Mint Iced Green Tea

Iced Tea is a classic summertime drink.  I like to make my own.  This is a simple recipe that can be made in the time it takes to boil water.

Ingredients:

4 Green Tea Bags
4 Cups boiling water
Several springs of fresh mint

Here's how:

Place the tea bags, water and mint into a heat safe pitcher.  Allow the tea bags to steep for 30 minutes. 

Steeping

Remove the bags and leave the mint.  Refrigerate and serve cold over ice.

Pasta Pesto with Peas

I love to make recipes from Ina Garten.  This recipe is so simple and yet so delicious.  I have added the link to my pesto recipe for you to use here and removed the pine nuts from the salad itself.  Ina is local to Long Island so she fits in here at Homemade on Long Island.

Ingredients:

3/4 pound fusilli pasta

3/4 pound bow tie pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups pesto (packaged or http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2010/09/making-pesto.html)

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/4 cups mayonnaise

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Here's how:

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

Pasta cooling

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice.

Pesto, mayo and lemon

Add the mayonnaise and puree.

Mayo added

Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, salt, and pepper.

Parmesan, peas, salt and pepper added

Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Pasta salad complete

June 13, 2011 Harvest and Planting

After a weekend away from home and no one to pick in the garden, there were some casualties.  I did pick 8 cups of strawberries and lost about 1-2 to bugs and over ripeness.  I was excited to be able to pick peas for the first time.  I was able to shell the peas and have 3/4 cup.  The vines are full of more, just not quite ready yet. 

8 cups of berries

Pea pods full of peas

The pods above yielded this 3/4 cup

I was not home this weekend because I was spending time on the North Fork of Long Island.  I was on omission to buy some vegetable plants for my garden.  I only wanted organically frown so I know of three a locations - Garden of Eve, Sang Lee and Garden Fusion.  I chose Sang Lee because it was close to where I was spending the weekend and I was very happy.  They have a great variety of organic tomatoes, peppers, eggplant., squash, herbs and so many more. If you are looking for great organic plants as well as organic produce, stop by Sang Lee. It is located on Route 48 in Cutchogue, on the south side of the road.

I also purchased rhubarb stalks and ended up with 18 cups of sliced rhubarb.  Once the strawberries are done on the plants, I am going t be making jams and pies with the berries and rhubarb.  I love that the rhubarb is available for such a short time along with the berries, that it is a truly special time.  Right now I have 28 cups of strawberries frozen so there is so much to make.

Peach Jam and Pretzel Crisps

If you want a simple appetizer that can sit out on a hot day then this one is for you.  I used jam from a friend but any store bought one will do.  The combination of salty and sweet it what really makes it.  This is a great snack to take with you a wine tasting trip on the East End of Long Island.

Ingredients:

1 small jar peach jam or preserves, preferably homemade
1 bag pretzel crisps (these are those flat pretzels that are just the outside of the pretzel)

Here's how:

Place the jam in a small bowl and stir to make a smooth mixture without any lumps.

Place the bowl in the middle of a plate with pretzel crisps.

Dip the pretzel crisps in the jam and be prepared to be blown away by this simple appetizer.

June 6, 2011 Garden Tale

Today I was in the garden and decided to plant some more cucumbers.  My seedlings did not transplant well.  Despite my efforts to acclimate them to the outdoors, I lost several plants, including cucumbers.  This year I have a new garden structure, lattice.  I am using the lattice to grow my cucumbers in an upright fashion.  Past efforts in growing them on tomato cages have been unsuccessful.  In addition to the four plants of Lemon Cucumber and Green Cucumber, I added 6 seeds of each directly sowed into the soil under the lattice.  The soil there is very rocky een after my amendments of compost and peat moss but, I am hoping the cukes will like it anyway.  There is full sun there so they should do well.  I have been never had a good cucumber harvest, so maybe this year will be the one for me.

I also used the lattice to plant Morning Glory seeds.  I got the seeds at a bridal shower as a favor and excited to plant them.  They are a blue variety that are supposed to grow 8-10 feet tall.  If all goes well, my lattice will be full of beautiful blue flowers and cucumbers.

On the other area of the garden, the strawberries are coming in so quickly.  I again picked 5 cups of strawberries.  I clean them and am freezing them for pies, jam or ice cream.  I have to stay on top of these fruit and pick each day because if I miss one day the fruit will rot on the plant.  Here is my pick for the day:

Asparagus and Mushroom Frittata

I love using seasonal and local ingredients when possible.  This recipe is made using local asparagus, cheese, eggs and milk.  I bough the asparagus from a farm stand as well as the eggs.  The cheese is from a farmers' market.  These items can also be found at Whole Foods and look for local items.  In the spring this an easy meal that can be eaten at any time of day, hot or room temperature.

Ingredients:

2 TBS Olive Oil
8 oz. package of sliced white mushrooms
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
12 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese, preferably cheddar or other strong flavored cheese
1 TBS salt
1 tsp black pepper
nonstick spray

Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large, nonstick saute pan, add oil on medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and asparagus and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from the pan. 

In a large bowl combine eggs and milk.  Whisk to incorporate.

Add the cheese, salt and pepper.  Add the vegetables to the bowl.

Spray a large nonstick and oven safe pan with nonstick spray and place on a medium heat.  Add the egg and vegetable mixture to the pan and cook for one minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.

Place the pan into the oven and bake for 25 minutes until the frittata puffs up and is lightly browned on top.

Remove from the pan and let cool for at least 10 minutes.  Use a rubber spatula to loosen the edges of the frittata from the pan and slide it out.  Serve now or refrigerate and re-heat later.

Ladies Lunch Garden Party

This weekend I had a gathering of 15 women for a lunch on my patio.  The weather was perfect and the company was great.  I wanted to make the items from as many local sources as I could find.  I even used local recipes, right from Ina Garten's cookbooks.  Some of the items are from my stash of preserved items, or those of friends.  Here is the menu.  Check back as I post the recipes for each.

Appetizer:

Peach Jam and Pretzels http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/06/peach-jam-and-pretzel-crisps.html
Key Lime Cheese Ball http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/07/key-lime-cheese-ball.html
Lobster and Endive http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/07/lobster-salad-in-endive.html
Wasabi Deviled Eggs http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/07/wasabi-deviled-eggs.html

Sandwiches

Salmon Tea Sandwiches http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/07/salmon-tea-sanwiches.html
Chicken Caesar Club http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/07/caesar-club-sandwich.html
Beef Tenderloin http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/07/beef-tenderloin-sandwich.html
Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/07/roasted-red-pepper-and-goat-cheese.html

Salads

Moroccan http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/07/couscous-salad.html
Tabbouleh http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/07/tabbouleh-salad.html
Cobb
Pasta Pesto with Peas http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/06/pasta-pesto-with-peas.html

Eggs

Asparagus and Mushroom Frittata http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/06/asparagus-and-mushroom-frittata.html

Drink
Mint Iced Green Tea http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/06/mint-iced-green-tea.html

Dessert

Frozen Key Lime Pie http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/07/frozen-key-lime-pie.html
Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/05/homemade-strawberry-rhubarb-ice-cream.html
Banana Walnut Chip Ice Cream http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/06/banana-walnut-chip-ice-cream.html

Strawberries Keep On Coming

This weekend my strawberries took off.  I forgot how quickly they ripen.  The task of picking is a daily one.  I can really feel the daily work of the garden beginning.  The season always starts so slow with growing the seeds and waiting to set them out.  But then comes June and the strawberries remind me of the labors and fruits that are ahead for the summer.

Saturday yielded 4 cups of strawberries, here is a picture of half of them:

Sunday I then picked 5 cups more.

After picking, I hull, rinse and freeze the berries.  I place them in a Ziploc bag and indicate how many cups are inside.  Then, when I want to make ice cream or jam, I know how much is inside each bag.  Also, by freezing them, I can make a large batch of whatever I am going to make instead of several small batches, it saves time and clean up.

If you do not grow your own strawberries, you can use the same clean and freeze method for berries you buy at a farmer's market, farm stand or grocery store.  Strawberries are only available for a short season, so stock up on them now.

Garden Pictures

Allium Globemaster

Iris

Iris closeup

Columbine

Rosa Heritgate

Dianthus

Banana Walnut Chip Ice Cream

I bought an ice cream maker last summer and I love to make homemade ice cream.   I have the Cuisinart 1.5 quart maker and this recipe can be found in the recipe book that came with it.  I love it so much I had to share it here.  If you have extra bananas, try it.  It has a lot of steps but is not hard and tastes great.  The rum is a nice surprise.

Ingredients:

½ cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 whole vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
¹∕³ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large bananas, cut into 1-inch pieces
1½ tablespoons dark rum
¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (¹∕³ cup chips), roughly chopped
½ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

Here's how:

Place the ice cream bowl in the freezer.

In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, bring the milk, cream, vanilla bean (including the pod), vanilla extract and the salt just to a boil. Remove from heat; let mixture steep for 30 minutes.

Steeping the vanilla bean in the cream and milk

While the milk/cream mixture is steeping, heat the sugar with water in a large skillet until it begins to sizzle.

Brown sugar and water heating up

Butter and sugar sizzling

Stir in the butter and heat until melted.

Butter added

Butter melted

Add the bananas; cook for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant and softened.

Bananas just added

Bananas after 2 minutes

Carefully stir in the rum and cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

Rum added and mixture thickened

Using a slotted spoon, strain the banana/sugar mixture, reserving the sugar syrup and bananas in separate bowls.

Straining the mixture

Bananas on top and syrup on the bottom, separated

Remove the vanilla pod from the steeped milk/cream mixture; discard pod.

Remove the pod (see it on the right side of photo)

Stir the lemon juice into the bananas and then mix the bananas into the steeped milk/cream.

Bananas mixed into the milk mixture.  I put it into a pour-able container so it is easier to pour into the ice cream maker.

Cover and refrigerate mixture 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

Turn on the Cuisinart® ice cream maker; pour the banana mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Here is my Cuisinart ice cream maker

Mixture added in and churning

While ice cream is churning, melt the bittersweet chocolate in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water or in the microwave; reserve.

Melted chocolate

When the ice cream is almost fully churned, gradually add the sugar syrup; let mix until fully combined.

Syrup added

Once the sugar syrup has been mixed, add the walnuts through the top of the ice cream maker; let mix until combined.

Walnuts added

Right before the ice cream is done, drizzle the melted chocolate into the churning ice cream.

Slowly adding the chocolate

The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Strawberry Harvest 2011 Begins

As June begins and the garden continues to grow, so starts the process of my favorite June pastime - picking strawberries.  I have been eagerly watching the strawberry patch green up, then flower and finally, the small strawberries began to grow.  As they reddened I was forced to wait until they totally changed from green and white to a bright red.  If you pick too early they are bland and if you pick too late the ants make dinner out of them. But when they are picked at just the right time they are so sweet and full of flavor.  I was so excited to pick the stawberries today and know that the harvest will continue for the next three weeks and then, my garden will give up other things.  It makes me appreciate the strawberry to know that it is only fresh for this three week period and that I must enjoy this time before it passes.