summer peach pie...on a snowy valentines day

I was leery to give this a try. A passion of mine is sweet, juicy summer peaches and if this did not work the waste of peaches would have brought tears for the loss of what could have been enjoyed in season. I was told this could not be done so I had to dig through my old cookbooks and found this in the Farm Journal. I must share my success with you! I must confess a shortcut...prepared pie crust that was taking up space in the freezer and had to be used...and easily sacrificed if it did not work. This pie recipe requires, obviously, that it be prepared when local peaches are in season. The photo is off the filling out of the freezer before being baked. http://www.weaversorchard.com/

4 quarts of peaches, peeled and sliced (9 lbs)

3 1/2 cups raw sugar (turninado or demerara)

OR

2 cups agave syrup

1/2 cup tapioca, grind to a powder in your blade coffee grinder (I have a spare for non-coffee grinding. If you must use one designated for coffee process with some toast to "clean" the coffee oils up...you don't want a hint of coffee in your peach pie)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp salt

prepare for freezing by lining 4, 9" pans with aluminum foil and then a layer of plastic wrap.

combine all of the ingredients. scoop the pie filling evenly between all 4 pans. cover completely and freeze. when they are frozen to the form of the pan you can then remove the filling and store for a chilly day. make sure the filling is wrapped well and freeze for up to 6 months.

to bake : preheat the oven to 425. remove the foil and plastic wrap and drop the unthawed filling into uncooked pie crust. I used an oatmeal crumble topping but use whatever you like (dough, crumb...nuts...sprinkle with nutmeg...). Bake for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes or until bubbly. cool for a bit

tip: I found that if I wrap aluminum foil under the pie pan and leave enough to wrap around the edge of the crust it prevents the crust from burning (sometimes the crust cooks faster that the pie)

shazam almonds

Here is a tasty snack that I whipped up with for a recent event that I "catered." The Bell Tower Salon and Medi-Spa asked that I provide some baked goods for a wellness and skin lecture that they hosted. I presented some wonderful, healthy sweet treats that incorporated whole foods that are healthy for your skin. I needed something savory and almonds (in moderation) are great for your skin. Cinnamon, garlic and ginger are also wonderful for healthy skin.

ALMONDS deliver a healthy dose of magnesium, a calming agent for skin and body. By reducing irritability, anxiety, and fatigue, magnesium will likely make you feel better and may even put a smile on your face. Enjoy these treats!

GINGER is an anti-inflammatory root that boosts circulation and encourages digestion and detoxification, all of which in turn promote healthy skin. Brew some fresh ginger root, add a splash of lemon and a bit of honey for a yummy detox!

2 cups whole almonds, skin on

3/4 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

dash of cayenne power

2 TB olive oil

1 TB tamari sauce

2 TB honey

1. preheat the oven to 300 degrees

2. prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper lightly spayed with cooking spray

3. in a small bowl blend the dry seasonings with the olive oil

4. in a large bowl coat the almonds with honey and tamari sauce. stir together and evenly coat the almonds with the oil and spice mixture.

5. spread evenly on your prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes. let cool at least 5-10 minutes before serving.

try adding some golden raisins or cranberries after cooled...maybe shredded coconut...

approx 8 servings.
cal 218 - fat 19g - protein 7g - fiber 5g - calcium 97mg - magnesium 105 mg - potassium 268mg

Persian Naan

I was snowed in last week and had the run of the house (coco does not need to know). I wanted to make focaccia and after searching through a majority of my cookbooks I could not find a recipe similar to a fool proof one I use to make a few years back. Some recipes require that you make it a day in advance which results in a light dough and others call for too much pomp and circumstance. I found this little gem in Baking with Julia. Focaccia it is not but a snap it is.

2 1/2 cups tepid water (80 to 90 degrees F)

2 tsp active dry yeast

5 to 6 cups bread flour (I used 1/2 bread flour and 86 golden)

1 T salt

mix the yeast and water in large bowl, stir to blend

add 3 cups flour, about a cup at a time, stirring in one direction with a wooden spoon

beat for 1 minute to develop the gluten

sprinkle with the salt and gradually add the remaining flour, one cup at a time, until it is stiff

knead the dough on a floured board until it is elastic and smooth. transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temp until it has doubled, about 2 hours.

preheat oven to 500 degrees.

deflate the dough on a floured work surface, divide into 4 pieces. flatten the pieces to an oval shape about 6" x 8". cover with plastic wrap and let rest about 5 minutes. have a bowl with water set aside. dipping your finger tips begin to work the dough dimpling and stretching at the same time. it may get messy but it is all good. then lift and stretch the dough by hand until you have an 18" x 5" shape or whatever shape you like.

season with : garlic, sea salt, rosemary, sesame seeds (black/white), onions... get creative

Place on a baking stone or pan. I used cornmeal to "flour" the surface. Bake for at least 5 minutes or just until the edges get golden. enjoy!

mom's call it whatever you like potato salad

Mom is in town for an extended weekend to visit the bad kitty, Coco. It was not long after her arrival she was talking recipes. Her most recent concoction is a potato salad with a razzle dazzle secret ingredient... She rarely writes down her recipes so feel free to wing this or use your own favorite recipe with one special addition.

5 potatoes - whatever you can get your hands on, even left over baked potatoes may work well
1 c celery, chopped
5 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2c red onion, diced
1/4c scant, relish or dill pickles pulsed in the food processor
1/2c to 3/4c mayonnaise, enough to made it as moist as you like
1/4c blue cheese *secret ingredient* which should NOT be divulged if your guests do not eat visibly "aged" cheese, most of those same guests may not eat eggs or mayo either...hmmm….or bacon for that matter
Salt and pepper to taste
Bacon crumbles, for topping

Butternut Squash-Leek Soup & Savory Harira Soup

a frozen mirror of ice is covering our most recent snow. it is the perfect time to warm the house with the stove and some savory soup and I have 2 recipes I have been chomping at the bit to try, Butternut Squash-Leek Soup ( Cooking Light from about 6 years ago) and Harira (Moosewood Restaurant Low Fat Recipes).

Butternut Squash-Leek Soup
I picked up some locally grown squash a few weeks back that has kept well on the back porch. I also used and some frozen acorn squash that I had roasted, puréed and froze. This recipe was very easy to whip up. I have to admit my soup looks deceptively like split pea not squash... the leeks won out in the coloring! My recipe is photo coped so I have no idea if I am close to what it should look like.

1 whole garlic head
4 tsp olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced leek (about 4 large)
4 cups cubed and peeled butternut squash (about 1 med) *I used locally grown acorn and potatoes
2 cups water
2 cups broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper (I prefer white)

-preheat the oven to 350
- remove white papery skins from the garlic (do not peel or separate the cloves). slice the tops off, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil and bake for about 1 hour. cool at least 10 minutes
- heat olive oil in pan over med-high head. Add leeks, Sauté about 5-8 minutes or until tender. Stir in the garlic (squeeze the roasted garlic from the head), 2 cups water, squash, broth, salt, and pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer at least 10 minutes until the squash is tender.
- use a blender or a hand held mixer to puree the ingredients. Be careful NOT TO BURN yourself.

4-6 servings (1cup) approx 167 calories, 3.5g fat, 5g fiber, 3mg iron, 144mg calcium

Harira
so says moosewood... "harira is traditionally served in North Africa at the evening meal during Ramadan, the Muslim month of daytime fasting." This soup is very fragrant when cooking and wonderfully balanced when served. I am not use to cinnamon in soup and thought this had an amazing scent while cooking although I was hesitant. Actually, I was sure I just wasted my time and food preparing this. Dan (my chocolate chip eating husband) surprisingly preferred this soup to the squash-leek. This is an wonderful soup with a lovely balance of flavors. I did not experiment much with this recipe but next time may use healthful sweet potatoes instead of the white.

1 cup chopped onion
4 cups stock (I used 5)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
1/2 cup celery (I omitted with no regrets)
1 cup undrained canned tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
pinch of saffron
1 cup cooked chickpeas (1/2 or 1/3 cup dried)
1 cup cooked lentils (1/2 or 1/3 cup dried)
1 to 2 T chopped cilantro
1 T fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

- in covered soup pot simmer 1 cup broth and onions for 10 minutes.
- combine ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne in a small bowl and add 2-3 T hot broth to make a paste
- stir the paste, carrots, celery, and the remaining stock. Bring to boil
- lower heat and add the tomatoes and potatoes and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- crumble in saffron. stir in the beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

suggested to serve with lemon wedges.
4-6 servings
approx 186 cal, 9 g protein, 1.6g fat, 8g fiber