Have you ever wanted a way to preserve the fresh taste of peaches all year long? You can! Peaches freeze very well and they taste just as good as when you have them tree-ripened in the summer. My family loves frozen peaches slush in their packed lunches. Freestone peaches like Red Haven, John Boy, and Contender are the best peaches to use for freezing. Peaches are available from late May into early October depending on your location.
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.
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.
This Red, White, and Blue Pie is just in time for July 4th picnics and cookouts. This dessert adds an elegant touch to a meal. The filling can also be made as a THM-FP and serves in individual parfait glasses for a special touch. Our blueberries are finally starting to get ready and I can’t wait to make this pie again.
Have you ever walked through your garden and came in with a basket of veggies and herbs? I love to make Herb Roasted Veggies to compliment a meal. Since we needed to plant later in the northern part of Pennsylvania where we now live my garden isn’t producing yet other than herbs. I served these Roasted Veggies with Blue-cheese Stuffed Hamburgers for our evening meal. My stoneware large bar pan is my favorite for roasting. I did add 2 sweet potatoes to the veggies for my husband and children. This meal is easy to make for a family and picky eaters can pick and choose which veggies they want to eat. You can use any mixture of veggies but to keep it in an S do not use any veggies with carbs such as sweet potatoes, carrots, regular potatoes.
