Baking Fresh Pumpkins

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

If you don't already know it, there is a serious shortage of canned pumpkin this year due to cool, wet weather in parts of the country that grow pumpkins. There are no cans of pumpkins in the stores this Thanksgiving season so if you want a pumpkin pie, now is the time to buy fresh pumpkins so that you can bake them and make pumpkin puree.

The canned pumpkin shortage does not impact me: I always make my Thanksgiving pies from fresh pumpkins. There is no comparison in flavor; fresh pumpkin is the preferred ingredient for pies in our house.

The first necessity is to buy pie pumpkins not a carving pumpkin. Not all pumpkins are created equal! Carving pumpkins are thicker and when baked, the result is watery and stringy. A pie pumpkin is smaller, not more than 8-10 inches tall, with thin skins. If the pumpkins aren't labeled, ask.

Our farmer's markets sell pie pumpkins and when I purchased four last week, the sales clerk commented on the shortage of canned pumpkin and said her daughter was bringing canned pumpkin from Missouri when she comes for Thanksgiving. I couldn't help myself: you sell pie pumpkins all day and you are having canned pumpkin brought to you?

Wash the pumpkins, place on a cookie sheet and put into a 350 degree oven. Bake about 50 minutes until a knife pierces easily through the flesh.

Remove from the oven, cut open and cool. Then scoop out the seeds and inner flesh and what remains is what will soon become a pie.  You can remove the pumpkin and mash with a potato masher or run through a food mill. I used a food mill: I scooped out the pumpkin flesh and dropped into a food mill set over a mixing bowl. A few turns of the food mill handle and creamy pumpkin puree fills the bowl.

Because pumpkin cannot be safely canned at home, I put 2 cups of pumpkin puree in quart size freezer bags and put in the freezer. We are traveling to Annapolis for Thanksgiving, so we'll put the freezer bags in the cooler--along with the turkey that will be brining as we drive.

If you want a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, you'd better find some pie pumpkins in the next few weeks before they disappear from the shelves, too!

Fried Sage Leaves

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

Why, oh, why was I so slow to discover these wonderful things? I have a lot of sage in the garden and it goes to waste. No more!

On a recent, wet, cold evening, I ventured into something new: sweet potato gnocchi. And I topped them with a light, white, creamy sauce and fried sage leaves. These are super simple to make, can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container--which I will be doing to use my garden sage before it is covered with snow.

So easy:

Wash and dry sage leaves. I put them in my lettuce spinner then placed on paper towels.

Heat several tablespoons of oil to medium-high heat. Drop in the sage leaves one at a time, only a few at a time. Cook them for only about 30 seconds, until the color just begins to change on them.

Remove with a slotted utensil and drain on paper towels. Salt and enjoy! These would be a perfect addition to any pork dish or the Thanksgiving turkey. I used a handful on the gnocchi but ate the rest as a snack!

Curried Ground Beef Served on Grits! Another $6 dinner

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

My intent was to grill hamburgers outside but pouring rain forced a menu change. Since I was creating butternut squash patties with curry, I stayed with the curry theme. And the result will be repeated again--it was a winner!

This was a quick and simple dish that used only a few ingredients. I served it on grits, yes, grits! We love grits and I made them with milk so that they were thick and creamy--a perfect fit with the curried beef. If you haven't discovered Anson Mills organic heirloom grains, you're in for a treat. www.ansonmills.com

For this dish, I used:

1 lb ground beef
1 T olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T curry powder--more if you are a curry fan
2 tomatoes, chopped into pieces about 1" in diameter--1 red,1 orange because I still have heirlooms from my garden
1/2 c water
salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley for garnish

And here's how to put it together:

Saute the beef until slightly pink--not completely cooked. Remove to another bowl, drain the beef fat, add the olive oil and saute the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Add the beef and remaining ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. My heirloom tomatoes are watery so this took about 15 minutes. In the winter when I don't have fresh tomatoes and don't want to pay $2 each for the cardboard tasting ones in the stores, I will use canned tomatoes.

This is not a dish that is based on the tomatoes; they are an addition and using only a small amount really works well. 

For this dinner, the meat was $2 (on sale) and the other ingredients were about $1, a bit more if I didn't have my own tomatoes so add another $1 for canned tomatoes. This could be served with rice or pasta but it was particularly great with the creamy grits. Another $1.50 for the grits and milk and adding in $.50 for the butternut squash pancakes, this was another under $6 dinner for the two of us and I had leftovers!

Savory Butternut Squash Patties with Curry

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

I had some leftover butternut squash that I wanted to use in a savory pancake version. What I came up with is a real winner--these were outstanding.

This time of year, I love various squashes. I am a fan of spaghetti squash baked and tossed with just olive oil and garlic. I picked up a large butternut squash for about $1 at the farmer's market and baked it--pierced with a knife, baked on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until a knife easily pierced through it.

Next, I cut open the squash, let it cool, scooped out the seeds and strings, and then scooped out the cooked squash, tossed with butter and salt and pepper. Easy and good. But I had about 2 c leftover and was looking for something different. So this is what I put together:

2 c cooked butternut squash
1/2 t garlic powder
2 t fresh chopped parsley
1 t curry powder
2 T flour
salt and pepper

I blended the ingredients into a thick mixture. I debated adding an egg as Grandma Washburn always did with mashed potato cakes (oh, those were tasty) but decided against it as the consistency of the mixture was nice and thick.  My intent was to add some panko bread crumbs to the mixture but it didn't need any extra filler. I was a bit skeptical of this mixture minus the egg and panko but what did I have to lose--I was working with leftovers!

I formed the mixture into patties--not too thick--and sauteed in hot oil, turning twice until each side was a crispy brown. Amazing flavor. The savory patties will definitely appear again in our kitchen.

Chicken Dumplings in Green Curry

By Perry Washburn

My son Daniel rang me midday from college. "I'm coming home tonight to get winter clothes. Let's cook."

After much debate, and on a quest for something "new", he found this recipe for dumplings - perhaps better called meatballs - in The Complete Asian Cookbook. Luckily we have one great and several good Asian groceries in town. As I teach Thai classes, I keep more basic Asian ingredients on hand than most people, and know where to find the rest. Daniel marveled at my fav Asian grocery, and the Asian ladies pulling lively blue crabs out of a bushel basket, barrel-full-o-monkeys style. (Double Dragon on 2nd Ave. for Des Moines locals.) The lemon, lemon grass, curry and basil flavors in this dish were stellar.

Here's the recipe, with my additions or changes in parentheses.

1 lb chicken minced
3 green onions, diced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 stalk lemon grass, white part only, finely diced
1 tsp chicken stock powder (I used 1 tsp Penzey's chicken soup base)
1 1/2 cups cooked jasmine rice
1 egg plus one egg white (I used 2 whole eggs)
(1/2 cup bread crumbs)
2 Tbs oil
2 Tbs Thai green curry paste
3 cups coconut milk (or 4)
4 fresh kaffir lime leaves
1/2 cup basil
1 Tbs lemon juice

Mix together the chicken mince, spring onion, cilantro, lemon grass, 2 Tbs fish sauce, the stock powder (I mixed in the Penzey's soup base with the fish sauce before adding), and some pepper. Add the rice and mix well with your hands. (I found my "dice" or "mince" was not fine enough, so I threw it all in the food processor. Much easier.)

Beat the egg and the white (or in my case both eggs) with a mixer until thick and creamy, then fold into the chicken mixture. (I had NEVER tried to beat whole eggs. Didn't know it would work. A revelation! You don't quite get to soft peaks, but close. Because I used the extra yolk, and Penzey's paste, these may have been slightly more soupy than normal. I wanted the binding power of the extra yolk. But they were too loose to roll, so I added bread crumbs to get to meatball consistency.) With floured hands (I used lots) roll tablespoon sized balls, and place on a tray. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. (I cheated, and we put them in the freezer for 15 minutes).

Heat the oil in a large frying pan (I used my 18-inch cast iron skillet for this, and needed all of it). Add the green curry paste, and stir over medium heat for 1 minute. (I added some of the thick cream from the coconut milk at the beginning, as this is the traditional way to start a curry. Make sure you DON'T shake the coconut milk, or you will mix it all up. It naturally separates; use the thick part first. Don't ever buy "light.") Gradually stir in the remainder of the coconut milk, and reduce to simmer. Add the lime leaves and the dumplings, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (I used a stiff spatula to turn them. I found in my cast iron skillet, these actually browned; I had to get under them to turn them. They would have broken with a spoon. I turned them often.) (If the sauce gets too thick, add more coconut milk. As the cans are commonly 19 oz each, you will have extra.) When the dumplings are done, stir in the basil, remaining fish sauce and fresh lemon juice. Serve over rice.

Braised Sauerkraut & Bratwurst--Dinner for $6

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

What an easy and great dinner we had tonight. We love sauerkraut and this recipe is one that I cut out from Parade Magazine in January 1983. Julia Child created it and we love it.

Sauerkraut is shredded green cabbage that is layered with salt and weighted down in a crock until it ferments. This was an ancient way of preservation. Sauerkraut has a distinct, sour taste that blends wonderfully with pork. You can find sauerkraut bagged in the deli section like I did or bottled (or make your own!). Julia's note in 1983 says to not buy sauerkraut with sugar added and that Dutch or German types are preferred.

This recipe will serve 4.

1 lb sauerkraut
1 1/2 c sliced onions
1/2 c dry white wine or vermouth
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1/4 t each caraway seeds and thyme
 pepper
1 bay leaf

Start by draining the sauerkraut in a colander and rinsing with cold water. Then soak the kraut in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse, soak again. Repeat this 3 or 4 times--each time makes it less sour.  Drain one last time and squeeze by handfuls to remove excess water then fluff up the stands (Julia's words).

While the kraut is soaking, simmer the onions and wine/vermouth (or chicken broth) in a heavy casserole for 8-10 minutes or until quite tender. Add in the remaining ingredients and simmer slowly for 30 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

For my dinner tonight, I cut 1 lb of fresh made bratwurst into 3" lengths, browned for 10 minutes and added to the sauerkraut. Place the covered oven proof dish into a 400 degree oven and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes.

Along with the sauerkraut and bratwurst, I roasted some broccoli. I tossed cut broccoli pieces with olive oil and salt and pepper and roasted at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.  For this dinner, the bratwurst was $3, the sauerkraut $1, another $1 for the broccoli and $1 for onion, seasonings, olive oil, and chicken stock. Dinner for $6.

As Julia would say, bon appetit!

Freezing Peppers

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

We still have a large quantity of peppers from the garden but they will not hold much longer. Last winter, we took a 'we are bored' road trip to Ann Arbor, 4 hours, to go to Trader Joe's. One of the new items I discovered on that trip: frozen pepper pieces.

Much to our surprise, they worked well in many dishes and with red peppers often $3 each in the winter, these frozen peppers added color and flavor without the cost.

Yesterday, I froze 3 quarts of chopped pepper pieces and look forward to tossing them into food next winter. Here's what I did:

Cleaned and chopped both red and green peppers. I then placed them in a single layer, no overlapping pieces, on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for about an hour. Then I loosened the pieces from the cookie sheet--they were stuck to it--with a spatula and scooped into a quart size freezer bag. They look gorgeous!

Black-eyed Chicken

By Perry Washburn
This fall finds me on the run, frequently looking to make something tasty - fast.

I had thawed a package of chicken thighs, and I knew I had a bag of basil from an Asian market run that needed to be used. And a bunch of leftover white rice. The rest was a fridge raid. My girls loved this! Here's how this really fun dish came out.

1 pound of chicken thighs, cleaned, boned and diced
Sesame oil
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 cup green onion, with the white and green separated
1 cup basil, chopped
2 Tbs spicy brown bean sauce (check your Asian market)
1/2 tsp ground chili garlic oil (ditto)
1 can black-eyed peas, including the juice
1 tsp Penzey's vegetable soup base

Saute the chicken in a tablespoon or so of sesame oil until it's starting to lose its pink. Add the celery, the onion, and the white/light green part of the green onions. Continue cooking until they are beginning to wilt. Add the bean sauce, the chili/garlic oil, the blackeyed peas and the soup base. Cook for 5 minutes or so, until it's all well mixed. Stir in the basil and green onion, and serve over steamed (or in my case, reheated) rice.

Roasted Beets

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

I love beets in any fashion. This summer, my beet crop wasn't the best but last year I had so many that I canned jars of pickled beets and they were oh, so tasty. Many people think they don't like beets probably because they have only been exposed to commercially canned harvard beets. We've served fresh from the garden beets to dinner guests who were stunned at the sweet flavor of the real thing.

Last night, I took a roasted beet dish to a pot luck and it was a hit. The usual comments were heard: I forget about beets or I love beets but don't know how to cook fresh ones.  I came home from the farmers' market with two huge bunches of fresh beets for $3 and went to work.

Whenever I cook fresh beets, I remember Grandma Washburn telling me to leave 2" of the stems and roots attached to each beet so that the color doesn't drain out while cooking. So just like Grandma said, I trimmed all the beets, washed them, and put them on a large sheet of heavy aluminum foil in a single layer.

Next I added a handful of fresh thyme from the garden, four garlic cloves unpeeled and drizzled with olive oil and tossed.  I closed the foil around the beets, put on a baking sheet and into a 400 degree oven.

An hour later, I removed the foil packet, opened it and let the beets cool. Then under running water--this keeps your hands from turning red--I easily slipped the skins from the beets, cut off the root and top, and cut into chunks about 1" in diameter.  I squeezed the garlic cloves to remove the cooked garlic, chopped into a small dice and added to a serving bowl with the beets.

I tossed the cleaned beets with salt, pepper, 2 T olive oil, 1 T balsamic vinegar (the vinegar brings out the sugar in the beets) and just before serving, I added 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese.

Another favorite roasted beet recipe that I love is to add the roasted and cleaned beets to the food processor with salt, pepper and a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and puree.  The gorgeous, red puree is a terrific color and taste addition to the dinner plate.

Leftover Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

I had a large piece of leftover grilled pork tenderloin and a lot of fresh vegetables. Together, they made quite a delicious and easy dish.

What I had to use for this dish:

2 c chopped pork tenderloin, cooked
1 red pepper, sliced into long, thin strips
1 green pepper, sliced into long, thin strips
diced hot pepper to taste
1 medium onion, sliced from top to bottom
1/2 c carrots, sliced thin in 2" strips
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
1/2 c pepper jelly--I used some that I had made
salt and pepper
1/2 fresh parsley

Heat the oil and add the peppers, onion, carrots, and garlic. Saute over med-high heat until the veggies begin to soften but are still crisp. Add the pepper jelly, salt and pepper and 1/2 of the parsley and stir for 1 minute. Add the chopped pork and stir until the pepper jelly begins to simmer.

I served this on rice that had been cooked with Penzey's pork base and topped it with the remaining parsley. Only one word for this dish: Gone!

Roasting Peppers

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

We have bushels of red peppers ripening in my garden shed and I am roasting them to make ajvar. I finally discovered an easier way to roast the peppers so that they are evenly charred.

First, wash the peppers, remove the core and seeds, and cut in half. Place the halves on a lined cookie sheet--foil works best. As the peppers roast, they let off juices and under the broiler, these juices are difficult to clean from a baking sheet.

Flatten each pepper half with your hand. This trick makes the peppers brown evenly. Turn the oven to broil and put the baking sheet about 8" under the broiler--you want them to char but not turn to mush.

Broil the peppers until they are evenly blackened turning the pan after about 5 minutes. The peppers will blacken in about 10 minutes.Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the peppers sit for for 15-30 minutes. The heat from the peppers steams the blackened skin away from the peppers so they are easy to peel. If you have used foil to roast the peppers, just wrap the foil around the peppers and let them sit.

Remove the plastic wrap or foil and let them cool. Then pull the skin away from the peppers. Voila! That's it.

One of our favorite summer dishes is grilled chicken breasts brushed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil served with slices of roasted peppers and fresh basil.

Roasted Chicken Breasts & Spanish Rice in the Dutch Oven--Easy!

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

Fall is here and it's time to change directions a bit on cooking. While we can still grill outside, a chilly Sunday got us thinking about a one-pot Dutch oven dish.

I love chicken breasts with the bone in. Not only are they cheaper than boneless, $.99 a pound compared to 3 or 4 times that, but they hold moisture better.

What I used in this recipe:
2 chicken breasts, bone in
2 T olive oil
1 c BBQ sauce
1 green pepper, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
1 t cumin
1 t chopped hot pepper--I used a hot Serbian pepper
1 c rice
2 c water

Start by browning the chicken breasts in a Dutch oven in 2 T olive oil.

While the chicken breasts brown, add the BBQ sauce to a saucepan. I used BBQ sauce that we made a few weeks ago but any thick sauce will do. To the sauce, add green pepper and onion, cumin and diced hot pepper (or pepper flakes). Bring this mixture just to a simmer.

Baste 1/2 of the barbecue sauce mixture on the chicken breasts in the Dutch oven. Then add the rice and water and the rest of the BBQ sauce, stir, covered and put into a 350 degree oven.

Rice takes about 20-25 minutes to cook but these breasts don't need that much time since they are browned first. So bake the breasts and Spanish rice for 10 minutes and then turn off the oven and leave the Dutch oven in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. The rice will continue to cook.

That's it! A one pot chicken and Spanish rice meal with great flavors and the total preparation time is less than 10 minutes.

Tomato Basil Tart

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

I made this tart last night with my last trip to the garden for the year to harvest tomatoes and basil. I covered the basil but it was 29 degrees this am so I'm afraid to check. Bushels of tomatoes got picked and moved to the garden shed for protection.

So it was necessary to use tomatoes and basil in last night's dinner dish and this tart fit the bill. I have played with various versions over the summer and this one got it right--ricotta cheese, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, eggs, basil, garlic, tomatoes and a pie crust. Simple ingredients that turned into a perfect meal.

I first made a pie crust, single layer, and baked it for 10 minutes at 350 degrees just to set the crust. When I took it out of the oven, I immediately added 1/2 c of shredded mozzarella and let it sit for 5 minutes so that the cheese melted. These two steps--short prebake and the addition of the mozzarella cheese while the crust is hot--sets the bottom of the crust so that the tart doesn't sink until it resulting in a very flaky bottom crust.

Next, take 2 tomatoes--I used an orange and a red, slice thinly, salt, and place on paper towels to drain while the crust is in the oven.

In the food processor, I added and pureed:

1/2 c ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 clove garlic
3/4 c fresh basil
salt and pepper

Place the tomatoes on top of the melted mozzarella in the pie crust and add the cheese puree.

Top with:
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Bake the tart in the 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown.

The great thing about this tart for us is that it was not only dinner last night, but lunch today. It's excellent cold. Enjoy!

Food Warms Up The Memories

By Perry Washburn

Reprinted from the Des Moines Register

Tradition is a powerful motivator. Since moving to Iowa four years ago, I have loved the Iowa State Fair because it is so rich in tradition. You can walk the barns and the buildings and see that families who have been showing off their talents there for generations.

Likewise, I am a good cook in large part because my Indiana family made food a huge priority. My grandmothers both ran restaurants, and my aunts and uncles excelled in the kitchen. My mom's gravestone proudly proclaims "world class pie baker." My siblings are fabulous cooks.

So my cooking is a family tradition.

And nothing reminds me of my Midwestern foodie roots more than the bountiful harvests of fruits and vegetables. Take me to a farmers market, and my mind races with the memories of dishes and family gatherings gone by.

"These cucumbers and onions are great," my daughter said earlier this summer. They were tart, crunchy, fresh and delicious, tossed simply with some vinegar and a bit of sugar. But this dish is not one of my staples.

"Why did you make this?" she asked. Because, I told her, I saw the cucumbers and thought of my mom.

On the drive home from a daughter's softball practice last week, I found myself pulling over suddenly. My daughter thought I was nuts. But there in a yard was a table full of tomatoes and squash, a scale, a coffee can and some simple directions. I happily weighed a couple of the best-looking tomatoes you've ever seen, and put the money in the coffee can. I smiled at my good fortune. My wife and daughters, who love fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil, were in for a treat!

This time of year reminds me of fall harvests of the past, where Mom would excitedly call me to the garden. The broccoli is ready! Or the carrots, the beets. And she taught me simple rules. When you have something fresh and at the peak of flavor, you can let it be the star of the meal. With high-quality ingredients, simple often is better.

Often a little steam or some sautéing with butter is all you need for carrots, beets, turnips, broccoli and squash to shine. Perhaps add one fresh herb, say some thyme. The freshness explodes in your mouth. With fresh-from-the-garden flavor, you don't need complicated cooking methods or layers of ingredients.

My grandfather and I used to love digging potatoes in one of two huge family gardens. We especially prized the little ones, which Grandma or Mom would gently boil or roast, then toss with butter and parsley.

Grandad has been gone 40 years this summer. But a steaming bowl of fresh potatoes brings the tastes and memories flooding back. Pass the potatoes, please?

Perry's 2&1 rub

2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika

Here is a quick way to make your own rub. This is my theory: put in 2 teaspoons of the spices that should be in every rub. For me, those are salt, sugar and garlic powder. Then pick three of your favorites and add one teaspoon each of those. Most commercial rubs are salt heavy. If even this one has too much, move up the onion powder to the 2 teaspoon spot, and move the salt down to 1 teaspoon. Be creative on the 1 teaspoon side: Add dried herbs like thyme and basil, pepper or chilis, and/or spices with a zing like ginger, cinnamon, curry powder, etc. Have fun!

Perry's Cabbage and Chops

4 pork chops
4 tablespoons Perry's 2&1 Rub
1-2 tablespoons oil
1 small head cabbage (1.5 pounds) sliced thin
1 large onion, sliced
1 large tomato, diced
1 teaspoon oregano

Sprinkle rub onto pork chops and cover or place in a plastic bag. The longer you let the rub sit, the better it gets, although you can proceed immediately to the next step.

In a large skillet, heat the oil until hot. Over medium high heat, fry the pork chops until brown on the bottom and red juices are starting to come out the top. Turn, and brown the other side until done.

Take the pork chops out of the skillet and place on a heated platter and cover.

Add onions, cabbage, tomato and oregano to the skillet and cook, turning often, until the veggies are wilted. 8-10 minutes. (Some people like their cabbage just barely wilted, and bright green, and other like it cooked longer. Your choice.)

Put a heaping spoonful on each plate, and top with a chop.

Serves 4-6.

Carrot Soup

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

This soup is really tasty. This time of year when I have carrots in the garden, I make huge pots of it and freeze. One of those "wow" soups, it's simple and elegant.
I love using carrots in different ways and this recipe uses carrots along with a sweet potato and a baking potato (although today I dug potatoes from the garden.)

Saute in 1 T butter:
1 med onion minced

Add to the pot:
2 c sliced carrots
2 c chicken stock

Simmer until the carrots are tender. While they are cooking, microwave:
1 large sweet potato
1 large baking potato

Cut open the potatoes to cook and then scrape the potatoes (minus skins) into a food processor. Add the carrots, onions and broth and puree until smooth.

Return to the pot and:

3 c chicken stock
2 T fresh dill
salt and pepper

Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

This sauce is amazing! We have an abundance of tomatoes from the garden and having canned dozens and dozens of quarts of tomatoes and pints of BBQ sauce over the weekend, I needed a new way to use them. Marty walked into the kitchen while I was putting a pan of tomatoes in to roast and he scoffed at me. After he tasted the sauce, he says he is unscoffing!

Most roasted tomato recipes call for Roma tomatoes but I only have heirlooms (16 kinds). I picked a variety this afternoon, cut them in wedges maybe 2" at the thickest, and tossed them in a bowl with olive oil and salt. I prepared enough to cover a cookie sheet. I put a Silpat baking sheet on the cookie sheet (saves clean up), added the tomatoes in a single layer and roasted at 285 degrees for 2 1/2 hours. I turned the tomatoes once while roasting. The tomatoes were reduced in size and just beginning to brown when I removed them from the oven.

While they were roasting, we brought in from the garden a medium green pepper and onion and a huge handful of basil, about 3/4 c. We sauteed the minced veggies in olive oil with a minced clove of garlic, basil and salt and pepper. I had 3/4 lb of cooked bacon leftover from last night's BLTs and crumbled the bacon and added to the sauce pan. To this we added the entire pan of roasted tomatoes, stirred the mixture and cooked on medium heat for about 10 minutes.

We served the sauce on cappellini but it would also be great on pizza, mixed with risotto, or served on warm polenta.

This was an absolutely outstanding tomato sauce--rich and flavorful. Now I know what to do with my tomatoes in the garden! This weekend's project will be making pots of the sauce (minus the bacon) and freezing.

Ajvar--Serbian "Salsa" with Red Peppers and Eggplants (Aubergine)

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

Ajvar! It is the end of summer and the red peppers and eggplants are plentiful so now is the time to make ajvar. Pronounced eye-vahr, this tasty spread was introduced to us by one of our Serbian kids when he brought a large jar from home to us. When we visited Serbia 2 years ago, we became addicted.

Imagine sitting down at a Serbian dinner table and having a large bowl of glorious roasted red peppers and eggplants in front of you with a plate of thick bread. Then imagine trying to eat anything else after stuffing yourself with ajvar. When Nathaniel was in Serbia last year on business, he asked the waiter for the roasted eggplant and pepper spread and he said, "Ah, ajvar." Ah, indeed.

This is basically a spread made of roasted eggplants and red peppers pureed with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, hot pepper, and parsley. We grow Serbian peppers in our garden and they are significantly different than American peppers. Peppers in Serbia are called paprikas and they are not as big around but longer. We have 3 kinds of Serbian peppers in our garden: large sweet, long hot, and tiny super hot.

I am canning ajvar now and hope to can about 20 small jars. Serving a small bowl of ajvar with good crackers to guests never ceases to bring the question: "What is this? It's amazing." Ajvar is so good but except for specialty stores that sell Balkan foods, you can't find it here. Trader Joe's sells a roasted pepper and eggplant spread which is basically ajvar but they probably didn't call it ajvar since no one would know what it is!

Eat an oven to 475 degrees.

2 large eggplants
6 large red peppers
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 c olive oil
3 T fresh lemon juice
3 T chopped flat leaf parsley
salt, pepper
Hot pepper flakes--or roast a hot pepper with the sweet ones

Place the peppers and eggplants (aubergine) on a cooking sheet and roast 20-25 minutes until the skins of the peppers are black. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, scrap out the pulp of the eggplant into a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients. When the peppers are cool, remove the blackened skin and seeds and add the peppers to the food processor. Pulse into smooth.

To can the ajvar, warm the ajvar in the microwave until hot to the touch throughout. Ladle into hot jars and can in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Tomato, Cucumber, Onion & Basil Salad

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

Lunch. This is what I made for lunch today. Since I know I can't do this 2 months from now, I come home daily and make something from the garden. Today, I harvested 2 gorgeous tomatoes, a Japanese Black Trifle and Italian Rainbow, a cucumber, a red onion, and a handful of basil.

My salad was simple: the tomatoes still warm from the sun, with the other garden treasures, all cut into small bites and dressed simply with 1 1/2 T olive oil and 1 t balsamic vinegar.

We once had a similar salad in Ontario called Canadian slaw. I don't know why it was called a slaw. But it was also in the late summer and wonderful even if it surprised us when it arrived at the table.

The juice of the tomatoes blends with the oil and vinegar to make a superb dressing. I filled a large bowl with this salad and took it back to the office where each bite was like a bite of summer. Amazing. And none of it more than just a few minutes from the garden.

Tzatziki--Cucumber Salad with Homemade Greek Yogurt

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

I picked the first Armenian cucumber today from the garden (the cold and the deer slowed their arrival) so I had to use one in one of my favorite salads: a simple Tzatziki, or Greek yogurt and cucumber salad.

Because I make my own yogurt at least once a week, I also make my own Greek yogurt. Even if you don't make your own yogurt, you can easily create a Greek style yogurt at home minus the hefty price tag. Greek yogurt is sometimes called strained yogurt because the whey is strained from regular yogurt. It is thick, tangy and so popular these days that Greek yogurt sales have grown nearly tenfold in the past few years.

To make Greek yogurt, pour plain yogurt into a strainer lined with cheesecloth, place the strainer over a bowl, and put in the refrigerator over night. That's it. In the morning, the bowl will be filled with whey (which my puppy loves!). Squeeze the remaining whey out of the cheesecloth and then scrape from the cheesecloth the thick Greek yogurt.

In a bowl, whisk together:
1 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
2 finely minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 c Greek yogurt

To this add finely chopped cucumbers, salt and pepper and stir to coat the cukes. I also added fresh dill since I have it in the garden. Chill several hours.


For an early post on making yogurt, scroll down the page and in the right hand column listing the labels, click on Yogurt.

Spicy Chickpeas & Tomatoes

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

Oh, is this tasty! I love spicy, Indian flavors and have fond memories of a chickpea & eggplant stew that I had at diner in Maine years ago. This version comes close.

This dish can be done with just the chickpeas and tomatoes but because the garden is flourishing right now, I added onions, green pepper, and eggplant to it. The result is a thick vegetable stew that makes a great side dish (would be great with the lamb we just got) or for lunch as I had it today.

The hands-on time for this dish is less than 10 minutes. If you stick with just the tomatoes and chickpeas, it takes about 5 minutes to prepare, another 20 to simmer. Fast and tasty!

3 T olive oil
3 T cumin
2 T coriander
1 t ginger
1 t cinnamon
cayenne pepper to taste--I added about 1/2 t--I love Penzey's black & red

1/2 med onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 qt canned tomatoes juice included
2 cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1 1/2 c chopped eggplant (I used a long, thin variety)
salt, pepper to taste
1/2 c chopped Italian parsley

Saute the onion and green pepper in the olive oil over medium heat until they just begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the spices and saute, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes or until the oil turns a deep, rich color. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature and top with chopped parsley.

Drying Herbs: Italian Parsley & Basil

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

For the next few weeks, we will be furiously "putting up" the herbs from our garden before the frost. Italian parsley is what I harvested today. I have a huge crop of it and preserve it in two ways: drying and freezing.

The first step in this process is the most laborious: picking, cleaning, culling. This would be one step easier if you are using farmer's market herbs--you don't have to pick them like I do. This time of year, there are a variety of herbs at the markets just waiting to be "put up" for use months from now.

Freezing is easy. Pull the leaves from the stalks so you are only using the leaves. Chop fairly fine and put into a small freezer bag pushing the parsley to the bottom and in a fairly even row across the bottom. Then roll the bag beginning with parsley end pushing air out as you roll. Seal the bag and freeze. I usually will do several bags like this and then remove the parsley rolls and put into one freezer bag. When you're ready to use the parsley, just cut off a chunk.

The other freezing method is the one I used on basil today. I chopped the basil and packed tightly into an ice cube tray, covered with water and stuck in the freezer. When they are frozen, pop out the basil cubes and put into a freezer bag. The basil cubes can be used in any recipe except for perhaps a fresh basil caprese salad. Throw the cubes in marinara sauce, soup and use for Thai curries. I will also dry basil.

Today I filled two ice cube trays with basil and four dehydrator racks with Italian parsley. The parsley will dry in the dehydrator for about 12 hours on low and then I will crumble it into a bowl and put in an airtight bag.

Yet to come to our kitchen for drying: dill, cilantro, coriander, oregano, thyme, and sage.

Canning Time: Bread & Butter Pickles

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

We are avid canners. I can't imagine not doing this. Taking veggies fresh from my garden or the farmer's market and canning them is a labor of love. But it also delivers a food product that is far superior than similar store purchased items. And there is no comparison in cost: this is inexpensive. And easy. With no preservatives or chemicals added. Pure and simple foods.

We have a pantry that is filled with items that we can each year: pickles, pickled beets, ajvar (Serbian eggplant & pepper spread), dilly beans (with a tiny, French bean that I grow), peach and grape jam, grape juice, green tomato chutney (outstanding with pork), tomatoes, marinara sauce, tomato juice, salsa. This week I canned something new, a thick, chunky zucchini relish that I can't wait to try on kielbasa.

Because of all that we can, we spend very little on these kinds of foods at the grocery store. Those inside aisles? Rarely do I go there except for baking items, oils, canned beans, or condiments like mustard. Once you have your own canned goods, the grocery store brands, even the pricey ones, just don't taste as good. With increased attention on eating healthy and being cost conscious at the grocery store, canning makes sense.

But I can probably can name only a few people who share this passion. Why more people don't do it, especially foodies, is mystery to me. It's so much fun and delivers such an outstanding food product.

Basic equipment needs: a canner and canning rack, about $19 at a big box store, funnel (to put food in the jars), jar lifter, canning jars and lids (at any garage sale!).

Bread and butter pickles are really good. They have the crispness of the cukes in a spicy sugar/vinegar pickling liquid. Don't even think of buying a bread & butter pickle mix! These are very easy to make. This recipe is a variation of the one in the Ball canning book.

6 c sliced cucumbers, about 1/4" thick, not the tiny dill size but not the huge ones either
1 1/1 c sliced onions
1 1/2 c sliced green or red peppers, or a mixture of the two

I like my pickles to be about 1/2 cukes and the other 1/2 onions and peppers so that when I open a jar months from now, it's almost a salad.

Put the veggies in a bowl, top with 1 c kosher salt and a layer of ice cubes. Let them stand about 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge. The salt brings out all of the liquid in the vegetables so that when processed, the vegetables stay crisp. Drain the veggies in a colander, rinse, and drain again.

In a small saucepan, bring the canning jars and lids to a simmer for 10 min to sterilize.

While the canner is heating up with water and 5 pint canning jars with water to cover by 1", bring to a boil
2 c sugar
3 c vinegar
2 t peppercorns
2 t turmeric
2 T mustard seed
2 t celery seed
1/2 t cayenne pepper

Add the drained vegetables, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove one of the pint jars from the boiling water canner (sterilizing the jars takes about 10 minutes at a boil), put the funnel in the jar and using a slotted ladle, fill the jar. Stir with a knife to settle the vegetables in the jar. With a ladle, fill the jar with the pickling liquid to within 1/2" of the top of the jar.

Wipe the rims of the jar clean with a damp cloth or paper towel. This removes any spices of vegetables that can make it difficult for the lids to seal. Place a lid and rim on the jar and tighten. Using the jar lifter, put the filled jar back in the canner and remove another jar emptying the water back into the canner as you lift it out.

When all the filled jars are in the canner, cover the canner. Once the water has returned to a rolling boil, start a timer that is set for 10 min.

After 10 minutes, remove the jars with with jar lifting and place on a dish cloth. Very soon, the lids with make a popping sound--you know they have sealed. Check the lids after a few hours to make sure all the lids have sealed. You will see a tiny indentation in the middle of the lid.

Pickles need to sit for 4-6 weeks to fully develop flavor.

Look at all the gorgeous jars of pickles on your counter and smile! I gave a canning lesson to a friend of mine this week. Anyone want to come for a lesson?

Fresh Peaches with Brown Sugar & Sour Cream

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

I'm not sure this dessert qualifies as a recipe. It is oh-so-simple and very tasty.

Slice fresh peaches and place in serving dishes so that each dish has 1 c of peach slices.

Top each serving with 2 t brown sugar and 2 t sour cream.

When this is served, stir together the sugar and sour cream with the peaches. The peach juices mix with the sugar and sour cream making a golden syrup. The syrup brings out the best in the fresh peaches.

Sweet Corn--'putting it up'--Black Bean & Corn Salad

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

The sweet corn that we are getting now is superb. Sweet, pop in the mouth, kernels. Corn is the one food that says summer to me. I hold the family record for eating 36 ears in one sitting--and I could do it again today! A summer 'supper' when we grew up was a table filled with sweet corn and BLTs and, of course, we used the bacon grease on the corn. Yum.

I always cook at least twice as much corn as I think we'll eat (I usually have 6-8 ears!). The remaining corn is cooled, cut off the cob--I use a serrated knife and cut into a wide bowl that is sitting on a large piece of aluminum foil, really helps with the mess.

I bag the corn by handfuls, usually 2 large handfuls to a quart freezer bag, mark the date on the bag with a marker and put in the freezer. Sometimes I'll mark notes on the corn bag. The first bag that went in the freezer this summer says "Aida and Madina" because they were here for Summer Camp Aunt Kathie. When I pull that bag out of the freezer in February, I'll an immediate memory of our glorious summer week.

One of my favorite summer salads is black bean and fresh corn. After cooking corn, I'll save 1-1 1/2 cups for the next day.

To the corn, add:
2 cans drained black beans (I now cook a batch of beans on the weekend and put them in the fridge so if I'm using those beans, I use 3 cups)
1 med onion, diced
1 med green pepper, diced
3 T minced fresh cilantro
3 T olive oil
1 1/2 T balsamic vinegar

This salad will keep for several days in the refrigerator--if you have any leftovers which I never do.

Ratatouille

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

I wonder how many people when hearing of the recent cartoon Disney movie "Ratatouille" wondered what the movie title word meant. We serve ratatouille often in the summer and take it for potluck dinners and many people have never heard the word or of the dish. They are missing something special.

I first fixed a ratatouille dish nearly 30 years ago when we had an abundance of eggplant and zucchini in our garden and used a recipe of Julia Child's printed in a Sunday newspaper magazine--in the days before you could Google eggplant and zucchini when looking for a way to use them. Consequently, we often call this Ratatouilla Julia.

We have eggplants, zucchini, peppers, basil and onions in the garden now but still do not have fresh tomatoes. So I used the fresh veggies and added a quart of my tomatoes that I canned last summer (I never buy canned tomatoes any more!). It was so spectacular that canned tomatoes might be what I use from now on. The added juice in the canned tomatoes really brought this dish together.

This is an amazing blend of eggplants, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, onions and basil that is cooked slowly to a thick stew-like consistency. Just before serving, Parmesan cheese is folded in. This dish can be reheated or served cold. It is also great on pizza. Serve it with a thick, crusty bread and call it a meal.

And better yet, double the ingredients and when cooled, freeze 1/2 of the ratatouille in quart size freezer bags and when you serve it in January, you will thank me! It will be a taste of summer in cold January.

Saute for 10-15 min over medium heat:

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1" cubes
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1" cubes
1 large green pepper, cut into 1" cubes
1 large onion, cut into 1" cubes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 T Olive oil

Add and continue cooking over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until the eggplant can be easily pierced but is not soft:

1/2 c fresh, chopped basil
1 qt canned tomatoes
salt
pepper
cayenne to taste (we like a bit of heat in this dish)

Just before serving, add 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese. You won't wonder again what the word "ratatouille" means because you'll know it is delicious.

Can you bake a Cherry Pie?

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

One of the positives of this cool summer we're having is that tart cherries are still in season. Typically, they last only about 2 weeks. Fresh tart cherries have a very short shelf life, maybe 48 hours, which is why you never see tart cherries in the grocery stores.

I brought back tart cherries from Southern Michigan in mid July and was stunned to find them at the farmer's market on Friday. Never have we had four weeks of fresh tart cherry pies.

So here's the deal on a fresh cherry pie. In my mind, the only fresh one is one made from fresh cherries that I have pitted myself. I even have a cherry pitter that I use for these few special weeks of the year. And so for these few weeks each summer, we have fresh cherry pies.

The rest of the year, a cherry pie even if made from scratch just isn't a fresh one because the cherries aren't fresh. We are lucky to get flash frozen cherries and the pies from those are maybe 90% of a fresh one. Never have I used canned cherries or for that matter, any kind of canned pie filling. I don't have to when we have the wonderful frozen ones in our grocery stores.

For this pie, use the double crest recipe listed on the blog, Mom's recipe, so on the right side of this page scroll down to pies for the recipe.

Pit 6 c of fresh cherries
Mix with 1/4 tapioca
1 c sugar
1/2 t almond extract

Let the fruit mix stand for at least 20 min. New for me this summer in crust making is to chill the crust for at least 1 hr before I roll it out. Then I roll out the bottom crust and stick it in the freezer for 10 min. Into the bottom crust, I pour the cherry mix, top with the remaining crust, make several slits in the pie crust, brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. I cover the edges of the pie with a crust cover (or aluminum foil) and bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes and 50 minutes at 360 degrees F.

I also put a baking sheet covered in a Silpat sheet under the pie to catch the juices!

When the tart cherries are no longer in season, it's a sad day in our house. But then in just a few weeks, it's fresh cherry pie season!

Cucumber Sandwiches

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Anyone who says that they don't like cucumber sandwiches, probably has never had one. Years ago, I had a cucumber sandwich in mid summer at a restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin and it was an eye opening experience: cucumbers indeed are great in sandwiches. Up until that point, I had only read about them. This was not something we grew up on in Indiana but we probably should have! Easy and delicious.
This time of year with the garden in full swing, I come home for lunch, pick a cuke and cut some fresh dill and bring them inside for this sandwich.
Slice a cucumber into very thin slices. Mix 1/2 c cream cheese with salt, pepper, garlic powder and fresh snipped dill.
I like to use a very thick, hearty bread. Spread the cream cheese mix on the bread so that the layer is at least 1/4" thick (or more!), top with a stack of fresh cukes.
I have occasionally made an appetizer using slices of a baguette topped with the cheese, a single cuke slice and garnished with fresh dill. The sandwich I had in Wisconsin included a thick layer of bean sprouts. Sometimes I use the sprouts and either way is great.
Cucumbers aren't just for salads anymore!

Cucumbers and Onions in Rice Vinegar

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

So we're into cucumbers right now since the garden in filled with them. We alternate every few days between this salad and the version with sour cream posted below.

This one is a bit of a twist on the cukes and onions Grandma Washburn served. She blended cider vinegar with an equal amount of water (along with a handful of ice cubes) and a bit of sugar. I do love her recipe but also like this kicked up one.

Sliced cukes, usually 2 medium sized
Sliced onions divided into onion rings, about 3/4 c
1 c seasoned rice vinegar (or whatever rice vinegar you have)

1 t fresh dill
and occasionally for a another twist on this version, I'll add 1 t of minced ginger

Place the veggies in a bowl and add seasonings and vinegar. Stir to coat. The liquid will only cover about 1/2 of the veggies. Refrigerate stirring every 15 minutes, for one hour.

Enjoy!

Cucumbers and Onions in Sour Cream Dressing

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

We grew up on cucumbers and onions in two versions--in vinegar and water or in sour cream. We love both especially this time of year when I can walk outside and harvest cucumbers and onions from the garden. The sour cream version that I make will be your new favorite for a potluck dinner. This dish is always devoured.

3/4 c sour cream
1 1/2 T lemon juice
2 med cucumbers sliced thin
3/4 c sliced onions
salt, pepper and minced fresh dill to taste

In the bottom of a serving bowl, sprinkle salt, pepper, and dill. Top with a layer of cucumbers and onions. Layer again with salt, pepper and dill and cukes and onions until you have 3 layers of veggies and seasonings ending with a layer of onions.

Evenly spread the sour cream on top of the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap placing the plastic wrap directly on the sour cream. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Before serving, stir in lemon juice. This salad will last several days--if there is any left to save!

Potato & Green Bean Salad

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

This is one of my favorite summer dishes, a simple blend of summer's best vegetables. I made this yesterday but I started by going to the garden and digging potatoes, picking the tiny French green beans that I grow, pulling an onion and cutting some dill and chives. Ok, so I can't do this most of the year but right now, it's a delight.

Basically, this salad is a blend of potatoes, green beans, an onion, herbs such as dill, chives, and tossed in a simple, light dijon mustard, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar dressing. In the spring, I will use pea pods or asparagus instead of beans. This can be served warm, at room temperature or chilled. My favorite is room temperature. Take this to a potluck dinner and it will disappear!

Toss together:
2 c cut potatoes, simmered until almost tender
2 c green beans, steamed
1/2 onion, chopped
3 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 t dijon mustard
2 T chopped chives
1 T fresh chopped dill
salt & pepper to date