The Charmed Kitchen

Broccoli Salad

I love broccoli. Eat it all the time. In hot weather I often make a big batch of broccoli salad so I can have it whenever I want. I cook my broccoli in a steamer made for the microwave. Keeps the kitchen cooler than conventional steaming. Whether you opt to cook in a microwave or on top of the stove be sure to steam the broccoli, not boil it. The broccoli will be too wet for the salad if submerged in water for cooking.  Be flexible with the recipe. You can add bacon, turkey bacon or even ham, or omit for a vegetarian version. I also often add cauliflower to the mix for fun. Don’t overcook the broccoli. For the salad the broccoli should still have some bite to it. Also remember the broccoli will cook a little after you stop steaming it so remove from the steamer a little crispier than you want the final product to be.

Broccoli Salad

4-6 c. broccoli flowerets

1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

4-5 slices turkey bacon or regular bacon chopped, cooked crisp and drained

about 2/3 c. mayo or salad dressing, or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

1 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced, optional

Cook broccoli until tender/crisp. Cool and combine with remaining ingredients. I like to add the diced pepper closer to serving time as it can make the salad runny if added too soon. Chill. Serves 4-6.

Note: I will sometimes use dressing for cole slaw for a slightly sweeter taste.

So hot and sticky today the thought of eating something hot just did not appeal to me.  I had a beautiful bag of leafy lettuce I got from Carl yesterday so I decided to play it simple for dinner. I got some real turkey at the deli, sliced extra thin. I placed a slice  of the turkey on a lettuce leaf, added a small drizzle of balsamic vinegar and wrapped it up. Repeated several more times. Ate with fresh cherries and some watermelon. You could just as easily use cheese slices or shreds or even chicken or tuna salad. Get creative but keep it cool. Perfect dinner for a scorching day!!

Beets at the Market

Great day at the market at Blue Pike Farm. My bag of goodies this week includes leaf lettuce, green onions, garlic, summer squash, beans and beets. I love beets and I can’t seem to get enough of them. Several CSA members wanted more recipes for beets so here we go.

German Style Beet Salad

 2 bunches beets

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons caraway seeds

1 teaspoon white sugar

2 tablespoons minced green onion

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

Wash beets and trim off greens. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil, add beets and cook, covered, until beets are tender. Remove from heat, drain, and peel and slice when cool. In a large bowl, whisk together the water, vinegar, caraway seeds, sugar, onion, horseradish, cloves, salt, pepper and oil. Add beets and toss to coat. Let stand for several hours, stirring occasionally. Serve at room temperature or chilled, as desired. Serves 6.

Roasted Beets with Beet Greens

1 bunch beets with greens

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped onion (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, removing any large stems, and set aside. Place the beets in a small baking dish or roasting pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you wish to peel the beets, it is easier to do so once they have been roasted. Cover, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet. When the roasted beets are almost done, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for a minute. Tear the beet greens into 2 to 3 inch pieces, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until greens are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the greens as is, and the roasted beets sliced with either red-wine vinegar, or butter and salt and pepper. Serves 4.

Two versions. They can be used in any recipe calling for Bisquick or Jiffy Mix.

Chef Pastry Mix/ Biscuit Mix

8 cups sifted, all-purpose flour

1 c. powdered milk

1 c. powdered buttermilk

¼ c. baking powder

1 T. salt

2 c. shortening

Sift dry ingredients together 3 times. Cut in shortening to resemble cornmeal. Keep in an airtight container.  Store in a cool dry place and use within six months.

Whole Wheat Baking Mix

5 c. flour

3 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. baking powder

1 c. powdered milk, not non-fat

2 t. salt

3 1/2 sticks butter or margarine

Mix dry ingredients together well, then cut in butter or margarine. Store in fridge for up to 3 months and can be frozen for up to a year. Makes about 12 cups.

Zucchini “Quiche”

I got this recipe from Pat Hartmann and decided to try it out. Ended up making 2 batches in as many days. Thanks, Pat. It’s not really a quiche but whatever you call it it is tasty and easy. It bakes for only 25 minutes and then can be cooled down, cut into squares and served cold or at room temp. It was a big hit with my company yesterday. One of my friends said she had an aunt that used to make it years ago but thew recipe was lost. she said my version was a little “cheesier.” I must admit I added a little more cheese than the recipe called for. Here is the recipe as Pat sent it to me.

Pat Wrote:

Zucchini Quiche

(This is not really a quiche in the traditional sense.  The recipe was originally given to me by my friend Vera DiCianno’s mom, who came to Cleveland from Italy in the 1960s.  It makes a nice brunch or luncheon dish, or appetizer for a baby/wedding shower.  I have tweaked it a bit over the years.)

3 to 3 ½ cups grated zucchini

1 cup Bisquick

½ cup chopped onion

½ grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. garlic powder, or 1 clove of garlic, crushed or minced

½ cup vegetable oil

4 eggs,  beaten

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.   Put into a greased 9” x 13” pan, and spread out the mixture evenly.    Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes.   Let cool for a bit before cutting.

To serve, you can cut into squares, but I like to cut them into sort of “ladyfinger” sizes  and people really like that.  This keeps pretty well too; you could make the whole thing ahead of time and then bring to room temp or even serve warm.  Very flexible.

I’ll be at Blue Pike Farm today from 4-7 for the market. I’ll have jams and jellies, Vidalia Onion Relish, seasoning mixes zucchini breads and Chocolate Beet Cake.  Hope to see you there. Blue Pike Farm is located on E. 72nd just 1/2 mile South of the Shoreway.

They say we eat with our eyes. I still use my mouth but I get the point. Visual appeal can make simple foods seem special. Although, for the record, no amount of pretty plating can save really bad food. So I offer up to you today- fruit and yogurt. Used for breakfast and snacks for a lot of us. Dressed up it can even be a light dessert on a day to hot too bake. I used cherry yogurt- I could have used any fruit flavored yogurt or plain, Greek, or vanilla in its place. I spooned some yogurt into a stem and added sliced fresh strawberries and blueberries. Again, any seasonal fruit you like can be used. Repeated layers until glass was full. Chill until ready to eat. You could also add some fresh chopped mint, if you like.

For breakfast you can sprinkle some granola on the top right before serving. Simple, fast and tasty.

Corn and Edamame Salad

Edamame are fresh soy beans. You can find fresh ones in some farm markets this time of year. They are also available frozen in many grocery stores. To prepare just steam for about 10 minutes. Allow them to cool down- or cool in ice water so you can handle them then just squeeze the soybeans out of their pods. The pods are not edible. They are easy to prepare and add a bit of protein to any dish. I paired them with fresh sweet corn, also steamed, cooled down and cut off the cob. A little trick for getting corn off the cob without making a mess is to place corn in large bowl. Hold the cob on end and cut off kernels with a small, sharp knife.  Don’t use too small a bowl or you won’t have enough room to work and you can cut yourself.

Edamame and Corn Salad

1 lb. fresh or frozen edamame

4 ears fresh corn

1/2 c. sweet chopped sweet peppers

1 t. Tuscan seasoning- or Italian seasoning

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

2 T. fresh chopped basil

3 T. olive oil

3 T. apple cider vinegar

Boil or steam edamame for about 10 minutes, or until tender. I know some people hate microwave cooking but I used a microwave steamer. Kept the kitchen pretty cool. Cool edamame and squeeze soybeans out of their pods. Place in serving bowl. Cook corn. Here you have more choices. You can grill the corn, in their husks on the grill. You can also boil or steam the corn. Once cooked allow to cool down naturally or place in large bowl of cold water. Once corn is col enough to handle cut the kernels off the cobs. Add corn to serving bowl with edamame. Add peppers, seasonings and basil. Toss together. add oil and vinegar and toss again. Chill before serving. Serves 4-6 as a side 2-3 as a main dish.

Note: Feel free to add other seasonal veggies and herbs.

Edamame in the pod

Edamame after hulling

It has been a brutally hot summer so far here and in many other places. For the whole month of July I’ll be posting recipes and information to help you beat the heat. Recipes that require little or no cooking and methods to cook without heating up the whole house. From grilling to using raw foods to using a crock pot. Yes, you read correctly, using a crock pot to keep cool.  How to do that will be posted soon. I’d love to hear from you, too. Recipes and ideas you use to beat the heat. With the 4th of July around the corner and picnics every weekend I thought a few safety tips might be well timed.

Common Picnic Problems

Besides the obvious ants, the biggest concern at a picnic should be food safety. While most of us know to keep cold foods cold and warm food warm (well, hot actually), there are some basic things we should all do to insure a safe, happy day.

Bring plenty of ice and coolers for all perishable food. Keep stuff cold until you are ready to cook or eat it. Get stuff back into coolers as soon as everyone has finished eating.

Package raw meats extra carefully, meat juices spilling on salads will make them inedible. Pack raw meats separately if you can, or on the bottom of the cooler in a leak-proof container. You might also consider bringing meats like burgers frozen to thaw on the grill or in the cooler. Smoked meats are safer than their non-smoked counterparts but both types can spoil.

Don’t make burgers on site. Outdoor prep is always tricky. Better to form burgers at home and wash all surfaces, as well as your hands thoroughly.

Never use ice for drinks that have been in contact with raw food or even if any foods have been stored in it. Keep beverage ice in its own cooler or keep it bagged to insure it is safe.

Solid blocks of ice melt more slowly than cubes and make good cooler inserts for long, hot summer days. Also keep coolers in the shade to offset the power of the sun.

Meat should be cooked thoroughly and ground meat is always more at risk for contamination. Make sure your fire is hot enough and allow for windy days and pack extra coals or other fuel to keep the fire hot throughout the cooking process. Have clean tongs for serving meat so you aren’t using the ones used for moving raw meat around on the grill.

You can also precook meats (like chicken pieces or ribs), cool and chill until ready for dinner. Then just heat them up over the coals. This way you don’t have the worry of bringing along raw meats and you’ll spend less time cooking and more time having fun.

Mayo is not the evil purveyor of bacteria. Then again it can be. Mayo from a fresh jar can actually retard the growth of bacteria. Still, if you are using the dregs from the bottom of the jar and your kids tend to lick knives and re-dip you may be bringing bacteria along.

While 2 hours is the maximum for food to be left out before being refrigerated again, use common sense. Obviously, on a 95 degree day that time is much shorter. Rather than one big bowl of pasta salad bring several smaller ones that you can switch out. That way you always have cold salad that is safe.  Swap out serving utensils, too. Try to stay in the shade, too. Bringing some sort of canopy can keep food cooler than sitting in direct sunlight.

Think like a salad bar. Bring large, shallow plastic containers- think under bed boxes or very small baby pools. Fill containers with ice then place bowls of cold dishes in the ice. Will keep food cool longer.

Once food is off the grill-keep it warm- use non-electric warming trays or steam tables. Once finished serving get leftover warm foods cooled down and back on ice quickly.

Have water for washing up and hand sanitizer when water is not available. If you are using fabric towels have some that are only used for drying hands- dirty towels cab transmit germs. Paper towels are more sanitary- and they can be recycled or composted.

It is also important in hot weather to stay hydrated. Here is a simple recipe for pink lemonade.

Strawberry Lemonade

1 pint fresh or frozen strawberries

2 qt. prepared lemonade

Combine 1 c. lemonade with berries in blender and mix until smooth. Add to remaining lemonade and serve over ice. 8 Servings

We had so much fun in Mentor cooking camp today. It was cupcake day or rather “pup” cake day. The kids were all so cute. They decorated 10 dozen cupcakes!!

-Novelty cupcakes are all the rage. Animals are fun. For cats, dogs, pigs, cows etc use jelly beans, small chocolate covered mints, chocolate- covered raisins for noses. Eyes can be raisins, Craisins, M&M’s, chocolate chips or any small candy. Spots can be mini-chips and whiskers can be string licorice or pretzel sticks. Ears can be frosting, rolled out Tootsie Rolls or caramels, pieces of cookies. Starburst candies (red or pink) can be rolled out and cut for tongues and fruit roll-up also make great tongues. You can just pile up frosting for snouts but I like to put pieces of marshmallow underneath and frost over. Use decorating tips for different types of fur and don’t be afraid to tint frosting for blue dogs or pink kitties.