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.