Suburban Homestead Store
Archive for the ‘In the Kitchen’ Category
A Homestead Pizza Party
Everyone in my family loves pizza. And, what better way to celebrate that love than with a homestead pizza party! This is no run-of-the-mill party though; this is a full-on feast of mature pies, best enjoyed when everyone pitches in to help with the creations.
Here’s how to throw your own party.
Invite a few friends over, open a bottle of your favorite wine (or beer), and spend the evening assembling, topping and baking each creative pie — just be sure to make a lot of dough the night before.
Share the evening’s workload by asking each guest to bring their favorite pizza topping. Or, pull some interesting recipes and assign ingredients for each person to bring. This will be a night of eating in stages, as each new pizza comes out of the oven, cut it into small slices so everyone can taste something new, different; another person’s favorite.
Need some ideas to get you started… Read the rest of the story »
Dabs and Dribbles = A Culinary Goldmine
We’ve all had them, those tiny bits of leftovers that are too small for a recipe, but large enough that we don’t want to throw them away. Well now you don’t have to.
With a plastic ice cube tray you can freeze those little gems of flavor to use later on.
• Small amounts of chopped or minced onion can be frozen with water, then thawed and added to any dish.
• Ethnic sauces can be frozen and dropped into chili, salsa or marinades for a hint of exotic flavor.
• Unused bits of yoghurt are perfect when frozen and used while blending smoothies.
• When a recipe calls for only a few tablespoons of lemon or lime juice, squeeze and freeze the rest to use when you need a touch of tart.
• Cubes made from tea or coffees are prefect when cooling down a pot of caffeine. Better yet, drop a few tea cubes into a glass of lemonade to add a layer of flavor.
• Tomato paste in cube form is the perfect amount for a savory sauce.
• Pesto cubes speed up the prep time of pasta, crostini and other Italian delights.
• Pureed butternut squash can be stirred into soups, stews and sauces for added nutrition.
• Tomato juice can be used to add a bit of flavor to soups, sauces and stews.
From fruits to herbs to sauces and marinades these frozen nuggets have a big impact on flavor. So the next time you find yourself with a dab of this and a dribble of that, don’t forego it, freeze it.
Egg Bread Recipe
In an attempt to reduce the collection of eggs filling my refrigerator I made this soft golden egg bread. It was perfect served warm with butter and honey, but the French toast we made the next day was divine.
¾ cup warm water (70 to 80 degrees)
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp salt
3-1/2 cups bread flour
2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast
Place ingredients in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the “basic” setting and “light” crust setting. Bake according to your bread machine directions.
Souper Simple
Nothing melts away winter’s cold better than a piping hot bowl of soup. Even the smallest amount of vegetables and meat simmered in a rich broth and dotted with rice, pasta, barley or beans can make a satisfying meal.
Whatever your taste, a few simple tips will start you down the path to creating delicious filling soups.
- Break out of your box—experiment. Find a recipe that peaks your interest and tweak it to fit what you have on hand or what your nose and taste buds tell you to cook.
- Try using an immersion blender to create creamy soups without the need for high fat heavy cream. Or, blend only half the soup, leaving the other half chunky.
- Use vegetables you have on hand; root veggies in winter, asparagus in spring, tomatoes in summer and squash in fall. Soups adapt well in any season.
- Keep a well stocked pantry with staples like onions, garlic, spices and herbs, broth, rice, beans and barley, and you’ll never be far from a hearty bowl of soup.
- Cook down chicken carcasses and beef bones into homemade broth and freeze to use later as soup base.
- Garnish soups with fresh herbs, croutons or shaved Parmesan cheese and pair with a salad and some crusty home baked bread for a simple elegant meal.
Whether you fancy a roasted mushroom soup, a spicy red pepper or a smooth herbed tomato soup start your recipe search (and collection) today.
photo credit: I Believe I Can Fry
Vermont Inspired Chicken Pot Pie
I have always been a huge fan of Chicken Pot Pies. As a child it was the only thing I would order when my family went out to dinner at Marie Callender’s. There’s nothing better on a cold weekend than the aroma of chicken, vegetables and herbs simmering in savory gravy. When I traveled to Vermont a few years ago I enjoyed several versions of this down home comfort food along with copious amounts of apple cider and Vermont cheddar cheese. But, those are stories yet untold.
Unable to decide on which version I liked the best I fiddled around with recipes, incorporating parts of each into a recipe that is now a favorite at our home. The main difference in my version versus those I’ve had in the past is the consistency. I love hearty winter dishes that are chock full of root vegetables in a thick sauce or gravy. And, this one has it all…veggies, herbs, and gravy, topped with a flakey pie crust. The only challenge is… I haven’t figured out how to assemble the pie so there is enough crust to top every bite of the filling. And let’s be honest – pot pie is all about the crust to filling ratio. Isn’t it?
The recipe is versatile, too. Any combination of roots from turnips to parsnips to potatoes along with the standard carrots, onions, mushrooms, peas and celery will work. It’s also a great way to use up leftover chicken. It’s amazing how much meat you can get from a carcass when it’s simmered down. And, the broth you get is nothing like anything you ever tasted. Each batch will be different because it takes on the flavors of the baked or roasted chicken.
Pot pies are also a great way to use the occasional stewing hen after her egg production years are over. That may sound gross or sad, but we are homesteaders after all, and everything on the farm has a use. And, what better use than a savory cold weather meal to take the chill off a hungry family. Read the rest of the story »
Gratitude for Blessings Not Yet Seen
I spent quite a bit of time on my garden rearranging project this past weekend. There’s still a lot left to do, but I did manage to move the berry bed to the north side of the garden, digging up and moving some of the blackberry, boysenberry and Fall Gold raspberry canes. The rest of the canes were planted in a large black tub to winter over. In the early spring, when it’s time to plant I’ll repot them for my front porch farmer’s market or the sale my garden club has each year.
The fruit trees were pruned and given 2 pounds each of gypsum. I spread it around the canopy line and gently scratched it into the soil. Sunday’s steady rain storm will push the nutrients down to the roots to feed them all through the winter.
Our big storm slated to arrive on Saturday evening finally blew in on Sunday and should last for several days. I raked leaves and dug them into the new raised vegetable beds, a foundation of organic matter. Some were piled over the perennial bulbs for protection.
By Saturday afternoon, the only task left to do was to dig up and separate my collection of Iris bulbs. Admittedly this is coming late in the season, but in Southern California Irises can be planted or divided any time of year with great success. Last months hot east winds had battered the Iris foliage, turning it dry and brown; very unsightly. Read the rest of the story »
Apple Jack Pork Tenderloin
Fall is a time for wonderfully hearty meals like stews and goulashes and chunky soups. But, when one pot meals get a little tiresome we turn to a few of our favorite meat recipes like this Apple Jack pork tenderloin. It’s super easy and the gravy gives it a rich and elegant touch.
Popular in colonial times, Apple Jack is a strong apple liqueur produced by concentrating hard cider. As the marinade is cooked it is transformed into an indulgent sauce; the apple essence becoming sweeter and playing off the spicy Dijon mustard and salty soy sauce. Our favorite recipe is below and when served with mashed potatoes, a seasonal vegetable like butternut squash or green beans and a chunky applesauce it makes the perfect cool weather meal.
2 1-pound pork tenderloins
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup minced green onions
¼ cup Apple Jack
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ Tsp. fresh ground pepper
½ Tsp. cornstarch
Trim pork tenderloins leaving a thin layer of fat. Combine all ingredients, except the cornstarch, in a reusable container; add pork and chill for 8 hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, remove pork, saving the marinade. Preheat oven or grill to 350. Grill or bake about 8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer registers 155. Remove from grill or oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
While the pork is resting, combine the marinade and cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Slice pork diagonally and arrange on a platter, drizzle with the warm sauce.
What better way to enjoy the season.
Homemade Applesauce
We have a tradition this time of October. My sister and I head up the coast, through a small wine region into a secluded valley at the foot of a mountain, kissed by the coastal fog. But, it’s not wine we are tasting. It is apples!
See Canyon is a microclimate that gets the right amount of cold nights; perfect for growing apples this far south. The air is cool and damp from the coastal fog, but that never deters us. We are on a mission you see; to taste apples that we would never be able to sample, even at the Farmer’s Markets.
The orchards are small, organic and each one as unique as the one before. Not like a commercial operation at all. These farms grow over 60 different varieties with names as enticing as Heaven Sent, Splendor, Caville Blanc and Mohawk. Some are great for fresh eating while others stand up well to baking.
Long tables covered with red checkered tablecloths served as tasting stations with more than a dozen varieties to sample. Not all varieties ripen at the same time, but this is still more than we would ever see at home. College students man the tables and are eager to slice off a chunk for us to eat. Some have red skins, some burgundy, some green and some mottled. There are even a few that are black. We had a light breakfast, saving ourselves for this very moment.
Apple farm apples are all different shapes and sizes. Not the uniform specimens found at chain supermarkets. These have dents and creases and bug holes and rough spots near the stem. These are real apples grown by real farmers. Picture perfect is not what it’s all about up here. Taste and texture is all that matters.
After discounting varieties we could get at home we tasted eight varieties that sounded interesting. They were all crispy and juicy, and snapped when we sunk our teeth into each slice. In the end, though, we settled on Heaven Sent, a small, tender, super sweet apple with great storage life, and Splendor, an unusually large, tender, pink apple that stays super crispy when stored in the fridge. We bought 10 pounds of each so we could divide them amongst our households.
The second part of our trip was about tasting this seasons’ apple cider. We can only grow a few varieties of apples on our farm because we don’t get very many chill hours. And, the varieties we do grow are better eating apples than cider apples, so cider hunting is a special treat. Or, should I say necessity?
After we made our way through all the farms and tasted cider from many different apples we bought 8 half-gallon jugs of a blended cider from Creekside Farms. That should keep us going all winter.
Once out of the valley we stopped at a local hotspot for chowder and bread before heading home. Our cider tasting day-trip is a fun fall tradition and the best part is we don’t have to worry about a hangover.
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Anytime I have apples that become too soft for fresh eating I make them into a chunky applesauce that’s great along side pork, in oatmeal or as a replacement for bananas in our favorite banana bread recipe. Here’s how I make it: Read the rest of the story »
Coming into October
And so it begins! My favorite month of the entire year. Every day the weather changes just a little bit more, signaling the end of summer and the beginning of my most favorite season.
October holds most of my favorites; weather that is cool and crisp, on the verge of shifting into winter; favorite smells like damp soil turned and mulched and put to bed; favorite signs of chimney smoke as the seasons’ first fires take the chill off cold houses in the early morning hours; favorite air, with the heady aroma of fallen leaves and spices. October also marks the beginning of favorite traditions and holidays.
We close a chapter now, taking time to reflect on months of planting and growing; harvesting and preserving, and look forward to hearty warming meals, a strict contrast to the vegetable or salad laden meals of warmer months.
There will be days of apple picking and gathering of pumpkins, but there will still be time to practice with our shotguns…skeet shooting and target practice at the local gun club. We’ve gotten dead on accurate with the .22 rifle, but are still working on getting comfortable with the shotgun. A 20 gauge seems easier to manage than the 12, but the weight and out stretched arms pose some balance issues. Kevin and Warren, our coaches, work with us on stance, posture, position, but a well fitted stock would probably resolve most of our troubles. But, that’s for another time.
The beginning of fall is about apples and pumpkins. Apples will be pressed into cider, sweet and cold and crisp; pumpkins will be made into butter, pies and quick breads. I found a new recipe for Pecan-Praline French Toast and was intrigued. Can’t wait to try it!
So there you have it folks…the first weekend of October is about shooting guns, seasonal baking, pressing cider, pork roasts in the crock pot and jonesing for the best this season has to offer. To help kick start your October try one of our seasonal favorites below. Read the rest of the story »