Fruit

Cantaloupe Salad

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It’s not quite cantaloupe time here in Colorado, but we do finally have some good FexEx cantaloupe available at the store.  I tend to buy a half.  I then wonder why I didn’t buy a whole after I cut some up.  So last time, I bought a whole, and then had to figure out what to do with it.  Here’s what happened:

Cantaloupe Salad 
serves 2

2 pieces cantaloupe, each about 1/4 of a smallish cantelope, sliced to eat, but left on rind
1 cup baby arugula or other spring greens
1/2 lemon
Kosher salt; fresh ground pepper
2 strawberries
2 blackberries or blueberries
1/8 cup parmesan (or other sharp, shreddable cheese), shredded (2 tablespoons)

Arrange on each of two salad plates 1/2 c fresh arugula.  Top each portion with a piece of cantelope and add a couple each of the strawberries and blackberries.  Squeeze lemon over all and dust with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette (below.)

Balsamic Vinaigrette (or use your own recipe or a store-bought bottle)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon shallots or garlic, minced
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients in jar and shake well. Store in refrigerator up to one week.

{printable recipe}

 

Sing a new song; make a new salad,
Alyce

Prune Quick Bread or Something Different for Mother’s Day Brunch

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Before the quick bread post, click on the link below to send a Mother’s Day Card that will work toward ending hunger…  from THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME–BLOGGERS AGAINST HUNGER.  HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, FRIENDS…
http://gifts.wfp.org/
                                                NOW ON TO THE BREAD!!
My husband loves this bread.
But, when I mentioned to him (before he tasted it)  that I was working on a recipe for prune bread, he made a face, rolled his eyes and laughed.  Sometimes, we never escape third-grade humor.
I don’t cook a lot with prunes, but have remembered a couple of great recipes  lately…one was from THE SILVER PALATE.  I want to say it was Chicken Marabella and it was famous.  The other is a pork roast with prunes that’s to exhale repeatedly over. French recipe. OOOOh.  It’s lovely. So different.  So smooth.   So company friendly.  Reheats like a champ over the weekend after a Friday night dinner party.

Back to the bread.  I made this bread when I was working on an article called, “Quick Bread 101,”  in which I attempted to work out a basic quick bread recipe that let you add whatever you had on hand …say bananas, apples, blueberries, etc.  I think I got it right, but this variation is my absolute favorite.  It would be a sweet Mother’s Day gift, a great addition to brunch. 

I’ve been gone a few days to a funeral, so thought it was a good time to bring out the prune bread recipe and share it on the blog.  If you tried it from examiner, sorry.  I have re-written the recipe specifically for prunes.  It makes stuperous muffins!!  (stuperous is my word for something between stupendous and super)
Alyce’s mom and nephew Michael…..
Prune Nut Bread        
makes 1 9x5x3  loaf
                                                         
1 c prunes, chopped
1 1/2 c orange juice 
     Simmer chopped prunes in orange juice for about five minutes.   Let cool slightly.
4T melted butter, cooled, or canola oil 
1 egg (you might want to use 2 at altitude)
     Mix cooled butter/oil and egg and add to orange juice and prunes. 
     Set aside.
21/2 c unbleached flour
1 c sugar
3 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 c chopped nuts
     In a large bowl, mix well all dry ingredients.  Add wet ingredients and stir just until well-mixed.
Spoon into greased and floured 9x5x3 loaf pan.  Bake about 50 minutes until bread is firm to the touch, is pulling away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out with just a few moist crumbs.  Let cool in pan 5 min.   Bang pan on counter or board and turn out onto rack to cool completely before slicing.  Keep well-wrapped on counter for 1-2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Can be made into muffins.  Pour into greased muffin tins and bake at 400F 15 min.  Turn out on to rack to cool.
TWO-DOG KITCHEN AND AROUND THE ‘HOOD
  As I write, Friar Tuck is over at Dr. Bill’s getting a little nip and tuck done to raise his voice.  Yes, Tucker’s getting neutered, but, you know, it had to happen.   I apologized ahead of time because he’ll be a little groggy afterward.
          ….              …..                …..                         …….
(Below:   Later this afternoon……Poor baby)
.)
Our sour-cherry tree in bloom.  Pie cherries will be ready about the fourth of July.  Come pick before the birds get them all.  If we get up early to bake before the heat comes, we can have pie for the holiday.
Sing a new song; bake a new bread;
Happy Mother’s Day!
Alyce
—–
In Memorium…Carol Curtiss..The Quintessential Lutheran Party Girl..
God, Love Her!

Blackberry Jam or No, My Phone is Still Working

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The problem with making jam at home is that it’s no problem.
A regular batch of freezer jam doesn’t even take 45 minutes
                                                                                  and that includes washing/drying containers.

You can have it on toast.
You can put it on waffles.
Try a teaspoonful in your plain yogurt.  (Just buy plain yogurt and do this or add a tad of honey.)

You can give it away.  Oh, the friends you’ll have.
Even if you do, you’ll have enough jam to last quite a while.

Here’s my jam cooling out on the deck.
I couldn’t do that today because the wind is blowing 70 mph. 

So here’s what I did… I followed the directions on the pectin packet.  Just for grins, I’ll recount the experience.

Freezer Blackberry Jam ala SureJell Package and Alyce
makes about 7 cups of jam

Wash and dry about 10 c worth of containers.  (1 and/or 2 cup–your choice)   While you’re only making 7 cups of jam, you’ll need space at the top of each container for expansion.  Set aside on a big baking sheet or on counter where they can stay for a day or so.

Wash and pat dry about 3 pints fresh blackberries.

Mash them with a potato masher or put them in the food processor.  Leave some partial fruit; don’t completely puree.   Measure to make sure you have exactly 3 cups of mashed berries.  Eat any left.

Measure into a large bowl exactly 5 1/4 c white sugar.  Mix 3 cups measured mashed blackberries into it.  Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meantime, measure 3/4 c water into a small saucepan and add package of pectin (Surejell).   Stir well; it will be lumpy.   Bring to a boil over high heat and let boil 1 min.  (30 seconds extra at altitude.)  Pour into blackberry-sugar mixture and stir for 3-5 minutes continuously until the sugar is completely melted.  Taste to make sure no grit remains behind.

   Ladle or spoon into prepared clean plastic containers (1 or 2 cup) and leave 1/2 ” at top for expansion.
Cover with well-fitted lids.
 Let sit 24 hours without disturbing to set.  Freeze for up to a year or  store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.  I don’t think it’ll last that long. 
Bon confiture!
Two-dog Kitchen…  Yes, they do more than sleep.  They eat and they go outside.  haha
Jammin’
Alyce

Blackberry Cobbler or It’s Spring Somewhere….

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I’ve always dreamed of living in a place where I could pick blackberries.
Off I’d head, early morning, basket in hand.
Maybe some gloves. 
These things can be scratchy, to say the least.
I might take one of the dogs.
Sometimes I read the blogs of women who live in such places.
They have so many blackberries that they blog about jam.
But I live up on the mesa.
Near the mountains.
And there aren’t any blackberries growing wild.
In fact, there’s nothing growing.
Unless someone planted it in a yard. 
And then:
They have to pay the water bill.
Silly, huh?
Wanna eat locally here?
You better enjoy cactus, of which I have plenty.
(I do have a sour cherry tree and rhubarb….)
I once had a $37. tomato I grew on the deck.
I pay hundreds a year for a couple of patches of grass.
(So my dogs don’t have to pee on rocks.)
All that leads you to know that  if I made blackberry anything,
my blackberries came from King Soopers.
On sale.
10 half-pints for $10.
Deal?
No, but it’s as good as it’s going to get.
And were we glad to get cobbler made from store-bought blackberries?
Uh-duh.
Alyce’s Blackberry Cobbler made from Store-bought Blackberries
7 c washed blackberries
1/2 c white sugar
1/3 c all-purpose flour
1 cup flour
1T white sugar, plus 1t for dusting crust right before baking
1/4 t salt
2t baking powder
4T butter, chilled
6-7T milk
1T melted butter
In 2qt casserole or a deep-dish pie pan, mix the berries, sugar and flour.  Set aside.
In a food processor, or using a pastry blender or two knives, mix the dry ingredients for the biscuit topping and cut in the butter until it’s all crumbs.  Shouldn’t be even, but will have tiny irregular bits and pieces.  Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, either processing briefly or stirring constantly with a fork.  When dough holds together, pull it together into a ball and knead it a few times until it looks and feels smooth.  Pat or roll it out into the shape of your pan and lift it onto the top of the berries, tucking it in to bed around the edges. Brush the crust with the melted butter.  Sprinkle with a little sugar on top (no more than a teaspoon full).  Bake about 35 minutes, checking in 10 minutes before that.  If it’s golden brown and bubbly, get it out of there and put it on a rack to cool.  Do let it cool quite a bit or you’ll have berry juice and crust for dessert.   Makes a lovely dessert, but a better breakfast.  Add some ice cream or gelato if you’re eating dessert.   A bit of milk on top of it in a bowl rounds out the dish for breakfast.
Two-dog Kitchen presents:
Whose bone is that?
A little neighborhood news: 
I have a flicker (and, no, this isn’t a place to put pictures) on my chimney.
He thinks it’s wood, but the part he’s on is metal.
A hollow, chimey jack-hammer.
Out front, the primroses, which look nothing like roses, are blooming inky, dark purple.
Nearby, a rabbit (he lives here) sits up just like a picture and looks at…?
Our house dove is at the edge of the roof cooing at her mate, who maybe skipped town.
Three young lady deer spent a lot of time peering in my window today, scared of Gabby.
The robins, down to a pair, are in and out, all around.
I’ve yet to figure out where they’re nesting.
My neighbors’ houses have forsythia in bloom.  Including Sarah M’s if she’s reading.
Why is yellow so hopeful?
In memoriam:  my pool-shooting buddy, Janet Egbert, who died yesterday suddenly…at the beautiful age of 52

Sing a new song; craft a new cobbler; love your friends while you have them,
Alyce

Easter Brunch or Howling Wind Precedes Mimosas

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Green Bean Mustard Rosemary Salad..

Note:  This blog was begun late in Holy Week and has been added to throughout.  The last entry will be on Easter Monday  when I will hopefully have time to pull the whole shebang together.  Until then, sing a new song, friends.
.
Earlier in the week:

The wind is blowing, oh, about 50 miles an hour–no joke.  It kept me up half the night.

Hippity, hoppity, Easter’s on its way…………….

Perhaps in the south, way in the south, the weather is conducive to and making like Easter.  Maybe in Mississippi or Alabama, the grass is way green and the tulips are waving their pretty little heads, showing off their Easter bonnets.   Maybe in Mexico.

But here, up on the Mesa near the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, winter must howl its way out of existence.  There is no ushering in like a lamb.  Out here, it’s all lion.   While the air has warmed up enough to turn off the heat for one or two days (and to give up baking), every few days there is still a snow or wind storm and we’re reminded that we are not in charge here.  Snow and Easter lilies; these are my favorite sorts of (and the typical Colorado spring) combinations.  So, it’s really like this:

Baby, it’s cold outside….

There is one hopeful, tiny row of daffodils in an extremely sunny spot down the street.  Huh.

And once more, the seasons of Lent and Advent mix and murk-up life.  I once had a friend who said, “It isn’t Christmas unless you find a piece of Easter grass under the sofa when you’re cleaning.”   As I dig through the junk drawer, looking for a little Easter bauble for the table, I come across Christmas ornaments that didn’t make it into the box in the attic.  Or I see a snowman I missed at the top of a bookshelf.  Just when I think I am ready to believe grace is mine, it seems I’m thinking about waiting for the messiah to be born in my heart.  Ah, gee.

No only that, but in my faith, huge, magnificent, screaming winds are not for Easter.  The are for Pentecost, the birth of the church.  I dunno.

And, by golly, I blogged unleavened bread last week.  Ok, I’m confused for sure.  But, if you’re celebrating Passover, check out our Chinese meal and  fix the green onion pancakes, which are not really pancakes, but tasty chewy flatbreads cooked on top of the stove in a skillet.  Rolling the eyes and taking a big breath here.

Meantime, I’m believing Easter will come.  The winds will die down.  I’ll make it through Maudy Thursday and Good Friday services.  I’ll cook through the Saturday vigil.  And, like the rest of the world, I’ll wait to be saved.  Or free.  Or sinless.  Guiltless.  Clean.  Loved.  New slate.  Ready, set, go.

Again.

This year, our brunch is capital “S” Simple.  Friends are coming and bringing part of the meal.  I won’t be putting the whole thing together until Sunday after church, but will do a trial run of a quiche for grins, giggles and fotos.  I’ll gear up the table (which will be filled with grass, eggs, chocolate, etc.) a bit and get it all together for you, but will try to get more complete photos as I work on the meal over the weekend.  Perhaps I’ll be better with the camera than I was on a regular writing/photography gig today.  When I arrived at Patsy’s Candies to take pictures for an article, my battery was dead in the camera.  This from a woman who spent the $50 to have a BACKUP BATTERY and left it at home.

You see how it is this week.  This blog will be a work-in-progress.  Like all of us at Easter.

 Or anytime.

Ok-The bread- Columba de Pasqua- is first.  I couldn’t get it to work in the shape of a dove, the traditional shape.  Instead, I have a braid.  I guess we’ll eat it.  Made on Thursday afternoon-evening, I’ll freeze it and unthaw it Sun.

  Ok, it’s Saturday afternoon, April 3-Happy Birthday, Emily- (and I promised this would be a work in progress.) and next up are two of the quiches.  There were three.  One was in an old tart pan that gave way in the oven and leaked.   (Like a lot of old … oh, for goodness sake, I’m not going there, but you get the drift. ) The custard baked in the bottom of my big oven.  I’ll include a pic of that, too.  So, oven cleaning was part of the mix…  Anyway.  One quiche is bacon, ham and swiss and the other is a green chile quiche that is called “Betty White’s Mexican Quiche” and I’ve had the recipe for 30 years from Sue.  Fun.

Above:  Bacon and Ham Quiche  outdoors on the deck table. It’s now 65.
               (Read all about making quiche in my Quiche 101 article.)

Above:  Betty White’s Mexican Quiche
Above:  This is how a quiche that wants to bake on the bottom of an oven looks.
The oven was so dirty anyway that it was a blessing that this thing happened.  Right.

Above:  Lidia’s Limoncello Tiramisu.  Good thing I made it before the oven disaster because I might have stopped cooking at that point if tiramisu was still ahead.  This stuff is limonsinful.  Recipe at epicurious.com.

I still have to do the table.  No, it isn’t done yet..  Sunday morning I’ll do the beans and Sunday at 12:00 noon, I’ll put the last quiche in the oven.  The shell is chilling and the filling is cooked and in the frig.
Sunday promises to be 60 and sunny.  Thanks, God.

Sunday night:  Well, the brunch went on for 4 or 5 hours, depending on who you were.  We had four more people show up than I thought were coming.  Good thing I always cook for a crowd.  I made one more quiche (no pic–maybe tomorrow of the leftovers) that was turkey Italian sausage and veg from http://www.perfectpantry.com/ (go Lidia).  There was more than we needed and here we are at Sunday night and I’m just reading MY ANTONIA by Willa Cather for my book club.  That’s all.  More later!
—————-

 Pftzz:  Here’s my current plan.  For food, that is. (Written Wed or Thurs? Alyce plans; God laughs.)

Menu
Starters:  Smoked salmon/ lemon, capers,  minced red onions
                 Deviled eggs (Dave will make- out of my dyed eggs.)
                 Mimosas
                Mains:   Quiches:  Lorraine, Italian sausage/veg, and seafood
                Manicotti (Jeanne brings)
               Fresh Green bean salad (blogged last year)
               Fresh Fruit Salad (Sara brings)
               Polish Easter bread (Jeanne brings)
               Alsatian Riesling or Australian Rose (Carlei)
Dessert: Limoncello Tiramisu (a Lidia recipe!)
              Colomba di Pasqua (Italian E. bread shaped like a dove) (left in freezer after all-next week?)
              Coffee
How I’ll accomplish it:
  • I planned the menu a couple of weeks in advance and located my recipes.
  • I did some of the dry-goods grocery shopping last week.
  • I went to the candy store, liquor store and grocery store today, leaving only produce for Sat.
  • Thursday I’ll make the bread and the quiche pastry.  Into the freezer they go.
  • Thursday I’ll dye eggs. 
  • Friday I’ll clean a little house, make sure my clothes are ready, teach a lesson and go to 3 hours of worship.
  • Friday night, we’ll listen to a few requiems.  Verdi is my favorite, but Mozart, Faure and Brahms will show up, as well.
  • Saturday, I’ll send Dave to the store for the produce (I won’t go near a grocery the day before Easter) and I’ll set up the buffet and drinks station and set the tables.  I’ll make the green bean salad and the dressing, only dressing it a little that day. (More dressing on Sunday.) I’ll make the Limoncello tiramisu and refrigerate it.. Oh, and I will chill sparkling wine for the mimosas.
  • Dave will make the deviled eggs, taking care not to over-salt them.  Old recipes are very salty.  One time, we couldn’t eat them.  Agh.
  • We will not cook or sit at the table Saturday night.  I don’t know what we’ll do; maybe we’ll go out or maybe we’ll eat on trays watching a movie.  Waiting, watching.
  • Sunday morning I’ll take the bread and quiche pastry out of the freezer to unthaw.  I’ll make the quiche fillings before we go to church.   When we come home, I’ll fill the quiche pans and bake them.  Hot, warm or room temp–it’s all good for quiche.  I like it cold.  I’ll set up the coffeemaker and put out cups, cream and sugar.  Maybe a little something to nip up the coffee a bit.  Bailey’s?
  • I’ll give the bathrooms a last lick and a promise.  I’ll light the candles gratefully.
  • I’ll grab a basket of eggs and hide them.
  • I will probably shovel and sweep snow.
  • I’ll be wiped clean myself…ready to begin again.
  • And try not to eat so much chocolate.  (Though, if you read my examiner articles, you’ll know it’s ok now to eat some every day!!)
  • I’ll welcome our guests, “He is risen!” (I didn’t do this….how could I have forgotten???!)

Are you glad Lent is over?

New Year’s Day Brunch for Eight

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Do you want to just sleep away New Year’s Day?

Maybe you want coffee and coffee and coffee and coffee… and maybe a football game later. Much later.

But if you’d like a touching, warm beginning for the New Year (and, honey, it really is 2010), this sweet and savory meal is for you. You might not need anything else the rest of the day.. especially if you don’t make it until 3pm. Smile.

I’m praying your Christmas and Hanukkah were great… This is just the eighth day of Christmas; did I do the math right?

8 maids a milking……………… Whoa. Just the thought makes my hands hurt.

Our tree stays up for the 12 days of Christmas. When the wise men arrive on January 6 is when I’m comfortable beginning to take down an ornament or two. Why not give it it’s full due?

Epiphany is an incredible season of its own. I love the word

EPIPHANY

Look it up and read the definitions. You need an epiphany; I know. I do, too.

Meantime, the menu.

Pomegranate Sparkler
Fresh Fruit Salad
Balsamic Fried Tomatoes
Sweet Potato and Black Forest Ham Frittata
Whole wheat toast/butter and jam
Stollen (an easy one)
Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee

Recipes are in the order in which you should make them………
–
COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE
Make your coffee just how you like it. Make lots.

POMEGRANATE SPARKLER

Into each of eight flutes, pour equal amounts of pomegranate juice and champagne or cava (an inexpensive and super Spanish sparkler) or prosecco. No New Year’s Resolutions needed.
A few frozen raspberries or cranberries in the bottom of the glasses add a dash of seasonal red.

STOLLEN
2 loaves. Each serves 8-10.
–
Great to make ahead and freeze. This recipe makes two. Keep one for later or take one to a friend. This is an easy stollen… not to worry about a thing. If you can make banana bread, this is just a T-tiny step above. No yeast. The original recipe that I’ve changed over a couple of years and bakings at sea level and at altitude came from Susan Westmoreland @ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, linked here.
.

2 c ricotta cheese
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
2 c dried tart cherries (other dried fruit works)
1 c toasted walnuts, chopped roughly
2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
4 lrg eggs (use extra large at altitude)

4 2/3 c unbleached white flour
1 c white, granulated sugar
3 t baking powder
1/2 t kosher salt
–
Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease two large, rimmed cookie sheets or baking pans.
Mix together ricotta, cherries, nuts, vanilla, lemon peel and eggs. Set aside.
In food processor, mix (using steel blade) flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Cut in cold butter and process until meal-like. Pour flour mixture into a large bowl. Mix in ricotta mixture by hand until the dough hangs together.
–
Do try this at home…………….or ask kids to help. They aren’t afraid of bread!
You’ll have a lovely dough by now and you need to turn it out onto a floured board or counter and divide it in half. With floured hands, gently knead each piece of dough about three times. With floured rolling pin, roll one piece of dough into 10” by 8” oval. Fold oval lengthwise, bringing top half over or that the bottom of dough extends by one inch. Repeat for second
piece of dough.

Pat /roll out; roll over…….Place each stollen on a prepared baking sheet. Bake about an hour until lightly browned and toothpick placed in center of bread comes out clean. Transfer bread to wire racks and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. Slice as desired. 1 1/2 inches is good serving.
Wrap extra stollen in double layer of foil and freeze or deliver to friend.

FRUIT SALAD

Cut up 2 cups each of four of your favorite winter fruits and mix well in large bowl. If desired, mix in 1/2 c sour cream and top with shredded coconut.

Suggestions: Apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, pineapples…….Whatever’s good at your market!

BALSAMIC FRIED TOMATOES

Slice two large tomatoes and saute them in a little oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 T top-quality balsamic vinegar and cook 1-2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and serve with frittata.
SWEET POTATO-BLACK FOREST HAM FRITTATA

2T olive oil
2 small red potatoes, chopped roughly
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1/2# asparagus, chopped (remove bottom couple of inches)
1/4# Black Forest ham, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
8 eggs, well beaten
1 c Gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large (12-14″) skillet, measure oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add both kinds of potatoes and onions. Saute until tender, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Add asparagus and ham and saute until the crisp has just worn off the asparagus. Add beaten eggs and cook, stirring, for five minutes or so, stirring often. When the eggs are about half-cooked, add Gruyere cheese and place in oven. Bake until crispy and the eggs are set to your liking. Turn pan over onto large cutting board and shower with Parmesan. Cut into 8 pieces and let your friends or family serve themselves. (While frittata bakes, make your toast.)

Share with someone you love!
Happy New Year, friends………….as you sing any new or “auld” song,

Alyce–Could there be anything better leftover? Add a little butter.

Plum-Peach-Blueberry Crunch

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Sometimes it doesn’t matter that it looks like fall, feels like fall, well, in fact, izzzzzzzzz fall. There’s still a little leftover from summer and harvest to make a luscious fruit dessert. Maybe you’ve even been toting your herbs or flowers in and off the porch for a couple of weeks, just getting the last few rays of sun and summer. I know a few folks who are doing that!
Of course, we can make apple or pumpkin whatever all late summer and fall long or use winter squash in a variety of sweet and savory ways. But stretching out late harvest bounty makes those particular foods just all the more precious. There is an old Irish tune, “The Last Rose of Summer.” Of course, as I’ve been in Princeton and New York for five days visiting our daughter at seminary, I haven’t been cooking summer or fall food for a while. ( I’ll get my pictures (and ducks) in a row and fill you in on the trip in a few days.) In some little corner of a protected Princeton yard, though, I saw exactly that rose… several of them, in fact. Tiny, little “old” roses, faded pink, but still on the bush. Really.
–
Meantime, I thought I’d blog a dessert I made just about two weeks ago when, you’ll remember, there were still peaches in the stores. Maybe they were “The Last Peach(es) of summer!” I began by looking at a Plum Crunch Ina Garten had made on tv and found the recipe in her BACK TO BASICS COOKBOOK. I didn’t really have all of the ingredients, so I began to experiment a bit. Mixing fruits, cutting sugar… You get the idea.
–
Well, I did have some of those last peaches that had held up beautifully, but needed to be used. Definitely plums to be had then— and now. And, you can, if you care to pay, get blueberries most anytime. (I freeze them when they’re plentiful and cheap, baking them frozen.) If you can’t get any peaches where you are (this is November), try this with just plums and blueberries. It can be made ahead, even frozen, and would make a lovely addition to the Thanksgiving dessert spread with a snippet of freshly whipped cream or a spoonful of real good vanilla ice cream. If you can get the entire mix of fruits or just part, this is a delectable and homey dessert served anytime. The topping is quite thick and crunchy and almost seems like a super oatmeal cookie (or top of the hill granola) on top of soft, sweet fruit despite my cutting the sweetness. Thanks, Ina.

Peach-Plum-Blueberry Crunch

Serves 8

8 holiday plums, peeled and cut into fourths*
2 peaches, peeled and cut into eighths
½ c blueberries, fresh or frozen
¼ cup flour
2/3 c white, granulated sugar
6T Brandy

1 ½ c unbleached, white flour
½ c ea granulated white and light brown sugar, packed
½ t kosher salt
1 c old-fashioned oats
½ c chopped pecans
2 sticks (1c) cold butter, cut into pieces.

8 scoops vanilla ice cream or 1 c whipped cream, optional

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray the inside of a 2qt or 12×8” baking dish.

Combine fruit, ¼ c flour, sugar and brandy. Pour into baking dish.

In food processor, fitted with metal blade, measure flour, sugars, and oats; pulse lightly to blend. Add cut butter and pulse until the mixture begins to come together, crumbling with butter the size of peas. Remove blade and gently stir in pecans. Pour over the fruit mixture and spread evenly.
Bake it for about 35 minutes, checking for bubbling fruit and browning top. Let cool for at least a half an hour before serving. Good warm or at room temperature, with or without whipped cream or ice cream. If you want to freeze it, cool completely, cover with two layers of foil and freeze for 4-6 weeks. Let unthaw, covered, completely before serving.

*If using all plums, increase plums from 8 to 12.

Caught between the bounty of summer’s harvest and the watchful, waiting Advent brings, I made this dessert one day and went to rehearsal to practice the Christmas portion of “The Messiah.” Working behind and ahead! can be an unusual process for a faithful cook.

The fruits of our labors… and the labors of others. Enjoyed together….
–
Current Reading: THE SWEET LIFE IN PARIS, by David Leibovitz
Even if you aren’t a baker (or cook), read this lovely
memoiry book full of heart-holding stories of figuring
out life in a strange land and, of course, recipes that
make your mouth go “La, la la la la!!!”
–
Sing a new song; mix some new fruit, read David’s book today—-
Alyce

Peach Amaretto Bread Pudding

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I don’t know how they do it, but for the last couple of weeks Idaho and Utah orchards have still been shipping peaches to Colorado. Of course, we are very taken with our own western-slope peaches (gone for over a month by now) and our small, but delectable selection of irrigated Penrose apples, but when you can’t get local and the brought-in stuff is still firmly-fleshed and sweetly calling, you eat them for breakfast with Greek yogurt every morning until…………until there are no more.

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August Nights-Brown Butter Risotto and Raspberry Sauced Ice Cream

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In Front Range country, where we live, late August is truly both sweet and savory. Days are finally cool enough to bake if you’ve a mind to and nights, if you’re blessed, are still warm enough to spend time outdoors. Of course, we might also get snow on the geraniums one day soon. If I look up at Pike’s Peak, which I do daily, I know it is only a matter of time before there’s “snow on the Peak.” Harbinger of snow HERE.
I wonder how many people actually run their lives according to the seasons; cooks and gardeners are gently tied always to the rhythms of the earth and what can be done when. Christians, among others, are tied to a calendar of sorts that serves to let us know (or remind us) that we are in God’s time, not our own. The year begins in late November or early December with Advent, just as the secular world is gearing down for the end of the year. I keep my feet firmly planted in both time zones, waking early at this time of year to watch the sun come up and drench the mesa and also waking early in December marking the days until Christ is born (again and again and again) in my heart.
While I was gone for two months to University of St. Thomas, my neighbors kept my potted herb garden alive (great thanks, dear friends) and, with a south window, I cheat the seasons (and the grocery store that charges $3.50 a tiny pack) and have sage, thyme and rosemary all year long. I try basil indoors to little avail. Parsley can work here, too, but is better outdoors or cheap at the store. The risotto recipe for today can be changed with the addition of a little fresh sage. You could try other fresh herbs, but most are somewhat delicate for this hearty risotto.

I love risotto because————————————————-

  • it tastes good
  • it is easy
  • you can put nearly anything in it
  • it’s a main course or a side
  • it reheats well (make lots)
  • it spans the seasons
  • the name caresses itself (rihsohhhhtoh)

I have a couple of ways of making it that shorten, or make simpler, the process. But the thing about it is that you HAVE to stand there and stir, adding broth; you are tied to the food in such a way that you see it change and be created right before your eyes. Fix it and forget it? Not risotto. You must make the time.

I’m sorry, honey, I can’t answer the phone. I’m stirring risotto.

I’m sorry, I can’t take the dog out, I’m stirring risotto.

Here’s one I made for Dave and me Monday night. (see below)

…………… Mums in their late summer glory out front………….

Brown Butter Risotto (with Leeks and Asparagus)
3T butter
1T olive oil
2 lrg. leeks (white part only) sliced thinly
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/3 c white wine
1 qt chicken stock, kept warm on stove (perhaps a tad more)
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1# asparagus, trimmed and cooked for 2-3 min
1/4 c shaved parmesan (use potato peeler on big hunk of cheese)
1/4 c cooked bacon, chopped or shredded sage, optional
In a heavy duty 4qt pot, heat butter until brown and bubbling; add oil. Stir in sliced leeks and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until leeks are tender, 5-8 min. Add white wine and a cup of chicken stock. Stir until thickened; add another cup of stock. Repeat adding stock and stirring frequently until rice is a bit more done than al dente and stock is gone. Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into large bowl or platter and top with asparagus and parmesan. Sprinkle with bacon or sage if desired.
……………………..One of many kinds of raspberry sauces———————–
Raspberry Sauced Ice Cream
Rinse and pick through about a pint and a half of fresh raspberries. Put them in a 3qt heavy saucepan and add 1/4 c sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer about 15 minutes, stirring often and adding water if the sauce is too thick. Turn off heat and let cool. Puree in food processor and eat within a day; otherwise, freeze for a winter dessert treat. (Sauce is also good on waffles.)
Ladle sauce over ice cream and add a large dash of Chambord to the dish, if desired.
Wine: Try an older Sauvignon Blanc or even a White Burgundy–just barely chilled; please don’t drink it terribly cold with this risotto.
I’m heading to NapaBold tomorrow and will surely come back with a few new ideas, if not needing a new cellar. The “real world” begins next week as I begin teaching lessons again and continue the job hunt, which is starting to bear fruit. Enjoy your weekend. Love somebody and, oh, yeah… If you make the risotto….. eat quickly before someone grabs yours.

—In memoriam, Edward M. Kennedy-who loved to sing—

Sing a new song, or at least listen!

Alyce

(Today’s playing includes “Sicut Cervus” (Palestrina), “Be Thou my Vision” (Rutter version) and lesson plan music. Listening: French Chansons (The Scholars of London), OG- MHADAINN SHAMHRAIDH (Summer Dawn) by Kathleen MacInnes-the Scottish Gaelic version)

August Nights-Zucchini Soup and Grilled Peach Sundaes

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Make the time.

There are days when I could eat nothing but soup. That’s usually when the weather begins to turn or when it’s really cold outside and the thought of the stove on for hours on end (somtimes less) or the crockpot bubbling away while I practice is just too tempting. If I have alot of other things to do, I might even put the bread machine and the crockpot on at the same time, put on stacks of John Rutter, Take Six, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir or just my very favorite large choral works. Those might be “Messiah,” of course; Verdi or Mozart “Requiem,” Schubert “Mass in G,” Bach “Magnificat,” etc. Lately the list has expanded while Amazon cleans up in the weeks after the grad music courses. Thanks, Angie.
————–more Margo flowers…what a gardener
————-
In the summer, however, I shy away from any soup at all except for the occasional cold soup. My husband is the gazpacho maker, so I seldom even do that. Somehow, this last week, however, zucchini soup recipes began to appear and I thought, “Surely I can improve on that.” I don’t have a ton of zucchini because I live on solid bedrock with a yard full of deer, lizards and the occasional mountain lion and bear. Flowers I can do; veg–no. The farmers’ markets are full of the stuff whether or not you or a friend grow any–and you might want to shred some and freeze it for winter zucchini bread, omelettes, zucchini cakes (fry ’em up like potato pancakes with a little onion and some egg and flour to hold them together) or whatever strikes your fancy. You could even try this soup. It’s light; add some great bread and a dessert. Perhaps a dish of cheese spread for the bread.
I’ll bet you have a friend …or acquaintance… Take the time to call. Invite them for zucchini soup; it’s maybe 30 minutes to make. Ok, so you have to stop by somewhere good for bread and pick up wine (or make iced tea) and grill the peaches for the sundae. You could do it….

Zucchini Soup Yum Yum
2-3 for main course; 4-6 for first course
2 large onions chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped finely
2T butter
3-4 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Qt. chicken stock, no salt or low-sodium
Kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper
Hot sauce
1/4 c fresh chopped dill weed and a little extra for garnish
1/3 c low-fat sour cream or creme fraiche if you prefer
In 8 qt. stockpot, melt butter and add onions and carrots. Cook over medium heat until almost limp and add zucchini and garlic. Cook about 10 minutes or until zucchini is losing its crispness, stirring to make sure garlic doesn’t burn. Add stock and simmer until zucchini is tender, perhaps five more minutes. Add all but a few sprigs of dill. Salt and pepper to taste; add hot sauce for zip. Try a few drops at a time and continue tasting until it’s as you like it. You can puree with an immersion blender or in batches in the food processor or you can eat it chunky. Serve in bowls topped with a tish of sour cream and a sprig of dill for garnish.
Next: Grilled Peach Sundaes…………Any day this month! Go Colorado peaches!

To make grilled peach sundaes, wash and stem fresh peaches. You’ll need half a peach for each serving. Cut each peach in half and remove pit and any residual pit scrapings. Grill on lightly oiled grill over medium heat for about five minutes on each side. Turn carefully and do not try to cook peaches all the way through; they will break and you will have a mess. You just want them well-warmed with nice grill marks. Remove them from grill to cutting board and let sit 1-2 minutes. Slice each half into about four or five pieces and place on top of vanilla ice cream. Serve with cookies if desired. A drizzle of maple syrup or peach brandy would gild the lily, but might be silly-good.
Wine: French rose for the whole shebang; try Tavel. Whoa.
No alcohol? Make some peach or mint tea. Serve in pretty glasses.

——- Here’s some of my flowers making the entry welcoming this week.

Get together this week. Have them come in the evening. Put on the candles; they can’t see your dust. (They don’t care.)
Sing a new song,
Alyce