The Charmed Kitchen

Pita dough rising

If you have never made pita bread it is a lot of fun- and pretty easy. I made some for a program recently and thought I’d share the recipe. If the only pita bread you ever tasted is the grocery store stuff that may be days old when you get it- I think you will be pleased at the difference. You can easily add whole wheat flour to the dough- I do- or even spelt flour. We didn’t get to it in camp this week but I plan on making it with the kids next week.

Pita Bread

 4 ½- 4 ¾ c. flour

1 pkt. Active dry yeast

1 ½ t. sugar

1 ½ t. salt

1 ¾ c. water

2 T. oil

In large bowl combine 2 cups of the flour with other dry ingredients. Heat water and oil to 120-130 degrees (warm) and add to flour mixture in bowl beating until smooth. Beat three minutes then begin stirring in enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover dough with plastic wrap and then a towel and let rest on board 20 minutes. Punch dough down and divide into 12 pieces. Shape each into a smooth ball and place on board, allowing space in between. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 500- degrees. Roll dough balls into circles. Be careful to flour the board well so as not to tear the dough. Place 3 circles at a time directly on oven rack. OK, if you are chicken like me you can place a baking sheet in the oven to heat up and place loaves on the baking sheet instead of the oven rack- or you can use a pizza stone. They will puff up and brown in about three minutes. Remove to rack to cool and repeat with remaining dough. Makes 12.

Fresh from the oven

Baking pita

Well the week flew. The girls and I had the best time. I got my hair braided a few times and had quality time with some wonderful kids. Traditionally I make breakfast for my campers on Friday and this camp was no exception. We had pancakes, blueberry pancakes, waffles and fresh watermelon. Topped off with real maple syrup, our homemade strawberry jam and powdered sugar. We made donuts and tiger paws and talked about the strangest foods we’d ever eaten. I let them go through the fridge and make their own lunches. Quesadillas were the most popular choice with assorted fillings. Made more mac and cheese and mini pizzas, too. They also made these cute cookie pops. Vanilla wafers held together with peanut butter ( you can use frosting if you have a peanut allergy). The cookies are pressed together on the end of a Popsicle stick.  Then they dipped them in melted white chocolate, tinted green.  They finished them off with M&M’s to make little flowers. Too cute. I’ll be back in Beachwood next week with a new group of kids.

Veggie pasta doughs

Can’t believe I only have one more day with this group of kids. They have been great. Today we made pasta from beets, carrots, broccoli and spinach, combined the dough and made rainbow noodles and rainbow cheese ravioli. They also got very creative with cake today. Here are some of the pics.

crazy cakes

decorated cake

so pretty

Chocolate dream cake

yummy!!

colorful!

yummy pasta for lunch

Fresh cooked rainbow pasta ribbons

rainbow ravioli

What a great day with the kids. We cooked with tortillas and did some baking. For the girls I think the highlight was decorating the cupcakes we baked the other day. Very creative- “pup”cakes, “kitty” cakes, beautiful flower gardens, abstract designs and even a little piggy. Fun day. The girls got quite good at using piping bags. I was again very impressed with their creativity.

Camper kneading her dough.

The kids are great and we are having a great week so far. We baked breads today. They made both braided loaves and big cheese stuffed breads. I was so proud of them for opting to use both whole wheat and spelt flour. It was their choice. They loved the breads they made. We also made our own soda with blueberry syrup and club soda and mango juice concentrate. Finished off the day with 2 batches of strawberry jam. Such a sweet group of girls.

The kids did a great job today. We made pizza dough and then they rolled them out, topped them and we baked them. Here are the results. By the way this is the younger kids. I thought they did an amazing job. Going to be a wonderful week. They also baked 6 dozen cupcakes that we are decorating tomorrow. 🙂

With warm weather here for the next few days I thought I’d share another cool recipe with you. I got Yukon gold potatoes from Blue Pike Farm this week. Love new potatoes and wanted to do something simple with them. Honestly, I could just steam them up and eat them plain they are so yummy. Here is the recipe for my potato thyme salad. I know the name is a little “cutesy” but when you’ve written as many recipes as I have you run out of ideas. You can steam new potatoes in just a few minutes- so you won’t heat up the house too much in making the dish. 🙂

I hope you’ll try it- I am sure you’ll like it as much as I do.

Just in Thyme Potato Salad

2 lbs. Boiling potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

½ c. olive oil

¼ c. red wine vinegar

1 T. fresh lemon juice

2 t. fresh thyme leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook potatoes until tender. I like to steam mine- either stove-top or in a microwave steamer. Drain and toss with the rest of the ingredients and serve right away or chill to serve later. Serves 6-8.

We had a great day on Friday. The kids cooked excellent dishes. Here are some of the things they created. I am so proud of all of them for working so hard. I suspect there may be a few future chefs in this group!!!

Had the most wonderful time today. My dear friend Kathleen Cohill Varga has at last reopened her shop. Its been a long time since she had the shop in Peninsula. The new shop is in Wadsworth at 1719 Reimer Rd. It’s just a little bit west of Rte. 94. As always Kathleen will feature her products- jellies and jams like you’ve never seen before. Also her vinegars and local products from local vendors. Can’t say enough about how cute the place is and how warm and welcoming Kathleen is. She will also carry my books and herbs. Lets all get together and support her. Go to the shop- check out what she has to offer. Tell your friends.  She is open Tuesday to Sunday 11-6.

  Love you, Kathleen. You are like a sister- best wishes!!!!!

Some tips to keep you cool.

Cook once, use twice. Cook a double batch of meat, dried beans, pasta, vegetables, whatever.  Freeze the extra for another day so you don’t have to cook it twice.

Grill whenever possible. It keeps the kitchen cool, is generally a healthy way to cook and allows the cook to be a part of the party.

Be a seasonal cook. Market prices on seasonal vegetables and fruits are generally lower and the flavor of fresh produce can’t be beat. Use them in salads, desserts and on the grill. If you or family members have a garden, plan menus around the bounty that nature provides at this time of year.

Re-invent the sandwich. Go beyond peanut butter and jelly on white bread. Use interesting breads like multigrain, pita, tortillas, and bagels. French bread etc.  Then get a little creative with the fillings. Try crab meat salad, or turkey ham with artichoke. Try grilling a whole Portobello mushroom cap and serving with grilled onions and cheese. You can just pile up vegetables and have a sort of tossed salad sandwich.

Spill the beans. Canned beans are a quick way to make a summer salad more filling, or to make any one of a number of fun dishes. Just drain and rinse for high protein, high fiber and no-cook ingredients.

Pastamania! There are so many new and exciting pasta on the market take advantage and try one of them in an old recipe to dress it up. Pasta cooks quickly and can be cooked ahead of time. Pasta come in many flavors, colors and shapes and can easily add interest to your summer menu. Fresh pasta cooks even faster than dried.

Buy a roasted chicken at your local store. Now you have a healthy entree and can round out dinner with a salad and some bread. Also the leftovers can make great salads or sandwiches for additional meals.

Use the microwave for cooking potatoes or rice. It will not heat up the kitchen as much as conventional cooking methods and rice and potatoes make a good base for salads.

Drink up. With warmer weather comes the need for more fluids. Drink plenty of water, but also enjoy lemonade, iced herbal teas and sparkling fruit juices. Watch out for alcohol and caffeine laden beverages as they act as diuretics and can dry you out. These should be enjoyed in moderation in hot weather and never after times of strenuous activity when your body needs water the most.

Fresh fruit is often the nicest dessert. Fruit salads or kabobs can be served along with homemade sorbets and smoothies.