I will be the first to admit that I'm not a great cook. I cook daily, but it's usually pretty plain stuff... green beans, mac and cheese (though sometimes it's homemade), meatloaf, porkchops, cornbread or garlic biscuits... things like that. Once in a while I'll get out one of my recipe books and try something new.
This evening I tried a couple of new recipes. They are easy to make and made use of the vegetables we have in our garden this summer.
The first dish is Simple Cucumber Salad. We are picking cucumbers daily and I think a person can put up only so many pickles for the coming months. This is one of Emeril's recipes, but with a slight change. I didn't use chives, but instead, added a bit of parsley and tarragon.
This evening I tried a couple of new recipes. They are easy to make and made use of the vegetables we have in our garden this summer.
The first dish is Simple Cucumber Salad. We are picking cucumbers daily and I think a person can put up only so many pickles for the coming months. This is one of Emeril's recipes, but with a slight change. I didn't use chives, but instead, added a bit of parsley and tarragon.
Here's the link to Emeril's recipe: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe?id=7794816.
The cucumbers and onions are from our garden.
Next is Squash Casserole. Squash is another vegetable that I am hard pressed to think of new ways to can or freeze it. My sister gave me the recipe that I used for the one pictured below, but I searched online and found one just like it, except for the type of squash. For mine, I used yellow summer squash instead of acorn or butternut: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Creamy-Squash-Casserole.
The squash and onions are from our garden. I made 3 casseroles, one for supper and 2 to freeze for later.
And yes, we still have green beans from last year. I think we are starting on our last dozen jars.
Roger brought in his first ripe tomato this evening. Of course we had to slice it to have with the other dishes.
Roger brought in his first ripe tomato this evening. Of course we had to slice it to have with the other dishes.
When I started supper, Roger hadn't gotten home from work yet, so I thought I'd fry the steaks. Roger's the griller, not me. They turned out ok, and I think the old cast iron skillet helped.
Last, we had sliced whole wheat bread (sandwich bread, lol!). I do want to find a book with easy home baked bread recipes ~ suggestions are welcome! ~*~
Yummmm that squash casserole looks goooood:)
ReplyDeletewhat time is dinner?, can i barter if i pull weeds in the garden? you two sure seem like you have a wonderful life, you work hard, but i know you both take time to enjoy life and smell the flowers!
ReplyDeleteHi and I love your blog. I found this book at my local library and have heard great things about it. I haven't tried the recipes yet, but am really looking forward to doing so. The premise is you make the master recipe once and you have dough for 2 weeks. Not like the old starter recipes where you have to add things daily either. Might be worth a peek for you too!
ReplyDeleteArtisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking By Hertzberg and Francois.
This is what the Publisher's Weekly said about it:
"While the phrase artisan bread typically evokes images of labor-intensive sessions and top-notch ingredients, for authors Hertzberg and François it means five minutes. An intriguing concept—high-quality, fresh bread in less time than it takes to boil water. The authors' promises of no kneading, no starter, no proofing yeast and no need for a bread machine is based on the concept of mixed and risen high-moisture dough stored in the fridge for up to two weeks (dough is cut into pieces and popped in the oven for fresh loaves as desired). Note: for those tracking minutes, the five-minutes doesn't include the 20-minute resting time for dough or 30 minutes for baking. After concise, introductory chapters on ingredients, equipment, and tips and techniques, readers are presented with the master recipe, a free-form loaf of French boule that is the model for all breads in the book. Three main chapters—Peasant Loaves, Flatbreads and Pizzas and Enriched Breads and Pastries—are filled with tempting selections and focus on ethnic breads and pastries including Couronne from France; Limpa from Scandinavia; Ksara from Morocco; Broa from Portugal; and Chocolate-Raisin Babka from the Ukraine, but the basics (Oatmeal Bread, Bagels, White Bread) are all here, too. A smattering of companion recipes such as Tuscan White Bean Dip and Portuguese Fish Stew are peppered throughout. While experienced bakers and true gourmands will skip this one, those looking for an innovative approach to making bread just might find it in these recipes."
It is, of course on Amazon too.
Admittedly I am better at finding great things than actually implementing...but I swear--this time...yadda yadda LOL. Hope springs eternal.