Chilled Cucumber Soup Tweetcipe

What’s easy to make, refreshing to eat, seasonal and not too fattening?  Another recipe I love from The Sugar Mill Cookbook.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

4 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into 1” chunks

1 ½ c chicken broth

1 ½ c sour cream or plain yogurt

2 small garlic cloves, chopped

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I use champagne vinegar)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Garnish (optional):

Chopped tomato

Chopped green onions

Chopped chives

Minced dill

Combine all ingredients except your chosen garnish in a food processor or blender.  Puree until smooth.  You may have to do this in batches.  Chill.  Pour into serving bowls and sprinkle with garnish.  Serves 6.

Amish Cooking: The History of a Recipe is the History of its People

With so much information available on the Internet, I do not buy cookbooks as often as I used to. That is a shame, really, because a cookbook has personality and gives the reader a certain perspective that allows the recipes to mix into a culinary diary of sorts. Today when you go onto the Internet to find a recipe, you are just getting the recipe. You do not get the point of view or the personality that is a part of the history of that recipe, which is unfortunate.

While I am no longer collecting cookbooks, I do have some that I have not opened in years. I cannot possibly give them away, and it is fun to occasionally revisit a favorite book like the  one that I picked up in Ohio a few years ago. It is a beautiful book, called “Cooking from Quilt Country: Hearty Recipes from Amish and Mennonite Kitchens,” written by Marcia Adams. In 1989 the author also hosted the 26-part national PBS cooking series, “Amish Cooking from Quilt Country.” Adams was fortunate enough to be invited to spend over a year in Amish and Mennonite kitchens; there she was introduced to a cooking lifestyle that is untouched by time. The book, like the series, explores cooking that is closely associated with the land and the seasons.

The Amish have a unique cooking style, very simple and rustic, yet fresh; they make everything  from scratch, and that goes for their food as well as every item they use in their daily life. I have tried a few recipes out of this cookbook. While the Amish do use a lot of white sugar (which, granted, is processed) and other ingredients that are not typically on my standard list, the book is still really fascinating. The cookbook goes into the history of the Amish and the Mennonites, giving examples of a typical Easter meal or a wedding meal and the tradition behind the dishes.

Adams writes that “It would be impossible to write a book about the food of the Amish without reviewing their history, for their history has written their recipes” (xii).   “Cooking from Quilt Country” illustrates the history and the recipes of the Amish, blending these elements into an entertaining and enlightening narrative. I have quite a few cookbooks still on the shelf, and I’m excited about the idea of sharing more of my favorites in future posts.

Until next time, eat well.

Chicken Drummettes Tweetcipe

Want a quick chicken recipe that everyone in the family will like and, if there’s any left over, makes a great afternoon or midnight snack?  When I don’t feel much like cooking I do one of two things –strongly suggest to my husband that he should take us out for dinner, or bake these chicken drummettes. You know what I’m talking about: some people call them buffalo wings. The trimmed chicken wings are white meat, for those who are counting calories, and inexpensive. You should be able to find them in the store with the tips already removed. I add a quick salad to complete the meal.

Chicken Drummettes

Chicken wings, tips removed (plan on 6-8 per person)

Your favorite dry rub or a combination of 3-4 dried herbs/spices (use your imagination)

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Grapeseed oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cover the bottom and sides of a baking sheet pan with foil.

Place the chicken wings in a large bowl and drizzle grapeseed oil over them. Toss them until they are evenly coated in oil.  Lightly sprinkle coarse salt over the chicken.  Add pepper and spices. Toss drummettes again until they are evenly coated.

Spread the drummettes on the baking sheet in one layer. Cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is nicely browned, turning the drummettes half way through.

Eat Seasonally and Eat Fresh

I have often mentioned the advantages of visiting your local CSA or farmers’ market for your fresh seasonal produce and organically raised meats, in terms of maximizing the nutritional value in the food and in terms of supporting local businesses. Frequent visits to the farmers’ market can also help you balance your diet, educate your palate (as everyone’s palate is different), and make each dining experience an unexpected adventure in the kitchen.

Spring flew in early this year, and as a result our plates are already displaying beautiful yellow and red veggies (squash and corn and tomatoes, Oh My!). Buying from a farmers’ market will let you take advantage of the freshest produce and tempts you to explore new flavors. When you become bored with the same meals over and over again, I encourage you to let the seasons dictate what’s for dinner. 

As you mull over what to prepare for your next meal or meals, dare to try something that is unique and perhaps challenging to your palate. In other words, try something that is not your favorite. For instance, I’ve been getting beets in my CSA basket lately.  My husband and I are not big fans of beets, but I know that they are very good for you. I know I want to like them, so I want to cook them in a way that will surprise even me.  I  explore ways to jazz up beets by visiting recipe websites like FoodNetwork.com or epicurious.com, searching for recipes that include beets. I have oranges in the refrigerator too; so what can I do with beets and oranges?

When you put those items into a search, you may come up with ten or fifteen recipes that you read through and say to yourself, “Okay, I’ve got all the ingredients for this one and it sounds pretty good,” or you may read reviews – it’s very important to read the reviews – finding that other users liked the recipe even better when substituting a particular ingredient. The roasted beet, onion, and orange salad I found on my search rates very highly, receives good reviews, and those that tried the recipe offered ideas for substitutions in terms of ingredients and preparation. And here, I have to interject my personal substitution of golden beets over red beets for a less in-your-face beet flavor.  You, too, can inventory your pantry, search the Internet, and create something fresh – but it all begins with a trip to the farmers’ market for inspiration.

Until next time, eat well.

Emerald Eggs Tweetcipe

I was working last St. Patrick’s Day.  The menu I was to cook for the nine men who were having a “Guys Only” weekend was set, but I wanted to make one more dish, an amuse bouche, that represented St. Patrick’s Day.  I found the following recipe on www.foodnetwork.com and it did not disappoint!  And, as a kicker, these green deviled eggs are great for the little ones who want to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss (March 2, 1904).  Just add a small slice of shaved ham on top.

Emerald Eggs

6 organic eggs, hard-boiled

1 cup watercress leaves

¼ cup mayonnaise (I use safflower mayo)

2 T chopped scallions

2 T chopped tarragon

salt and pepper to taste

Peel eggs and cut them in half.  Scoop the yolks into a food processor and puree with watercress, mayonnaise, scallions, tarragon, salt and pepper.  Fill a quart Ziploc bag with the filling.  Snip off a corner and pipe the filling into the egg whites.  Sprinkle with smoked paprika.

Keep Fresh Fruit in Season in Spite of the Weather

I heard on John Dromgoole’s gardening radio show recently that fruit trees that bud too early will drop their buds, and they won’t produce fruit in the summer. This last winter was certainly warmer than average across the country, and I think that the expected effects of the mild winter and early spring make for an interesting topic to focus on.

The Cornell Daily Sun recently published an article discussing the phenomenon called “The Jumanji Effect.” This effect resulting from warmer winter weather is demonstrated by the premature awakening of hibernating animals, a “baby boom” within animal populations that do not hibernate, and the subsequent impact of these changes for animal species that directly impact the flora and fauna as well as people. This same phenomenon is what can place apple blossoms, for instance, at risk of freezing, making them unable to produce fruit later on. Irregular weather patterns can affect the production of fruit trees in general. This information shared by the University of Rhode Island explains that fruit trees need cold weather “to promote spring growth.” This concern is echoed by other experts.

Fruit production specialists at Purdue University point out that fruit-bearing trees and plants are weeks ahead of their winter dormancy schedule, placing peach trees, grapevines, blueberry plants, as well as apple trees at risk. One killing frost will destroy these crops for the year. Of course, such an occurrence would affect job stability for those that harvest these fruits and affect the availability of fresh fruit and those goods manufactured from these fruits.

While we all may be enjoying the mild winter – warmer temperatures, lower heating costs, outdoor recreation, and the like – the fruit trees and plants, the animal populations, and other crops are mildly confused. At least for this year, we must hope that weather patterns do not return to normal, so we may enjoy the fruits of nature’s premature labor.

Should you find that the a lack of available fresh fruit drives prices up at the store, exceeding your budget, you still have options to keep fruit in your home and in your diet. Choose produce from a local CSA or farmer’s market instead of produce from the grocery chain. And at the grocery store, choose frozen fruit over canned if your fresh produce options are limited. You do not have to sacrifice quality or shatter your grocery budget to enjoy the freshness of the season!

Until next time, eat well.

Fresh Lime Pie Tweetcipe

It’s been over a year since I’ve visited a former, and perhaps my favorite home. I lived on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands for almost 10 years. I worked as a massage therapist when I arrived there, but during lean times I found some work at a restaurant called The Fish Trap, making cheesecake and fresh lime pie.

Tortola has been on my mind a lot lately, so I’m going to share a simple pie recipe from my Caribbean era. The recipe comes from The Sugar Mill Hotel Cookbook. The Sugar Mill is the nicest boutique hotel on Tortola, and lunching at the hotel’s Island Restaurant, which sits right on the beach on the North side, was always a treat, even for us residents.

FRESH LIME PIE

1 lightly baked store-bought pie shell
3 eggs, separated
1 small can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Lime zest from 1 lime
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup of sugar

Preheat oven at 350. Pour condensed milk into a medium bowl. Beat egg yolks in a small bowl with a hand mixer until light yellow and thick. Stir into condensed milk. Add lime juice and rind. Pour into prepared crust. In a clean bowl with clean beaters beat egg whites with cream of tartar until thick and then very slowly add sugar. Beat until shiny peaks form. Spread over lime filling making swirls and peaks. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 min.