Have your every wished for a healthy Trail Mix to take along when you travel or are hiking? Something that is not loaded with sugar? The new Bake Believe Chocolate Chips in three flavors, Dark, White, and Semi-sweet add just the right sweetness with the saltiness of nuts and a bit of fruit to make this mix a winner.
Canning and preserving foods has become a lost art to many people in our generation. I still enjoy gardening and processing most of our food. Our family loves tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. If I don’t preserve enough of soup to last a year–they let me know very quickly.
Fermented foods, such as sauerkraut have a long history in German culture. Sauerkraut is finely cut raw cabbage that is salted, packed into crocks, and allowed to ferment for a number of weeks. I learned to make sauerkraut in a large 10 gallon crock from my late mother-in-law. She would slice as many as 50 head of cabbage by hand on sauerkraut making day.
Pennsylvania is often referred to the mushroom capital of the world. 63% of the United States white mushroom crop is grown in this state. What is better than stuffed mushrooms for an appetizer or even stuffed portabellas as a main entree? This tasty ground beef filling is chock full of hidden veggies and lots of flavor. I will often triple this recipe, stuff, and bake the mushrooms. They then can be frozen in a single layer on a cookie sheet. When totally frozen; vacuum pack in bags and return to the freezer. In need of a quick meal–defrost and heat.
Hot humid summer days are here and our family enjoys lighter meals on these days. Salads are always a favorite. This recipe was inspired by our family’s love for spicy food. Grilling the onions and jalapenos add a wonderful flavor. You can add more or less jalapenos to adjust the spiciness to your preference. My husband smokes all of the bacon we use in his smokehouse. This has me spoiled with wonderful bacon for my cooking.
Make your own Sourdough English Muffins–why of course you can! These Sourdough English Muffins are stirred together with a large spatula using white whole wheat The dough is then allowed to ferment for seven hours at room temperature. English Muffins are dry fried in a skillet over medium-low heat until they are totally cooked through. This dry frying gives them a crisp crust with a moist chewy center that English Muffins are known for. My family just loves them. You can make your own sourdough starter or you can request a small jar by emailing me . I do ask that you cover the cost of packing/shipping.
Sourdough is a fascinating world to get into and I love every minute of it. I decided to let this small container of starter in the fridge for 3 months, unfed, to show how resilient sourdough starter really is. Yesterday morning, I removed it from the fridge. This is what it looked like.
Crusty Artisan Style Sourdough Bread with a hint of cinnamon and raisins is delightful toasted with just a bit of butter. This loaf was fermented for 5 hours at room temperature and than cold fermented for 2 days until I had time to bake it. Sourdough is very versatile and after fermenting at room temperature can be placed in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. This loaf gave a very fragrant smell as it was baking.
This week’s featured produce item is Tomatoes. As you can tell by now, they are one of my favorite garden items. Crusty Artisan No-knead Sourdough Bread is the perfect showcase for this Bruschette. This side dish is very easy to make and is ready in about 15 minutes. You can also serve this as a main course by added crab or shrimp pieces to the tomato mixture just before broiling.
Tomatoes are very popular garden item and can be found in any color, shape, and size. My favorite tomatoes are Heirlooms or open-pollinated kinds. These tomatoes don’t always have the nicest shape but they have the most wonderful flavor and texture. Mortgage Lifter is one heirloom kind I plant every year. We love the meaty flesh and the wonderful flavor. You will also finds these kinds; Yellow Brandywine, Green Zebra, and Amish Paste Tomatoes in my garden. There are so many recipes to make using tomatoes and it is hard to pick out a favorite. This Salsa is a delightful addition to summertimes menus. It can be served with Baked Tostitos, Lavash Pitas, or as a condiment for meats.
