Summer Corn Salad

Save the corn cobs if you like - you can simmer them for a while to make a quick corn stock. I did this for a corn soup recently - turns out great. Also, if Mexican oregano is hard for you to come by, you can substitute fresh oregano, or chives, or whatever herbs you like, really. Mexican oregano is unique, potently fragrant, and zesty and earthy all at once - I have a fondness for it with corn, and with mushrooms as well.

6 ears of corn
1 large shallot, minced
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
v. scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
3/4 cup / 4 oz / 115g toasted pepitas
3/4 cup / 4 oz / 115g toasted sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

Shuck the corn and use a knife to cut the kernels from the cobs. Place the kernels in a medium bowl with the shallot while you make the dressing.

Combine the lemon juice, salt, and sugar in a small bowl or jar. Gradually add the oil, whisking vigorously until the dressing comes together. Taste, and adjust with more lemon juice, salt or sugar, if needed. This dressing should be on the sweet side, not overly tangy.

Just before serving, add the seeds to the bowl of corn along with 2/3 of the dressing. Toss well, really get everything well coated. If you want more dressing, add more to taste. Crush the oregano between your palms and let it shower down on to the salad. Toss one more time and serve.

Serves 6 or more.

Prep time: 10 min

PB&J Pinchy Pies

Tomato Bread Salad

You'll need to go to Pioneer Woman's site to fetch this recipe... the photos that go with it are wonderful...the salad promises to be even more wonderful... looks fabulous too!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/tomato-bread-salad/

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

http://bigbangstudio.blogspot.com/2009/10/salt-of-earth.html

Wild Mushroom Strudel

1 T. Olive Oil
1 T. Unsalted Butter
2/3 cup onion, Chopped fairly fine
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1.5 oz. dried porcini Mushrooms, rehydrated, strained, reserving liquid
1 lb. brown Mushrooms, or a mixture of wild mushrooms, sliced
5 oz. frozen chopped Spinach, thawed and "squeezed" dry of all liquid
2/3 cup grated good quality Parmesan
Phyllo Dough
melted Butter

Heat the olive oil and butter, in a large saute pan. Add the onions and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the fresh mushroom and saute until fully cooked. Add the porcini mushrooms and reserved juice and cook until the moisture is cooked off.  Add the spinach and mix until heated through. Add the cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Mix thoroughly. Layer 4-6 phyllo sheets on a piece of parchment paper, buttering lightly between each sheet. Place the mushroom mixture along the edge of the stacked phyllo. Using the parchment paper as a backing, roll tightly into a log, completely enclosing the mixture. Brush the top of the streudel with melted butter and score into portions, cutting through about 1/3 of the depth.


Place on a paper lined sheet pan and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Summer Iced Tea Slush

6 Cups Tea
1 Cup Sugar (while Tea is hot)
1 can Frozen Lemonade
4 cans water
2 1/2 Cups Pineapple Juice 
 
Mix together, then freeze, then serve as a slush.

Hash Brown Quiche

This recipe disproves the theory that "real men don't like quiche". In fact,
everyone loves the unusual blend of cream and crunch in the Hash Brown
Quiche. It's a perfect main dish at the breakfast table.

1-20 oz. package refrigerated or frozen shredded hash browns
1/3 cup melted butter
4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
6 cups milk
12 eggs
Cayenne pepper and garlic salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Use 6 per "Texas-size" muffin pan; grease
well. Press hash browns into muffin cups to form crusts. Brush or drizzle
with melted butter. Bake 25 - 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to
350 degrees. Fill crust with cheese.

Whisk together milk, eggs, pepper and salt. Pour into muffin cups and
bake 30 - 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out
clean. Makes 12 servings.

Allow to cool before removing from pan.

Famous River Mist Banana Walnut Pancakes

For Pancakes:

 
2 Cups Bisquick
1 Cup Milk (or more for thinner pancakes)
2 Eggs
1 or 2 Bananas, Mashed
1/4 Cup walnuts, chopped finely
1/4 Cup sweetened coconut

 

For Topping:
Powdered Sugar
Chopped Nuts
Whipped Cream
1 banana, cut into 1/4" slices

 

Mix together pancake ingredients. Pour by scant 1/4 cupfuls on to a hot griddle.
Cook, flip and turn onto plates, overlapping 2 or 4 pancakes on each plate, (just touching each other, not as a “stack"). Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Add 3 pieces of banana to each pancake. Top these with a dollop of whipped cream.

Sprinkle chopped nuts on top, and serve! (Serve with maple syrup or butter on the side). This is an easy recipe which has a wonderful appearance when served,  and it’s delicious! Our guests love it!

Chimney Hill Farm Quiche

1 Lb. Jimmy Dean spicy sausage
1 Dozen eggs
2 Cups grated cheese (cheddar and monterey jack)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Garlic powder (to taste)
2 Packs Pillbury Crescent Rolls
2 Tbs. milk

 

Fry sausage. Crumble into small pieces. Drain and pat out all oil.

Line bottom of 9x13 inch oblong pan with crescent rolls, pressing ends together to make a crust. 

Beat eggs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 

Mix in cheese and spread egg/cheese mixture over crust in pan. 

Top with crumbled sausage. 

Bake at 350 degrees in oven for 35-45 minutes. Top should be slightly golden and firm to touch.

Cream Caramel French Toast

A scrumptious make-ahead breakfast or brunch main dish that goes together in 15 minutes. Guests almost always ask for the recipe!


In 9" X 13" casserole dish, melt in microwave:

2 Tablespoons corn syrup
1 Cup brown sugar
1 Stick (1/2 cup) butter


Turning the pan width-wise, layer one and one-half loaves cinnamon raisin bread slices in 3 columns like dominoes, usually 7 slices per row. 


In large bowl beat 6 eggs and add 2 cups of milk, 2 cups light cream, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir. 


Pour slowly over bread, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake COVERED at 350 degrees for 45 minutes and UNCOVERED for 15 minutes. Cut into 9 or 12 squares.


INVERT ONTO Plates so the caramel is on the top. Top with dollop of sour cream and chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans.

Tomato Tart

• 1 Cup flour
• 4 Eggs
• 4 Ounces sweet butter
• 6-7 Tomatoes, peeled and seeded
• 1 Clove garlic
• Herbs and seasoning to taste
• 1/4 Cup white wine
• 8 Ounces chevre or goat cheese

Crust:

In Cuisinart, process 1 generous cup of flour with 4 ounces sweet butter until just blended. Add 1 egg, lightly beaten and process until mixture comes together in a ball. Roll out carefully on a well floured surface and line a tart pan with the rolled dough. Chill well.

Filling:

Make a thick tomato sauce cooking down tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs (mushrooms optional) with a little white wine and olive oil until a really "jammy" consistency is reached. Let cool and then add 1 cup of grated Parmesan, 8 ounces chevre or fresh goat cheese, three beaten eggs. Season to taste.

Bake the tart shell, let cool and then fill with mixture. Bake at 375 degrees until set...approximately 40 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Extra filling can be frozen for future use.

Famous Blueberry Salad

The Main Salad:

• 2 3-ounce boxes of instant grape gelatin
• 1 1/2 Cups boiling water
• 1 16-ounce can blueberry pie filling
• 1 16 to 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained

The Topping:

• 1 8-ounce package of room temperature cream cheese
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 1 Cup of sour cream
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla (prefer Mexican vanilla for flavor)
• 1/2 Cup coarsely chopped nuts (pecan or walnuts)

The Main Blueberry Salad:

In a large bowl combine gelatin and boiling water; stir to melt gelatin. Add the pie filling and crushed pineapple. Stir well and pour mixture into a 9' X 11' dish. Place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or until firm.

The Topping:

Mix cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla using a wire whisk or a mixer. Spread mixture over gelatin and sprinkle the nuts evenly over the top. Re-refrigerate about 6 hours before serving. Serves 10-12 people.

This dish can also be used for desert or a salad.

Grilled Roma Tomatoes "Candy Tomatoes"

6 Romas
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 T of olive oil
Big pinch kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1-2 T fresh oregano

Cut roma tomatoes in half lengthwise. Mix all ingredients, place flesh side down on pre-heated BBQ. Cook over medium heat 2-5 minutes until warmed and charred. Serve pronto—oh, and try to share.

For a menu idea click here.

Watermelon Granita from the Pioneer Woman

Surely, everyone must know about Dree, "The Pioneer Woman".... if not, you're in for a treat... her cooking web site is one of my favorite, if not my favorite!  I've never made a recipe of hers I didn't like... I put her right up there next to Ina and she's even getting her own Cooking Show on TV! Every recipe of hers comes with a ton of great, step-by-step photographs!

Watermelon is my favorite fruit...and the season is way too short! Whoever thought 3 ingredients could taste so good?! Dree makes her watermelon granita a little different than the one I've made for years... but it's really one of those "how to" recipes that you just eyeball and make it your own.

In this 100 degree weather, this might be just the thing to cool you off and quench your thirst. When it's this hot, I call this dinner!

This is my recipe that originally came from Bon Appetit years ago....

• 4 cups (1 3/4 pounds) cubed seedless watermelon (from a 4-lb. melon)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Take a look at her web site to get her easy summer recipe - and step by step instructions

Creamy Cinnamon Syrup

I know corn syrup is one of those things many of us try to avoid... but if you're going to make an exception to the rule and you're looking for something different to drizzle over Apple Cobbler or  put on your pancakes or Belgium waffle, this is it!

• 1 C. light corn syrup
• 2 C. granulated sugar
• 1/2 C. water
• 1 C. evaporated milk
• 2 tsp. cinnamon

In a medium pan, combine everything BUT the milk. Bring this mixture to a full boil over medium heat while stirring constantly and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for about 5 minutes. Stir in the evaporated milk, and serve warm over pancakes or waffles.

Simple Syrup - Homemade

How to Make Old Fashioned Simple Syrup

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Garlic Confit and Baby Arugula

serves 4

8 thin slices rye country bread
1/4 cup olive oil from Garlic Confit
1/2 cup Garlic Confit cloves
2 large handfuls baby arugula (4 oz) (115g)
8 oz (230g) aged Cheddar, Gruyère, Fontina or Manchego – coarsely grated
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place 4 slices of bread on a cutting board and brush with the olive oil reserved from the garlic confit. Turn slices around and spread the grated cheese on the non-oiled side.
2. Top each slice with a heap of the baby arugula. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the garlic confit on the second slice of bread. Place the garlic confit slice on top of the baby greens and press firmly to seal the sandwiches. Brush the top of the sandwiches with the balance of the oil
3.  Heat a large heavy-bottomed frying pan, to medium-high heat. Add the sandwiches, reduce heat to medium to medium-high, and sauté 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Flip the sandwiches and continue to sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown and the cheese has melted completely. Serve piping hot with a salad.