Saturday, 2 July 2011
The Devil's in the Details
Topic: Party planning
Build this QUICK Summer Cocktail PARTY for 4.
First, your favorite Deviled Egg Recipe-- if you don't have one--here's a quick basic lesson in creating your signature Deviled Eggs.
Deviled Eggs
6 eggs, covered with cold water. Bring to rolling boil, then shut off heat, cover the pan, and set a timer for 12 minutes. When timer goes off, drain and rinse eggs with cold water. Let cool about 20 minutes in really cold water. Then, drain and shake eggs against the pan and each other to break the shells. Peel each egg individually. Slice egg longwise in half. Pop yolks into a separate bowl. Place the whites on a serving plate.
To the yolks, add 1 tbsp horseradish sauce, 1 tsp. spicy brown mustard, 3 tbsp mayonnaise, AND YOUR OWN SPECIAL ADDITION stuff (we had leftover tapenade and put some in) or nothing more than salt and pepper. Then, stuff the whites with your yolk mixture.
Garnish--use your imagination- we put extra olive tapenade on top but you can sprinkle with cayenne pepper,cilantro, or caviar--use you imagination!
Chill until serving.
(Note--I used a retro Commemorative plate for serving the eggs.)
Tonight I decided to reinvent the classic...
Old Fashioned Cocktail
HONEY BOURBON ( every distiller has their version)
DRY VERMOUTH
Muddle MINT from the garden along with some orange zest. Add bourbon and vermouth along with lots of ice cubes and shake like crazy. Serve with peeled orange wedges and over additional ice cubes.
NOW - you have a party!!!
Posted by Karen
at 19:09 CDT
Friday, 1 July 2011
Nicoise Salad- American Heartland Inspired!
I'm not sure how the weather's been wherever you're reading this, but we are looking at high temperature and high humidity this whole weekend. Usually, that's an appetite killer but I've got a creative solution for you.
How about a variation on the classic French...
Niçoise Salad
But we'll do it "deconstructed" and in the American Heartland Style using ingredients we can readily find in our gardens and markets.
Ingredient List: (Prep vegetables and prepare tapenade and deviled eggs in advance)
Mixed Salad Greens
Red onion, sliced thinly and chopped
Canned tuna in water, drained
Deviled eggs (hard boiled eggs, cooled, sliced in half, scoop out cooked yolk, mix with mayo, mustard, salt, pepper, capers! re-stuff)
Fresh Corn (blanch corn on the corn and cut kernels for salad)
Grape tomatoes
Kiwi, sliced (substitute any fresh fruit or berries)
Crumbled goat or feta cheese
Olive tampenade on sliced French bread (1 large can black olives, 1 large clove of garlic, sprinkle of Herbs de Provence, pepper, splash of olive oil, splash of vinegar. Process a few pulses in food processor.)
Dressing: Lemon juice, olive oil, dillweed, salt and pepper, whisked together.
The French have a saying --that you must toss the salad thoroughly, expressed as "fatigue la salad." This is a good idea, so start by putting the greens with onion in a large bowl, add the dressing and toss forty times--really count forty times to get the greens totally coated.
Next, assemble the salad greens on dinner plates and begin to build your salad. The tuna goes in the middle, from there on, use your imagination and refer to the picture below for suggestions.
This is a great dinner with plenty of vegetables and protein! Guaranteed to satisfy body and spirit, regardless of the heat.
Bon Appetit!
Posted by Karen
at 07:53 CDT
Updated: Friday, 1 July 2011 08:53 CDT
Friday, 24 June 2011
Lamb Burgers: The "Other" Red Meat
Topic: Recipe
Here's a quick and easy menu to use ground lamb. We all know about the marketing campaign for pork as the other "white" meat--well, you can think of lamb as the other "red" meat.
Just like beef, the amount of saturated fat in the lamb depends upon its diet. Grassfed is lower in saturated fats. However, if you grill the lamb, you can easily drain off the saturated fat which melts when heated and is separated from the remaining meat product on top of the raised grill.
Every kitchen should have a simple burner top grill pan shown in the picture below. It's easy and quick to grill indoors, draining fat away from meat and eliminating exposure to excess carbon or chemicals from charcoal.
Ground lamb burgers
1 medium onion and 2 cloves of garlic. (Saute until soft. Set aside for topping burgers.)
1/3 lb. ground lamb per patty
Low carb, high fiber buns
Preheat grill on medium-high heat. It's ready when water sprinked on the grill sizzles.
Grill the patties, turning over once, about 5-6 minutes on each side.
Salt and pepper to taste. Top each burger with the sauteed onions and garlic. I added a little mayo on one side and Dijon mustard on the other side.
While grilling, make your side dishes. I steamed some mixed vegetables and heated up some pre-made baked beans.
A word about buns. There are excellent high fiber, low carbohydrate buns available in every supermarket now. I used whole wheat buns from Sara Lee that have 14 grams of carbohydrate per bun, of which 6 is fiber, making each bun only 8 net grams of carbohydrate. They are also low calorie at only 80 calories per bun.
Posted by Karen
at 10:07 CDT
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Peek in the Nest
Topic: Harvest Hills Farm activity
Peek in the nest in your yard, neighborhood, parks...and see what Mother Nature has been up to. These little barn swallows are the last three of five siblings whose parents decided to build their nest on our back porch. (And, yes, it's a sloppy mess underneath.)
I took these pictures for my brother who faithfully watched the birds being fed by their mother last weekend. It only takes a minute to peek in the nest and admire what's happening all around us. (The mess that's left behind is no big deal, in the big picture. Trust me.)
Posted by Karen
at 17:40 CDT
Updated: Thursday, 23 June 2011 17:54 CDT
Sunday, 19 June 2011
The GARDEN PARTY
Topic: Party planning
YAY! We had my mother's 80th birthday party in the Garden as hoped--
A few photos of the yard shows--the city house--a Gothic Victorian from the 1890s--placed on a small lot by suburban and farm standards, its space is well used by strategic courtyard pavers and compact plantings. Mostly shaded, impact color plants are hung in baskets or placed in pots. The fountain lends both ambiance and sound masking from streetside and neighbors. Additionally, I've placed outdoor speakers in the courtyard for background music that stays in our yard.
And another secret--because the types of plants used in a shade garden are usually not very fragranced (if at all)--I tucked a floral fragranced candle among the battery powered candles to put just the right amount of scent in the air.
The menu was posted in yesterday's blog. Italian food always works well for a leisurely dinner party. However, my next garden party will be completely French, planned for July 14 th's Bastille Day--a recital and then dinner party in the garden--IF we are lucky to have the party and weather both working cooperatively !
Posted by Karen
at 11:07 CDT
Updated: Sunday, 19 June 2011 11:32 CDT
Friday, 17 June 2011
Party planning for Summer--indoors or out?
Topic: Party planning
I would love to have an outdoor dinner party for my mother's 80th birthday tomorrow and, I am prepared to do so--but...
Mother Nature may not be cooperating, so, like many others hosting the "ideal" Summer party, you've got to plan for both--hope for outdoors and don't fret if it's indoors. 80th Birthdays--like graduations, weddings and other major celebrations --can't be subject to a "rain date". If you're hosting, you MUST be ready for the perfect outdoor party to be held indoors just as effectively.
Here's the dinner menu so far..
Pre-dinner "signature cocktail" will be
Classic Gin and Tonic (aka, " T and T" or Tanqueray and Tonic)
also serving red and white wines and mineral water with a twist of lime.
Dinner
Chicken Piccata
Italian Sausage and peppers
Italian Green Beans with tomatoes
Rosemary, oven-roasted potatoes
Italian salad
Dessert is Cannoli-filled yellow cake with buttercream frosting ("classic" Birthday with an Italian variation) , also chocolate chip cookies and strong, dark coffee.
The yard is clean and ready for any part (hopefully all) of the party outside but, just in case, I have the inside of the house also prepped.
If outside, I have tables, tableclothes and "battery powered" candles ready (so they don't blow out)--but, guess what? If it rains, those same tables are getting set up in the parlor, library, and music room. We'll still do buffet dinner, but people will mingle room-by-room if the weather keeps us inside.
Music??? The same whether inside or out. I have outdoor speakers set up and a CD player outdoors but the same "dinner music" CDs can be put on indoors just as easily.
So, whether this dinner party is indoors and outdoors can only be determined with the passage of time. 24 hours from now, we'll see...
Posted by Karen
at 19:52 CDT
Friday, 10 June 2011
Easiest Crockpot Chicken
Topic: Recipe
It's storming at the Farm today for the third day in a row. On the positive side, I was able to harvest a bunch of greens for salad yesterday to go along with an incredibly easy--ok, the easiest ever--recipe for chicken.
Do not under-estimate the power of a savory, home cooked meal. The crockpot is still your best friend during the Summer when you don't want to get hit by lightning while grilling, or heat up the humid house.
EASIEST CROCKPOT CHICKEN
Boneless, Skinless Chicken thighs
1 can of undiluted Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup
Prep crockpot with spray vegetable oil. Place the rolled chicken thighs in the crockpot. Spoon the canned soup over the thighs. Cover and cook on "low" for 8 hours. As always, if you cook it 8 hours or 10 hours, it'll still be fine.
The chicken thighs look like little rouladen (rolls). so, if you wanted to get tricky, you can unroll them and stuff them with some savory chopped greens, herbs, onions, etc. But you don't have to.
Also--you will have enough "gravy" made at the end of the cooking time to drop some home made dumplings on top for a quick country variation.
Or--like me--just whip up some garlic mashed potatoes (a small potato has only 16 gms of carbs and they get remarkably substantial when whipped, so don't fret) and dress the lettuce greens from the garden for a salad.
It's been a hard enough day, hasn't it?
Pictures below show--the simple assembly first, then the lovely plated final product.
Posted by Karen
at 06:58 CDT
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Random sights in the Garden
Topic: Garden
Walking through the garden, I was inspired to share a couple of pretty items: 1 example of variegated sage and 1 cute little speckled egg in a ground nest.
The nest belongs to a Kildeer and this is the last egg of three. The Kildeer is a beautiful bird with striking black and white stripes and chestnut feathers who builds ground nests and protects them by leading a "predator" off in another direction with a fake broken wing and pathetic cry. Needless to say, we've stayed away from the nest area of the back row. The egg interestingly has all the colors of the future bird speckled on its surface. The chick looks like a baby chicken in shape but with the same colors as Mom. They are so cute, but I think Mom would have a heart attack if I got close enough to one to photograph it.
The sage is to remind me to offer you some "sage" advice. Your sage better be growing in your garden by now. It's a perennial even in my Zone4-5. -I also have common sage and pineapple sage planted.
I love the common sage leaves sauteed with walnuts and olive oil, then tossed into a bowl of pasta with shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese. Simple, but perfect.
I am envisioning the pineapple sage, dried and in some interesting rub for chicken or freshly chopped leaves in a tropical version of salsa.
More to follow...
Posted by Karen
at 14:02 CDT
Updated: Saturday, 2 July 2011 21:46 CDT
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Multi-threat Food Safety Issue in Produce
Topic: Education
Nothing is more horrifying than the story coming out of Europe showing multiple threats: a life-threatening food-borne illness AND a new strain of toxin producing E.coli AND no traceability to source.
We, as consumers, have little to protect ourselves with. We have to hope that food producers are educated and ethical in their management of manure and fields, that their workforce follows food safety principles in picking and handling, and that later processing and distribution activities are managed by persons impeccable in food sanitation. Throughout the process, everyone better have good documentation of all activities so that contaminated foods can be traced back to their source.
You know that's not happening to the ideal level we'd like. We have to push the moral button of each person involved at each step--there's training in food safety available at EVERY point in the process. No amount of government regulation is going to force compliance--in fact--some government-sanctioned items and programs (widespread approval of transgenic foods, "organic-approved" pesticides, subsidies for selected products encouraging excess use of herbicides) may be contributing to the selection of these newly-emerging highly resistant organisms.
Don't add to the problem. Be educated about your personal handling of fresh produce. Remember that food is NOT sterile. We're looking for ways to avoid higher colony counts than our personal immunity can handle. We are trying to not contaminate it further.
Wash your hands for 20 seconds using soap and water before you handle food. And don't prepare food for others if you're ill.
Wash raw produce before eating, even if you intend to peel it. But, be VERY careful how you wash produce since you can inadvertently force dangerous surface bacteria INSIDE your food.(Something to think about--If your food has been prewashed before you buy it, you are completely dependent upon the supplier that it was done right.)
Wash produce ONLY after the produce is cooled. So, if it's just been brought in from picking in a hot field or garden--the internal temperature can be several degrees different than the temperature of the water you're using to wash it. Avoid a temperature gradient between the temperature of the water you're using and the internal temperature of the item to minimize the chance of surface organisms moving into the pulp. This is especially important with pulp-y foods, like cucumbers (!), tomatoes, fruits, melons.
Let's hope this outbreak is contained quickly and that analysis will teach us more about food safety at every point in the process.
Karen
Posted by Karen
at 08:22 CDT
Updated: Thursday, 2 June 2011 09:14 CDT
Sunday, 29 May 2011
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Topic: Recipe
We spent the last few days outside in the cool, misty and rainy weather so soup sounded good once again. I owe this recipe to my sister Chris who brought a huge head of cauliflower to the Farm--and wanted to play center stage in the kitchen.
Roasted Cauliflower SOUP
Large head of cauliflower, cut or broken into florets
Large bulb of garlic, cut off tip to exose the clove pulp
2 medium onions, or 1 large, cut in half
2 Sweet Potatoes, diced
1-32 oz box and 1-14.5 oz can of Chicken broth
2 cups of water
First--Roast the vegetables listed above. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and place on an aluminum foil-covered baking pan.Tent the pan with aluminum foil. Roast vegetables at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until vegetables soften. Remove from oven, allow to cool, still tented with foil. (The top picture shows vegetables before roasting, the second picture, when roasted and cooled.)
Scoop onion out of skin and squeeze the softened garlic pulp out of its clove skin
Working in batches, puree ingredients in food processor or blender, adding chicken broth for moisture.
Put all of the pureed vegetables and remaining chicken broth and water together in a large pot and heat through. Season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme leaves (a few springs' worth, at least).
Posted by Karen
at 06:52 CDT
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