Mushrooms and Onions

For a summer BBQ, rib-eye steaks are my steak of choice.  Nothing tops those steaks better than mushrooms and onions.  This is such a simple way to get some veggies in your family and a great addition to any steak dinner.  They can also be served as a side dish to any other meal.

Ingredients:

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sized onion, any variety you have on hand
16 oz. sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Here's how:

Heat the oil in a large saute pan until hot on medium high heat.

Thinly slice the onion.

I use pre-sliced mushrooms. but you can buy whole ones and slice to this size yourself.

Cut the onion in half, then each half into four.

Then thinly slice.

Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes.  You do not want to brown them, only soften.



After 2 minutes

 Add the mushrooms and cook 10 minutes, until the mushrooms let off juices juices.

Mushrooms just added.

Add the Lawry's and pepper.  Cook until all the water has evaporated, another 5-10 minutes.

This is done and ready to serve.

Serve on top of your favorite steak.

July 16, 2011 Pics

What a beautiful day this was.  The sun was shining and the garden is really coming along.  I have taken some photos to share with you all of the things I have been writing about here. 

These are the green beans from the day's harvest:

Here is what my veggie garden is looking like:

 Herbs: In the center is oregano, to the far right are strawberry plants, in the far rear is sage and in the front is a scrawny basil plant.

Carrots

Pole Green Beans

Zucchini and squash

Green Bell peppers

Tomatoes

Pumpkins

Lemon cucumber

Early Russian Cucumber

Here are a few shots of some perennials:

Day lily

Oriental Lily

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

I have a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker that makes 1.5 quarts at a time, so this recipe will fit that machine.  A friend gave me a huge bag of spearmint from her garden so I decided to make some refreshing ice cream with it.  You can use any kind of mint you have for this recipe.  You can also use whole or 2 % milk, which is good if you want flexibility in the recipe.  Keep in mind that since this is a recipe that uses heated milk, you really should let the mixture sit overnight up to 24 hours before churning.  The result is much colder and thicker.  You can churn the same day if you start in the morning and churn at night, but I would put the mixture in the freezer for a bit to get it cold, but not frozen.  I used all organic ingredients for this as they are easy to find. 

Ingredients:

1 cup milk, whole or 2 %, organic if you have it
2 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves, packed into a measuring cup
3/4 cup sugar, organic if you have it
1/8 tsp kosher salt
2 cups heavy cream, organic if you have it
1 TBS Vanilla extract, organic if you have it
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Here's how:

In a small pot, heat the milk to just a boil.  Turn off the heat and add the mint leaves.  Let it sit for 30 minutes in the milk.

Mint in the measuring cup

Milk just boiled

Leaves, just added

Leaves after 30 minutes

Strain the mint leaves out of the milk.  Pour the milk into a small bowl.

Leaves in the strainer

Milk separated from the leaves

Add the sugar and whisk to combine.  This can be done in a mixer.  You want the sugar to be dissolved.

Sugar added, time to whisk

Stir in the cream and vanilla.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Make sure you put the ice cream bowl in the freezer too.

All ingredients in and ready to refrigerate

When you are ready to churn, assemble the ice cream maker and turn it on. 

Pour in the milk mixture.  Let churn for 10 -15 minutes, until it is thick and begins to come out the top of the maker.

Mixture just poured in.

Fully churned and ready for the chocolate

 While it is churning, melt the chips in a small bowl.  Place them in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds.  Stir the chips and then heat again for 30 seconds.  Stir and heat for another 30 seconds.  By now everything should be fully melted.  If not, continue using the 30 seconds and stir method until it is.

Once the ice cream is fully churned, slowly pour in the melted chocolate.  Do not do it all at one or else you will get a big blob of chocolate.  You want small chunks. 

Chocolate added

By now the ice cream will be soft and creamy.  If you want a firmer consistency, place it in a container and freeze for 2 hours. 

All done. eat now or freeze for later

July 12, 2011 Harvest

The green beans are up.  They have climbed the fence I installed for them and they are flowering and giving up their skinny beans.  I freeze them for the winter in a Ziploc freezer bag so that I do not have to buy veggies in the winter.  That is as local as you can get.  Here is the harvest from Tuesday. 

Back in the Garden

After a week away from home for the July 4 holiday, the garden showed it.  My hanging baskets were dry, the peas had died and the weeds had a party.  But, good things showed too.  The cucumbers are climbing the trellis, the green beans are already coming in, the rutabagas are growing, the pumpkin plants are getting big and the zucchini plants have flowers on them.  Most exciting of all, there are tomatoes on the plants as well.  My seedlings were not too strong and I lost half of them, but the plants I bought to replace them are tall and giving fruit.  The oregano is tall and the basil is getting there.  This is a great time of year when the labors of the spring begin to show and you can literally pick the fruits of your labor.  All total, I have 25 cups of strawberries for the season and 2 cups of peas.  I will try to get the peas in sooner next year, because the heat dried them out before more could come in.  Here are my picks from yesterday.

The last peas and the first green beans.

Frozen Key Lime Pie

Frozen desserts are perfect for a warm summer day.  Nothing cools you down like frozen key lime pie.  This recipe from Ina Garten is simple and Homemade on Long Island.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)

1/4 cup sugar

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons grated lime zest

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 to 5 limes)

For the decoration:

1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Thin lime wedges

Here's How:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Press into a 9-inch Pyrex pie pan, making sure the sides and the bottom are an even thickness.   If you buy a premade crust you can avoid this step and go on to baking it.

Bake for 10 minutes until firm and golden. Allow to cool completely. 

For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until thick.

Eggs and sugar in the bowl

After beating.

With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice.

Ready for the shell

Pour into the baked pie shell and freeze.

For the decoration, beat the heavy cream on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until firm.

Spoon or pipe decoratively onto the pie and decorate with lime. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

 

Key Lime Cheese Ball

Tastefully Simple cheese ball mixes are delicious.  I like to make this one for our annual wine tasting trip to the North Fork.  We eat at Vineyard 48 every year and I put this out as a dessert after eating great sandwiches.  This also makes a great appetizer.  If you can,. order one today.

Ingredients:

1 Tastefully Simple Key Lime Cheese Ball Mix
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
Teddy Grahams, graham crackers or pretzels for serving

Here's How:

Combine packet 1 and the cream cheese. I use the mixer.

The mix from packet 1.

Cream cheese and packet mixed

Place it in the fridge to cool.

Remove after 1 hour, at least, shape into a ball.

After chilling, shape into a ball.

Roll the ball into the contents of packet 2. 

Contents of packet 2

Serve with Teddy Grahams, graham crackers or pretzels.

Beef Tenderloin Sandwich

Once again, Ina Garten delivers. This sandwich is made with fillet mignon and truffle butter.  This is the most decadent and expensive sandwich I have ever had.  The truffle butter was $15 a jar and the beef cost me $50.  This sandwich is made to impress, not for the kids.  If you are going to have a fancy picnic or summer party and are inviting the boss over, make this sandwich.  This is definitely not the usual hero you get at a party.

1 1/2 to 2 pounds fillet of beef, trimmed and tied

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper

2 French baguettes, 18 to 20 inches long

3 ounces black truffle butter, at room temperature

1 (2-ounce) chunk good Parmesan cheese

Fresh watercress 

Here's How:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (Be sure your oven is very clean!) Your oven will smoke, so keep on the exhaust fan.

Place the beef on a sheet pan and pat the outside dry with a paper towel. Spread the butter all over the beef with your hands. Sprinkle the beef evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Roast for exactly 22 minutes for rare and 25 minutes for medium-rare.

Remove the beef from the oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Remove the strings and slice the fillet about 1/4-inch thick.

Open the baguettes lengthwise but not all the way through. Spread the bottom halves generously with the truffle butter. Top with a layer of sliced beef and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan into thin shards and scatter the shards over the sliced beef on each sandwich.

Finish with a sprinkling of watercress. Fold the tops of the sandwiches over, cut each baguette diagonally in 3 or 4 sandwiches, and serve right away.

Wasabi Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a summer party or picnic staple.  But how about adding some heat to them with wasabi?  This is a recipe I gout from a friend and I hope you like it.  It is a break from the same eggs you have been eating your whole life.

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs

2 teaspoons wasabi Mayonnaise (found at Trader Joe's)

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper, to taste
24 wasabi peas, optional

Here's How:

Fill up a large saucepan half-way with water and gently add the eggs.

Cover the eggs with at least an inch of water.  Bring the water to a boil. Cover, and remove from heat. Let sit covered for 12-15 minutes.

Drain hot water from pan and run cold water over the eggs. Let sit in the cool water a few minutes.

Peel the eggs.

Slice each egg in half, lengthwise. Gently remove the yolk halves and place in a small mixing bowl. Arrange the egg white halves on a serving platter.

Mash up the yolks.  Add the wasabi mayonnaise and the regular mayonnaise, salt and pepper.

Spoon egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves. You can pipe it into the eggs with a piping bag or Ziploc bag if you want it to look pretty. 

Garnish with one wasabi pea on each egg half, if desired.

Salmon Tea Sandwiches

Tea Sandwiches are great for a tea party, luch party or even a poker party.  These sandwiches are from Ina Garten and can be made in advance.  They are so versatile that you should make them for your next gathering.  Makes 32 Sanwichees.

Ingredients:

Herb butter:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced scallions (white and green parts)

1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sandwiches:

1 loaf dense 7-grain or health bread

8 slices smoked salmon

For the herb butter, combine all the butter ingredients in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until mixed, but do not whip.

For the sandwiches, have the store slice the bread lengthwise on a meat slicer into 1/4-inch-thick slices. (If that isn't possible, you can slice it crosswise with a very sharp knife.)

Lay out 8 slices of bread and spread them all with a thin layer of herb butter.

Place smoked salmon on 4 of the slices.

Top with the other 4 slices of bread, butter side down.

Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate until the butter is very cold.

Place the sandwiches on a cutting board. With a very sharp knife, cut off the crusts, cut each large sandwich in half crosswise, and then cut each half diagonally twice to make a total of 8 small triangles. (If the bread was cut crosswise, follow the assembly directions, then cut off the crusts and cut diagonally, twice, to make 4 small triangles.)

Serve chilled.

Lobster Salad in Endive

This appetizer was a big hit at my party.  It has delicious lobster and it is sered in crisp endive.  The result is a sweet treat served in one crisp bite.  The salad can be made a day ahead and then assembled a few hours before the party, kept cool and covered in the fridge.  I went to my local fish market and asked for lobster meat already cleaned and shelled.  Getting the meat this way made this recipe even easier.


Ingredients:

1/2 cup good mayonnaise

1/2 cup small-diced celery (1 stalk)

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Pinch kosher salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

3/4 pound fresh cooked lobster meat, small-diced

4 heads Belgian endive

Here's how:

Combine the mayonnaise, celery, capers, dill, salt, and pepper.

All the ingredients mixed up.

Fold in the lobster meat.

Meat added.  You can see it is in small pieces.

With a sharp knife, cut off the base of the endive and separate the leaves.

Use a teaspoon to fill the end of each endive leaf with lobster salad.

Arrange on a platter and serve.

Couscous Salad

Here is another Ina Garten recipe.  This one contains no mayo so it can sit out on a warm summer day.  The flavors of the veggies and spices makes it great along side burger or steak.

Ingredients:

2 cups diced butternut squash

2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)

1 1/2 cups diced carrots (4 carrots)

1 1/2 cups  diced zucchini (2 medium)

2 tbsp good olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock or canned broth

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 tsp  ground cumin

1/2 tsp  saffron threads

1 1/2 cups couscous

2 scallions, white and green parts,chopped

Here's How:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Place the butternut squash, onions, carrots and zucchini on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a spatula.

Veggies ready for the oven

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil and turn off the heat.

Add the butter, 1 tsp salt (depending on saltiness of the stock), 1/2 tsp pepper, the cumin and saffron threads and allow to steep for at least 15 minutes.

Bring the chicken stock just back to a boil.

Place couscous and cooked vegetables in a bowl and pour the hot chicken stock over them. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes.

Add the scallions, toss the couscous and vegetables with a fork and serve warm or at room temperature.

Trip to Vermont

This July 4th Weekend my husband and I took a trip up to Vermont.  I was excited to see the green mountains, breathe in the fresh air and see the sights. 

We stopped at Hildene, in Manchester.  It is the home to the Lincoln family and was built by President Lincoln's son, Robert.  It has a restored home and gardens which overlook a meadow and beautiful mountains.  There are house tours, where the history of the Lincoln descendants is discussed.  The best part of the entire tour is an exhibit on the second floor where they are highlighting Lincoln's second inaugural address.  In that room, there is a mirror which was int eh White House the day Lincoln was assassinated as well as one of three remaining top hats.  To see the mirror and hat, and to know that he could have seen himself for the last time in that mirror is chilling.  The garden is designed to be seen from the upstairs bedroom and to resemble a stained glass window.  I highly recommend stopping at Hildene, even just to see the hat.

Here are some photos of Hildene's grounds and home:

We also visited the Billings-March Farm in Woodstock.  It is a working farm which raises dairy cows, chickens and sheep.  This farm has been continuously running since the early 1800s.  The farm house is still standing and it open for tours.  The farm is committed to education and has tours of the barns and exhibits which explain the history of the farm and the present day uses.  You can even go into the cow nursery and see the babies.  The farm was once part of a larger land holding which has been divided and the northerly portion is now owned by the National Park Service and there you can hike the trails and ski there in the winter.  If you are in Woodstock, do not miss this piece of history.

We also visited Lake Champlain up in Burlington, home to the University of Vermont.  We took a boat tour on the Spirit of Ethan Allen III and had a beautiful narrated tour.  The Church Street Marketplace was buzzing and we ate lunch at one of the restaurants serving outside.  We also went to a Farmers Market at City Hall where all local produce, meats, dairy and wares were being sold.  It is a great town and you should stop by if you are in the area.

We also went to Quechee Village.  There is an antique mall there but my favorite part was the Cabot Store.  We bought many different varieties of Cabot cheese because it was local and many varieties are not available here.  We had a cooler and were able to bring the local cheese home with us.  If you like things that are not available to in your locale, bring a cooler with you when you travel and bring them back with you.  We also bought local fruit wine from Putney Winery.  This is also a local winery in Vermont that sell wine made from local fruit, instead of grapes,  I bought a Rhubarb wine and a Cranberry wine.  The Cranberry wine is going to be served with my Thanksgiving dinner this year.  The winery had tastings available so we tasted 5 wines and bought 2.  This was a great way to see Vermont - through our taste buds.  Also at the Village is the Farmer's Diner.  They serve up great food made from all local ingredients.  It is praised in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  If you are in the Quechee area, stop in here.

On the way to Burlington, we stopped in Waterbury to the Ben and Jerry's Factory.  We had a great tour, free ice cream samples and saw the flavor graveyard, where unsuccessful flavors are laid to rest.  They use local dairy and the farmers are prohibited from using hormones.  We also learned that when the company went public, it only sold its shares to Vermont residents.  Talk about a local company.  They have a playground outside for the kids as well as shirt tie dying, brick oven pizza and a picnic area.  They are a great company that gives back to its community and it much what Homemade on Long Island strives for - supporting your local farmers, communities and friends to help build and maintain what is great right outside your back door.

We also visited the King Arthur Flour Store.  This is the longest operating flour company in the US.  Since flour is not locally made here on Long Island, I was excited to be able to buy some flour right from the source and bring it home myself.  They have many different types of flour in their store and many things you cannot get here on Long Island.  I bought several items to bring home , including a dog biscuit mix.  One of my followers has asked for me to post about dog biscuits, so check back soon to see them.

Overall,. we had a great trip and I cannot wait to go back to see the leaves changes and the Wassail Festival in Woodstock at Christmas time.