Archives for September 2012

Tomato Bruschetta Three Ways

September 24, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

What’s fresh this week. If you visit your local farmers market you will see a rainbow of different colors of tomatoes. There are cherry tomatoes in all shapes and colors, heirloom green stripes, Italian plums and the good old red tomato. I filled my bag with an assortment of tomatoes and bought some great bread, I’m ready to make some bruschetta. Since I have so many types of tomatoes I am going to share 3 different ways to make tomato bruschetta. The first tomato is the heirloom green stripe which has a mild flavor so I want to make sure I use an olive oil with some great flavor. The second tomatoes are a box of rainbow cherry tomatoes, so many colors and shapes so I am going to keep this one simple. The last tomato will be with red tomatoes and the traditional bruschetta is the best way to enjoy them.

Heirloom Bruschetta
3 small heirloom green stripe tomatoes, sliced
12 slices fresh mozzarella
3 cloves garlic, minced
Balsamic vinegar (Get a really good aged one)
Garlic olive oil
12 pieces any rustic bread, sliced
Salt & pepper
fresh basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the bread on both sides with the garlic olive oil and bake in the oven until golden brown on both sides. This should take about 2-3 minutes of each side, remove from oven. Lay two slices of tomatoes and one slice of mozzarella cheese on each slice of bread. Sprinkle with the minced garlic and drizzle some of the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh basil.

Rainbow Bruschetta
1 pint rainbow cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 basil leaves, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons basil flavored olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 loaf bread with kalamata olives, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the olive bread on both sides with the olive oil and bake in the oven until golden brown on both sides. This should take about 2-3 minutes on each side, remove from oven. In medium bowl combine the cherry tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon tomato mixture over toasted bread and enjoy.

Traditional Bruschetta
2 large red tomatoes, diced
1 cup mozzarella cheese, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 basil leaves, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 loaf french baguette, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the french baguette on both sides with the olive oil and bake in the oven until golden brown on both sides. This should take about 2-3 minutes on each side, remove from oven. In medium bowl combine tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic, basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Place tomato mixture in a bowl on a large plate and place toasted bread around the bowl or scoop tomato mixture on each piece of bread and place on a large serving platter.

Apple Slab Pie

September 20, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

What do you think of when you see an pan of slab pie on the table. I think of family reunions, church suppers and picnics. It is apple season here in Oregon and each week there are several apples coming into season. I wanted to take some of these apples and create something that I could share with friends. When you make a slab pie you are making two pies at once. The flaky crust of the dough and the sweet filling of apples is a great way to start the fall apple season.

Pie Crust: Make recipe twice
3 cups Bob’s Red Mill white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, cold, small chunks
1 egg
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
5 tablespoons cold water
In large bowl combine the flour and salt, add shortening and butter. With a pastry blender mix together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, do not over mix. In a small bowl combine egg, cider vinegar and water, add to the flour mixture and combine until the dough just comes together in a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to 1 hour to rest the dough. Make another batch of pie dough and repeat above. You will have two balls of dough when you are done.

Apple Filling:
8 golden Delicious apples, peeled and sliced thin
2 tart apples, peeled and sliced thin
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons flour
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

In large bowl combine apples, lemon juice, flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You will need a 10×15-inch baking pan. On a floured surface roll out one piece of the dough to fit in the bottom of the 10×15-inch baking pan. Place apple mixture over the dough spreading out evenly. Take the remaining dough and roll out slightly larger to place over the top of the apples. Since the dough is so large to work with I use my large pasta rolling pin to do this. Roll the top dough under the bottom dough and cut some small slits in the top to vent the pie as it cooks. Bake in oven for 1 hour or until golden brown and you see the apple mixture bubbling up a little from the slits. Remove from the oven and cool on wire rack.

Icing:
2 cups confectioners sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk
Combine the confectioners sugar and milk in a small bowl and with a whisk combine until smooth and slightly thick. Drizzle over the pie.

Summer Pickled Vegetables

September 16, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

If you have a garden or go to a local farmers market you will see an abundance of vegetables at this time of the year. Making pickled vegetables is a great way to preserve that summer taste so you can enjoy it all winter long. A jar of pickled vegetables makes a great gift during the holidays and is perfect for the hoilday dinner table.

2 heads cauliflower, small pieces
1 head broccoli, small pieces
1 cup peeled pickling onions
1 each green, yellow & orange peppers, small pieces
2 cups carrots, 1/2″ rounds
12 pickling cucumbers, 1/2″ rounds
8 small hot peppers, strips
1/2 cup canning salt
2 quarts vinegar
3 cups sugar
4 teaspoons mustard seed
4 teaspoons celery seed

In large bowl combine cauliflower, broccoli, onions, peppers, carrots, pickling cucumbers and hot peppers. Sprinkle with the pickling salt, cover with crushed ice and let stand 3 hours. Drain vegetables; rinse well. Combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and celery seed in a large 8 quart pot. Bring to a boil; add vegetables and simmer 5 minutes. Pack hot into hot pint jars and add enough liquid leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Add lid and band and process in a hot water bath 10 minutes.

Adapted from ~ Ball Blue book

You can’t have the Oil without the Vinegar!

September 10, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

We arrived mid afternoon to the town of Leavenworth the “Alpine Bavarian Village” of Washington state. Our room at the Enzian Inn was not ready yet and with only one block to walk to town we decided to see what we could find. We passed many cute shops and tasting rooms of local wineries and then came to the shop I wanted to see. The Oil & Vinegar Cellar located at 633 Front Street where they say “Where the Virgin Compliments the Aged”. You need to go down a pair of stairs that leads you to the cellar of oil and vinegar heaven. The brick walls and silver fustino’s dripping out the sweet aged flavors of pure delight made me want to start dipping and tasting. I started down the balsamic vinegars, all aged 18 years, tasting flavors like fig, apricot, cinnamon peach, blackberry and the last one in the row white balsamic vinegar that was so sweet I had to have it. I moved on to their featured combo of the day cranberry walnut balsamic vinegar and Florida Orange olive oil, what a burst of flavor in your mouth. Finally I started tasting the olive oils with flavors like garlic mushroom, basil, jalapeno, key lime and roasted chili to name a few. But the one that caught my eye was butter olive oil. The label suggests that this was a healthy choice for over popcorn, drizzled on mashed or baked potatoes or tossed with sauteed shrimp and garlic over pasta. In all they had 12 different types of balsamic vinegars and 15 types of olive oils. This is a place I would recommend you stop in at if you find yourself in Leavenworth. Better yet you can order on line or join their club and get a surprise every three months in the mail.

Yakima Farmers Market a Sunday Morning Treat

September 9, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

What a beautiful sunny day here in Yakima, Washington. What made it even better was walking through a farmers market. The market is located in the heart of downtown and is open every Sunday until the end of October. The first stop just as I entered the market was at Essencia Artisian Bakery where a fresh baked chocolate crossiant was calling my name. Throughout the rest of the market the tables were overflowing with peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, peaches, apples, squash and even some pumpkins and gourds. Yakima Farmers Market website.

What’s Fresh in Washington State?

September 9, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

I have a week with no cooking, yes John and I are on a weeklong business trip and we are traveling through the central and eastern part of Washington State. So I thought I would bring you along to Washington State and share what we find along the way. First stop Yakima, Washington in the central part of the state. Yakima Valley is a sunny area with orchards, farms and vineyards where more than 40 commercial crops are grown. Did you know that this area enjoys 300 days of sunshine? Or did you know there are more than 70 wineries and it is best known as one of the largest wine-producing regions in the country. After checking into our hotel John and I headed north of Yakima about 30 miles to Ellensburg. We wanted to travel down through the Yakima Canyon and enjoy a drive along the Yakima river. We passed by many people in their boats fly fishing and just as many people in large rafts just enjoying floating down the river. As we were just coming out of the canyon and back down into Yakima a beautiful apple orchard came into sight. We turned down a side dirt road to get a better view of these trees just hanging full of apples. The first part of the orchard was apple trees grown on a trellis in a V-shape. We were not sure what type of apples these were but as we turned the corner and saw the next section of the orchard with the traditional type of dwarf apple trees and I knew that bright red color and shape, the red delicious apple. I could not believe the amount of apples that were hanging on the trees. I knew that they were going to be picked soon all the empty wooden bins were lined up under the trees, is the fall season officially here? Seeing all the apples that would be ready soon I decided that once I get back to Oregon I am going to devote most of my upcoming blogs to the apple and all the great pies, desserts, side dishes and anything else I can think of that you can make with apples. Tomorrow we head north to the town of Leavenworth and more adventures in the state of Washington. Below are a few fun facts about apples grown in Washington State and the Yakima Valley:

Washington State leads the nation in apple production and more than half of the fresh eating apples come from Washington. Red delicious representing 30% of apples grown.
Washington has seven main production areas with Yakima Valley being the largest.
The Columbia basin area gives the state its famous Fuji apple.
Growers now use “dwarf trees” in high density plantings to bring new orchards into production faster.
More than 175,000 acres of apple orchards are nested in the eastern foothills of Washington.
The following are the top nine apples grown in Washington State. Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Cripps Pink and Cameo.

The picture to the right shows how the apples are grown on a trellis in a V-shape. Trees are planted 12 feet apart, with every other tree slanted in the opposite direction of its neighbor, in a V formation to meet at row center. They want fruit produced narrow, tall fruiting walls. The goals is for the trees to reach full height in two years.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Fresh Plums

September 6, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

It is almost the end of the week and I still have some great finds from my trip to last Saturday’s farmers market. It was good fortune or should I say “Fortune Plums” that I saw overflowing in a wicker basket. Picking up a half dozen of these plump plums I decided they would make a great addition to a fresh green salad. If you are not familiar with these plums they were developed by the United States Department of Agriculture and released in New Zealand in the mid-1980’s. The plum is large, juicy with a bright red and yellow skin. You can use them in salads, desserts like cobblers and tarts or just to eat fresh.

Salad
6 cups mixed greens
3 plums, sliced
1 lime, zest & juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 grilled chicken breast
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup red raspberries
3 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted & chopped

Balsamic Dressing
8 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, mince
1 cup olive oil

In medium bowl combine the plums, lime juice, lime zest and honey, set aside.
Prepare the balsamic dressing by placing all the ingredients in a pint size mason jar and shake for about 15 seconds, set aside and make the salad.

Place 2 cups of the mixed greens on a plate, (I use a mixture of leaf, romaine and iceberg lettuce). Slice the chicken and place 1/3 over the greens. Sprinkle 1/3 each of the feta cheese and red raspberries plus 1 tablespoon of the hazelnuts over the salad greens. Place plums around the salad and make sure you get some of the delicious lime juice.

Shake the dressing again for a few seconds and spoon the desired amount over the salad. You will have some of the balsamic dressing left over for other delicious salads.

You can also make this salad with other fruits like peaches, apples and pears.

Source: Balsamic Dressing ~ Key Ingredient

Huckleberry Buttermilk Pancakes

September 4, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

Do you see the little blue huckleberries bursting out of these buttermilk pancakes? You can not get them any fresher in Oregon than picking them yourself. Huckleberries just came into season a few weeks ago here in Oregon and just as quick they will be gone, so now is the best time to go pick them. Most wild huckleberries are found at higher elevations between 4,000-6,000 feet. We were lucky enough on our hike yesterday to find a HUGE patch of wild huckleberries. We were not prepared to pick them but did have an empty water bottle, which I think is one of the best containers to pick them in. It keeps them from spilling out and it is easy to carry in your backpack. We had only one bottle and if you have ever picked huckleberries you know it takes time. John and I both picked for 20 minutes and only got 1 cup of these “good as gold” berries. We have marked the spot and will be returning at the end of the week with more bottles and help to gather up some more. The one cup of huckleberries was just enough for me to get 8 golden and delicious pancakes today… enjoy the recipe!

Huckleberry Buttermilk Pancakes
1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill white flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoon butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup Huckleberries
In medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, set aside. In small bowl combine buttermilk, butter and eggs. Add buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, combine until mixed do not over mix (I prefer to use a whisk it does the quickest and best job). Cook on 400 degrees (hot griddle). Pour about 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle and sprinkle with the huckleberries.

Cook on first side about 3 minutes until bubbles appear along the edge of the pancake. Flip and cook for 2 minutes more and golden brown. Serve with a big pat of butter and enjoy!

Pork Sandwich & Apple slaw

September 3, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

I woke up to a beautiful Labor Day morning in Oregon of blue skies and the wonderful sound of the river coming through my window. This was going to be an awesome day for an afternoon hike for the first week in September here in Oregon. I need to get the Pioneer Woman’s Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork I made last week from the freezer into the crock pot to heat up. I made a big batch so my son Scott could take some down to the Hoodland Fire department were he is a volunteer. After a little work around the house the pork was ready to send with Scott keeping back some for sandwiches after the hike. If you live in the Pacific Northwest you know that the Pacific Crest Trail runs from Canada to Mexico. We are lucky enough to live right down the road from were you can jump onto the trail. John and I loaded Sage in the car for a small afternoon hike, with this being Sage’s first hike. We took the trail towards the south which gave us a great view of Mt Hood and then walked 20 feet and had a view of Mt Adams, which is located in the state of Washington. We had a great afternoon hike and found a patch of huckleberries along the way. Check out tomorrow’s post to see what I am making John and Scott with the huckleberries we picked.

After returning from our hike we were ready to eat and instead of making the traditional coleslaw with cabbage to go with the pork I decided to make some apple slaw. I had bought some Honey Crisp apples, that just came into season, at the farmers market on Saturday. I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day!

Happy 1st Wedding Anniversary to my son and daughter-in-law, Johnny & Jess!

Apple slaw
2 apples ( I used Honey Crisp)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Miracle Whip what can I say!)
2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon white vinegar
dash salt and pepper
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoon Oregon hazelnuts, toasted & chopped

Fill a medium bowl with water and add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Cut apples with skin on (looks prettier) into matchstick size pieces and place into lemon water to prevent browning. In small bowl combine Miracle Whip, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Drain water from apples and add the cranberries and hazelnuts.

If you do not have hazelnut (which is the state nut of Oregon) you can use pecans or walnuts. Toss with the Miracle Whip mixture until coated. I added a side of my Bread & Butter pickles to finish off the meal.

Source: Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork ~ Pioneer Woman

French Toast Croissant with Fresh Peach Compote

September 2, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

2 croissants
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon half and half
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1# peaches (3 large) peeled and sliced
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter

¼ cup pecans, chopped
Whipped cream, garnish
Powdered sugar, garnish

Cut the two croissants in half, I like to put them in the freezer overnight they are easier to cut frozen. In small bowl combine eggs, half and half and vanilla, pour into a shallow pan. If your croissants are a large add an extra egg, set aside.

Combine peaches, brown sugar, water, cinnamon and nutmeg in a 1 quart saucepan. Cook over low-medium heat for 10 minutes or until the mixture is a medium-thick syrup, stir occasionally. Set aside and cook your croissants.

If you have a flat top grill heat to 400 degrees or in a large skillet over medium-high heat add 1 tablespoon butter. Open the cut croissant and place in egg mixture pressing down to coat flip over and coat the other side. Place cut side down on grill or in skillet and cook about 2-3 minutes, or until brown. Flip over and cook the second side this will take less time about 1 ½ to 2 minutes.

To assemble place croissant bottom on plate and fill with ½ the peach compote, place on the top of the croissant. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and garnish with the whipped cream and pecans.