Simple Late Summer Supper

Just one quick thing for a night when you are rushing about and before the last of the summer veggies leave the garden. Chicken Provencal (sort of).  Sounds fancy, doesn't it?  Don't let a long name fool you.  This dish is just a matter of tossing together some odds and ends you probably have in your fridge, popping it into a really hot oven  and then forgetting about it.  Well actually, you won't forget about it because it sends a delicious, homey  fragrance wafting through the air.  Expect mouths to water in anticipation of a feast! The finished product is so pretty, that it easily goes straight from oven to table.  

Traditional Chicken Provencal is a lovely sort of chicken stew.  You brown the chicken, then braise it long and slow with tomatoes, wine and broth.  It is utterly delicious, but time consuming. This version simplifies the process.


Chicken Provencal

Notes: What piece of chicken to use for this?  This is one instance where I prefer bone-in thighs. Dark meat doesn't dry out in flavorless, dusty bits.  It holds up well to high heat and only gets better the longer you cook it.  But if boneless/skinless white meat is what you have on hand, use it!  Just be sure to adjust to a shorter cooking time. If you decide to use white meat,  cover with foil part of way through to help retain moisture.

• 8-10 small chicken pieces
• 1/2 of lemon, sliced thin
• 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/2 onion (or more to taste) chopped into large chunks
• 5-6 smashed cloves of garlic
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• a couple stems  of fresh herbs - I used rosemary and oregano.   Nothing fresh in the house? Substitute 1-2 teaspoons dried.  Parsley would also be good here.
• 1/2 cup chicken stock.
• Optional: Big fat Kalumata olives or capers would be great in this dish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.  You can leave the skin on or off.  Arrange in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Scatter about the tomatoes, onion, garlic and lemon.  Drizzle on the olive oil and toss everything around a little to coat.  Season all with salt and pepper and thyme. Lay springs of fresh herbs if using, or sprinkle on dried. 


Place pan in oven for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes of cooking at high heat, pour chicken stock around the edges.  Turn oven down to 400 and bake for 45 minutes.  Sometimes I cover with foil and sometimes I forget.  Either way is fine.  Serve with nice crusty bread to soak up the delicious pan juices. 

An easy side dish for this, is a pan of roasted vegetables.  Recently, I used a mixture of baby potatoes, baby carrots, onions, and eggplant.  Toss with a couple cloves of minced garlic, salt and pepper and a tablespoon or two of olive oil.  Place in the oven alongside chicken.  Bake for an hour or until veggies and browned and cooked through.

Apple Cake with Carmel Drizzle

No doubt about it, fall is in the air.  Although, in this neck of the woods, just because it's 60-degrees-throw-open-the-windows-break-out-the-sweater-wave-bye-bye-to-humidity one day, doesn't mean it won't be a sweltering, steamy 90 degrees two days later.  That's okay.  We embrace the fall moments when they come and revel in the fading days of summer.

To celebrate the much anticipated glimpses of a changing season, I took the kids apple picking.  We crunched through more then our share of  Gala and Honeycrisp apples, slurped up freshly made cider and filled baskets brimful with rosy-cheeked fruit. When we got home, what was there to do with our bounty but make cake of course?  A fall treat my kids beg for every year is this cake.  Mind you it is no light and  fluffy dainty, but a super-moist, chunky, fruit-studded delight.. The icing on the cake - literally in this case- is brown sugar and butter cooked together into a delectable sauce that it's hard to keep your fingers out of.

I will confess to you that I tried to "healthy" this recipe up by swapping in whole wheat flour, slashing the sugar, increasing the applesauce and leaving out the oil.  Yeah, don't bother.  It's cake, for Pete's sake.  Go ahead and eat your broccoli because this ain't it.  Then you can dive into cake - but only after you've eaten your veggies!

Oh - and by the way.  When you do make this cake, promise you won't be like me follow directions and sift the  confectioners sugar for the icing.  Otherwise you may land up with lumpy, bumpy frosting.  Which will not affect the flavor in the least, but may cause you to huff loudly in disgust.


Cake
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
3  eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup applesauce
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (not a deal-breaker if you don't have this ingredient on hand - just leave it out)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups cored, peeled and finely chopped apples - look for a good tart baking apple
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts (optional for those nut-haters out there  - you know who you are!)

Preheat oven to 350. 

Grease and flour a 9x13 pan, or a bunt pan or two 9 inch cake pans.  Pick your cake shape according to what inspired you at the moment.


In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, vanilla, oil and applesauce and mix until well blended.  In another bowl sift together flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.  Fold in the apples and walnuts.

Bake for 55 minutes - 1 hour for a 9 x 13 or a bunt pan, a little less for the round cake pans.  Cake is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Carmel Drizzle
1/2 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar(or light brown)
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla


In small saucepan, melt butter and sugar together. Add milk and salt.  Bring up to a boil and cook for about a minute, stirring.  Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes or so.  Whisk in confectioners sugar and vanilla.  This icing sets up fast as it cools.  Don't be afraid to add a few drops of hot water if you need to thin down the consistency.

Drizzle over warm cake.  YUM!







Apple cake:

On Fresh Beginnings

And just like that summer has whizzed by.  No, it's not fall yet, not even close, really.  But it's coming. I see it in the back-to-school sale papers tumbling out of the newspaper, in my once verdant garden that has been darkened and crisped by the sun. I hear fall coming when the lumbering yellow bus climbs the hill outside my door and in the silence of twilight.  No more thrum of cicadas to vibrate the air.

This summer has been a joy.  It's been full of spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment, fun. There have been lazy days, full of swimming, vacation, and sun.  And there have been busy days full of garden soil, produce and canning. There have been evenings on the front porch, mason jars of sweet tea at hand, laughter and fireflies hanging in the air. Yet finally, summer is fading, wearing thin at the edges.  These months of leisure have dulled us, lulling us into complacency.  I feel a tug toward routine, schedule and challenge. A bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils is starting to look appealing and is that a whiff of new crayons in the air?

As I prepare for new school year, I have been working on structure for our days.  A time to get up, a time to play, a time for chores, a time for projects.  Working on a menu plan again - simple, healthy ways to feed this crowd. Specifically, I've been thinking about how to streamline breakfast on school mornings.  This is always tricky.  Easily it's  turned into Mom as a short order cook, or drug into a huge production  with kids making their own thing until the kitchen is trashed and the day is half gone.


For this school year, I have given each day a main idea for breakfast and then variations so we don't have the same thing every week.  I have done this for years with dinner and it's high time to get mornings organized as well.  It helps so much to think "Today is oatmeal day, so something with oatmeal", instead of "WHAT IN THE WORLD SHALL I FEED THESE PEOPLE??".

Monday - Oatmeal day. 

• Cook up a big pot of whole grain oatmeal seasoned w/ lots of cinnamon and a little flax seed thrown in for extra fiber & Omega-3's.  Serve w/ a variety of toppings.  Dark chocolate chips, walnuts, dried cranberries, blueberries, maple syrup, brown sugar or whatever you have on hand.
• Baked Oatmeal.  Easy to prep the night before and pop into the oven first thing.
• Homemade Granola Bars.  These are thick and hearty,  Make a batch and they easily keep for a week or two.  Serve with a glass of milk and some fruit.

Tuesday - French toast/ Pancakes

• Mix up pancake batter or french toast egg mixture before you go to bed.  Stash it in the fridge and it's easy to grab the next morning.  Vary your pancakes by stirring in chopped bananas and/or nuts, or peaches,  or chopped apples or a dash of cinnamon.
  

• I have a big electric skillet that makes it easy to cook up a huge batch of french toast or pancakes at one time.  I also keep on hand a whole grain pancake mix. Either one of these is easy to throw together while the kids are getting dressed and making their beds.  Sometimes I put one of them is in charge of the flipping.
•  Baked French toast.  This is basically French toast made the night before.  Dip the bread in a milk/egg mixture, layer in a 9 x 13, chill overnight and bake in the morning.

Wednesday - Eggs

• Scramble eggs w/ leftover bacon (if there ever is such a thing), chopped ham or some veggies.  Melt cheese over all.  Wrap in tortillas.  Optional:  Add salsa.  Easy and fun
• Breakfast pizza - spread crescent rolls on a pizza pan (Shhhh- processed food).  Layer on meat of choice, cheese, veggies and beaten eggs.  Bake for 20-30 minutes.
• Omelets - but only if I'm feeling inspired
• Egg Scramble - cube a couple of potatoes.  Cook in a tablespoon of olive oil or butter for 8-10 minutes or until browned.  Add ham, onions, peppers, mushrooms or whatever you like.  Cook for several minutes.  Scramble in some eggs.  Melt on some cheese. 
• Breakfast casserole/quiche  - Lots of variations on this one.  Easy to make the night before.
• Pile scrambled eggs, meat and cheese into a tortilla and grill into a quesadilla.

Thursday - Muffins and Fruit 

• There is a whole list of muffins our family enjoys.  Banana/chocolate chip, blueberry, apple/bran, cranberry/walnut just to name a few.  I usually swap in some whole wheat flour, ground flax seed or wheat bran to "healthify" things up.
• Quick breads like banana bread, pumpkin bread, applesauce bread are another option.  Making one of these is a great afternoon project for an older kid and then breakfast is all ready to go in the morning.  We love these breads lightly toasted and spread with cream cheese.

• If we are having muffins for breakfast, the night before I measure out and mix dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another.  In the morning, all I have to do is pour them together and bake.  

Friday - Toast/Misc

• Cheese toast
• Toasted bagels and cream cheese
• Smoothies & leftover muffins
• Canadian bacon, egg and cheese on toasted English muffin halves
• Yogurt layered with fruit and granola
• Pb & J toast
• Pb & honey toast
  

Saturday - Cereal/Fend for yourself

•  Mom and Dad sleep in and kids make their own breakfast!!! At least in the theory that's how it goes.

Sunday - Fruit, Toast

•  Once in a while I purchase pastries or break out a special treat like (gasp) donuts for Sunday morning.

 So - why not more cold cereal mornings on this list you ask?  For one, my kids are not big fans of cereal.  (they have no idea what they are missing out on in my opinion), for two, when they do eat it, they are hungry again an hour later and three - when everyone eats cereal for breakfast we go through a whole box in one morning.  I got tired of buying cereal!

Breakfast is a big deal at this house.  I'm pretty sure I've harped on the subject before, but watching the difference in attention and ability to concentrate  with a good breakfast vs a nutritional nothing breakfast has made me a believer.

So what are your tips and tricks?  Do you have a morning routine?  Are you trying to make things easier at the start of the school year?  What works for you?

About those pickles....

Pickles are serious business in my husband's family. According to them, pickles should be puckery, crisp, with a great dill tang. There should NOT be sweet, floppy or bland pickles. Over the years, I have come to agree with them. My husband's paternal grandmother came up with a refrigerator pickle that really is perfection. These have a decided crunch when you bite into them and pack the ideal punch of dill, salt and vinegar. Best of all, these are super-easy to make. No boiling, no two-part jar lids, even a food preserving novice can make a great pickle. I know this, because these pickles were one of my first successes.

I got married young. Twenty-one, starry-eyed and quite confident in my ability to be the perfect wife, I couldn't wait to set up housekeeping with the man of my dreams. Our first summer we planted a small garden in the back yard. Watering and weeding, I planned out all the delicious canning projects I would impress my new husband with. He even installed shelves in the basement in anticipation of jars full of our garden bounty. Excitedly, I skipped off to the dollar store(we were broke and living on love) bought a $8.00 stockpot, the Blue Ball book of canning and a box of jars. I couldn't wait until our beans were ripe, so my first attempt was blueberry jam. Sugar and blueberries got measured into my brand new pot. I cooked and stirred, cooked and stirred and stirred some more. But the jam did strange things. It bubbled over the sides, regardless of my stirring and seeped right into the crevices of my stove. The cheap pot scorched the berries. Rock hard and tasting of ashes, the finished project was a disaster. Even my husband couldn't choke it down. Undaunted, I tossed the jam, scrubbed the pot and got ready to try something else. This time I thought salsa would be just the thing. I chopped tomatoes, onions and peppers in a flurry, ready to prove that I could conquer the mason jar. My husband took one look at my project and urged me to call his mother. "She makes great salsa and she's been canning for a long time. Maybe she could give you a few tips." "Oh, that's not necessary, Honey", I assured him. "I know exactly what I'm doing." He wandered out the door and down the hall to the office. Ten minutes later he was back, recipe card in hand. "I just talked to Mom and this is what she does. See, this is how she thickens up the salsa." I sighed, took the card and reminded him of my expertise. "None of this is the the book," I replied, holding up my brand new canning book. "It can't be right." Well, the salsa was a lot of work. Making it took plenty of expensive produce, and turned out - can you guess? That's right, it was awful!

My husband and I have now been married almost 15 years. Somewhere along the way, I figured out that I don't know it all. Thankfully, my dear mother-in-law took me under her wing and passed along many trade secrets and family recipes. One of the highlights of summertime, is our canning days. "Mom", my sister-in-laws and I spending the day chopping veggies, catching up, laughing and working together while the cousins play. These days are memories that I will always treasure. Also treasured, is the Grandma Ropp pickle recipe. This is one of first things I successfully made after I finally got tired of wasting ingredients and took some advice. Now, my kids help me make these pickles all summer long. Currently, we are going through a gallon per week. They really are that good! My baby eats them whole, like corn on the cob.  He nibbles bites all the way around, and then wants a new one.  I like them cut into wedges, while the husband prefers them sliced thin and piled on his ham sandwich. There really is no wrong way to eat these.

Grandma Ropp Pickles
We make these by the gallon.  Stored in the refrigerator, they will keep for a couple of months.  Keep in mind, the longer they are stored, the stronger and more sour they will become.  If you want to slow down the pickling, pull them out of the brine and store them in a resealable bag or other container. If you want to make fewer pickles, it's easy to half the recipe.  I use an old gallon pickle jar.  If you don't have one, it's easy to find big glass jars at almost any Walmart, Target, TJ Maxx, Marshalls etc.

Pickling cucumbers are best to use for this project.  They are small, firm and less seedy then their larger version.  Right now, our local farmers markets are overflowing with locally grown pickling cucumbers.

You will need dill for this project.  Grandma Ropp used fresh dill heads, which look like this:

Unfortunately, unless you grow your own, it's really hard to find this.  Once in awhile I've seen it at a farmers market, but very rarely.   So, I have used dried dill seed from the grocery store, which looks like this:

 I usually throw in a  little fresh dill weed, also from the grocery store which looks like this:

                                           
Now that I have schooled you in everything you ever wanted to know about dill, here's the rest of the recipe.

• 8-10 cloves of garlic
• 2 large heads of dill or 2 tablespoons dill seed plus a few sprigs of dill weed
• 3 scant tablespoons mixed pickling spice (available at any grocery store)
• 6 tablespoons non-iodized salt.  Kosher or pickling salt both work fine.
• 1 3/4 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or a chopped jalepeno (optional - use if you like a little heat)
• pickling cucumbers, (the smaller - the better) scrubbed clean

Put garlic, dill, mixed pickling spice, salt and vinegar into one gallon jar.  Pack jar full of pickling cumbers.  Fill the jar the rest of the way with cold water.  Put lid onto jar and shake until ingredients combine.  Let jar stand on the counter for a day or two.  Shake a couple of times - whenever you remember.  Store jar in the fridge for one week.  Cucumbers are officially pickled and ready to enjoy.  These will keep at least a month or two.  Grandma Ropp would make them in the summer and store them in the cellar until Christmas, so rest assured that they won't "go bad" for quite some time.

Peach Blueberry Muffins

 

South Carolina peaches are not something to be taken for granted.  Sweet, juicy, bursting with delectable flavor, these bits of summer sunshine are locally available  from early June through mid-September.  Our weekly trek to the peach farm is always an adventure because we never know what variety will be ripe next.  Late June brings the delicate white "Georgia Belle's,  July, the rosy "Red Globe".  Comparing, contrasting and choosing the favorites has been an intriguing business for my crowd of peach eaters. Last week we brought home 2 full bushels, which has meant quite an abundance of peaches in this house.  We've eaten them whole like apples, chopped and sugared over vanilla ice cream, swaddled in cream and baked in cobbler, best of all, paired with blueberries and tucked into muffins.

These muffins bake up light, cakey and delectable.  They manage to avoid the whole gummy, heavy feeling you sometimes get with a muffin that has oil as a base. The peaches and blueberries add a summery burst of flavor that make it hard to stop at just one. As a final layer of decadence, these have a crunchy layer of struesel on top.  Because you know, if you're going to eat cake for breakfast which we all know muffins are it might as well be worth your while.

Peach Blueberry muffins with Pecan Streusel

 

Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel Topping:

• 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans (optional), lightly toasted if desired *
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  

Muffin Batter:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (optional - try nutmeg if you don't have allspice)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 large eggs
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/4 cups sour cream, plain yogurt, or buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons  pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups peeled, pitted, chopped peaches
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries

1. For the Topping: In a small bowl, combine the pecans, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir in the butter, and mix until well blended.


2. For the Muffins: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line at least 24 large muffin cups with paper liners, and spray lightly with nonstick spray.

3. In a medium bowl, wisk together the dry ingredients, from flour to salt, and set aside. Pour in the blueberries and gently toss until well coated with flour mixture.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, butter, sour cream, yogurt or buttermilk and vanilla. Fold in the peaches.

5. Add the egg mixture to the dry mixture. Stir until just moist and blended. Do not overmix.

6. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan with a large ice cream scoop (1/3-cup scoop). The batter should come to the top of the paper liner or pan. Sprinkle generously with the Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel Topping, and lightly press the topping into the muffin batter.

7. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes clean. Remove from the oven, and cool for 5 minutes. Turn the muffins out of the pan, and serve immediately.


*Tip:  Try lightly toasting nuts to be used in baking.  It just takes a minute and absolutely deepens the flavor.  To do this, place nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat.  Let cook  for 4-5 minutes, shaking and stirring  until nuts are fragrant and/or begin to brown.  Set aside and let cool before chopping.

Scenes from my kitchen

Somewhere on the dim edges of my memory, there is my Great-grandma Hostetler.  My family lived in Northern Michigan and one of the highlights of our year, was making the trip to Ohio to visit our cousins and grandparents.  Often, we stayed with my grandma who lived in a big house with my great-grandparents.  I don't know if it was a duplex or what, but I know they each had their own kitchen.  Sometimes while my brothers were napping and the house needed to be quiet, mom would let me go over to the great-grandparents side of the house.  Great-grandma Hostetler would be delighted to see me and I can still her the sound of her voice as she settled me into the chair and asked if I wanted tea and a snack.  She would bustle around the kitchen, putting on the kettle and pulling out shimmery orange Fire King mugs.  There would be hot mint tea with a bear shaped bottle of honey that I got to squeeze in myself, as much as I wanted!  And then, best of all, she'd give me a little china bowl of  her home canned peaches.  Those golden, sweet circles tasted to me, of sunshine.  I'd cut the halves into tiny pieces so I could make  my treat last as long as possible.  Great-grandpa would sit beside me with his long white beard, stirring his tea and eating peaches.  I felt so big, so grown-up. I think of them, my great-grandparents as I stand in my own kitchen peeling peaches, filling jars, keeping a watchful eye on the bubbling canner.   I love the richness of tradition, of the women before me who took the time to preserve summer.

 

Then there are these. Grandma Ropp pickles.  This recipe is handed down from my husband's grandmother. Anson's dad tells the story of how his mom would make these pickles in the summer and stash them in the cellar until Christmas time.  By then they would be so puckery strong, but they loved them anyways. These are a simple refrigerator pickle that we make all summer long when the garden is full of fresh cucumbers and dill.

 

Who would think that food could hold such memories? In a time when life is a non-stop frenzy and dinner is sometimes more like ingredients out of science lab then actual nourishment, I love the simplicity of canning.  I like slowing down and taking time to pack summertime produce into a jar.

Cobb salad with Home made Ranch Dressing

In the continuing spirit of not turning on the stove  if at all possible, we have been eating lots of salads at this house.  Cool, refreshing, it's an uncomplicated dinner that everyone can customize just how they like which means - no complaining.  The only problem is, salad can be kind of wimpy.  A handful of microgreens, gently drizzled with  fat-free vinaigrette would not get real far in this house, especially when salad is the main course. I pile on  lots of protein rich goodies for a dinner that sticks to the ribs, but also packs  plenty of veggie servings.

Which brings me to, the salad dressing.  Dressing of choice at this house is good old American ranch.  Oh we do plenty of oil and vinegar combinations, but the ubiquitous  green and white bottle is something that gets pulled out quite often.  I decided the other day, that there had to be an other alternative.  Something fresher, tastier.   Ranch dressing was originally developed in the fifties at an actual dude ranch.  Tourists came to ride horses, but came home raving about the salads they were served with this unique home made dressing.  The ranch owners started selling the dressing, and eventually sold their brand to a major food manufacture. The big food guys, put their crack team of scientists on the job and they figured out how make a dressing that can sit on your shelf for half a year.  Hmmm, I'm guessing the original recipe never included calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate.

What I came up with was a combination of fresh herbs and garlic, blended together with buttermilk and a little mayonnaise.  Light and flavorful, it is the perfect topping to a salad, or a dip for fresh veggies. I have a feeling we'll be making this all summer long. 

Ranch dressing:
1/2 cup of buttermilk
1/2 cup of mayonaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 garlic clove
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1-2 dashes of worchestershire sauce
2 tsp minced fresh parsley
1 tsp minced fresh dill
1 tsp minced fresh basil

Combine buttermilk, mayo and sour cream.  You can use the low fat version, if you like.  Finely chop garlic.  You will look at that measly little 1/2 clove and think you need to add more, but don't!  The garlic gets stronger as it sits.  Sprinkle the salt over the garlic.  Use your knife or a fork to chop the salt into the garlic, until you kind of get a paste going.

  Dump garlic into the buttermilk mixture.  Mince up herbs very finely and wisk those in. Or do what I did and dump everything into a jar, and shake well.  Add Worcestershire and onion powder.  Taste for seasoning.  Does it need a little salt?  Maybe an extra dash of Worcestershire? Chill for a couple of hours and serve.

This is a basic dressing that you can vary so many ways. Don't have fresh herbs on hand?  Try it with dried.  Don't like dill? Leave it out.  Have a lemon half you don't know what to do with?  Squeeze it in there.

Cobb salad ingredients that we like:

• Start with a  bed of mixed romaine and iceberg lettuce.  This salad needs a good, sturdy crunchy lettuce as a base
• Tomatoes
• Avacados
• Bacon
• Hard-boiled egg
• Cucumbers
• Grilled chicken 
• Shredded cheddar cheese

Now go forth!  And get your salad on.

Watermelon Popsicles

Yeah, I'm still hung up on this business of staying cool.  Today, the husband and I spent the morning in our garden, which sounds delightfully old-fashioned and romantic. Sad reality is that it was dirty, sweaty work and of course we argued over the best way to plant lima beans and zipper peas.  Who knew there could be such strong opinions about dumb old beans?? Eventually, we reached a compromise and the garden is now packed full of seeds, well watered and weeded.  Best of all, when it was all done, we cooled down with some popsicles the kids and I made a couple of days ago.

We came to the conclusion that one of the most delicious parts of summer, is biting into ice cold watermelon.  Why not take that a step further and turn watermelon into a popsicle?  This idea turned out much better then any of us imagined.  We added some lime juice for a bright burst of citrus against the sweet melon. Cold and tangy, these pops are so refreshing, we can't keep our hands off of them.

Watermelon Popsicles
5 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberrys
Juice of one lime
6 tablespoons granulated sugar.

Puree all ingredients in blender.  Let mixture sit for a minute to dissolve sugar.  Blend a little bit more. If raspberry seeds bother you, push mixture through a sieve.  Pour into popsicle molds and freeze. 

Variations:

• swap the raspberries for blueberries
• Add bananas 
• Use cantaloupe or honeydew instead of watermelon

Hot and Bothered

Summer in these parts, has started off with a bang. Perhaps a better word would be blast.  Or make that wave as is HEATWAVE.  When the thermometer hovers well above 90 every day with humidity dripping from the air, frankly I can't be bothered to fuss with complicated cooking. We have been much too occupied with trips to the pool, sprinkler afternoons, slurping down icy cold watermelon, whatever we can do to stave off the heat and enjoy the freedom of summertime.

The other reason for cooking hibernation is the fact that there are three different farm stands less then 10 minutes from my house.  This time of year, they are packed with seasonal, local produce that begs to be taken home.  Food this fresh doesn't need much to make it shine. A little seasoning, the barest amount of cooking,  and dinner is done.

 

Green Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad

1 lb fresh green beans, topped and tailed
2 cups grape tomatoes
2 ears of corn

Dressing:
1 large garlic clove
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Basil or other herb (optional)

Veggies:
Once beans are cleaned, break them into large pieces. Drop  them into a pot of salted, boiling water and cook for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Remove from water and lay out to cool, or plunge in ice water to speed up the process.  Bring water back to a boil and add the two ears of corn.  Boil for 5-6 minutes or until barely cooked.  Remove from water and slice kernels off the ear of corn.  Slice grape tomatoes in half.

Vinaigrette:
Place minced garlic in a bowl with vinegar, salt and pepper.  Wisk in olive oil.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  Toss with beans, corn and tomatoes.  Finely chop basil.  Add and toss to combine.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Variations:

• Add strips of grilled chicken for a main dish salad
• Serve over a bed of lettuce
• Omit corn and add crumbles of feta cheese and some bell peppers

Stay cool!

Of waiting. And of Butterscotch Pudding

A couple of years ago, a very dear friend gave me a set of footed dessert dishes that were made in France.  Now, if there's one thing that I am slightly addicted to (other then coffee) it would be pretty dishes. I have managed to collect quite a few over the years, but love to find new treasures.  This particular set is lovely perched in my glass fronted cabinet, catching glimmers of  sunshine. This set is special.  Made in France, from a dear friend. So, in my mind, it should be reserved for special occasions.  It's fancy.  Footed, even.  So, again.  Special. Not for the common, the every day.

And so the dishes stay on the shelf.  Perfect. Waiting for exactly the right time. Waiting till everything is just right.  Waiting.  Waiting.  Waiting.  They are collect bits of dust, start to lose the shine. This business of  not getting to live out their purpose - what they were created to be, is dulling. Instead of being filled, bringing delight and joy - they remain empty.

 Sound familiar?  For me at times, perfection becomes a curse. Just what all do I miss out on because life isn't meeting my standard of perfect? "If only  -fill-in-the-blank- then it would be the right time".  "If I could just__________  then, then it would be right." "If he would finally ________"   Life ticks by.  Beauty stays behind glass because of fear.  Chances missed because of the "what-if".

I pulled the dishes out today.  On a Monday.  For no good reason.  And filled them up with butterscotch pudding. Oh, there was joy alright. I'm glad I stopped waiting.

Butterscotch Pudding

I grew up thinking that pudding came out of a box.  You know, add some milk, whisk  and viola - pudding!  And butterscotch - isn't that a candy flavor?  In truth, butterscotch is simply brown sugar and butter cooked together. From there it becomes the base for a decant ice cream sauce, or frosting, or even brownies.   And also in truth, home made pudding is nothing like the boxed imitation.  Oh no, this is deliciously better. My kids love this still warm and then they love it again when it's chilled.  I often make a double batch, so they can have both.

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 packed brown sugar, dark brown if you have it
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• heaping 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tablespoon butter

1.In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.  Add the brown sugar and cook, stirring until melted and bubbly.

2. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup of cream.  Stir over low heat until butterscotch is dissolved.  

3.Slowly add in 1 1/2 cups of milk and the heaping 1/4 tsp of salt.  Be careful as this mixture can really foam and bubble.  Whisk  until everything is blended together.  Take off heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

4. In the meantime,  mix together the cornstarch and the water together until smooth and cornstarch is completely dissolved. 

5.  Stir into the milk mixtures.  Cook, stirring constantly over medium high heat until mixture begins to thicken.  Reduce heat to low,  whisking briskly, bring to a simmer and cook for another minute.  Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla and the last tablespoon of butter. 

6.  Pour the pudding into bowls.  If you can stop your family from slurping this up immediately and if pudding skin bothers you, press plastic wrap directly onto surface of the pudding to prevent skin from forming.  Chill for two hours or as long as you can keep your spoon out of it. 

Greek Chicken and Potatoes - Souvlaki

I tried a new recipe tonight and took lots of pictures just in case it was worth sharing. I'll say it was worth sharing! This was simple to make and got thumbs up from everyone at the table. The fact that the meat was on skewers was definitely a bonus in the minds of my boys. Sword fighting tools and dinner at the same time?  What's not to love?!  Bonus for mom was how quickly this came together.

I am always looking for ways to expose my kids to the cuisines of other countries. We have a large, established Greek community in our area. Thankfully, the members of this community have many thriving restaurants and the Greek food they serve has become a family favorite. This recipe is a riff on a dish we've enjoyed often - Chicken Souvlaki.  Fancy name, but it really has simple, basic ingredients that capture some of those sunny Mediterranean  flavors. You can serve with a greek salad or maybe just plenty of tomatoes and feta cheese. 

Greek Chicken and Potatoes

• 2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 lemons
• 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 6-8 red skinned potatoes, cut into chunks

 In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.  Thread chunks of chicken onto skewers. Place skewers into large resealable plastic bag. Pour about 3/4 of the marinade of over chicken. Turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least four to six hours.

You can either cook this outside on the grill, or inside using the oven. 

Grilling Directions:   Spread potato chunks on large piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with remaining marinade. Fold aluminum foil into a packet by crimping the middle and rolling up the sides, pressing to seal. Note:  I am on the - not coordinated side of things, so it took some doing to get the potatoes sealed in there.  Let's just say I used more then one sheet of foil and by the time I was done, these babies were in there for good.  The main thing is, you don't want leaks or the marinade will drip out and then you will have fire in the hole - or grill.

Preheat grill to high.  Lay potato packet on grate.  Let cook for 10 minutes. Turn heat to med-high and flip packet to the other side.  Let cook for another 8-10 minutes. Turn heat under the potatoes to low.  Meanwhile - on the other side of the grill, turn back to med-high  Add chicken skewers, turning every few minutes until the meat is cooked through.


Oven Directions:  Preheat oven to 400. Spread a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Add potatoes and drizzle with remaining marinade, stirring to coat.  Roast potatoes for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes, lay chicken skewers across the top of potatoes. Spoon some of the chicken marinade over skewers. If you are worried about using marinade that raw chicken has been in, don't be.  That marinade is about to be blasted with  400 degree heat.  It will be well-cooked.  The thing you don't want to do, is use raw meat marinade on something that won't be cooked through. Roast for another 20 minutes or until chicken is done, turning skewers at least once.

This simple dish would be good served with traditional sides like steamed green beans and a basic salad. This time though,  I really wanted to incorporate more of that Mediterranean vibe.

 I couldn't resist making a batch of Tzatziki to serve on the side. Tzatziki is a cool, refreshing cucumber sauce that is often served on gyro's or on the side of other greek food.  We love it with wedges of toasted pita bread to dip in it.  Delish!

Tzatziki

• 2 cups plain yogurt (whole milk or low fat)
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled and seeded
• 2 tsp plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Use a thick Greek yogurt. Or, if you don't have that in the house, do what I did. Place the yogurt in a  paper towel-lined sieve and set it over a bowl. Let this sit and drain for several hours and you will have a nice, thickened yogurt.  Meanwhile, grate the cucumber and toss it with 2 tsp of kosher salt. Place it in another sieve, and set it over another bowl. Let drain for several hours.


Put the thickened yogurt in a big bowl. Squeeze as much liquid from the cucumber as you can and add the cucumber to the yogurt. Mix in the sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. You can serve it immediately, but I prefer to allow the tzatziki to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavors to blend. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Easy Home-Made Granola Bars

When my oldest kids were small, I remember spending inordinate amounts of time convincing them to eat.  "Here, try this.  Just a bite. Yummy, yummy, yummy." Funny how quickly the moments of trying to get them to eat have flown by.  Now I find myself thinking things like "Oh NO, surely they can't be hungry agaaaaaaaiiiiiin!!  What will I feed them this time?"  These  used-to-be-pudgy-legged toddlers have stretched up into long, lean, eatin' machines.

So, my solution to the constant drumbeat of "I've starving - what's to eat?"  One of them was packaged granola bars. Easy to grab, portable, and it says granola right on the box, so it must be healthy right? Up until recently, I could split a single granola bar two, even three ways. That made for a perfectly sufficient snack and a box lasted a good week.  Ah the good old days. Now, with 4 kids and a husband who brown bags it for lunch, a box is emptied in a day.  Yikes!  At two bucks a box, that adds up quickly.  And then....you already know where this is going, don't you?  I turned the box around and read the ingredient list. There it was. Chock-ful of high fructose corn syrup, chemicals, even artificial colors. All the things we are trying to avoid.

What to do?  Make my own bars of course. I've been playing around with different recipes for the last couple of months and I have finally landed on an adaption of Smitten Kitchen's granola bars as a keeper.  These bars are thickly moist, packed with nutrition rich ingredients. The nutrition thing is good of course, but  better yet, these taste amazing. Not dry and dusty, not boring and flavorless, these are really great.

Thick, Chewy Granola Bars
This makes a pretty large batch. I easily get 20 bars out of one pan. If you need a smaller amount, make half a recipe. They do freeze well.

This recipe is highly adaptable.  I have made more variations then I can count. And they just work.  It's hard to break this one.  For the fruit/nuts, I have tried(not in the same batch) walnuts, dried cranberries, coconut, raisins, dates, figs, puffed rice cereal, dried cherries & blueberries, snipped dried apricots, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, pecans, almonds. I usually use  2 cups of nuts and then dried fruit. Whatever you have on hand will probably work.  I love the flexibility of a recipe like that.

•  4 cups oats- old fashioned, quick or a combination

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup oat flour ( what is oat flour? I never have it, so I have swapped in ground flax seed, wheat or oat bran, wheat germ or whole wheat flour. They all work just fine)

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 5-6 cups dried fruits and nuts- use whatever you have on hand

• 1 cup peanut butter or other nut butter (Hmmm. Do you think Nutella is a nut butter?  That is one variation I haven't tried yet.

• 6 Tablespoons butter, melted

• 6 Tablespoons applesauce (if you are out, use butter instead. Or oil. Or maybe yogurt.

• 3/4 cup honey, maple syrup, corn syrup,or molasses.  If you choose to use molasses, I would use only use that for part of the 3/4 cup it calls for. To much molasses can really overpower.

• 1egg

• 1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 9X13 pan generously with pan spray.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In separate small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, applesauce, syrups, nut butter water and egg. Toss the wet into the dry and stir, stir, stir or until mixture is evenly crumbly.  Spread firmly into prepared pan and by this I mean really exert some force here.   Press the bars into the pan.  I usually lay a piece of waxed paper over the pan and press down hard on the back.

Bake bars for 30-40 minutes -  until they are browned around the edges.  Now comes the hard part. Let these cool to room temp and then pop them into the fridge overnight. They smell incredible, so this will be hard! However, the bars will tend to be really crumbly if you try to cut them while still at all warm.  It's a wonder what a cooling off period will do.

After the bars are chilled, use a thin sharp knife to cut them into squares.  Wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap. There you go! Easy, healthy, on-the-go kind of snack.  The perfect thing to get us through the next few weeks of soccer season.

Perfect Guacamole or - What Lies Beneath

Avocados, like people, have a rather deceiving appearance. Judge these little oddities by their protective cover- hard, black,  warty and you may turn up your nose.  Can there really be value worth discovering when a thing looks like that? They are not normal. Unusual. Don't quite fit in or have it all together. After all, do you see anything else running around the produce aisle in a get-up like this?  With an avocado, and with people,  finding out what is really there takes some time, some effort,  a willingness to set aside initial impressions. It takes believing that there is value, even treasure on the inside, in spite of first glance . Take the time to slow down, to get out of your comfort zone, look past the obvious. Be willing to dig a little deeper You might make a new friend, or else some really great guacamole.

I wouldn't have touched an avocado with a 10 foot pole. But then, oh then, I met (later married) this guy who broadened my horizons. See, he had a tiny love affair with the things.  He had lived in the Caribbean for a couple of years with an avocado tree in his back yard and was convinced that a little avocado made just about anything better. He convinced me to see things his way and now I am a whole-hearted fan.  These little nutritional powerhouses pack a whallop of Vitamin K, potassium, protein and fiber, not to mention a good dose of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. We love to add a couple slices to a BLT sandwich or really - about any excuse to have them.

Over the years I've tried and tried to make good guacamole. Some of those first attempts still make me shudder. Sour cream or Ranch dressing mixed in?  What was I thinking?! Finally,  I've come up with a hit. This  recipe has made guacamole lovers out of people who hated it before. Puddle of green goo squirted on the side of your plate at the chain Mexican joint? This is nothing like that. Fresh flavors exploding in your mouth? Yeah, this is more like that.

The method takes a little effort. There is lots of chopping and dicing. But the end result is a bowl of fresh salsa and a bowl of guacamole. Who could say no to that?

Ingredients:
3-4 ripe avocados
2 large tomatoes, seeded and small diced
1 large sweet onion, small diced
1 jalapeno pepper-seeds and membranes removed if you don't want heat
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
2 soft, juicy limes
kosher salt - this is one time when regular table salt really won't do.
It is hard to give accurate measurements for this recipe because there are many variable factors. Are your avocados big or small? How ripe are they?  How juicy are your limes?  This is a recipe that you have to judge as you go along.

Here's what I do. Finely dice onion. Measure out a heaping one cup measure and pour into a bowl. Add about 2 1/2 half cups of finely diced & seeded tomatoes.  Stir it around. Add in 1/2 a jalapeno pepper. Depending on how much heat you like, add more or less. If you take out the seeds and membranes, jalapenos are not very hot. Grab a small handful of cilantro, about half a cup. Chop off stems. Don't  drive yourself crazy trying to get rid of every stem. Just cut off the first several inches of stems and discard. Finely chop the rest.

Stir together tomatoes, onions, jalepenos and cilantro. Squeeze the juice of one lime over all. Add a generous teaspoon of kosher salt.  Taste!  Add more lime, cilantro or salt as needed.  Yummy!  You just made a delicious fresh salsa. Stop there, pull out the chips and enjoy, OR keep going and make guacamole.

Grab avocados and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove pit and discard.Using a spoon, scoop out the soft, green flesh. Mash avocado with a fork, leaving it somewhat chunky. Puree is not what you are going for here.

Now, this is what makes it good. Scoop in about a 3/4 cup of the fresh salsa. Stir. Squeeze in another lime. Add another 1/2 tsp salt. Taste and add more lime, cilantro or a  little more salt if needed.  Avocados really shine with a good dose of salt.  Give one final stir and serve with your favorite tortilla chips.  There now, wasn't a little effort worth it to find treasure?  Go...and look at people knowing there is treasure there.

Cinco De Mayo - just about

                                                                                

I love Cinco De Mayo.  For the deeply thoughtful reason that it's a great excuse to make yummy Mexican food, and usually avocados are on sale for nice and cheap. So in honor of that, I am posting a string of Mexicanish-type recipes this week. Maybe in between times, I'll do some research and see exactly what it is that I am celebrating.

Lime-Honey Marinated Chicken Fajitas
Spring has been sprung here in SC for a good month or two now.  This is my favorite time of year to be outside. The weather is sunshiny, clear and warm with not a trace of our summer humidity.  Grilling dinner is perfect reason to step out of the kitchen and spend time outdoors.

First of all, let me be perfectly honest here and admit that I have some issues when it comes to grilled chicken.  Really, I should just get over it and try to be normal. But there is nothing worse then enjoying the tantalizing fragrance of chicken on the grill, only to be disappointed by dried up, tasteless chicken breasts that have all the appeal of sawdust.  After much trial and error, here are my tips to keep sawdust from happening to you.

• When grilling boneless, skinless chicken breasts, before anything else, puh-leeze take the time to pound the chicken to the same thickness.  In it's natural state, a chicken breast is much thicker at one end. If you cook the thick part until it is done, the thinner parts will be completely dried out. To pound chicken, place a single chicken breast in a heavy resealable plastic bag or between waxed paper. Find a can of soup, or a meat mallet, or a heavy skillet - whatever you have is fine  -  the idea is get some thing heavy. Now whack away on that chicken.  You'll see it start to spread out.  That thick part will get thinner.  Flip it over and do the other side.  This is a great time to let loose of all aggressions that you have been trying to suppress. Imagine the chicken is - well, I don't know.  Whatever/whoever you'd like to beat. Try to get the whole thing around 1/2 an inch thick. There! Not hard. You can also try slicing the chicken breast in half, technically known as butterflying, but be careful of your fingers. Or purchase chicken cutlets, which are already cut nice and thin.

 

• Marinate your chicken breast. A little marinade will go a long way to impart delicious flavor and tenderness to your chicken.   5-6 hours of marinade time is a good target to aim for.  Less time and the chicken will not absorb much flavor. Let it go for overnight, and the chicken can start to get mushy and the marinade flavor too strong. Bone-in chicken is a different story and can hold up to a longer marinade.

• Once your chicken is nice and thin, all soaked in a marinade bath, it's time to throw it on the grill. Turn grill on high. Let it get good and hot. Lay your chicken on it. Turn heat down to medium and leave it alone for about 4 minutes(if that). Flip the chicken over.  Let it cook for another 4-5 minutes. Juices should run clear when you cut into it with a sharp knife.  Cover and set the chicken aside for 5-10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute instead of running all over the plate when you slice it.

Uh - I sort of got carried away with the tips there didn't I? I'm kind of obsessive about this grilling thing.  If you are still reading after all that blathering, here is the recipe!



2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded to an even thickness

Marinade:
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
Juice and zest of one lime
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons honey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 generous teaspoon cumin
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

1 large sweet onion
2-3 medium bell peppers, a combination of red, green, yellow or orange
vegetable oil
salt and pepper

8 flour tortillas, cilantro, diced tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole

Method:  Pour oil, lime juice and zest, vinegar, honey, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper into large resealable bag. Stir and shake around until well combined.  Add chicken and turn, coating it in marinade. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours, turning now and then. 

Core, seed and cut peppers into strips. Peel onion and cut into thick slices. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat grill to high heat. If you are really coordinated, you can lay veggies directly on the grate. I always manage to lose some down  the cracks, so I lay a sheet of aluminum foil over grate, splash on some extra oil to keep things from sticking and grill veggies on that. Grill veggies over high heat for about 10 minutes, turning once.When done, remove to a skillet and set aside.

Remove meat from marinade. Place on hot grill.  Turn heat down to medium and cook, covered for about 4-5 minutes. Turn chicken over, baste with marinade and cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Discard remaining marinade.  Cover chicken and set aside for a few minutes while you set the table and chop lettuce. After chicken has rested for at least five minutes, slice thinly on the diagonal.  Combine with grilled onions and peppers in skillet. Turn heat on high, just for a minute or until everything is nice and hot.

To assemble, pile sliced meat, onions and peppers into a flour tortilla. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy. Isn't May a great month?!

Strawberry Shortcake Plain, Strawberry Shortcake Fancy

     Oh Happy Day!  The u-pick strawberry patch around the corner, flung open it's gates this week. To me, strawberry season nothing short of downright sacred. Growing up in northern Michigan, we kids would eagerly look forward to early June and strawberry picking day.  Mom would pile us kids, berry baskets, and a picnic lunch into the car and we'd head out.  Standing at the edge of the field, it seemed like the rows stretched away for miles, gleaming red berries peeping out, just waiting to be picked...and popped into our mouths. We'd pick, and eat, and eat and eat.  There was nothing better then those sun-warmed, plump red morsels.  After a while though, the work of picking would wear old. We'd wander off to explore the farm, juice staining our fingers and chins. There was a hound dog who lived flopped on the porch, tail wagging lazy, just waiting for a scratch under the chin. My brothers loved that dog and they'd sit, playing  with him. The dog was good and all, but I couldn't wait to find the other pet that lived by the porch - mama kitty.  Every year, she was there waiting for me, with a new batch of baby kittens. Kittens and strawberries - life didn't get much better then that.

      You can imagine how much I am enjoying  the fact that we have a strawberry patch around the corner. I get to pass along the fun and memories to my own daughter. Ever since she was old enough to toddle, I have been taking her out to one berry patch or another.  Just like her mama, she loves those berries...and exploring the farm.

Now that I've strolled down memory lane - the question is what to do with all the bounty from picking? Well, the end of strawberry picking day as a kid, was just as much fun as the farm itself. We'd come home hot, dirty and tired. Mom would make a giant shortcake for dinner and we'd get to eat as much as we wanted. No salad, no veggies, nothing else, just strawberry shortcake for dinner. We kids thought that was greatest thing ever.  This recipe is the country version my mom made and what I make for my own kids.

Country Strawberry Shortcake:
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
5 tablespoons butter

Heat milk in saucepan or microwave until milk is hot and butter is melted. Set aside. In mixing bowl, beat eggs on high speed until thick - about five minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Combine flour and baking powder.Add to batter, with vanilla and beat for at low speed until smooth. Slowly add hot milk, beating just until combined.  Pour into greased 8 x 8 baking pan.Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until cake tests done.  While cake is fresh from oven, cut into squares. Put a piece of hot cake in bowl and pile on lots of sliced, sugared berries.  Pour milk over all and enjoy

Strawberry Shortcake Fancy
Sometimes though, I need fancy shortcake.  Something for company, you know - kind of impressive. And then, Barefoot Contessa's shortcake is just the thing. Her original recipe is not sweet and rather salty, so I've played around to get it right. Here is my amended version.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons cold butter (1 1/2 sticks), diced
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water, for egg wash

To assemble:

• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 quart strawberries, hulled, sliced and lightly sugared

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  In mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and cream and quickly add to the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will be sticky. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Flour your hands and pat the dough out 3/4-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut individual shortcakes with a round biscuit cutter. Or, if you are like me and don't have one, use a floured drinking glass to cut circles.

Place shortcakes on a parchment lined baking pan -if you don't have parchment, make sure your pan is greased.Brush the tops with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outsides are browned and the insides are fully baked. .

To assemble, whip the cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla and continue to beat  just a minute or two more. And for the record - if you consider Cool Whip(or nondairy whipped topping) to be an acceptable alternative here, just stop for  a minute. Pick up a tub of that stuff and read the ingredient list for what you are about to eat. Do any of the items on that list even sound like food to you? 


Split each shortcake in half crosswise and place the bottom half on a plate. Spoon on a pile of sugared strawberries, with lots of juice, then plop on a cloud of whipped cream. Put the top back on and layer with more whipped cream and berries. Serve to the  tune of oooohs and ahhhhs!