Red “Chimichurri” Salsa
Red “Chimichurri” Salsa
I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what to call this dish. I decided to call it a salsa, rather than a chimichurri.
Chimichurri sauce is a lovely marinade for meats or it can be spooned over cooked meats or seafood. I like to spoon some over grilled foods.
Chimichurri is a mix of herbs, spices, garlic and vinegar. It can be red or green. I like both, but really love the red version.
Red versions often contain red peppers, but not tomatoes. I took a little liberty with the original recipe. I added a ripe tomato. So, salsa it is, with inspiration from chimichurri.
Whatever you call it- it is really good. I nice balance of flavors and a great topper for all sorts of dishes.
Red Chimichurri Salsa
1 chopped sweet red pepper
1 chopped, skinned and seeded tomato
1 chopped onion
2 peeled and chopped garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup oil- I like avocado oil
1 cup vinegar- red wine vinegar preferred
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
1 teaspoon oregano
red pepper flakes to taste
Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cover and chill for 12 hours before using. It will keep for a for a week or two in the refrigerator. Remove bay leaves before serving. Use as a marinade for meats, poultry and seafood, or serve as a sauce with cooked meats. I like to spoon some over scrambled eggs, too.
Hudson Cooking Camp- A Very Fun Week
Making pancakes is serious business
I have spent the last week cooking with about 20 kids. I look forward to cooking camps every summer. I love working with kids. During the week, the kids made pizza- from scratch. They all participated in making the dough, rolling it out, and adding toppings.
We also cooked with tortillas, made our own soda, made breakfast foods like pancakes and waffles, baked and decorated 152 cupcakes, and played around with molecular gastronomy.
In case you are curious, for the molecular gastronomy, we made a classic bechamel sauce and added cheese to it, for classic mac and cheese. We also made a batch of cheese sauce using sodium citrate, for a smoother sauce. The kids got to try both, to see which they preferred. The vote was split. Most of the kids preferred the creamier sauce made with sodium citrate, but plenty still liked the classic version a little more.
The kids really were a joy to work with.
Here are a few pics from the week.
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- Making pancakes is serious businesss
Garlic Scapes Recipes
Garlic Scapes Potato Salad
If you have never had garlic scapes, you don’t know what you are missing. Garlic scapes are the green shoots removed from hard-neck varieties of garlic. By removing the shoots, the bulbs will get bigger. So farmers remove them. They curl as they grow, and are good served raw, or barely cooked. They are showing up at farm markets around here right now.
When cooked, the flavor mellows a lot. I love to steam garlic scapes for about 5 minutes, then just eat like fresh green beans, with butter and salt. I steamed a bunch of scapes the other day- then chopped them up and added to potato salad. So tasty!!
They have a rich, garlic flavor that is all the sweeter because of the short time they are around. Enjoy them when you can- they will be gone soon.
I sometimes use scapes in place of basil, in my pesto recipe, or combine them with parsley in a garlic scape-parsley pesto. You can also combine the garlic scapes with cottage cheese in the blender- add a little lemon juice and hot sauce for a tasty dip. Here are some more recipes for cooking with garlic scapes.
Garlic Scapes Potato Salad
4-5 garlic scapes
2 lbs. red skinned potatoes*
½ cup minced sweet pepper
½ c. olive oil
½ c. apple cider vinegar
2 T. sugar
2 T. chopped parsley
2 t. fresh dill weed
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste
Steam the scapes for 5 minutes. Cool a little, and cut into ¾ -inch slices. You should end up with about 1½ of sliced scapes when done. Place in a medium bowl. Cook potatoes until tender. I baked mine in a microwave until tender and then cut into cubes. Baking them is also a nice way to cook the potatoes. You can also opt to cut into cubes first and boil the potatoes. Whatever method to cook the potatoes is fine with me. Take the potatoes, while still warm, and place in the bowl with the scapes. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a small bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Pour over warm potato mix, tossing to coat evenly. Adjust seasonings. Chill and serve. Serves 6-8.
* You can really use any potato you like.
Garlic Scape Pesto Sauce
1 c. chopped scapes – you can also use half scapes, half parsley
1/4 c. olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic
Salt to taste
1/2 c. pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pecans or walnuts
1 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Combine all ingredients, except the cheese, in a blender and mix until smooth. Stir in the cheese and toss over hot, cooked pasta or use as a sauce on meat and poultry. Sauce will keep a few days in the fridge and makes about 1 1/2 cups, enough for 1 lb. of cooked pasta.
Lebanese Garlic Sauce
1/2 c. chopped garlic scapes
1 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups olive oil
In the container of a blender, combine the garlic scapes, lemon juice and salt. Blend at medium speed until smooth. Continue blending while pouring olive oil into the blender in a thin stream. The mixture should become thick and white almost like mayo. Store refrigerated in a glass container. Nice on hot pasta, cooked rice or grains or brushed on meats while cooking. It also is a great salad dressing.
Garlic Scapes with Broccoli
1 c. chopped garlic scapes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets, steamed 5 minutes, cooled
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
Place garlic scapes in a food processor with the salt and blend into a paste. Add olive oil, vinegar, and mustard. Pulse until smooth. Place garlic scapes mixture in a bowl and add the broccoli. Stir to coat. Chill for 3 hours to marinate, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving. Tastes even better the next day!!!
Garlic Scapes
Vidalia Onion Relish
Vidalia Onion Relish
Every year I make at least a few batches of this relish recipe. I used Vidalia onions, but any sweet onion will work. I just prefer the flavor of Vidalia onions.
The relish itself has a nice balance of sour and sweet, with plenty of onion flavor. I use it on sandwiches, in potato and pasta salads and as an appetizer with cheese and crusty breads. It also makes a great gift.
As you cook it down, the onions get quite tender, but actually crisp back up a little as the liquid cooks off. Don’t shortcut on the cooking time.
Vidalia Onion Relish
6 qts. ground Vidalia sweet onions (14 to 16 med. onions)
1/2 c. canning salt
1 qt. cider vinegar
2 t. turmeric
1T. pickling spice
2 T. minced sweet pepper, any color
4 1/2 c. sugar
Grind enough Vidalia onions to yield 6 quarts. Add 1/2 c. salt and let stand thirty minutes. Squeeze juice from onion‑salt mixture and discard juice. Sterilize canning jars. To onions, add vinegar, sugar, spices, and pepper. Bring to boil and cook for thirty minutes, stirring often. Pack both onions and cooking liquid to cover in hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Yield: About 8 pints or 16 half-pints.
Source: So Easy To Preserve
Strawberry Cupcakes
Fresh Strawberry Cupcake
I just don’t get tired of strawberries. Maybe because the season for local berries is so short- and sweet. Local strawberries are at all the markets now- and they are fabulous. The season for local berries is short and I try to use them as much as I can. I also will freeze some for use throughout the year.
I was making cupcakes for some friends and decided to make some with strawberries. As you might expect, they were a big hit. The berries add sweetness and color in a delicate, natural way. You could also make these with frozen berries. I like to get extra strawberries and freeze some, so I will have them, even when the season is over.
Strawberry Cupcakes
2/3 cup whole fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing. Makes 12.
Strawberry Frosting
1/2 cup whole fresh strawberries or frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners’ sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not over-mix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream. Makes enough for 1 dozen cupcakes.
Peach Chef Salad
Peach Chef Salad
When you think about cooking with peaches, don’t limit yourself to desserts and jam. Peaches can pair well with savory dishes, too. I often use peaches for glazes and sauces for meats.
In this dish, I paired peaches with traditional chef salad ingredients. I tossed the peaches in a homemade honey French dressing, then spooned them over the salad. The result was wonderful- and a great lunch or dinner option for hot weather.
You can top the salad with cheese, meats or both. I like to add some nuts, too. I made it for lunch yesterday and topped the salad with sharp cheddar cheese and bacon. I really liked the combination of the sweet fruit with the smoky bacon. Use what you like- and what you have on hand.
A chef salad is a great way to use up that leftover grilled chicken or that open package of cheese. Add extra veggies, too, if you like. It also makes a wonderful meal when you don’t want to cook. Lovely, cool meal for a hot day.
Peach Chef Salad
Honey French Dressing:
1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1 t. paprika
1 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. olive oil
3 cups chopped peaches
Salad:
6 c. torn salad greens
12 oz. cooked chicken, turkey, ham etc, cut into strips
1 c. cubed cheese
1/2 c. cashews, optional
To make the dressing, in blender, combine first five ingredients and start running machine on high. Add oil in a slow stream until mixture becomes thickened. Pour into bowl and stir in peaches and chill, several hours if you can. When ready to serve arrange greens on one large platter or on smaller salad plates. Arrange meat and cheese on platter or plates. Spoon over the peach/dressing mixture, add cashews, then serve. Serves 4-6.
Salad topped with bacon and cheese
Hudson Cooking Camp- Pizza!!!
Started camp today with 20 kids. They made pizza. They did such a great job.
Cold Beet and Watermelon Soup
Beet and Watermelon Soup
I really love this soup. On a hot day, it makes a great first course. I love salads, but sometimes I just want something else.
It couldn’t be easier. You just blend up equal parts of watermelon and beets. Thin the mixture down with some stock. Add a bit of mint, and you are good to go.
I got this recipe from a friend of a friend. I tweaked it a little from the original, but it is pretty much the same. It is so simple and a great soup for a hot day.
The sweetness of the watermelon pairs nicely with the earthy flavor of the beets. The mint also adds a nice little pop of flavor. The color is pretty cool, too.
I shared this recipe with a friend and she said she just drinks it like a smoothie. I find it a refreshing start to any meal, especially on a hot day.
Cold Beet and Watermelon Soup
1 part diced beet (cooked)
1 part diced seedless watermelon
a spring of mint
Put in blender
Add Chicken or Vegetable stock to taste/consistency
Add salt if desired
Dollop with Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream or even Greek Yogurt, if desired.
Garnish with fresh mint.
With any cold soup- chill well after you make it. You might even want to chill the bowls and spoons.
Food Memories of Dad
One of my favorite memories of my Dad, involved a very special breakfast. It was a breakfast only he and I shared.
Every summer, there was a park we would go to for family picnics. It was called Pine Way Trails. It has long ago been sold and the land developed.
The place would get very crowded, so we had to go early to get a prime location by the lake, and enough picnic tables for everyone. My Dad and I would go before anyone else.
Back then, it made me feel so special to go and to help. I am guessing it was because I was the baby, and no one else wanted to get up so early.
Dad and I would get there just as Pine Way Trails opened. The mist would still be rising off the lake. I’d help him unpack the car and place stuff on the tables we were claiming for the day. We would move them together and make sure they were level. Dad didn’t want wobbly tables.
Then, he’d get a fire started in one of the grills. He always brought his cast iron skillet. Over the fire, he’d cook us bacon and then cook a couple of eggs. Dad had his thermos of coffee, and I had orange juice.
On paper plates we’d sit and enjoy our breakfast together. I don’t think, as a kid, I really appreciated the skill it took to get that fire just right. The bacon was crisp, but never burnt and the eggs would be sunny side up- with the yolks warm, yet runny. I’d use my bacon to get the last of the yolk off my plate.
Later in the day, everyone else would arrive. My mom, sister and brother, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends. We’d have a wonderful day together swimming and fishing and eating grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, chicken and salads and fresh melon. It was noisy and so much fun.
That special part of the day for me, was the breakfast my Father and I shared, quietly by the lake.
I got out the cast iron skillet this morning- cooked some bacon and eggs and thought of him.
Bacon Waffles
Bacon Waffles
If you are looking for a special breakfast for Father’s Day, maybe dad would like some waffles. Even better, make him waffles with bacon inside them!!!
For me, breakfast doesn’t get much better than waffles. Well, unless maybe you add bacon to the waffle batter.
Truth is, I don’t treat myself to waffles all that often, but if I am going to eat waffles, I go all out.
These are truly wonderful waffles. Light, crispy on the outside and studded with bacon. A drizzle of warm maple syrup and you are good to go.
So, if you are looking for a special treat for dad for breakfast, or lunch, or dinner or a snack… try these bacon waffles. You can thank me later.
Bacon Waffles
1 pound sliced bacon
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1½ cups milk
¼ cup butter, melted
In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain; crumble and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat egg yolks, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Add bacon. Before making each waffle, stir batter. Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions until golden brown.
