Fabulous Fourth - New Yummy Project in the Works - The Kraut Works!

Update dateline August 22.  How did the Kraut Turn Out? It is divine. Crunchy, flavorful and really homey.  Since I used only sea salt, water and cabbage, it doesn't have the tang of processed krauts.  I've already started a new batch
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We've been keeping it simple this weekend. Staying close to home and enjoying some much needed rest. 

I do have a project up my sleeves for tomorrow. I gathered the necessary equipment and ingredients yesterday. And tomorrow I will give it a go.  Drum roll please. . .

I'm going to make a big batch of sauerkraut. The recipe is amazingly simple: cabbage, sea salt plus anything else you care to include. I'm going to throw in some garlic, some fennel, some caraway seeds and a little orange peel. 

The recipe takes from one week to one year. (I don't think I can wait a year!) 

I bought one of those old timey crocks yesterday at the hardware store.  If I had some ready cash I would have bought my crock from Ogusky Ceramics. See what I mean here:
Handmade Ogusky Ceramic Crock

Anyone have some tips on successful kraut making. I'm all ears!

Good Bye, Summer. Hello Apple Harvest!

The leaves are fading, the air is turning crisp. The light has that certain clarity I associate with autumn. And now my thoughts turn to the back yard full of apples. We have one apple tree in our tiny urban back yard. The tree produces apples every other year. In the more than 10 years we've lived in the house, I've turned my back on these apples. Thinking of them as flavorless blobs better suited to the composte pile than the dinner table. Oh, I had tried to make apple sauce at one point - but I was so appalled at the amount of sugar that was required to make them palatable that I just walked away.

Well this year, I opened my mind to the possibility that I could do something with the apples to turn their little blob-y selves to productive members of our household. And I am proud to report that I discovered an amazing recipe for apple chutney. Its called Raisin Hater's Apple Chutney. And its the work of Jessie Knadler of rurallyscrewed. Jessie has a brand new cookbook called Tart and Sweet published by Rodale. I haven't checked out the entire cookbook, but if this recipe is any indication - I'm telling you, there will be bliss in the kitchen at our house.

Find the recipe here.
Get the book here

Refreshing Treats for a Hot Summer Day

It's still mega hot and sticky. This calls for emergency treat relief. I cracked open my copy of Fany Gerson's wonderful cookbook, Paletas. In this compact little volume you will find many glorious ice pop treats that will cool you down.  There are recipes for shave ice and aguas frescas as well.

Today I choose the Quick Coconut Ice Pops, Paletas de Coco Rapidas. Yummy good. The ingredients are simple, coconut milk, condensed milk, half and half (okay, so it isn't low cal), toasted coconut, a little vanilla, and salt. Whirl them around in the blender, pour into little freezer cups - and a few hours later, instant relief.

Here is the ingredient list for Paletas de Yogurt con Moras (Yogurt Ice Pops with Berries). See how simple.
1 lemon
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups plain unsweetened Greek-style yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups fresh blackberries, or the berry of your choice

Get a copy of the book for yourself  here.

Summer's Here - A Twist on Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Well the New York Times came through this week with an amazing recipe. We served this superb dish last evening. In our back yard, in the shade of the trees, in the light cast by our backyard torches. Strawberry Rhubarb pie. But not just any strawberry rhubarb pie, but a pie emboldened by fresh ginger in the crust. 

Take a look at the morning after.

This is a treat that says summer has begun.

Enjoy.  Get The Recipe Now!

Winter Warmer - Oatmeal with Fruit

I haven't always been a fan of oatmeal. But the prodigous snows we've had this season have prompted me to return to oats and seek out this superior morning comfort food.  Here's my latest find, using steel cut oats (like McCaan's) and an array of dried fruits coupled with a touch of sweetener. 

I had to get over the hurdle of 35 minute cooking time - too much for a weekday morning. But this recipe has a handy suggestion of cooking ahead and then freezing the oatmeal in ice cube trays.  Three or four cubes, defrosted, make an excellent breakfast. Yum, I say.
Recipe Here.

Locavore Mulligatawny Soup

This is an amazing time of year. The fall vegetables (squashes, potatoes, parsnips, brussel sprouts) are super abundent. Holiday feasts are in the horizon. This translates into some quick thinking by foodie chefs who must take what's at hand, add some creativity and voila! come up with some super meals. I hadn't really thrown any weight behind this process yet - but I had started to gather up some ingredients. I knew I would want to use a yam here, a butternut squash there, and some red swiss chard. All are at the ready.

And then this morning serendipitously (as most great things are), I happened upon this recipe for Mulligatawny soup. It takes butternut squash and coconut milk both of which I have on hand. I can scare up the rest of the ingredients quite easily. I've got a plan for Saturday afternoon in the kitchen. Thanks Amy Colter at the Locavore Way.

Locavore Mulligatawny Soup

I am going to make a batch up this weekend. Yum.

Magical Modern Muffins

I admit it - I'm the lone health nut in the house. 

My other half snarfs down red meat as though there is no tomorrow. My 10 year old son could live on a diet of Cheetos. Well, you get the picture.

I'm on the eternal quest for healthy foods that can pass.  Mark Bittman's recent column is a find.  How to make tasty whole wheat muffins that aren't 40 pound lead weights.  The magic ingredient is whole wheat pastry flour - such a revelation.

Check this out.Find Yum Here

Crunch. Yum. Banana Crunch Muffins

I'm a big fan of Ina Garten and her barefoot contessa cookbooks.  My latest discovery is a recipe for the most delicious banana muffins.  These are soooooo yummy. 

All those bananas in your feezer you're saving for something - here you go.  Granola in your pantry? Yup, the recipe calls for granola.  And dried coconut. Really good. 

The recipe is a good base to add/subtract depending upon what you have on hand. I didn't have walnuts, so I didn't use any. I didn't have vanilla extract, so I used almond extract. It didn't take me long to whip up a batch. I made a half a recipe which equalled about 18 muffins. Plenty.

Banana Crunch Recipe