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Pocketbook Cookie recreation – Trial and many errors

A seldom-made but wonderful childhood treat were the raisin-filled Pocketbook Cookies baked by my late mother Margaret. Out of the blue one day, I remembered them. They’d been fun to make because they resembled tiny pocketbooks. But I hadn’t tasted them in years.

Eager to bake some, I discovered I didn’t have a recipe for them among my family favorites. In my cookbooks I found recipes for dainty filled cookies called Rugelach and Hamantaschen… but nothing resembling the sturdy “pocketbooks” I craved.

Finally, I asked my sister Barbara to check her recipes. Eureka! She found a written list of mom’s Pocketbook Cookie ingredients …but without any instructions. Nevertheless, I determined to recreate those cookies… which proved quite a challenge with lots of experimentation and many mistakes. Preparing a cookie dough came first.

Pocketbook Cookies

Sugar Cookie Dough

  • 3 1/2 cups flour (unbleached is good)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup shortening or butter
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Step one was to cream together the butter, sugar, beaten egg and teaspoon of vanilla. For step two, I combined the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a separate bowl;. Then I folded the dry ingredients slowly into the creamed mixture using a wooden spoon. Step three was adding the 1/3 cup of milk.

I next used my hands to gather the dough into a ball , covered it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator to firm up.

With the dough cooling its heels, I turned to making the filling. Here’s the recipe.

Raisin Filling

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Flour
  • 1 cup chopped raisins
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
  • Vinegar???
  • 2 tablespoons of butter

Note that there are question marks by the ingredient vinegar. I have no idea if this meant you could substitute vinegar for lemon juice or add vinegar in some undetermined amount. You may wish to experiment but I chose to ignore it..

I began my filling by chopping raisins, placing them in a saucepan and adding the 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of water and tablespoon of flour.

Squeezing lemon juice came next. (Half a lemon made two teaspoons worth.) I added the juice, followed by the butter, cooking them over medium heat. .

It’s necessary to keep stirring the filling as it begins to caramelize and thicken. When sufficiently thick, let the filling cool.

Time to retrieve the dough from the refrigerator, divide it in two, roll it into a ball to flatten it and roll it out on a floured surface. This dough rises considerably as it bakes so roll it out fairly flat.

Mistake #1 – The dough is sticky so I had to keep flouring my fingers, the rolling pin and marble surface I was using.. Through experimentation I found it better to roll it out between two sheets of plastic wrap.   

Mistake # 2 was using a beer glass as a cookie cutter. In the oven, they puffed up and became huge even when folded in half.

And then, of course, it was time to place the cookies on a cookie sheet and fill them. Thus, I grabbed by favorite old tried and true cookie sheet to which cookies never stick.

I filled the cookies with 1-1’2 teaspoons of filling – a bit too much – and folded them over like a pocketbook. Then remembering that, as a child, I’d seen my mother crimp them with the tines of a fork, I did the same…badly

Mistake #3 – I missed seeing my sister’s note to “grease” the cookie sheet and bake the cookies at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Mistake #4 – I bore down too hard on the tines of the fork while crimping. Consequently, my cookies stuck, baked too long and looked more like seashells that pocketbooks.

For my first batch, the cookies were huge, a little overdone and leaking filling. So it was time to try, try again.

For my second batch, I used a water glass to cut the cookies out, achieving smaller circles of dough. I reduced the amount of filling to 1 teaspoon and learned how to best pinch them together. I also used a lighter touch crimping them with the fork tines. However, they still puffed up when baked and didn’t look like my mom’s.

I reverted to cutting my final batch of cookies out with a juice glass. Success at last! 

They were the right size and almost resembled my mom’s.

And they were delicious….no matter which size!

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Mid-November harvest yields pumpkins for “Grandma Owings’ Pumpkin Bread”

We’ve had a warm autumn so I’m not quite prepared on November 10th when  the weather report calls for the first frost to occur overnight.  By afternoon, the temperature is  already dropping so I head for my garden to harvest herbs, collards and a veritable  bounty of green tomatoes.  I also grab some “pie variety” pumpkins.

I’ll dry or dehydrate the herbs  on trays in the  refrigerator while I spread my  green tomatoes out on the marble counter to ripen or be used “as is” in recipes.  The collards are headed for the saute pan for dinner but the  pumpkins will be turned into puree.

Smaller and more solid than the large ornamental varieties used for Halloween jack-o-lanterns or porch decorations, pie pumpkins yield a lot of bright orange flesh to puree for soups, muffins, pancakes, pies and other desserts along with  seeds for roasting.   I turn my pumpkins into puree which I divide into  8 oz. portions and freeze.   Here’s how to do it:

Pumpkin Puree

(This puree may also be made with acorn, butternut or other winter squash)

  • Wash pie pumpkins – Do not peel
  • Fill a large baking pan with 2 to 3 inches of water.
  • Add 1 large or two small pumpkins to each pan.
  • Bake at 375 degrees until done. (Rind will darken, take on a sheen…sides will collapse and flesh will be soft.)
  • Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds (rinse and save for roasting)
  • Scoop out flesh into large container
  • Use hand blender to turn the flesh into a smooth puree. Alternatively, add the flesh to a food processor or blender.
  • Divide the puree into ½ cup or 1 cup portions and use or freeze.

Pumpkins and squash are loaded with vitamins and minerals and the seeds are  nutritional powerhouses.

One of my favorite uses for pumpkin puree is to make my mother Margaret Owings’ pumpkin cake.   She dictated the recipe to me over the phone and I jotted it down in my recipe book.  I called it Grandma Owings’ Pumpkin Bread.  Whenever I make it, my kitchen smells heavenly.  Rich, moist and fragrant with spices, the bread is truly comfort food for the soul.

Mom’s recipe was “purely pumpkin” though she often added nuts.  While she generally made two loaves at a time, I prefer to make one.  I’ll improvise and toss in extra  ingredients like nuts, seeds, or raisins.  Here’s my latest version of her recipe.

Grandma Owings’ Pumpkin Bread

8 ounces (1 cup) pumpkin puree  or canned pumpkin

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup water

2 eggs

1-3/4 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 /2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg (or grate fresh nutmeg if you have it)

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 cup raisins plumped in hot water

1/4 cup unsalted roasted sunflower seeds

2 handfuls of fresh cranberries chopped

Plump the raisins by pouring scalding water over them while you assemble the other ingredients.

 

 

 

 

 

Combine oil and water with sugar and  and mix.  

Add eggs and pumpkin and continue to mix until frothy. 

Then add flour, the teaspoon of soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon ginger.

Finish by adding a handful or two of fresh cranberries that you’ve chopped along with the quarter cup of plumped raisins and quarter cup of sunflower seeds for texture and crunch

 

Pour mixture into a loaf pan which you’ve  greased or oiled.  (I line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper so the loaf comes out easily.)  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 or 60 minutes.

 

The aroma of the baking bread is amazing.  You’ll know it’s done when it’s golden brown and firm to the touch..   Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to sit for five minutes.

 

 

Then turn it out on a cooling rack.  When cool, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

 

The final step complete, move the loaf to a pretty plate or tray and find a serrated knife for slicing.  Offer slices to your family and friends with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea.  They’ll likely ask for seconds.

Sweet…but not too sweet…. and richly flavorful with sunflower seeds for crunch and  fresh cranberries to add  a hint of tartness, Grandma Owings’ Pumpkin Bread is a treat for the taste buds.

Having made five different pumpkin bread recipes from my cookbook collection over the years, I have to say this is the best of them.  It’s especially enjoyable during the holidays and makes a wonderful hostess gift.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do..

 

 

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Oxford peaches inspired old-fashioned desserts on the porch

What could be more magical than a trip to Oxford, Maryland on a sunny summer day?  Heading toward town on Route 333,  we were enjoying the scenery – a mix of agricultural land and waterfront estates – when a family-run farm stand called Taylor’s Produce popped up.  The opportunity to buy fresh-from-the-fields corn, tomatoes, squash, peppers and melons was too good to pass up.  The corn looked great and was going for $6 per dozen ears. But it was the heavenly scent of peaches right off the tree that drew me like a bee to honey. 

I buzzed right past the other produce and purchased some with visions of the peach shortcakes my grandmothers used to make. 

Arriving in Oxford moments later, the trip that began with an offer to treat sons Eric and Jan to a birthday lunch at a restaurant of their choice turned into an all-day adventure. 

Once a colonial port, the tiny Eastern Shore town on the southern bank of the Tred-Avon River fell out of use after the American Revolution and became the town that time forgot.

A stroll through four-century-old streets took us past some lovely old homes  – a few dating to the 1700’s.  Set against the backdrop of the river,  several homes could only be approached down shady lanes like Swan’s Way or behind picket fences like River House.  Gardens surrounding a majority of the well-kept residences were fully in bloom and beautiful.  Historic buildings still in use  included a market, a museum, and a small library.

One of three houses of worship, St. Paul’s Wesleyan Church was originally constructed in 1865.  Known, at one time, as St. Paul’s Pilgrim Holiness Church, the structure was added to over time.

In a town surrounded by water, I assumed “fish” would star on restaurant menus but was only partially right.                                                             

 At Capsize, the beer was cold and the wings with Old Bay seasoning delicious as we spent a lazy hour or two watching weekend boaters tie up at the docks in search of the ice cream for which Oxford is apparently famous. 

 

 

Seafood was featured prominently on the Capsize menu too with Scallop Risotto an especially tasty entree.

We had more exploring to do, of course,  and another restaurant to try.  A steel band concert taking place on Sunset Grille’s outdoor deck and the tropical vibe of the place hooked us as did exotic drink specialties and seafood-based entrees.  The crab imperial stuffed mushroom caps truly tickled my taste buds.

The lasting reward to our day away was my haul of produce  – I’d gone back for corn – but especially the peaches. 

Recalling that both my grandmothers preferred their peaches straight off the tree and unadorned, I initially found a cutting board and sliced some directly into dessert dishes.

Having  invited friends to taste them, I added a few berries from my own patch to fancy them up.  Unlike my grandmothers who sometimes topped peaches with cream straight from the cow, I offered Reddi-Whip. They were great. Luckily, I reserved enough peaches for that shortcake I was craving.

I first  prepared the peaches by slicing them into a bowl, sprinkling a tablespoon or two of sugar over the top and placing them into the refrigerator.  Then I got to work preparing the shortcake dough .  Both grandmothers’ recipes are lost in time but I believe they modeled their shortcakes on  biscuit recipes while my mother used Bisquick .  I prefer to use a recipe for a sweeter lighter biscuit I adapted from one in Lighthearted Everyday Cooking by Anne Lindsay which is still in print. 

Perfectly Peachy Shortcake

  • Between six and nine peaches depending on size with sprinkling of 1 or two Tbsp. of sugar
  • 2 cups flour (I use unbleached)
  • 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 5 Tbsp. softned trans fat free margarine (I like Land O’ Lakes)
  • 3/4 cup non-fat or low-fat milk

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Divide margarine, add to flour, and use two knives to cut butter in till mixture is crumbly. Combine with milk.

Gather dough into a ball and pat into a circle approximately 3/4 inch thick.Use a three inch cutter or glass dusted with flour to make rounds of dough and place on a cookie sheet.  (I use my faithful old aluminum one.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown (though my oven runs a bit hot so I cut cooking time to 11 minutes or lower oven temperature to 440 degrees.

Cool shortcakes on a rack for 10 or 15 minutes.

 

Then carefully slice them in half .

Spoon sweetened peaches over each half and and garnish with juicy blackberries. (Makes six to eight desserts.)

Though old fashioned, Peach Shortcake on the porch on a summer night is delightful. My taste testers gave it an A-Plus.

 

 

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Triple Crown racing season kicks off with Derby Brunch

With a grandfather, father and two uncles who were horse racing enthusiasts, it’s no wonder I have a soft spot for all three Triple Crown races – the Kentucky Derby, Maryland’s own Preakness Stakes, and New York’s Belmont Stakes.

Grandfather Robert Owings loved horses and was known to play polo in the Greenspring Valley of Maryland. He’s seen here on Doc. But I knew a later horse named Prince.

It wasn’t until my Uncle Howard attended the Kentucky Derby and brought back a cookbook as a gift for my mother, Margaret Owings, called “Kentucky Cooking, New and Old”, that I realized a tradition of good food and hospitality had grown up around the Derby.  The cookbook was compiled in 1955 by the Kentucky Colonettes of Louisville.

My mother eventually handed the cookbook on to me and I have loved it and referred to it so often that it’s literally falling apart.  I’ve always been charmed by the  mix of traditional Southern recipes,  1950’s favorites and cocktail party and V.I.P. dinner party menus.  From timetested standbys like scalloped oysters or easy meat barbecue recipes to tomato-based Rinktum Diddy, the food is delicious.  Of course, I may substitute today’s improved ingredients from time to time.

Thumbing through one day, I came across the menu for the Susemichels’ Derby Breakfast seen below.  I adopted the basic menu but generally  prepare mine as a brunch.  I love the idea of a simple but elegant Champagne Compote floating with strawberries.  But I  change out the scrambled eggs for an omelette and sometimes substitute corn or oatmeal muffins for the biscuits.  I invited my son Eric Tegler- a deft hand with omelettes or fish – to come cook with me.

Eric most often  makes one large omelette for company instead of individual ones.  He like to use a large cast iron skillet and his preparation methods are unconventional. But the results are sensational.    Here’s his recipe.

Eric’s Omelettes

  • Eggs – 6 to 8 depending on size of eggs and how many guests you’re serving
  • Milk, 3 Tablespoons
  • Extra virgin olive oil – 1 Tablespoon to season skillet
  • 1 large pat of buter
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Chopped onion
  • Chopped bell pepper (green, red, orange or yellow)
  • Mushrooms
  • Other raw veggies (chopped)  to your taste
  • Fresh herbs to your taste – Sage, chives, basil or oregano are good choices
  • Ham, bacon or sausage – Either on the side or cut into small pieces to whip into the omelette
  • Red pepper flakes to season the pan

You’ll need a skillet or non-stick pan, a cutting board, a bowl for the eggs, and a whisk.

Begin by dicing the onion, pepper and raw vegetables in preparation.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl, 

 

Six to eight eggs should do it. 

 

 

 

Add 3 Tablespoons of milk and whisk ingredients together.

Eric’s whisking technique is unconventional to say the least.  He  rotates the whisk handle between his palms “at speed”.  He compares the action to using a vintage hand-drill.

 

When finished, the mixture should be light an frothy.

Next, prepare the skillet by adding olive oil and gently tipping the pan to cover the entire surface before adding and melting the butter.  Lightly sprinkle red pepper flakes across the panAdd diced veggies all at once…  

and saute gently before adding egg mixture.

Ta da!

A pizza pan becomes a lid for the skillet and has other uses as you’re about to see.

The burner should be set at a moderate temperature – a 6 or 7 – as the eggs cook.  When the egg mixture sets, Eric moves it off the burner to cool and then shakes the pan to loosen it. 

He then inverts the pan –  first flipping  the omelette upside down onto the pizza pan before deftly  sliding it back into the skillet.

 

While it cooks two minutes more, assemble your easy to serve Derby brunch buffet.  Place the muffins baked earlier in a basket, open the (chilled) champagne and pour it over frozen strawberries and black raspberries. Check the omelette and, if done, slide it out onto the pizza pan which doubles  as a serving plate.  Then invite your guests to grab a plate, help themselves and find a seat at the table.

 

This simple Derby brunch is a great way to kick off Triple Crown season. Champagne cocktails with strawberries and black raspberries for a toast or two, corn muffins, ham and helpings of omelette await.  And afterwards…coffee on the screened porch.

It’s a delicious hearty brunch.  A great foundation for eventing or for watching Triple Crown races on TV.   My grandather, father or uncles would be set for the evening.

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Chicks & bunnies by the bunch – Easter critter cookies kids love to munch

 

Baby chicks and bunnies arrived at Anne Arundel County Farm, Lawn and Garden Center and Homestead Gardens Severna Park this week, reminding me that it’s time to bake  sugar cookies in the shape of springtime’s cutest critters. 

I first baked my  Critter Cookies to bring along to my parents’ annual Easter dinner as a gift.  Much appreciated  by the grandchildren, they became a tradition. 

I’ve honored the tradition,  making and rolling out cookie dough on the same marble topped cabinet my great-grandmother Kate Shipley used.  Grandma Kate handed down the cherry wood cabinet to her grandson –  my father, Sheldon Shipley Owings, Sr.   Nowadays,  it resides in my kitchen.

It’s great fun to recruit kids to help cut out and decorate these cookies once you’ve assembled the ingredients and made the dough.  You’ll need cookie cutters (I use chickens, bunnies and Easter Crosses) and a lightly greased cookie sheet or two.

Easter Critter Cookies from Sharon Lee’s Table

I slightly altered this decade-old recipe I found in an issue of Country Living Magazine  and sometimes half the recipe which works equally well.

  • 1 cup unsalted butter – room temperature
  • 1-1/2  cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 cups all purpose or…  I prefer unbleached flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For Icing

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 pound confectioners’ sugar sifted
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • Milk

Cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time and add vanilla.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and fold them into the mixture.

 

Then remove the dough and, with floured fingers, lightly form it into a ball  and wrap it in plastic wrap.  You’ll need to chill the dough for at least 3 hours or leave it overnight.

 

Retrieve and divide the dough into sections for rolling out on a lightly floured surface.

 

Roll it out in a circle to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out shapes with your cookie cutters.

 

You should be able to cut out four dozen shapes.  Arrange them on a lightly greased cookie sheet or two (I prefer my time-worn sheets that aren’t pretty but bake evenly.) 

Place in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes or until cookies are just golden. 

Cool on a rack and prepare icing.  Divide into as many bowls as you like and add food coloring.                                            

Spoon icing into pastry bags using your favorite tips.  (I’m partial to ones that allow for plain piping.)

The cookies are delicious plain but it’s more fun to decorate them.  You can  spread icing over the entire cookie or you can outline them.

Add character by piping on eyes,  wings or bunny tails… even dots or stripes.

You’ll have lots of yummy cookies to plate for a gift or for your Easter table….

along with a bowl of dyed Easter Eggs.

(See “Easter Eggs The Easy Way” under the Seasonal Category or Archives for April 10, 2017.)

 

 

 

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“Hummingbird Cake” – Your guests will hover round Brenda Justice’s heirloom dessert

One afternoon, over coffee, my friend Atalie Payne’s mother Brenda Justice mentioned an old southern recipe with the charming  name “Hummingbird Cake”.         

She described the three-layer cake made on special occasions by her mother, the late Virginia Thomas, as sweet, dense and delicious.  Daughter Atalie remembered tasting her grandmother’s Hummingbird Cake while visiting the family home in Cumberland, Maryland as a kid and finding it scrumptious.

Grandaughter Atalie Justice Payne, her mother Brenda Justice and her grandmother Virginia Thomas who said she’d gotten the recipe from her sister.

 

 

Brenda graciously offered to share the recipe her mother jotted down so many years ago on the 3 x 5 cards seen below.  You’ll note that they are well-worn.

 

Like hummingbird nectar, Hummingbird Cake is sweet, as can be seen from the list of ingredients.  So it’s offset with a cream cheese frosting made from four simple ingredients.

A native of Mathias, West Virginia before moving to Maryland, Virignia loved southern recipes like this one.  Brenda and her daughter are equally fond of it. And now, her granddaughter Elise has tasted Hummingbird Cake for the first time….and loved it!  So, chances are, the recipe will live on through four generations.

The Justice and Payne families now share it with us.  We’ll take you through it step by step.

Hummingbird Cake 

I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of cook and figure the fewer ingredients, the better.  So I was seriously intimated by this recipe… with three layers and a dozen plus ingredients.  But I laid out the ingredients ahead of time and plunged ahead.  

I first measured 3 cups of flour and 2 cups of sugar into a large mixing bowl.  Then I added 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon  to the dry ingredients.

 

 

I turned the dry ingredients over from the bottom until well blended.

 

 

Then it was time to prepare and add the wet ingredients. 

The recipe requires 2 cups of mashed bananas.  I discovered I needed four bananas to equal 2 cups.  Next, I beat 3 eggs together and measured out 1 cup of oil and set them aside.  (I used canola oil but other vegetable oils work fine.)

I continued preparations by opening and setting aside an 8 ounce can of pineapple and finely chopping the required cup of pecans.

Next I added the beaten eggs to the dry ingredients, followed by the cup of oil.

 

The instructions said “DO NOT BEAT” so I stirred the liquids into the dry ingredients… a task that took a bit of muscle.  

The resulting batter was stiff.

 

Luckily, it thinned out considerably when I added the pineapple, followed by the bananas and vanilla, and gave the mixture a good stir.

 

 

By the time I folded in  the pecans, the batter had become dense but smooth and workable.

I was now ready to pour the mixture into three 8 inch layer cake pans I’d lined with rounds of brown paper cut to fit.  (The recipe calls for greasing and flouring the pans which would probably work just as well. )

The filled pans were ready to go into a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

 

With so many good ingredients, the layers were already looking yummy.

 

 

 

 

They did not disappoint.  They were golden brown and fragrant when I tipped them out to cool on racks for ten minutes.

 

 Then it was time to assemble and frost the layers.  For the icing, I creamed together 1/2 cup of butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese, added one 16-ounce package of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and beat till light and fluffy.   I iced the first layer, set the second atop it, applied more icing and topped it with the final layer.

I finished the frosting with a swirl and carried the cake to my dining table… 

where it took pride of place as a special dessert to be served with coffee.

Hummingbird Cake, with its bananas, pineapple and pecans, to say nothing of its creamy icing, is sweet, dense and delicious.

I generally depend on an easy-to-make standby recipe I call “My Mother’s Cake” (see the final blog entry under the dessert category) so I was apprehensive that I wouldn’t get this cake right.  However, I received the seal of approval from both Brenda and Atalie who said my version tasted just like the Hummingbird Cake made by Virginia Thomas.

Though time-consuming, Hummingbird Cake was worth the effort.  I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have.

 

 

 

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Cure That Cold Soup – Nourishing broth, aromatics, herbs and veggies

If, like me, you’ve been getting over that three-week flu with the cough that hangs on for a month, you’ll appreciate this recipe for a soup that will nourish your body and keep you going.

I love making homemade soups.  From chicken noodle with garlic, ginger and dill to split pea or spicy lentil soups, they’re great on a winter day.  This recipe for vegetable soup is particularly nutritious because I use hearty chicken stock as a base.  I call it  Cure A Cold Soup because every ingredient boosts the immune system and eases cold symptoms.

The first ingredient is  homemade chicken stock I make from the carcass and bones of poultry simmered with 8 cups of water over low heat for hours. The minerals, gelatin, and amino acids that leach from the bones as they simmer can be easily absorbed by the body.  

Round up a pot or dutch oven capable of holding a lot of soup.  It’s easiest to chop the aromatic vegetables beforehand.

Cure A Cold Soup

8 cups of basic chicken stock  (Can be homemade or purchased)

2 cups beef stock or broth

1/2 a yellow onion, or whole onion if small (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

2 ribs of celery (chopped)

2 carrots (chopped)

Several porcini mushrooms (sliced)

1/2 cup shredded cabbage

Handful of chopped red or green bell pepper (Can be frozen)

One 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 cups of beef stock

1 to 2 cups of leftover chicken

3 leaves of dried sage

Leaves and stems of fresh or dried parsley

3 stems of fresh oregano or dried

2 pinches of cayenne

Any leftover veggies you want to add (Optional)

2 handfuls of noodles

Salt to taste

Chop the onion, cabbage, celery, and carrots , mince garlic, and slice mushrooms and leftover chicken.  Measure out diced tomatoes and beef broth and keep handy. Lay out herbs and spices.

Begin adding vegetables to the chicken stock warming on the stove top… starting with the garlic, onions, cabbage and carrots.

Continue adding the celery, sliced mushrooms, and red peppers (in my case they were frozen).

Garlic has Allicin and other compounds that boost immunity  and combat colds and flu.  Onions contain Vitamin C and phytochemicals that also boost immunity.  Bell peppers are high in Vitamins C and A as well as niacin and potassium.  Cabbage and celery are loaded with Vitamins C and K and mushrooms are high in B vitamins, folate and selenium.                                 

Add the beef broth next which adds depth to the flavor.

Follow by adding the diced tomatoes.

 

      Then come the seasonings. If using dried herbs crumble them into the soup.  Add a pinch or two of cayenne, a potent germ killer,  and salt to taste.

Lastly, add the sliced chicken and give the soup a good stirring from the bottom up.

At this point, if you have any leftover vegetables (like peas, green beans or corn), feel free to  add them.   For a final touch, I like to toss in a few handfuls of noodles… or you can substitute pasta of any shape or some rice.  Allow the soup to simmer for an hour…or two.  It’s even better warmed over.

Even if you’re not feeling up to par, you can round up some bread and butter and a simple salad for a truly nourishing meal that will warm you through and through.  Enjoy!

This hearty vegetable soup can perk you up when you’re feeling low. However, it’s so delicious, you’ll want to make it often.

 

 

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Temps were crisp so I made “Apple Cranberry Crisp”

Between a neighbor’s apple tree and two of my favorite produce stands, I’ve accumulated quite a haul of apples.   Just before Halloween I drove to Diehl’s Produce of Annapolis in the waterfront community known as The Maritime Republic of Eastport.

Found crates and crates of apples and pears from Adams County, Pennsylvania ranging from Honey Crisp, Crimson Crisp, and Red and Golden Delicious to Fuji varieties.

Adams Co., Pa. apples from Diehl’s Produce of Annapolis.

Pumprheys Farm Stand in Milersville, Md. had great Winesaps, Granny Smith’s and Golden Delicious varieties.

A week later drove to Pumphrey’s Farm Stand in Millersville, Maryland where I was guaranteed to find great Winesaps, Granny Smith’s and Golden Delicious  from Maryland orchards right up til’ Thanksgiving.  (Include chopped Winesaps in my turkey stuffing.)

Froze the apples from my neighbor’s tree and some of the Winesaps by slicing them and layering them in sealed freezer bags.  (Learned the trick from “The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest”.)   They come in handy in the dead of winter when you can use them for pancakes, upside down cakes, or sauteed as a side dish.

On the first cold day of November, I hunted up my  notebook of personally collected recipes and raided my store of apples to make Apple Cranberry Crisp.  I chose a mix of sweet and sour apples including Crimson Crisps, Golden Delicious, Winesaps and Granny Smiths.

My favorite Apple Crisp recipe can be found on a yellowed page I clipped from The Capital newspaper a decade ago.  I’ve altered the recipe by adding cranberries for an extra bit of tartness and renamed it accordingly.  Hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

4 cups of baking apples (about 6 medium)

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped raw cranberries

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup butter

 

 

Soften butter.

 

 

 

Blend flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and butter together.

Mix in nuts, and raisins.

 

Meantime, grease an 8-inch round or square pan. 

Peel and slice the apples and layer them in the pan along with the chopped cranberries.

Spread the crumb mixture over the apples and cranberries patting into place.

Bake in a 350 degree oven 35 minutes.  Depending on the firmness of the apples, I might bake a few extra minutes.  Remove from oven and  set out to cool for a few minutes.  Then slice and enjoy with or without a dollop of vanilla ice cream and a steaming cup of coffee.

Serve the Apple Cranberry Crisp while warm with or without a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

My idea of comfort food, Apple Cranberry Crisp is really great to serve for dessert or as a special treat when friends drop by.  It gets raves every time.

 

 

 

 

 

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From garden to table, late season string beans, squash delight the taste buds

Autumn leaves are falling so I checked my little vegetable patch to see what’s left for me to harvest.  There are lots of herbs, some tomatoes and, oh yes, beans.  I’m only able to raise a limited amount.  But nothing tastes better than string beans fresh from the garden.

Much like my mom and grand mom, I enjoy sitting on the porch and snapping the ends off string beans fresh from the garden. Husked corn’s already in the fridge.

I find it relaxing to sit on the porch and snap the ends off beans…even better when a friend or family member joins me in the effort.

My mother Margaret Owings and my grandmother Fanny Belle Elseroad made the most extraordinary string beans . They’d simmer them on the stove top with ham hocks or bacon drippings the old fashioned way for hours…a method  that produced a flavor and texture that can only be described as meaty.

My own method for cooking green beans is  similar but modified for a shorter cooking time.  It’s easy to grab a ham hock from my freezer but it takes time for the meat to give up its flavor.  So, if I’m busy, I’ll usually substitute  bacon.

The recipe I’ve come up with is more of a guideline that’s flexible depending on the amount of beans you’re using.  It requires that you taste the beans while cooking so that salt and seasonings may be adjusted.  I’ve based the following measurements and instructions on roughly 1-1/2 to 2 pounds of freshly harvested green beans.

I’ve shortened the time required to make the recipe to around 30 minutes but allowing 40 minutes or even an hour enhances the flavor.  While they are cooking I’ll work on other dishes including the summer squash recipe further down the page.

“String Beans My Way”

A large saucepan or dutch oven

1-1/2 to 2 pounds of string beans

3 or 4 strips of bacon

2  inches of water

A drizzle of olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt (start with less than 1/2 teaspoon and add more as needed)

Several pinches of dried dill

2 teaspoons of cider vinegar

Gather the beans from your garden or buy them from a local farmer’s market or produce stand.  As a last resort, buy them from a supermarket.

Snap the ends off the beans

Give them a good rinse and set them aside

While the bacon was cooking for the beans, I sliced tomatoes for another dish.

Fry 3 or 4 strips of bacon.  When done drain the bacon on paper towels and reserve 2 Tablespoons of drippings.  Set aside.

Place the string beans  in a large saucepan or dutch oven with 2 to 3 inches inches of water depending on amount of beans

Drizzle with olive oil

Turn the heat on the burner to high till the water begins to boil and then turn it down to simmer

Add 2 Tablespoons of bacon drippings

Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and sprinkle with less than 1/2 teaspoon of salt. (Add more as you go along according to taste up to 1 whole teaspoon))

Sprinkle liberally with dried dill

Allow beans to simmer on a back burner while you prepare other dishes and turn them from time to time

Had more vegetables to slice than room on my cutting board. But the water beneath the string beans was heating up nicely.

Add cider vinegar to beans starting with 1 or 2 teaspoons but tasting and adding  more as needed.

Crumble half the bacon and add to the pot

Before serving, top beans with remaining crumbled bacon

Meanwhile, prepare ingredients for other sidedishes.  The growing season for yellow squash is nearing an end so I like to saute them along with other vegetables.  You can’t beat the fresh taste and lightness of this dish.

Yellow Summer Squash with Mushrooms and Peppers

3 yellow squash

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

2 Tablespoons water

1 clove of garlic

3 slices of a large yellow onion

Half a red pepper sliced

4 or 5 mushrooms sliced

Leaves of fresh sage and  fresh basil if you have them

Add about a Tablespoon of olive oil to a saute pan along with 2 inches of water.  Arrange sliced squash in pan with onion slices and garlic and saute briefly

Layer in sliced peppers and mushrooms and add 1 or 2 torn or chopped sage leaves and basil leaves

The fragrances of the onions, garlic, sage and basil as they cook are wonderful. Such a colorful dish too.

Turn several times while cooking  (takes less than ten minutes).  Turn off heat but keep warm.  Both dishes go especially well with pork or chicken.  And if you have any string beans left over, they’re even better warmed over the second day.

 

 

 

 

 

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Chives in bloom? Perfect time for Mary Swanson’s Scandinavian Potato Salad

From the moment my garlic chives pop out of the soil each spring till frost threatens and they disappear to overwinter below ground, I use them by the handful.  I particularly love when the chives burst into bloom at the end of August.  Bumblebees and honeybees swarm above them in the afternoon sun and frequently touch down on the lovely white blossoms pollinating as they go.

Garlic chives are one of my favorite herbs.  They are mild with a flavor between spring onions and garlic.  I occasionally use them to make my friend Mary Swanson’s wonderful Scandinavian Potato Salad recipe – a salad that’s perfect for an outdoor meal.

I first tasted this dish at  a “race day” luncheon for six prepared by Mary and her husband Ernie, a fine cook in his own right.  The Swansons are avid Formula I auto racing fans – a passion we all share.  So getting together to watch live coverage from racetracks around the globe is a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Scandinavian Potato Salad was but one star of the race day meal.  Ernie’s perfectly prepared pork medallions were great and Mary’s colorful pepper-studded black bean salad  hit the spot.

Still, it was the potato salad that captured my attention.  Different from any I’d ever tasted, it was so good I had a second helping.  I immediately asked for the recipe and Mary kindly wrote it out for me.  I share it now with you.

Mary Swanson’s Scandinavian Potato Salad

6 to 8 potatoes (Any kind  will do.  I used some white potatoes I had on hand, however, Mary most often uses medium sized red bliss potatoes.)

2 teaspoons salt (Add most to cooking water but reserve a little for dressing. Adjust to taste in accordance with amount of potatoes used.)

1 bunch garlic chives  (lavender-blossomed onion chives can be substituted and are equally good)

1/3 cup oil  (extra virgin olive oil is good but your choice)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Remaining salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper (Or peppercorns – several grinds of the pepper mill)

Slice potatoes in rounds and place in a large saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of water and most of the salt. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat.  Simmer till done.  Drain potatoes and place in large bowl.

Meantime make dressing by combining oil, sugar, the remaining

salt, the Dijon mustard and pepper.  Mix well and pour over potatoes and chives.  (Best done while potatoes are still warm when dressing’s easily absorbed.)  Can set out early as this mayonnaise-free side dish will not spoil if the day is warm.

Mary emphasizes that this is truly a taste-as-you go recipe with the amount of salt added determined by the number and size of the potatoes used.  You can add an extra dash or two of vinegar for a more piquant flavor.

This tangy potato salad is a great accompaniment for meat or poultry and is so easy to make.  I served it this time with steak and end-of-summer veggies including Anne Arundel County corn on the cob from Pumphrey’s Farmstand on Veteran’s Highway in Millersville, Maryland and just picked green beans prepared the old-fashioned way.

Everyone grabbed a plate and enjoyed the meal,.  Even our guilty-looking  cat Biscuit (who invited himself to dinner) managed to con us out of several bites of steak and had a fine old time.

               Everybody grab a plate and help yourselves.  No…not you Biscuit!