Dutch Baby Breakfast

It was eighty degrees here this past week. Yes. Eight-zero.

Now, if you happen to live somewhere colder, wetter, more "winterish" if you will, please do not be jealous. I may have worn tank tops all weekend working in the garden's warm soil. But I am seriously sunburned. And I'd give anything for snow.

It is still January, right?

Anyhow, all of this summery weather has the hens confused (as well as me). You see, the ladies were down to one egg a day between the four of them. This was definitely not enough for our family, since fresh eggs have become our main source of protein at PSF. Brace yourself now: I did something rash. I actually bought a dozen eggs at the market last week. For the first time in almost a year. I felt awful. The eggs tasted awful. I vowed not to do that again for ethical and culinary reasons. Most of you probably think I'm crazy, but if you know of the joy of raising your own hens and eggs, then you know exactly what I mean.

Moving on.

So back to the un-winter weather. Since this surge of heat, we are back up to three eggs a day. That doesn't sound like too many... until you do the basic math and realize that's more than twenty eggs a week for our little family of four.

If you're not a real egg person, you might think that's more eggs than we could eat in a week.

Trust me, it's not. We like them for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. But not usually all three meals in the same day. I mean, really, we're not gluttonous... for the most part!

Anyhow, I wanted to share my favorite (and easiest) way with eggs. It's a simple recipe that you may have already incorporated into your family's food culture. My family loves sitting around the dining room table on a lazy Saturday morning, slicing the Dutch Baby in the piping hot pie pan, and topping it with whatever fresh ingredients we have on hand--preserves, honey, fresh fruit, lemon juice, or even the typical powdered sugar and syrup combo... which is not as natural and not as healthy, but boy is it good!

Dutch Babies

Ingredients:

4 farm fresh eggs

1 cup milk (I use whole)

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour (or unsifted if you're lazy like me)

2 pinches salt

2 pinches nutmeg (optional)

a hearty pat of butter

Directions:

1. Place a 10-inch round cast iron skillet or oven-safe pie plate inside the oven and preheat to 475 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl whisk eggs until light. Add milk and stir. Gradually whisk in flour, nutmeg, and salt... OR you can pour all of these ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth! I prefer the later method to achieve the smoothest consistency.
3. Remove the heated skillet or pie plate and reduce oven to 425 degrees. Place a generous pat of butter in the hot skillet and let it melt. Spread butter so that it coats the entire inside of the skillet or pie pan, including the sides. Pour all of the batter into the skillet and return to the oven. (I like to give the blender one extra whir before I pour the egg mixture into the pie plate.)
4. Bake until the Dutch Baby is puffed up and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove promptly and serve.

*Note that you will want to move your oven rack to the center of the oven before baking. The Dutch Baby can puff up as much as 6-8 inches, and [I may know from experience that] if it puffs up too much and hits the top of the oven while cooking, your breakfast will not only be inedible, but you may have to pull out the fire extinguisher to squelch the flames.

Don't look at me like that!

I said I may know from experience!

This is a wonderful treat on a chilly winter's morning. Or on a blazing hot, Southern California winter's morning. It works anywhere, anytime, really.

Enjoy!

Ways with Whey

I am certain that, immediately after reading my last entry about making ricotta, you ran right to the kitchen and whipped up a batch yourself.

No? You didn't?

That's okay. Let's just pretend you did. What did you do with all of that left over whey? I hope you didn't dump it down the kitchen sink!

Admittedly, the first few times I made cheese, I did just that. Truth be told, I had no idea what else I even could do with it. I mean, it was cloudy and yellow. It smelled, um, less than rosy. It really reminded me of... well... never mind.

As time has passed, however, I've become more committed to trying to use as many of my farm-related by-products as possible (as opposed to dumping them in the trash or down the drain).

So, what were my options for that gallon or so of whey that is left after every batch of cheese?

I've searched around the web, and here is the result:

Urban Homestead Hint #3: Ways with Whey

(Ordered from Least Plausible #10 to Most Likely #1)

10. Make lemonade with it.

Seriously? Many sites recommend this. I might rather die of dehydration than drink this stuff with lemon juice and sugar!

9. Use it as a rinse in the shower [on your hair] to add shine.

Wait, you don't want to go around all day smelling like stinky cheese? Neither do I.

8. Bring to a boil, drop in a tea bag, and serve with a scone.

Uh... I'll take the scone and skip the hot whey tea, thanks.

7. Blend it with frozen fruit and ice for a high-protein, high-calorie energy smoothie.

This would be great... if I was looking to bulk up! Maybe I can pawn off liquid whey to my more physique-minded friends!

6. Pour it over dry dog food to add shine to your pet's coat.

This would be great... if I had a dog. I wonder what my cat would think.

5. Use it to boil pasta, rice, or potatoes.

I can see this option having potential, especially since you can drain and rinse the food after boiling. But then you still have the twice-left over whey to deal with, so this is not entirely a solution!

4. Substitute it for water or milk when baking.

I have to say, this is not bad! It gives your baked goods a cheesy flavor and the kitchen smells heavenly while your oven is on! Many people claim it is the key to perfect cornbread. As for me, I like it baked in Italian Feather Bread. The bread alone tastes like grilled cheese. Yum!

3. Feed it to farm critters.

Hmmm... I wonder what the ladies will think about this.

2. Pour it on your compost bin.

Now this I can do!

1. Use it to water your acid-loving plants.

Well, my camellias are already lack-luster, so it's worth a shot!

As you can see, I'm not sold on too many of these ideas quite yet. I'll have to do some more experimenting and report back.

Do you have any special ways with whey you'd be willing to share? Please do!

For more about Ways with Whey, visit the following sites:

The Prairie Homestead

How Can I Recycle This?

Bottom Up Food

Cheese Making Basics: A Whole Lotta Ricotta

I'd say it's fair to group Americans into two categories: Those who want to learn to make their own cheeses, and those who don't.

You're probably thinking, "Why would you want to ever go to all of the hassle of making your own cheese when you can hit the corner market and bring home a decent portion of cheese for less the five dollars... or spend a bit more at a specialty store for its gourmet counterpart?"

Well, for one thing, making cheese (especially ricotta) is not quite the hassle that you would assume. It actually takes less time and effort than, say, a cake or pie from scratch. Also, the cheese you make at home is so creamy and fresh, it's better than even the most expensive you will buy at your gourmet grocer... and at a fraction of the cost. Third, if you start with a gallon of milk, you will produce a much larger quantity of cheese than you would purchase at the market. Stick it in the fridge and it might last your family the whole week long.

So, where to start? Maybe with a nursery rhyme.

Little Miss Muffet

Sat on her tuffet

Eating her curds and whey.

Few urbanites know

Curds and whey really go

Hand in hand with

Cheese-making day!

Curds and whey. How many times in your childhood (or parenthood) did you recite those words, never really knowing what they meant? I think, as a child, I had some vague image of cream of wheat or watery oatmeal ingrained in my mind. Of course, that's not what curds and why are at all. But unless you grew up around the process of cheese making, how would you know otherwise? This is an example of centuries of basic human knowledge that has been lost to the industrialization of our nation's food production.

The basic principle behind making cheese is that when you heat milk and add a couple of ingredients, the chemical reaction causes the milk solids (curd) to separate from the watery liquids (whey), leaving you with two separate substances. Curd is made into cheese, and whey has other uses in and of itself. How you process the curd, once separated, dictates the type of cheese you will end up with. Ricotta is probably the easiest of all cheeses to make, because aside from separating the curds and whey, there isn't much else you have to do...except eat it, of course!

If you're just getting started, you might want to invest in a basic cheese making kit. The one I have is actually on indefinite loan from a like-minded friend who is also a parent of a former student. Upon learning that we had many common beliefs, goals, and family values, she gave me this cheese kit:

To purchase this kit, or view others, click here.

The beauty of the kit is that, in addition to containing the necessary and foreign-sounding materials and ingredients you'll need, it also contains directions, recipes, and enough supplies for 30 batches of cheese. The kit Holland gave me included a how-to-DVD, which I must say, was the handiest part of the whole experience. I turned the DVD on in the living room and watched it (pausing where necessary) as I turned out my first batches of fresh, creamy cheese.

A note on milk: I use the freshest whole milk I can find at the market for making cheese. You have to be very careful, however, not to use milk that has been ULTRA pasteurized. It will not work. If for some reason your cheese does not work the first time you attempt it, try switching brands. For example, though I like Horizon Organic milk, I've found it doesn't work well for butter or cheese.

So, let's get on with it.

Step 1: Start with a large non-reactive pot (I use stainless steel). Pour in your entire gallon of milk. Add 1 tsp. citric acid and 1 tsp of cheese salt (both from the kit). Clip on your thermometer, stir to combine ingredients, and then wait for the milk to heat to 195 degrees. During the heating process, stir only to avoid scorching. The time it takes to heat will depend upon the pot you use.

When the thermometer hits 195 degrees, the curds and whey will begin to separate. Gently stick a spoon into the pot, and you should notice that the white substance is getting thick, and that you can leave an indentation where the clearer fluid (whey) is visible. At this point, turn off the heat and let it set for 5-10 minutes.

Step 2: Line a large colander with your butter muslin or cheese cloth (from kit). Gently ladle the curds into the cloth. You do not want to just pour the contents of the pot into the colander, as the hot whey will melt the curds as it passes through. The goal is to handle the curds carefully so that they remain intact.

Step 3: Once you have ladled as much of the curds as you can into the colander, bunch up and tie the cloth at the top with string or yarn, whichever you have on hand. Hang the ball of curds to drain for 30 minutes or more, depending on the consistency you desire. Less hanging time leads to a creamier ricotta, while a longer hanging time means a drier, crumbly ricotta (almost closer in texture to feta).

I like to hang my ricotta to dry on a cup hook my husband screwed into the molding directly above the kitchen sink. If you are lucky enough to have an indoor laundry room, you could hang it from the faucet of a large washbasin. Hanging it from the shower head in your bathroom would work, too! You just want the whey to drip off in a location where it won't make a big mess.

Step 4: Take down the cloth bag and untie. Your cheese is now ready to eat! Serve plain or add salt, pepper, and a little olive oil for a creamy treat. Store the remainder of the cheese in a covered container in the fridge, where it will keep for two weeks.

And finally, what to do with the whey left in the pot? Check back soon for my next post, "Ways with Whey."

Simple Bean Soup

It's a cold and rainy evening, a rarity here in Southern California. What better to blog about, on a night like this, than a steamy bowl of Simple Bean Soup. Is there anything that warms the body and soul better than a hot pot of soup and a handful of freshly baked crusty bread shared amongst loved ones as the rain pours down outside? I don't think so. Light some candles and turn on some quiet background music, and I am in heaven.

In fact, this recipe is so easy (and creates so few dirty dishes) that you might just mistakenly think you have [died and gone to] heaven. One pot. A colander. One knife. A cutting board. That's it. It's easy on the budget and the waistline, both of which are important in the month of January at Pocket Square Farm. Go light on the olive oil and the salt to be even heart-healthier! And because you create the broth with water rather than using a pre-made broth base, you have much more control over the sodium content. I love that some of the main ingredients (carrots, herbs, garlic) are items I have in my garden year-round, so I really only need to purchase the beans (and perhaps an onion, depending on the season) at the market.

In the photo above I added left-over chicken from the night before

to make it more filling and add protein.

This soup is really just as flavorful without the meat, though.

Simple Bean Soup

(recipe adapted from Italian Country Cooking by L. Werle)

Ingredients:

1 very large onion, chopped

4-6 large carrots, chopped (more or less as you prefer; I like lots of carrots)

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

2-3 large cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped

2 cups cannellini or great northern beans, soaked overnight

10 cups freshly filtered water

thyme and parsley, chopped, to taste ( I used lemon thyme and Italian parsley)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

The night before (or 6-8 hours in advance) measure beans into a large pot with a lid. Cover with cold water (at least 3 cups of water to every 1 cup of dried beans) as beans will expand up to three times their dried volume. Once the beans have fully expanded and are ready to cook, drain and rinse them thoroughly in a large colander before adding to the recipe when called for. Handle beans carefully to prevent breaking the skins.

Set beans aside in colander and return the large soup pot you soaked them in to the stovetop. Combine chopped onions, carrots, and oil in the bottom of the pot and cook over medium heat until the veggies are soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir for one more minute, until fragrant. Turn off the heat for the next step.

Very carefully add the beans from the colander to the soup pot, again trying not to break the skins of the beans. Add the 10 cups of filtered water, a good pinch of salt, and thyme and parsley. Cover with lid and very slowly bring to a simmer over the lowest possible heat, again to prevent skin breakage. Once the soup is at barely a simmer, set the lid at an angle and cook 30-60 minutes until the beans are very soft, checking the beans periodically. The soup is done when the beans can be easily squashed flat between your fingers. Do not cook the soup too long beyond this point, as the beans will become mushy. I made this mistake once; the result was not pretty.

Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper; I like to chop and add a few more fresh herbs over the top to garnish.

Leftovers may be frozen! This soup is also good served at room temperature on a warm summer day as either the starter (as I did at Guerilla Dining 2011) or as a main dish. Enjoy!

Organic Italian Flatbreads

Flatbreads, like a frittata, are a perfect blank canvas for fresh, seasonal fare. The flatbread featured above was the opening course at Guerrilla Dining 2011, though, in truth, it was so good and so filling that it could have served as the entire meal. The cookbook that originally inspired me to make flatbreads suggested serving them alone, with just a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt, or with sliced melons and figs, which I did not have available in my garden at the time. The author of Italian Country Cooking also suggested serving flatbreads with big dollops of ricotta, which, as you can see, I did.

I made the ricotta cheese on the stove the night before my dinner party. Knowing that I wouldn't have time to make the flatbreads as guests were arriving, I rolled out and cooked them earlier in the morning and then wrapped them in aluminum foil. Just before serving, I was able to reheat the flatbreads in the oven at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes, and then my friend Greta helped me plate and serve.

Assembly was easy: one flatbread (pre-cut into sixths for easy handling), a generous helping of freshly chopped cucumbers (see blog on Kooky Cukes), just-picked green onions and chives, and sprinkles of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. This was all finished with a drizzle of olive oil around the edge of the plate.

Call these organic, farm-fresh, gourmet nachos, if you will! I am already looking forward to June and to making this starter all summer long. It's a light and refreshingly cool treat that beats the heat.

For the flatbread recipe I used, visit the Washington Post. (I do recommend, however, that you use organic flour and olive oil... of course!)

You can also top with store-bought ricotta, or, if you're feeling more adventurous, keep checking back to Pocket Square Farm for my upcoming "courses" in beginning cheese-making! I promise, it's not as hard as you think!

Farm Fresh Frittata

Long, long ago (well, not too long ago, but back in the day when I was a fresh-faced newlywed with little experience in the kitchen or garden), when it came time to hostess a dinner party, I would sift through my brand new, shiny cookbooks, admiring the pretty stylized pictures, and I selected menus based on what I felt like eating and serving in the moment. Or... just based on what I thought I could possibly pull off without poisoning anyone or burning the house down.

Ten years and one major garden obsession later, my priorities have changed. These days when I look up recipes online, I tend to be asking myself, "How many cups of zucchini can I hide in this recipe?" or "I really need to use up some of that lime juice I have on hand!" or "What can I make from two dozen eggs and a basketful of tomatoes and basil?" Disposal--not desire--is the key to recipe selection here at Pocket Square Farm.

Unfortunately, this often results in comments such as:

Husband: "Does this make the 9th night in a row we're eating eggplant?" or

Kids: "What is this green stuff again, Mommy? Do we HAVE to eat it?"

Sometimes the results are, well... less than blog-worthy.

Fortunately, this recipe (which I served at Guerilla Dining last August) was fantastic. And, yes, it even used up those two dozen eggs and many of the aforementioned tomatoes.

Frittata is a word I would have been terrified of in my past life. However, when I found this recipe in the book that inspired my Italian Country Cooking theme, I was pretty sure it was something I could handle. I changed the recipe slightly to incorporate more fresh ingredients from Pocket Square Farm.

The beauty of a frittata is that you can choose to use any fresh, seasonal veggies, herbs, and/or cheeses you have on hand. For example, if I was planning a fritatta for dinner this week, I would incorporate swiss chard, green onions, parsley, and some grated parmesan cheese I have left over from last night's pasta. Feel like Mexican? Try fresh corn and grilled bell peppers seasoned with chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. Same process; different flavor!

Farm Fresh Frittata

Ingredients:

• Farm fresh eggs (1-2 per person you plan to serve, or as many as will fit in your pan)
• 2-3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbs. freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1-2 Tbs. chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
• small handful of basil leaves, washed and torn
• 1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese (I made this the night before... more on cheese-making later)
• a few firm yet ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a 9-12 inch oven-save frying pan set over medium low heat.
• Meanwhile, in a separate bowl combine eggs, parmesan, parsley, basil and some salt and pepper (not too much; you can add more later).
• Pour mixture into pan and cook approximately five minutes, until the bottom half of the eggs have set (test with a fork before you move on to the next step).
• Remove the pan from heat. Arrange sliced tomatoes and thinly sliced mozzarella cheese over the top of the egg mixture. Don't be alarmed if they sink in a little. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper. Place under broiler until cheese is bubbly and melty and eggs are set, about 3-5 minutes.
• Check to be sure eggs are cooked throughout the frittata before removing from oven completely. Let stand for a few minutes so that the melted cheese can firm up. Slice into wedges to serve!

Although I served small slices of this dish as one of many courses at a dinner party, it would do equally well at a breakfast or brunch entirely by itself. Reheated frittata also makes a nice lunch treat! Get creative with your ingredients and who knows--farm fresh frittatas may become one of your family's favorites.

"Famley" Breakfast, Part 2

If you've recently read about Mother's Day Brunch at PSF, you might remember that I mentioned blueberries.

No, there were no blueberries in the strata.

And the underwear fairy didn't serve them, either.

I did, however, happen to have a lot of blueberries in my garden that week.

I also happen to know that they were just itching to be turned into muffins. Blueberry muffins are my favorite muffins. I realize that they are the most common and mundane muffins you can find, but I love them nonetheless. Particularly with a steaming cup of coffee. But only when they are done right. They have to be light and fluffy. They definitely cannot be heavy or oily. And if they don't have streusel... well, if they don't have streusel they aren't really blueberry muffins at all.

Okay, I may be a blueberry muffin snob. Sorry. I hope you won't think less of me.

Anyways, I needed to find a muffin recipe that was worthy of my organically grown, hand-picked, worth-their-weight-in-gold blueberries. (If you've grown blueberries yourself you know what I mean!) I think this one from allrecipes.com fit the bill. It was pure blueberry bliss!

Yum.

Yum!

YUM!

I think the vanilla, lemon zest, fresh blueberries, and PSF eggs gave it a little something special. And the streusel was just right.

I give this recipe two green thumbs up!

"Famley" Breakfast, Part 1

This year I wanted to do something special for my mom for Mother's Day.

I mean, I try to do something special for her every year. She does deserve it for putting up with me. And I'm not just talking about when I was a child.

But she already has so much stuff: a beautiful house, a closet full of clothes, vacations galore, and time on her hands. She's getting to be hard to shop for these days, and besides, I'm trying to get away from shopping and stuff in general. As I get older (and my kids get bigger and my house gets smaller) I find myself striving to become a minimalist. Do you ever feel like that, too?

Quality time together and good food shared amongst friends, however, always make great gifts in my book. So for Mother's Day, I gave my mom a gift certificate for brunch at Pocket Square Farm. Because May and June were busy months for us, she redeemed her coupon later in the summer.

When I give the gift of a Pocket Square Farm meal, I always try to grow a lot of the ingredients myself. I can't say that I produced all of the ingredients, but I did center the menu around what I had growing seasonally right outside my door: eggs, zucchini, strawberries, and blueberries.

Mason did the decorating while I did the cooking while Camille rummaged around in the dress-up basket while my husband set up the backyard. This production was truly a "famley" affair.

Mason decorated our chalkboard to welcome guests.

My husband set the table with fresh strawberries from the garden.

I got busy in the kitchen whipping up a brunch strata.

I found a recipe online for this Brunch Strata at allrecipes.com. It was perfect for me because it called for 3 cups of zucchini and 12 eggs, which I happened to have on hand. I love to serve stratas for brunch when I know I will have a busy morning; stratas are so easy to make ahead (even the night before) so you can just pop it into the oven and appear to be casually sipping a mimosa when guests arrive. It gives the illusion that you weren't just running around the house ten minutes prior like a crazy person, shouting out orders and stuffing errant toys into every available nook and cranny of your tiny house. Ah, the art of harried hostess pretense.

The Brunch Strata recipe requires that you saute, drain, and pat dry the veggies...

...before adding the eggs and wet ingredients.

The finished strata comes out golden brown.

This recipe makes two full 11 x 7 x 2 inch casserole dishes, so you can serve a big crowd with little effort. We were eating strata for days afterward, and no one was complaining about having leftovers again... and again... and again!

While we dined in the backyard beneath the towering Mercurial Milkweeds, we suddenly [and unexpectedly] were visited by none other than... the underwear fairy!

None of us expected live entertainment during this Belated Mother's Day Brunch!

My mother may have enjoyed her time with the underwear fairy as much as she liked the strata. Regardless, as I'm not one to suggest flitting around with panties on your head, I will say that this strata is one worth trying!

Mom's Night In: Homegrown Pizza

I am my mother's daughter.

There, I said it.

If you've been reading my blog from the get-go (and if you have an insanely good memory), you might recall that my love of gardening began at home, where my mother grew [and served] ridiculous quantities of zucchini.

Apparently, the zucchini doesn't fall far from the bush, because this summer I have found myself trying to "hide" zucchini in numerous meals--breakfasts, lunches, and dinners included. You see, my kids do like zucchini... but not enough to eat it three times a day.

Cue culinary creativity!

The other night my husband went out with the guys. That left me home alone with two hungry kids, a dozen zucchini, and a couple of hours to kill until bedtime. What's a girl to do? Make homegrown pizza, of course!

Do these pepperoni look a little strange to you? Pay no attention to the circular squash imposters on top of your pizza, kids!

We started by making a pizza crust from scratch using organic flour and olive oil, of course! There are recipes for homemade pizza dough all over the internet. Just google "pizza crust recipe" and you will find more than 1,670,000 recipes to choose from. Take your pick!

Yes, the sauce was made from our very own Pocket Square Farm tomatoes... about six large ones. I have to admit that I am a total cheater when it comes to homemade pizza sauce. Lots of recipes say you need to remove the skins and seeds before making a sauce. I say, rinse off your tomatoes, remove the stems, and throw the entire batch of unpeeled, unseeded tomatoes into your blender. Then, pulverize those babies until they form a uniform sauce with no visible large particles. Pour the pureed tomatoes into a pan, add lots of salt and pepper, and simmer over low for about 30 minutes to thicken and develop a richer flavor and texture. That's it!

Spread the sauce over your rolled-out dough, add fresh veggies from the garden, and top with grated mozzarella cheese. Bake according to crust directions on a pizza pan or stone.

Allow to cool.

Slice and serve.

Try not to laugh when your kids ask how the pepperoni turned green.

Easy Veggie Orzo

Do you have a bunch of random veggies in your summer garden, and you're not quite sure what to make with them?

Here's a super duper easy way to put them altogether and call it a meal. It's kind of an "everything but the kitchen sink" catch-all that is also a crowd pleaser. Serve it warm, straight off the stove, or chill it to serve the next day, and the next, and the next. It works equally well as a vegetarian main course or summery side.

Start with whatever veggies you have on hand. On this particular day, I had carrots, green beans, and zucchini that needed to be used.

Wash and coarsely chop your veggies. Remember to feed any discards [like carrot tops] to your compost bin... or hungry hens! Our ladies simply adore carrot tops. I adore that nothing goes to waste.

Saute chopped veggies in a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until tender (not mushy). Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

In the meantime, cook a package of orzo pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Pour into a large bowl, toss with a drizzle of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine finished orzo with sauteed veggies; serve in a pretty glass bowl to show off your home-grown goodness! I love to use a trifle bowl to serve all of my layered and pasta salads... it just gives them a little something special!

Disappearing Bruschetta

Here's a super fast recipe for the best bruschetta ever. It uses fresh ingredients that are in season now, either in your very own garden or at your local farmer's market. I've served this hors d' oeuvres to friends and family several times this month, all with rave reviews! The truth is, it's really very easy. And I must admit, sometimes my husband and I have a whole plate of this for dinner. After all, it covers three of the main food groups, so I have no qualms about serving this as a meal in and of itself.

To prepare this dish, you will need tomatoes, basil, olive oil, a bulb of garlic, kosher salt and pepper, a loaf of artisan bread, and fresh mozzarella cheese.

Start with: an apron full of sun-ripened tomatoes and several sprigs of basil of any variety. I usually use 4-6 medium tomatoes and an equal number of sprigs of basil. Head indoors and chop the tomatoes coarsely; remove the basil leaves from the stems and also chop them into small (1/4 inch) pieces. Combine in a bowl and set aside.

Next, get out a bulb of garlic and be prepared to use A LOT! This is the step that makes the dish. You can't skimp on the garlic and end up with mouth-watering bruschetta. I usually use one large clove of garlic per medium sized tomato; thus, if I use 4 tomatoes I use 4 large cloves of garlic. If you're thinking of making this for a first date, you may want to reconsider! You will sense a faint personal scent of Eau de Garlic the next morning, but trust me, it will be worth it.

Speaking of garlic (and why did no one ever teach me this until I started watching the Food Network?) the best way to chop garlic is to peel each clove and then smash it really hard on the cutting board by placing it between the wood and the flat side of a chef's knife. Pound the knife with your fist [with a lot of pressure but careful to avoid the blade] to flatten each clove. This helps extract the extra oils in the garlic, you have virtually no waste, and it also makes it much easier to mince into very small particles. I prepare all my garlic this way now-- and an added bonus is no more fumbling to wash the messy garlic press!

Add minced garlic cloves to tomato and basil mixture. Toss with a splash of good olive oil and a very generous sprinkling of kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper. The salt and pepper bring out the flavor of the tomatoes, while the garlic and oil mix and give off a heavenly aroma. Set mixture aside. Pour yourself a glass of wine and heat up your grill.

Once the grill is heated and cleaned, turn off the back burners and turn the front burner to low. You want to use indirect heat to keep from burning your bread. Slice a loaf of crusty artisan bread or a baguette into 1/2 inch slices diagonally along the loaf. Butter one side of each slice liberally. Place each slice of bread buttered slice down onto the grill. Quickly, place a 1/4 inch thick slice of fresh mozzarella cheese on each piece of bread. Pull the lid down over the bread so that the cheese melts on top as the bottoms turn golden brown. With a spatula, remove each piece of bread as soon as the bottom is crisp and the cheese is gooey.

Rest assured that if you aren't the grilling type, you can just as easily cook this in the oven under the broiler or on the stove. Just last weekend my family stayed at the Crystal Cove Beach Cottages where my husband and I prepared this on a tiny electric burner, just in time for sea-side happy hour! (Yes, I brought along lots of fresh produce from PSF.) Mmmmmm...

Immediately after removing from heat, top melted cheese side of each slice of bread with a generous scoop of prepared tomato mixture. Serve promptly so the juices from the tomatoes don't make the bread soggy.

If you serve this to a group, stick around to be sure you get your fair share of the bounty! I assure you that if you step away from the platter for even a few minutes, the bruschetta will have mysteriously disappeared!

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Over the years, I've been searching for a perfect homemade tomato sauce. I've tried a lot of good ones, but they usually seemed to be lacking something. Some were too watery, many were too mild. I wanted a pasta sauce that had a thicker texture and more robust flavor.

I finally found one that fit this bill in a cookbook I picked up off the bargain shelf at Barnes & Noble. Italian Country Cooking: The Secrets of Cucina Povera by Loukie Werle celebrates and explains (in very simple terms) traditional Italian farmhouse recipes using a few seasonal, fresh, low-cost ingredients.

Many of the illustrated dishes are not something you would expect to see on a menu at an Americanized Italian restaurant. These dishes are the real deal, or so it seems. Hopefully someday I can travel there to find out for myself. Regardless, I'm taking the author's word for it, and flipping through the beautiful photographs of tiny towns across Italy almost makes me feel as if I am there, sitting down at a centuries-old, worn, wooden kitchen farm table, about to enjoy a simple soup and some crusty bread amongst friendly faces.

The first recipe I tried was this Homemade Tomato Sauce. According to the author, you can make it from canned tomatoes, but I prefer fresh from the garden, of course! I also liked that it called for rosemary and celery, both of which are currently growing at PSF. I never did get my onion and garlic sets in the ground this spring. Oh well. Maybe next year!

Salsa de Pomodoro Casareccia

(Homemade Tomato Sauce)

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, cut into 1/4 in. cubes

4 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1-1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary

1 celery stalk, cut into pea-sized cubes

14-ounces of tomatoes, fresh or canned (if using canned, buy Italian diced tomatoes)

Splash of your favorite red wine

Directions:

Combine oil and onion in large pot and cook over medium heat until onion browns, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, rosemary, and celery and cook 6 minutes more, until celery is soft.

Stir in diced tomatoes and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Lower heat to a simmer, set the lid at an angle so steam can escape, and cook until the sauce is thick, 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on your preference for thickness. Remove from heat and stir in a generous splash of your favorite red wine (I used one made from organic grapes), to smooth the consistency and kick up the flavor another notch. Season liberally with kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste.

This sauce will keep in the refrigerator up to one week, in the freezer up to 6 months, or you can even can it if you are so ambitious (remember tomatoes must be canned using a pressure canner, not just a water bath, for safety reasons).

Makes approximately 4 cups of sauce. Enjoy over your favorite pasta with a handful of fresh parmesan sprinkled on top!

A Little Squeeze of Summer

You know the old saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" While I subscribe to this philosophy, I can also say that there haven't been a whole lot of lemons in my life lately.

Figuratively, things seem to be sailing along fairly smoothly this year for my family, and I am grateful that we haven't had any major obstacles to overcome in recent months. Knock on wood: I certainly don't want any of THOSE kinds of lemons.

What I do wish for, though, are real lemons, in the literal sense of the word. You know, those sunny yellowish globes hanging heavily from everyone's citrus trees... except mine. Everywhere I look, citrus fruit abounds. Even our backyard neighbors (who have one of the most neglected yards on the block) have hundreds of gorgeous tangerines dripping from their tree, mocking me from the other side of the fence.

It's not that I haven't planted any citrus trees. When we moved into our house six years ago we planted a lime tree immediately. Then a scrawny stick of a thing, the plant itself has flourished to more than ten feet tall and almost as wide. It has finally just begun producing limes worthy of sharing with friends and family.

We also planted a "pink lemonade" tree three years ago after the variety was featured in Sunset magazine. Technically a variegated dwarf Eureka lemon tree, it has just barely begun producing fruit. Last year we got two lemons. This year we have four... despite my diligent feeding and watering. I've been told it just takes a while for citrus trees to really start cranking them out. In the meantime, I'm waiting... and not very patiently.

Eureka lemons

Fortunately, a very sweet student just brought me a paper bag brimming with Meyer lemons from her family's tree. As I set the bag down, lemons spilled across my desk like rays of sunshine. I knew immediately what I was going to do with them.

For the past several days it has been in the high seventies and sunny; my kids and I were going to make fresh-squeezed lemonade. Never mind that it was January. It felt like summer. We kicked on our flip flops and pulled out the juicer.

In the past I've tried a lot of different fresh lemonade recipes, and I've always found them to be a little too sweet, a little too sour, or a little too grainy. It annoys me when the sugar doesn't fully dissolve and, rather, settles at the bottom of the pitcher like a fine silt. Searching online, I finally found this recipe, posted at Simply Recipes. The difference is that you cook the sugar and water into a simple syrup first, which you then add to the lemon juice. This extra step gives it a much smoother texture.

This recipe is definitely not low in sugar (or calories), but it sure goes down easy. Squeeze some up today and you will ALMOST begin to believe it's summer!

"A Little Squeeze of Summer" Lemonade

Ingredients:
1 cup organic sugar
1 cup water (for the simple syrup)
1 cup freshly-squeezed Meyer lemon juice
3-4 cups cold water (to dilute)

Directions:
1. Make a simple syrup by heating the sugar and the first cup of water in a small saucepan on the stove, just until the sugar is dissolved completely. Set aside.

2. Use a juicer to extract the juice from 4-6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice.

3. Add the juice and the simple syrup from your small saucepan to a pitcher. Then, add 3-4 cups of cold water, more or less to taste. Refrigerate 30-40 minutes before serving over ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint if you desire.

Kick back in a lounge chair with a tall glass of lemonade and your shades.
Pretend it's mid-June.
Voila! Instant summer.

Serves six.

Better Late Than Never: Guerilla Dining Recipes

So I promised in August that I would post the recipes from my Guerilla Dining soiree. And then life got busy.

I went back to work. Mason started school. And, of course, we brought home chickens. Naturally.

But I didn't forget about that pledge to share all the delicious details, so here we go.

The first course I served was a simple salad of freshly picked and washed baby greens. I prefer to use sweet, tender, lacy lettuces rather than coarse romaine or spicy arugula for this salad. Harvest your lettuce in the morning so it has the highest moisture content possible.

You may be tempted to add a little more flavor or color by tossing in fresh or grilled veggies, crumbles of cheese, or croutons. But don't. This dressing is delicate and complex at the same time. It brings out the best in your greens, and it will be overwhelmed by any other flavors you try to add.

To prepare this recipe I measure out all the ingredients into a washed Mason jar, top it off with a lid and a sealing ring, screw it all together, and shake vigorously for about ten seconds. Pop it into the refrigerator so the sugar and salt can dissolve and the flavors can bloom and mingle.

When you're ready to serve (within the week) just give the dressing one more quick shake, pour liberally over your fresh greens, toss, and serve. I love this simple salad in the spring or summer, but if you happen to have lots of lettuces growing in your winter garden, you can shake and serve it up tonight!

Citrus Champagne Vinaigrette
This is an adaptation of a white wine vinaigrette recipe I found online. The difference is in the vinegar. I am in love with this vinegar.

Here's a picture of the brand I use. I purchase it at Von's on the top shelf, but you can also order it online through sites such as Sur la table. As an added bonus, this vinegar is produced right here in California!

Ingredients
1/3 cup very fresh vegetable oil (do not substitute olive oil; the flavor is too strong)
1/3 cup citrus champagne vinegar (see brand above)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbs. organic "white" sugar (may actually be light brown; do not use brown sugar)
1/2 tsp. salt, preferably kosher
1 pinch ground black pepper

Directions
Measure all ingredients into a small jar. Screw on the lid tightly and shake vigorously. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

I have no nutritional facts for this dressing, though it's obviously not light in calories, nor is it or sugar-free. However, if one of your New Year's Resolutions is to eat more healthy foods (like veggies and greens), I promise this recipe will have you going back to the salad bowl for seconds... and maybe even thirds.

Enjoy!

Home "Churned" Butter

Looking for something to do on a rainy day? How about making home "churned" butter?

I found this recipe in one of my favorite gardening magazines, Organic Gardening, and decided to try it out for my Guerilla Dining Dinner Party at Pocket Square Farm (see August 25th post). The result was insanely delicious and oh so simple. Hard to believe but true.

Homemade butter has an altogether different texture and much fresher taste than even the most expensive gourmet butters available from pricey markets such as Whole Foods or Bristol Farms. Sprinkle it with a little kosher salt and spread it over a warm, crusty handful of straight-from-the-oven french bread... Mmmm! (Beware, this can become addictive.) Here are the simple steps.

Home "Churned" Butter

Ingredients
Organic cream or organic whipping cream with a butterfat content of at least 35 percent
(Any amount of cream you wish; I used a pint here.)
Salt to taste
Very cold water, for rinsing

Directions
1. Pour the cream into the bowl of your electric mixer and turn it on to medium speed. Blend it as if you were making whipped cream; it will begin to form stiff peaks.

2a. Leave the mixer running and walk away to do something else or take a short rest. Really!
After about ten minutes your cream will magically transform into butter, changing from white to yellow, separating into butter and buttermilk. You will know it's done when the steady whirring sound of the mixer changes to a thump, thump, thump as the butter hits the side of the bowl repeatedly. Head back to the kitchen for the next step!

2b. Or, alternately, if you don't have a stand mixer, pour a small amount of cream into a jar with a tightly sealed lid and hand it over to a busy 5-year-old with energy to burn! My son (who thinks outside the box on most occasions) decided to try making butter his way--holding a canning jar of cream between his feet while he jumped on a trampoline in the back yard about 200 times. (Of course! What other way could there be?) His end result was the same as mine, only he burned about a hundred calories in the process and I burned... well... never mind.

Mason's trampoline-butter-churning technique.
I do not recommend you try this at home!

When the mixer makes a thumping sound,
the butter has separated from the buttermilk.

3. Turn off the mixer (or extricate the sealed container from your child) and carefully pour off the buttermilk into a container with a lid. Store the sealed buttermilk in the fridge and use within two days to make old fashioned buttermilk pancakes or biscuits!

4. With your lump of butter still in the mixing bowl, use a spatula to press it down and squeeze out any remaining liquid (you are basically kneading the butter). Add about 1/2 cup of very cold filtered water to the butter in the bowl to rinse it, and the pour off and discard the cloudy liquid. Repeat several times until the liquid coming off the butter runs clear. This is called washing the butter, and it keeps your end product from spoiling.

5. Pack your fresh butter in a container with a sealed lid. You may either salt it now (I recommend kosher salt) or wait until use... or don't salt it at all if you prefer!

Your home "churned" butter will keep for one week in the refrigerator or [supposedly] up to six months if frozen--though I can't vouch for the later claim because mine never lasts that long!

All Squashed Out

My friend and gardening partner in crime, Brett, recently declared himself to be "all sqaushed out." At first I was mildly offended... and then I realized that I am--in fact--all squashed out, as well.

Our families have been eating zucchini as part of practically every single shared dinner since, say, May. We've baked, roasted, grilled, seasoned, and steamed them. The massive green squash have been chopped into chunks... and rounds.. and half-moons... and we're running out of ideas. Let it suffice to say that I could happily wait until next May to eat another zucchini. With the recent heat wave, however, I'm facing a whole new round of them!

What to do with these confounded cucurbits? Aside from sharing with family and friends, my second favorite way to dispose of all that squash (and trick my kids into eating it) is to bake zucchini bread. Here's my most recent loaf.


I actually prefer to pour the batter into muffin tins to produce mass quantities of grab-and-go breakfasts and snacks. You can make the recipe with or without the nuts (my family prefers without but I prefer to sneak in a little extra protein by including them). In my book, zucchini muffins are a tried-and-true back-to-school remedy: take two in the morning and you'll get through recess without a growling tummy!

The entry below is my mom's classic recipe with an updated name. Don't choke when you see the amount of sugar in these babies. They're worth the calories! Remember you're eating your veggies, too. You could also try upping the nutritional factor by incorporating some whole wheat flour.

"All Squashed Out" Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Beat eggs in large bowl or stand mixer until foamy. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a greased 9" x 5" loaf pan or lined muffin tins. Bake for 1 hour for a loaf or 20 minutes for muffins at 350 degrees. If making a loaf, be sure to test the center to be sure it's cooked through before turning off the oven. You definitely don't want it to be gooey inside.

Store up to a week in a ziplock bag; they probably won't last that long!