Dog Days...

Another lovely sunny day in the 'hood. Days like this are made for taking vacation. After a leisurely coffee reading the newspaper, the dog and I headed out for a walk across the bridge. When we got home, it was time to say goodbye to Son #1 for another week, then on to canning more tomato sauce, doing laundry, and trying  out yet another bread recipe - this one was for a fruit and nut braided loaf. I've been thinking about trying out different types of jellies too - specifically, I'd like to make some clover jelly, but wouldn't you know it, can't find any clovers close to home. So, casting my eye around the garden, I spotted some lovely red and purple phlox and thought to myself...why not? Currently, I'm infusing the flowerheads overnight. Tomorrow we'll see how it all turns out. I've also got my eye on the roadside rosebushes, which I know from past experience yield a really lovely jelly.

Fruit & Nut Braided Loaf

3 3/4 c all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 c milk
1/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tsp shredded lemon peel
3 tbs pecan-raspberry butter
1/2 c chopped apricots and figs, soaked in warm water and drained; reserve liquid
3 tbs sugar
1 egg white
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 egg
1 tbs water

1. In large bowl, stir together 1 1/ 2 c flour and yeast. Set aside.
2. In saucepan, heat and stir the milk, butter, 1/4 c sugar and salt until just warm (120 - 130 F). Add to flour mixture, then add 2 eggs and egg yolk. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on high for 3 minutes. Stir in lemon peel and as much of remaining flour as you can.
3. Turn the dough out onto floured surface. Knead in remaining flour to make a smooth elastic dough (about 6-8 min). Shape dough into ball and place in well greased bowl, turning to grease surface of ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled (1 1/2 hours).
4. In saucepan, heat pecan-raspberry butter and 1/4 c of drained apricot-fig liquid. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and stir in chopped fruit, nuts, 3 tbs sugar, egg white and lemon juice. Set aside.
5. Punch down dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and divide in two. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Grease two baking sheets. In small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and water. Set aside.
7. Roll each half of dough into a 12 x 10 inch rectangle. Cut each rectangle into three 10 x 4 inch strips (6 strips in total). Divide fruit mixture evenly, spreading along center third of each strip. Brush edges of strips with egg mixture. Fold long sides of dough over filling and press all edges tightly to seal.
8. Place three filled "ropes", seam-side down, 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Starting in the middle, loosely braid by bring left rope under center rope, then right rope under new center rope; Repeat to end. Turn tray around and repeat on other side. Press ends together and tuck under loaf. Repeat for second loaf. Cover and let rise in warm place for 1 hour.
9. Brush loaves with remaining egg mixture. Bake in 350 F oven for 30 minutes in total,  tenting foil loosely over loaf for last 15 minutes of baking to prevent burning. Remove from oven and turn out onto wire racks to cool. Place in airtight container or bag and store for up to 3 days. Can be frozen for up to 3 months - thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours.

Summer Soccer Season Is At An End --- At Last!!!

Today is the end-of-season BBQ for Clara's soccer team. They had mixed results over the season, but did make it into the provincial tournament, only to lose out in the bronze medal game. Although an enjoyable sport, I have to confess that for my tastes, matches last far too long, especially when compared with the average hockey game. I found that, with matches or practice scheduled four nights out of seven, my summer evenings were consumed by soccer---and I would have preferred a bit more time to lounge about on our patio enjoying a glass or two and some nibblies. That said, it was a fun season and Clara plans to stay with the team as they join the women's winter league. For tonight's event, I will be taking a pesto-cheese ladder loaf and a pan of brownies.

Pesto-Cheese Ladder Loaf

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 tbs chopped garlic
1/3 cup freshly grated parmeggiano reggiano
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbs flour
2 cups flour
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 cup cold butter
2 tbs freshly grated parmeggiano reggiano
1/2 cup freshly grated provolone (I used artisanal swiss beer cheese instead)
1 cup milk

Add basil, pine nuts, and garlic to blender. Puree, then add in parmeggiano and olive oil. Pulse until smooth. Stir in 1 tbs flour. Set aside. Meanwhile, in large bowl combine flour, sugar, and 2 tbs parmeggiano. Cut in butter using pastry knife, until mixture is coarse crumbs. Toss in provolone to coat. Add milk all at once and stir to combine. Turn out onto well-floured surface and knead about 12 times to achieve a smooth elastic dough. Place on wax paper and roll out to 15 x 9 inch rectangle, flouring hands and rolling pin as necessary. Flip rectangle onto ungreased baking sheet. Spread pesto along middle third of rectangle, lenthwise. Cut strips into both sides of dough in about 3 inches and space 1 inch apart. Alternating sides, cross one strip over another working your way down the loaf and pinching together the two strips as they overlap. Bake at 400 F for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.

I say tomahto, you say tomayto....

The tomatoes in our garden are ripening at a furious pace, about 3 weeks earlier than normal. Thus, I've had to sterilize the mason jars, and get busy chopping, chopping, chopping. Every year, I try to put up between 30 and 50 jars of pasta sauce, enough to last us for the winter and if we're lucky, up to about May. Usually, I'm getting started on this in mid-September, but as I noted, it's earlier this year. I will use all the tomatoes in our garden and then go out and u-pick some more to make salsa, another favorite with both the kids and adults in our family.

Basic Tomato Sauce

 

1 large white onion, diced

3-4 stalks of celery, chopped, including leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

About 40-50 plum tomatoes, quartered and seeded

1 each red and yellow peppers, diced

3 sachets chicken oxo
1 tbs each dried oregano, dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme, dried marjoram
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
3 tbs maple syrup
2 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp hot pepper flakes
6 oz tomato paste

2 bay leaves

In large, heavy-bottomed stock pot, saute onion, celery, and garlic in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to slow boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 4-6 hours, until desired consistency is reached. Immediately pour into sterilized mason jars and seal. Process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Store in cool, dry, dark spot.

An afternoon at the theatre, followed by dinner for four

Today, we went to a late-afternoon performance at TNB to see the "Bricklin, an automotive fantasy", a play about the ill-fated venture to build a world-class sportscar in New Brunswick, with  funding supplied by the province - a piece of our not-so-distant history. We were joined by Ralph's brother Larry and sister-in-law Sue, and while there, ran into an old friend, Dave Milburn, who now lives in Hampton. Dave's mother Helen and daughter, Georgie, were with him and everyone came back to our house after the play for drinks and snacks. Larry and Sue, as planned, stayed for supper, but we couldn't persuade Dave and crew to stay too as they wanted to avoid driving after dark (and thus running into moose and deer, etc.). The play, by the way, was fantastic. Very well done, and extremely amusing.

Tonight's menu

Garlic BBQ'd shrimp
Selection of cheeses
Garlic French bread
Lobster salad, with Asian vinaigrette
Chimichurri marinated steak
Wild rice
Steamed carrots
Grand Marnier chocolate cupcakes with chocolate ganache
Wines
Fuzion Shiraz and Lindemann's 2005 Shiraz,
Kiwi-pear white, and some Austrian white chardonnay
Trois-Pistoles beer

Chimichurri Marinade

4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 c parsley, chopped
1 c coriander leaves, chopped
2 tbs fresh oregano, chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
2 hot red peppers, chopped (I used Fresno variety)
3/4 c white wine vinegar
3/4 c extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Put all ingredients, except olive oil and salt, in blender and puree. Slowly blend in olive oil and add salt. Use to marinate steak or chicken, and as a condiment on the side.

Grand Marnier Chocolate Cupcakes
3 c flour
2 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder
2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs vinegar
1 tbs vanilla
3/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c Grand Marnier
Zest of one orange

Frosting
3/4 c bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 c whipping cream
3 c icing sugar
1/4 c Grand Marnier
Fleur de sel

Preheat oven to 375 F. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, soda, and salt. Combine liquid ingredients and zest in a separate bowl. Add liquid ingredients to dry ones, and mix until batter is smooth. Grease muffin cups and fill 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 25-30 min, until firm to touch. Remove, let cool and unmold. (makes about 18 cupcakes.) Meanwhile, In a saucepan, bring cream to full boil. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chunks. Stir till completely melted, then add Grand Marnier. Stir in icing sugar until desired consistency of frosting is reached. Frost cupcakes and top with a few sprinkles of fleur de sel.

Cleaning house....

The painters arrived bright and early at 7:30 this morning to begin work on turning our bland white Victorian house into a "painted lady". Having actually got up early on a Saturday, I decided it was too good an opportunity to waste, so launched into cleaning mode. Several hours later, I have a sparkling clean kitchen and laundry room, and the rest of the house is at least vacuumed. What's more, the masterplan for the housepainting design is starting to take shape. It's certainly going to be bright!

On the menu tonight....

Tonight, we decided to simply grill sausages and serve them in buns with sauerkraut and mustard. However, as I want to get a headstart on tomorrow's dinner (when we have guests), I made garlic french bread.

Garlic French Bread

1 1/4 cup water
3 3/4 cup bread flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 c butter
1 tsp each, chopped garlic, dried oregano, dried basil
cornmeal
1 slightly beaten egg white
1 tbsp water

Place 1st four ingredients in bread maker in order suggested by manufacturer. Use the dough setting. When done, remove from pan and let rest 10 min, covered. Meanwhile, microwave butter in small bowl to melt it. Stir in oregano, basil and garlic. Spray large baking sheet with Pam and sprinkle cornmeal over it. Divide dough in two and roll each half into an 8 X 10 rectangle. Brush each rectangle with garlic butter, leaving 1/2 inch edge around three sides. Starting on buttered long edge, roll up jellyroll fashion. Pinch ends to seal. Place each roll on baking sheet. Combine egg white and 1 tbs water in small bowl. Brush egg mixture over top of rolls. Cover and let rise for 45 min. Bake at 375 F for 20 min. Remove and brush more egg mixture over loaves. Return to oven and bake 12 min longer. When done, the bread should sound hollow when tapped with your finger.

Friday the 13th

Despite the date, nothing of note occurred thisFriday.
On the Menu Tonight....

Chunky Tomato Soup
Pepperjack Quesadillas

Chunky Tomato Soup

1 vidalia onion, chopped
2 tbs Becel margerine
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes, drained & juice reserved
2 tbs brown sugar
3 sachets chicken oxo
1/4 c whipping cream
1 tbs worcestershire sauce
Salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste

In large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, saute onion in Becel until transparent (about 5 min). Add diced tomatoes & brown sugar and cook for 5 min, stirring constantly. Add approx 3 c reserved juice (add water to make up difference) and chicken oxo to tomato mixture. Bring to a boil, lower hean, and simmer for 10 min. Add cream, worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Stir to combine. Serve with quesadillas.

Note: if you prefer cream soups, puree mixture before adding cream and seasonings.

Pepperjack Quesadillas

8 flour tortillas, preferably red or orange
PAM cooking spray
2 c grated pepperjack cheese

Spray large non-stick skillet with Pam. Place one tortilla in pan, sprinkle 1/4 c cheese over it and top with another tortilla. Cook over med-high heat for about 2 min until golden on bottom. Flip tortillas over in pan, cook other side until golden, about 1 min. Slide on to platter and loosely tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining tortillas and cheese. When all are done, slice each quesadilla in quarters. Serve.

Note: Can be cut in Jack o' Lantern shape for hallowe'en snack, as pictured.

A Perfect Summer Day

What a summer it's been so far! Wonderful, sunny weather - just enough rain to keep the flowers blooming in top form - and not too hot or humid either. Today's schedule includes another soccer game to attend, this time in the neighbouring town, so meal preparation is going to be minimal. Luckily, there's enough pastry dough and grilled steak leftover from yesterday to make a tasty steak pie, so when I get home from work this afternoon, I'll quickly chop the steak, dice some veggies, make some gravy, roll out the crust and throw together the pie. Then, pop it in the oven and Bob's your uncle!

Steak & Veg Pie
Pie crust for 2-crust pie
3-4 oz leftover meat, chopped fine (I used grilled steak and sausage)
1 baked potato, diced
1/2 c pearl barley
1 c. rutabaga, cooked and diced
2 stalks celery, including leaves, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c baby carrots, sliced in half
Fresh chives, basil, and rosemary, minced (2-3 tbs, to taste)
2 tsp Montreal steak spice
Gravy (see below)

Roll out enough pie crust to line a deep-dish pie plate. Place in dish and prick all over with fork. In large bowl toss all ingredients together, then pour into prepared pie dish. Roll out top crust and place on pie, sealing edges. Prick top to let steam escape. Bake at 450 F for 20 min, then reduce heat to 350 and bake 40-50 min longer.

Gravy
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
2 c beef broth
2 tsp summer savory
Pepper and salt to taste

Melt butter in saucepan over med-high heat; whisk in flour and continue whisking for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in beef broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Continue whisking for about 3 min or until gravy thickens. Season to taste.

Tonight's menu

Steak & veg pie
Tossed salad of mesclun greens, romaine, and cherry tomatoes
Blueberry pie

Bountiful Blueberries....

So many berries, so many options, so little time. The family is demanding blueberry pie, I am itching to try my hand at blueberry brandy, and then there is the ever-popular, ever-delightful blueberry pound cake.....meanwhile, the blueberries are disappearing handful by handful. My chauffeur duties resume tonight, meaning I only have a limited block of time this afternoon to get creative...so first off, pie.

Basic Pie Crust

1 lb lard
5 c flour
1 tbs salt
1 egg
2 tbs vinegar
water

In large bowl, cut flour and salt into lard until it resembles coarse crumbs. In liquid measuring cup, beat egg and vinegar lightly with fork. Add cold water until cup is full (i.e., 1 c of liquid). Stir liquid into lard mixture gradually until it forms a large ball. Divide into six balls (3 a little larger, 3 a little smaller).Flatten into disks and wrap each separately in plastic and chill in refrigerator at least 20 min. (Can be frozen for future use.) Makes enough dough for approx. 3 double-crust pies.

Blueberry pie

Pie crust, unbaked
3/4 c sugar
2 tbs cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbs lime juice
1 tbs butter
4 c berries

Roll out 1 larger dough disk into circle big enough to cover pie plate and place it in. Trim to outer edge of pie dish. Prick dough all over bottom and sides with fork tines. Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Sprinkle over berries and toss to coat. Just before placing in pie dish, toss in lemon juice. Pour into pie dish and dot butter evenly over surface. Roll out top crust from a smaller dough disk. Using your index finger (or a pastry brush) moisten edge of dough in pie plate with water. Lay top crust over pie and trim edge so that it hangs about 1/2 inch over edge of dish. Press the two crusts together around rim of dish, then fold overhang under the lower crust edge and inside the pie dish. Crimp edges between forefinger and thumb all around the edge of the pie. Make a decorative design in top using fork tines to allow steam to escape. Bake at 450 F for 20 min. then reduce heat to 375 F and continue baking for another 40 min.

On the Menu Tonight...

Steak marinated in olive oil, red wine, and montreal steak spice, grilled on the barbeque
Baked new red potatoes
Beet greens and new carrots, steamed and served with butter and vinegar
Blueberry pie

A Good Day to Pick Berries....

It's a lovely sunny day, perfect for heading to the local U-pick to get juicy, ripe blueberries, and perhaps some late raspberries and early tomatoes. After putting in my time at the daily grind, changing into old clothes, and gathering an assortment of plastic tubs, I headed out down the highway. The driving goes smoothly, only interrupted by two delays in construction zones, and I arrive at the U-Pick by 2 p.m. There are plenty of blueberries there for the picking, but I find out I'm too late for raspberries and too early for tomatoes!

In any case, 2 1/2 hours  and $20 later, I've got about 10 quarts of berries and an aching back. Thank heavens for air conditioning...the drive home along the river was heavenly with cool air blowing full blast in my face....even the delays in the construction zones were a welcome respite from the hot sun outside. Once home, I unloaded the berries, and took a rest while contemplating what to do with them. Three soon-to-be overripe bananas in the fruitbowl caught my eye....mmm, blueberry-banana bread anyone?

Blueberry-Banana Bread

1/3 c butter

2/3 c sugar

2 eggs

3 bananas, mashed

1 3/4 c flour, sifted

1/4 tsp soda

2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c blueberries, rinsed and patted dry

Cream butter & sugar in large bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each additionh. Add bananas and mix together. In separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients. add blueberries and toss to coat. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture and beat gently until combined. Pour into 5 x 10 inch greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour (or a bit longer). Remove from oven, loosen edges with knife, and let cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Turn out on rack to continue cooling.

Now joining the world of Web 2.0 .....

I love food. I love preparing, eating, and talking about food. Other stuff too. So, this blog is my space for talking about what I'm making, what I've had when dining out, diets, meal plans, and virtually anything else that comes to mind. Not too original, I know, but this is my take on things.

This afternoon - my attempt to create the delightful apricot/fig/rosemary bread I sampled while in the UK recently.

Apricot–Fig–Rosemary Bread

3/4 c. Water
1 tsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Virgin olive oil
1/2 c. Whole wheat flour
2 1/2 c. Bread flour
1 tsp Minced fresh ginger ginger (about the size of a thumb tip)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp. Nonfat dry lowfat milk
2 Tbsp. Old-fashioned brown sugar, packed
1 tsp Yeast
1/8 cup whole rosemary leaves, in little bunches if preferred

8 c. Dry figs, whole
1 c. dried apricots, whole
Soak these in warm water while making dough; remove and pat dry.

3 sprigs of rosemary

Place all ingredients in top list in order in bread machine, except rosemary leaves, and start machine using dough setting. When ready, take out of machine, place on floured board, cover, and let rest for 10–15 minutes. Roll out dough to 8 x 12 rectangle. Place apricots and figs along the inner one-third of rectangle. Score both outer one-third sides of rectangle at 1-inch intervals. Braid dough over fig/apricot filling. Place rosemary sprigs along top of loaf. Place on greased pan, cover, and let rise till almost doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 375 deg. for 30–35 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately rub butter over top and sides of bread. Let cool on rack before serving.