Blueberry Shortcake
Blueberry Shortcake
I made this over the weekend for dinner with friends. Thinking red white and blue theme and using berries I had at home. I was really pleased with how it turned out. I started by shaping the blueberry studded dough into a star shape. I actually had an old copper star shaped mold- but it could have shaped it by hand, if needed. Once baked I topped it with whipped cream and raspberries. It was a nice end to a lovely meal with friends.
Blueberry Shortcake
2 c. flour
¼ c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
¾ t. salt
½ c. chilled butter
2 c. blueberries
1 t. lemon zest
2 large eggs
1/3 c. heavy cream
Mix dry ingredients together in bowl and cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Toss in blueberries and zest. Beat together eggs and cream and stir into flour mixture. Mix very gently to avoid bruising berries. Place dough on a baking sheet and form into a star shape or a circle or oval shape. Flatten slightly. Brush with a little cream and sprinkle with a little extra sugar. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a rack. When ready to serve top with whipped cream and raspberries. Serves 6-8.
Cooling on the rack
Ready to serve
10 Common Plants You Can Eat
Some of these are plants we grow as landscape/ornamental plants. Others are more often thought of as “weeds”. All have one thing in common. They are edible. Some you may already know about, but I hope I might show you a few edibles you didn’t know before. I also tried to stick to plants that were easy to identify. If you are not sure what it is – don’t eat it. With any luck you have at least a few of these in your yard.
Violets: Violet flowers are edible and used to decorate pastries and to make jelly. Did you know you can also eat the leaves? They are mild flavored- especially when young- and are a great addition to salads. Violet leaves are also high in vitamin C.
Purslane: The thick, fleshy leaves of purslane are easy to identify. Many vegetable gardeners make every effort to keep them out of their yards. Truth is, purslane is grown as a vegetable in many parts of the world. The leaves can be eaten raw in salads, can be cooked in a stir fry or just steamed as a fresh veggie. They can also be pickled. I make a salsa out of purslane leaves. They are crunchy with a slightly citrus flavor.
Lambsquarters: Lambsquarters are one of my favorites. They sprout all over my yard and in pots as soon as the weather warms up in the Spring. The leaves can be eaten raw when young or cooked as they mature. They taste just like spinach and are even better for you. Plants can get quite large and provide an easy harvest of nutritious greens.
Dandelions: We spend so much money trying to kill them. Sad because they are really a tasty green. Dandelions were brought to America by European immigrants as a vegetable. Their bitter greens can be an acquired taste. By combining the greens with certain foods you make them taste less bitter. Starchy foods like breads or potatoes, dairy products, tomatoes and vinegars all seem to tame the bitterness. Dandelion greens can be eaten cooked or raw. Flowers are used to make jelly and wine and can be added to baked goods.
Hosta: If you can get to them before the deer do, you will be pleasantly surprised. Hosta leaves are quite mild flavored, similar to Bibb lettuce. I add them to salads and even serve them with dips. The older leaves get tough so pick young leaves.
Sweet Potato Leaves: A friend from Hawaii first told me about eating sweet potato leaves. The leaves are pretty mild flavored. I normally eat them cooked although I have friends that eat them raw as well. You can eat the leaves of all sweet potatoes, including ornamental types.
Lilac: Lilac flowers are fragrant and edible. I use them every year to make lilac infused vinegar. They have a nice spicy taste that works well in the vinegar. Blossoms can be added to salads, too. This year I also made lilac jelly.
Redroot/Pigweed: This member of the amaranth family is distinguished by a reddish color to its roots. It has a spinach like flavor and can be cooked and used like spinach is any recipe. The plants can get several feet tall and often show up in places where the soil has been tilled.
Tulips: Tulips are more than pretty, they are also quite tasty. The petals taste like a mild flavored lettuce and can add a beautiful touch to salads. The bulbs are also edible but we rarely eat them because to do so would destroy the plant. The petals, however, can be harvested and eaten year after year without harming the plant.
Roses: Rose petals have been used to make fragrances for a very long time. The petals are also edible and can be added to salads and used to make jelly, syrup and of course, rose water. The hips are also quite edible. Rose hips are the round balls that are left after the bloom is spent. They are full of vitamin C and can be cooked and used to make tea and jelly.
This is far from a complete list. Just a few things from my yard that I thought you might have, too.
Cherry Mustard Glaze
Cherry Mustard Glaze on Ham
I am always looking for new sauces and glazes for food. We were having a ham dinner and I wanted to dress it up. I had some wonderful frozen cherries and thought they would be a nice place to start. I had cooked them down for a bit and had added some cider vinegar and some honey but it needed something more. Inspired by a friend’s comment about a mustard sauce her mother makes I ended up adding a grainy mustard to the sauce in progress. That was it!! The ingredient I was looking for. We had it on the ham and it was a huge hit, Simple, with only a few ingredients, it is a glaze I will be making again. I am sure it would be good on poultry and I would love to try it on a fresh pork roast or on duck.
Cherry Mustard Glaze
3-4 cups pitted sour cherries- I used a variety called Balaton- darker and not as sour as other sour cherries
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey, or to taste
1/2 c. grainy mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Place the cherries in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until much of the liquid has cooked off. Stir occasionally. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until mixture has thickened. Stir more often as mixture gets thicker to prevent scorching. Adjust seasonings. I was using this on a ham so I didn’t add much salt, but would add more if I were using it on fresh pork or poultry. Makes about 2 cups.
To use: Spoon mixture over the meat at least 30 minutes before food will be done so sauce can caramelize a bit. Could also be warmed and served on the side as a dipping sauce. I left the cherries whole, but you could puree the mixture for a smoother sauce.
Skillet Corn
Skillet Corn
Corn on the cob is a favorite of mine. Sometimes it can be messy to serve for guests. This dish gives you all the flavor in a less messy way. I also make this when I cook more corn on the cob than we need and have leftovers. If you are looking for a fast and easy side dish this one is a real winner. Only a few ingredients and ready in no time. I used fresh corn cut off the cob but you could use frozen or canned.
Skillet Corn
1 T. oil
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
4-5 cups corn, fresh, frozen or canned
1½ t. cumin
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Heat oil in skillet and add pepper, cooking until they are crisp-tender. Add corn and continue cooking until corn is cooked if using fresh or heated through if using frozen or canned. Add seasonings and heat another minute. Add salt and pepper if needed. Serves 4.
Collard Omelet
Collard Omelet
I really love collards. Collards are full of nutrition and great flavor. The way I was first exposed to collard greens was traditionally cooked- long and slow. Very long. I’ll still eat greens cooked for hours with a smoky ham hock but I prefer to cook them less.
This is how I like to prep them. Once cooked I can add them to lots of dishes .
Rinse the greens well and remove larger ribs. Slice into thin strips. Heat oil in a skillet and add the greens, cooking for several minutes until they have wilted. Season with some salt and add a small amount of water to the skillet. The greens will cook down a lot so be sure to cook plenty. As they cook down taste after 10 minutes or so to see if they are tender enough for your taste. Sometimes they take longer but I like them with a little bite left in them. Season with more salt and some pepper or hot sauce and enjoy or use in recipes that call for cooked collard greens. I will often cook up a lot of collards and then freeze them until needed.
Variations: you can sauté an onion or some peppers in the skillet before adding the greens. You can also add some bacon fat in place of the oil for a smoky flavor.
Here is a fun way to get some greens into your breakfast.
Collard Green Omelet
Oil or butter
¼ c. chopped onion
2 c. cooked collard greens
4 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T. water
1 c. shredded cheese- any type you like
Heat oil or butter in skillet. Add onion and sauté until tender. Add collards and cook until heated through. Remove from pan and set aside. Meanwhile wipe out pan and add fresh oil or butter. Heat pan and while pan is heating up combine eggs with water in a medium bowl and beat until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour eggs into hot pan rolling around to coat pan evenly. Using a spatula lift the eggs as they cook allowing uncooked eggs to reach bottom of pan. Once eggs are almost cooked add the vegetables and cheese to one half of the eggs. Using spatula gently fold the uncovered half of the omelet over the side with the cheese and veggies. Turn heat down and allow middle to heat through and eggs to finish cooking. You can also turn the whole omelet over to brown evenly on both sides. Slide omelet onto a serving plate. Serves 2-3.
Tomato and Feta Salad
Tomato and Feta Salad
For a quick and tasty salad one of my favorites is sliced, fresh tomatoes with feta cheese. This recipe also has some diced sweet onion and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice to finish it off. Salt and pepper to taste and you’re done. Sometimes less is more. In this case just a few ingredients and you are good to go.
Tomato and Feta Salad
3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
12 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil -I used a lemon infused olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, mix the feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, onion, olive oil, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Serves 2.
Lilac Jelly
Lilac Jelly
I always gather lilacs and make lilac vinegar with them. It’s easy to do. You just put lilac blossoms in a jar and cover them with vinegar. I use a cup of vinegar for every cup of flowers. I let the mixture steep for a week or longer and then strain out the blossoms. I decided to use some of this mixture to make jelly this year. The color of the vinegar is a light pink color. The cooking process changed it somewhat and it came out a light honey color. Very pretty. By using vinegar as the base the jelly has a nice combination of tartness with the sweet. I could see using it on toast or as a glaze for meats. May have to pick up some lamb to try it out. Since I had just made violet jelly I pretty much used the same recipe. I assume this will also work for other edible flower vinegars. Hoping to do this with roses later in the year. Here is the recipe.
Lilac Jelly
3 1/2 cups lilac vinegar
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin
5 c. sugar
Wash and prep jars and get water bath heating up. Place violet vinegar in pan and add lemon juice and pectin. Bring mixture to a rolling boil over high heat. Add sugar and return to the boil. Stir often. Once mixture gets to a full rolling boil, boil 1 minute. Remove jelly from heat and skim off any foam. Ladle hot liquid into jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes for 4 oz. and 8 oz. jars. Remove jars to cooling rack and check seals once they have cooled down. Yield: about 7 half pint jars or 13-14 (4 oz.) jars.
Violet Jelly
Violet Jelly
I have made a lot of jams and jellies over the years. I like them but sometimes find them too sweet for my taste. I was planning on just making infused vinegar from some of my violets this year when I decided to use the vinegar as a base for the jelly. It worked out great. The end product had a sweet taste of violets but the vinegar added a tartness I really liked. It also came out a stunning pink color. Normally when you make violet jelly you boil water and pour it over the violet blossoms, making a sort of violet tea. Then you go ahead and make the jelly. By harvesting blossoms and putting them in a jar with vinegar you can make the jelly pretty much anytime you like. Also, if you don’t have a lot of blossoms at once you can harvest a few at a time over a longer period of time. The violets in vinegar will keep. I like to have equal parts flowers and vinegar for a nice strong floral flavor, but you can get by with fewer blossoms if you need.
Start with a clean jar and put your violets in it. Pour vinegar over to cover. White vinegar or white wine vinegar can be used. Heck you could probably use red wine vinegar, too. Cider vinegar might affect the color. You can continue to add flowers to the jar as you pick them. I picked 4 cups of violets and put them in a quart mason jar. I added vinegar to fill the jar, closed it up and let the flavors blend for a week. I could have let it sit longer if I was too busy to get to it. If you are in a hurry and want to make the jelly right away just heat up the vinegar and steep the flowers.
After a week, I strained it out then poured the mixture through a coffee filter to get it really clear. I ended up with 3 1/2 cups of violet “vinegar” to use for my violet jelly. I had a basic idea of how much sugar I would need so I went from there. It worked out great and jelled perfectly.
Enough chat- here is the recipe.
Violet Jelly
3 1/2 cups violet vinegar*
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin
5 c. sugar
Wash and prep jars and get water bath heating up. Place violet vinegar in pan and add lemon juice and pectin. Bring mixture to a rolling boil over high heat. Add sugar and return to the boil. Stir often. Once mixture gets to a full rolling boil, boil 1 minute. Remove jelly from heat and skim off any foam. Ladle hot liquid into jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes for 4 oz. and 8 oz. jars. Remove jars to cooling rack and check seals once they have cooled down. Yield: about 7 half pint jars or 13-14 (4 oz.) jars.
*For 3 1/2 cups of violet vinegar you will need 3-4 cups of blossoms and 3 1/2 cups of vinegar.
Raspberry Crumb Cake
Raspberry Crumb Cake
With an abundance of fresh raspberries and a crunchy crumb topping this is a cake everyone will remember. Not too sweet and full of fresh berries it is just the type of dessert I enjoy most. When you add 2 cups of raspberries to the batter it might seem like too much. It is not. You want to be able to see and taste the berries in every bite.
Raspberry Crumb Cake
For cake batter:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, softened
¾ c. sugar
1 egg
½ c. sour cream
2 t. vanilla
2 cups raspberries – I used fresh but frozen should work, too
For topping:
½ c. sugar
¼ c. flour
½ t. cinnamon
½ stick (¼ c. butter, chilled and cut into bits)
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, sour cream and vanilla. Add flour mixture gradually until just mixed in. Fold in raspberries. Grease and flour an 8 or 9-inch pan and add prepared batter. Combine topping ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in pan and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. Use toothpick to test.
Coconut Cracker Snacks
Coconut Cracker Snacks
If you are craving something sweet and pressed for time these are really a fun snack to make. Super easy they are also a great recipe for kids to make. The base is saltine crackers topped with butter, brown sugar, coconut and cinnamon. They are ready in just a few minutes. Sweet and just a little salty, too. You could use chopped nuts in place of the coconut if you prefer.
Coconut Cracker Snacks
36 saltine crackers
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 c. coconut
1 t. cinnamon
Cover a baking sheet with foil. Place the crackers, touching, side by side in a single layer. Melt butter in microwave, then add sugar and heat together 1 minute on high. Stir butter and sugar mixture together until smooth and drizzle this over the crackers. Combine coconut and cinnamon and then sprinkle the coconut over the crackers. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or until coconut is toasted. Cool on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Crackers will easily break apart from each other. Makes 36.
Arrange crackers on a baking sheet
Drizzle crackers with the butter/brown sugar mixture
Sprinkle on the coconut and bake until coconut is toasted
