Earlier this week I posted about how rhubarb brings back memories of my grandmother; today I’m posting about how the smell of charcoal brings back memories of summer grilling.

Sesame Garlic Glaze

I’m often asked about my favorite grilling recipes. Truthfully, DH does most of the cooking, and he’s not one for using recipes. Basically he takes a hunk of meat and uses whatever spices and seasonings strike his fancy. But, I did come across this recipe for a sesame glaze that I find myself making again and again. It comes from the cookbook From Asparagus to Zucchini and I’ve used it on pork chops, chicken, and it’s also good if you have some left over to stir fry with greens (kale, Swiss chard, etc.).

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons bottled Vietnamese-style chili garlic sauce

Mix well and use while grilling or for stir frying. It is very yummy, and very versatile! Why not mix some up and start making more grilling memories?

Grilling Brings Back Memories

Sundays were special when I was growing up. We always went to church, then to Sunday school, then to my grandma and grandpa’s for cookies and coffee. Then, we went home and dad would fire up the charcoal grill. My sisters and I would play games or listen to the top 20 countdown on the radio while the smokey smell of deliciousness wafted in through the open windows.

My husband (DH) and I still visit my parents every other Sunday or so throughout the year, and there’s nothing like hamburgers right off the grill with lots of onions to satisfy the stomach and the soul. Steaks are good, too, especially venison–I love when my husband makes them for me at home.

Grilling is also the cooking method of choice when we’re camping at my father-in-law’s RV up north. The RV kitchen is crowded, but there is lots of room to cook and drink DH’s homebrew around the grill outside. Summer parties would not be summer parties without the grill!

These are just some of the reasons why Grilling is my Happiness. Besides all of the tasty food, tell me what you love about grilling. One of my lucky readers who answers below will win a $25 Sears Gift Card!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Related posts:

1. Grilling 101: A Confession
2. 17 Great Recipes for the Grill to Try this Summer

This Mother’s Day, I decided to make strawberry-rhubarb compote at the last minute to bring to my mother-in-law’s. I felt a bit guilty that rather than grow it myself or pick it up from the farmer’s market yesterday,  bought it at the grocery store–along with some store bought whipped cream and angel food mini bundt cakes.

At the checkout lane, the cashier said, “This is rhubarb, right? I haven’t seen it in a long time.”

I said yes, yes it is in fact rhubarb.

“My grandma used to make rhubarb jam in the spring,” she said. “Her neighbor grew it. It was so good!” She smiled as she remembered, and I smiled back.

I felt a little less guilty about buying rhubarb from the store.

What is it about certain foods that bring us back in time? I remember chewing stalks at my own grandmother’s after church on Sundays. She would also make rhubarb sauce that was sooo good–just rhubarb and sugar.

It was kind of funny. After dinner, as I served my strawberry-rhubarb compote, my mother-in-law said that she had never had rhubarb before. “What?” My husband and his sister cried. “We used to eat it all the time at grandma’s!”

Although grandma wasn’t with us may she rest in peace, grandpa was, and he declared that the dessert was good. I agreed, even though I hadn’t made the angel food nor the whipped cream from scratch.

Sometimes, one just has to make do with the time that one has. Are the memories as sweet? I think so.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

Ingredients:

• approximately 1 pound rhubarb, diced
• approximately 4 cups strawberries (I used some that I had frozen last summer–they were awesome! I didn’t thaw them first)
• approximately 1/2 cup brown sugar, or to taste

This post shared at Monday Mania, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Works for Me Wednesday

Related posts:

1. Roasted Rhubarb
2. Rhubarb Sauce
3. Rhubarb Strawberry Jam

Looking for something different to do with asparagus? This asparagus, goat cheese, and fresh herb bread pudding is a fast and easy recipe for a weeknight meal or special weekend breakfast.

I really need to separate my cookbooks into two piles: One indexed in Eat Your Books, and the other not indexed. I was looking for main dish asparagus recipes and wasn’t finding anything. Then it occurred to me to check the cookbooks that weren’t indexed. I found what I was looking for in Prairie Home Cooking: 400 Recipes that Celebrate the Bountiful Harvests, Creative Cooks, and Comforting Foods of the American Heartland (America Cooks).

Ingredients:

• 1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
• 2 cups dry bread, cubed into one inch pieces (sourdough or multigrain, preferably homemade; I just bought a loaf of multigrain)
• 1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs, minced (this was fun–I went out to my garden and snipped whatever looked good. I ended up with parsley, chives, and thyme.)
• 8 ounces goat cheese
• 2 cups milk
• 3 eggs, beaten
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Steam asparagus until just tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Mix asparagus, herbs, and bread together and place in a 9×13 baking dish.
4. Crumble the goat cheese over the bread mixture.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over the bread mixture and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and the custard has set. Serve hot.

The Verdict: I was a little concerned that there might be too much goat cheese. When it was baking, it smelled really strong. However, it wasn’t overpowering at all. The asparagus and goat cheese went together well. Even DH liked it – although he did add a little Parmesan cheese on top. It’s a great cool spring day comfort food.

This post shared at I’m Lovin’ It, Friday Food

Related posts:

1. Savory Squash Bread Pudding
2. Herb Roasted Lamb with Roasted Asparagus
3. Creamed (Asparagus or) Spinach (Omelet)

Yesterday was a foraging day for my husband and me. He took his Jeep out in nearby woods, and I went to a foraging class at The Urban Ranch. Maybe that means we’re getting old–DH’s friend pointed out on Facebook that “your old offroad pictures were less mushrooms more air.”

Alas, he did not find any ramps or morels. I fared better, probably because were “foraging” in our herbalist instructor’s yard. She had already prepared garlic mustard pesto flatbread and a rhubarb cherry soda.

As we were philosophizing among the cleavers, vinca, and garlic mustard, I realized how much my views on foraging have changed over the past year. I used to think that foraging was all about free food. The image I used to have in my head was one of being able to look up a forest on a map and then head out to pluck morels, other mushrooms, berries and all sorts of yummy things that were expensive to buy at the farmers market. Oh, how naive I was.

For starters, it’s not that easy. Foraging is becoming ever more trendy, so there are no magical forests full of edibles sitting out in the open. It takes time. And even then, one has to be careful not to over harvest. The disappearance of ramps is in the news, but there are other considerations too. Henriette does a great job of explaining ethical considerations on her website.

Secondly, there’s the question of where to forage. My dad is not too keen on me traipsing around his hunting property just so I can eat some weeds. I’m sort of leery of local parks as I don’t know whether they spray anything. That leaves my backyard. Which has been yielding some interesting things, but definitely not mushrooms or ramps.

So then I was thinking, perhaps the answer is relationships; to develop relationships with the plants in my yard, the ones I didn’t plant but that show up anyway. And to develop relationships with the plants in my friends’ yards. Yet my herbalist friend cautioned me against that approach, too.

“You don’t go up to a person and say, ‘what are you good for?’ In the same way, you don’t just go around looking at plants trying to figure out how you can best exploit them.” Hmm. Guilty as charged. Whenever I am able to identify something in my yard I do tend to ask around to see if I can eat it or use it in herbal medicine. So maybe the answer IS relationships, but something you need to take slowly, sort of like not sleeping with a guy on the first date.

I’m still trying to figure out how this whole foraging thing fits into my life. While I may post recipes from time to time that feature things I foraged, I encourage you to consider your own approach to wild things. I will do my best to provide alternatives (for example, instead of ramps one could use chives) so that you can enjoy the recipes even if you do not have ethical access to that particular item.

In the meantime, DH and I will continue to get out and enjoy nature–even if it doesn’t result in bags of morels.

All the wild world is beautiful, and it matters but little where we go, to highlands or lowlands, woods or plains, on the sea or land or down among the crystals of waves or high in a balloon in the sky; through all the climates, hot or cold, storms and calms, everywhere and always we are in God’s eternal beauty and love. So universally true is this, the spot where we chance to be always seems the best. — John Muir

 

This post shared at Simple Lives Thursday, Frugal Friday, Fight Back Friday

Related posts:

1. Foraging: Cultivating a Sense of Place
2. “Don’t Pick Nettles from the Poison Hemlock Ditch” and Other Foraging Tips
3. The Wild Table: Seasonal Foraged Food and Recipes {Book Review}

Borscht Pasta - doesn't it look yummy?

OK, so not all my photos are as horrific as the pasta borscht above. At least I hope not! I’ve come a long way since I started this blog back in 2009. My earliest posts were definitely cringe-worthy. Yet I know I have a long way to go.

Occasionally I get lucky. One of my favorite serendipitous shots was this one of hot cocoa:

In fact, at first my husband (DH) didn’t believe that I took it!

I can’t blame my bad shots on the camera. DH bought me an older Canon Rebel XT a couple of years ago. Any less-than-droolworthy photos are a result of operator error.

I’ve wanted to take a photography class for awhile now. So I was ecstatic when I was chosen by Collective Bias to participate in a free online food photography class. I had to commit to participating fully over the next six weeks. I’ll be learning about how to use my camera, lighting, props, and post production. Each week includes online readings,  a discussion forum, and assignments. Hopefully by the end you’ll see an improvement in the photos on my site.

I dream of the day that I take photos as well as some of my other favorite bloggers. It would also be nice not to get rejected all the time from the “food porn” site judges (who, I’ve been told, are dull and unsharp). Mostly, though, I want to share the beauty that is inherent in all the local, fresh produce that I feature on this site.

I’m sure I’ll keep you updated from time to time – meanwhile, hopefully you’ll notice an improvement in the quality of my photos!

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Reasons to Take the Real Food for Rookies Class
2. Valentine’s Eve Cooking Class
3. Sign up for an online cooking class (before you leave for the weekend!)

I think duck eggs are available year round, but I seem to notice them at the farmers market more in the spring. So I decided to pick some up and make a frittata.

Duck Eggs - so gorgeous!

Hmm, what to put in it? Yesterday when DH and I stopped by his dad’s hunting property we came across this:

Ramps as far as the eye can see!

I wasn’t sure, but we thought they were ramps. So DH dug one out and I posted the photo to Facebook. Several herb/gardening/foraging friends confirmed that it was indeed a ramp.

The one lonely ramp we picked

We only picked one, as we didn’t have anything to dig them with. I hope to go back and get a few more (of course, being careful not to deplete the native population).

Since I only had the one ramp, I decided to supplement the onion/garlic flavor with some chives out of my front yard.

Chives after a rain

I can’t wait for them to blossom. They are so pretty with the purple flowers. Nearby I spied some sorrel, so I decided to pick a few leaves of that too in order to add some greens to the frittata.

A few leaves of sorrel to add a lemony kick

Perfect. I plucked a couple of leaves and chopped them up. The final recipe was based on the Basic Frittata recipe from Recipes from America’s Small Farms:

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp oil (I used an Asian stir fry oil mix)
• 1 ramp, chopped
• 1/4 C chives, chopped (instead of the ramp and chives you can use onions or garlic or whatever onion-y thing you have on hand)
• 1 cup sorrel, chopped (sorrel is a lemony flavored perennial green, distantly related to rhubarb. If you can’t find it you can substitute other greens, such as spinach, and use up to 2 cups)
• 6 large eggs (I used duck eggs, but you can also use chicken eggs)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

Directions:

1. Over low heat, place a tablespoon or so of oil in a cast iron or oven proof skillet. Saute’ vegetables until soft.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper. Then stir in the cooked vegetables.
3. Over low heat, spread the egg mixture evenly over the same skillet. Heat, covered, for 8-10 minutes or until mostly set. Preheat the broiler.
4. Take the skillet and put it under the broiler until browned, just a few minutes.

This post shared at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Anti-Procrastination Tuesday,  A Little Birdie Told Me, Kitchen Tip Tuesday, A Tuesday Garden Party, Foodie Friday, Fight Back Friday

Related posts:

1. Rhubarb Sorrel Crisp
2. Spring Turnip Frittata
3. Artichoke Heart & Parmesan Frittata

I can’t believe we made it through the Back to Basics cooking series! This final post features my thoughts on cookies, cakes, and other baked goods.

I’m not going to talk about “tips,” because when you’re working with chocolate, sugar, flour, and butter, it’s hard to go wrong. Plus, I really don’t make that many baked goods. DH and I “drink” our desserts for the most part. Every once in awhile I get a craving for something special, like zucchini bread or blueberry muffins or strawberry shortcake. But unless DH and I are bringing it somewhere, we really don’t need a batch of something for just the two of us!

For that reason, I don’t do a lot of healthy substitutions. The recipes I come across in my cookbooks often include honey or maple syrup for sweetener or whole wheat for at least part of the flour. Again, since it’s so seldom that I make it, I don’t sweat white sugar or flour every once in awhile. If you have kids or have the need to bring baked goods to parties regularly, it wouldn’t hurt to find some sort of healthy dessert recipes that you perfect and can feel good about bringing.

What about desserts that other people bring? I have decided that it’s only worth the calories if it’s something homemade. Otherwise it doesn’t taste as good as it looks and makes me feel like I wasted my calories on something totally worthless. Plus I don’t feel so bad saying no to something that someone picked up at the local grocery store vs. something that someone worked hard over making. Yeah, I’m judgy like that.

Below I’ve linked some of my favorite baked good recipes, and I invite you to do the same. Bonus if it uses fruits or vegetables!

Related posts:

1. Salad: Beyond the Iceberg {Back to Basics Cooking Series}
2. Back to Basics Cooking Series Coming in January!
3. Pasta Week {Back to Basics}

Square-ish Foot Garden

I’m slowly but surely figuring out where I want to put things. I’m also remembering the way that my dad used to plant the family garden when I was little.

The peas and fava beans are sprouting. In front of them in a square-ish foot garden style I planted Swiss chard, beets, and spinach. I say square foot-ish because I knew I wanted squares, not rows, but I wasn’t sure how to measure it out. So I broke a bunch of sticks into approximately 12 inches and used them to lay out the squares. DH is not a fan of how it looks, but I will probably remove them once they start coming in.

Along my sidewalk I put in rows of different colors of lettuce and radishes. I wasn’t sure how to space those, either. I thought about making seed tape, but that seemed like a lot of work (making a paste of flour and water and gluing them to toilet paper, letting it dry, then setting it out). So I took Popsicle/craft sticks, tied a string from one end of the row to the other, and broke another stick the appropriate length to use as my spacer.

Who needs seed tape?

The radishes and lettuce are starting to sprout, so that’s exciting! No carrots or parsnips yet. I’m also carefully nurturing my seed starts. I thought about setting up grow lights, but then I decided I’d try using the window again. If it doesn’t work, I’ll just buy some plants at the farmers market.

This past weekend I also planted some asparagus and rhubarb transplants. We’ll see how those come up. It’s amazing to think that such little fronds will become big plants!

In my neglected naturalized backyard, mother nature has been doing the planting. The volunteer raspberry has created more canes:

Volunteer raspberry canes

I also have some unidentified flowers which may be weeds, and may or may not be edible. Hoping to get them identified soon:

Garlic mustard . . . or phlox?

Catnip . . . or Purple Deadnettle?

As I’m quickly running out of room for what I want to grow in the front yard, I have wondered if I should have torn up parts of the backyard as well. I purchased a variety pack of medicinal herb seeds and need to find them homes. I may end up putting them in the backyard in little pockets. I sort of like treating the backyard like a little woodland.

One final tip I wanted to share–and this is probably not new to anyone, but I was proud of myself for figuring it out–is using a cleaning bucket for a gardening bucket. I had looked at some rather pricey  models in the garden department, but couldn’t justify spending $30. So I went to the cleaning supply aisle and found a cute plastic cleaner carrier that works rather well, and it was under $15. So now I have my little bucket ready for weekend seed planting:

My planting bucket - holds and separates my garden scissors, twine, craft sticks, Sharpie, gloves, and seed packets

How is your garden growing?

This post shared at Tuesday Garden Party, Simple Lives Thursday, Frugal Friday

Related posts:

1. Garden Update – Early August
2. CSA & Garden Update 7/17
3. Garden Update 5/9/11

For expert ice cream making advice, I asked fellow blogger Marillyn Beard who writes over at Just Making Noise. She allowed me to share her top 10 tips for making ice cream from her e-book Just Making Ice Cream.

1) Use More Cream.You are gauranteed to get the creamiest results if you use 100% cream. This is ideal if you are using the fast technique when making your ice cream base, but I often find using 100% cream is too thick for my taste… I prefer 20% milk and 80% cream (ex: 1 cup milk & 2 cups cream) or pure goat milk. You can adjust the recipes to your preference!

2) Use Dry Sweeteners. As I mentioned before, using liquid sweeteners will make your ice cream “icy” instead of smooth. Dry sweeteners such as Rapadura, Sucanat, evaporated cane juice, coconut palm or even maple sugar gives the best results.

3) Lots of Egg Yolks. Will increase creaminess, especially if you are using less cream to start with. When making a custard base, be careful not to “drown” your yolks when beating in the hot cream. Experts say to start by whipping your yolks with a few tablespoons of cream (or milk) before slowly adding back into the cream. Careful not to overcook the eggs through the whole process!

4) Never Boil the Cream/Milk. Some ice cream recipes say to bring the cream/milk to a low boil to create a thick custard, but I found that to be totally unnecessary. Heating the milk to a boiling point ruins the fresh flavor (in my opinion), can cause the milk to curdle and lowers its nutritional value. I simply simmer on low till the milk thickens, which can take about 8 – 10 minutes. So worth it!

5) Use Alcohol. If you are not going to eat the ice cream right away, add alcohol to preserve the creaminess of your ice cream. Who likes icy, rock hard ice cream? Remember, you don’t need to use a lot. Anywhere from 1 Tbsp to ½ cup is sufficient to keep the smooth texture and for taste. Otherwise, just simply set your ice cream out for at least 15 minutes for it to relax.

6) Add Extracts Later. Mix your flavorings (vanilla, almond, peppermint,etc) after you’ve made the custard often ensures a very tasty result. Experts say to put it in after the mixture has cooled down completely or after it has been chilled in the fridge, I often put it in just before I put it in the fridge and have been happy with the results!

7) Chill Your Base. Before you pour the base into the machine, it is a really good idea to chill it. Let it chill in the fridge overnight (the back of the fridge is the best place) before pouring it into the maker or placing in the freezer to mix every hour (see methods below). You will not have to worry about having ice cream soup!

24-Hour Freeze. After you’ve used your ice cream maker… remember to allow the container to freeze for 24 hours before using it again. This will maximize the freezing power and prevent your ice cream from turning to soup.

9) Fill It Less. My friend, Wardeh from GNOWFGLINS, recommends filling the container about halfway. The frozen container only has so much freeze power to give before it starts to loose its chill. Her ice cream maker is a 2-quart and she only uses it to the 1-quart capacity, sometimes a little more. If there’s too much filling, there’s not enough chilling!

10) Cover The Maker. A must for those who live in hot areas. I started doing this when we were living in the hot & humid beaches of Costa Rica. The coolest place in the house was the fridge and I wasn’t gonna churn the ice cream in there! I found that covering the maker with a damp & cool dish (keeps the cold air in!) towel helped keep the container and ice cream cold long enough to finish its job.

 Want more tips and recipes? Check out the ice cream recipe link up from last week.

About the author: Marillyn Beard shares information, recipes, and her heart at her blog Just Making Noise. This post is excerpted from her e-book, Just Making Ice Cream, which includes even more ice cream making tips plus 30 recipes for ice cream & gelato, 9 cultured milk recipe, 10 sherbet recipes and 10 sorbet recipes.

This post shared at  Kitchen Tip Tuesdays, Works for Me Wednesday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, Pennywise Platter

Related posts:

1. Homemade Ice Cream Tips & Recipes Link Up
2. Strawberry (or Peach or Blueberry) Ice Cream (without an ice cream maker!)
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Mmmm, homemade ice cream. I remember the first time I tried it – I used raw milk, sugar, and vanilla. It was heavenly. More like iced milk than ice cream, but tasty all the same.

We’re down to the last two weeks of the Back to Basics  cooking series, and while I have enjoyed brushing up on my culinary skills over the past four months, I’m itching to get into the garden and start cooking with all the spring goodies that are popping up. Sorrel, rhubarb, dandelions, and more.

This week we’re talking about ice cream, which is sort of coincidental because I was at a cooking demonstration just a couple of weeks ago and ice cream was featured, along with a very tasty strawberry and apple fruit compote.

You can definitely make ice cream without an ice cream maker, it will just be more grainy and not quite as creamy. If you do get an ice cream maker, I suggest the Kitchen Aid attachment – it simply stores in the freezer and takes up less room in the cupboard.

Also, don’t be afraid to experiment! You can substitute various milks for the cream, sweeten with honey, and use all manner of fruits and herbs and flavorings. Google is your friend. Once you find a basic vanilla ice cream that your family enjoys, you can enjoy perfecting it and trying various seasonal combinations.

If you make your own ice cream, link up your favorite recipes or share your tips below. If you haven’t yet tried it, why not experiment over the weekend and let us know how it turns out?

This post shared at Frugal Friday, Monday Mania, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Related posts:

1. 10 Tips for Sweet Ice Cream Making Success
2. Fruit Desserts Recipes Link Up
3. Strawberry (or Peach or Blueberry) Ice Cream (without an ice cream maker!)