The Charmed Kitchen

Succotash Salad

I remember having succotash a few times when I was a kid. I didn’t like Lima beans all that much- but I did like saying succotash. Just one of those fun words to say. I  like Lima beans now, and use them often in soups and stews. For a dinner with friends, I decided I needed one more salad. I had several ears of sweet corn and a bag of Lima beans in the freezer so it seemed natural to make this salad. The addition of sweet pepper, sweet onion, fresh chopped parsley and a simple apple cider vinegar dressing and it was good to go. Here is the recipe.

Succotash Salad

1 lb. lima beans, cooked and cooled

4 ears of corn, cooked, and kernels cut off the cobs

1 sweet pepper, seeded and diced

1 small sweet onion, diced

3-4 T. chopped fresh parsley

Dressing:

2/3 c. apple cider vinegar

1/3 c. oil

1/4  c. honey

1 t. cumin

dash of hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Combine veggies and parsley in a medium bowl. In small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients. Adjust seasonings and pour over the Lima bean mixture. Cover and chill for at least several hours before serving. Serves 6-8.

Violet

Since I did a post recently on poisonous plants, including some flowers that you should not eat, I thought I would share a list of some flowers you can eat. I enjoy cooking with flowers. I try to make as much of my yard edible as I can. Edible flowers are a big part of the edible landscape. I often add them to salads, infuse vinegars and make jelly with them. They have different flavors, too. Some have barely any taste, some taste the way they smell, and some have a spicy bite. You can use them to decorate cakes or other desserts, in salad dressings and marinades, floating in tropical cocktails, in punch bowls and in ice cubes. Flowers can also top off dips, cheese and fruit trays and other appetizers, be used to make teas, infused in honey or mixed with soft cheese and spread on crackers or toast. Add flowers to baked goods like quick breads, cookies and muffins or add to yogurt, cottage cheese or sorbet. Whenever your food needs a little color or flavor, flowers make it special. This is not meant to be a complete list, but a nice place to start. Be sure you know what you are eating-and only eat flowers that have been grown pesticide free.

Some Edible Flowers

Calendula, Chives, Daylily, Mint, Nasturtium, Pansy, Rose, Sage, Signet Marigold, Squash Blossoms, Anise Hyssop, Apple, Arugula, Basil, Bee Balm, Borage, Broccoli, Chamomile, Chicory, Chrysanthemum, Coriander, Dandelion, Dianthus, Dill, Elderberry, English Daisy, Evening Primrose, Fennel, Garlic Chives, Hibiscus, Honeysuckle, Hyssop, Jasmine, Johnny-Jump-Up, Lavender, Lemon, Lilac, Linden, Marjoram, Mustard, Nodding Onion, Okra, Orange, Oregano, Pea, Pineapple Guava, Pineapple Sage, Radish, Red Clover, Redbud, Rose of Sharon, Roselle, Rosemary, Runner Beans, Sage, Safflower, Scented Geraniums, Shungiku, Society Garlic, Sunflower, Sweet Woodruff, Thyme, Tuberous Begonia, Tulip, Violet, Winter Savory, Yucca

Potato “Breaded” Chicken

I love my Mom’s breaded chicken. It was a staple at summer outings. I still make it. Pretty classic, with a flour dredge, egg dip and bread crumbs. I needed a different option the other day, when making lunch for a friend who can’t eat gluten. I just “breaded” the chicken with potato flakes.  I sometimes use potato flakes as a thickener for veggie soups and the like. I have also used them as a coating for chicken and fish before. Even if you can have bread crumbs, the potato flakes are a fun way to coat chicken, fish or pork. They give you a nice, crispy crust. The chicken breasts I had were pretty thick, so I cut them into  thinner pieces to help them cook faster and more evenly. You could also cut them into nuggets, if you prefer. I pan fried, but you can also brown them a little and finish in the oven, if you prefer. If using bone-in chicken, you will need to brown first, then finish in the oven, allowing more time to cook.

Potato “Breaded” Chicken

½ mayo
1 c. potato flakes
Salt and pepper
4 chicken breasts, boneless or 6 boneless chicken thighs
Oil

Spread chicken pieces with the mayo. Season the potato flakes with a little salt and pepper. Place potato flakes on a plate or in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken pieces with the potato flakes, pressing a little to cover well. Heat oil in skillet until really hot. Cook chicken pieces in skillet, on both sides, until golden brown. Turn heat down to medium and continue cooking until chicken is cooked. Serves 3-4.

June’s Accidental Ice Cream

I made this ice cream the other night and needed a name for the recipe. Since June was one of the dinner guests, I decided to name it after her. I love this ice cream. The flavors are really good and work together well. This is especially nice, since the whole thing was sort of an accident.

I needed a dessert for a recent dinner with friends. I had decided on ice cream, since one of the guests was providing chocolate cake. I put together a mix of cream, half and half and sugar. I  added vanilla to the mix, but I didn’t want just vanilla. I started thinking of what I had, and what would go well with the chocolate. I decided on cherry. I knew I had some frozen cherries. As I diced them up and added them to the cream mixture, I realized I didn’t have that many cherries. I knew I needed something more. I found a small package of frozen strawberries. I softened them a little, chopped them up, and added them, too. Better, but still lacking something. I love chocolate chip ice cream, but not the kind with giant hard chunks of chocolate. I prefer the little flakes of chocolate. If you have had it, you know what I mean. I took some dark chocolate, melted it, and then used a pastry brush to paint it on sheets of wax paper. The plan was to chill the chocolate until brittle, then crumble it up into tiny flakes. Once spread on the wax paper, I realized just how far a few ounces of chocolate would go. I already had two sheets of wax paper spread with chocolate, and still some melted in the cup. I added sliced almonds to the chocolate that remained, and spread it out on yet a third sheet of wax paper. I left the chocolate in the fridge to get hard and went to bed.

The next day I put the cream/vanilla/ cherry/strawberry mix in the ice cream maker. It was pretty full, and since ice cream expands as it freezes, I kept the chocolate out for now. Once it was nearly frozen- I took the hard chocolate off the sheets and crunched them up. The pieces were a little bigger than I had wanted, but they melted when I tried to handle them, so I figured they would break down more in the ice cream machine. They did, but by this time, then ice cream was expanding and starting to come out of the top of the machine. I somehow managed to get all the chocolate pieces in, just as the ice cream crested and was about to spill over the edge. I turned off the machine, got a container, and managed to save it just in time.  It was a hit at the dinner. I guess if there is any lesson to be learned from all this, it is to be willing to take a chance and experiment a little bit. Sometimes, you might just ends up with a tasty bowl of ice cream.

June’s Accidental Ice Cream

2 c. whipping cream

1 c. half and half

sugar to taste- I used about 3/4 of a cup

2 t. vanilla

1/2 c. chopped pitted cherries*

1/2 c. chopped strawberries*

4-6 oz. dark chocolate

1/4 c. sliced almonds

Combine cream, half and half and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Mixture should taste pretty sweet- once frozen, it won’t taste as sweet, so add enough sugar to suit your taste. Add vanilla and fruit and store in fridge until ready to use. Meanwhile, melt chocolate and brush melted chocolate on was paper sheets, spreading as thin as possible. Add the nuts to the chocolate, if you like, or you can just toss them in while the ice cream is in the machine. Chill chocolate in fridge or, better yet, in the freezer. Crumble them into tiny pieces.  Place cream mixture in an ice cream machine and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. When it gets to the soft serve stage, add the chocolate and nuts and process a few more minutes. Turn off machine and transfer ice cream to a container with a lid and place in freezer until ready to use.  Makes about a quart.

*When using fruit in ice cream, it is best if the fruit has either been previously frozen, then thawed or cooked. Fresh fruit, like cherries and strawberries, turn into chunks of ice in the ice cream if used fresh.

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake Roll

I taught  class recently on making cake rolls. I think a lot of people first think of a pumpkin roll or Buche de Noel, when they think of cake rolls. There are so many more desserts you can make with them. Cake rolls can be made in many flavors and they can be filled with custard, frosting, fruit, ice cream and more.  For this sponge cake roll, I used homemade strawberry ice cream to fill it, recipe follows. You could use store bought ice cream, if you prefer. Start with the sponge cake roll recipe below and use whatever flavor ice cream you like. You’ll need about a quart of ice cream- or a little more.

Sponge Cake Roll

This sponge cake roll can be filled with whipped cream or ice cream, or use your favorite filling.
5 eggs, separated
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2/3 cup cake flour*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons melted butter
Beat egg yolks until thicken and lemon colored; gradually add 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar, the lemon juice and the lemon zest. Beat egg whites until almost stiff then gradually beat in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold yolk mixture into whites. Sift dry ingredients into a separate container; add to egg mixture, folding in carefully. Fold in melted butter. Pour batter into waxed paper-lined 10x15x1-inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Turn onto a clean kitchen towel which has been generously dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Trim edges, if necessary; roll cake up, towel and all, while still warm. Let cool completely. Unroll and fill with whipped cream or ice cream then re-roll cake. The trick is to let the ice cream soften up a few minutes before spreading it on the cake. But don’t wait too long. Rather than trying to let the ice cream get soft enough to spread I used a spatula to sort of cut slices of ice cream and place them on the cake.  Store ice cream cake roll in freezer until ready to slice and serve.

*If you don’t have cake flour you can make your own. Measure out a cup of all purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons of flour and replace them with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. For larger amounts place 7 cups of flour in a bowl and combine with 1 cup of cornstarch. Mix well or even sift together. Store in an airtight container.

Strawberry Ice Cream

2 c. chopped strawberries

1 c. sugar

1 T. vanilla

2 c. cream or  half and half or a combination. You can also use some milk or even almond or rice milk.

Additional sugar to taste

Place strawberries, vanilla  and sugar in saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and chill. Combine chilled berry mixture with cream. Add additional sugar if you like. Remember that once it is frozen the ice cream will not taste as sweet so make this mixture a little sweeter than you want the final product to be. How much sugar you add varies with personal taste, and how sweet the berries are. Place in an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions. Once finished put in an air- tight container and place in freezer. Makes about 1 quart.

Mushroom Crostini

This recipe is pretty simple on the surface. Bread, mushrooms, onions, parsley  and cheese. It really is a special dish, though. The onions are marinated overnight in a mixture of parsley, oil and soy sauce. They end up tender and full of flavor. The bread is also brushed with the same oil and soy sauce mixture, before being toasted. Then the bread is topped with the onion mixture, sauteed mushrooms and Swiss cheese. When I make these for friends, they always disappear quickly.

Mushroom Crostini

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3/4 cup thinly sliced sweet onion

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, packed

1 ½-2 lbs. sliced mushrooms

1 T. oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 loaf Italian or French bread

Sliced Swiss cheese

Thoroughly blend oil and soy sauce; remove and reserve 1/4 cup. Pour remaining mixture over onion and parsley in small bowl; stir well and set aside.

Meanwhile, Sauté mushrooms on oil until tender seasoning to taste. Cut bread into slices, each 1/2 inch thick. Lightly brush one side of bread with reserved soy sauce mixture; place on large baking sheet. Broil 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden. Drain onion mixture; set aside. Cover each bread slice with mushrooms and then onion mixture. Place cheese  over onion mixture; return to oven to melt cheese, about 1 minute. Serves 6-12 .

Note: While it takes a little longer, you can also use the oven- at 400 degrees- rather than the broiler. Toast bread for about 7-10 minutes. Add the toppings, return to oven and bake about 1-12 minutes more- or until cheese in melted and bubbly.

Mushroom Pastries

I had a class last night cooking with mushrooms. We made these little pastries. The filling is a mixture of mushrooms, onions, sour cream and seasonings, baked in a flaky dough. Kind of like an empanada.  They were such a hit last night, I thought I would share the recipe today. You can make a large batch and freeze some for later, if you like. I used crimini mushrooms, but use whatever mushrooms you like.

Mushroom Pastries

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound fresh mushrooms, finely chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sour cream

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and 1 1/2  cups of butter, until well blended. Mix in the flour until fully incorporated. Pat into a ball, and refrigerate while you make the filling. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and onion. Season with thyme, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over everything so it won’t get lumpy, then reduce the heat to low, and stir in the sour cream. Heat just until thickened, then remove from the heat. Cool filling. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch rounds. Place a small amount of the mushroom mixture on one side of each circle, then fold the dough over and press to seal. Prick the tops with a fork to vent steam, and place the pastries on a baking sheet. (They can also be frozen at this time until needed.) Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. If baking frozen turnovers, it may take an additional 5 minutes.

Did you know that daffodils are poisonous? They are.

I am always encouraging people to forage. There are so many common plants that are both edible and tasty. As the new season, starts I also want to be a little cautionary. As much as there are common plants out there that can nourish you, there are also common plants that are dangerous and even deadly.

Be sure you know what the plant is. If you can’t identify it for sure, find someone who can. Your local Extension office can help.

There are also plants where some parts are edible and others not -like tomatoes. Tomatoes are wonderfully edible, but the foliage on tomato plants is poisonous.  There are also plants that are only edible in certain stages of growth or when prepared a certain way. If you aren’t sure- don’t eat it!!!!

While this is not meant to be a complete list here are some plants you should watch out for. Even more true if you have small children, or pets that might ingest them. Some are quite toxic, others might cause skin irritations etc.

Some Poisonous Plants

Bryony (Bryonia): all parts are poisonous,  Boxwood (Buxus),: contact with the sap may irritate skin, Christmas rose, Lenten rose, hellebore (Helleborus): all parts may cause severe discomfort if ingested and the sap may irritate skin, Clematis, old man’s beard, virgin’s bower (Clematis): all parts are poisonous, causing mouth pain if eaten and minor brief skin irritation, Columbine (Aquilegia): contact with the sap may irritate skin, Comfrey (Symphytum): roots and leaves may cause severe discomfort if eaten and leaves may irritate skin, Daffodil (Narcissus): bulbs toxic if eaten in large quantities; skin may be irritated by handling bulbs, flowers and stems, Elder (Sambucus): all parts may cause severe discomfort if ingested and the leaves may irritate skin, False acacia (Robinia preudocacia): all parts may cause severe discomfort if eaten, Foxglove (Digitalis): all parts may cause severe discomfort if ingested and the leaves may irritate skin, Ivy (Hedera): all parts may cause discomfort if eaten and the sap or airborne hairs may aggravate allergies and irritate skin, Juniper (Juniperus): contact with foliage may irritate skin allergies, Lobelia (Lobelia): the sap may irritate skin, Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis): seeds can cause stomach upset, Lords and ladies (Arum): all parts may cause severe discomfort if ingested and the sap may irritate skin, Lupine (Lupinus): the seeds may cause severe discomfort if ingested, Mountain laurel (Kalmia): all parts may cause severe discomfort if eaten, Potato, potato vine, false Jerusalem cherry, eggplant (Solanum): toxic compounds causing weakness and confusion are concentrated in stems, leaves, sprouts and fruits. They are increased by exposure to light, damage and age. Levels are kept low in food varieties and the compounds are mostly destroyed by cooking. Privet (Ligustrum): all parts may cause severe discomfort if eaten, Rhubarb (Rheum): leaves may cause discomfort if ingested. Use only the leaf stalk in recipes. Windflower (Anenome): contact with the sap may irritate skin, Wisteria (Wisteria): all parts may cause severe discomfort if ingested

Some Poisonous Flowers

Aconite, Anemone, Anthurium, Atamasco Lily, Autumn Crocus, Azalea, Baneberry, Black Locust, Bloodroot, Boxwood, Burning Bush, Buttercup, Butterfly Weed, Caladium, , Carolina Jasmine, Castor Bean, Cherry Laurel, Chinaberry, Christmas Rose, Clematis, Daffodil, Deadly Nightshade, Death Camas, Delphinium, Dogbane, Dumbcane, Elephant Ears, False Hellebore, Four O’clock, Foxglove, Gloriosa Lily, Golden Chain Tree, Goldenseal, Heavenly Bamboo, Henbane, Horse Chestnut, Horse Nettle, Hyacinth, Hyacinth Bean, Hydrangea, Iris, Ivy, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Jerusalem Cherry, Jessamine, Jetbead, Jimsonweed, Jonquil, Kentucky Coffee Tree, Lantana, Larkspur, Leopard’s Bane, Lily of the Valley, Lobelia, Marsh Marigold, May Apple, Mescal Bean, Mistletoe, Morning Glory, Mountain Laurel, Nightshade, Oleander, Periwinkle, Philodendron, Pittosporum, Poison Hemlock, Potato, Privet, Rhododendron, Rock Poppy, Schefflera, Spring Adonis, Spurge, Star of Bethlehem, Sweet Pea, Tobacco, Trumpet Flower, Water Hemlock, Wild Cherry, Wisteria, Yellow Allamanda, Yellow Oleander

Blueberry Blintzes

I had some flour tortillas and decided to use them for a quick blueberry dessert. These can be made with pretty much any fruit pie filling or fresh fruit. I made a homemade blueberry pie filling. While blintzes are traditionally made with crepes, these use the tortillas instead.

To make them, just soak some flour tortillas in milk to soften. I normally allow at least 10 minutes for this. Place a tortilla on your work surface and spoon some pie filling in the middle. A couple of rounded tablespoons should do. Fold in the sides until they just touch. Starting on the side nearest you gently fold the blintz up. It should like like a flatter version of an egg roll. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Heat some butter up in a skillet and place a few blintzes in at a time. Turn when they get golden on one side and cook until light golden brown on both sides. Serve dusted with powdered sugar or with ice cream, if you prefer. Super easy.

If you want to use fresh berries instead, just toss them with some sugar before using.  If you want to make a pie filling for this recipe, just cook together fresh berries with a little water and sugar. Once the berries have softened, mix a small amount of water with cornstarch and pour into the blueberry mixture, cooking until it thickens. Add the cornstarch mixture slowly so the mixture doesn’t get too thick.

Lemon Verbena Gimlet

If you don’t think of using herbs in drinks, maybe you should. They add a depth of flavor that can take things to a whole new level. For a recent herb class at Graf Growers, I was asked to do a program on herbal cocktails. I must say the recipe testing was a lot of fun. We ended up sampling three drinks that day. We started with a classic Mojito, then followed up with two gin-based cocktails. One was made with a lavender syrup, the other, a Lemon Verbena Gimlet, includes a lemon verbena syrup. These are great drinks for summer, or any time, really. So here are the recipes. I hope you enjoy them. Try adding other herbs to your cocktails. You might be surprised at just how tasty they can be.

Classic Mojito

10 mint leaves, I used a variety called Mojito mint, that has a slight lime flavor

½ a lime, cut in 4 wedges

2 T. sugar

1½ oz. rum

1 c. ice cubes

½ c. club soda

In glass place mint leaves and one wedge of lime. Muddle to release juices and bruise mint leaves. Add sugar and 2 more wedges of lime. Muddle until limes are crushed. Add rum, stir well. Add ice, stir and top with club soda. Garnish with lime wedge.

Lemon Lavender Cocktail

2 oz. gin

1 ½ oz.  lemon juice

1 ½ oz.  lavender syrup (recipe follows)

splash of club soda

some ice

one lemon slice, for garnish

Pour gin, lemon juice and lavender syrup into a glass and stir. Top with club soda, add some ice and garnish with a lemon slice.

For the lavender syrup:

¾ c. water

¾ c. sugar

1 tablespoon dried lavender buds

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Add lavender and cook on low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until it starts to thicken a bit. Then set to the side to cool. Strain out the lavender and refrigerate. Yields just under a cup of syrup.

Lemon Verbena Gimlet

1 cup water

¼ c. sugar

¼ c. torn verbena leaves

¾ c. dry gin

¾ c. club soda, chilled

¼ c. fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

Lemon verbena sprigs (optional)

Lime slices (optional)

Combine 1 cup water and sugar in a small saucepan. Rub torn verbena to bruise; add to pan. Bring sugar mixture to a boil, stirring gently as needed to dissolve sugar evenly; cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat; cool completely. Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Combine sugar mixture, gin, soda, and juice. Serve over ice. Garnish with verbena sprigs and lime slices, if desired.