The Charmed Kitchen

Peach Ice Cream

I love peaches. When I was a kid I was told peaches came from Georgia and I tormented my parents that we should move to Georgia. I even ordered peach trees for my parents’ yard when I was in high school. I decided to preserve some of the peaches I recently picked up at a farm market by making ice cream. I added some vanilla and orange zest for some extra flavor- but mostly just added plenty of peaches. Oh yum!!!

Peach Ice Cream

3-4 ripe peaches

2 c. half and half

1 c. sugar, or to taste

1 T. vanilla

1 T.  orange zest

Peel and dice peaches. Cook in a small amount of water and a little sugar until tender. If you don’t precook the peaches they will be icy and hard in the ice cream. Cool and drain. In bowl combine half and half and sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Place in ice cream machine and process according to manufacturer’s directions. If you don’t have an ice cream maker place mixture in a shallow pan and freeze solid. Remove from freezer and allow to soften a little at room temperature then break up into chunks and place in a mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth and return to freezer. Makes 1 quart.

Honey Peach Pork

Since fresh peaches are available I decided to incorporate them into my dinner last night. I had some boneless pork chops so I combined the two into a dinner that was really wonderful. The pork I was using was really lean so I cooked it just done. With a cut like boneless Western ribs I might have gone for a longer, slower cook.

Honey Peach Pork

oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced*

salt and pepper to taste

4 boneless pork chops

2 T. honey

2 T. cider vinegar

hot sauce to taste

hot cooked rice or pasta

Heat oil in skillet and cook onion until golden brown. Add peaches, seasoning and cook a few minutes, until peaches have softened. Remove peach mixture and set aside. Wipe out skillet and add a little more oil. Heat and add pork chops, cooking over medium heat, until they are just cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and return peach mixture to pan along with the honey and vinegar. Add hot sauce to taste and simmer together 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Serve over hot cooked rice or pasta. Serves 4.

* To skin peaches drop them in boiling water for a couple of minutes then place in a bowl of cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Use a sharp knife to slip off the skins.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

If the only tomato sauce you ever use is out of a can you really should consider making some from fresh tomatoes. Yes, there is some labor and time involved but the end result is so much better than anything you’ll find in a can I think it is well worth the effort. I made some the other night and it was absolutely sublime tossed with pasta and topped with some fresh grated Romano cheese. You can add meat, veggies or whatever you like once the sauce is made. I added onions, garlic and herbs to mine and didn’t bother to puree it after since I like the chunkiness of a fresh sauce, but feel free to puree it if you prefer.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

oil

 1 large onion, sliced

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 lbs fresh tomatoes, skinned*, cored and coarsely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Fresh chopped herbs- I used basil, lovage and a little rosemary- but use what you have and like.

Romano cheese

fresh cooked hot pasta

Heat  oil in skillet and cook onion until just getting golden. Add garlic and cook a few minutes longer- being careful not to burn the garlic. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a simmer. Stir occasionally while the mixture cooks down. Depending on the variety of tomato and how thick you want the sauce this can take 20-30 minutes. I like to cook this in a pretty big skillet to have more surface area and cook the sauce down more quickly. If you are only cooking a pound of tomatoes this process is finished in 15 minutes or so, maybe even sooner. Add salt and pepper and the fresh herbs. Cook a minute or two longer. Toss the sauce with the pasta and finish with grated cheese, if you like. If you are using dried herbs add them  5-10 minutes before the sauce is done cooking. They need a little time to rehydrate.

* To skin the tomatoes just drop them in boiling water for a minute or so. Pull out and place in a bowl of cold water until cool enough to handle. Using a small, sharp knife cut out the core and the skins will just slip off.

Dilly Green Beans

In cooking class last night we made dilly green beans. These are one of my favorite pickles.  I like pretty much any type of pickle and I love green beans so no surprises there. If you have an abundance of green beans you might consider making a batch of these to enjoy year round.  While the recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes per jar- feel free to add more for a spicier version.

Dilly Green Beans

4 lbs. table‑perfect whole green beans

1 3/4 t. crushed dried hot red pepper

3 1/2 t. dried dill seed or seven fresh dill heads

7 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled

5 c. vinegar

5 c. water

1/2 c. less 1 T. pickling salt

Wash beans thoroughly.  Remove stems and tips, and cut them as much as possible in uniform lengths to allow them to stand upright in canning jar, coming to the shoulder of the jar.  have jars clean and very hot, and lids and sealers ready in scalding water.  In each jar place one dill head or 1/2 t. dill seed, add one garlic clove, and 1/4 t. crushed hot red pepper.  Pack beans upright in jars, leaving 1 inch of head room.  Heat together the water, vinegar and salt.  When the mixture boils, pour it over the beans, filling each jar to 1/2 inch from the top.  Run a plastic knife down and around to remove trapped air.  Adjust lids, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, start timing after the water in the canner returns to a boil.  Remove jars.  …Wait at least 2 weeks for these beans to develop their flavor.  Yield: 7 pints

Source:  Putting Food By

Creamy Tomato Sauce with Cheese on Rainbow Pasta

If you re looking for another way to use all those tomatoes here is a recipe you might like.  You can use fresh or canned. It combines tomatoes with a cheese sauce to make a great version of mac and cheese.

Creamy Tomato Sauce with Cheese

3 T. Butter or oil

3 T. flour

¾ c. milk

½ c. chicken or vegetable broth

1 (14 ½ oz.) can diced tomatoes or 2 cups peeled and diced fresh tomatoes*

½ t. red pepper flakes

½ t. pepper

1 t. oregano

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 c. grated Romano cheese

Hot cooked pasta

Combine butter and flour in pan and stir together over medium heat. Add milk and broth and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and seasonings and simmer 5 minutes. Add cheeses; stir until melted and smooth. Serve tossed in hot pasta.

* You can drain the tomatoes, if you like. I prefer to leave them with all their juices to flavor the sauce. You can add a little more flour if you like a thicker sauce.

Marinated Tomato Salad

Sometimes less is more, especially when it comes to fresh produce. I could eat fresh tomatoes all day just off the vine. Still, if you want a simple way to dress them up a little you might want to try this simple, yet tasty, tomato salad.

Marinated Tomato Salad

3 large tomatoes, cut in wedges, or 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

1 T. olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2-3 basil leaves, cut into thin strips

2 T. balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients and serve at room temperature. Serves 4-6.

I got really behind and didn’t post these pics from last week’s cooking camp with kids. Here are the cakes they made. Very proud of the work they did. Please enjoy looking  at what they accomplished. Youngest camper was 9, most were 10-11 year olds.

I have a number of classes coming up on canning and other food preservation topics. Here is the info. Unless otherwise noted all classes are from 7-9 pm.

I will also be at the Shaker Lakes Nature Center this Wed. (Aug. 7) doing a class on cooking with and preserving tomatoes. Here is the info for registration.

Nature Center at Shaker Lakes
2600 South Park Blvd
Cleveland, OH 44120
P: 216-321-5935
F: 216-321-1869
Visit our website for upcoming events: www.shakerlakes.org

Mentor

Mentor classes are held at Wildwood Center at 7645 Little Mountain Road. Unless otherwise noted all Mentor classes are held on Tuesdays. You can register online at CityofMentor.com/play or by phone at 440 974 5720 from Cleveland call 440 942 8796.

Classes in Mentor sell out quickly. Please be sure to ask to go on the waiting list if the class you want to attend is full. We do get openings and if there are enough people on the waiting list we can always schedule an additional session. Cost to residents is $14, non-resident fee is $17. That does not include the food fee paid to me the night of the class.

Aug. 6: Pickle Barrel: From old-fashioned crock pickles to pickled peaches this class will teach all you need to know to make tasty pickled products for home and gifts. You’ll get to taste several pickled products and learn how to use them in cooking. You’ll get recipes for cucumbers and other pickles. You also learn how to make tasty relishes including one that uses up all those green tomatoes. There will also be recipes for home. Food Fee $8.00.

Aug. 13: Totally Terrific Tomatoes: They are powerhouses of nutrition and very versatile. Fresh, cooked or dried they can be used in salads, sauces, soups and more. In class we will learn how to make the most of this tasty food. You will also learn how to preserve fresh tomatoes by dehydrating, freezing and canning. Plenty to sample in class and recipes for home. Food Fee $8.00 

Aug. 20: Jams and Jelly: Making homemade jams and jellies can be very rewarding and fun, too. You’ll learn the basics of jams, jellies, preserves, conserves and marmalades. There will be food to sample in class and everyone will have a jar of preserves to take home. Recipes included. Food Fee $8.00.

Aug. 27: Food Dehydrating: The oldest known method of food preservation is dehydrating. If you have a garden, a dehydrator or both come to class and learn how to get the most out summer’s harvest. We’ll discuss methods, safety and storage. From sun-dried tomatoes to vegetable soup mix and jerkies (including tofu jerky!) you’ll get a lot of ideas on how to dry food and how to use dried foods. You’ll get to taste several dishes in class and will have recipes for home. Food Fee$8.00.

The Wellness Center

Located on 3035 Wooster Road in Rocky River the Wellness Center is part of Fairview Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic Health Systems. Unless otherwise noted classes here are on Mondays. You can register for classes at the Wellness Center by calling 440 356 0670.

Aug 5: Totally Terrific Tomatoes: They are powerhouses of nutrition and very versatile. Fresh, cooked or dried they can be used in salads, sauces, soups and more. In class we will learn how to make the most of this tasty food. You will also learn how to preserve fresh tomatoes by dehydrating, freezing and canning. Plenty to sample in class and recipes for home. Food Fee $8.00   

Aug. 12: Preserve It: This class will give you the information you need to get the most out of your garden and summer produce specials. From canning basics to freezing you’ll learn how to safely store many fruits and vegetables. You’ll also get recipes using fresh, frozen and canned produce. Learn how to make super salsa and pie fillings and much more. There will be plenty to sample in class and recipes for home. Food Fee $8.00

Aug. 19: Pickle Barrel: From old-fashioned crock pickles to pickled peaches this class will teach all you need to know to make tasty pickled products for home and gifts. You’ll get to taste several pickled products and learn how to use them in cooking. You’ll get recipes for cucumbers and other pickles. You also learn how to make tasty relishes including one that uses up all those green tomatoes. There will also be recipes for home. Food Fee $8.00.

Aug. 26: Food Dehydrating: The oldest known method of food preservation is dehydrating. If you have a garden, a dehydrator or both come to class and learn how to get the most out summer’s harvest. We’ll discuss methods, safety and storage. From sun-dried tomatoes to vegetable soup mix and jerkies (including tofu jerky!) you’ll get a lot of ideas on how to dry food and how to use dried foods. You’ll get to taste several dishes in class and will have recipes for home. Food Fee$8.00.

I will be teaching a food preservation workshop after the seed saving class. Come for one or both.

Anyone needing a refresher or a first-time discussion of seed saving whys and how-to’s are invited to come:
FOOD NOT LAWNS, CLEVELAND, with suopport from OSU EXTENSION, presents
SEED SAVING WORKSHOP/POTLUCK

Chicken with Blueberry Sauce

I was given a beautiful chicken from my friend, Carl Skalak. He raises the chickens on his farm in Cleveland. He also had harvested some blueberries and wondered if I could make a dish with both ingredients. Felt like I was on an episode of Chopped. I worried that there might be a reason I hadn’t seen recipes with chicken and blueberries very often. It turned out there was no reason to worry. I started by roasting the chicken, which I had split in half, in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. I had seasoned the bird with salt and pepper. Then I topped the chicken with some of the blueberry sauce I had made (recipe follows)  and returned it to the oven for an additional 45 minutes. I basted it with the sauce once during the 45 minutes. Serve extra sauce on the side, if desired.

Blueberry Sauce

1 onion, chopped

oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 T. flour

1 c. chicken stock- you can use vegetable stock instead

2 pints blueberries, washed and drained

1/4 c. sherry

1 T. hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet and cook onion until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook a few minutes more. Stir in flour. Add broth and blueberries and bring to a simmer. Add sherry and hot sauce and simmer until mixture is thickened and bubbly. If too thick- add a little more stock. Adjust seasoning. Serve with chicken or other poultry. Would also be good with pork dishes.