Potato, Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

To my surprise, I have broccoli in the garden! I have planted broccoli many times before but have never had much success. This year I decided to try it again and the four plants have grown and produced some beautiful heads. The garden and the weather were the inspiration for this recipe. A cold, rainy day, where the high for the day is in the morning calls for a bowl of warm, thick soup. Serve with a simple fruit salad and you have a meal that will add some sunshine to any dreary day.

Potato Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced

2 leeks, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon aleppo chili
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
3 pounds potatoes, diced
1 head broccoli
2 cups grated extra sharp Cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper
Sour cream

In a heavy Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute onion and celery until tender, seasoning with salt as it cooks. Add flour, paprika and aleppo chili to pot and stir until the flour bubbles. Add the broth, milk and potatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes and the potatoes are tender.

While the potatoes cook, cut broccoli into bite-size pieces and steam until tender crisp. When the potatoes are tender, use a potato masher to break up some of the potatoes. Reduce the temperature to low and add the broccoli and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and the soup is heated through, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream. Serves 6 to 8.

Guacamole with a Twist

In a search for an appetizer for Bunco, this one caught my eye. I already had many of the ingredients on hand and it was such an interesting twist on the traditional guacamole that I had to try it. One thing I really liked was the fact that it used oregano and parsley in place of cilantro. I know I should give credit for the source, but I don't remember where I found it! I did make a few changes to the original recipe, substituting Vidalia onions for the red onion and adding fresh lime juice. It was a hit and will be one of my "go to" recipes in the future.

Guacamole with Feta

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 avocadoes, diced

1/2 cup Vidalia onions, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Juice of one lime

4 ounces feta cheese

Combine all ingredients and serve with taco chips.

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad

My favorite time of year for salads is over. With no more fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden, I am looking for a some new ideas. Tonight's salad is a started with a can of black beans with lots of flavors and color added. The highlight of the salad is the sweet, Silver Queen corn, fresh cut from the cob and used raw.

Tonight's salad is a variation of the Guacamole Salad

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 ears corn, cut from the cob
3 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
2 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
Zest from 1 lime
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings

Eggplant, Artichoke and Prosciutto Parmesan

I love cooking from the garden and tonight's meal centered on today's harvest - tomatoes, eggplant and basil. The inspiration came from a recipe for Eggplant Parmesan that used eggplant minus the breading. I added frozen artichokes and prosciutto to create a more balanced flavor.

The counter was full of ripe tomatoes that needed to be cooked and preserved for later. I roasted the tomatoes as described in an earlier post and used some of them for the sauce. The Japanese eggplants were peeled, sliced and salted before frying in hot olive oil to a golden brown. The preparation was simple and easy and packs a lot of flavor in one dish.
Eggplant, Artichoke and Prosciutto Parmesan

2 Japanese eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Olive oil
3 cups roasted tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 - 9 ounce package frozen artichokes
1 ounce prosciutto, thinly sliced
4 ounces fresh mozzarella
1 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano

Salt the eggplants and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Rinse, drain, and pat dry with paper towels. Heat olive oil in a large skillet to 375 degrees F. Add eggplant and fry until golden brown. Drain in a paper towel.

In the same skillet, remove all but 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and saute the minced garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the white wine and cook rapidly for 5 minutes. Add the basil and remove from the heat.

Cook the frozen artichokes in the microwave on high for 5 minutes.

In a baking dish, add 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce to coat the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of the eggplant and artichokes. Separate the proscuitto into thin strips and layer on top of the artichokes. Top with mozzarell and more tomato sauce. Repeat the layers one more time. Top with Parmesan and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 4 servings

Grilled Artichokes

Houston's Restaurant is one of our favorite dining places in Atlanta. I often use Houston's as a bribe to entice Kenny into a shopping trip to Lenox. I thought we had tried everything on the menu until our last visit. While sitting at the bar waiting on friends, enjoying one of their delicious Salty Dogs made with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, the bartender told us about his favorite appetizer, Grilled Artichokes. Grilled Artichokes? How had we missed them? It seems that are a special menu item, only available when artichokes are in season. And yes, they were on the day's menu and on our table.

Wow, were they good. But how did they create this tasty treat? After questioning our waitress and a search of the Internet, we now have a pretty good duplication of the recipe. Artichokes can be a pricey item, but 2 artichokes - $2.50 each - were a generous serving for 6-8. These tasty thistles barely made it off the grill before being devoured. I served them with basil mayonnaise for dipping, but to be honest, they needed nothing to enhance the flavor. Grilled artichokes will be a regular addition to our menu.

Grilled Artichokes

2 artichokes
2 lemons
1/2 cup extra virgin 0live oil
4 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt
Pepper

Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon into the water. Wash the artichokes and break off the tough outer leaves. Trim the remaining tips and cut in half. Toss into the lemon water, making sure they are submerged in water.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the artichokes and cook for 15 minutes. The artichokes should be tender. Remove the chokes (the fuzzy stuff in the middle of the artichoke) and drain thoroughly. Chill for 1 hour.

Combine the juice from one lemon, olive oil and garlic.

Preheat the grill and oil the grill rack. Baste the artichokes with the oil mixture on both side and place on the hot grill. Grill on both sides about 5 minutes or until brown. Serve hot with basil mayonnaise or a lemon aioli. Serves 6 - 8.

Cream-Style Corn

There is nothing better than fresh, cream-style corn! Mama Head's was the best. I vividly remember the day she called the grandkids in to shuck and silk 12 dozen ears. We all sat under the shade of the oak tree in her side yard and complete our assigned task. I never shuck corn without fondly remembering that day.

This year, Payton planted his first corn. His backyard garden is beautiful and the corn has proved to be prolific and delicious. With 6 dozen ears, I devised a plan to make the task as efficient as possible. With the Gator parked in the shade, I began by cutting the top off the corn to make the shucking easier. While sitting in the chair, I shucked the corn, putting the corn in a laundry basket and leaving all the shucks in the Gator to be dumped into the compost pile.


The next task was to remove the silks. A vegetable brush works great and the cleaned corn was placed in a second laundry basket.

With a very sharp knife, I cut the corn of the cob, about 1/2 way down. You could do this inside, but I highly recommend you stay outside to cut down on the clean-up.

Once the kernels are removed, scrape the cob to get all the sweet goodness!

I tossed the clean cobs into the Gator, giving a few to our dogs, Libby and Lucy as a treat.

Once all the corn is cut and scraped, it is time to blanche it for the freezer. My mom and grandmother always did this in a large iron skillet, stirring constantly to keep the corn from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. This is where I have learned to use the microwave to speed up the process. I cook the corn in batches in a glass bowl, for 4 minutes, and then remove stir and add water as needed. Return to the microwave for another 4 minutes. Stir and add more water if needed. Now, how much water do I add? That depends entirely on the corn and the amount of starch it contains. You want the mixture to be thick, but not dry. Cool the corn, pack into freezer container, label with the date, and freeze. Be sure and save enough for your supper!

For supper, I cooked the corn in the microwave for about 7 minutes, stirring and adding water as needed and seasoned with salt, pepper, and bacon drippings. Or if you have some fatback on hand, fry it up and use the drippings for seasoning. Serve the corn with fresh sliced tomatoes, crowder peas, cornbread and a slice of onion for a delicious southern meal!

Skirt Steak Tacos with Guacamole and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

It has been a while since I have written on my blog, but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. Spring is a very busy time at Quail Hollow. The frequent rains have created a challenge when it comes to gardening. This is the time we are tilling the garden and getting it ready to plant, but the persistent rains have not made this an easy task. I know I should welcome the rain after a couple of years of drought, and I do, just not when I need to be in the garden!

There is very little in the garden for harvest at this time, so I have turned to the grocery store for my inspiration. As Kenny and I wandered through Publix we noticed skirt steak on sale, just in time for Cinco de Mayo. A search on the Internet resulted in a number of recipes that sounded good, and for our meal I used several and this was the result.

Skirt Steak Tacos with Guacamole and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

1 onion, cut into wedges
1 pound tomatillos, halved
2 serrano peppers
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound skirt steak
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon achiote molido (ground annatto)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
4 flour tortillas
Fresh salsa, your favorite brand from the grocery store

Place the onion, tomatillos, serrano peppers and garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and broil in the oven for 5-8 minutes until slightly charred, stirring once. Moisten the skirt steak with 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Let stand for 10 minutes. Combine the dry spices. Pat the steak dry and rub the dry spices on the steak.

Place half of the cooked onions in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar.

Remove the charred skin from the serrano peppers, cut in half and remove seeds. Place tomatillos, serrano peppers, remaining onions, 3 cloves of garlic (reserved 1 clove for the guacamole), 1 teaspoon lime juice and cilantro in a food processor and chop finely. Chill the salsa.

Grill steak on an oiled rack until medium rare. Remove the steak and let it sit for 5 minutes. Cut diagonally into thin slices.

While the steak sits, grill the tortillas until puffed and lightly browned, about 1 minute on each side.

Serve steak, onions, tomatillo salsa and guacamole wrapped in the tortillas. Yield: 2 servings.

Guacamole

1 avocado
1 garlic clove, roasted and minced
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Cut the avocado in half, remove the seed and chop. Combine the remaining ingredients.

Broccoli Slaw

My friend, Susan, shared this recipe with me many years ago and it has become a family favorite. This simple slaw packs a lot of flavor and adds a crunch to any meal. It is simple and can be partially made ahead. For Melissa and Trey's party, Nan added craisins to "kick it up a notch"!

Broccoli Slaw

1 package broccoli slaw
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 packages Ramen noodles, crushed

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Toss together almonds and noodles (without the seasoning pack) and bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Toss broccoli slaw and onions in dressing and refrigerate for 2 - 4 hours. Stir in toasted almonds and noodles and serve immediately. Yield: 6 - 8 servings.

Dressing
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Pour ingredients into a jar and shake to blend.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Black-Eyed Pea Salad meets all the requirements when feeding a crowd. It is simple, make-ahead salad that looks and tastes good. We served this at Melissa and Trey's party. If I were making this for the family, I would double the amount of jalopeno peppers since we all like our food a little spicy. If you have any leftovers, serve with tortilla chips as a snack.

Black-eyed Pea Salad

1 gallon can of black-eyed peas
16-ounces frozen corn
2 (28-ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes
2 red bell peppers, chopped
4 onions, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 jalopeno peppers, chopped
4 limes, juiced
2/3 cups apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 cup canola oil
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt

Rinse and drain peas. Cook corn in boiling water for 5 minutes until tender. Combine peas, corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions, celery, garlic and lime juice in a large container. Whisk together apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard in a bowl. Slowly add canola while whisking. Pour over vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Yield: 40 - 45 servings.

Roasted New Potatoes and Asparagus

It is 6:00 and I have no idea what we are having for dinner? Does that sound familiar? Since we are leaving town, I do have some asparagus that needs to be cooked and after a quick search of the freezer found a couple of filets. But what could I do with the asparagus, other than the usual saute in olive oil and garlic? I teamed the asparagus with new potatoes and roasted them for a great compliment to the beef.

Roasted New Potatoes and Asparagus

8 small potatoes, cut into quarters
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Parmesan cheese, grated
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the potatoes, onions and garlic on a baking dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.

Add the asparagus to the potato mixture, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender-crisp.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and add the lemon juice. Toss and top with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 4 servings

Guacamole Salad

This has been my week of experimenting in the kitchen. As usual, it begins with a trip to the grocery to find the bargains of the week. Unfortunately, avocados were super cheap --unfortunate because I don't love avocados. I do love the color and the fact that they are healthy, but the flavor is so bland. But I added a few to the basket and headed home to look for a great recipe full of flavor. Once home, I tuned into the Food Network and there was Ina Gartin making Guacamole Salad! Destiny in the kitchen --- it was meant for me to buy those avocados and try her recipe. I checked out the recipe online and it was a 5 star favorite of more than 100 reviewers.

This is a very simple recipe with that packs in the flavor. Now all I had to do was wait for the avocados to ripen. The timing was perfect. They were ripe and ready for the Bunco dinner that included Payton's Chicken Stew, Spicy Southern Cornbread and Panna Cotta. The meal was well balanced and looked wonderful.

Guacamole Salad
adapted from Ina Gartin

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
Zest from 1 lime
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes) or more to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well. Just before serving, add the avocados. Serve at room temperature.

Cooking with Michael and Friends

I love to cook and the Food Network is the inspiration for many of my meals. I have always wanted to take one episode and try to recreate it. This week I did it! The plan was to use Michael Chiarello's Let the Sunshine In episode and prepare the menu in my kitchen. Susan and I shopped for the ingredients locally with much success. The only thing missing was watercress. Dale joined us in the kitchen and we created an absolutely delicious meal.

I started the day before preparing the Frozen Ruby Reds. One word of caution, make sure you are going to be around for several hours so you can rake the frozen juice every hour or so. I made the mistake of leaving and called Kenny to do the raking. Unfortunately, it wasn't soon enough and I had to scrape out the ice crystals and put them in another container while the juice that was frozen solid thawed on the counter. After a while I was able to "rake" the juice and get the snow cone-like crystals.

After our shopping trip, we began the preparation. Susan started preparing the fruit for the Triple Orange Dessert Soup while I worked on the Lemon Braised Artichokes over Pasta. It took Susan quite some time to peel and section the oranges, grapefruit and tangerines. My task was to clean and quarter the artichokes. Thanks, Alessandra, for showing me how to prepare fresh artichokes in your Italian kitchen. This was a fairly simple and quick prep. I used fresh thyme from the garden for the braising. Once braised, they were set aside while Dale and I worked on the salad.
With the help of a mandoline, the fennel, carrots and onion were thinly sliced. Since we couldn't find any good watercress, we used spinach. The salad becomes better after sitting for a while so the vegetables can soak up the dressing. Kenny arrived in time to oversee the preparation of the Chicken with Roasted Lemon and Rosemary Sauce. The roasted lemons were amazing. By now, the kitchen was full of wonderful smells. The chicken and potatoes were browned and baked for 15 minutes.

Next time we will add to the baking time. The potatoes were still a little crunchy. During the baking, Kenny got started on mixing the drinks. We rimmed the glasses with salt and enjoyed the frozen drinks while the chicken and potatoes baked and the pasta was cooked.

Once the chicken and potatoes were baked, we made the sauce and finished the pasta. We decided to use only half of the lemon juice. The food smelled and looked wonderful. Everyone's favorite was the pasta – it could easily be served as the main dish with a salad and bread for a delicious meal. The Triple Orange Dessert Soup was much like our ambrosia without the coconut. It was a light finish to a meal that was all about citrus. Thanks to Michael, we had a wonderful meal and a great time in the kitchen!

Roasted Beets and Oranges Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

There are many foods I have never cooked before and beets are in my list. For our Christmas Eve dinner, I decided to try a different salad and with fresh beets in the frig, this was the perfect opportunity to incorporate them into our dinner. After an Internet search, this was the result, a beautiful tasty salad with seasonal fruits and vegetables and the perfect compliment to beef tenderloin.

Roasted Beets and Oranges Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

6 beets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 2 lemons
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
Salad greens
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup roasted pecans, chopped

Wash the beets and cut off the tops. Place the beets in a roasting pan, drizzle with the olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper and roast at 400 degrees F. for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until tender. Remove from the oven, cool, remove skins and and cut into wedges. Combine the balsamic vinegar, honey and olive oil in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add beets and onions and toss to coat. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Make the vinaigrette by whisking together the citrus juices, honey, olive oil, thyme and salt. Toss the salad greens with just enough vinaigrette to coat the lettuce (you will have some left over). Plate the greens and top with the roasted beets and onions, orange slices, blue cheese and pecans. Serves 8.

For those of you who want to make this salad in a hurry, pick up a jar of pickled beets and some orange sections. I think you will like the results.

Freezer Sweet Cucumber Pickles

For the first time in years, we have cucumbers in our garden. Every year, we purchase plants and set them out early and wait with anticipation, only to be disappointed at the yield. This year, I ordered seeds - Sweet Burpless Hybrid and Sugar Crunch Hybrid - from Burpee and the cucumber crop has been extremely successful.

With all the cucumbers, I knew I had to make pickles. During my time as an Extension Agent, I canned a lot of pickles, and to be honest, I was not looking forward to the long process of making the brine and then processing the jars. So I turned to my friend Barb and asked for her recipe for Freezer Pickles. I know you are thinking, you can't freeze pickles! Believe me, you can and they are very good. I altered Barb's recipe by reducing the amount of sugar from 1 3/4 cup to 1 cup. If you have a mandoline, it will make the work of slicing all the cucumbers a breeze. For me, the mandoline works better than the food processor.

Freezer Sweet Cucumber Pickles

8 cups thinly sliced cucumbers - mandoline setting 1/8"
1 medium Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
Combine cucumbers, onions and salt in a large container. Let stand at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours. Rinse cucumbers and drain thoroughly in a colander. Press to remove as much liquid as possible.

1 to 1 3/4 cups sugar (to you taste)
1 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
Heat all ingredients in a saucepan to a boil. Pour over the drained cucumbers and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days, stirring occasionally. Pack in freezer bags or containers and freeze.