Tonight's adventure

Making some cold weather treats.  The house smells yummy.  I'll update later.  Find Ina's recipe here:  Gingerbread Cupcakes

Using a Stick Blender

So this tool had lain largly under-used in my kitchen until my darling husby figured out that it needed a new batter to zoom through sauces.  Once turbo-charged it has become a favorite go-to tool.  By keeping the blender at the bottom of the pot there really is no splashing.  Do wear an apron though.

Here is a recipe that I enjoyed:  Spaghetti-Bolognese.  It shows a great comparison between store-bought sauce and homemade.  Of course the homemade sauce is excellent and much more cost-effective.  For my variation, I used Sara's Italian Sausage (found at King Soopers).  The pureeing is done on the sauce before the sausage is added in.  Tomato soup is a surprising ingredient that makes for a smooth sauce.  On a long day it cooks very well in a slow cooker.  This freezes very well.

Shiny, purple eggplants . . . lots of them!

So I also went way overboard with eggplants.  I had six plants - some the garden variety purple ones and some the lovely slender oriental ones.  Here is what I did with the ones littering my kitchen counter.  I sliced without peeling, any and all laying about, drizzled them with olive oil, placed them on a cookie sheet and baked the whole mess at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes until soft.  Once cooled, I combined them in the food processor with a can of drained cannellini beans, parsley and jarred roasted red peppers and a splash of lemon juice.  Once seasoned with a bit of smoked sea salt and a few grinds of pepper, we devoured this summer treat.  Next time may add some roasted garlic.

Ina Garten's Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

Once back from Memphis, it was time to start using the now ripening heirloom tomatoes.  Wow - what a great way to showcase summer's heirloom tomatoes. See Ina Garten's Tomato and Goat Cheese tarts for a simple and tasty tart.

Southern Fried Chicken

Usually I am not a fan of any fried food.  But, when in Memphis one must have some of Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken. The location is just south of Beale St. on Front St., downtown Memphis . The chicken was crispy and spicy and worth a half hour wait - or if you are impatient and hungry, worth calling in an order for pick-up.   We enjoyed a picnic at the nearby Riverside Park on the Mississippi.  Same trip we also enjoyed Southern comfort food, Memphis BBQ and Cajun specialties.  Ya'll would have enjoyed it!

Pesto, pesto!

Okay, so I went a bit overboard with the basil plants in the garden this year.  As they reached over two foot high, I started harvesting the leaves for pesto.  The recipe I used most was from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite (p.16).  I used a mixture of pine nuts (to use them up) and walnuts.  Quick work in the food processor got the leaves to pesto.  To store in the fridge, I covered the top of the pesto with olive oil to preserve the bright green color.  For longer storage, I did the same and then popped the container in the freezer.  To use the frozen, I scoop out what I need.

For yummy scrambled eggs, I stir in a scan teaspoon of pesto and a large tablespoon of ricotta as the eggs are setting up.  Served with braised swiss chard sprinkled with balsamic vinegar.  What a wonderful taste of summer.

From the same cookbook, I also enjoyed putting together a pan full of Roasted Chicken Thighs with Basil and Ginger (p.134).  Since I wasn't ready to part with one of my green tomatoes, I used peaches instead and it was delicious.  Think sherry, basil, minced garlic, fresh gingerroot . . . all easily baked in a mere 20 minutes.  The sauce is so good with bread or rice.

Blue Cheese Frenzy

While visiting Rock Bottom with friends for a round of steaks, I enjoyed their blue cheese and fiery butter topping on mine.  The next time we grilled steaks I replicated the topping by stirring a bit of cayenne into the olive oil I brushed on the steaks before grilling.  The blue cheese?  I scattered a third cup on the plate and let the steak rest on it for six minutes under foil.  Perfection replicated for a July BBQ!

California Quiche with Green Chiles

Thanks to Sandra S. for including this recipe in the V7 cookbook.  Think Montery Jack cheese, green chiles, diced ham, and knowing me - the addition of sauteed leeks.  My version also had four eggs (not three) and I used dried toasted onions (no additional salt) from Savory Spice to top the quiche.  Made for a June breakfast.