Peach and Plum Bruschetta & the Utah State Fair

When I attended the Utah State Fair this year I noticed an abundance of canned peach items.Some of them sounded very tasty (vanilla bean peach pie filling) while others might take me a while to get use to (green tomato, jalapeño and peach salsa). It was amazing to see what creative cooks abound in Utah. The peach syrups were lined up in different size jars and colored from light to dark amber- each of them having something extra to make their syrup just a little special. Jams, jelly’s, pickles, it was enough to make my head spin!

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I came home and made a recipe I picked up at the fair a couple of years ago when I was demonstrating in their kitchen. Kelsey Nixon was on just before and she made a version of this delightful peach bruschetta. It’s an appetizer, but could be used as a dessert or afternoon snack I suppose. I’ve used a variety of fruit in this from nectarines to pears, but I especially love plums paired with peaches. The lime juice adds just the right tang to bring the sweet together. Make a couple of loaves of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and you've got a delicious fall appitizer where you can taste the sweetness of summer all mixed up- it's delightful!

What will be your final farewell to summer's peaches?

Mabey Corn and Pumpkins, from the Centennial Farm

When I first met my husband’s family 30 years ago it was in the fall. The Mabey Family Farms were bursting with all sorts of produce- tomatoes, beets, carrots, apples, beans, zucchini, and their famous sweet corn. It really is the best corn in the Salt Lake Valley, and I can vouch for the great people that produce it. The family farm is now being run by one wonderful cousin and his family. Everything grows better when you mix it up with hard work and love- and that’s what you get from this Centennial Farm.

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The corn has about run it’s season now. They have been selling it at all the local farmer’s markets in the valley, but their pumpkins are ready to be picked. Starting this week they will have pumpkins, cornstalks and straw for holiday décor. If you want to pick a pumpkin right out of the patch, Mabey Pumpkin Patch is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm. Your kids or grandkids will love you for it. If you are looking for a great place in your neighborhood for a a local pumpkin patch (in the United states) check this site.

Meanwhile, enjoy the remaining corn harvest while you can! What is your favorite way to eat a fresh ear of corn?

photo credit: CML

Storing September & Homemade Tomato Sauce

Every year my quilt group goes on a retreat to a beautiful mountain cabin in the first part of September.One tradition that we would never leave out is the reading of a poem, Storing September, by Elizabeth Rooney (see poem below). It is a lovely reminder of the beauty in the world during this time of year.

Yesterday I stored September, but it was in a bottle. My niece, Amy has a beautiful garden including 26 tomato plants. She brought me some and together with a few from my own garden I made tomato sauce that will remind me of these beautiful September days on the long snowy winter days ahead.

Tomato sauce isn’t hard to make,just a bit of time. When a dear friend came over later in the day she asked what I was cooking and said it smelled wonderful all the way down the driveway. That was the sweetest compliment and all I needed to make me want to make a few more batches before the end of fall. (Printable Recipe)

Before September slips away into October enjoy some time storing September- in every sense of the word.

STORING SEPTEMBER

You ask me what I did today,

I could pretend and say

“I don’t remember”,

But, no I’ll tell you what I did today.

I stored September.

Sat in the sun and let the sun sink in,

Let all the warmth of it caress my skin,

When winter comes, my skin will still remember

The day I stored September.

And then, my eyes-

I filled them with the deepest, bluest skies

When winter comes, my eyes will still remember

The day I stored September.

And then there was cricket song to fill my ears!

And the taste of grapes

And the deep purple of them!

And asters, like small clumps of sky-

You know how much I love them.

That’s what I did today

And I know why,

Just simply for the love of it,

I stored September.

-Elizabeth Rooney

Chicken with Jalapeño Popper Sauce, A Good Use of Garden Produce

Trying to use vegetables from the garden can be a fun challenge. This Sunday I wanted to use my jalapeño peppers and remembered seeing a wonderful dish on Kim’s blog, Stirring The Pot. When I checked out the recipe for Mexican Chicken with Jalapeno Popper Sauce it had originated on Julie’s blog, Mommie Cooks. If you have jalapeño peppers as well, I can recommend this recipe highly. I can recommend both of these blogs to you as well!

I did make a few changes to the recipe to suit our family’s tastes that will reflect in my printable recipe below. The jalapeño popper sauce is just fabulous; we were eating it with chips before the meal was over.

What vegetables are you using from your garden right now?

Maple Oatmeal Bread Perfect for a Fall Morning, a bread from Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes A Day

With the nip in the morning air and the challenge on the Healthy Bread calendar I decided to get out the book and make 100% Whole Grain Maple Oatmeal Bread. It turned out wonderfully. Who doesn’t want to wake up to the smell of maple syrup wafting through the house? Because of the high fiber content you can almost feel good about eating it. Do you know how good oatmeal is for you? It has both soluble and insoluble fiber. Check this article out if you want to know more. I’ve been trying to watch my portion sizes so I made the bread in teeny tiny muffins and a small loaf to keep me from wanting to eat too much. I must admit that I still consumed three muffins right away . . .

I haven’t ever included a recipe before from one of the Artisan Books, but I am going to today. This recipe has oil & buttermilk in it, which adds immensely to the flavor and texture- the maple syrup doesn’t hurt either. My recipe has been adjusted to the altitude in Salt Lake City. printable recipe

Check in on the round-up of the HBin5 group by visiting Michelle's blog, there will be a plethrea of wonderful ideas there for healthy bread options.

Greek Pasta Salad, and the Salt Lake Greek Festival!

Everyone has something they look forward to as school begins and September rolls around.One of the things on my list is the Greek Festival in downtown Salt Lake City. Years ago my dear friend Jill introduced me to this energetic event and I have been in love with it ever since.Where else can you go to see dancing, live music and eat the best Greek food in town? Well, the best food might be in your own kitchen . . . but the entertainment is really worth the cost of the entrance price. If you go here you can print up a free ticket to get in and save your dollars for the goodies inside.

I ran across this Greek Pasta Salad on two of my favorite blogs last week, Pam at For the Love of Cooking and Cathy at Wives with Knives. I made it up and it’s just delicious. Tomorrow I’m serving this salad at a ladies lunch and I’ve added greens. I’ll report back on how it was received. This can be made with or without the chicken and I recommend eating it within 24 hours after you’ve mixed it together. Printable recipe below.

Do you have a Greek Festival in your community?

Lemon Basil Chicken, Perfect for a BBQ or Large Group

Have you ever been in a situation where you need to have a main dish prepared ahead of time, say for a vacation or a large group? It seems like I’m often finding myself in those kinds of predicaments for one reason or another and it’s nice to have a failsafe dish you can turn to that will allow room for flexibility.

A few years ago, my sister Kathy stumbled across a recipe for just such an occasion. It can be made in advance, stored in the freezer or refrigerator until you need it and the flavor of this basil lemon chicken is quite lovely. While the basil is out and plentiful in gardens and markets it’s a great time to pop a batch into your freezer if you have the extra space or consider making it for your Labor Day gathering this weekend. Printable Recipe below.

What will you be serving on Labor Day?

picture credit: CodeFin

Tuscan Turkey Panini with Artisan Bread from Harmons

Anytime my daughter Marianne and her husband Joe are in charge of a meal we are in for a treat and this weekend was no exception. We had started our weekend early and fled to our favorite spot on earth, Bear Lake, for the last time of the season and the cooking duo whipped us up some delicious Panini sandwiches. With the right tools, ingredients and a little know-how you can have yourself a fabulous dinner or lunch in short order.

They bought their ingredients at a favorite local market, Harmons. Boar’s Head Tuscan Turkey, Gossner Provolone cheese, and a lovely artisan bread from their specialty bread counter called “asiago green onion cheese bread”. They had it sliced into thicker slices, 9 slices per loaf (not counting the small end pieces), to allow for the weight of the Panini press. Throw in a homegrown tomato and you have a delicious sandwich.

The equipment. I have wished to have a Panini press of my own, but so far have gotten along with my George Forman Grill. Marianne and Joe use a Cuisinart Panini Press and have nothing but high marks for it. As you can see in the picture, it makes wonderful grill marks and a lovely melt on the sandwich. Check Panini Happy out for more ideas for alternative equipment as well as recipes, it’s a wonderful blog on panini’s from savory to sweet.

We’ve made grilled sandwiches a plenty over the years, and I can recommend Joe and Marianne’s combination whole-heartedly. Follow the instructions in the recipe and you’ll have a dinner in 15 minutes that you’ll be very happy with.

If you live in Utah check out Harmon’s Grocery Stores and don’t forget to look at their artisan bread counter, you won’t be sorry. I can’t wait for a Harmon’s to come into my neighborhood. It’s taking over the space where Emigration Market was and keeping the name, Harmons Emigration Market. It plans to open late this year or early in 2011. Yippy!

picture credit : http://www.flickr.com/photos/codefin/

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Gone Healthy, Coconut Oil Magic Ingredient

Coconut oil. I’ve been using it in a variety baked goods and other cooking because I've been convinced of the health benefits that have been brought to the foreground in the last several years. It isn’t a new fad, it has been a staple in countries where coconuts are naturally available, but for those of us who don’t have a coconut tree in our backyard, we may have come late to the party. This article lists some of the beneficial reasons to at least consider looking into coconut oil. It has a very long shelf life which I also find apealing. One down side is the cost.

When I’ve replaced coconut oil in my baked goods it has been at a ratio of 2/3 of the amount of oil or butter that the recipe originally called for and things have worked out amazingly well. I’ve had great success with quick breads, cakes, and now cookies. It’s also wonderful on top of rice . . . actually heavenly. When I can use coconut oil instead of butter or another oil I do.

This cookie recipe is one that I altered from a favorite recipe I’ve been using for years. While I was making them my husband said “I hope these aren’t going to be healthy cookies” and later he had no trouble downing two or three of these gems as part of his evening snack. I am pleased with the outcome on two fronts. They have a wonderful flavor and crunch and somewhat healthier than the original version.

If you are looking around for a way to make your cooking a little healthier, look into coconut oil. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic and if you've had success with coconut oil.

Heirloom Tomatoes & TRACES GARDENS, an Oasis in the City

Today I found out why I feel almost transformed when I visit Traces Garden, a wonderful local spot where you can find special and unique gifts, flowers year round, organic seeds, and in the summer season organic vegetables growing beautifully along side flowers and heirloom tomatoes. This garden has been a garden since the time Salt Lake City was first settled. Tanya Chatterton, the owner, was kind enough to give me the lowdown on the history of how she came to be caretaker and gardener of this beautiful oasis in the middle of Sugar House. The land had always been owned by some family member of no other than Brigham Young and when the last of that particular line died off, Tanya presented her plan to keep the property as a garden while other options came into turn the space into a variety of other uses including multiple family units. The garden option won even though it was not the most lucrative. Hallelujah!

A beautiful 1910ish bungalow sits on the front of the property and the gardens are in the back.This is a place where you can come and see where your food comes from, who planted it and cared for it. As you walk the beautiful rows you can even choose which of the several varieties of heirloom tomatoes or organic vegetables you want and Natalie, or Johnnie or if you’re very lucky Tanya will pick them for you.

My last two runs to Traces Gardens have produced two large gallon size bags of basil to make my favorite pesto, which is on my friend Bonnie's blog. The basil was a bargain at $7 a bag and it’s 100% organic and delicious. The heirloom tomatoes I got over the weekend are being enjoyed one at a time. These are real tomatoes. They actually have flavor, like the kind we use to have before the tomatoes were fixed and changed into something that we have been told are tomatoes but are really just masquerading as tomatoes.

This Saturday, August 28, Traces Garden is holding it’s annual “Art in the Garden” from 10 AM to 5 PM. There will be local artists, jewelry, metal sculptures, glass, ceramics, weaving and best of all light refreshments featuring organic garden produce and heirloom tomato samples. Really, what more could you want on a Saturday than to be in a charming garden filled with music, art and something tasty to eat? Bring a friend and come see a beautiful garden growing in the middle of the city!

Balsamic Vegetable Salsa with Cheese Toasts from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day

The other day I took a simple savory dish to a sweet baptism of a friend of mine. Many wonderful cooks had brought something to share to the bounty of this table and everything was very tasty- from the baked sandwiches, fresh salads, crackers and pepper jelly to the out of this world fabulous homemade Bear Lake raspberry ice cream. It was lovely to be together to celebrate with this family.

I made a simple salsa from some garden veggies served with cheese toast from the basic boule recipe of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day. The toast was crunchy and a hit on it’s own, but with the salsa, it was delicious. It all came together very quickly and it’s one of the reasons I so love the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day- fresh, versatile and tasty. I used my balsamic rosemary reduction to flavor the salsa, so it was a quick fix as well.

I plan to do a post on the cheese crackers, and grilled pizza with Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, but if you are interested in the recipe before then, check out this blog, More Than A Mount Full with Chef Dennis for a great write up.

What is your favorite savory appetizer?

Gardening & 20 Minutes to Dinner

I grew up thinking that growing a vegetable garden was part of life. My mother always had a piece of earth that she tended which enabled us to have tomatoes, squash, beans and more as part of our summer and fall meals. This year I have successfully cared for my square foot garden and seen for the first time great results from my own backyard garden. The taste of success is so sweet, literally.

I have had a couple of rules this year that have been different from years past, maybe they made the difference:

• · Garden, not weed (so much more joy in gardening)
• · Water individual plants, not with the sprinkling system

Making salads and dinner from fresh ingredients just picked from your own garden is very rewarding. Filling a basket of vegetables is just as good as getting a manicure . . . no much better.

We had a delicious dinner made from a zucchini, tomato and the perfect piece of cheese in 20 minutes. The printable recipe follows. It’s simple but bursting with fresh garden flavor.

How does your garden grow? If you don’t have a garden,

where do you go to get your fresh produce?

Balsamic-Rosemary Syrup and a Multitude of Ideas of How to Use It

One of my favorite things to have on hand is my bottle of Balsamic-Rosemary Syrup. I keep it in a squeeze bottle in the side door of my refrigerator and you’d be amazed at how often I put it out.It’s so simple to make and the flavor is a power punch that can send a simple meal into the extra special category.

So how do I use this deliciousness in a bottle?

· A flat bread with feta cheese, dried tomatoes and olives with just a drizzle of Balsamic-Rosemary Syrup to finish it off.

· Strawberry Crepes with powdered sugar with an aioli on the plate of Balsamic-Rosemary Syrup.

· Dress simple greens with some crunchy croutons and garden vegetables

· Drizzle it over pork chops and you have a perfect finishing sauce

How about an appetizer made up of cubes of fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, your choice of black or green olives threaded on a skewers, drizzle Balsamic-Rosemary Syrup on top, just before serving sprinkle some chiffonade basil on top and add another few additional drops of the syrup. Your guests will love you for it. I served it at this memorable event.

Do you have a delicious sauce that is your favorite multi-tasker?

If you haven't had a chance to check out my give-away, take a minute to look at the great cookbook with Melissa Peck's beautiful artwork. I think you'll fall in love, I did.

Homemade Puka Dogs on the Beautiful Shores of Bear Lake

31 years ago my sister and I had a double wedding reception in our parents backyard and we’ve been marking time together with our husbands ever since. This year we went to the beautiful Hawaiian islands where we saw some of the most incredibly gorgeous places on the face of the earth in addition we ate our way through the trip on what has to be the freshest most delectable food I’ve ever experienced. I was snap happy and took way too many pictures of food, some day I’ll get to a post about specific places that are “must visits”, but for today I want to share a very simple mock up of a rather simple meal gone Hawaiian that we had at our recent family reunion at Bear Lake.

The Puka Dog is famous in the Islands for their wonderful sweet bun with a hole in the middle stuffed with fabulous sauces and mustards. If you haven’t had the opportunity to have one, plan to try one when you make it over on your dream vacation. I had heard about them on a food show and jumped at the chance to taste a Puka Dog for myself when I was over there. They are FABULOUS. FYI, if you aren't planning a trip to the land of paradise real soon you can purchase their sauces and mustards here if you think that far in advance - - - or you can do what my sister and I did. Check it out.

picture credit: Candace Little

Of course the dogs Kathy and I made last week weren’t exactly the same, no secret sauce here, but you know what, we did have the taste of Hawaii in them and the family did keep coming back for more. We also served two other options, the All American Hot Dog and a Bacon, Mushroom, Blue cheese Hot Dog, really with all three of those choices who couldn’t be happy?

I did learn a few things about making toppings for a hot dog bar. They need to be minced. Did I say minced, yes, minced. If you are interested in the recipes for the garlic lemon sauce, tropical relish, or the coconut sauce we used send me an email and I’ll shoot them off to you.

ALOHA!

For more hot dog bar ideas see this article by Valerie Phillips, food editor of the Deseret News.

Beautiful Bear Lake & Cobb Sandwiches and Basil Mayonnaise from Foster's Market Cookbook

This past weekend my extended family spent time together at our favorite gathering place, Bear Lake. The blue water always makes me feel younger than I am and reminds me of how much I love my family. I’ve been going there since the day I was born, my ancestors helped settle the area in the 1860’s. What about the color of this lake?

What family reunion doesn’t include food? We spent a wild and windy day on the North Shore trying to boat and jet skiing on Friday afternoon where we had lunch out of coolers. I brought a sandwich filling that turned out to be quite delicious and a perfect travel meal. The idea began from a cookbook loaned to me from a dear friend, Bonnie. The original recipe called for layering the ingredients like a regular sandwich, I decided for ease on the beach to make it into a filling. The basil mayonnaise that I used came from The Foster’s Market Cookbook as well. So far all the recipes I’ve tried from this book have been excellent, I may have to get my own copy.

We ended up eating the filling in some creative ways. As sandwiches, lettuce wraps and just as salads! If you do eat it on a day of high wind on a beach, remember to hold on the top of your sandwich it may blow away . . .

What is your favorite thing to eat at the beach?

Canyon Extravaganza and Dutch Oven Cooking

We were invited to attend a Canyon Extravaganza last weekend that included a Dutch oven dinner, entertainment and fabulous company. Of course we accepted the invitation. Being together with family and friends up Big Cottonwood Canyon on a Saturday evening, eating delicious food and singing around a real campfire and capping it off with some great s’mores. Honestly, life’s simple pleasures are really the best.

The head chef, Joe, together with his favorite sous chef, Marianne made some mighty fine main dishes in their 12 inch deep Dutch ovens. Joe pointed out to me that both the braised short ribs(which were absolutely fabulous) and the chicken bouillabaisse were recipes that were written for regular ovens. He simply cooked them in a Dutch oven.

Cooking in a Dutch oven doesn’t need to be scary. You just have to be thoughtful about timing your coals, where you put them on and below your oven and how long it takes to actually cook the specific dish you’ve chosen to serve. It's a math problem, and not a difficult one.

My assignment for the evening was bread. You haven’t lived until you’ve had Sheepherder’s Bread with honey butter from a Dutch oven. I got this recipe from a class I took several years ago at Thanksgiving Point from Lori Bennett.

I’ve found that with any cast iron cooking one of the most important things you can do to insure a positive experience with a Dutch oven is to have an easy and quick clean up. It might sound strange, but not if you’ve ever had to clean one up. I have 10 steps to cleaning a Dutch Oven on a separate post, it’s worth your time if you’re headed out to do some great outdoors cooking.

What is your favorite Dutch Oven dinner or memory?

Cabbage Salad with Cilantro Dressing & Michael Pollan's Food Rule # 22

If you haven’t picked up the quick easy Food Rules by Michael Pollan yet, grab it at the library or at your favorite bookstore and take a peek. His simple advise for eating healthy in short simple phrases stay in your brain. Take rule number 22:

EAT MOSTLY PLANTS, ESPECIALLY LEAVES.

Did you know that in countries where people eat a pound or more of vegetables and fruits a day, the rate of cancer is half what it is in the United Stated?

This tasty cabbage salad with cilantro dressing was introduced to me from my sister-in-law Deanna. She is a wonderful in the kitchen. Deanna found this recipe in The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. I loved the salad for it’s flavor, crunch factor and of course the vegetables!

How do you get vegetables into your diet?

Farmer's Market Comes to Sugar House

Yippee for local neighborhood farmers markets! Today was opening day for one that is practically in my backyard and it was a fabulous success at least by my barometer. There were local goods to be had from vegetables to organic meat, pizza to plants, jewelry to photo shoots and beyond. I was so happy to see a healthy gathering of people supporting the opening day of this market that will be held each Friday afternoon this summer in the heart of Sugar House.

Serendipitously, I found that one of the booths is Kenyon Organics run by some friends of mine.Cory and Carolyn had an almost overwhelming selection of heirloom plants, vegetables and herbs. Perfect for a food blogger’s garden, or anyone’s garden. Carolyn helped me pick out some wonderful heirloom varieties to round out my vegetable garden and signed me up for their "Heirloom Tomato Tasting Party"-- something I don't want to miss. You can sign up as well by going by their booth sometime this summer. If you'd like to read something on heirloom plantings, Carolyn has an article in Edible Wasatch summer issue.

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A few of my favorite vendors were there- House of Bread, Riley's Sweet Fruit, Green River Melons, Traces, Bug Farms, Tony Caputo's, Surefire Pizza, Community Co-Op, Chocolate Bliss, Cheese Bread.

If you haven’t been to your local farmer’s market yet,

try and schedule a trip soon.