Recipe 123: Claggett Farms Southern Cooked Greens

Note: Emeril calls the recipe Claggett Farms Southern Cooked Greens. I don’t have a Claggett Farms growing these greens as you will see, so in the future, I will likely refer to this as Smoked Chicken and Southern Cooked Greens.


We all know I can be a little impulsive, right? If you do not realize this about me, perhaps the following recipe will illustrate this point. I was shopping with my Aunt Maryal this past weekend. When we got to Kroger’s produce aisle, I found greens. I foundTurnip Greens, Lacianto Kale, and Mustard Greens. I bought one of each and decided to check the local Palace of Hell called Meijer and found Collard greens and Dandelion greens for a recipe I was sure I hadn’t made. I knew I needed about six pounds of greens total. I bought a one-pound bunch of each and two of the collard greens. Then I came home after a nice visit with my aunt to check the recipe.

Once I checked the recipe, I realized I had most of the ingredients on hand. This could be a good thing. However, the recipe called for smoked turkey, which James is allergic too. I couldn’t even used smoked turkey to flavor the greens and replace it with another meat. I had to use another meat...I greatly dislike substitutions the first time I make a recipe. But if I was going to make this so James could eat it, I had to substitute.

Now, if I were to hazard a guess at what most of you are thinking at this point, it would be “Just use smoked ham or smoked ham hocks.” I see your point, but one, as mentioned before I’m impulsive. Two, that would have been too easy; way too easy. I chose smoked chicken. I wanted something close to the turkey to substitute. I wanted that flavor that was close to what Emeril intended for this. So, how does an impulsive girl get smoked chicken? Well, we have a smoking grill and hickory chips on hand...she decides to smoke it herself.

However, impulsive doesn’t always mean quick-acting. I’m not quite sure what happened to my weekend, but something was going on each day, so it disappeared just like my Spring Break did. Monday evening, James and I exuberantly discussed which chicken to buy, I settled on the second cheapest bone-in thighs for smoking. As we left the store, I recalled we forgot to check if we could find the smoking chips, and we hadn’t bought more. Luckily, when we got home he found the Hickory smoke chips I gifted him with when I bought him this grill. I may owe him a birthday gift, as I think I’ve been using the grill more than him. That evening, we had rotisserie chicken for dinner.

Tuesday evening, I came home from working tired and a little hungry. James helped me set up the grill, though once he got mad at it, I sent him back to the kitchen to make tacos for dinner. He was right, we wouldn’t have smoked chicken and greens in a reasonable time that evening. He made chicken tacos with meat we needed to use. I drank a beer while we started the charcoal, and just as I’d been taught by friends in the Navy, the coals were just about ready at the end of the first beer.

James poured the charcoal on the grill and added the smoking chips, then the grate. Honestly I think his charcoal starter is his baby and he’s unwilling to let me touch it. Either way, he was making me dinner too, it was a nice touch. Once I had smoke coming out of the grill, I added the chicken and salted it gently. I started my second beer about this time. Once the second beer was finished, I went out and turned the chicken over and peppered it. It was not intentional to season the chicken this way. The pepper mill was being stubborn and it simply happened.

Since I stopped at the second beer, I had to use the Michael Symon suggestion and knife method of testing my chicken for doneness. Michael Symon suggests you want the chicken GBD...Golden Brown and Delicious. I turned it to find beautiful chicken about twenty minutes later. Then I took a knife and looked for pink or red meat. Once I thought the chicken looked good, I let it sit for five or ten more minutes, then pulled it off the grill and placed it into an aluminum cake pan. (I wish I would have thought to get a photo of this.) I used the cake pan as ceramic plates are in short supply around here due to their fragility. If I drop an aluminum pan, I might dent the pan, which I can work around; but I’m only going to lose the chicken, and not necessarily even then.

Now, back to the recipe. The recipe called for cooking the smoked meat in chicken broth for about two hours until it fell off the bone. Last time I checked, that’s about the best way to eat any meat. I put the stock pot on the stove, added chicken stock and most of the chicken I’d just smoked. I tasted one of the extra pieces. I almost had to buy more chicken to smoke! Luckily, the other thighs were already beginning to come up to a boil. Once it did, I simmered it for two hours while I enjoyed the messy fajita/taco mix James cooked for me.

Once the chicken was well simmered, I turned the pot off and let it rest a bit. A short while later, not waiting for the meat to cool fully as I had tongs and a fork, I pulled the thighs out one at a time and de-boned them. I then placed the meat back in the stock and stepped outside again to be sure my coals were cooling off enough to put away the grill safely. Once that was all set, I went home to bed. Smoking chicken and working with teens takes work!

This afternoon, Wednesday, I’d worked with the same group of teens and was a bit tired. I got a later start on the greens than planned, but I had pulled everything out to let it come up to room temperature. Once we got our evening walk in, I set about chopping the onions and cooking them in peanut oil. (I substituted again, the recipe called for canola and James has bought peanut oil.) Soon I added the garlic and crushed red pepper. Once this pan was ready, I moved the onion and garlic mixture to the pot with the chicken and broth. Then I began chopping greens to add them in and wilt them. I think I made them backward. I was supposed to wilt the greens into the onion mixture and then add the broth and chicken.

I brought the concoction to a boil, then turned it down to simmer it. Once it was done, I arranged it and took the lovely photo. Then I decided to add a roll to the mix, as James gave me trouble that it wasn’t a true Southern dish because there was no butter. The rolls are good, the smoked chicken is great. The greens with the mix seem like they could use something. Perhaps its too early. Perhaps they didn’t have enough salt or enough caramelized onions. I’m not certain. I did realize I forgot to add the apple cider vinegar. It added flavor, but I’m not sure if it helped. It could be the greens run a bit to the bitter side and are more of an acquired taste. I’ll make this dish again when I have more time and hopefully, a little less impulse. But I foresee changes in this recipe’s future. Some parts of it are excellent, but as a whole dish, I find myself wanting some components more than others. I’m curious to get James’ take on these greens.
Note: As I let the dish rest a little with the vinegar, its mellowing out and becoming very nice in itself. Perhaps there won’t be too many changes, after all.

Recipe 122: Creamy Polenta

The challenge: car shopping before cooking. My poor James totaled his focus last Friday morning, and now we are on the car search. The body shop he'd towed the car to had given him a loaner, but apparently the rental coverage wasn't included. I'm not sure it's worth it in the end. But that's another debate, this blog will be about Polenta. This recipe looked easy enough, but could be tricky. I needed to bring milk with chicken stock and butter to a boil. Boiling milk is always tricky. I'm not sure what happened after I read the directions. I added the milk and stock and butter to the pan. Then the salt and pepper, then dumped in the grits before I turned the pan on. Too late to fish them out now, looks like I'm trying this method. I also thought I had gotten more of a coarse grind of meal, but if this got much finer, it'd be corn flour, not corn meal to make polenta with. After bringing the mixture to a boil, it began to thicken very quickly and did not take the stated 30 minutes of cooking, or the dreaded hour to hour and a half of cooking expected. I think I got a form of instant grits. The directions on the can said mix with water(Boring! and yuck!), and cook for five to ten minutes. That's considered instant in many worlds, not just mine. However, they were close to done, and tasty as grits get without bacon, so I began to grate the parmesan cheese to add to them, and when that was ready, I mixed it in with the mascarpone cheese which may be part of my snack tomorrow with apples. Next, I finished chopping the parsley for the mushroom ragout to be paired with this, and I served some up for my late dinner. I admit, we stopped at Burger King for a quick and dirty meal on our way north for long distance car shopping. May the car venture end soon but well, and only when James has found a good car that satisfies him. The polenta and mushroom ragout made for a much better and more nutritious meal. Happy eating, I may make this recipe again, but I shall begin experimenting with different corn textures and grits to check the differences.

Recipe 121: Wild Mushroom Ragout (over Creamy Polenta)

Yes, I am still working on the more costly recipes in this book, and it seems I haven't blogged this one yet. It was fairly easy and a good excuse for me to avoid laundry. Before I begin, I will preface this recipe by saying I re-learned a very helpful lesson last night helping James re-make his Caribean Jerk style marinade-mis en plas, mis en plas, mis en plas...for the non-french, nor cooking show induced, this is loosely translated as "location, location, location." Know where your ingredients are, and what you need. I made a marinade that should have taken twenty to thirty minutes to whip together that took me an hour and a half and two trips to my home two and a half blocks away, on foot. Tonight, I started with the ingredients I would need right away on the cutting board, the onion and the garlic. The oil lay next to it. The mushrooms were on deck to be washed in the sink. I chopped a medium onion and followed it up with a fair amount of garlic. I then poured the 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan, and began to sweat the onions. I also moved the garlic, washed the mushrooms a handful at a time, and quartered them to go into a waiting bowl. I stirred the onions after each chopping session with the mushrooms. I repeated the process until the mushroom bowl filled. I added the garlic and stuffed a few more in until the garlic had its full thirty seconds. Then I poured in the mushrooms that were done and stirred. I chopped the rest quickly and added them in. I then began chopping fresh oregano and thyme to be added next, stirring mushrooms every minute or two as they sweat out their own water content. This recipe called for two pounds of wild mushrooms, so when James and I found Enoki and Oyster mushrooms and some baby portabellas, I talked him into buying them. Thankfully, I didn't have to do much talking. He's so good to me. Next, I presented James with cans to open and gasp, used 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes. Emeril said so. I'm not sure why, I still prefer fresh. But he said use canned. I'm sure he has his reasons. I stirred the mushroom and onion mixture again and pulled out the goat stock. (I thought had thawed chicken stock, but James informs me it was goat stock). I added the tomatoes and paste as well as the oregano and thyme. I also added the 2 cups of goat stock. James butchered a goat a couple of weeks ago, and made goat stock with some of the parts, so we have goat meat. I don't think Emeril has any goat recipes in this book though. I was almost disappointed. But I still need to get and make quail. Ah, back to the recipe. I'm almost done, for tonight. I bring the mixture to a boil then reduce it to a simmer for about twenty minutes. At this time, I realize I can't find the grater in James' kitchen and he doesn't remember where it was put. I decide it will be easier to go pull mine out of my cupboard and bring it back than to search James' kitchen(I'd checked all the obvious spots first). I leave James with instructions to turn the pan off when the microwave timer sounds. I come back to a sleeping James and the microwave says end. I know I wasn't gone that long, but I'm glad the sauce needed more than the recommended twenty minutes. I begin to shred the Parmesan cheese I bought for this recipe and realize it could wait until tomorrow as I'm serving it then, over the Creamy Polenta. I still need to add salt and pepper and parsley to this particular recipe(though I'm not sure it needs it at this moment-maybe the pepper and parsley), but I'll do that before I serve it tomorrow. It's really good so far, I will be making variations of this recipe for some time to come. I think I may have, just with more tomatoes and wine;-), and I normally call it tomato sauce or pizza sauce or pasta sauce, though I do add Basil and/or Italian seasonings to them. I will update this once I make the polenta(which I may have made before), and let you know how it all tastes together. I think it will be a phenomenal dinner.

Canning Homemade!: Canning Chocolate - Yes we Can!

Canning Homemade!: Canning Chocolate - Yes we Can! 

I have to try this!

Recipe 120: Turnip and Radish Slaw with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Chive Oil

The challenge: 1) Affording crab, but you've heard enough about my money woes this week...2) Keeping it all together. This recipe has a long ingredient list that fills part of the next column, you know you better pay attention at that point. In addition, it has only four directions, but its enough to keep you on your toes, especially if you are making some of this ahead of time on the weekend; 3) making it okay to "cheat" in my cookbook.

The recipe: shallot, fresh chives, dijon mustard, tarragon leaves-fresh, fresh chervil, fresh parsley, drained capers, cornichon(sweet gherkin pickles), champagne vinegar(never assume you have champagne vinegar), grapeseed oil, salt, white pepper, turnip, radishes, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, jumbo lump crabmeat, chive oil, chive blossoms(optional)...Have I lost everyone yet? I don't know if i was just tired, was distracted, or what happened, but I felt like I was forgetting something often in this recipe. It might have been recipe-itis...I made four recipes this weekend, three to blog about, and managed another soup on Monday and a crock pot of corned beef tuesday night. Just when I thought I was running out of food...or food to cook with.

Alas, back to the cooking. Step 1: combine shallot, chives, mustard, tarragon, chervil(skipped-simply haven't found it and am not paying amazon.com to ship it), parsley, capers, cornichon, vinegar,and grapeseed oil. Season with salt and pepper. This makes the vinaigrette, in case you are new to these...champagne vinegar...I found three rice vinegars, two cooking wines, port, five or six of mom Rose's homemade vinegars, red wine vinegar, white cooking wine, white wine vinegar is a possibility and balsamic vinegar, but no darned champagne vinegar. I then went to the grocery store for the champagne vinegar I was sure I had. They had three quarters of the same vinegars I had, excluding mom Rose's vinegars and probably the brown rice vinegar...but no champagne vinegar. I looked for a reasonably cheap champagne but in the end decided to use white wine, then I found the white wine vinegar or white cooking wine, and called it happy. It worked well. When I researched champagne vinegar on the internet the next day, I found my substitution was perfect. What can I say, sometimes I get it right.

Step 2: the easy step...in a medium mixing bowl, toss 1/4 cup of vinaigrette with the julienned turnip and radishes. As I'm slicing the turnip, I recall something about planning to make a half batch as I only bought half the amount of crab. Too late now. We'll use less crab, is all. Some days you gotta dance.

Next, or step 3: combine the mayo, lemon juice(at least I found a lemon while I hunting down champagne vinegar) and cayenne in a medium bowl. I confess, I did this the next night, and used a small ramekin, only to have to transfer it to a regular dish. Most of my dishes were already back in the sink. Darn stubborn dishes refuse to wash themselves. Next, I add 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette and add the crabmeat and toss to coat. It has a good flavor, but what am I forgetting? We'll find it.

Step 4: Divide turnip-radish slaw among the plates(or scoop out your portion if you are saving this for later), Spoon the crabmeat on top of the turnip and radish slaw. Try to keep the crabmeat lumps intact as you do this...does this man realize my middle name is not Grace? Actually it was easier than I thought, but I cheated and bought claw meat. Which, I really enjoy crab as long as its the real stuff and not imitation. Next, drizzle the Chive oil around each plate and garnish with the chive blossoms, if desired. I wasn't paying for flowers for this dish. The crab meat and out of season herbs cost me enough, and I'd already made a couple of substitutions or just plain left some out. Of course, it'd help if I'd remembered to make the Chive oil before I tried it.

I think I've made the chive oil once before and blogged about it. If not, its similar to the basil oil and pretty easy. --Please see Recipe 67. Once I did have it with the chive oil, we found it was really good. Before it was just okay. I can see James asking for this one day, or suggesting I sear the turnip and radish before I make this so he has an easier time eating it.

I will probably make this recipe again, likely if I get to celebrate a raise this year;-). Happy crabbing, friends!

Recipe 45B: Creamy Turnip Soup

The challenge: While looking for the Chive Oil blog, I see that I have already made this soup. Guess I'd better start marking my recipes better!
What took me so long to discover(worse, remember) this sweet, sweet chowdery soup?
There was little challenge. Turnips are quite affordable right now, and the soup went together very easily. I think it was another ready in under an hour recipe...two in the course of a week or so...I must be on a roll. But let's roll right past me and onto the food.

The recipe: Almost too easy, and very tasty...it leaves me tempted to go buy some turnips now, but its dark, so the farmer's market is closed. I melted the butter in a saucepan and added onions to caramelize. I then added the garlic and thyme sprigs(tied in cute little bundle). I cooked until my kitchen smelled like garlic and onions. Then I added the diced turnips, chicken and vegetable stock(which you can omit either one) salt and pepper and brought the soup to a boil. Then you reduce it to a simmer and cook until the turnips are quite tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Next, I removed the thyme bundle and added the heavy cream. Once it cooled down, I pureed the soup in a blender and served it. Then I remembered the sour cream and forgot the pinch of chives. Later, I added the chives.

I did make this recipe again and will again. Next time, maybe with potatoes, but also with turnips. Next time, hopefully I'll have remembered making it;-). Is this what you get when you take over a year to cook through too many recipes? They have a sweeter, slightly earthier flavor than potatoes, that I really enjoy. It was an excellent soup both James and I enjoyed greatly, and he will be subjected to again, especially since turnips are cheap right now;-), and it doesn't call for many exotic ingredients.

Recipe 119: Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan Curls

The challenge: Make spaghetti squash something people will eat. I wondered that Emeril didn't hide it in sauce, but if you do it right, maybe you don't need to. Let's see what happened.

I got up last Saturday morning and began the squash cooking with oil and salt and pepper. I slightly overcooked it as I was ordering photos on the computer, but it still looked like it would work out. I pulled it out of the oven and left it to rest while I ran errands, picked up photos and my nieces and my 'little sister' (BBBS). Once I got home, I shredded half a squash and added herbs when my nieces weren't looking. I snuck in basil, thyme and possibly some parsley, and whatever else sounded good. I had my 'little sister,' Yvonne, shred some of the parmigiano reggiano, and let my nieces help with some of it. Then I microwaved this squash, stirred and served with cheese. They ate it. Some wanted more. I did good. I found an Emeril recipe the kids liked, I thought it was almost a miracle.

The real miracle happened later when my nieces and Yvonne all enjoyed the chicken enchiladas we tossed together for dinner, they were declared good as well, and well according to Yvonne, there wasn't a recipe in sight. She was in the kitchen, the recipes were in the dining room and used as reference points only. Sorry, Emeril, the spaghetti squash was good, but my chicken enchiladas were even better.

I may make the recipe again as I go on a squash is healthy kick, but only if I have a good Parmigiano-Reggiano(okay, a reasonable one-which still leaves my food budget on the poor side). It was the Bel Gioso cheese that made this so good in the end.

Happy squash making, friends!

Recipe 118: Simple Oyster "Stew"

The challenge: Oysters. Never cooked with them before, don't think I've ever had them. I was also at a quite "Poor" week for food budgeting this week, so I settled for canned oysters. Since I have another oyster recipe to make, I might try fresh for this. The second challenge: Making this later than planned one evening so I could have lunch the next day. James and I finally got into something of a schedule and plan for cooking and buying groceries. We both end up with enough to feed 1.5 to 2 people every week. Lately, we'd started letting him buy most of the meat and I'd buy a roaster bird and the veggies. It worked for a while, but he's going on a diet I'm not quite adventurous enough to try, and I'm working to simply increase my exercise in order to lose weight. But enough about weight, let's get to the cooking...

The recipe: is actually healthy in small doses or reasonable serving sizes. I've also been halving the recipes to save a little money and not have so much to freeze or toss. I'm guilty of forgetting to freeze it. But what really happened. I got home one night, after serving dinner, and realized I'd have nothing for lunch if I didn't cook. So I got out the butter, and the borrowed celery seed. The recipe called for 1/4 cup of celery, which James had just finished off because it needed to be used. I decided a Tablespoon or two of celery seed would work in its place. After all, celery is used for its flavor. I sauteed it for a few moments carefully then added flour trying not to let it brown. I worried over this because the celery seed is brown, so its hard to tell. Then I added the whole milk and heavy cream. I whisked my right arm off while I waited for it to thicken.

Next I added salt and pepper, and a little cayenne pepper(which was hiding in my sink). I think I snuck in a dash or two of hot sauce as I located the cayenne pepper. Then I chopped the green onions quickly, then tossed them into the the pot. Next, I smashed a clove of garlic and tossed it into the pot. Nothing gets placed gingerly in my kitchen, except maybe a wine glass. Next I tried to locate the can opener-I'm sure it was set gingerly upon the counter behind whichever pot I didn't look behind(all sarcasm intended). I ended up using a 'Gerber' left over from my Navy days, or a 'multi-purpose tool' to you land-lubbers, in order to open my canned oysters. I dumped everything in, once they're opened. It called for any oyster liquor with the shucked oysters for flavors, so I included the liquid they were packed in. Once I let them cook for a few minutes, I added the spinach and set some of it aside for lunch the next day. Normally, you wilt the spinach, but I knew I'd be reheating this soup and the spinach would wilt then.

I tasted it for lunch with my small piece of left-over chicken and enjoyed it much, even if it didn't quite go with them. The next time I tried it, James and I were having dinner and I splurged for my favorite treat of Italian Cheese bread-okay, okay, I'll take baked bread and cheese just about anyway I can get it, but I found this Italian Cheese Bread I enjoy really works with the oyster soup. Its called a stew, but its really a cream based soup. If I would have remembered the oyster crackers I have in my cupboard, I might have remembered to add them.

I will make this recipe again, James even liked it, but next time, with real fresh oysters, not just the canned, salty ones. Hope you enjoy and like oysters. It did made a good soup. Happy Souping!

Recipe 115B: Homemade Sauerkraut, Attempt #2

The Challenge: Where did I go wrong? See the first Recipe 115 blog for the whole story.

The recipe: I thinly sliced a bigger cabbage, layered with salt-liberally, added jalapenos, garlic cloves and red onion. I finished with cabbage and salt. I found a flat plat that fit my purple measuring ribbon to make sure it fit in my crock pot. I included cheesecloth in the covering, and after three days when I couldn't see water forming, I added a bottle of water, and used four plastic 16oz bottles of water to weight it down. A gallon jug of water would have worked well too, since I didn't have a brick to wrap in foil. I thank the lady at Ace Hardware at the end of town who suggested the gallon of water when I couldn't find a good brick at a hardware store. All the landscaping stores were closed.

Back to the sauerkraut...after adding the little bit of water until I could see liquid, I let nature run its course. I still didn't smell aromatic to me, in fact, sometimes it smelled more funky, but I left it alone for another week and a half, and checked it once I got home Saturday evening. I bravely skimmed the gunk that had formed on top the plate and cheesecloth while it was stored in my basement. Then I more bravely lifted the cheesecloth and plate and placed it in a gallon bucket that comes in handy for playing with lots of pickling and canning stuff.

I had beautiful white sauerkraut that didn't have too much horrid smell at all. I was really worried my whole house would smell like cabbage or sauerkraut. After cooking squid last week, I might not have nose enough left to notice. Maybe I should just open my windows for a day soon, while its still kinda warm out;-).
Again, back to my beautiful creation. I was also check on icicle pickles while making this and wanting to drink the cup of hot chocolate I'd just doctored. NO, I am not pregnant. I held off on the hot cocoa until I washed down the sauerkraut and sweet pickle tastes. I hope I didn't gross anyone out.

The sauerkraut was quite surprising...it was good, not bitter and almost crisp-tasting. It was good enough I decided I'd give it away as a gift. I hope the recipients enjoy it, I'm sure it will be a bit of a surprise. In addition, I think I canned 8 jars of sauerkraut-so if you're willing to return the jar to me, I'm willing to share the sauerkraut with you.

I will make this recipe again...in about five years, when I run out of sauerkraut or have given it all away and have forgotten that I don't eat sauerkraut often. Maybe next time, I'll add caraway seeds and see if I can claim I've made sweet sauerkraut;-). Call or email me, or even comment if you want some fresh homemade Sauerkraut...

Recipe 117: Beef Carpaccio with Shaved Celery in a White Wine Vinaigrette Drizzled with Lemon-Infused Oil

The challenge: Paying $50 for a specific cut of meat when my grocery budget isn't much more than that. 2) Paying $10-$20 for a 10oz cut of meat if I skip the grass fed at the butchers and try to get it cheaper. There was some luck here, but I had to lower my meat standards a little. The beef wasn't fresh, and there's no guarantee it was grass-fed. But it was donated by a generous James, who looked forward to this dish almost as much as he looks forward to his video games.

Challenge Again: The ingredients list is nearly a column and a half(did you get through the title?), and the directions are a full page and a half...clear off your weekend calendar, here we come.

The recipe: Begin by wrapping the beef tenderloin in plastic wrap and then again in a baggie with all of the air squeezed out. Freeze until it is mostly frozen. Why did I defrost this meat again?

While the beef is freezing, make the lemon-infused olive oil. Bring a sauce pan of olive oil and the lemon zest on low heat and simmer for five minutes. Cover the oil and let stand for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh sieve, and reserve the oil. Discard the zest. This was probably the easiest part of this recipe.

To make the vinaigrette, place the Sauvignon Blanc, vinegar, shallot, garlic, honey, mustard, 1/4 tsp of the salt and 1/8 tsp of white pepper(or whatever colors you blend) and blend well in the blender. With the blender running, add the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil in a slow steady stream until the vinaigrette is emulsified, or thick and cloudy-looking, but it won't get as thick as mayonnaise-must be the onions and shallots. Transfer to a small mixing bowl, and stir in the parsley and chives. Set it aside. This wasn't so bad.

Next, remove the tenderloin from the freezer and dry-rub it with salt and cracked black pepper. The season should coat all sides. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium sized saute pan(or the pan you do have in your kitchen) over high heat. When it is hot, add the tenderloin and sear quickly. It should be nicely browned and caramelized on all sides, but not cooking through the meat...only about 1 minute on each side. Remove the tenderloin from the pan and place it in the fridge to cool, 15 to 20 minutes. ...Pick up a book and read a chapter or something.

After 20 minutes, take out the cooled tenderloin and slice it against the grain 1/8 inch thick. Place several slices on a sheet of plastic wrap, with an inch of space between each slice, lay another sheet on top of the beef. Pound with a mallet until the slices are paper thin but not torn. Repeat until all slices are flattened. Arrange the slices, slightly overlapping in a circle on each of four serving dishes....Reality check...I sliced off a few pieces, attempted to beat one or two, and decided to heck with it...thin sliced peppered beef would work well enough for this dish. And since it was just me, and later James...I only needed two of these at a time. I did season the meat again with kosher salt and cracked black pepper(or whatever colors I blend).

And we musn't forget the shaved celery-mix it with the celery leaves, salt and pepper in small mixing bowl. I did try it once, correctly.... Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette, and toss to coat well. Mound the celery in the center of the carpaccio, dividing it evenly among the four plates.--Sarcasm intended, really, I thought you gave the biggest dish to the biggest fan...oh, never mind, I just scooped out a fair amount of celery, added the beef and drizzled with the vinagrette. It tasted pretty good. Then I remembered the lemon-infused olive oil. It tasted even a little better with that. But in the end, it was a pretty darn good tenderloin all by itself. Oh, and the parmesan shavings are good with the recipe too. I may make this tenderloin again one day, but probably without all the fixings. This feels more like an "I can shave celery better than you can" recipe, and I just wanted the beef tenderloin.

Enjoy.

Recipe 116: Spanish-Style Braised Squid

The challenge: Squid? I've never eaten squid, and I don't live on the edge of the sea...if only I'd thought of this project when I lived in Virginia Beach-I might have caught my own fresh fish. Alas, I didn't, and I learned that frozen, already cleaned squid were actually pretty affordable.
Challenge 2: Albarino wine. Its a white, I've made no secret of how little I like or cook with white wines. I'm getting to the point where I think Emeril relies on them far too much. I went searching for Albarino, having written down a high-end, but still reasonable price(for my pocketbook anyway) in my cookbook. I must have been checking online or someone had a special. I actually found it on a day when I had to drive to Midland anyway. When no one else in Clare or Mount Pleasant had it, that I learned of, I found three different Albarino's at Eastman Party Store in Midland. Now I know where to go ask about a dry white wine...and as long as James and I have some cash flow, maybe we can turn this into a monthly date-night;-).

The recipe itself isn't all that hard. I'm not sure if that takes away from it or helps it. But I have more to say about the Albarino than about the squid. James doesn't like squid, something about the texture. I tasted them as I was cooking them-making sure it was a done one. He was right.

I began caramelizing onions and then garlic in the saute pan, then added the Albarino wine-chilled as cool as my fridge would get it, Next, I added the ringed squid and tentacles. then went to work chopping the parsley and oregano leaves to add in and squeezed in the lemon juice. Then I added the capers, salt and pepper and pimenton(smoked paprika). I cooked until the squid was tender as I was told.

While I waited for the squid to get tender, I sliced a few pieces of Roasted Garlic Bread(the good stuff from Meijer). I tasted the squid as I mentioned before and it was a little rubbery and left a little to be desired. However, somehow, when I placed some squid mix on the bread like a tapa and tasted, it was much better. It actually had good flavor. Though, I will admit, being a girl, eating too many squid tentacles can get a little freaky. The flavor isn't enough to justify the look.

I would make this recipe again, but likely, only if requested, and that person must promise to take home the leftovers. I will eat them, just not quickly.

The Albarino, was not quite as good as white wine gets, but almost. I really thought afterwards I should have stuck with the Reisling I bought previously, but I might just save that up for the next fish recipe Emeril has me cook.

Again, I will only make this recipe again by request. Not my favorite one, I think you have to like squid quite a bit to really enjoy this recipe. Next, I think I'm investing in some sort of wine guide...unless someone is looking for Christmas gift ideas.

Recipe 115: Homemade Sauerkraut

The challenge: Following instructions and getting a plate that fits well inside my crockpot, as well as a good weight. 2) Research these undertakings before I begin. I've never made sauerkraut before or attempted to ferment cabbage whatsoever in the crockpot in my basement. I've always wanted to ferment wine or moonshine in my basement, but not particularly cabbage. But I digress. Please note: Dear Cabbage, there will be a re-match-Soon!

I shredded the cabbage to layer with salt, red onion, garlic, and jalapenos finishing with a layer of salt and cabbage. I only got four layers when Emeril counted out five, but I chalked it up to different pots or different styles.

Next, I placed cheese cloth over the top and inverted a bowl over top of the cabbage. I should have simply bought a reasonable plate at the dollar store, one that would fit. I weighed the bowl down, and I think I used filled canning jars, but with the bowl and the size, I'm not sure it was enough. Then again, the verdict will forever be out on that. I was supposed to use a 5# brick. I think next time, I'm using 5-1# water bottles or a full gallon jug of water. I have to thank ACE Hardware for their assistance in this matter. Their helpful clerk gave me that suggestion when I went looking for a real brick this time.

Once I got the jars on and covered the cabbage, I placed the crock in the basement and left it there for three days. After 3 days, I checked it, and hoped it was going right. I also hoped there was enough liquid. What else could I do? I do not recall how it smelled at this time. The cabbage was supposed to smell aromatic-but when does cabbage ever smell aromatic? And did Emeril mean Aromatic or Odor-ific? In addition, he posted no pictures of this part, so I had no idea how it was really supposed to look. I proceeded to trust in the process and left the cabbage for another two weeks. After re-reading the directions, I realized it said for a total of two weeks. Did they not have bold in this font for this important step.

When I checked it, the cabbage was surrounded with brown liquid it appeared and smelled rank at best. I quickly replaced the lid and left it for a second opinion...Poor James. He compared the smell to rotten meat and we decided I should chuck it. He did suggest before I chucked it that I check the internet for info. I wish I'd thought of that when I started. I never thought Emeril wouldn't tell me everything I needed to know to perform this task. Maybe I did spend too long in the military. We even called James' mom, Nancy to check if she had info. She'd never made sauerkraut before.

After checking the internet, it said pink or green or white tones were okay, but never red or brown. I decided to toss it in the morning, since it was already dark when I discovered this info.

First thing in the morning, after getting dressed, I bravely carried the crock out in my backyard, to my latest compost section. I removed the lid and the bowl expecting my nose to be assaulted. Surprisingly, it wasn't. I inverted the crock, and removed the cheese cloth from the bowl. The cheese cloth was not coming back into my house. Then I looked at my creation, to find the white and green-toned sauerkraut laying over top of the brown layer that I expect was the scum referred to on the internet. It looked much like the sauerkraut Emeril had canned in his photos and possibly good enough to eat. I didn't know whether to laugh or scream, so I went out and bought another head of cabbage and some more jalapenos and red onion for the re-match.

I will post an update on the results of the re-match between myself and the sauerkraut. So, yes, I am making this recipe again, not because I might like it, (the jury is still out on that one) but because I refuse to be defeated by cabbage.
Wish me luck;-)

Second time around: I win! And it was gooood....See blog post 115b;-)

Recipe 113: Spicy Tomato Jam

Challenge: Keeping enough tomatoes in the house to make this recipe. It seems I'm always putting tomatoes into dinner.

I made this recipe nearly two weeks ago(I believe). Its been sitting in my fridge waiting for me to remember to try it and use it on chicken or crackers and cheese. I think it goes best with cream cheese. The reason I didn't blog then--as I likely should have--I was logging on long enough to check in, make a couple of comments to piss off the whiny facebook friends and play a game or two and run off to do non-computer stuff.

Explanations aside, we have a recipe to make. As recipes go, this one was pretty easy the first time around. Chop about 4 medium or large tomatoes, 5 small ones(about 3#), add in two lemons-peeled, seeded, and flesh finely chopped. Use the peel to scent something else or discard. Add in a fresh minced ginger and a little crushed red pepper. Next add in 1 1/2 cups of sugar and a pinch or two of salt.

Bring all of this to a boil then reduce to a brisk simmer for about 30-35 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms during this time. Sterilize your jars during this time, if you haven't already.

When most of the liquid has evaporated, pour into pint or half-pint sized jars and process for 10-15 minutes in a water bath.

Let cool overnight and enjoy over chicken or on crackers with cheese. I'm thinking cream cheese. I made ginger-curried chicken tonight to enjoy it with, and am considering using this as a tangy topping for the top of a cheesecake.

Since I'm in the process of making a double/triple batch again-I didn't get enough to share the first time, I will definitely make this recipe again. Depending on the upcoming availability of tomatoes, it may become a Christmas gift...but I got many more jars of the upcoming Green Tomato Piccalilli. Happy jam-making. One note: I do think it would go faster to make multiple smaller batches of this recipe as opposed to one big batch. I may change that opinion as I make this more.

Recipe 112: Kosher-style Dill Pickles

The challenge: Growing cucumbers. They simply don't care for my backyard. Next year, they're likely getting their own raised bed in a sunnier area, hopefully, the landlord doesn't mind too much;-).

I gave in bought a 1/2 peck of cucumbers. I didn't need that many, only 1 1/2# for this recipe and I didn't plan my time as well as I thought. I was able to make about half of them into cucumbers. The rest went towards the site of the future cucumber garden. Its unfortunate, but I can't change it now. So, I went to work cutting the pickles into 1/2" thick rounds and spears. I can't follow instructions exactly, and I'd rather eat spears. I then placed the cucumbers into sterilized jars and squeezed in the dill sprigs.

Next, I combined the water, white vinegar, kosher salt, 9 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, crumbled, dried dill weed/dill seeds, black peppercorns and 1/2 tsp whole fennel seeds and brought it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

I scooped the brine into the jars, making sure there were at least 3 cloves of garlic in each jar. Then I set them aside for an hour to cool while I read a book.
After that, move the open jars to the fridge. Cool in the fridge for one hour. Finally, cover and store in the fridge for 3 months. Emeril optimistically believes homemade pickles will last three months? I trust his editors made him say that;-).

I will definitely make this recipe again, but James has asked for Icicle pickles which are a little more effort and would have to wait till Christmas or New Year's at this point(its the end of August now), and I'm curious to experiment some.

Recipe 111: Pattypan Squash with Bacon, Caramelized Onions, and Cheddar

The challenge: 1)Finding pattypan Squash this far north; 2) Paying attention to the cooking instead of wondering how they came to call it pattypan squash 3) Finding medium cheddar cheese.

Imagine my excitement when I found patty pan squash at the local farmer's market.

The recipe: Boil up to 3# of young and tender patty pan squash(sliced into 1/2" wedges like fries). Slice the squash in half crosswise, then into 1/2" wedges. Set them aside while waiting for the water to boil.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in an ovenproof 4 or 5 quart straight sided sauce-pan. I don't have one of these. I used my non cast iron dutch oven style pan, and transferred everything to a baking pan near the end. Once the bacon is crisp, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. While the bacon drains, and the onion and cook until soft and caramelized around the edges, about 6 minutes. Season with 2/3 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper. Add the thyme leaves and butter, stir to combine, then set the saute' pan aside.

Add the other 1/4 cup of salt to the boiling water, and stir to combine. Then drop in the squash, carefully if you take me literally. Cook about 6 minutes until it is crisp tender. Drain and shake gently to remove excess water. Add the squash to the cooked onions and toss gently to combine. This is where I employ the baking pan, 13 x9 usually holds what I need. Then add the crumbled bacon over top of the squash and onions. Next, you layer 8 ounces of medium chedder cheese, shredded on top of the squash, onions and bacon. I veered from my normal exact preparation as I had a hard time finding the right cheese. Kraft makes one, but I wanted something better than Kraft. I've grown accustomed to paying $5.00 for an 8 oz. brick of cheese. But I digress. I chose an Applewood smoked cheddar. It did add good flavor, but would have worked better with a stronger squash.

The patty pan didn't have much flavor, which leaves it to take on the flavors its cooked with, but this didn't quite do that either. Of course, once it was combined with everything, it only baked for ten minutes to melt the cheese, covered with foil.

It was good, but not perfect. It seemed to be missing something, but it was hard to discern what it needed. I will consider making this recipe again, but probably with a zucchini, acorn or buttercup squash, and maybe sausage instead of bacon, depending on my mood;-).

Recipe 110: Corn, Tomato, and Lobster Salad

The challenge: 1) Cooking live lobster (I'll admit, I cheated and bought a tail). 2) The cost of the lobster. 3) Finding a good dry white wine when you drink mostly reds, 4) When the ingredients list moves into the next column, you know you'll be working for this one.

In the end, it was primarily worth it. I might try it with a fresher lobster when I have more disposable cash, otherwise, we might get creative with other fish to replace the lobster.

First you chop two cups of tomatoes, but only roughly. Then you add 2 cups of dry white wine. I purchased a Sauvignon Blanc for this and it seemed to work well. I added the thinly sliced onions to that mix as well as black peppercorns and tarragon sprigs and heated to a boil. Then I simmered for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes I raised the heat to high and dropped the lobster in. I then prepared a bowl of ice water to cool the lobster in when he's done in 13 minutes. I did cook the tail for 13 minutes, and hoped it wasn't too much. It was done, and a 9 oz tail is still a good size. Then I moved the pot to the sink holding the bowl and dropped the lobster in right away and poured more cold water into the ice water to make sure he stayed submerged.

Once it had cooled, I placed the lobster tail on the baking sheet and proceeded to dismantle the tail and separate it from the meat. Then I cut the meat into bite size pieces.

While the lobster was cooking, I chopped the shallot, added the vinegar and lemon juice and zest as well as the olive oil, salt and a little cayenne. Next, I shaved the corn kernels off the cob of the corn I bought on Saturday morning (and had refrigerated until now). Mix this up and set aside for ten minutes.

Next, I cut the multi-colored and shaped cherry and yellow-pear tomatoes in halves and quarters. These made a really pretty pint. I added the tomatoes to the mix, then I added the lobster, chopped tarragon and parsley to the bowl and stirred it to mix gently.

Next, take a medium bowl, mix the Bibb lettuce(8 leaves or less) with the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil and salt and black pepper. Stack 2 lettuce leaves on each of four plates. Divide the lobster salad evenly among the lettuce cups and serve immediately.

James had two comments: 1) we could have gotten away with the imitation stuff-I thoroughly disagree. I don't like imitation most of the time. 2) Next time, leave out the lettuce. I could see his point. It didn't seem to add anything but flair. And since I couldn't find Bibb lettuce, I used green leaf lettuce. He would have preffered I used iceberg as a substitute. I won't mention that word again;-).

It was an excellent recipe with a good flavor. The lettuce probably isn't necessary. I will most likely make this recipe again, but am just as likely to try other seafood or even shell fish with this combination. James thought Shrimp would work well. I could go for that;-)

Recipe 109: Cantaloupe and Pancetta Cream Sauce for Pasta

The challenge: "Trust me" Anytime one hears the words "trust me," be it from an inspiring chef, or an almost a food genius chef, one cringes and wonders what they are really in for. Cantaloupe and Pancetta with the words trust me...its going to be a fascinating ride.

The recipe: Begin to boil salted water for the pasta. Saute the panchetta in butter 3-4 minutes, we're starting off good. Next add the shallot and cook while stirring until it softens, about 2 minutes. Add the butter, then the melon-3 cups diced ripe cantaloupe. The good news, when else do you get to munch on cantaloupe while making dinner-only when you make fruit salad. Stir often for 8-10 minutes as you wait for the cantaloupe to completely break down. At this point, having worked with melons and squash before, I'm looking for the blender and sieve. Apparently, chunks are okay in this dish, small ones anyway. Next, add the cream to the sauce and reduce by half, about 3 minutes. The sauce should be smooth and thick, and coat the back of a spoon. I'm still looking for the blender and sieve. Not yet;-). Remove the sauce from the heat.

Finally, add the pasta to the boiling water and stir well. Cook about 10 minutes or until one piece(tossed) sticks to the wall. I know a young woman who threw the whole pan of spaghetti at the wall when she was twelve. I still get a chuckle at that as I toss the pasta at the wall and watch for it to stick. Once a piece sticks, peel it off the wall and toss it before you forget;-), then drain the pasta.

Next, add the hot pasta and 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to the warm cream sauce. Return the pan to medium heat and toss until the pasta is nicely coated with sauce and heated through. If the sauce is too thick, Emeril suggests adding in a half cup of the pasta water and mixing. Serve immediately garnished with the remaining Parmesan cheese and some fresh ground black pepper.

The taste: Interesting, but not married perfectly. I didn't spit anything out, but I didn't declare this heaven on a fork either. I wondered if it was from the natural disinclination of the words: "Trust me." I don't think it was. The second taste. The next day, when I made this for lunch, it was a little better, but not good enough to be declared heaven on a stick. I will not make this recipe again, as stated. As I tasted it the second time, I wondered if Emeril meant tomato instead of cantaloupe. It certainly would have worked better.

Recipe 108: Baby Limas, Green and Yellow Beans and Teardrop Tomatoes with mint vinaigrette

The challenge: Finding Yellow beans at the farmer's market. I did not grow my own, and do not get a whole pound at a time or even 8 ounces at once yet in my small garden. Challenge 2: Lima beans-I gave in and bought them frozen for this purpose. You have to use them quick around our houses as lima beans and/or peas get used as ice packs as well around these houses.

The recipe: Shallot, rice vinegar(which I almost forgot-James saved the day to go get it when I was too tired), Mint, grapeseed oil(or flaxseed or olive oils), sugar, salt, yellow wax beans, green beans, baby lima beans, red and yellow teardrop tomatoes, chopped fresh lemon basil, cilantro, and fresh ground black pepper.

First, mix the shallot, rice vinegar, mint and oil in a small bowl and set aside. Next, prepare an ice bath then begin cooking the yellow and green beans. Bring a pot of water to a boil add the yellow and green beans to the water for about 4 minutes, until crisp tender, then cool and while they are cooling, cook the lima beans then cool them in the ice bath. When the beans are cool enough to handle, remove them from the ice batch and drain well. In a medium bowl, toss the beans with 2 T. of the vinaigrette.

In a large salad bowl, combine the wax beans, green beans, lima beans, halved tomatoes and remaining vinaigrette. Add the lemon basil(I used the basil growing in my backyard) and cilantro and stir or toss gently to combine. Add the salt and fresh ground pepper and stir to taste. Enjoy.

The take: This recipe was pretty good, but was not stellar. The beans needed to be used, and could have stood to be blanched for another moment. I will admit, I was tired enough and cranky enough to get James to mince the shallot, and as I was cooking it he looked at me and asked how far I was in the book again. It wasn't this recipe specifically, more that I just hadn't had a chance to slow down lately, and work has been placing demands on me. I think we are all taking a break after this one. Though I will be doing more cooking over all. I have a fridge and kitchen full of vegetables to use up right now. I may make this recipe again, but likely, once or twice a year, when I find yellow beans at the farmer's market and wish to prove that I can figure out how to blanch green beans. Next time, I will cut them smaller too. This recipe only calls for the stem ends to be trimmed. Now on to make pickles;-).

Recipe 107: Lemon-Scented Blueberry Pancakes

The challenge: Blueberries are only ripe in Michigan for two weeks every year. I have picked them fresh once in my life. Next year, if my truck windows work, I'm taking a child to show them the wonders of fresh blueberries.

The recipe: This was pretty easy, its like making buttermilk pancakes, but with lemon zest, and blueberries added in. If the aforementioned truck windows worked(which I may have found a solution for if it stops raining), I'd have borrowed the kids and made them. These are a great Sunday morning special breakfast. I'd add chocolate chips to make them more fun.

Basically, you toss your blueberries in 1T. of flour, and set aside, once coated. Then you mix flour, corn flour/corn meal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda and whisk in a medium mixing bowl. Next, you combine buttermilk and milk in a separate mixing bowl and whisk an egg in melted butter until combined in a small bowl. Mix the egg mix into the buttermilk combination. Add the lemon zest and some vanilla extract and stir well. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry. Next fold the blueberries in to the mix while you prepare your skillet.

When water dances on the heated skillet, add a scoop of pancake batter and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula and cook about the same amount of time, at least 1-2 minutes, until cakes are golden brown on the bottom. Serve with maple syrup or your favorite peanut butter and jelly combo. Enjoy, and have breakfast few bother to complain about.

I will make this recipe again-just with raspberries and chocolate chips as blueberry stains scare me when I see them on the plate. These were even made one morning while I was going half crazy prepping for the play(it just took me this long to post the recipe). Happy Pancake making!

Recipe 106: Watermelon Rind Crisp Sweet Pickles

The challenge: 1) cutting watermelon rind into 3/4 inch cubes. Making sure you have at least 6 cups of watermelon rind(I think I did). 3) Canning always takes longer than I plan on (or have). 4) Maybe you shouldn't can when you are preparing for a play!

The recipe: 6 cups cold water, 1/3 cup pickling salt, 6 cups peeled watermelon rind---CRAP!!!! If you've had a bad day, insert expletive here. I forgot to peel the watermelon. I have to make this recipe again. Fortunately, James likes watermelon. I don't eat it unless its too hot to move, usually. I'm really glad I asked for canning supplies for my birthday, tongs will be quite helpful next time;-).

So, I cube the watermelon and prep the bowl of cold water and pickling salt, and put the watermelon in rind and all. I placed the bowl in the fridge and let it sit overnight. The next night, I pull out the watermelon, rind on, and drain and rinse very well. I place it in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. I turned the heat down and cooked until the watermelon was fork tender, about 10-15 minutes. "Do not overcook." That's hard to do with the cubes not peeled. Its not inedible, I really hope, but I expect they'll be even better, done right. Lol...ugh.
Drain the rinds, set aside.

Next, combine the rest of the ingredients-which don't require peeling, thankfully. The 4 1/2 cups sugar, 2 cups distilled white vinegar, 2 cups water, 4 cinnamon sticks(at least 3" long), bay leaves, whole yellow mustard seeds, whole coriander seeds, allspice berries and whole cloves are placed into a large pot, and brought to a boil, then simmmered on low for 10 minutes. Add the peeled, drained watermelon rind and cook for about 1 hour or until the rind is almost completely translucent. Yes, I wondered that the outer edge was still slightly streaked with green here, but I couldn't find my problem. I even re-heated them the next morning, to see if I didn't boil them long enough.

Next, divide the watermelon rind (peeled) between two sterilized canning jars, likely a pint will work. I got 3 pints, but possibly because I didn't peel the rind. I am wondering if I should use a paring knife or a vegetable peeler to peel the next rind. James is recommending a vegetable peeler-with a straight-face even. I'm laughing at my own silliness on this one, so he could too. He must be distracted;-). So, back to dividing the watermelon rind into the canning jars, and pour enough pickling liquid to cover the rind by at least 1/4 inch. Add a cinnamon stick to each jar. Leave at least 1/2" head room at the top of the jar. Wipe the rims clean with a paper towel. Attach the lids and then the rings. Process the jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Remove the jars from the hot water, using tongs or a pot holder please. If you've canned before, you know this;-). They should seal as they cool. Any jar that does not seal properly should be consumed within two weeks and stored in the fridge/ice box.

Sealed jars of watermelon pickles will keep, stored in a cool, dark place, for up to 1 year.

I still can't believe I missed the part about peeling the watermelon rind. I will update when I re-create this recipe correctly. Back at it;-).

I have to make this recipe again. I doubt I will forget to peel watermelon for this ever again. When is cooking not an adventure? I may need to go back to knitting for a bit, but I make just as many mistakes there. And I'm now addicted to canning. Just hope the deer don't eat all the tomatoes.

Recipe 105: Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula Salad with Watermelon Vinaigrette

The challenge: More arugula? Do I really have to eat arugula...I suppose so.
Challenge 2) Red currant jelly: Do we even have that in America? Apparently so, and its on the shelves at Meijer, the regional super-market, or Palace of Hell(in Knitting Paradise terms). Challenge 3: Planning-I can use the watermelon rind to make the watermelon rind crisp sweet pickles with the leftover rind. 4)Convincing James to try this one...he doesn't like arugula, and the red onions aren't friendly to him( I left it off).

The recipe: Jalapeno, red currant jelly, diced watermelon, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, fresh ground black pepper, olive oil then baby arugula, sliced red onions, feta cheese, fresh cracked black pepper.

I admit, I've never considered mixing jalapeno and red currant jelly, however, I've never had red currant jelly, and once I tasted the kick to it, I could see why. I also have no idea what to use the rest of it on.

First you make the vinaigrette by combining jalapeno, red currant jelly, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt and black pepper and process until smooth. With the processor still running, add the olive oil in a slow drizzle. You can store this up to 2 days(according to the Emeril Lagasse book).

To make the salad, toss the arugula with a bit of the dressing. Mound the greens in the center of a platter or plate and surround them with the remaining diced watermelon and oinons. Scatter the feta over the salad-as if there's any other way to add crumbled feta;-). Garnish with cracked black pepper to taste(I think I forgot this part.) Serve with the remainder of the dressing on the side.

I made this after making the watermelon rind crisp sweet pickles, but I had this again tonight(with red onion this time) with the veal I made burgers out of. James actually wanted seconds of the salads to go with his veal burger. They went really well together. Normally, he likes arugula less than I do. I have considered using a butter or boston lettuce for this recipe next time. I liked the peppery flavor of the arugula, which works with the watermelon and black pepper; but only if you get the right amount of Arugula in the mix. I had too much the first time and was left with a less appetizing lettuce in my salad.

Aside from the time spent cubing the watermelon into 3/4 inch pieces, this recipe was pretty easy and quick to make. I will most likely make this recipe again, just with a different recipe. I think its also a great recipe for lunch on a hot summer day when you are certainly not cooking;-).

Recipe 104: Toasted Garlic Romano Beans

The taste: wow! The challenge: Romano Beans? Romano? Never heard of them. Checked the stores, checked the seeds, no romano beans. Emeril says you can use regular green beans, so I did. Challenge #2: getting all the ingredients in one place. Since beginning my play practice, I've tried to cook once a week, but its summer and James' home is cooler. So, I'm here more, and I try to bring over the ingredients, but I always forget something necessary to the recipe that James' doesn't have.

When I actually made it, I must admit I forgot the thyme, and I meant to add it in for the leftovers, but I forgot. Luckily, I'm willing to make this recipe again.

The recipe: 1 1/2# romano beans, 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup thinly slicked garlic, 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes, thyme, rosemary leaves, oregano leaves, kosher salt, black pepper, chicken stock.

The method: Fill a medium bowl of ice and cold water, and set it aside. Boil a large saucepan of lightly salted water. Add the romano beans to cook until crisp tender-2 to 4 minutes. Drain the beans immediately and submerge in the ice bath. Once they are cool enough to handle, drain well and trim the ends. Cut the beans into 2 inch lengths, set aside.

Next, Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until toasted, lightly about 1-2 minutes. Then add the rest of the olive oil and the toamotes, thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir frequently while cooking until the tomatoes soften slightly, about 2 minutes. Add in the stock and the romano beans, and cook, stirring, until the beans are heated through and well-coated with the garlic and tomato mix, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

This was excellent and very flavorful, and a nice, fresh way to have beans. It didn't last long;-) and I still forgot the thyme even with the leftovers, which the thyme could only enhance this dish. I fully recommend it, but my tiredness is showing. One tip, chop all your vegetables and prep your spices in advance.

I will definitely make this recipe again.

Recipe 103: Peach Freezer Jam

The challenge: Peeling and Finely chopping 7 Peaches, and remembering to buy the right Pectin.

I saw Peaches on sale at our local Farm Market. I believe they shipped them from Georgia as soon as some were ready, same as the local supermarket, but they were worth it. I mentioned these on Knittingparadise.com's Knitting Tea Party last week, and some thought it was too early. After leaving the peaches out overnight, they were plenty ripe enough. It made for easy peeling and chopping. I considered that a blessing, since I generally do not prefer to chop fruits and vegetables. While drinking my second cup of coffee, I chopped away at 7 peaches creating about 2 1/4 cups of chopped peaches. I washed my hands often at this point. I've never been a fan of sticky fruit juices either. Odd how I can play in the garden for hours without worry about dirt on my hands, but when its fruit juice, I have to rinse it off-Must be the sugars.

Then I measured in most of my bag of sugar. Its a good thing you only use jam a teaspoon or two at a time. 6 1/2 cups of sugar later, I wondered if it would all fit in the bowl I chose. Next, I poured in both packets of liquid fruit pectin, about 6 oz into a separate bowl. Then I squeezed in a 1/3 cup of lemon juice. I combined those two bowls into one, and added the vanilla seeds and almond extract. These are the extras not added in the Ball recipe, though the proportions for everything else are the same. Of course, I have difficulty pouring in tiny amounts of almond extract without spilling more than required in the original recipe. Oops;-). It is now Peach and Almond Freezer Jam.

The vanilla bean pieces were then added into the containers for the jam. I chose plastic containers to decrease the potential of breakage at this time. However, the leftovers went into the smaller glass pint jar. I also learned of cute half-pint freezer jam containers by Ball, but Meijer had run out, and their incomplete package without a box had one container and six lids. I used pint containers and now may be finding someone to share my peach jam with. It promises to be good;-). I have a recipe you can use it with as well.

I will definitely make this recipe again, quite possibly with different fruits, and different extracts for flavor. In other words, next time I bring home a quart or two of cherries, I just might make some cherry preserves and forget to tell James until they're ready;-).

P.S. To be entirely cheesy, this was easy-peachy jam-making at its best;-). I will update this blog in next day or two with actual taste of this jam once its set!

Recipe 102: Smoked Trout "Soufle"

Wonderful, wonderful wonderful! I will definitely make this recipe again.

The challenge: 1) Finding smoked trout. I just haven't had the time to smoke my own. And that requires more time than I honestly have. 2)Boning the fish 3)Keeping James' cat out of it.

I searched and searched and learned I can't type. James actually saved me on this one, though I'm currently fighting his cat out of the dip. James decided he wanted hamburgers for dinner friday night, and it was supposed to be my turn to cook. So after work, I hustled to the butcher shop to buy the burger, and lo and behold, there was smoked trout. I bought it then and there, only hesitating long enough to make sure I could work it into my budget. Obviously, I did. Then I took the book to Meijer and I picked up the rest of the ingredients I needed for this: gelatin and heavy cream. At home, I already had minced shallot, fresh parsley leaves, chives and pepper.

I did bone the fish and flake it while waiting for dishes to dry early this afternoon. It wasn't quite as difficult as I thought, but I think my cup of coffee helped with this greatly.

I mixed half of the heavy cream into a medium bowl and sprinkled them with two packets of gelatin. I then gently boiled the remaining cup of cream in a saucepan.
While I was waiting for the gelatin to "soften" the cream, and the cream in the pan to boil, I chopped the parsley and chives and dropped them into the food processor.
Then I added the flaked, smoked trout and shallots and poured the now boiling cream over the cold cream and gelatin mix. This started to make small bubbles similar to tapioca pudding, but not as pervasive. only slightly concerned, I processed the smoked trout and veggies in the processor until smooth, and thankfully, realized I'd forgotten the pepper before I added the cream. I added the pepper and processed really quickly, then added in the cream.

Now, the real fun begins: I get to create parchment paper collars for a 12oz ramekin I don't recall having. I find the ramekin, I wash it. I decide my extra storage in the back room is going to be cleaned and used now. Are there any organizers out there that work for food? Finally, after some finagling and a second bowl, I figure out the parchment paper collar and pour in the souffle/mousse. I now set it in the fridge and proceed to work on Peach Freezer Jam to keep myself from getting into the smoked trout stuff.

When I stop home to check my homemade clean out the fridge do it yourself chicken soup, I realized the smoked trout "souffle" is done. I get excited and come back for it after James goes to work-he wasn't keen on trying it until he has a day off due to the dairy content. There may be edits thrown in this week. I spread the dip on one wheat thin flatbread cracker, which I may learn to make myself to save money and for something to do when my play is over. I taste it, and its great. I just want to dive into the bowl with a spoon. So does Putzer, James' cat. My cat, Maeve, is sleeping on the floor without a care about seafood and cream. Putzer on the other hand, is right there, ready to taste. He gets shooed out and the "souffle" gets covered. It will certainly make its way into the fridge before I leave tonight. Not just to be kept cold, as cream and fish should be; but also to keep Putzer out of the dip.

Now I will have to make bread so I can make toast points to serve it on. As I said at the beginning: I will definitely make this recipe again. Please, give me an excuse to make this recipe again. I just need to be able to find the smoked trout;-). I'm so glad this makes more than one serving, or it'd be gone by now.
Happy appetizer making all!

Recipe 101: Apricot Clafouti

The challenge: Almond flour. I bought everything I needed for this recipe and thought I had the rest on hand. I must have thought when they said almond flour, they were asking for almond extract. So I didn't look for almond flour at my usual haunts. But the apricots needed to be used and I had planned to make this today, since I was up;-). (Shhh...I've never been a real morning person). I stopped at the local grocer's to check for almond flour, but they did not carry it in the specialty flour section. I thought about it, and decided that almond flour is just finely ground almonds. I was not driving anywhere today to obtain almond flour. I thought about researching it on the internet, but my internet source was in bed. I decided to experiment first, and research if I needed it. This is baking, and while it can get complicated, occasionally, baking is rarely hard.

I went home, having recalled I had slivered almonds already and poured about a cup into a container and blended them on high and puree or liquify until I got finely ground almonds and a coarse flour texture. The coffee grinder might have worked better, but I don't recall having rice in the house to clean it, and did not want to transfer coffee or spice flavors when they weren't intended(this time). Almond flour crisis averted, I began to mix the recipe.

The wet ingredients went together fairly easily, though I have a quarter cup of heavy cream I need something to do with, a half quart of whole milk left to go into my coffee. I thought about re-figuring the amounts in the recipe to work out as evenly as possible for most of the ingredients. I decided I had a day off and shouldn't nuke this. The vanilla bean was not as fresh as I'd like, so it was a bit tougher to scrape out the seeds for this recipe. In the future, I might use my homemade vanilla for flavor and just include a little extra. The bean flavors greatly, but gets a little pricey. If you no longer have to worry about a food budget, by all means, enjoy the vanilla bean;-). I also added butter and a tablespoon of brandy.

The dry ingredients went together even easier than the wet, drop in 1/2-3/4 cups of flours and sugar, add a 1/2 tsp of salt and combine with a fork. Then you add it to the wet mix. I beat it with an electric mixer, and was surprised that the mix did not thicken much, but there was more liquid than dry ingredients, and the texture is supposed to be between a custardy cake and a pancake. I decided not to worry about it.

Next, I pitted six apricots, possibly more, and cut them in half to fill the bottom of the buttered and floured baking dish. I did quarter a couple to fill the spaces better, and I cut one up to add to the batter for the fun of it. The apricots floated to the top of the clafouti. I'm not sure if they were supposed to. By this time, I decided I had to live with it.

Next, I baked it at 350F for 40 minutes. Then I sprinkled the top with some slivered almonds and baked for another 5 minutes. Sadly, I had to wait 10 whole minutes for it to cool before I could try it. I survived, but it was difficult;-).
The texture was close to a custard, but thicker and slightly more like cake, but wet moist cake. Had I baked this in ramekins with a water bath, I would have had apricot custard. It was good. I'm not sure I get the nutty flavor Emeril claims the almond flour is supposed to give it, but I haven't had it any other way at this point.

I will definitely make this recipe again. First I'm going to try it with cherries. Later, I'm going to just have fun with it. It is a fun and easy recipe. Enjoy.
P.S. James thought it was good too.

Recipe 100: Fresh Crowder Peas

The challenge: 1) Finding Crowder Peas 2)The small dice. This is an easy recipe, only if you buy your veggies already chopped and your peas already shelled.

Challenge 1) I spent forever searching out crowder peas in the market(Palace of Hell as its referred to on the Knitting Paradise weekly Knitting Tea Party, I did not find them after all-anywhere, so I gave up and bought the fatter peas in the pod, wondering if most peas aren't crowder peas. Not all the peas were crowded in the pods, but of those that were, they certainly had the squared edges referred to in the note.

I spent an hour shelling peas last night, and called my aunt Maryal to chat and ease the boredom of such a repetitive task. She suggested I was quite ambitious. By the time I was done, I whole-heartedly agreed with her. I'm not sure I got enough peas.

This morning, when I was woken early by James' niece Katie to wish me a Happy Independence Day, I decided I may as well get up and start cooking. I got breakfast first, and did some other online things, then hit the kitchen, jogging.

Challenge 2) I chopped a 1/2 cup each of the vegetables and realized that I could use either pre-diced fresh veggies(which I cannot afford) or a sous-chef, which I also cannot afford. James had already gone to sleep for the day. So, I began dicing carrots, onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Then I proceeded to mince the garlic. The veggies went into the pan with a little olive oil to cook for five minutes, or until tender.

Next I added the garlic and stirred while cooking for a minute. Once the garlic was incorporated, I added the peas and chicken stock(I used broth), thyme sprigs and bay leaves as well as crushed red pepper and brought the mix to a boil. Then I set the burner to simmer and the timer for 25 minutes and chopped a tablespoon of fresh parsley, and took care of some other tasks. I was running water to rinse dishes when the timer went off and I didn't hear it. Fortunately, I was still in the kitchen close to the peas and realized I needed to check time. I only went two minutes over with a five minute window. I was glad I checked.

I removed the thyme and bay leaves and tasted. I could taste the pepper and wasn't sure I liked it at first. Then I served myself a bowl because, like it or not, this is part of my veggies for the week. When I prepped my bowl, I added some of the parsley, some salt and pepper. This dish went from just okay, I'm not sure about it, to pretty darn good. Its amazing what a little fresh parsley added just before serving can do for a dish. Now I need to do something with the rest of the parsley, hmmm....

Alas, I enjoyed this recipe. If I make it again, I just might employ a sous-chef like I was planning. But I will likely make it again, I have peas growing in the garden. Maybe I'll borrow my nephew for this, or have James help after my play is done this year. If you have a mouthy teenager around, I strongly recommend you employ them as a sous-chef on this dish;-), but that's just my take on this. Happy Peas.

Recipe 99: Nectarine and Mascarpone Tart in a Sugar Cookie Crust

The challenge: Locating Peach Jam. I should have made the recipe at the back of the book. I found peach preserves and used them.

The picture of this tart looks so good, I was excited to see peaches and nectarines begin to come into season. The recipe was pretty easy, overall.

Next time, I would use better or homemade sugar cookies in this recipe, or more likely, I'll use graham crackers or oreos. I still wonder how this recipe will taste with chocolate drizzled over it.

It went together rather easy, the toughest part was almost the waiting-but we all know by now that I'm really good at distracted cooking or capable of making it happen. Once I crumbled the sugar cookies and processed them to make crumbs and mixed them with butter, I pressed them into the bottom of the pan. I crumbled a few extra to make sure the bottom was covered. I baked this for about 9 minutes, or hoped I was close, and was glad to pull it out of the oven before it was over-cooked. I allowed the crust to cool while I did some dishes and created the filling.

Then, I creamed together the mascarpone and cream cheeses and added the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla and almond extract. I spread this over the sugar cookie crust and refridgerated for two hours(up to one day). Later, after taking a walk, and visiting James before he went to work, I sliced the nectarines and arranged them on the chilled crust and filling.

Once the nectarines were arranged prettily, I warmed the peach preserves and brushed them over the nectarines. Then I got a knife, spatula and fork, and dug in.
It was good, but I honestly think it would be better as the peaches and cream it is supposed to be a play off of. I think I would rather have rasperries top the cream cheese and mascarpone filling than nectarines. But this is my opinion. If you love nectarines, you will be in heaven. If you do not love nectarines, my suggestion is to find a tart fruit you will love and use that. If you do not like tart fruit, well, I'm not sure what to advise. You might pull off a sweet one, like peaches, but I'm afraid you'll still be left with something to be desired.

In addition, I realized by the next day, this dish is meant to be served the day it is finished, not any later. The nectarines begin to ooze juice and it runs into the sugar cookie crust. Its not bad like this, but its better if there aren't going to be many leftovers for this dish, which makes it great for a potluck or sunday picnic or family gathering. Not for a single woman with only so much time and a sweet tooth;-).

If I make this recipe again, it will be done differently. It was still good enough my nieces might talk me into it, but the raspberries should be ready by the time they visit;-).

Recipe 98: Lemon-Scented Orichchiette Pasta with Fava Beans and Fresh Tarragon

The challenge: Fava beans, 1)They were supposed to be fresh. I didn't plant them, so I bought them dried. 2)They still need to be peeled. 3)Time, time, time...to everything there is a season...some evenings-tired and hungry, it felt as if it would take all season to peel these things, and it is summer now, I believe.

The story: I soaked the beans overnight, then I began the peeling. You've already heard that complaint. Next, since they are now the equivalent of fresh or as close as I can get right now, I began to boil them in lightly salted water, and blanched them quickly in an ice bath. Once blanched, I began cooking the pasta and peeling the rest of the beans I didn't get to earlier. I believe I mentioned this took some time. Emeril ever so cheerfully says: "Pinch of a strip of the skin and pop the bean out of the skin into the bowl, set it aside." It was not that easy, except maybe two beans. Some beans felt like peeling hard boiled eggs, only the shells didn't crack.

If you have never played with fava beans, you just might notice that they are a cross between kidneys, ears, and peanuts. I'm still not certain how this is managed, but I'll get on with the pasta and the sauce. I bought oricchette pasta and was grateful the little caps that resemble nursing masks were easy to cook.

Now, the sauce, the good part, I hope. I heated olive oil in the pan, added the shallot and garlic to saute' until fragrant. Next I poured in a little white wine and cooked until almost reduced, another 2 to 3 minutes. I then added a cup of chicken stock, and reduced it by half. Some days, I wonder at all the reductions chefs seem to love. I hope it really does bring out more flavors, but this is the easy part. Once the stock has reduced, add the favas, lemon zest, butter, tarragon, salt and pepper. Make sure the favas are heated through and the sauce is thick and flavorful. Take pan off heat at this time.

Note about the wine: I used a Sugar Bush wine from Salt River Winery out of Shepherd, MI. I prefer the flavors of the home-made white wine, and often find it drier than what I can pay for in the stores. Plus, I've found only about two white wines I can tolerate in stores, and I can't remember either of them. So, I use the wine Lauri brings me from her winery, in exchange for my empty bottles. I haven't found a better trade-off.

When the pasta is al dente-11 minutes, according to the box, drain it, then add it to the sauce to coat. Next, add the fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano and toss. Here, I bought the cheaper already grated $6.29 container of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and waited nearly a week to use it, but I did not open it. I may have enough for one more recipe. However, a $9-11 brick of parmigiano-reggiano does tend to get me through at least four recipes. I think I will go with the brick in the future.

And then to taste. It left something to be desired. I think it was the size and texture of the fava bean mostly, the sauce was nice, even with the white wine in it. After trying it, I didn't feel I could really place what it needed. When I went back for a little more later, I realized that the recipe needed cannellini beans instead of fava beans. With the smaller size and the creaminess, this recipe would have tasted much better. I do not expect to make this recipe again, however, if I feel the need for pasta and beans and do not make spezzatino, I will certainly use cannellini beans. I'm honestly not sure why Emeril doesn't, but I expect he has his reasons.

This felt like a recipe you make when you are young and trying to impress someone you don't like, maybe a spouse's boss. You slave all day, and it doesn't come out, but they have to be polite and tell you its good, especially as you explain what it took to shell each of these beans. And the whole time you explain that your hands touched every bean here, they hope you have washed your hands often and well.

I will not make this recipe again. Sorry, Emeril, you cannot win them all;-).

Recipe 97: Asparagas and Baby Red Russian Kale Slaw

The challenge: Finding Baby Red Russian Kale...and pencil thin asparagas. The weakness: I gave up and settled for Red Kale, it happened to be organic, and the smallest asparagas being sold this week. However, settling or not, this is not your mama's salad, at least not my mother's-then again, she never liked leafy greens, nor asparagas. I believe this was true as I was in college when I tried either for the first time.

The recipe: No cooking, yeah! It also went together in less than an hour, including prep time. But this recipe serves four, not six or eight. I shaved the two ounces or so of Parmigiano-Romano cheese I thought I had...later, I realized I had pecorino-romano, must edit previous blog;-). However, compared the Parmagiano-Reggiano already grated to the Wisconsin Parmesan and found it still more flavorful, though only someone directly comparing or a true cheese snob would notice the difference. I may give my okay for using this substitute on second attempts at a recipe.

I began by ribbing and slicing the kale, then I sliced some of the asparagas, and realized the dressing needs to be made first. So, I set the salad/slaw aside and went to work on the dressing. I added the Parmiagiano-Reggiano chesse to two Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, then I zested the lemon and wondered if I should get one of those really cool zesters I see on cooking battles. The hand-grater works though. And I have a small zester-but that grabs more of the pith than I like. Next I added in small amounts of salt and fresh ground peppper. Then I whisked in the 1/4 cup of olive oil...now I'll be cooking with canola oil the rest of the week and hoping olive oil is on sale this week. I set the dressing aside as directed.

I went back to finishing chopping the asparagas into 1" slices, and added another 1/4 tsp of salt and black pepper(I eyeballed this), and began to mix. Then I remembered my really big stainless steel salad bowl and put it in there to mix. It mixed much easier and I added in the shaved Parmesan and tossed with the dressing. While I waited for it, I checked my garden and returned a phone call. I was only supposed to wait ten minutes, and I was hungry. I think I was on the phone for half an hour, but that's the way it goes. Now I'll need to find kid friendly Emeril recipes to make soon. I'm borrowing my nieces and nephew sometime in the next three weeks.

Then I tasted the salad/slaw, and found it very good. It seemed like it would go really well with white wine, but I don't drink white wine. So I settled for soda and considered that maybe I just wanted wine, or I was considering the recipe I was making next. I get to play with fava beans, then all my dishes will need to washed again.

I will definitely make this recipe again, I have kale growing in my garden, I must introduce my best friend to it, it might get dubbed lizard food, but I'm not sure he can have the cheese or the oil. ;-).

Recipe 96: Wilted Chard with Walnut Pesto and a Balsamic Reduction

So, its been a busy week, and some of you might have begun thinking I've been slacking on my blog duties. In all honesty, I've been slacking on cooking duties this week. As a result, I decided I better get my tush back into the kitchen. An hour and a half and a few dishes later, I still have work to do, but the food is good. And that's why we're here, isn't it?

I should have begun by prepping my chard into pretty julienne slices. Instead, I began with step one and prepared my pesto. This called for 2 cups of parsley I only had to chop most of the stems off, say, that looks like two cups and drop into the food processor. I almost thought this could be an easy recipe. Its not hard, but its helpful if you have a sous chef, or prep things in advance. I chopped about a cup of walnuts, toasted them in the oven, and put 3/4 of them into the food processor. I was hungry, you can guess where the extra ended up. I then had to grate a fair amount of parmigiano-reggiano cheese. What luck, I still have a quarter of a brick, maybe a third and didn't need more than half. I did taste test an American style of parmesan cheese that is less costly. Its nice and nutty, but it doesn't have the bite I've grown accustomed to. In addition, I've decided that for the amount of recipes I use a brick of parmigiano-reggiano in, its worth the cost. Now I have to find a simple use for this other stuff...it's coming along, don't worry.

Edit: I learned the next day as I was making another recipe that I was comparing the American/Wisconsin Parmesan to Pecorrino-Romano cheese, which has more bite and less nut. I compared the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, which the package assured me it was to the American and likely, only the most discerning or snobbish of palates will notice. However, I will buy another brick of Parmigiano-Reggiano to compare to the American soon and be sure. It's only fair to compare bricks to bricks as that's how you get truly fresh grated cheese. End edit.

I processed this with two cloves of crushed garlic a few times, then added in the olive oil in a thin stream. I wondered while adding it if I could get away with half the amount. It probably would have made for a thicker pesto. Next I added some lemon juice-fresh squeezed, of course. Then I zested the lemon to add to the mix and added a little salt and ground black pepper. I processed this, once again, then scraped down the sides and left the pesto alone for a bit.

Then I followed the next step and began to reduce the balsamic vinegar while I sliced some chard. I had two bunches instead of three, and forgot about that until I pulled out the chard. Too late to go back now, I'll have extra pesto is all. Yes, this nearly resulted in disaster. The vinegar did start to boil, but hadn't reduced enough in the first try, so I turned the heat down and let it reduce longer. While it cooked, I turned my back on the reduction and proceeded to rib and slice the chard. When I finished the first bunch of chard, I had boiled balsamic and not enough liquid. I poured it back in the pan and took it into the backyard and dumped it. I then came back in and tried again. Luckily you never use enough balsamic to not be able to do it again. I started over and paid closer attention as I finished ribbing and slicing the second bunch of chard. I kept the heat a little lower so it would take a little longer. This time, it reduced nicely, and when I got it to just over the 1/4 cup I needed, I turned off the burner and left the pan there and finally finished ribbing and slicing the chard.

I located my grapeseed oil next, and placed it into the saute pan. I'm so glad I have a large cast iron pan, even if it is enameled. It makes it easier to wilt huge bunches of chard. I added the 3T. pesto and the rest of the salt and fresh ground black pepper. I allowed the chard to cook through while rinsing off and cleaning up my work surfaces. It took a little longer than I expected to wilt. And the instructions left out what to do with the rest of the pesto. I ended up tossing it in along with the drizzle of the balsamic and enjoying a very good dish.

I will definitely make this recipe again. I'm wondering if these ingredients would make a good salad if they are not cooked, I think it might be easier to work with. I enjoyed this meal, and it was nice, but it wasn't quite perfect. I'm still trying to figure out what would turn it from good into bliss. I will admit the balsamic made me think of having a really nice chard salad with a favorite glass of wine.

I will definitely make this recipe again, especially if my chard seeds turn into chard. Happy eating. Oh, and the leftover pesto, is probably going on tomorrow's left over orichette pasta. I do love double duty.

Recipe 95: Saute'ed Ramps with Applewood Smoked Bacon

The challenge: 1)As a city girl, I needed to find ramps, they don't sell these in stores;-). Solution-Travel to visit friend in Ludington, search for ramps there, but without prior planning...2)Small town farm land meets big city gourmet...where do you find Applewood smoked bacon in Ludington? None of the farmer's are advertising. Since I didn't plan this recipe, I didn't pick up the bacon before hand.

The story: I was planning to stay home this weekend and garden, knit, read, cook and sleep. It sounded like a good plan. Jeri called me and asked me to come to Ludington to help her with some projects and visit. I decided to go, after only a little nudging. After all, spending the weekend with friends would be just a bit more fun, and the garden can go in when I have a little more cash flow. Maybe the weather will be better.

I get there Saturday afternoon, and after speckling her walls to prep for more paint, I ask if there is a good place to search for ramps around Ludington. Jeri then asks her dad, who sends us off to a two track that hasn't been plowed over, but has dips bigger than her car tires and a nice sand pit in the middle of the trail. This may bring back memories for some of you. To Jeri, this was the undercarriage cleaning provided courtesy of mother nature. As we wound through the trail and around and through dips and over the sand pit, she reminded me she hadn't yet told her car it was not a truck. I thought that a wise idea.

The directions were reasonable, and though it was late in the season and it has been quite rainy. So we dug up the ramps, kept some leaves-the ones that weren't too yellow or yucky. Then we took the ramps back to clean them off and separate them. We also picked some for Jeri's dad, to thank him for the directions. Of course, while there, I asked about sorrel, which I've cooked with, but gets expensive. I'll have to find some another time. Jeri's herb-expert friend, Maggie, could not locate sorrel at this time, so we'll have to look another day. Its not required for this recipe, anyways.

The next day, after visiting Jeri's church and Maggie's step-mother's birthday party in Manistee(in which I was invited back to the next party in early August, maybe even the 4th of July), we went searching for Applewood-smoked bacon. I felt bad about being exact, and after two stores, thought maybe I'd have to bring the ramps home to make it. Jeri and Maggie are not stopped that easily. Jeri called the local Meijer in Ludington to check if they had Applewood-Smoked bacon, not hardwood smoked. It was pricier than I planned, but it worked out, after we checked two other stores and found an interesting sage cheese that while quite good, would also make a great eery brain cover for a halloween dish or a fun St. Patrick's day cheese. I think this was at Best Choice. In the end, we went to five stores in two counties to find Applewood-smoked Bacon at Meijer. This time, I had two friends with me on the adventure, and neither one of them complained about this search. They're people I'm glad to call friends.

After calling other friends and letting Maggie have at it with barbecue sauce-co-conspired by Jeri, we had some excellent chicken on the barbecue and I don't care much for barbecue...I've just never had barbecue with Joyce's Black and Red Raspberry Homemade Jam before. Maggie's barbecue sauce will be posted on Blindly Dash later on Facebook. I put Jeri's nephew to work on the ramps first, but he didn't like onions and ended up with another kitchen duty. Being almost a teenager, we decided it was time he got an appreciation for what goes into a good feast while he normally plays video games.

I think I ended up making a double batch of this recipe which takes 6 oz applewood-smoked bacon(which smelled just incredible and added a nice sweetness) to 1# or so of ramps as well as the leaves, with salt and pepper to taste. It didn't need much salt and pepper. I sauteed the bacon, but probably added the ramps a little soon. I also realized I might not have had the heat high enough. The ramps didn't carmelize as quick as they were supposed to. Jeri did come into to help me with this part, as I began to lose patience after slicing ramps into quarter inch pieces, and forgetting that double the size often takes double the cooking time. She helped me to ensure the dish came out great, instead of just okay. Its good to have friends help. I'm sure I have forgotten some great funny detail, but that's what the comment section is for.

I will definitely make this recipe again, probably earlier in the Spring, likely with a little more planning. It wasn't the weekend I planned, but it was all the better for the unplanned and adventurous to take over for a bit.

Happy Ramp Searching, my friends!

Recipe 94: Rustic Blackberry Cobbler

The challenge: Feeling healthy enough to cook. I'd gotten another spring cold from walking in a cool, damp rain. After deciding James was cooking on Wednesday, I made simple chicken fajitas on Thursday. Having bought some blackberries fresh on the Friday or Saturday before, I decided they needed to be used soon. Fortunately, this was not a three hour dish. I also cheated with this recipe and picked up some frozen blackberries as I wasn't sure I had quite enough for this recipe.

So as I was making dinner, I began the berry prep and halved the recipe first off, I didn't have 4 full pints of blackberries, and there are only two of us. The standard recipe serves six to eight people. So I popped in two pints of blackberries, sugar, a little cornstarch, and a teaspoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice. I've bought so many lemons, I think its just habit to walk into the store and pick up a lemon and pop it in the cart.

Once the berries were tossed and mixed with the juice thickener, I popped them into a 375 degree oven and let them cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Then I began the pastry dough, all while subjecting James to a favorite old movie from high school that I had watched previously that week, _Used People_. You should like romances if you run out and rent this movie, or add it to your Netflix queue. For the biscuit part, I included flour, baking powder, salt, some cold unsalted butter and mixed with my hands until I formed course crumbs. I'm finding my hands work best for this, but I do not have a pastry blender to try, and I find I prefer to just get in there with my hands. Once I got to the coarse crumb texture I added some buttermilk and homemade vanilla(whiskey cured vanilla bean) and formed a dough, which I then rolled out and cut into rounds using a ramekin, it was handy and close to recommended two and a half inches.

When the berries were juiced and ready from the baking, I added the biscuits to the top and returned the dish to the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. After a few moments of letting the berries cool (15-20), I served them up in bowls and James thought they were good enough to take the entire dish home. He settled for seconds. I was kind enough to share the leftovers with him the next night for dessert.

It is still a little early for blackberries though, so they were a little tart, but I think I found that even in the frozen ones. I will definitely make this recipe again. I expect it will be with fresh blackberries and raspberries hand-picked from my backyard. James also put in a request for a blueberry recipe of this later in the summer. I have a strong feeling we'll be seeing this recipe again and often during the summer, though I've yet to update the Rhubarb-strawberry crisp and will play with berries in that recipe as well. It could be fun summer of berries;-).