Mentor Cooking Camp
It was wonderful to be back to work with kids. This week’s cooking camp theme is international foods. Today was pizza. The kids did a great job. We’ll be making all sorts of fun foods this week including hummus, empanadas, summer rolls, wontons and kolachy. They did a great job in class today.
Black-eyed Pea Salad
When I say salad, I am not sure most people think of black-eyed peas as a main ingredient. Black-eyed peas, like other legumes, are a wonderful addition to both hot and cold dishes.
This dish is a great vegetarian option for dinner or as a side dish. It makes a nice salad for almost any summer party, picnic or cookout.
It is a simple recipe you can make ahead of time. Not too many ingredients, but packed with flavor.
I used dried peas and cooked them in my pressure cooker. If you are really pressed for time, you could use canned black-eyed peas instead. You’d need 4 or 5 cans. A can of black-eyed peas ( 14 oz.) will give you about a cup and a half of peas. A pound of dried gives you about 7 cups of cooked peas.
Here is the recipe. Great summertime salad. Serve it plain- or over a bed of salad greens.
Black-eyed Pea Salad
1 lb. dried black-eyed peas
1 large sweet onion, chopped fine
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 t. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Cover beans with cold water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans. Return to saucepan and cover with cold water. Simmer beans until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain. Place cooked beans in a bowl and cover with remaining ingredients. Toss to coat, cover and chill. Serve as a main dish or on the side. Also tasty served over salad greens or stuffed in a hollowed out tomato. Serves 6-8.
Spiced Cherries
These cherries are so good, I am already wishing I had canned more of them. I was inspired by my cousin, Laurie, who needed spiced cherries for a recipe she wants to make.
I first thought about the spices I wanted to use. I didn’t want to overpower the cherries, but I wanted the spices to complement the flavor of the fruit. In the end I used cinnamon sticks, fennel seeds, fenugreek, cloves and some cracked black pepper.
Once I decided which spices I wanted to use, I steeped them in boiling water. Kind of like making tea. Then I strained out the spices and used the spiced water in the syrup for the cherries. I could just have added spices to the cherries when I canned them, but I didn’t want stuff in the jars I would need to strain out later. I also knew the spices would get more intense over time, if left in the jars. By making a tea and tasting it, I knew what level of spice I would have in the final product.
The spiced cherries can just be eaten, right out of the jar. They can also be drained and added to fruit salads or used to top desserts. You can also use them to bake with. They aren’t overly sweet.
Laurie is using them in some sort of chocolate cherry martini. Now that sounds good!!!
They would make nice gifts, too.
So here is my recipe for spiced cherries.
Spiced Cherries
7 (3-4 inch) cinnamon sticks
2 T. fennel seeds
2 T. fenugreek seeds
1 T. whole cloves
1 T. cracked black pepper
5 c. water
11 lbs. sweet cherries
3¼ c. sugar
Zest of 2 limes
Juice of 2 limes
Place spices in a large pot and turn heat on to medium. Toast spices in pot for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You should be able to smell them. Watch so they don’t burn. Add the water to the spices, bring to a boil, and simmer for at least 15 minutes. Longer cooking is fine. Fill water bath canner with water and heat up water to a simmer. In the meantime, pit the cherries. You should end up with about 4½-5 quarts of pitted fruit. You can hold pitted cherries in a bowl of water with a little ascorbic acid in it, to prevent browning. Set aside. Remove the spiced water from the heat. Strain out the spices and discard them. Measure the spiced water and add enough fresh water to equal 5 cups. Return water to pot with the cherries (drained if they were in water), sugar, zest and lime juice. Bring mixture to a boil. Fill pint jars with cherries and cooking liquid, leaving ½-inch headspace. Wipe rims and screw on lids until fingertip tight. Place jars in water bath canner. Make sure the water covers the jars by 1-2 inches. Place lid on canner, and start timing when water returns to the boil. Process for 15 minutes. Remove jars from canner and place on a cooling rack or towel, in a draft free area. Once cooled, check the lids to make sure they are sealed. Remove bands and wipe down jars. Label and store. Makes about 9 pints.
Times and procedures all used NCHFP guidelines.
Jars cooling down
Peach Cheesecake Squares
I love peaches and I love cheesecake. Never thought to combine them before. Wow, what a great dessert!! With peaches in season, it seemed like the perfect time to make it.
This recipe was inspired by a post I saw about a place that makes peach cheesecakes. I decided to make a less traditional cheesecake. I used a 9×13 baking dish instead of a springform pan. I also ended up making the cheesecake in layers. Let me explain.
I baked the crust a little, then added the cheesecake layer to bake. I was trying to figure out the best way to add the peaches. I decided to put them on after the cheesecake was baked, so I cooked them while the crust and cheesecake layers were baking. The crumb topping was an afterthought. I wanted some texture and just put that together at the end.
The result was a really good dessert. Enough peaches. Light and rich at the same time. I will most definitely make it again.
So here is the recipe. Enjoy!!!
Peach Cheesecake Squares
Crust
¾ c. butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
1¼ c. flour
1 c. oatmeal, old-fashioned or quick cooking
2 t. cinnamon
¼ t. salt
Cheesecake Layer
2 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
¾ c. sugar
2 T. flour
2 eggs
2 T. vanilla
2 t. cinnamon
Peach Layer
5-6 peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped, about 5 cups prepared fruit
2/3 c. sugar, or a little less
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. cinnamon
4 T. cold water
2 T. cornstarch
Crumble Topping
1½ c. rolled oats
½ c. butter
¼ c. brown sugar
3 T. flour
2 t. cinnamon
Heat oven to 350-degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Beat together butter and brown sugar, then stir in the rest of crust ingredients. Mixture will be crumbly. Press into bottom of prepared pan and bake 20 minutes. While crust is baking, prepare cheesecake layer. Beat cream cheese sugar and flour until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over crust and bake for 25 minutes, or until set. While filling is baking, prep peaches. Combine peaches with sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until peaches are softened. Stir off and on to keep mixture from sticking. Combine cold water and cornstarch. Stir until smooth and pour into peach mixture. Mixture will thicken up. Stir until mixture returns to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. Prepare crumble topping. Mix all ingredients with your fingers until well blended. Place on a baking sheet and place in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. You can do this while the cheesecake is baking, to save time. Let the cheesecake cool a few minutes. Then spoon over the peaches. Spread evenly and let it cool for 30 minutes. Spread the crumble mixture over the peaches. Cool then chill. Store covered in fridge. Serves 12. Can be frozen.
Honey Ginger Glazed Peaches
I am always looking for new ways to cook with old favorites. Peaches are a great example. When they are in season, I can’t get enough of them.
I have made peach ice cream, peach pie, peach pancakes, peach preserves, peach liqueur….. you get the idea. I wanted to enjoy peaches with our dinner the other night. I decided, rather than just slicing them up and adding them to a salad, I would do a little more to transform them.
So I glazed them, the way you might glaze carrots. So simple. Why had I never thought of it before? The peaches were soft, slightly sweet, and a perfect side dish for the broiled chicken. I want to try these with lamb, pork or maybe duck next time.
I kept it pretty simple- peaches, butter, honey, ginger, salt and a dash of sriracha. I could see adding other herbs and spices. Might have to do a little experimenting. For now, here is the recipe for glazed peaches. I did not have any leftovers, so a hit, for sure. I did not peel my peaches, but feel free to, if you like.
Honey Ginger Glazed Peaches
4 medium peaches, pitted and sliced thin
2 T. butter
4 T. honey
1/2 t. fresh grated ginger
pinch of salt
Hot sauce to taste
Place peach slices in a small skillet. Add butter and remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat until peaches start to get tender. This will take about 5 minutes. Stir once in a while to prevent sticking. Be gentle so you don’t mash the peach slices. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking a few more minutes. Peaches should be soft and the sauce thickened. Adjust seasonings.
Pizza Zucchini
I started making this dish out of necessity. I was fresh out of college and never seemed to have much money. I did have a big garden, though. It was August and the garden was full of zucchini, tomatoes and peppers. I had to find a tasty way to combine them. Pizza Zucchini was born.
The name is a little misleading. It isn’t really a pizza at all. Rather, it is a saute of several veggies, seasoned with pizza seasoning. I top it off with cheese, and often serve it over pasta or rice or stuffed in a pita bread. Last night, I served it on a whole wheat tortilla, so it did sort of have a pizza feel to it.
Not much work, this dish packs a lot of flavor. Plus, you can use all sorts of other veggies, depending on what you have around. So if you have a few extra zucchini laying around, this is a fun and tasty way to enjoy them. You might even get your family to eat more veggies.
“Pizza” Zucchini
1 T. oil
½ c. chopped onion
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 c. sliced mushrooms, optional
3-4 c. sliced zucchini or other summer squash, trimmed and sliced
3 c. diced fresh tomatoes, or use canned or 1 c. tomato sauce
1-2 t. pizza seasoning, or to taste*
8 oz. Mozzarella cheese
Sauté onion in oil until tender add pepper and mushrooms and sauté 2 minutes more. Add squash and cook until tender. Add tomatoes or sauce, seasonings and salt, if desired. Heat through, turn down heat and add cheese. Cover and allow to cook on low until cheese melts. Serve as is, over rice or pasta or in pita bread. Serves 3-4.
*Pizza Seasoning
3 T. dried basil
2 T. dried oregano
1-T. red pepper flakes
1 T. dried minced onion
1-T. fennel seeds
1 t. garlic powder
Combine all ingredients and store in a cool, dark, dry place.
To use: Add 1-2 teaspoons per cup of tomato sauce to make pizza sauce. Also good sprinkled on bagels with sauce and cheese or added to any tomato or pepper dish.
Peaches and Cream Crepes
Peaches are such a natural addition to any summer dessert. I decided to use some of my fresh peaches in crepes. Crepes are a nice dessert any time of the year. I think especially nice in summer, using fresh, seasonal fruit.
The crepes were filled with unpeeled, sliced peaches that had been tossed with sugar ahead of time. The sugar softens the peaches a little. I also added some sweetened cream cheese and a little strawberry jam to the filling. We loved them.
They can be assembled ahead of time, and just kept chilled until ready to serve. Serve as is, with a dusting of powdered sugar or even a vanilla caramel drizzle- recipe follows.
Peaches and Cream Crepes
1 recipe basic crepes- recipe follows
2-3 peaches, pitted and sliced thin
¼ c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ c. powdered sugar
Strawberry jam, optional
Make a batch of basic crepes and set aside until ready to use. Place sliced peaches in a bowl with sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and stir until sugar is dissolved. Best to do this at least a couple of hours before you want to use them. This softens the peaches and allows juices to come out of the peaches. You need the juices for the cream cheese. You can do this the day before, then just finish the cream cheese and assemble.
Place cream cheese in a bowl and start beating with an electric mixer. Drain juices off the peaches and add the juice to the cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar, too. Beat until cream cheese is fluffy.
To assemble the crepes: Place a crepe on work surface. Spread with some of the cream cheese. Along one side of the crepe place a small amount of strawberry jam, like a stripe. Place several slices of peach in a row, on top of the strawberry jam. Starting on the side of the crepe with the peaches gently roll up the crepe. Repeat with remaining ingredients. You will have 12. Serve as is, or you can top with powdered sugar, peach slices, warm jam, whipped or caramel sauce – recipe follows.
Basic Crepes
3/4 c. flour
1/8 t. salt
3 eggs, beaten
2 T. melted butter
3/4 c. milk, approximately
Butter or oil for pan
Beat together flour, salt and eggs until smooth. Stir in melted butter and then stir in milk until batter consistency is that of cream. Let stand for 30 minutes before using, or can be refrigerated, covered, overnight. Beat again, just before using.
Heat 6 or 7 inch skillet. Brush with butter or oil and pour in about 2 teaspoons of batter, tipping pan to cover bottom of pan completely with batter. Cook until edges start to brown, turn over and cook until lightly browned (about 2 minutes per side.)
Crepes can be made day ahead or even frozen between sheets of waxed paper and frozen. Makes 12.
Vanilla Caramel
I made a light caramel sauce for the crepes. I just put 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan with a cup of sugar. Boiled it all together for about 3 minutes. Removed from the heat and added a teaspoon of vanilla, 4 tablespoons of butter and a 1/4 cup of half and half. Stirred until smooth, then added a pinch of salt, for extra flavor.
Black Currant Ice Cream
Black Currant ice cream sounds delicious, and it is. It might be my new favorite ice cream this season. The ice cream requires no special equipment. It comes out rich and creamy with only a small amount of effort. What could be better? This is a great ice cream for kids to make, too.
The recipe came about as almost an afterthought. I had an open bottle of the black currant syrup in the fridge and a pint of whipping cream with a fast approaching expiration date. I whipped cream, added the syrup and froze it. This might just be the easiest ice cream I ever made!
The secret is to whip whipping cream until it is pretty stiff, then stir in a fruit flavored syrup. Once it is mixed, pop in the freezer. The result is a surpisingly nice ice cream.
It was inspired by a similar ice cream I make using whipped cream and chocolate syrup. I figured if it worked with chocolate syrup, it should work with other syrups. I was right. It worked out great. The only negative is an almost buttery mouth feel after eating a whole portion. I decided to alter the recipe a bit by adding some half and half to some of it, just before popping in the freezer. That version was also creamy and smooth, but without the mouth feel I didn’t like.
I am probably being too picky. I had several people try both versions and no one saw a big difference. One person said they preferred the half and half version. Here is the recipe, with variation. I also shared the original chocolate ice cream recipe and a recipe for making your own fruit syrup. Enjoy!!
Black Currant Ice Cream
1 pint whipping cream
1/2 c. black currant syrup, or to taste*
Place whipping cream in a bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. With mixer running, add the syrup. Add until mixture is light lavender color. You can also give it a taste, to be sure. Place mixture in a container with a tight fitting lid and place in freezer. Freeze several hours before trying it. Makes a bit over a quart.
* It occurred to me that besides using different fruit syrups, you could also try using maple syrup or perhaps honey. I make honey ice cream. Honey is pretty sweet, so use a lighter hand when adding it.
Variation: After you add the syrup, stir in ½ cup of half and half or milk. Freeze. Makes about 6 cups.
The recipe that inspired me.
Easy Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
1 pint whipping cream
1/2 c. chocolate syrup or to taste
Place whipping cream in a bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. With mixer running, add the syrup. Add until mixture is the color of chocolate ice cream. You can also give it a taste, to be sure. Place mixture in a container with a tight fitting lid and place in freezer. Freeze several hours before trying it. Makes 1 quart.
You can use any number of fruit syrups, if you prefer. I find mine at a local grocery store and at an Italian import store. You could also make your own fruit syrup, if you wanted. Here is my recipe for blueberry syrup. It could be adapted to other fruits.
Blueberry Syrup
4 c. blueberries
1 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
In saucepan heat berries and water to a boil and boil 2 minutes. Crush berries with a potato masher as they cook. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer and press to extract all the juices. Return to pan and add sugar. Boil 2 minutes and strain mixture again. Cool, then refrigerate. Keeps a couple of weeks. Makes about 3 1/2 cups.
Preserving Basil
This time of year, I am looking to preserve as many herbs as I can, to enjoy year round. Basil is one of my favorites. I grow, and use, a lot of it. I am doing a major harvest of basil today. Some will be frozen in olive oil, some dried, and some added to vinegar.
None of the preservation methods is difficult. Basil can be tricky to dry, though. Unlike a lot of herbs, basil does not air dry well. I have a dehydrator, but if you don’t have one, you can still dry your basil successfully. Believe it or not, you can dry basil, and other herbs, in a microwave. Directions follow.
So I am off to harvest my basil. One thing is sure- my house will smell really good today.
Freezing in Oil
To use basil in pesto sauce, dried just won’t do. You can easily freeze your basil in olive oil and have it ready whenever you want it. Just place clean basil leaves in a blender or food processor and add olive oil. It is important that you use olive oil because it freezes solid. While the machine is running pour in oil until basil is blended. I use very little oil for two reasons. It takes up less room in the freezer and I don’t need so much oil. I can add more oil when I use it, but this way if I am doing a big batch i don’t go through all my oil. Once the mixture is blended pour or spoon it into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen solid pop out the basil cubes and put in freezer bags and return to the freezer.You can also freeze chopped basil without the oil. I like it better in the oil, but I freeze other herbs by just chopping them up and freezing them.
Frozen Basil Cubes
Process basil and olive oil until smooth
Spoon mixture into ice cube trays and freeze
Microwave Drying
If you don’t have a dehydrator you can dry herbs in your microwave. It only takes a couple of minutes per batch. Just place a handful of fresh, clean basil leaves in a linen-type kitchen towel. Fold the towel over the herbs and place in the microwave. Be sure to put a raw potato in with the herbs in the oven. If you only put the herbs in, it is like running the oven empty and can damage the microwave. Just put the potato off to the side. If you do several batches you will have a baked potato. ? If you have a turntable, just cook on high for 2 minutes. Check and see if they are dry- you might need a little more time. I need about 2 1/2 minutes in my microwave. Better to put them in for 15 more seconds at a time than to over dry them. If you don’t have a turntable microwave on high for a minute. After the first minute turn the herbs 1/4 turn and cook 15 seconds, turn again and cook another 15 seconds. Repeat four times in all. You can dry other herbs in the microwave. Small leaved herbs like thyme are done even faster. Remove the herbs from the oven and allow them to cool. check if they are dry enough and return, wrapped to cook longer if needed. Store in containers in a cool place.
Microwave dried basil on the left and fresh basil on the right
Place fresh basil on a towel and fold towel over the herbs
Place in microwave with a potato
All microwaves are different. Some will take longer and some even less time. Watch your herbs carefully. While I have never seen it happen I was told once that theoretically, they could catch on fire if left in too long. Urban legend perhaps, but just be careful.
Herb Vinegar
When I grow basil, I try to keep the blossoms pinched off. Better for leaf production. But by this time of year some are blooming. Rather than dumping the blossoms you can use them to flavor vinegar. Just snip off the blossoms and place them in a sterilized bottle or jar. Use several sprigs of basil flowers for every 2 cups of vinegar. Make sure the vinegar is at least 5% acidity. I like to use different vinegars for different herbs. I often use cider vinegar, red wine vinegar (for purple basil) and white wine vinegar. Leaves can be used, too. Vinegar should be heated up to 190 degrees- or just below the boiling point. Close up the jar and store in a cool place (50-70 degrees) for a couple of weeks. Before using strain out the herbs and filter- I use coffee filters or you could use cheese cloth. Store in a pretty bottle, if you have one. They can be kept for up to a year when stored in the fridge.
Basil blossoms in vinegar
Snip off basil blossoms
Place blossoms in a jar or bottle
Sweet Cherry Vanilla Jam
I look forward to cherry season every year. I love eating fresh cherries, but I also like to preserve them, to enjoy year round. One of my favorite things to make is cherry jam.
This must be a great year for cherries. They seem bigger than usual, and very sweet.
While I normally make jam from sour cherries, I knew the sweet ones would work. Besides the cherries, sugar and pectin, this jam also contains lemon juice, vanilla and cinnamon. Those extra ingredients give the jam a more complex flavor and a little bit of a tang.
This may be one of my favorite jams ever!!! I was worried it would be too sweet, but it isn’t. The flavor of the cherries comes through as well at the flavor of the vanilla and cinnamon. Thinking I made need to buy more cherries and make another batch….
Here is the recipe. Enjoy.
Sweet Cherry Vanilla Jam
4 c. chopped pitted sweet cherries, about 2 lbs.
6 T. powdered pectin
6 T. lemon juice
2 T. pure vanilla extract
1 t. cinnamon
4½ c. sugar
Wash jelly jars and lids and keep warm until ready to use. Place a large pot of water, with a rack, on to boil for the water bath. In large saucepan combine cherries with pectin, lemon juice, vanilla and cinnamon. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring often. Add the sugar and bring mixture back to a rolling boil, stirring often. Once the mixture gets to a full, rolling boil, cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly. Remove jam from heat and skim off any foam. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, filling to about 1/4 inch from the top. Wipe off rim and screw on the lids. Repeat with remaining jam. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let jar sit in canner 5 minutes before removing. Remove from water bath and allow jars to cool. Yield: about 6 half pint jars of jam.
Adapted from The Ball Blue Book
