Pear Salad with Feta and Bacon
Pear Salad with Feta and Bacon
I made this salad for a cooking class the other day. It was, as always, well received. The sweetness of the pears with the salty cheese and smoky bacon work so well together. The addition of toasted nuts adds just that extra something that works in this dish. I used walnuts this time, but love this salad with pecans, too. Serve over greens for a great and easy meal.
Pear Salad with Feta and Bacon
8- 10 cups mixed salad greens, washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces
3 ripe pears, cored and sliced thin
¾ c. crumbled feta cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ c. toasted pecans, but other nuts can be used
5 T. cider vinegar
½ c. oil
Fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
In large bowl place greens. Add pears, feta bacon and pecans. Combine remaining ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well. Toss over greens and divide into serving dishes. Serves 6-8.
Beet and Tomato Soup
Beet and Tomato Soup
I had a bunch of fresh beets in my fridge and since it’s a little cool today I thought I’d make soup with them. I took inspiration from what I had on hand including onions, potatoes and tomatoes. Adding the tomatoes was a last minute decision and it worked out really well. The tomatoes added just the right amount of tartness/sweetness. I didn’t add the dollop of sour cream I would normally add. It would make a nice topper for the soup, though. Here is the recipe. It was a small bunch of beets so I just made a small batch of soup, but it could easily be doubled.
Beet and Tomato Soup
1 bunch beets, about 1 lb.
oil
1 onion, chopped
3-4 c. stock- I used chicken
1 potato, cubed
2-3 medium tomatoes, peeled and cubed
1 t. dill
salt and pepper to taste
Wash beets and trim leaving about 1 inch of the stem attached. Reserve greens. Place beets in a saucepan of boiling water and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove beets and cool in cold water until you can handle them. While beets are cooling, cook onion in oil until tender. Peel and cube the beets. Add to the onions along with the stock, potatoes and tomatoes and cook until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes. Rinse and chop up about 1 cup of the beet greens and add them to the soup along with the dill. Cook until greens are tender, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve. Serves 3-4.
No Bake Blueberry Dessert
Blueberry No Bake Dessert
This dessert came about by accident and a tasty accident it was. I had finished my cooking camps with kids and had some supplies left over. I was also going to a dinner with friends and had offered to make the dessert. I used what I had on hand and this is the result. It started out with a couple of open boxes of vanilla wafers. I also had a mostly full can of blueberry pie filling, some fresh blueberries and a one quart container of vanilla yogurt. I knew the flavors would work together, I just needed to decide how to put them together. I got a 13×9 – inch glass baking dish and put a layer of the vanilla wafers on the bottom of the pan. Then I covered the wafers with half of the yogurt. I added another layer of wafers and topped them with the blueberry pie filling and the fresh berries. Added one more layer of the vanilla wafers and ended the dessert with the rest of the yogurt. I covered the pan and put it in the fridge for several hours. When we served it the dessert was easy to cut and serve. We topped it with whipped cream. It was really fast and easy. I could see using other fruits and even other flavors of yogurt. Great for a day when you just don’t feel like turning on the oven.
Wine Jelly
Wine Jelly
Wine jelly is something you can make any time of the year. Wine is always in season, after all. I like to use wine jelly as a glaze for meats and with cheese and bread for a quick appetizer. It also makes a great sandwich with almond butter. Sort of a grown-up version of PB&J. While I wouldn’t recommend using really expensive wine for making jelly you should use wine that you would also drink. It is a great way to use an open bottle of wine that might also go to waste. Because the wine is brought to a full boil the alcohol does cook out of it.
Wine Jelly
3 c. wine
1 box powdered pectin
4 c. sugar
Have your water bath ready and boiling. Also wash the jars and keep warm until ready to use. Prep lids according to manufacturer’s instructions. In large saucepan bring wine and pectin to a full boil. Add sugar and return to a boil, stirring often. When mixture gets to a full rolling boil that you can’t stir down boil it for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and ladle into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Wipe rims and place lids on jars. Screw lids on comfortably tight. Process in a boiling water bath 10 minutes. Remove jars from canner and cool on a towel or cooling rack away from drafts. Yield: 5 half-pint jars.
Source: Sure-Jell
Apple and Cheese Salad
Apple and Cheese Salad
I did a cooking class on cooking with apples and pears and thought I’d share some of the recipes with you. We started with a salad of apples and toasted walnuts with cheese served over greens. The salad is quite simple but the dressing really makes it special. It was a big hit in class and I think you’ll like it, too. I used cheddar but feel free to use other cheeses. The apples I used I got from Blue Pike Farm last week. Early Golden is a green apple with a sweet/tart flavor and great crisp texture. I also used some fresh mint leaves from my garden.
Apple and Cheese Salad
Dressing:
3 T. white wine vinegar
2 T. lemon juice
2 t. sugar
¼ c. olive oil
3 T. dried minced onion
2 T. water
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. walnuts or pecans, toasted
4-6 cups salad greens, washed and spun dry
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese or ½ c. crumbled feta or bleu cheese
2 Granny Smith or other tart apples
1 T. chopped fresh mint or parsley
1 T. snipped chives or green onions, optional
In container with tight fitting lid shake dressing ingredients together and chill until ready to use. To toast nuts place on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Cool. When ready to serve the salads divide the greens among 4 plates or arrange greens on a platter. Core the apples and cut in slices. Toss apples with the dressing. Place apples on greens, then top with remaining ingredients. Serves 4.
Blueberry Tortilla “Blintzes”
Blueberry Tortilla Blintz
Blueberries seem to be very abundant this year. Even getting some from my fairly new plants. 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 had a lot of blueberries so I made a homemade blueberry pie filling. I canned most of it but had enough left over to make some blintzes. 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. 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.
Zucchini Pancakes
Zucchini Pancakes
August is zucchini month. They are everywhere and if you have them you might be looking for another way to cook them. I’ve been making zucchini pancakes for years and always enjoy them. I did change one thing in the recipe today though and I liked the result. The secret? Baking soda. I don’t know why I never thought to add it before. It makes the pancakes light and fluffy. Here is the recipe I used today. I served mine with a tomato salsa, mostly because I didn’t have any sour cream. I really liked the combo. This could be a great breakfast or lunch dish or as a side dish with dinner.
Zucchini Pancakes
2 c. shredded zucchini
1 medium onion, diced
2 eggs
1/2 c. flour- you made need a little more or less depending on how moist your zucchini is
2 t. hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1 t. baking soda
salt to taste
oil for cooking
Combine all ingredients, except the oil, in a medium bowl. Heat oil in skillet and spoon batter in. I used a little over 1/4 cup for each. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned around the edges. Flip and cook until golden on both sides and pancake springs back when touched lightly. Remove to platter and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with salsa or sour cream. Makes 8.
Farm Market Today
Rose Petal Jelly
After a 4 week absence due to cooking camps I will be back at the Blue Pike Farm market today. Beet cakes are back!!!! I will also have jams and jellies, pickles, baked goods and herb seasoning mixes. Hope to see you there. Blue Pike Farm is located at 900 E. 72 street- just 1/2 mile south of the Shoreway. Market hours are from 4-7 pm.
Smoked Salmon Quesadillas
Smoked Salmon Quesadilla
We’ve grilled quesadillas a couple of time this summer. Decided to think outside the box a little this time when Amy got some smoked salmon. We just had to decide how to work it into our dinner. Since she also had some cream cheese and we were already planning on making quesadillas it made sense to combine these ingredients. I spread some of the cream cheese over a tortilla and then added chunks of the salmon. Folded it in half and made a few more. When I went to grill them I just brushed them with a little olive oil and cooked them until they were golden on both sides and crispy. They tasted great and I would definitely make them again. That’s the fun of quesadillas. You can use what you have on hand and come up with something pretty special.
Hot off the grill
Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas
Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas
I found myself with some perfectly ripe bananas and I wanted to use them for a snack/dessert. I didn’t have much time so I decided to just slice them and freeze them. I melted some chocolate and dipped each banana slice in the chocolate then placed the slices on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. I had some home made granola so I sprinkled a little over the bananas for texture. These are a great snack for kids to make. Super easy and fast. Just popped them in the freezer and let them freeze for at least a few hours before serving. That is the only hard part of the recipe – waiting for them to freeze. You could also leave off the granola and decorate the slices with sprinkles, coconut or even a little coarse salt.
Ready for the freezer
