Eggplant, Roasted Tomato, Polenta Stacks

When this month's Secret Recipe Club assignment arrived, I went straight to the blog of A Couple in the Kitchen. I was jealous you see. 

Oh, how I wish I could be part of "a couple in the kitchen". I wish my wonderful husband cared just a little about cooking, but that is just, not how he rolls. I mean, he REALLY enjoys the eating, and definitely helps with the cleaning, but he is never gonna join me in the cooking. It's just not his deal. With all of his other wonderful MacGuyver traits, I suppose that is okay. I guess I've come to terms with it. 

It's just, when I read the title of my new friends Amy and Chris's blog, I couldn't help but be a little jealous. I wanna be a couple in the kitchen...waaah. I know, I know. You are saying, "get over it Aimee"!

After I looked through Chris and Amy's blog, I came upon Slow Roasted Tomatoes and I knew this was the recipe I wanted to make. We have tomatoes coming out our ears. I canned some, sliced some for sandwiches, eat some right from the bush, gave away some, and even tossed a few rotten ones to the Girls in their coop. (Yes, until recently, they were still trapped in their coop so they didn't eat my hard work.) Roasting some tomatoes and storing them in oil, seemed like a perfect way to prolong our season.

Once I had some roasted lovelies, I had to think what to do with them. I froze several half pints for presents later in the year. Hee hee, I'm getting ready for Christmas already and I love it! I served some with my Roasted Chicken and saved some for Eggplant, Tomato, Polenta Stacks.

This easy vegetarian dinner was a product of what was laying around....lots and lots of Japanese eggplants! My one bush has given us a ton of these purple beauties. This dinner was fabulous!!! Course, if you don't have any eggplant laying around, you could always substitute zucchini for the eggplant or make orzo (small rice shaped pasta) dish also from A Couple in the Kitchen.

Eggplant, Roasted Tomato and Polenta Stacks

Ingredients

1 lg Japanese eggplant (or zucchini can be used)

salt and pepper to taste

3 c water

1 c polenta

1/4 c butter

1/2 tsp salt

olive oil

roasted tomatoes

1/4 c greek yogurt

2 tsp honey

chopped nuts for garnish (I just used an assortment we had from the pantry)

Slice eggplant into thin disks. Lay on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Leave for 15 minutes or so.

Bring water to a boil in saucepan, add salt. Slowly add polenta and whisk into water. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted and polenta is thick. Pour into a greased pan or bowl. Set aside.

Rinse eggplant with water and pat dry with paper towels. Heat a little olive oil in a saute pan or skillet. When hot, carefully put eggplant slices in pan and cook for a 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook another minute until golden brown. Cook in small batches until all the eggplant is done.

Mix honey and yogurt in a small dish.

Slice polenta into squares like you would brownies. Put a slice of polenta on each plate and then stack the eggplant on top. Sprinkle with roasted tomatoes. Add a dollop of yogurt and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Serve.

Roasted Tomatoes

from A Couple in the Kitchen

Ingredients:

4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade (which is a fancy way of saying slice small strips)
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil for storage

Preheat oven to 200 F. In a large bowl, place the halved tomatoes and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently mix well with your hands. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats (you know how I love these). Then line sheets with tomatoes in one layer, place garlic cloves in different areas on the baking sheet. Bake for 2-3 hours, until tomatoes look mostly dry. If storing, place them in canning jars, packing them in well and using a metal knife, get the air bubbles out. Cover completely with olive oil and seal with airtight lid. Store in refrigerator for up to six weeks or freezer for several months.

Canning Tomatoes

It's tomato time. After we got back from our Florida adventures, we had tomatoes coming out of our ears, enough to fill up a 5 gallon bucket twice and my garden basket (and make that yummy gazpacho).

I knew we couldn't eat the rest right away. Time to get out the Ball jars and the pressure canner and get to work. I have never canned tomatoes before, but I figured it might work out better than the freezing method I have been using. I wanted to capture the taste of home grown tomatoes for wintertime soups, pasta dishes and casseroles. I have to say after going through all of this work, they better taste good! Buying store canned tomatoes is pretty cheap and easy, so I can't say if I will go this route next year unless they taste super fantastic. But I knew I needed to try it out just to say I could do it! :) I'm I the only one who thinks like this or are there things you do just to prove you can??

Canning Tomatoes

17 pounds ripe tomatoes
14 Tbsp of bottled lemon juice
7 tsp salt
7 quart sized jars with lids and rings

Fill pressure canner with water about 1/3 full and bring to a boil.

Fill a large saucepan ¾ of the way full and bring to a boil. Gently lower tomatoes into the HOT water. Cook for about 30 seconds and the skins will split. Immediately plunge into a cold water bath to stop cooking and make the tomatoes all cozy and touchable (the opposite of flaming hot). Then you can easily pull off the skins. Dice the skinned tomatoes and put into hot clean jars. Pack them in tightly. (This is a messy step in my kitchen.)

Put 2 tbls of lemon juice and 1 tsp of salt in each jar. Make sure tomatoes have juice covering them, adding from the bowl if needed. Leave 1/2" headspace. Release air bubbles if you have them, wipe the rims and seal with lids and rings.

Process jars in boiling water pressure canner for 25 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure. Start timing them only when the gauge starts spinning and the water is boiling. After 25 minutes, remove canner from heat and allow to sit until pressure drops. When cooled, remove lid and remove jars using a lifter. Cool jars on a towel. Check for sealed lid (no give in lid when pushed down). 

 

Spring Has Sprung

I love this time of year - the flowers are blooming all around our yard.

The blueberries are growing and getting ready to put on their blue robes.

My beloved hydrangeas are shooting out petals everywhere

The herbs are ready for cooking. Look at those chives aren't they pretty!

A carpet of wildflowers awaits my two little princess girls and their adventures.

All of this beauty outside and this is where I am... inside.

Why?

Because I'm allergic to everyone of those blooming beauties and right about now they are killing me! Air conditioning and Claritin are my saving grace. Sometimes life is just not fair, but hey, at least I got outside long enough to take pictures. :) I hope YOU are able to enjoy the beauty of God's creation.

Kiwi Kale Smoothie

 

I have a confession to make, I've never tried a green smoothie, until now. Something about greens shredded up in a blender, just did NOT sound delicious to me. I love salads and adore my seaweed wrapped sushi, but mixed up with my favorite fruits...nah, I would always pass. It was way too Dr. Seuss- like. "I do not like green eggs and ham Sam-I-Am."

Last week, when my sweet friend Amy passed along some kale with that kohlrabi I figured I would saute it up like I normally do with greens like swiss chard or make these kale chips like I've done in the past.. But something on that stinkin Pinterest caught my eye (yes, I have an addiction and the boards to prove it). Those crazy green smoothies. They looked, well... yummy.  How bad could it be if so many people drank them? I had the kale and it was hot outside. Which at our house means I should be making smoothies or doling out popsicles. I figured if it was terrible tasting, I could always foist it off to the baby, because she'll eat/ drink just about anything. So I threw caution to the wind and made my first green smoothie!

I had a big bag of kiwi's from Aldi in the fridge. Hey, they are green and they would disguise the greenness of the kale. I had some apple juice and frozen bananas to sweeten it because adding my normal yogurt/ milk didn't seem right with vegetables.

Turns out this concoction was delicious, which probably most of you already know. I'm sure I'm the last green smoothie holdout, right? (It's like texting, I'm slow on the bandwagon, but I'm on now.)

This thing was REALLY tasty. Everyone liked it and asked for seconds. The baby finished hers first and was going around trying to steal from the others. So here's my endorsement, if you've never tried it, you might just like green smoothies....and ham, Sam-I-Am. Now please excuse me, I headed out to buy some kale.

Kiwi Kale Smoothie
8 leaves kale
1 c water
2 bananas, frozen is better but not necessary
3 kiwi, peeled
1 c apple juice
ice

Strip the kale off the stem just like you do with flowers. Hold the stem with one hand and pinch it with the other and pull up until the leaves slide off the stem. (Need a step-by-step of what I'm talking about?)

Stuff the kale into a blender. Add water. Blend until you have a very green smooth pulp. Add the banana, kiwi and apple juice. Blend again until smooth. Now top off your blender with the ice and whirl until you have a frosty smoothie. Serve immediately with straws for fun. :)

photo credit and stripping technique

Carrot Kohlrabi Bake

My Sausage Boy had a playdate last week with one of his preschool pals. When I went over to their house to pick him up the mom, Amy, and I got into a discussion about her winter garden. Apparently she has a green thumb and her Dad has an emerald thumb. He can and does grow anything. He set Amy up with lettuces, broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi for her winter garden. Turns out Amy loves it all BUT the kohlrabi. Being her friend, of course I told her I would take it if she insisted. I played it cool, but I was pretty excited to get my hands on the kohlrabi. I mean it's not something you see in the local Kroger and I was having a dinner party for my family, they will eat just about anything. I figure if I screwed it up, I was still pretty safe. See I've eaten it grated raw in slaw, but I wanted to take it into my kitchen and make something with it.

This is kohlrabi in all it's glory.

I admit, it is a strange plant. You eat the bulbous part that grows just above ground. You can eat the greens too. It's a member of the cabbage family and tastes kinda like a radish, but sweeter.  I got mine home and pulled off the roots. Then I snapped off the leaves and gave those to the Girls - who were pretty excited about something new. Then I peeled the bulbs so they would not have a "woody" texture since I was baking them. Once I chopped them up, they were perfect for this recipe. I bet I could even convert Amy into a kohlrabi lover with this one. The carrots are sweet and the kohlrabi adds some bite. It's delicious and my family agreed.

Carrot Kohlrabi Bake
from Birds & Blooms

Ingredients
3 medium kohlrabies, peeled and chopped
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 c chopped onion
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 1/2 c milk
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 c soft bread crumbs

Microwave carrots and kohlrabies in a little water on High for 10 minutes. Drain off the water.

In a small skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper. Stir until blended. Cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk a little at a time. Each time you are waiting for the sauce to thicken before you add the next bit of milk. Add about 1/4 c each time. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened again.

Pour sauce, parsley, lemon into carrot/ kohlrabi mix and stir. Dump into a greased two quart baking dish (basically a little smaller than a 9x13 pan). Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs. (See recipe below to make them.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Soft Bread Crumbs
frozen bread
food processor

I keep these on hand in a bag in the freezer. My kids don't like the ends of bread loaves so I collect them in a bread bag in the freezer. I also use my mistakes - bread that just didn't rise enough when I made it. Or rolls that are always leftover from whatever party/ holiday event was most recent. When I have enough bread frozen, I pull out the food processor. Just put the slices in and turn that baby on. Pulse it until you have large crumbs, then put them all back in the bag and back in the freezer. Easy! You can use them to top mac n cheese, or just about any casserole. You can also use them to bread fish like this. What do you put them on?

Sweet Potatoes are....Wait for It...Potatoes

 

Happy Labor Day! Here are some of the fruits, well vegetables, of my labor this summer. I've never grown sweet potatoes and they were surprisingly easy. That is, once I figured out where to find them!

Lest you think I know a lot about gardening, let me prove you wrong. I had one of those really stupid moments and my friend Sandy was there to witness me, in all my moronic glory. She and I were out for dinner one night and I was talking about my sweet potato vines. I relayed how healthy and vigorous the vines were, but every flower just seemed to fade out without producing any veggies! I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. She looked at me incredulously, as if I had suddenly grown two heads. She very quietly asked me if I looked under ground (I'm sure inside her head she added, "you idiot"). Slowly the light bulb came on...of course...sweet potatoes are POTATOES!! They grow under ground because they are a root vegetable, it says so right there in the name. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I knew this fact, but not ever having grown them and having all my OTHER veggies above ground, I lost sight of this very important bit of information.

Sure enough, I went home and looked at the ground around my vines, instead of gazing at the green plants. It was practically exploding with potatoes. How could I have missed this??!! I carefully dig them up and was rewarded with some "big 'ol whoppers" as my three year old says. They are monstrous! As a thank you to my dear friend for not rapping me on the head in the middle of dinner, I gave her some sweet potatoes straight out of the ground, dirt and all. :)

Tomatoes!!

 

We had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year. I was pretty consistent with the watering and I think that really helped. Last year I was too hot and hugely pregnant to go out and even turn on the hose, so we didn't get that many. This year we have eaten tomatoes, given them away, frozen them and feed the rejects to the dastardly chickens (lest you thought I was too mean last post).

This year we grew large tomatoes like Better Boy, roma tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. One of the plants we put in was a little whim. I just happened to be in Home Depot and picked up an orange cherry tomato plant. This turned out to be a VERY happy decision. They were the sweetest little things, like popping candy. I took a photo of the tag and I highly recommend getting this plant next year. I know I will be planting it again!

 

Be sure to try out what I like to call "Summer on a Fork" salad, Caprese Salad Appetizers or maybe Creamy Tomato Dip with the end of summer's bounty before it's gone.

Chickens are NOT Good Gardeners

The girls are making me crazy and I think the feeling is mutual. I refuse to let them out of their coop right now because every time I do, this is what happens....

 

And they don't even eat the whole thing! Who do they think they are??!!  I planted those seeds, watered them and fertilized them. All of sudden, I've lost complete ownership rights??  When they started going after the tomatoes, it was the last straw. They are doing jail time until the garden peters out - with no chance of parole.

Sparkling Green Pepper Jelly

This recipe comes straight out of our family cookbook that my Grandfather created back in 1996. This recipe is one of his that he used to sell at fairs and festivals. I learned how to can food by watching and helping him. I loved going out to the garden and picking blueberries or grapes and then canning.

Many of you may know this jelly for its appetizer. You take a brick of cream cheese and spoon some of the pepper jelly over it - serve with crackers, especially Triscuits. However, the most important way to eat pepper jelly in my opinion is after Thanksgiving on turkey sandwiches. Spread a little mayo, pepper jelly, lettuce and fresh roasted turkey - serious good food!! How do you use pepper jelly?

Pepper Jelly

Makes 8 pints

1 c ground bell peppers OR 1/2 c bell and 1/2 c jalapeno

1 1/2 c vinegar

1 c water

1 pkg pectin

1/8 tsp green or red food coloring

5 1/2 c sugar

The easiest way to grind the peppers is to clean them and cut them into sections. Then put them in a bag in the freezer. When you are ready to make the jelly, take them out and pulse them in the food processor. When they are frozen, they will mince into little pieces easily like this. Depending on how hot you want your jelly, you can use the jalapenos or not.  But if you do use those, be sure to wear gloves when cleaning them or else wash your hands REALLY well after you clean them.

In a large dutch oven or saucepan, put the ground peppers, vinegar, water, pectin and coloring.  Stir well. Bring this mixture to a boil and then add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring it back to a boil (watch carefully because it can and will boil up and over if you aren't careful - the voice of experience here). Boil about 1 minute. You can skim the foam off the top if you don't like the look of it in your jelly, but I'm too lazy and never do.

Pour hot jelly into prepared clean canning jars. Leave 1/4 headspace. Put screw tops on. Process the jars in hot water for 10 minutes. When they have cooled, you can take the rings off and store them in your pantry with just the lids.

This jelly makes a great gift for Christmas due to it's beautiful red or green color.

Tomato Dip - Perfect for Garden Fresh Tomatoes

I just hosted a home party sponsored by Stoneyfield Farms Yogurt and Seventh Generation products. It was great fun because they sent samples and coupons to giveaway. All the ladies who came have little one(s) or were expecting. Comparing belly bumps was a highlight of the night. I seriously think I was the largest - and I'm not due the soonest!!  Yikes! I guess my body really does pregnant well, it's the "after" photo I'm worried about.

I didn't worry about last night's food for the party. I served all kinds of snacks that my kids love. I wanted to pass on some (hopefully) new recipes. The menu included: baked oatmeal squares, crispy garlic green beans, homemade hummus, peach power shakes, mint tea, creamy tomato dip (recipe below), sweet fig appetizers, samples of Stoneyfield Farms banana drinkable yogurt and whole milk peach yogurt. For dessert we had Orange Blossom cupcakes and watermelon granita. I'd have to say the figs and the tomato dip were the hits of the evening. I promised to share the recipes so here is the one for the tomato dip.

Tomato Dip

2 med tomatoes, diced

3 oz cream cheese, I use light

3 tbsp ketchup

3 tbsp mayo, again with the light here

couple of dashes of worcestershire sauce

Mix all together in a bowl until creamy and well incorporated. Store in the fridge to firm up (at least an hour). Serve with crackers or toast. Please note, this is very similar to my Salmon Dip.

I will post the other recipes on here as well, but in the meantime I wanted to give a secret code out for all who attended (and anyone who reads this post). This is just for the Mommies... UdderCovers.com has a special deal on right now. They make those cute cover-ups for nursing moms. If you go on their website and enter the code "breastfeeding" you can get a FREE cover! You'll still have to pay for shipping, but the cover is free! Get one for you or as a baby gift for someone you know.

Thanks to all the ladies who came and contributed their great "green" ideas to the party. I learned so much and had a wonderful time.

Greek Salad - Using the Cucumbers!

Cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, feta - oh my! I love greek salad and it's so easy to make at home. This dressing recipe was the perfect combo of spices to create that fabulous greek salad taste. Serve with a wedge of toasted pita. I prefer the kind my local Greek restaurant uses which is not dry at all, but a moist flat bread by Toufanyan, which you can buy at Publix. I'm sure it has more calories than traditional pita, but it's so much yummier. If you warm it up in a frying pan with a little spray oil it's delicious. A perfect accompaniment to this salad. Just like Athens Greek Restaurant in Roswell. Now if I could only get Maria to tell me her secret tzatziki sauce recipe!

Fabulous Greek Salad Dressing (from Allrecipes.com)

1/2 c olive oil

1 1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 1/4 tsp dried oregano

1 1/4 tsp dried basil

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Dijon-style mustard

2/3 c red wine vinegar

Put all ingredients in a tightly sealing container and shake well. Keeps in the fridge like other salad dressings. Makes about 10 servings.

The Tomatoes are Finally Here

Canning Pickles

The cucumbers are seriously coming out now! I decided we had way to many to eat raw, so I set up a my pickling center. I have Ball jars I inherited, but I splurged and bought some more. My plan is to can the cukes and give them as Christmas presents, so I'm planning on a lot of canning (and why do they call it "canning" when it's really "jarring" since you use glass jars??).

I purchased both Mrs. Wages Bread and Butter pickling spices and Ball Kosher Dill Pickling Spice mix, both I got at Walmart. My Grandad used to make his spice mix from scratch, but I just found it way to time consuming and the packets are cheap and easy. Besides that they turned out delicious pickles. I even customized the mix a little buy adding red pepper flakes to some dill jars to make spicy dill pickles and I added a couple of cloves of garlic to make garlic dill pickles.

Making pickles was not a lot of work and since my husband eats them with every lunch, it was worth my time. Also, since I know I'm giving them as Christmas gifts, my time is part of the gift.

I love this tutorial on how to actually make the pickles. It's on the  Pick Your Own website. It's clear and very detailed. Using their steps helped me remember how I used to do it with my Grandad. 

What are your favorite cucumber recipes?

Summer Tomato and Peach Salad aka Summer on a Fork

This is a wonderful summer salad that my friend Melissa first made for me at a birthday party. Then when my family went to the beach last week, I knew I wanted to make this salad. It's like Summer on a Fork - seriously. Every essential summer flavor is in it...peaches, tomatoes, basil. Just delicious!

Everyone loved it, although some said they might prefer it with feta cheese instead of the goat. I think either way, it's absolutely delicious. The kids liked it because it has peaches in it. That night, I served it for dinner with other assorted sides to make a "Side Salad Buffet" for dinner. There was a black bean and corn salad, my mother-in-law's coleslaw recipe, fresh bread with garlic butter and the yellow summer squash casserole posted here. Everyone found something to please their palates, but I was especially thrilled that my Grandmother (who has traveled everywhere and eaten in very fancy places) loved the meal! What a great feeling knowing you have made something for someone and they love it.

Please know this salad will be absolutely gross if made out of the summer season. Do not blame me if you decide to make it in December and it is tasteless. Hot house fruits and veggies are soooo NOT yummy. I am a firm believer in eating what is in season and this salad proves that at their peak, they can't be beat!

Summer Peach and Tomato Salad
Adapted by my friend Melissa from Cooking Light
Serves 8


1/3 c thinly vertically sliced red onion
3 ripe peaches (about 1 lb) cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 lb heirloom beefsteak tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 lb cherry or pear tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 c (2 oz) crumbled feta cheese OR goat cheese
1/4 c torn basil leaves


Combine onions, peaches and tomatoes in a large bowl. Combine vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until mixed (or put in a shaker and shake well). Drizzle vinegar mixture over peach mixture and toss to coat. Before serving, sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Photo of the Garden Bounty

 

We are getting zucchini, yellow squash, green peppers, tons of cucumbers, and of course fresh eggs everyday now. I'm just waiting (not so patiently) for the tomatoes. What are you getting out of your victory garden?