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Tuesday, July 28, 2020

first gathering~

warmed by the early morning sun, i gathered a handful of cherry tomatoes in my hands, to my joy it was just a wee bit more than i could hold, i needed a very special basket to bring in my sweet luscious new tomatoes...















i have been so eager for tomatoes to fill my kitchen, i was not disappointed, they were perfection, warm from the sun still. i sliced them with mozzarella, basil, red onion and a thick balsamic reduction, it is officially summer when the tomatoes grace our tastebuds!

good morning~

i adore s'mores, no matter what way i prepare them, i am always smitten with the flavor combination! heck of a good start to the day, it is a good morning indeed!





shockingly enough, its even better cold the next day!


s'mores coffee cake
preheat oven to 375

1/4 c soft butter 
2 T oil
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 c flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 baking soda
1/2 c crumbled graham crackers
1 cup greek yogurt
2 c chocolate chips

large marshmallows cut in half

line 7x11" pan with parchment

mix sugar, butter and oil, add egg. stir in the rest of the ingredients, excluding marshmallows, folding in chocoalte chips and graham crackers last. 

bake for 25-30 until toothpick comes out clean. 
remove cake and top with marshmallows, bake for 5' or broil until browned.

after cake has cooled melt chocolate and dribble liberally.

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

nectarine and beet salad



nectarine salad

white nectarines
salad greens
beets
feta
Chives
white balsamic dressing



roasted lemon rosemary cauliflower soup

roasted cauliflower soup
preheat oven to 400

cauliflower
large onion
yukon gold potatoes
fresh rosemary
lemon juice
olive oil
s&p


cut vegetables and spread on a large cookie sheet covered with silpat
hand toss well with olive olive oil and lemon juice
season with fresh chopped rosemary and s&p

roast for 25', turning occasionally as they brown



remove from oven and pour in large dutch oven,
add 6 cups of chicken stock
juice of one lemon

puree until smooth

this made a light, delicious, fresh summer soup, 
i served mine lukewarm which made it extra vibrant with a crusty lemon rosemary baguette


dill chicken skewers

with the addition of the kitchen garden i try to use our fresh herbs daily...


fast and super simple, delicious lemon dill skewers


lemon dill chicken skewers

chicken breasts cut lengthwise in strips
olive oil
fresh chopped dill and seeds
lemon juice
s&p

cut into 1" strips, place all ingredients in a baggie,
 massage and marinate for at least an hour.

thread on skewers and grill for 15-20' until fully cooked


Monday, July 20, 2020

almond joy~

my husband has been working from our little casita during the pandemic, outside his window is an almond tree, he asked me what those furry fruits were and when can he eat them, i told him it was an almond tree and that they ripen from the top down and to let me know when he sees them split open, long story short, he never said a word and they are ready to go! 




i gathered a basket and went to my little gazebo to enjoy shelling my almonds in the cool of the morning...



i spread them on a screen to dry in the sun for a couple of days


i marked the date so i could layer them as i pick them this week






i put another screen over the top to keep the birds at bay


i saved the old husks...


to be used for mulch, not a thing was wasted.


while sitting at my table i was overwhelmed with nature, this big fat bumblebee dived into the rue blossoms not 12" from my shoulder, looked like she was swimming in pool, then shimmed her way out backwards.


several butterflies were busy grabbing nectar


but best of all were all the hummingbirds inspecting me! I was invading their domain, one baby came within a couple of feet of me over and over, then settled on the gazebo at arms reach from me watching me shell the almonds, of course you never have the camera when you need it, but it was a very joyful morning in the garden!


after shelling the husks i left them to dry for a couple of weeks in the sun


Saturday, July 18, 2020

nectarine pie



I have a newly planted orchard, just 2 years old, but youth did not stop this tree from pumping out several 100 white nectarines, so much so, that a giant branch broke, leaving me with 500 golf ball sized hard fruits... never one to turn my back on too much of a good thing, i decided to slice them up a for a delicious pie! Because my fruit was small and hard, but oh so abundant, i decided to precook them on the stove in a sweet sugar cinnamon mix to assure the fruit was soft and tasty. In other words, this is really a non recipe since i had a specific agenda!


nectarine pie
preheat oven to 375

fresh nectarines sliced (i cut enough to fill my deep dish pie)
3/4 c sugar (mine were not ripe...)
juice of one lemon
heaping spoonful of cinnamon
3 T cornstarch
2 pie crusts

Because of my sad tale of woe, i placed my nectarines, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon in a dutch oven and sauteed them until tender and delicious! I removed the juice from the pot with a ladle and mixed it in a small bowl with 3T of cornstarch, stirring it until smooth and added back into the mixture on the stove, tossing until thickened.

pour nectarines into pie crust and top with lattice
brush with milk and sprinkle cinnamon sugar

bake for 30' until golden

perfect with whip or ice cream