So we have two salads, ham and green onion biscuits, a  crustless quiche and a coconut cake… here’s the first:

Spring Mix Salad with Mint, Raspberries and Pecans

• 8 to 10 cups of the freshest spring mix baby greens you can find- washed , spun dry, dry , dry and held in a bowl with paper towels or a clean tea towel in your fridge. If you don’t grow your own and you buy the prewashed kind- wash and dry them anyway to refresh and make sure they’re clean, clean, clean!
• 2 cups fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
• 2 cups fresh raspberries
• 2 cups spiced pecans (make extra from previous recipe)
• small handful of shelled pinenuts
• handful of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
•  1 large shallot, minced
• 4 Tablespoons White Balsamic Raspberry Blush Vinegar
• 1/2 cup walnut oil or olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

In the bottom of your salad bowl put the minced shallot and whisk in the Dijon mustard and a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, add the vinegar and then slowly whisk in the oil to make a dressing. Add the other ingredients to the bowl and then gently turn them in the dressing when it is time to serve.  Note: Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette Dressing  works great as a salad dressing for this if you don’t feel like  making your own.

Garden Rice Salad with Tomatoes, Peas and Herbs

This makes a huge salad for a party feel free to halve it and you’ll still have a lot of salad.

• 2 Cups Wild rice blend cooked covered with 4 Cups water (or chicken stock if you’re not feeding vegetarians) and a little salt, just until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente (about 45 minutes) a rice cooker works well here.
• 2 cups marinated artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
• reserve 4 Tablespoons of the marinade the artichoke hearts come in
• 2 cups new spring peas, fresh or frozen cooked and chilled
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 bunches of green onions, washed well, trimmed and chopped
• 2 pints of grape or cherry tomatoes, washed well and halved
• 1 cup combined fresh Oregano, Marjoram and Garlic Chives, minced
• 1 cup toasted almonds
• Dressing
• 1 cup of good flavoured olive oil
• 1/2 cup of Champagne Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 cloves minced garlic

Mix all of the dressing ingredients together in a pint glass jar, shake well and then store in the fridge until ready to use. Mix the cooked rice, artichoke hearts plus their marinade, peas, green pepper, green onion and tomatoes and herbs in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss gently. Top with the toasted almonds.

Green Onion Buttermilk Biscuits with Bourbon Glazed Ham

Biscuits

• 2 green onions, minced

• 2 Tablespoons Butter

• 2 Cups all purpose flour

• 3 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) COLD butter

• 3/4 Cup Buttermilk

Cook the green onions in 2 Tablespoons of butter until they are soft, set aside to cool. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt  together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs with a few pea sized pieces left. Make a well in the center and add the cold buttermilk and the cooled green onions. Mix just until a rough dough forms then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly just until it comes together enough to pat into a 1/2 thick square. Cut into 8 or 16 squares depending on how big you want your biscuits to be. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush each with a little buttermilk  and put into a preheated 425F oven for anywher from 12- 20 minutes depending on how big you cut the biscuits. They should be lightly golden brown and well risen.

Bourbon Glazed Ham

• Spiral Cut and Smoked half ham, about 7 pounds

• 1/2 cup good quality Bourbon

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

I didn’t feel like heating my oven but you can do this in the oven or on the barbecue grill. For the grill wrap the ham in two thicknesses of heavy duty aluminum foil and place on a preheated grill that has been turned to low heat or on the low side of the coals. Cover and bake for about an hour and a half or until the internal temperature is 140F. Mix together the Bourbon, brown sugar and mustard and open the foil a bit on top to glaze the ham. Bake for another 20 minutes  and then remove and let rest in the foil. Place thin sliced between  a split green onion biscuit. You’ll have lots of ham left over for other meals.Mmmm.

Crustless Fresh Crab and Green Chile Quiche

• 6 eggs

• 8 ounces cream cheese

• 1  (24) ounce carton small curd cottage cheese

• 1/2 cup softened butter

• 1/2 all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 Cup milk

• 3 Cups grated Cheese- I use cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss and provolone mixed

• 1 pound fresh lump crab such as Phillips from the refrigerated section, picked over for shell and cartilage or pick your own fresh crab lots of work though

• 1/2 cup minced green onion

• 2 small cans minced green chiles, drained well

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a glass 9 x13 baking dish, set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the eggs. Mix in the cream cheese, cottage cheese and butter until fairly smooth. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Add to the egg mixture and blend well. Add milk  and beat for a minute or two. Pour into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the crab meat, cheese, green onions and chiles over the top. Bake for about and hour and a half or until set through to the center.

Coconut Cake with Brambleberry Jam and Candied Violets

• 1/2 cup softened butter

• 1-1/2 Cups granulated sugar

• 1 cup of good quality canned coconut milk

• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

• 2-1/4 Cups cake flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 4 egg whites

• Frosting, recipe below

• 1 jar brambleberry or seedless blackberry or raspberry jam

• about 2-3 cups of shredded coconut ( I like Bob’s Red Mill large unsweetened shredded coconut)

• Candied Violets for decoration or other edible sugared flowers see how to make in my previous post here.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease, flour and place a parchment circle in the bottom of three 9 inch round cake pans. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Slowly add the coconut milk and beat in well. Add the vanilla and mix well. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, add all at once to the creamed mixture. Beat until combined. Add the egg whites and beat just until smooth. Do not overbeat. divide the batter evenly to the three cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until a tester in the center comes out clean. Cool for five minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack and cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

• 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour

• 1 cup milk

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon coconut or lemon extract, depending on what flavour you like

Cook the flour and milk together over medium low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Let cool. When cool Beat the remaining ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle mix in the cooled flour/milk  mixture and beat for about fifteen minutes or until fluffy.

To assemble cake, place a layer on your serving plate or a cardboard cake round and top with 1/2 cup of jam then frosting, repeat with second round, top with third round and then frost top and sides with remaining frosting, press shredded coconut into the frosting all around and then top with a  ring of  candied violets. Served with Spotted Dog Creamery Huckleberry Chip Ice Cream. Mmmm.

Spotted Dog Creamery is my favourite locally owned, small batch artisan ice cream maker. John, the chef/owner, is passionate about his product (and many other good causes) He is fighting for shelf space with the huge industrial ice cream giants. So go local- support small business and be sure to try his marvelous creations anywhere and anytime you can find them AND  be sure to ask for them at your local market if you’re in the area.

So that’s it- the last of the book club feast for this year and I’m on to July and my birthday tomorrow

We’re going to the Salt Lake Bees baseball game tonight -they’re playing the Sacramento Rivercats -go Bees! Rick is making my birthday cake as usual  (thanks sweetie!)- this year I picked a Mexican Chocolate Pecan Cake can’t wait….

xoxo

Continuing on with the recipes from the bookclub feast we come to the Minted Limeade, Iced Tea with Lemon Verbena Syrup and the Kaffir Lime and Lemongrass Vichyssoise…

All are very easy- do you remember my post making Mint Syrup a few months ago? Well for the limeade I  made another batch of mint syrup, and a batch of lemon verbena syrup for the iced tea, using the same method (click here to view) a few days before the party.

For Basic Limeade, Lemonade or Grapefruitade etc.  the recipe is the same:

Limeade Syrup

• 1-1/2 Cups water
• 1-1/2 Cups granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon finely grated Lime zest
• 1-1/2 Cups freshly squeezed lime juice (10-20 limes)

In a medium saucepan, heat the water until it’s almost boiling. Add the sugar  and zest to the hot water and stir to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the lime juice. Pour into a clean 1 quart glass jar and cool. Refrigerate. Combine with equal parts water 0ver a full glass of ice to make straight  limeade.

For the Minted Limeade : combine 1 quart of Limeade syrup and one pint of mint syrup over ice in a punch bowl and add 48 ounces of water. Garnish with fresh mint.

Home Brewed Ice Tea

• Eight bags Mighty Leaf Orange Dulce Tea
• Four bags Mighty Leaf Vanilla Bean Tea
• Two Bags Mighty Leaf Breakfast Blend Tea

Bring 1 quart spring water  to a boil in a small sauce pan place the tea bags in and cover for 4 minutes. Remove the teabags without squeezing. Cool. Place the tea concentrate in a glass punch bowl or container, add ice and water to strength desired. Serve with lemon verbena syrup on the side with a small ladle so guests can make the tea as sweet as they wish.

Kaffir Lime and Lemongrass Vichyssoise

• 4 Tablespoons, unsalted butter
• 3 large garlic cloves, mashed
• 1 pound leeks, washed well, white and pale green parts sliced
• 1 small onion coarsely chopped
• 4 Tablespoons minced lemongrass
• 10 small Kaffir lime leaves shredded
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced
• 2 Bay leaves
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Water to cover all (about 6 cups)
• 2 cups whole milk or heavy cream depending on silkiness desired and fat levels
• Fresh chives for garnish

In a stockpot, melt the butter and add the onions, lemongrass, garlic, leeks and lime leaves. Cook until softened and the onions turn transparent being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the potatoes, bay leaves, Salt, Pepper and water and simmer for about 20 minutes or until everything is tender. Remove the bay leaves and use an immersion blender (or blend in batches in a regular blender) until everything is pureed. Add the milk or cream, taste for seasonings and add if necessary. Place in a container and chill for several hours. To serve place in small bowls or glasses and add chives, stir in and add some more chives for garnish.  Makes about 8 cups.

OK everyone does a crudites platter- but I think the trick is to have a yummy dip instead of opening a bottle of ranch or blue cheese dressing. Homemade salad dressings and dips are so easy and fresh I almost never buy bottled.  The additional plus side to that is I don’t get all of the additives and stabilizers that are necessary for the bottle to make it from manufacturer to store shelf to your pantry. Simple easy and fresh-win, win, win!

Creamy Herb Dip

• 1 cup of homemade or Hellman’s-Best Foods Mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup of buttermilk
• 1 small bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, washed, dried and stems removed
• 2 small sprigs fresh Oregano, washed dried and stems removed
• 2 small sprigs fresh French Tarragon, washed dried and stems removed
• 2 Tablespoons homemade or good quality Basil Pesto
•  a couple of shakes of smoky Chipotle Tabasco sauce
• 1 small clove garlic minced with a little salt
• a few grinds of black pepper

Put all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse on and off until everything is blended well and all of the herbs are chopped into tiny bits and the dip is pale green.  If you don’t have a food processor you can finely mince all of the herbs and then mix everything together in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

This is also good as a dressing just thin with additional buttermilk or a little regular milk can work too.  Store for up to three days in your refrigerator.

Crudites are as simple as finding fresh veg you like and washing and cutting them up- I like a variety of color and texture. I usually blanch (dip a minute in boiling water and immediately plunge into an ice bath)  anything tough- for things like snap peas it really improves the color and mouth feel. 

Baked Sun-Dried Tomato and Cheese Dip

• 1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped (8 oz)
• 1/3 chopped and blotted dry oil packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• large pinch chili powder or cayenne
• 1 cup mayonnaise (again home made or Hellman’s/ Best foods)
• 4 cups shredded cheese- I use 2 cups Sharp Cheddar, 1 cup Provolone, 1 cup Mozzarella

Mix all together and put in a pretty, oven-safe baking dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes in a preheated 350F oven, until puffed and bubbly. Serve with crostini or crackers.  For crostini make or buy a baguette, slice it in 1/4″ slices and brush with melted garlic butter. Bake in a single layer on a baking sheet for 15 minutes or so at 350F.

I hope you enjoy!

More next time….

xoxo

June was my month to host the lovely ladies of my book-club at my home. We have enough members so that I only get to host once a year or less.  If I am able I usually try to pick June because we can gather in my garden and enjoy a relaxing evening.

In our club the hostess gets to choose the book so this month I chose  ”Garden Spells” by Sarah Addison Allen. We all enjoyed the book and had a huge discussion over whether or not we would want to know what the most import moment in our life was going to be if given the chance- which is one of the components of the story. I’m not telling you more- go read it for yourself. I’ve also just finished Ms. Allen’s new book, ”Sugar Queen” and I enjoyed it as well. Her writing reminds me of Alice Hoffman’s (I picked her book,  ”The Probable Future”for a past book-club) but with a bit of southern flavour.

Herbs and flowers incorporated into recipes are integral to the story so I planned a menu with this in mind.  I have lots of recipes to share so I’ve decided to list the menu and show you pictures but spread the recipes over my next several posts. Here’s what I prepared:

•  Spiced Pecans
• Crudites with Creamy Herb Dip
• Sun Dried Tomato and Cheese Baked Spread with Garlic Crostini
•  Minted Limeade
• Home-brewed Mighty Leaf  Orange Dulce and Vanilla Bean Iced Tea with Lemon Verbena Sugar Syrup
• Kaffir Lime and Lemongrass Vichyssoise
• Spring Mix Salad with Raspberries, Mint and Pecans
• Garden Rice Salad with Tomatoes, Peas and Herbs
• Green Onion Biscuits with Bourbon Glazed Ham
• Crustless Fresh Lump Crab Quiche
• Coconut Cake with Brambleberry Jam and Candied Violets (served with Spotted Dog Creamery’s Huckleberry Chip Ice Cream)

The first recipe I’m posting for the spiced pecans is super easy and flexible – add the herbs and spices you like, increase or decrease the amount easily:

Spiced Pecans

• 5 cups of pecan halves

• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted (my standing rule is no margarine anywhere near my house)

• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons molasses

• 1 Tablespoon good tasting wild flower honey

• 1/2 Tablespoon good chile powder (I use Rick’s)

• pinch of cayenne

• 1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt, use fine grind

• a few grinds of black pepper

• 1 Tablespoon Herbes de Provence or just dried thyme, crumbled

Line a baking tray large enough for the pecans to spread out in one layer- if your sheet is not large enough use two or bake in batches and split the coating ingredients between them. Preheat your oven to 350F and roast the pecans for about 15 minutes (watch them carefully so they don’t burn)  Mix the other ingredients in a bowl large enough to add the hot pecans. Remove the pecans from the oven, add to the bowl and stir with a spoon or spatula to coat evenly, return to the parchment lined pan(s) and roast for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on the pans.  Great to snack or added to salads such as the one I’ll give you the recipe for later.  

More next time from this Feast…

xoxo