Jan's Damn Good Garlic Dills

My mom once canned just about everything out of the garden. We even have a root cellar which she would pack with pickles, green beans, peaches etc. This was all several years ago so I'm not too familiar with canning. Making jam is really the extent of my preserving experience but his year I changed that. I ran across this great recipe in our local paper for refrigerator pickles. The recipe is really easy and the best thing is you don't have to "can" or "process" these pickles because you put them straight into the refrigerator. All you need is food grade sealing containers. I think I let our cucumbers go a way beyond the whole pickling size so I sliced most of them in wedges; did one jar of waffle cut pickles for sandwiches and had a little left over brine which I used to pickle a few beets. I'm really excited to try these in a month or so. Refrigerator pickles claim to be much crisper and zestier.

Ingredients

• 4 quarts pickling cucumbers, rinsed well with blossom ends rubbed off
• 16 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced4 heads fresh pickling dill, halved
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 quart cider vinegar
  
• 1 quart water
• 1/4 cup pickling spices
• 1/3 cup pickling salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 cup chopped fresh pickling dill
  
  

  Directions

  Pack the cucumbers into clean, airtight jars (they don’t have to be “canning” jars) or food grade plastic containers (such as Rubbermaid canisters), leaving ½ inch head space.
  
  Divide the sliced pieces of garlic and halved heads of fresh pickling dill among the containers. Add a pinch (about ¼ of a teaspoon per quart) of the dried red pepper flakes to each container (another pinch of two should be used for those folks who enjoy more “bite” in their pickles).
  
  Prepare the brine by combining the vinegar, water, pickling spices, salt, sugar, turmeric and 1 cup of chopped fresh dill in a nonaluminum pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain off the seasonings from the brine. Then ladle the hot brine into the containers, leaving ½ inch head space. Attach lids. Let cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator.
  
  The pickles start to get good after seven to 10 days of aging, but really need at least a month to really blossom in flavor. Even then, they will continue to improve for 12 months or more.
  
  Makes about 4 quarts.

Recipe by Everett Herald food columnist Jan Robert-Dominguez

Blackberry Turnovers

These are so easy* I'm not even going to post a recipe. I love making individual desserts and turnovers are very simple especially when using store bought puff pastry. Mix up some berries, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, thickener of your choice (I like tapioca) and fold it into some puff pastry. You will then have flaky turnovers that are much better than the ones you can buy at the bakery in your grocery store that often skimp on the filling.

This is a perfect time to stock pile some berries in the freezer so you can whip up some turnovers, cobblers, pies etc. all through the year. I will be picking gallons of blackberries soon.

*Well I guess this super easy turnover does not sound so easy to everyone. I will explain my technique a little more but have to say I have not used a recipe for these since I was 12 but here is goes...

• about 4 cups blackberries
• sugar to taste, about 1/2 to 1 cup (I like them a little tart especially if I am serving with ice cream)
• about 1 table spoon lemon juice
• about 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• about 1/8 cup tapioca (you could use corn starch as well but adjust amount)
• 2 sheets puff pastry thawed
• sugar
• 1 egg beaten

For berry pies and turnovers I like to make the filling on the stove top so that I can make sure the filling will taste and set right. It is not necessary to cook the filling. You could mix all the above ingredients and add straight to a pie shell or pastry but as I said, I can see exactly how the filling will taste and set this way.

In a heavy bottom sauce pan add your berries, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and tapioca. Stir to incorporate and bring to a boil. I let the filling boil for about 30-60 seconds until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and cool before assembling the turnovers (not necessary to cool if making a pie). Once filling is cool, roll out the puff pastry on a floured board and cut into squares of desired size. I like making big turnovers so I cut one sheet into 4 squares. Moisten the edges of the square with egg wash and add a heaping spoonful of the filling into the middle of the square. Fold one corner of the dough over to the opposite corner and seal edges with a fork. Wash the turnover with the beaten egg, sprinkle with sugar and cut one or two vents in the top. Repeat until all turnovers are assembled and bake at 400 degrees until they have reached a deep golden brown (about 25 minutes).

Tiramisu Cake

We had a family gathering the other weekend and the theme for the dinner was Italian. It was my uncle's birthday and I was assigned dessert. I wanted to stick with the theme but I also wanted a cake. I thought about it for a few minutes then I remembered this recipe for tiramisu cake. It was perfect to go along with the Italian dinner.

The cake was really good. The only thing I would change would be to make double the amount of the filling/frosting. I would have like to have had a thicker layer between the layers and all over.

For the cake layers:
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the espresso extract:
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons boiling water

For the espresso syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy ( I used Kahlua)

For the filling and frosting:
1 8-ounce container mascarpone
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy (I used Kahlua)
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 1/2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, or about 1/2 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

Chocolate-covered espresso beans, for decoration (optional)
Cocoa powder, for dusting

Getting ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9×2 inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess, and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To make the cake:
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them, and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right-side up.

To make the extract:
Stir the espresso powder and boiling water together in a small cup until blended. Set aside.

To make the syrup:
Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Pour the syrup into a small heatproof bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the espresso extract and the liqueur or brandy; set aside.

To make the filling and frosting:
Put the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, and liqueur in a large bowl and whisk just until blended and smooth.

Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir about one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream with a light touch.

To assemble the cake:
If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Place one layer right-side up on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected with strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, soak the layer with about one third of the espresso syrup. Smooth some of the mascarpone cream over the layer - user about 1 1/4 cups - and gently press the chopped chocolate into the filling. Put the second cake layer on the counter and soak the top of it with half the remaining espresso syrup, then turn the layer over and position it, soaked side down, over the filling. Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup.

For the frosting, whisk 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining espresso extract into the remaining mascarpone filling. Taste the frosting as you go to decide how much extract you want to add. If the frosting looks as if it might be a little too soft to spread over the cake, press a piece of plastic wrap against its surface and refrigerate it for 15 minutes or so. Refrigerate the cake too.

With a long metal icing spatula, smooth the frosting around the sides of the cake and over the top. If you want to decorate the cake with chocolate-covered espresso beans, press them into the filling, making concentric circles of beans or just putting some beans in the center of the cake.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours (or for up to 1 day) before serving - the elements need time to meld.

Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with cocoa.

Recipe from:

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Grilled Shrimp with Cilantro, Lime and Peanuts

This dinner kinda has an identity problem. It has some Thai influences from the fish sauce and the peanuts but then I went and served it as a taco with white corn tortillas and a side of black bean and corn salad. I also was running low on cilantro but had some creamy cilantro sauce in the fridge that I served with the tacos that was made of milk, eggs, pablano chiles, cotija cheese and a lot of cilantro which leaned it even more towards the Mexican side. Even though it was a little confused it still tasted great. I especially liked the crunch of the peanuts in the taco.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 limes
  
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  
• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, shells on (I used 26/30 count shrimp and removed the shell because I served them as shrimp tacos)
  
• 2 teaspoons safflower oil
  
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
  
• 2 scallions, finely chopped

Directions

1. Zest limes into a bowl. Squeeze in juice from 1 lime, and whisk in fish sauce and sugar.

2. Preheat grill to high. Brush shrimp with oil on both sides, and lightly season with salt and pepper. Grill until pink and firm to the touch.

3. Toss shrimp with fish-sauce mixture, cilantro, peanuts, and scallions. Juice remaining lime over shrimp.

Recipe from the August 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living.

Smokey Beef

This slow-simmered beef with just the right amount of spice is my favorite new use for beef roasts. I have a freezer full of roasts so this is a great recipe that I can make during the summer when a traditional pot roast sounds way too heavy. And not to mention I don't want my oven on for hours roasting us out of our home.

The original recipe calls for a chuck roast that is defrosted, boneless, and is cut into 4 equal sizes. It also asks for it to be cooked in a dutch oven for 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. I have made this a few times now and have used a different roast each time. This last time I used an arm roast and I did not bother to defrost it, remove the bone or cut it into pieces. I also prefer to make it in the crock pot. It does take much longer but it is nice not to have the oven on during these warm summer months. I often put in on before I go to bed and then just turn the crock pot down to warm until we are ready for lunch or dinner. I have found that whatever roast, cooking, or preparation method you choose it always turns out great. Our lab also appreciates the adobo flavored bone. :)

The first couple of times I made this I served the beef with corn tortillas that were given a quick char. That is very good but the last time I made it I decided to make some flat bread from my refrigerator dough from Artisan Bread In Five Minutes a Day and that was really good. Bottom line, this is a great use of those pot roasts that are in your freezer.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 8 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  
• 1 cup water
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 3 pound beef roast (chuck, rump, arm roast, etc.), excess fat trimmed
• tortillas or flat bread
• toppings as desired

Directions

1. In a crock pot mix together chiles, ketchup, water, garlic oregano, salt and pepper.

2. Cut beef roast into 4 equal pieces (if the roast is frozen don't worry about this step and just turn the whole frozen roast to cover). Put the lid on the roast and set the crock pot to low. Let cook until beef is fork-tender about 6-8 hours. You can also roast the meat at 350 degrees in a covered dutch oven for about 2 1/2 hours.

3. Transfer beef to a bowl. With a large spoon, skim off and discard fat from cooking liquid. Shred beef with two forks; moisten with cooking liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve beef with tortillas or flat bread and desired toppings.

Recipe from the March 2009 issue of Everyday Food.

Homemade Homegrown

This is the time of the year that cooking becomes even more enjoyable for me. This is because I get to use so many fresh and local ingredients. And when I say local, I mean local. Not the farmer's markets (even though they are wonderful), I'm referring to my parents property and my back yard. Visiting the markets is awesome but I get way more pleasure from harvesting and using something that I have planted or tended to.

I also get a lot of satisfaction in making homemade food. It is really a stress reliever for me. The other day I was just stressed and irritable at work for no good reason. I thankfully was able to sneak out a little early and I went straight for my fridge that was stocked full of ingredients from my last visit to the parents. I thought I would highlight a few dishes I made that night that helped me unwind and feel like I had accomplished something. I'm not going to include recipes but if I get enough requests I will share them later.
Our deck that my husband and I designed and built. This is where most of our summer meals are eaten including the one below. I have also snuck herbs in all my pots. :)

Pizza

I have become a total pizza snob since living in Rome. I really don't even enjoy American style pizza anymore. There are a few places around that make good Italian style pizza but these pizza's below even rival them. All I'm missing is a wood fire oven.

Spicy Italian turkey sausage, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, ricotta, and mozzarella make up this pizza. I have been using the refrigerator dough from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day. This was the light wheat and the pizza below used the French Boule dough.

This pizza featured fresh mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, prosciutto and basil from my herb pot on my deck.

Dolmathakia me Kima: Stuffed Grape Leaves With Meat & Rice

I have eaten these a few times at Greek restaurants but never have made them. I was picking blueberries that are located right next to our large grape pergola, when my mom told me I should take some of the leaves home and make Dolmas. That is just what I did. The grape leaves, beef, and the eggs used for the avgolemono all came from the Lowber farm.

Rainer Cherry Crumble

The star of this crumble in the Rainer Cherry. My parents have this one tree that looks very sad but boy does it produce the cherries! The cherries are so sweet that I did not add any sugar to the fruit. I made the crumble topping using whole wheat pastry flour, oats, walnuts, a little butter, raw sugar and yogurt.

Garbanzo Curry

This is another quick and easy weeknight dinner. Packed with vegetables and one of my favorite beans, garbanzo beans. I served this over brown rice and made naan using Artisan Bread In 5 Minutes A Day.

Ingredients

Makes 6 or more servings

• 1 tbsp oil
  
• 1 onion, diced
  
• 2 green chillies, diced
  
• 2 can diced tomatoes
  
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cans garbanzo beans
  
• 1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
• 1 dried red chilly, diced
  
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp cumin powder
  
• salt, to taste
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 pinch turmeric powder
• 1 can coconut milk (lite is fine)
• 1 16 oz bag frozen peas and carrots
  

Directions

1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a heavy bottom sauce pan and add the onion and green chillies and cook until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and garlic and cook for five minutes. Add mixture to blender and blend until very smooth and set aside.

2. In the same heavy bottom sauce pan add the remaining oil and add the cumin seeds, ginger and red chilly. Cook over medium heat until toasted. Once toasted, add the blended paste, the garbanzo beans, frozen peas and carrots, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and coconut milk. Cook for about 10 minutes until carrots are tender.


Recipe by me.