Hatch Is History and Peach Upside-down Cake

Peach Upside-down Cake

Hatch recipes are history for a while – I’ve moved on to peaches.  Throughout the summer I’ve found it interesting to see my fellow bloggers in different parts of the country blogging about peaches. Greg and Katherine over at Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide: http://rufusguide.wordpress.com/ have blogged about peaches since late June. You can find recipes for yummy Peach Jam, Peach Margaritas and Deep Dish Peach Cobbler.  They live in Arkansas.  Sarah at Pearl & Pine:  http://pearlandpine.blogspot.com/ posted about the cutest little Fruit Hand Pies, one filled with peaches, back in June.  She resides way up in the north-west, in Seattle.  The last one I’ll mention is Ryan whose blog is fittingly called Ryan Bakes, she’s from Virginia. Peach Blueberry Coffeecake, Peach Cherry Chutney with Breaded Pork Chops and Peach Salsa are a few of her posts from her “Peach Week” which started July 25. Summer and peaches seem to go hand in hand, no matter what part of the country we live in.

I started talking about peaches back in March when I first noticed my bees devouring nectar and carrying pollen to the hives from my peach tree blossoms.  In early June I wrote about the first harvest of peaches from my trees, followed by a Peach & Mango Salsa recipe in mid-June, then there was Peachy Keen Cobbler, which I baked for my friend Linda from Rhode Island in late June.  She writes a very informative blog, with delicious and healthy recipes called: http://vittlesandcommittals.blogspot.com/, check it out.  At the end of August I brought out peaches from the freezer, (my own fresh frozen) for Peach-Hatch Salsa.

With the end of summer approaching I’m reminded of how quickly my peach season came to an end this year.  I suppose lack of rain along with our soaring temperatures had something to do with it. Luckily I harvested a few pounds of peaches this summer and was able to freeze several bags to enjoy when old man winter rolls around.  They sure came in handy last weekend when we were invited to dinner at the home of some dear friends to hear about their trip to Africa. I was in the baking mood and offered to bring dessert – a Peach Upside Down Cake.  This cake is nothing like the old upside down cakes of the Baby Boomer (1946-1964) or Silent (1925-1945) generations.  No canned fruit was used in the making of this cake.  The peaches caramelize into perfection, the cake itself is light but holds up well to the peaches when flipped upside down.  I’ll be bookmarking this recipe to use again and again.  I loved hearing the compliments lavished on me when dessert was served, I admit the cake was a scrumptious!

Enjoy!

Peach-Upside Down Cake
Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups sliced, peeled fresh peaches
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk

Melt 1/4 cup butter; pour into an ungreased 9-in. round baking pan.  Sprinkle with brown sugar.  Arrange peach slices in a single layer over the sugar.  (I inserted  raspberries in-between peaches and in the center for a little extra color, this is optional)

In a large bowl, cream sugar and remaining butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.   Spoon over peaches.

Bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.  Serve warm.

recipe from Taste of Home website

Hatch Chiles, Sugar Syrup & Labor Day

Hatch Chile Sausage Cornbread

Oh darn, the last long weekend of summer is upon us.  Labor Day.  Traditionally it has been unacceptable to wear white after Labor Day.  Do you follow this rule?  I tend to follow it not so much because it’s tradition but because I look forward to the cool days of fall and darker, richer colors.  Don’t misunderstand, I like to sport white clothes all summer long but come september I’m ready for a change.  Summer officially ends on September 22 and if our heat doesn’t let up you might catch me in something white between Monday and the 22nd, but never white shoes.  Fall is, as stated in an earlier post, my favorite season.  I’m ok with packing away the whites – how about you?

I have much more pressing matters to write about.  Like hatch chiles and sugar syrup.  I made two recipes with hatch chiles this week, neither of which seem appropriate for our sweltering heat.  I made Hatch Chile Sausage Cornbread and Hatch Chile Potato Soup. My family really likes it when I make this soup and we turned the air down to be sure it was nice and cool in the house while we ate it.  It is easy, hearty and versatile.  I made the cornbread as a dinner diversion the night before.  My man, Dan kept saying, “We’re just having cornbread and salad?”  Like he couldn’t wrap his head around that being enough to fill his belly for dinner.  I reminded him it was all about those hatch chiles he loves so much  – I guess we should have labeled this week “Hatch Chile Week” as the majority of our meals included the tasty peppers in one form or another.  After it was all said and done he commented that it had been a really good dinner.  The cornbread tender and filling, crusty on the outside, with bites of spicy sausage made a perfect accompaniment to the soup the following evening.

Now, on to feeding bees.  Two of my hives are still eating sugar syrup.  They seem happy to see me when I remove the empty jars and replace them with fresh jars full of syrup.  I’m including some photos today for you to see how it works.  When I remove the empty jars there are always a few bees clinging to the top,  looking for that last slurp of sugar syrup.  I always brush them off at the front door and they scurry inside, probably headed back up to the syrup hole.  If I fill the jar, replace it and wait a few seconds then lift the jar again it is always covered with girls going about their business of collecting syrup to carry down into the hive.  I like doing this – as it lets me know they do need this extra food until more food is available outside.  I get a kick out of watching them work and go about their bee business.

Getting the last drop of sugar syrup

Waiting for the syrup jar to be refilled.

The good news about outside is that this week a plant called “Snow on the Mountain” is starting to pop up all around us.  It fills the pastures throughout fall and is a good source of food for my bees.  Unfortunately it makes honey referred to as “hot” honey and doesn’t taste good to humans, but is satisfactory for the bees.  Also, this week I’ve seen a few bees on the “Abelia” shrubs getting pollen and nectar.  I first noticed a change while watching bees come and go from the entrances of their hives.  I noticed pollen packed legs!  This excited me as I know how desperate they are for pollen and nectar. The pollen is creamy white and bees are bringing it in to every hive.

Getting pollen and nectar from Abelia.

Ahhhh, now I’m waiting for a cooler day, windless and sunny when I can inspect every hive from top to bottom.  I haven’t opened up my hives as often as I like since we put up the tarps to give relief from the heat.  This next week they are predicting cooler temps and it’s sounding good for bee keeping chores.  Stay tuned…

If you haven’t gotten any Hatch chiles yet don’t wait too long as they will disappear from the stores.  I guess if you live in New Mexico this may not be true but I know in my neck of the woods they are about to disappear until next August.

Enjoy!

Hatch Chile Potato Soup

Hatch Chile Potato Soup

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
4 Hatch chiles, roasted, seed, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 quart chicken stock
6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled and chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup Crema, sour cream or plain yogurt
Additions of chopped chicken or ham can be added for a heartier soup.  I’ve made it with and without any meat and it is delicious either way.  This day I used about 2 cups cubed ham.

In a heavy dutch oven or stock pot add the oil and heat, stir in the onion and half of the peppers, salt and pepper and cook until onion are slightly golden.  Stir in the garlic and cook briefly to release the aroma, 1-2 minutes.  Pour in the chicken stock; add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Remove from heat and purée in a food process, blender or with an emersion blender (my fave) just until smooth.  Do not over-process or you will have gummy soup.  I prefer to leave a few chunks of potatoes but it can be served smooth or chunky.  Return to heat, stirring in remaining chiles, meat (if using) and crema.  Bring just to a boil then reduce heat and keep warm until time to serve.

Hatch Chile Sausage Cornbread

Ingredients:
1/2 pound Hatch sausage
2/3 cup each yellow cornmeal and flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
4 tsp. sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup canola oil
2/3 cup fresh corn kernel (cut from the cob)

Heat a 10″ cast iron skillet in the oven for about 10 minutes.  Meantime in a large bowl mix corn meal and flour with the rest of the dry ingredients.  Stir in the corn and sausage.  Mix eggs, sour cream and oil together and add to batter.  Pour into hot skillet and bake in a 400* oven for 25 minutes.

Peach-Hatch Salsa

If you can’t beat the heat- may as well join it!  That’s just what we did last weekend when we brought home bags full of fresh hatch chiles from Central Market.  We sampled so many food items with hatch chiles in them that we didn’t even need lunch that day.  We brought home fresh hatch chiles, roasted hatch, hatch salsa, artisan goat cheese spread with hatch, hatch guacamole and last but not least, hatch brownies.  The hatch brownies were great, sweet and dense with a little nip of hot and spicy.  The guac disappeared in a flash and I’ve used the roasted chiles in this salsa, in omelets and in a cornbread dish, which you are likely to read about in a future post.  Can you tell, we really enjoy hatch chiles?

Did you know that hatch chiles come from Hatch, New Mexico?  A small town between Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences , in the Mesilla Valley in the southwestern half of New Mexico.  Over Labor Day every year this small town hosts a “Hatch Chile Festival” complete with the crowning of a Hatch Chile Queen.  On their festival web site I found these facts about chiles you might also find interesting.

Chile Facts & Recipes

Chile must be kept very cool and wet, preferably on ice while being transported. Chile should be frozen immediately. Chile will spoil very quickly (within a couple of days) if it is not kept properly. A cooler with ice is the best way to transport chile.

• One fresh medium-sized green chile pod has as much Vitamin C as six oranges.

• One teaspoon of dried red chile powder has the daily requirements of Vitamin A.

• Hot chile peppers burn calories by triggering a thermodynamic burn in the body, which speeds up the metabolism.

• Teas & lozenges are made with chile peppers for the treatment of a sore throat.

• Capsaicinoids, the chemical that make chile peppers hot, are used in muscle patches for sore and aching muscles.

• Chile peppers are relatives of tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, all belonging to the nightshade family.

• The color extracted from very red chile pepper pods, oleoresin, is used in everything from lipstick to processed meats.

• There are 26 known species of chile pepper, five of which are domesticated.
• Adapted from the New Mexico Chile Institutes’ “Chile Pepper Facts”

It’s great that these chiles can be roasted and frozen until needed.  I’ve put off doing just that as I can’t seem to drag myself out into the 105* temperature to roast chiles.  Right after I post this summery salsa recipe for you I plan on doing just that – dragging myself out into the heat to fire up the grill.  It will be worth it to have a freezer full of fresh roasted hatch for fall and winter menus and maybe I’ll try my hand at some of those hatch brownies.

I threw this salsa together using peaches I’d frozen from my own trees.  I find that my own fresh frozen peaches taste sweeter and are juicer than any I can find in our local groceries.   This salsa is a delicious accompaniment to grilled chicken or fish or eaten as a snack with chips.  I even like it spooned over a scoop of cottage cheese for a healthy mid-morning snack or lunch.

Enjoy!

Peach-Hatch Salsa over grilled chicken

 Peach-Hatch Salsa

Ingredients:
4 peaches, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 red onion, diced
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Hatch chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. guava jelly
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well.  Cover and chill for one hour or overnight.

Lazy Sunday Po’Boys

In an effort to beat the sweltering, oppressive Texas heat, I served my family Grilled Shrimp Po’Boys this weekend.  I did have to brave the soaring temps to grill the shrimp, but it was well worth the sweat. LuLu and her guy Mr. T,  came for a visit this weekend and I needed a dish I could make ahead and serve upon their rather late arrival.

I haven’t had a shrimp or oyster po’ boy all summer and I thought this would be a good time to serve something cool and light.  My man Dan and I made a trip to Central Market to buy “hatch chiles” and while there I was able to get gulf shrimp.  My favorite, which you know if you’ve followed my blog.  (More on how I’ve used the hatch later in the week.)  Having my daughter and her guy for a visit was the perfect excuse to do a little special cooking.  I know for a fact they enjoy “moms” home-cooking.  It is one of the little pleasures of having your kids move on and come for visits, they seem to appreciate what once was taken for granted, a delicious, lovingly prepared, home-cooked meal served with a smile.

The po’ boys were perfect for a late night summer meal.  I wanted light and refreshing, not too heavy on the mayo.  I came up with a combo using fresh tarragon, garlic and lemon, with just a bit of mayo to bind it all together.  I marinated the shrimp in lemon, white wine and garlic for a couple of hours earlier in the day, then grilled them, allowing them to cool before chopping and adding to the dressing ingredients.  This mixture kept perfectly in the refrigerator until ready to be made into our dinner.  Easy, easy and so tasty. The combo of sweet yet spicy tarragon, with garlic and lemon is a delightful mixture that also goes well with chicken.  This will be a meal I’ll make a few more times before summer slips away.  I hope you’ll try it too.

It is now Sunday afternoon, a lazy Sunday for my man and me.  Kids gone, heat blazing outdoors, and no pressing matters which to attend.  Rather nice! Oh and football on TV, somehow it seems too soon for this great game to already be broadcast for our viewing pleasure, the best thing about it is, it reminds me that cool, crisp fall days are around the corner.  Fall is my favorite season, chilled, fresh air, beautiful colors of red, orange, and gold decorate the landscape, deeper blue skies and vibrant sunsets dominate my little corner of Texas and my soul feels refreshed after the long hot summer.

Speaking of long hot summer, below you’ll see a photo of how the ‘bee yard’ currently looks.  In an attempt to help my bees survive the 60 some odd days of temps over 100* we rigged up these tarps to give some much-needed shade for the hives.  Every hive has a shim to give extra ventilation too. While the house slept, early this morning, I ventured out to feed Queen Anne and Queen Elena and their colonies.  I shot these photos in the early morning light with hundreds of busy bees already out for their daily runs.  I was thrilled to see many bees returning to the hives carrying pollen.  Very creamy, light-colored pollen.  I am not sure the source but it’s been a while since I’ve observed them carrying pollen and they need pollen stores for the winter.  Pollen is a source of protein for bees.  This was a good morning!
 Queen Elena’s colony grew by about 500 bees earlier this week with the rescue of a cluster of bees, left behind when their hive was removed.  My man, Dan and I had removed a hive of bees in the floor of a storage shed, a bee call from a guy named Scott. It was dangerously hot on the day we removed the hive, but it was a successful removal.  I found the queen after we brought them home and set them up in the apiary.  2 days later Scott called to say there were still a few bees hanging around the old hive site.  I decided to go and get them and reunite them with their colony in my bee yard.  Capturing the cluster was simple and we headed home ready to pour them into their new hive.

Now, it gets interesting!  When I went out to the bee yard to add them into Mary, Queen of Scotts hive I removed the cover and didn’t see many bees milling around.  Hmmmm…removing a few frames revealed that Mary was no longer in residence nor were her girls.  Only a few remained, meaning they had swarmed.  This was my first experience with a hive of bees leaving my apiary.  If I speculate correctly, they didn’t find a good food source in their new surroundings and decided to take off.  Maybe I should have put a queen excluder on the hive to prevent this action.  Decided to chalk that up as a learning experience and move on to the more pressing matter of what to do with the 500 bees I’d just brought home from Scotts!

Knowing that they were now without a queen and probably hungry I drew on some past experiences and decided to go with the newspaper trick of combining bees.  I knew hives Anne and Elena could both be larger, I chose to put them in Elena’s hive as it is the smallest in number of bees.  My next obstacle was how to feed both Elena and her girls and feed the new ones until they all decided to live in harmony in one hive with one jar of syrup.  It was so hot outside that I covered everyone up and came back up to the house to problem solve.  Remember -“bee keeping is nothin’ but problem solving!”  After giving it some thought and cooling off I came up with a scheme.

Here it is; I placed an inner cover with a hole larger than a jar lid as the top to Elena’s hive.  I placed the sugar syrup jar over the hole and covered the rest of the hole with newspaper.  Next I added a super on top of that, placed 4 frames of comb from the hive I’d removed at Scotts and poured in the 500 bees.  This left room for the feeder jar and gave the bees a place to hang out, (on the frames).  They also would hopefully smell Queen Elena and eat through the newspaper to meet her – peacefully!  Then I put another cover with a hole for a feeder jar as the top and added a jar of sugar syrup for the new girls to drink from.  On top of this I put a deep hive body and a lid, to protect the syrup from direct sunlight and heat.  I was pretty proud of myself and crossed my fingers that my solution to unite the bees would be effective.
Queen Elena – is the larger bee in the center of the photo.

I waited 2 days and went out to see if the bees had eaten through the newspaper and were co-mingling.  To my delight they had eaten through the paper and were all going and coming as a happy family.  I removed the paper and kept the top super, filling in the empty spaces with new frames and foundation, replaced the top with a jar of syrup and put on the roof!  Upon inspection today everyone seems happy and busy.  I am sorry that Mary Queen of Scotts left but happy for the opportunity to enlarge a small colony and do some problem solving.  Each problem solved is written in a journal and will be used for reference in the future.  Welcome to bee keeping!

Now for the recipe.  Enjoy!

Grilled Shrimp Po’Boys
Ingredients:
1# fresh shrimp, peeled
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced – divided
1 tsp. fresh tarragon, chopped
1/8 cup light mayo
juice of two lemons – divided
fresh ground pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
Fresh hoagie or sub rolls

Place shrimp in a large baggie and add olive oil, juice of one lemon, 1/2 clove of chopped garlic, white wine, and a few turns of fresh ground pepper. Allow shrimp to marinate 1-2 hours.  Meantime, prepare dressing with remaining ingredients (celery-pepper).  Mix well.

Grill shrimp over medium hot grill until pink.  After shrimp have cooled, chop and add to remaining ingredients.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  I split fresh hoagie rolls, toasted slightly and filled with the shrimp mixture.  We enjoyed this light meal with fresh slices of watermelon and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc!

 

My 7 Links

I like this game.  Thank you to Ryan for tagging me to play.  If you’ve not seen her blog give it a look it’s called Ryan Bakes and you’ll love what you see there.  She’s part Italian and part southern, and it makes for a fabulous combination in her kitchen!

The reason I like this game is that I had to delve back into my archives for appropriate posts.  I’ve blogged for 7 1/2 months and I’d forgotten some of my early posts.  The food blog world has millions of participants, all of us with a reason for writing a blog. This game is just one of the ways we can network with each other and share other blogs with our readers.

How the game works:  There are 7 categories to link to a post you’ve already written, and then you tag 5 blogger friends to take their turn.  There are 2 Rules:  1 Link per category.  2.  Tag 5 other Bloggers

My 7 Links Game – Enjoy!

1. Most Beautiful:  Peaches, Peaches, and More Peaches

I love this photo.  The light is beautiful, the fruit perfect and the landscape green.  Food au naturel and at it’s finest.  I chose this for its simplicity and wholesomeness.

2. Most Popular: Banana Blackberry Bread

I am a little baffled  – but this post gets the most hits on a daily basis.  Don’t get me wrong it is delicious, just am amused at how many times people hit it.  Maybe it’s because blackberry season has recently been upon us.

3. Most Controversial: Cheesecake

I haven’t had any controversial comments posted yet, thankfully,  but I chose this photo as it is the one and only photo I have submitted to FoodGawker, Tastespotting, etc. that has been accepted.  Personally I think the photo is a little cheesy, but it was appropriate for the post I wrote that day.  The controversy lies with me in wondering how it can be the only photo they have accepted.

4. Most Helpful: What A Nice Surprise

This post was only helpful for you, my readers, if you are around bees and are attached to your cell phone.  It was helpful to me however, as a documentary film maker found this photo on my blog and asked permission to use it in his film about the state wildflower of Oklahoma.  Also I was given the Versatile Blogger Award which helped boost my confidence in this big ole’ blogger world.

5. Surprisingly Successful: King Ranch Casserole

I’m not much of a casserole maker but made this for a lunch I catered.  It got favorable reviews.  It does look all cheesy and yummy!

6. Didn’t Get The Attention It Deserved: Italian Creme Cake

Maybe the photo didn’t do the cake justice, or maybe you had to be there to taste it, or maybe it was all the champagne imbibed that evening, but this cake is out of this world delicious and it got very little respect.  No prob… I still love y’all!

7. Most Proud Of: Whoa Nellie Here We Go

I don’t even have a photo to go with this post.  It was my very first post and after I finished I was pretty happy with myself.  As I typed, the words flowed and I truly enjoyed the process.  I probably hadn’t figured out how to add photos yet. Before I began to blog I had no idea how much I would enjoy it.  Check out those I’ve tagged below, they are just a few of the talented bloggers I’ve discovered along the way.

Tag you’re it!

LinAnn at: Vittles and Committals
Mary     at: One Perfect Bite
Angela  at: The Good Soup
Sarah    at: Pearl and Pine
Andie    at: Can You Stay For Dinner 

Screaming For Ice-Cream

This week school begins and I am the proud mama of a senior!  I think she already has a touch of senioritis – is there a remedy for that?  Yep!  Miss T’s last year of high school and I am vastly aware of how fast it will pass.  We don’t see much of her anyway as she was recently hired by Starbucks as a Barista.  I’ll admit she looks pretty great in her black on black on black uniform complete with a Starbucks baseball cap!  Part of me is sad that my baby will head off to college this time next year, but part of me can’t help but dream of what adventures my man Dan and I will seek as empty nesters.  I hope to have more time for cooking and blogging, and of course bee keeping.

The Texas heat has not let up but we did have a short but much-needed rain shower early last evening.  It was glorious!  The wind blew and the air-cooled off, we just sat and enjoyed feeling the giant raindrops splatter on our feet.  I would have liked the drop in temperature on Thursday however, when we went to remove a hive of bees from a storage shed in a hot back yard.  Yes, Queen Mary and hive #7 moved into the apiary Thursday afternoon.  These girls had found a small hole into a space between a floor and a sub-floor of this little storage shed. After my man Dan ripped the floor apart I was able to remove their hive along with the queen.  Success!  Dan named her “Mary, Queen of Scotts”; as the man who called for the removal was named “Scott”.  I like his sense of humor.  Still praying for more rain so that fall will bring a last round of food for the bees, before they hunker down for winter.

It was 104* that day and we got plenty hot while working outside in the middle of the day.  The only thing I seemed to have an appetite for was ice cream.  In the August issue of “Southern Living” I’d noted a Lemon Meringue Ice-Cream Pie. In fact there was an entire section devoted to ice cream treats, but being a lover of lemon I chose this one.

I have never made homemade lemon curd and let me tell you, it’s well worth the standing and stirring required at the stove.  Honestly, I could eat it with a spoon straight out of the jar and be soooooo happy!  This pie is easy, but I should warn you, it is also time-consuming. After making and baking the vanilla wafer crust, it must cool completely, same goes for the lemon curd.  The ice cream needs to soften to a spreadable state and then be refrozen before serving the pie.  I discovered that freezing overnight is best.  Oh! and the meringue is whipped over a pot of boiling water.  Ha – I had to laugh at myself, all I wanted was to make and eat something cold and I spent a great deal of time stirring and mixing over a hot stove.  Nonetheless, this pie is a dreamy combination of tart lemon curd, sweet wafer crust and creamy vanilla bean ice-cream.

Enjoy!
 Lemon Meringue Ice-Cream Pie

            Ingredients

• 2 pt. vanilla ice cream
• Vanilla Wafer Crust – recipe follows
• 1 1/2 cups Homemade Lemon Curd – recipe follows
• 16 vanilla wafers
• Meringue Topping – recipe follows

            Preparation

• 1. Let ice cream stand at room temperature 5 minutes or just until soft enough to spread. Spoon 1 pt. ice cream into Vanilla Wafer Crust. Top with 3/4 cup lemon curd; repeat with remaining ice cream and lemon curd. Gently swirl ice cream and curd with a knife or small spatula. Insert vanilla wafers around edge of pie. Cover and freeze 8 hours.
• 2. Spread Meringue Topping over pie. If desired, brown meringue using a kitchen torch, holding torch 1 to 2 inches from pie and moving torch back and forth. (If you do not have a torch, preheat broiler with oven rack 8 inches from heat; broil 30 to 45 seconds or until golden.) Serve immediately, or cover loosely with plastic wrap, and freeze 4 hours or up to 1 week.

                Vanilla Wafer Crust

             Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups coarsely crushed vanilla wafers
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

             Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together crushed vanilla wafers, powdered sugar, and melted butter; firmly press on bottom, up sides, and onto lip of a lightly greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

                        Lemon Curd

•       Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  Preparation
  • 1. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves and butter melts.
  • 2. Whisk about one-fourth of hot sugar mixture gradually into eggs; add egg mixture to remaining hot sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 15 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats back of a spoon. Remove from heat; cool completely (about 1 hour), stirring occasionally. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
  
  
  Meringue Topping

  Ingredients

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Preparation

  • 1. Pour water to depth of 1 1/2 inches into a 3 1/2-qt. saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and let simmer.
  • 2. Meanwhile, combine egg whites, next 3 ingredients, and 1/4 cup water in a 2 1/2-qt. glass bowl; beat mixture at high-speed with an electric mixer until blended. Place bowl over simmering water, and beat at high-speed 5 to 7 minutes or until soft peaks form; remove from heat. Beat to spreading consistency (about 2 to 3 minutes). Use immediately.

Southern Living 

AUGUST 2011

 

A Cookie To Share

I may never bake another regular sized chocolate chip cookie again.  I admit I am a sweets fanatic and these giant size cookies are just my style.  I can eat only one and be completely satisfied.   These cookies are big enough to share and that is a very nice thing to do!  I am not a very good sharer, particularly when it comes to food.  I’ve been known to share a sweater, perfume, pens, books, nail polish, etc. but when it comes to food, I usually want my portion all to myself.  That’s the thing about this cookie – I am able to break it in half and share, willingly.  Take note, this is a rare occasion.

Since my man Dan helped me put a shady cover over my bee hives the girls are much more comfortable.  Oh, our temperature is still reaching 3 digits but they aren’t working as hard to stabilize the temperature in their hives.  I am still feeding two hives and they are happily guzzling their sugar syrup.  Later in the week I will be able to make a full inspection of all the hives and I’ll keep you posted.

Enjoy!

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
21/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 12 ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
Large handful of chopped pecans, or your favorite nut

Preheat oven to 350*.  Cream butter and shortening together; gradually add sugars, beating well at medium speed with an electric or stand mixer.  Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.  Combine flour soda and salt, mix well and add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Lightly press each mound of dough into a 3-inch circle with fingers.  Bake for 15-17 minutes.

Farmers Market Heirloom Tomato Salad

On Saturday morning my man Dan and I went to investigate a bee call I received.  These bees were in the walls of a storage building, in a back yard, on a hot day, where tall grass grew, brown recluse spiders may have lurked, snakes may have been lying low and we did not want to venture!  I held my laugh when the lady in residence informed me that she had put out “snake b-gone”.   Tall boots, bee suits and smokers aside, we declined to begin the process of ripping out walls, wading through storage room boxes and Lord knows what else, to remove these bees.  I inquired if she might have someone clear a path to allow us to reach the bees, and told her I’d call in the fall.  We will see….

So, we were up and out and it was early.  Early and cool, we found ourselves with a little extra time on our hands.  We stopped by the feed store to load up on hay and feed for Fancy, our mare.  While at the feed store, my man Dan spotted some rather expensive looking “eggs” on the counter at the feed store.  When he asked why they were so pricey the feed store owner said, “Oh, those are for snakes”.  He went on to say that one could build a nest and place these eggs in it, fooling the snakes into thinking they were getting dinner, when in fact they were swallowing a glass egg.  I’ll leave the rest to your imagination – not a pretty picture in my mind.

We decided to visit a farmers market a few minutes away to load up on some fresh veggies for the weekend.  I made the mistake of leaving my camera at home and so have no photos of the market.   We bought fresh tomatoes, yellow ones, corn, green beans and bread.  I leave you with a tomato salad – one of our favorites in the summer.

This is one of those recipes that really is not a recipe. It is one of those “it’s in my head” recipes.  If you are reading this post you, no doubt, can imagine how to add to this salad and declare it your own. The tomatoes, a summer delight, didn’t need much help to put a smile on my face.

Enjoy!
Heirloom Tomato Salad
Ingredients:

Assorted Tomatoes, chopped
Pinch of ground black pepper
Feta cheese, cubed
Fresh basil, sliced
A large drizzle of olive oil
A splash of White wine vinegar

Chop tomatoes and cube cheese.  Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over tomatoes.  Toss gently.

 

 

 

 

Ooey-Gooey Caramel & Chocolate Bars -Revisited

Ooey-Gooey Caramel & Chocolate Bars

Way back in February on a day when the temperature was 12* outside I baked a batch of these “to die for” bars.  I had mentioned at the end of that post that I would like to make them again using a smaller pan to see if I could produce a thicker bar.   This week with day time temperatures reaching the likes of 108*, 109*, and hovering at 101* at 10:30 in the evening, I decided to try them again.  It is imperative that I find indoor activities to keep me busy as it’s just too dang hot to spend much time outside!

The bees have also required more maintenance than normal, forcing me to spend time outside in the heat.  More on that in a minute.  I made the bars again, using an 8x 11.5 x2″ pan.  I noted a slight difference in the thickness of the bar.  Either size pan works fine. The taste remains incredibly delicious.  I was so happy about this that I decided to enter them in a holiday recipe contest; using Texas pecans, that I mentioned in the Chocolate Pecan Loaf Cake post.  The deadline for entering recipes is fast approaching and I felt confident submitting this one.

Now, here is the scoop on my bees.  They are HOT!  Bees keep the temperature in their hives somewhere between 91-95 degrees.  In the summer they regulate it by the amount of water they bring in and by fanning their wings like mad to create airflow.  It’s their own evaporative cooling system.  My man Dan also helped me install tarps across the tops of the bee yard fences to give some much-needed shade for my precious bees.  At first, they were a little confused as they have to dodge the tarps and fly over or under to get out of the bee yard or back to the hive.  They are accustomed to making direct flights in and out of their yard; but quickly figured out a new flight pattern.  When I went to check on them this afternoon, when it was good and hot, I was relieved to hear much less fanning of wings, which is what gives bees their buzz.  This tells me they aren’t having to work so hard to cool the hives.

In this heat they are also struggling to find food.  I have felt sorry for them as there seems to be no relief in sight from the heat as well as no prediction of rain.  The lack of rain has lowered the amount of flowers and plants blooming that they would normally harvest nectar or pollen from.  A few weeks ago I started feeding Queen Elena and her hive sugar syrup which seems to have given them stores of nectar in the hive. Yesterday I decided to begin feeding Queen Anne and her hive and I removed a super from it as well as from Queen April’s hive.  Removing the supers will prevent them from spending time preparing frames they will not need to fill with honey. Earlier this week I removed supers from Queen Heidi and Queen Miracle’s hives too.  I noticed the girls were working hard on building out wax on the frames to fill them with honey – yet there is no resource for gathering nectar to make honey.  Remember, bee keeping is nothin’ but problem solving!  I’ve also made a decision not to harvest any more honey from my hives this summer.  I feel that the bees will need it to help them sustain through the rest of summer as well as winter.  Still there is a possibility that I will need to feed all my hives throughout the fall to help them survive the cold winter months.  I would like to bottle more of that delectable nectar but it’s more important to keep the bees healthy and alive!

The good news is that all my hives seem free of pests, full of brood and newly laid larva. Crossing my fingers that my decisions pay off and help them survive this dreadful heat wave we are experiencing.  Even though this has created more work for me in this awful heat I remain enamored with my bees and bee keeping.  Entering the bee yard hearing their constant buzz, as well as simply observing them in their daily lives gives greater meaning to the world around me.  I am focused on them alone while there and it gives me significant joy.

Enjoy!

Oooey Gooey Caramel-Chocolate Bars

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup pecan halves
Topping:
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup real semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350*.  Combine all crust ingredients except pecans in bowl of a stand mixer, if  you do not own a stand mixer put ingredients in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed until mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Press into bottom of an ungreased 9″ x 13″ or *8 x 11.5 x 2″baking pan.  Place pecans evenly over unbaked crust.

Combine remaining butter and brown sugar in 1 quart saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the entire surface of the mixture begins to boil.  Boil stirring constantly, for 1 minute.  Pour mixture evenly over pecans and crust.  Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the entire layer of caramel is bubbly.  (Do NOT overbake) Remove from oven.  Immediately sprinkle with chips; allow to melt slightly.  Spread melted chips over bars with an off-set spatula.  Cool completely.  Cut into bars.

*If  you use the smaller pan, be sure and increase the baking time by 1/4.*

Ooey-Gooey Caramel & Chocolate Bars

A Trip to Nick’s

Nick's Sausage & Boudain Counter

A few weeks ago my man Dan and I traveled south-east about 350 miles to attend my high school reunion.  It was my 40th – yep, do the math I’ve been out of high school a long time. It was a successful and enjoyable evening albeit, too short.

There isn’t much going on in the town where I grew up and attended school.  There are a few beautiful old houses, a lovely museum, a fabulous, restored botanical garden called Shangri La, chemical plants, and some nice people.  The best part of growing up in Orange, Texas to me, was that it sits on the water and the gulf coast is close by.  It is also the border town between Texas and Louisiana.  Situated right on the Sabine river which divides the two states.  It is easy, if you’re from that part of Texas to consider yourself Texan with a little coon ass thrown in.  Pardon my french!

Taking this little known fact into consideration, you will understand why I love spicy, Cajun, food so much.   Oh! and if there is seafood in the mix, all the better.  We found time to hit a great Cajun seafood place for dinner before heading over to the country club for my reunion. We filled up on gulf shrimp, bar-b-q crab, fresh red snapper, crawfish and all the trimmings.  To me there is not a better shrimp, than one caught in the gulf of Mexico. There is a flavor unique to these shrimp and having grown up eating this particular kind of shrimp, well, it’s just my favorite.

The day after the reunion we headed to Pt. Arthur to visit Nicks Grocery and Market.  We can buy boudain and Cajun sausage from places like Central Market or Whole Foods but it’s hard to beat Nick’s.  He’s been in business for as long as I can remember and he makes all that Cajun food fresh in his store.  No trip to that part of Texas would be complete without a stop by Nick’s to fill up a cooler with green onion sausage, crawfish boudain, pork boudian, stuffed, seasoned Cajun pork chops, and some cajun sausage.

You’ll find Nick’s tucked away in a residential area.  Kids ride up on their bikes to buy sodas and candy bars, grown men on motorcycles park out front and fill a small cooler strapped to the rear seat of their bikes, women in their sunday best bring home Sunday supper, and travelers from afar leave with a smile.

The shopping experience at Nick’s is entertaining.  Cajun food is known for its spiciness and heat. Wandering around, perusing the shelves proved that shoppers at Nick’s are looking for hot and spicy.  Not only is the meat counter filled with hot and spicy goods but the shelves are stocked with hot sauces, dips, and marinades.  The main label I noticed was Cajun Power.  No matter if you’re cooking sloppy joes, chili, baked beans or making dip you can buy a jar of sauce and cook with Cajun Power!  If all you need is a little hot sauce on the side there is a jar of Louisiana Lightening Strike Hot Sauce.  We got a kick out of reading the labels but passed on buying any sauces.  Our buggy was filled with items from the meat counter.

Cajun Power

Our order was wrapped and labeled by a guy complete with a Cajun accent.  Even listening to his dialect made me smile.  We filled our basket with all the good stuff and headed to the check out.  I couldn’t help but notice the well used stamp lying on the counter, “Hot Boudain”.  Is there any other kind?

What other kind is there?

Friday night we threw a roll of the green onion sausage on the grill as an appetizer.  We polished it off in no time with cold beers and outdoor fans blowing on high.  The green onion bits give the sausage not only a delicious flavor but  visual interest as well.  The sausage is spicy, tender and meaty.  Healthy?, you ask, probably not, but an occasional guilty pleasure is acceptable in my kitchen.

Green Onion Sausage

Grilled Green Onion Sausage

If you’ve never tried boudain; pronounced “boo-dan” (shorten the “n” sound just a tad), go to your local speciality meat market, or if you’re lucky enough to have one, Cajun market and give it a try.  We love it with omelets, as a side dish with crawfish pie ( a recipe I will post when the weather is cooler), or as an appetizer.  Both boudain and Cajun sausage make a delicious meal with a side salad and loaf of crusty bread.  So go on, seek and ye shall find…just be sure to keep a cold brew close at hand.

Enjoy!