a fun twist. Brie is combined with cream cheese and butter until smooth and then rolled in fresh pumpernickel bread crumbs and placed in little paper cups. The effect is that the cheese looks like little cocoa coated chocolate truffles. Rich and melt in your mouth these “truffles” are sure to be a hit at your next party. Thanks to Carol Thompson for hosting the party where I made these.

Brie Truffles

8 oz. brie, room temperature- I remove the rind from the brie for a smoother texture.

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 stick ( 4 0z.) butter, softened

2 c. fresh pumpernickel bread crumbs*

In food processor combine cheeses with butter until smooth.  Chill mixture 30 minutes or longer. With a small cookie scoop or teaspoon form mixture into small balls. Place crumbs in a bowl and roll the balls of cheese in the crumbs to coat. Place in small paper cups and chill until ready to serve. Makes 3-4 dozen.

* To make the crumbs just place torn up pumpernickel bread in a food processor and run until bread turns into crumbs.

Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Had a great class last night with a wonderful group of ladies. Thanks to Carol Thompson for hosting the event. The class was on quick and easy appetizers. I got a special request to make water chestnuts wrapped in bacon. They were a hit last night. No surprises there. These are always a hit and easy to make. Just a suggestion- make more than you think you will need- the disappear quickly.

Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

20 slices bacon, cut in half

40 whole water chestnuts

hot sauce

brown sugar

Roll half of slice of bacon around a water chestnut and place in a baking pan, seam side down. Repeat with remaining bacon and water chestnuts. Cook in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until bacon is well browned. Remove from oven and place bacon rolls on paper towels to drain. Drain off the fat in the pan.  Return bacon roll ups to the pan- or you can place in a fresh baking pan, if you prefer. Sprinkle a little of the hot sauce on the bacon rolls and drizzle with maple syrup and some brown sugar. Return to oven  and bake until caramelized- about 15 minutes- but watch so they don’t burn. Makes 40.

Note: You can make these ahead of time and just reheat when ready to serve. They can also be frozen.

Sausage with Veggies

With all the great local produce I have these days cooking has been more fun than ever. I wanted to make a dinner using as many veggies as possible but I was short on time. I opted for a take on sausage with peppers. I had some cooked Italian sausage I wanted to use and turned leftovers into a great new dish.  Layers of flavors and super easy.

Sausage with Veggies

oil

 1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1 medium summer squash, diced

2 sweet peppers, any color, seeded and chopped

4 c. peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes

2 c. sliced cooked sausage- I used Italian, but use what you like

Salt and pepper to taste

Hot pepper sauce to taste

Heat oil in skillet and add onion, cooking until tender. Add garlic and cook another couple of minutes. Add remaining vegetables and sausage and cook until veggies are tender. Adjust seasonings. Serve over rice or pasta. Serve 3-4.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

I was given all the ingredients for stuffed peppers from Carl at Blue Pike Farm. He wanted me to can stuffed peppers for him. I ended up making him stuffed pepper soup instead. He can eat it the way it is or add rice to it later. I have to say that it tasted great and I canned quite a bit of it for him. Here is the recipe, if you want to make it, too.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

1 qt. chicken stock

6 c. chopped onions

8 c. seeded and chopped sweet peppers- about 14

8 lbs. fresh tomatoes, peeled and cut up

2 lbs. ground meat- cooked and drained well

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1/2 c. cider vinegar

 non-iodized salt to taste

pepper to taste

cayenne pepper to taste

Combine first seven ingredients in a large pot and bring up to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir from time to time. Add remaining ingredients and cook 5 minutes longer. Ladle hot soup into clean, hot quart jars and fill leaving 1-inch head space. Use a plastic knife to remove and air bubbles. Wipe rims and screw on lids. Repeat with remaining soup. Place jars in a pressure canner and following the manufacturer’s instructions. Process quarts for 90 minutes at 10 pounds pressure, pints for 75 minutes. Yield: about 7 quarts.

Note: Soup could also be frozen instead.

Blueberry Pie

Had some friends in town over the weekend from the Netherlands. I wanted to make a dessert that was special and for me that was a blueberry pie. The pie was a big hit and I wanted to share the recipe with you. Andro and Tom- it was great to see you!!

Blueberry Pie

Pastry for 2 crust pie- recipe- The crust recipe I used is at the bottom of the page

2 ½ T. cornstarch

1 c. sugar

3 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. butter

 1 T. sugar, for sprinkling

Roll out half of the crust and place in 8 or 9-inch pie pan. You can roll out the top crust ahead of time, or even cut into strips for a lattice top. Cover remaining crust to keep it from drying out. In medium bowl mix cornstarch and sugar. Toss in berries and then sprinkle in the lemon juice. Allow to stand 15 minutes. If berries were frozen be sure they are not clumped together. Spoon mixture into prepared crust and dot with the butter. Top with the second crust or place strips on in a lattice design. If using a whole crust cut in decorative slits for ventilation. I used a tiny heart-shaped cutter for my pie. Moisten then crimp edges and shape decoratively or use a fork to seal. Place pie in lower half of hot oven. Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake an additional 40-50 minutes or until crust is brown and juices begin to bubble through the slits. Cool a little before serving.

Ready for the oven

Flaky Pie Crust

2 c. flour

1 t. salt

3/4 c. shortening, chilled

1 T. cider vinegar

4-5 T. cold water

Combine flour and salt and cut in shortening. Toss in vinegar and water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough holds together. Use a fork to toss the ingredients together and as soon as the mixture holds together stop adding water. Makes 2. Chill well before using

Steak and Pepper Omelet

I love to play around with different omelet fillings. Often I’ll use up whatever is around. With some red sweet peppers on hand and some leftover steak I got the idea for a steak and pepper omelet. It was wonderful.

Steak and Pepper Omelet

oil

1 small onion, sliced

1 small red pepper, seeded and sliced

1 c. cubed cooked steak

3-4 eggs

2 oz. cheese- cut in small pieces or shredded*

salt and pepper to taste

dash hot pepper sauce

Heat oil in skillet and cook onion until golden. Add a little salt to the onions while they are cooking. Add pepper and cook until tender-crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Heat same pan adding more oil, if needed. Beat eggs in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper and hot sauce to your taste. Pour eggs into hot skillet and swirl to coat bottom of skillet. Using a spatula lift eggs a little and tip pan to allow uncooked egg to get to surface of the pan. Once omelet is almost set place some of the pepper mixture on one half. Top with the steak and cheese. Using a spatula gently fold the empty half of the omelet over the fillings. Allow to cook one more minute and slide onto a serving plate.  Top with the remaining pepper mixture. Serves 2.

* I used Pepper Jack cheese because that is what I happened to have. Use any cheese you like.

Ready to fold over