Archives for March 2010

Portland Farmers Market is Open….

March 24, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

You know spring has started the Portland Farmers Market at the Portland State University first day was Saturday. It was a perfect sunny day with the temperature at 70 degrees. I got there about 9:30 one hour after being opened and the crowd was unbelievable. They added another section of booths and moved the location of the food vendors and you still could not move through the crowds.

I left with Pippen and Johngold apples from Draper Girls that I plan on making my Blue Ribbon Apple with. But they had over 12 different apples from last falls crop to pick from and still as crisp as they could be. These are apples from a farm located in Hood River, Oregon.

I also got some fresh spring leeks to make potato leek soup and a loaf of Garlic bread to go with tonight’s Spaghetti and Meatballs. The booths were over flowing with fresh carrots, Swiss chard and all the different types of greens you could think of they had them. The flower vendors had fresh cut daffodils and tulips in many colors. Many more booths this year selling fresh baked bread and pastries…..

I would have bought some of the beautiful mushrooms or the great selection of greens if I were not leaving on a 3 day trip the next day.

Home on the Range ……

March 19, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

We have some great cattle ranches in Eastern Oregon that produce some of the best beef. My husband and son’s favorite meal are Fajita’s so I got a beautiful piece of flat iron steak. We were recently at the RAM restaurant and had a really good rice with corn so here is my attempt at that for a side dish for my steak fajita’s. So skip the chicken tonight and have some beef…….

Steak Fajita’s
1 1/2# Flat Iron Steak
1 large onion, sliced
1 large green pepper, sliced
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp fresh Cilantro, chopped

In a large size Ziploc bag combine all the ingredients. Marinade in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Drain off marinade. Heat a flat top grill or skillet on medium-high, drizzle with olive oil and add the steak. Sear the steak on both sides, 5 minutes each side. After the steak is seared, remove and let set for 5 minutes.
Toss the onions and green peppers with 1 tbsp olive oil and place on grill, stirring often. After 5 minutes cut the steak into thin slices and return to the grill or skillet and cook until medium-well. Serve on a warm tortilla shell with shredded cheese and sour cream. You can also serve them with avocados, tomatoes and lettuce.

Rice with Sauteed Corn
4 cups rice, cooked
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup whole corn

In skillet saute onion and olive oil for about 3 minutes,add garlic and corn and cook 2 minutes more. Add cooked rice and saute 2-3 minutes and the rice is slightly brown.

The little Italian pasta …. Orzo with Lemon Greek Chicken Thighs

March 17, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

So what is orzo if you go to Wikipedia this is what they say:
Orzo (from Latin hordeum, sometimes called Italian rice) is Italian and means “barley”[1], from which orzo was originally made. However, in common usage in the United States, orzo is understood to mean rice-shaped pasta, slightly smaller than a pine nut. It is frequently used in soups and baked casseroles. Despite its rice shape, orzo is made not of rice but of hard wheat semolina. It is also known as risone in Italian, manéstra or kritharáki (“little barley”) in Greek, and şehriye (in Turkish).
In one sentence it is my new best friend and main dish. Here is a recipe I made that using fresh spinach with a side of Lemon Greek Chicken Thighs…..

1 cup orzo, dry
1 can chicken broth
2 cups water
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp basil, dried or 1 Tbsp fresh
1/2 Tbsp Oregano, dried or 1 tbsp fresh
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1 bag (6oz) fresh spinach
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

In pot bring chicken broth and water to a boil add the orzo and cook for 9 minutes, drained and set aside.
While the orzo is cooking in large skillet cook onion and garlic in the olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add basil, oregano, pepper flakes and salt and stir. Add cooked orzo and spinach. Cook about 2-3 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with cheese.

Lemon Greek Chicken Thighs
4 skinless chicken thighs, boneless
2 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp oregano, dried
salt and pepper
2 lemon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken with garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Place in baking dish that has been drizzles with olive oil. Cut 1 lemon into slices and arrange with the chicken thighs. Cut other lemon and squeeze over chicken. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until cooked and browned.

Stash Tea the best in Oregon

March 12, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

After moving to Oregon I discovered something wonderful that I did not know I lived so close to … Stash Tea. When I lived back in Pennsylvania I had bought this great tea for my retail store and within months became our top selling tea. When I started shopping in different Oregon stores I saw it everywhere and that is when I realized it is made in Oregon. I traveled a short distance from the mountain to Tigard, Oregon and there it was with a retail store were you could buy all the types of teas they make. The store is not big but you can walk around and smell all the teas and enjoy their tea sampling of the day. You can even watch through a glass window and watch them pack up the boxes of tea that are shipped throughout the US, Canada and International. I wonder if they were packing tea to go back to my old store, Trax Farms, back in PA? So if you want the best selection of tea, bagged or loose this is the place to get it. Visit their website at www.stashtea.com. Here is a cool teapot I picked up last time I was there a vintage 1920 style cooper insulated white stoneware teapot that keeps tea hot for 1 hour.

Another year older….

March 9, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

My husband John celebrated another year older today. He saw a day that went from light snow in the morning to sunshine, to rain, to sunshine to light snow. Yes this is another spring day on the mountain. This will be our 5th spring in Zigzag and the earliest we have seen daffodils and primroses in the yard in full bloom. John ended his B-day with his favorite birthday dessert dumplings, this year he wanted peach. Enjoy the following recipe and think of the summer days to come and picking fresh peaches.

4 cups peaches, sliced, fresh or canned
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter
1 batch pie dough for a double crust

In large pot combine peaches, sugar and flour. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the stove and add the vanilla and butter. Let set from 10 minutes to cool.
Divide dough into 4 pieces, roll out one piece to a 10-inch circle. Place a 1/4th of the peach mixture in the center (about 1/2 cup heaping). Fold up all 4 sides to the center and place in a 13×9 greased baking dish. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of dough. Bake in a preheat 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until golden brown. Cool for about 20 minute before eating.

My First Blog “Homemade Pierogies”

March 8, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

I have been thinking for days what my first blog should be and then it came to me. My grandmother and sister came over from Poland as young girls and their first job was making homemade pierogies. With the Easter holiday upon us I thought I would share our family recipe. These are perfect to make ahead of time and then freeze them. You can then take them out anytime and you have a perfect side dish or meal.

For the Potato & Cheese filling:
2 ½ pounds baking potatoes, peeled
3 cups cold water
Salt
1 stick (½ cup) butter
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar Cheese
Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

For the dough:
3 cups flour
1 large egg
2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
¾ cup lukewarm water, more if needed
1tsp salt

Prepare the potato and cheese filling;
Put the potatoes in a pot with the cold water and 1 tbsp salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are soft, for about 10 to 15 minutes after they start to boil.
When the potatoes are nearly done, melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the onion over medium heat until soft (or longer, depending on your preference). Drain the potatoes and mash them. Add the cooked onion. Add the cheese, salt to taste and the pepper. Continue to mash until blended. Let cool.

Prepare the dough;
Combine the flour, egg, butter, ¾ cup water and the salt, preferable in a bowl, although you also can do it the old-fashioned way, which is right on a clean kitchen counter. Knead the dough on a flat, lightly floured surface for approximately 5 to 10 minutes, until it forms a smooth ball. Add water as needed if the dough seems chalky or hard, and add flour until the dough no longer sticks to the counter.
Let the dough rest for at least a half-hour if you plan to cook the pierogies immediately, but, if possible, cover and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight to give the gluten in the dough more time to smooth out.

Divide the dough. Roll out one piece about ¼-inch thick (or thicker, if desired) and cut into circles, about 2 inches in diameter for small pierogies, 3 ½ inches for large. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Fill each circle with a heaping tbsp of potato filling (you can use a mini ice cream scooper for this), fold the dough over the filling and seal by pinching the edges well. Lay on floured surface and continue to make remaining pieroges. Cook the pierogies in a large amount of rapidly boiling water for about 5 minutes. Do not overcrowd them in the pot I cook about 12 at a time in a large pot. Place on wire rack so all sides dry you can then put in freezer container or cook some up!
Makes 36 to 40 pierogies.

For pan-frying, add some butter and sliced onions in a frying pan. Once then are just about brown add the pierogies and fry to a golden brown.