a day on the ranch {guest post}

this is a guest post

sort of

if you would do me the favor

of 

considering me a guest

of my own blog

i have another blog

actually,

my husband and i share it

it is our 

out and abouts

of our very new ranch

today

on the blog and facebook page

i shared a story 

and a recipe

much like i do here

but a bit more

long winded

and with a touch of sarcasm

because

sometimes

when the air is clean

i become

long-winded

and

cheeky

if you have a bit of time

i'd love it

if you would share a bit of it with me

and the ranch

listening

to  little story

that has a 

consolation prize

of

 braised kale with white beans and pork tenderloin

click here to read the rest of the story

mayan truffle cake

in celebration

that today

 is

rather than

 isn't

i am sharing

a

special treat

to honor the mayans

who

loved chocolate

just as i 

mayan truffle cake for two

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon (plus more for dusting)

1/8 tsp smoked paprika

4 oz bittersweet (70%) chocolate--melted

cocoa powder for dusting

spray 2-8oz ramekins with pan spray,then line with plastic wrap.  set aside

pour cream in a bowl large enough for whipping.  add in the salt, nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and smoked paprika. whip to soft peaks. allow to warm a little (you do not want the whipped cream to be super cold for the next step). 

add about 1/4 of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and stir until it has been fully incorporated.  this will lighten the mixture a bit, which will make it easier to fold in the cream in the next step.  gently fold the remaining cream into the chocolate mixture.  if your cream is too cold at this point, your chocolate will clump up and not incorporate well into the mixture, so be careful.

pour into prepared ramekins, smooth down the top and place in refrigerator for about 2 hours or longer, if you have the time.

when ready to serve, invert onto serving place and dust with cocoa powder and cinnamon

serve with rich dark coffee

honey spiced latte

i mostly drink tea

but this time of year

i love a festive coffee drink

that isn't filled

with 

syrups and sugar

because we have honey bees

i have a nice fresh stock of honey on hand

at all times

paired with warming spices

it is a delicious addition

to a hot cup of joe

Honey Spiced Latte

perfect for a cool day, or apris ski

1 Tbs honey

dusting of cardamom

dusting of cinnamon

dusting of ginger

4 oz of hot espresso

6 oz steamed milk and foam

Put the honey in the bottom of the mug or glass.  Dust the spices over the honey. Pour the hot espresso over and stir until the honey melts.  Add milk to your liking.  Top with foam and dust with a bit more cinnamon and ginger.  Drizzle honey on top.

gingerbread construction {tips and tricks}

what is so wonderful about 

gingerbread houses

is that they are always

magical

even when they are a 

big. fat. mess

some years

i do an elaborate construction

(with assistance from hubster-of course)

like this

and sometimes

like this

and occasionally

simple 

like these

but no matter how

elaborate or simple

there are a few things that

are a constant

and 

important

today

i am sharing with you

some of my tricks

for stress free gingerbread house construction

Making Plans

-let the gingerbread dough rest in the refrigerator overnight before baking

-do not construct the house on the same day you have baked the gingerbread, give it a day to cool and settle

-if you buy pre-made gingerbread pieces, make sure they are dry before decorating or constructing

-to dry pieces out (especially in humid environment), place them on a cookie sheet and place in a slow (225-250F) oven until they firm up

Construction Management

-if using a purchased kit, do not, i repeat, do not use the frosting that comes with the kit to assemble the house. it will frustrate the dickens out of you.  make a nice big batch of Royal Icing (alton brown's recipe)

-if you are decorating with mainly candies and sprinkles, construct the house at least 12 hours before decorating---24 hours is best

-if you want the candies to stick, use royal icing.  if you want them to taste yummy, use frosting.

-assemble the walls of the house first, allow to dry for about an hour, then attach the roof pieces.

-prop the pieces up while they are drying, even if it looks like they are staying without a problem.

-allow the house to fully dry, before adhering it to a base

Custom Built

-if perfect corners and straight edges are your thing, use a micro-plane to shave the ends of the gingerbread pieces.

-if looking for a darker hue on your gingerbread, or to paint gum pieces to look like hardwood floors, simply mix a bit of coffee granules into vodka to desired color and consistency and paint it on.  the vodka will evaporate quickly.

-when piping intricate details, use a piping bag with a tip.  you will get consistent results and small detailed lines.

-when using the piping bag, do not over-fill, particularly if you have small hands.  put no more than a cup of royal icing in at a time.

-if you make a mistake and it really bothers you, wait until it dries to easily pick it off

-when doing intricate detail work, it is best to decorate the house before constructing. it allows for more freedom of motion

but most of all

have fun!

i would love to hear any tips you may have for stress free gingerbread construction

or

if you have a question about this topic that i didn't answer

please feel free to ask in the comments

homemade fire starters {diy}

i love the chill of winter

the scent of snow

and

chimney smoke

no matter my hurry

a crackling fire

shifts me to pause

...if only briefly

i repurpose 

simple household items

to make these

useful goodies

 

fire starters

paper egg cartons

dryer lint

cotton kitchen twine

bees wax or leftover candle bits

place the wax/candles in an old can or jar with a wide mouth and place in a saucepan with water filled so it comes about halfway up the jar.  place over low to medium heat, to indirectly melt the wax.

meanwhile.  cut the top off the egg carton, and then cut the egg cups apart. tightly pack lint into each cup, leaving a bit of headroom, so you can close the tops, but folding the corners in.  tie into a bundle using kitchen twine, allow for a fairly long wick, so you can use it to dip the cup into the wax. 

once the wax is liquid, dip each cup into it, allow it to be fully immersed.  i use disposable chop sticks or skewers to shimmy the cup, to make sure it is fully covered.  lay on wax or kitchen paper to cool.  once cool, trim wick and you are ready to go!

*the wax is used to keep the starters waterproof...which is great for campers and hunters.  if you will be using the firestarter in your home, you may not want to add this step.  i always do, because i love the smell of beeswax

**if you really jam pack these with lint, they will burn for 10 minutes or so and smolder for quite some time as well. i find it enough time to get the kindle lit and the logs on their way...

snow globe cupcakes

i love snow globes

when i see grand collections

a tinge of envy

bubbles up

like plastic snowflakes

in a whirl

then 

a 

settling calm

because

the last thing i need

is

 another collection

unless of course

we are talking

 edible

like these little darlings

an incredibly simple project

perfect for

your holiday table

snow globe cupcakes

1 recipe of your favorite cupcake baked and cooled

my favorite

1 recipe of your favorite frosting

1 dozen plastic clear christmas balls

like these

i picked mine up at michaels 

cupcake toppers 

(deer, trees, house in the woods...

whatever your fancy)

edible glitter in white

ribbon

imagination

using a sharp scissor or craft knife, cut the top off the ornament

like so

wash and dry the "globe" then sprinkle some of the edible glitter in the bottom.  swirl it around.  most of the glitter will stick, what doesn't will fall to the cupcake when you invert.  if you want lots of "snow" in the globe, brush a bit of vodka on the inside of the globe, swirl the glitter.  it will stick well, and the vodka will evaporate, eliminating any unwanted moisture.  

frost the cupcake as you normally would, place your decorations on top, and carefully invert the globe over the top.  

finish with a little bow

linking to

tatertots and jello weekly linky

Simple Nut Tart

dinner parties

stump me

sometimes

being trained in pastry

there is a certain expectation

dessert will be served

and

it will be from scratch

normally

not a problem

however

occasionally

(particlarly when preparing

a full and complicated dinner)

i don't want to finish

with a

substantial & heavy dessert

sometimes

a simple nut tart

served with

strong coffee

paired with 

a bowl of clementines

is just the trick

 Simple Nut Tart

1 pastry crust, pressed into an 8" square tart tin--baked blind

1 cups walnut--toasted

1 1/2 cups pecans--toasted

1 cup almonds--toasted

1/2 cup pine nuts--toasted

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbs honey

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup water

1 oz whiskey

  

preheat oven to 350. place all nuts in a large bowl and mix until well combined.  put brown sugar, granulated sugar, honey salt and water in a heavy saucepan.  stir well, place on medium heat and bring to a simmer.  allow to boil for about 3 minutes.  carefully add the whiskey and bring back to a boil.  boil for 2 more minutes.  the sugar should get a bit syrupy, but should not smoke or turn excessively dark.  keep a constant eye on the sugar.  remove the sugar from heat and tip in the nuts.  stir well, giving each nut a coat of syrup.  immediately tip into the baked crust, gently and spreading to cover the entire crust. pop into the oven for 5-7 minutes. remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.

variations

-add orange juice in place of some water in caramel; a pinch of orange zest & a sprinkle of cinnamon to the nuts

-the addition of fresh rosemary when stirring the nuts into the caramel (light hand) make for a beautiful winter tart

--drizzle with bittersweet chocolate or drench in dark ganache

-substitute vanilla for whiskey

-be creative!

its on like donkey kong.....jack

we were a bit behind

the '8-ball'

this year for halloween

one hour before we were meant to

pass out candy

hubs and i were still talking about

costumes

we usually go

over the top

with 

fancy make-up

extravagant costumes

and the like

this year

we just raided

hubster's closet

added a bit of facial hair

&

some props

hubs played banjo
for
trick or treaters
while i
dispensed
 valuable advice
like
"pretty tires are for sissy rednecks"
&
"there are two kinds of people in this world, the educated and unducated"

hubster as a foggy bottom boy --i'm si robertson 
(of duck dynasty fame)

I hope everyone had a safe and happy halloween!

buttermilk biscuits

when in high school

what we called 

"the roach coach"

rolled up come lunch-time

selling 

all sorts of delicious (read really unhealthy)

food stuffs

once a week

it stopped at kfc

loading up 

on chicken and biscuits

i would queue

for the length of our lunch break

for those biscuits

big, fluffy & buttery

just the nutritious lunch i needed

(ha ha)

those days are long gone

roach coaches

are now gourmet eateries

and i

much more discerning

in my biscuit admiration

 Buttermilk Biscuits

(printable recipe)

2 cups flour-plus more for kneading

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bakewell cream

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

5 Tbs unsalted butter--cold & cut into small squares

1 cup buttermilk--cold + more for brushing tops

mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  using your fingers or a pastry knife to cut in the butter, allowing for both pea size and smaller pieces of butter.  do not overwork, you want the butter to stay relatively firm and cool.  quickly add in the buttermilk and stir to create a moist dough.  turn dough out onto a well floured surface and press into a rectangle.  do not saturate in flour, but also use enough to prevent sticking. bring the short ends of the dough in, folding into thirds.  give the dough a quarter turn and press or roll again into a rectangle.  fold into thirds.  repeat 2 more times, using enough flour to keep dough from sticking.

after the final turn, roll the dough into a 3/4" rectangle.  use a biscuit cutter to make rounds, or for simplicity, cut evenly into squares.

brush top of each biscuit with buttermilk, and place on a lined baking sheet.  i like to place my biscuits fairly close together, so they bake together a bit. it gives it a little softness around the edges. if that is not your thing, make sure you have at least 1 1/2" separation when placing in pan.  bake at 400F for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

sweet potato & swiss chard tart

i was able to pick up

swiss chard

for a song

at this week's market

which means

creating meals 

around this favorite green

has been my charge

this morning

i was longing for

the buttery crust of pie

with the

wholesome chew

of comfort

i threw together this tart

in a jiff

simply using

larder staples

sweet potato and swiss chard tart

(printable recipe)

1 pie crust--press in to an 8-9" tart pan

1 medium sweet potato--1/4" slice and halved

1/2 onion--halved and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic--finely chopped

1 Tbs (about) olive oil

1 bunch swiss chard--ribs removed and chopped into thin ribbons

generous pinch salt and pepper

generous pinch freshly ground nutmeg (or small pinch of dried)

6 large eggs

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 Tbs grated parmesan

2 stems thyme--stems removed (or 1/4 tsp dried)

1/2 cup grated cheese (asiago,white cheddar, provolone, or jack)

preheat oven to 375F.  Blind bake the crust for about 20 minutes.  When you remove the weights, you will fill with the custard and place back in the oven to continue baking.

Heat a large skillet over low heat.  Pour in enough olive oil to just coat the bottom of the pan.  Toss in the potatoes and onions.  Cook until the potato and onions begin to soften. You are not frying for color, you are softening the vegetables.  Toss in the garlic and swiss chard and continue on low-stirring occasionally) until the chard is droopy and has cast off some moisture. Do not let the garlic burn.  Season with salt and pepper and nutmeg

Pour into the par-baked crust and spread evenly to cover the entire bottom

Gently whisk the eggs, yogurt, thyme and parmesan together in a bowl. You want to incorporate the yogurt (eliminating large lumps) without incorporating too much air.  Pour over the vegetables.  

Reduce oven heat to 350F and place the tart on a sheet pan and then in oven.  Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the eggs do not jiggle when you gently tap the pan, and the crust is golden brown.

keeping up with the clampetts (new blog)

i am city folk

however

an old dog can learn new tricks

if

milking a goat

is considered a trick

we are making a move

first emotionally

then

physically

you can follow our progress

through a new blog

written with two voices

mine 

and

hubster

the words aren't

stylized

or

triple worked

the photos

unfiltered

just simply

the happenings

our feelings

triumphs

and

stumbles

with

lots of humor

beginning with the name

we were trying to think of names for the ranch

and summer was in full swing

what was green in the spring 

is now brown

hubs affectionately began calling the place

brown acres

and 

i added in a tag line

keeping up with the clampetts

save for the 

occasional surprise pregnancy and trial separation

(livestock only)

will be more

jed and granny

than

kim and any poor soul with a k as his first initial

as we were making a list of all the equipment we need to purchase

we thought

we really should call this blog

honey i shrunk the nest egg

all references to pop culture

more accurately (gran)pop culture

hey

it is our blog

and we will call it what we want

even 

if it is only funny to us

i do hope

you follow along

so you will be good and ready

when we need a house-sitter 

follow us here

Keeping Up With The Clampetts

zucchini chevre spoon-bread

a few days back

hubs

fresh from visiting

our long neglected garden

presented me

with an enormous zucchini

confession

i sorta only grow zucchini

for flowers

occasionally

a few squash survive

when they do

i use them for bread

sometimes 

sweet

sometimes

savory

this spoon bread is a great side dish

it also rocks

scooped warm and soft

as a bed

for 

caramelized onions

sunny side up eggs

and

crispy bacon

best.breakfast.ever

 

zucchini chevre spoon bread

(printable recipe)

4 large eggs

6 oz olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup chevre

1/2 tsp freshly grated pepper

1 Tbs honey

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dried thyme

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 cups all purpose flour

1 lb (about 3 cups) grated zucchini

1 cup grated cheese (mix of asiago, parmesan and provolone)*

*use your favorite flavorful cheese...if you use a salty cheese, modify your salt to 1/2 tsp

whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl, set aside.  in a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the eggs and olive oil until pale (about 5 minutes).  add the salt, chevre, pepper, honey garlic powder and thyme.  mix for about another minute at as high speed as you can without splashing.  STIR in the flour until fully incorporated, then stir in the zucchini and cheese.  bake at 375F in an 9" buttered cake tin or cast iron skillet.  bake for about 45-50 minutes.  this is a spoon bread, so it will be soft, but should not be jiggly.  it will set as it cools as well.  serve warm.

linking to

steampunk sheep

steampunk sheep

at the puyallup fair

i couldn't help but think

ol' leroy here

had plans of his own

lemon ricotta pancakes

i had originally planned

to be long-winded

and

apologetic

about my absence

then i thought

actions not words

&

i made you these

  

the best part?

none of that pesky

egg-white whipping

and

delicate folding

with their

buttery crispy edges

and

billowy lemony insides

these pancake

say

i'm sorry

and

you're welcome

all at the same time

lemon ricotta pancakes

(printable recipe)

1/2 cup ricotta 

1 Tbs lemon zest

2 Tbs lemon juice

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup fine corn meal (floury kind)

1 cup all purpose flour

6 Tbs sugar

whisk together the flour, corn flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. in a separate bowl whisk together the ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs and buttermilk.  stir the dry into the wet a bit at a time, to minimize lumps.  stir slowly, and just to get all the ingredients incorporated.  allow to sit about 5 minutes while you heat up the pan.  i like to use butter to cook my pancakes, and i like it to get a bit brown before laying down the batter. but these pancakes are even delicious with pan spray.  

i suggest pureed fruit, fruit syrup or a glaze made with lemon juice and powdered sugar as a topper. 

pockets full of gold

i'm fresh from 

a long hot bath

irresponsibly

hot

irresponsibly

long

washing the day's

dust and doubt

you see

today 

hubs and i

inked the deal

The Deal

the deal that

moves us from

the cloud side of the rainbow

to 

the pot of gold

1988

is the year i graduated college

freshly minted diploma in hand

this same year

i was certain

a 100 year old farmhouse

on 10 acres

in small town montana

found in the classifieds

was my perfect next step

you may have guessed

instead of the house

on the range

i moved back home

picked up a dumpy rental with friends

and 

started my professional journey

a fabulous time

with 

great stories

interesting triumphs

love

hubster and i

have been talking about a different life

since the day we met

the type of life imagined

as a fresh faced grad

these many years later

it is happening

rather than a two story farmhouse

in a corner of montana

we are closing on

a doll of a house

perched on a hilltop

presiding over 60 acres

and a trio of yaks

today

we walked the land

with the seller

crossing from one end to the next

down a sloping trail

walked by natives

missionaries

herds of cattle

wild pigs

landowners

trail horses

and

us

hubster and i

both agree

we should make this walk daily

filling our boots with dust

our lungs with fresh breath

and

our

proverbial pockets

with

gold

buttermilk fried chicken

my last meal

would include

fried chicken

to me

it invokes

warm summer nights

picnic loaded convertibles driven by dapper gents

barefooted at the shore

grand times

and

a happy childhood

forget the trimmings

serve me up

a crispy breast

a slather of honey

&

leave me in my memory

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

printable recipe

*this recipe was previously shared in 2010

simple summer tartlettes

this is not a recipe

more

an idea

of 

what can be done

with

fresh

peak of the season

fruit

simple summer tartlettes

nectarines

apricots

marzipan

puff pastry

sugar

cinnamon

line tartlette pan with puff pastry, rolled to 1/8th inch thickness.  place in the refrigerator to get nice and cold.  meanwhile, thinly slice fruit, keeping skin on.  roll out marzipan to an 1/8th inch sheet and gently lay a round into the bottom of the pastry lined tin.  arrange fruit in a thin layer on top.  sprinkle a bit of sugar and cinnamon on top (like you would salt and pepper...do not be heavy handed).  bake at 400 until the pastry is browned and crisp (about 15-20 min).

serve with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of creme fraiche.

homemade feta

making cheese

can be

labor intensive

but

not difficult

it requires

attention to detail

a super clean work area

few specialty ingredients

and

patience

feta cheese

is

aged in a brine

making it

salty and creamy

  

Feta Cheese

(printable recipe)

1 gallon pasterized goat's milk (do not use ultra-pasterized)

1/4 tsp aroma B mesophillic starter 

4 drops (double strength*) rennet

1/4 cup non-chlorinated (bottled) water

butter muslin

flake sea salt or kosher salt

for brine

8 cups water

1/2 cup kosher salt

heat the goat's milk slowly in a large heavy stock pot to74F. remove pot from the flame and burner (but leave on stove), and gently stir in the mesophillic starter. allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before moving on to the next step.

meanwhile, mix the rennet into the 1/4 cup water and after the wait time, gently stir into the milk pot.  do not scrape the sides or bottom of pan, but gently stir for about 2 minutes.  cover the pot and leave on the back of the stove undisturbed for 12 hours. (the objective is to keep the milk at the 74F for the entire time)

after 12 hours, gently ladle the curds into a muslin lined colander (over a bowl if you wish to keep the curds). allow it to sit uncovered for 1 hour

after 1 hour, tie the ends of the butter muslin to create a pouch that can be suspended or hung**.  i tie the pouch to my sink faucet and allow the curds to drain directly into the sink. it is also easy to run a wooden spoon through the knot and suspend the pouch over a deep pot.  

allow the curds to drain for a full 12 hours

open the pouch remove the curd mass (it should be fairly stable) and flip it over. return it to the butter muslin and suspend for an additional 12 hours.

**an alternative:  after you have drained the curds for the initial 1 hour, you can transfer the curds to a muslin lined plastic tomato basket, flipping every couple of hours.  this will give you a more uniform shape.

remove the curd, which should now be quite firm, from the cheesecloth and place on a draining mat, or surface that has small holes (cooling rack, pizza pan, bamboo mat).  cut the curds into desired size (about 1"x1" or larger for interesting presentation).  lightly salt all sides of the pieces and allow to dry for 3-5 days uncovered in your refrigerator. you are looking for the pieces to become a bit yellow on the edges.

prepare your brine with enough advance that it is cooled to approx 60F by the time you are ready to use it (you can store it in the refrigerator if made in advance).  to prepare the brine, simply boil the water and add the salt. stir to dissolve completely.

when ready to brine, place the dried cheese pieces in a glass jar, careful not to jam and pour the brine over. cover the jar and brine the feta for 2-3 weeks before enjoying.  you will notice the flavor builds as time progresses.  if stored properly, this will last about 6 months (although i dare say it is so delicious, it probably won't make it that long!)

i find the brine a bit salty, so i quickly rinse my feta in non-chlorinated water, and gently dry with a paper towel before eating

it is delicious & beautifully presented with strong black olives, a bit of hot pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.

foodie to foodie {july pen pals}

i think

foodie pen pals

is single handedly

saving the postal service

each month

about a thousand packages

go 

flying across the world

filled with

goodies

tailored to individual tastes

what the sender knows of the receiver

is very little

he/she may read your blog

or

ask what you favor

wonder about allergies

&

food true loves

then

pops a whole lot of goodness

in the hands of 

parcel post

july was my second month of participation 

in

foodie pen pals

dreamed up and managed by

lindsay of the lean green bean

it is a whole lot of fun

and

anyone can join...

....it isn't just for bloggers

so

on to the treats i received

a darling gal named marisa from the college cuisiner

put together a really special package 

first let me say

i am a bit sappy

but

there is a rule

the package must include something written

well

marisa

knocked it out of the park

it made me teary eyed

can you see it?

it is a journal

with recipes and ideas and food quotes

bound in leather

that SHE made

it is wonderful!

i have already decided to "borrow" the idea

along with this fabulous gift

the box was filled with all the things i love

crunchy homemade kale chips

(already gone)

quince jam her sister made

(already opened and enjoyed)

delicious almond butter

(also gone)

green tea for my morning pick me up

(not gone, but well on its way)

a personal chocolate milk

(which i am saving for a weekend mocha marathon!)

and some amazing crackers

what?

no photo of the crackers?!

that might be because

they. are. gone. too

hmm

well

marisa did offer this quote in my new favorite journal

so it is kinda her fault

thank you marisa

i truly loved everything in the box

oh

there were also bubbles

which are so much fun

i broke them out immediately

figuring our african grey would find them amusing

no g

he kept telling me to

"knock it off"

i sent my package to heather

who is also in california (like me)

but doesn't have a blog

she was kind enough to

send a little post along

for me to share with you

about 

what i sent her

take it away heather!

I was the recipient of Christy’s box this month for Foodie Penpals, and was I thrilled with the amazing things she sent.  The first thing that was great about my pen pal this month was getting to discover Christy’s blog.  She has some great recipes!  My eggplants are finally ready for picking and I tried her eggplant involtini recipe, which was fantastic. Her box was just as wonderful and Christy must be a mind reader for things people will love.  

The first thing I noticed was a tin of Chana Masala.  I did not tell Christy this, but I just went to a friend’s wedding in India this April and I am on an Indian food kick.  It smells wonderful and is all set to be used for this tandoori salmon recipe I want to try out this weekend.  There was a box of green tea chai.  I don’t drink coffee, but looking at my desk at work right now, I have at least 8 kinds of tea and this is a great addition to the mix.  The chocolate covered grahams were delicious and did not last long after the picture was taken.  The olive oil is so good drizzled on a fresh picked tomato with a pinch of coarse salt. I have already made a note to get more of this oil when I run out. As if everything wasn’t wonderful enough already, Christy has also given me some of the wildflower honey from her hives.  I am so jealous about her having beehives and the honey is so good that I haven’t figured out what is the best way to enjoy it yet. I don’t want to waste it on something that won’t really showcase the really floral flavor.  On top of the food, I got a neat little bundle of the cutest things.  There is a Pinocchio bottle stopper, adorable.  There are also some cute little picks that will be fantastic on a cheese platter. And finally, a handy bottle opener that will be added to the wine opener in my picnic basket, since I always forget it doesn’t open bottles.

Thank you so much for all the delicious and fun treats, Christy.  Your box was thoughtful and I appreciate everything you sent!

if all this seems like fun to you

join up

chard & ricotta pie

up at the cabin

i don't always have a full larder

but

i do have a garden

and

a few cheats in the freezer

which leads to

simple

creative

dinners

i was able to whip this

up in a snap

mostly because

our garden overflows

with 

chard

 chard and ricotta pie

10 sheets filo dough

olive oil

grated parmesan

1 garlic clove--finely chopped

1/2 medium onion--finely chopped

2 Tbs olive oil

1 bunch (about 12 large leaves/4 cups chopped)--chopped--discarding stems

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan

2 eggs

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp freshly grated parmesan

a few turns of the pepper-mill

use an 8x10 pan.  layer the filo by brushing each sheet with olive oil, and a light sprinkle of parmesan cheese.  the bottom layer should be 6 sheets.  trim the ends and set aside.  

in a large skillet, heat the olive oil on low--toss in the garlic and onion.  cook just until the onions begin to sweat and turn translucent. do not allow the garlic to brown.  toss in the chard and allow to wilt, giving a good stir to evenly cook.  after about 5 minutes, toss in about 1/4 cup of water and cover.  allow the chard to get nice and soft. allow to cool slightly. strain off the liquid and place in a bowl.  add the ricotta, parmesan, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and pepper.  

evenly spread into the prepared filo crust.  

take the remaining 4 leaves of filo one by one and scrunch them in a loose accordion.  place on top of the spinach layer, making sure to cover the entire top of the pie.  drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a bit more cheese.

bake at 375F for about 30-35 minutes.  you will look for the filo to be nice and crispy.

serve warm or room temperature. 

this is very easy to crisp up in the oven for a "next-day" treat!

lemon lavender cake

i love lavender-trimming day

delicate buds

not yet spent

but 

given their pollen

to the bees

at the ready

for

culinary cajoling

i bundle the limping stalks

tacking my baker's rack 

with 

lines of purple

a

scent of  Provence

filling the air

i toss the dried buds

in everything 

from

simple syrup to custards

aioli to bitters

shortbread to biscotti

i especially love it

in this cake

lemon-lavender cake

(this is a riff on a classic 1-2-3-4 cake)

(printable recipe)

Cake

1 cup unsalted butter--room temperature

2 cups sugar

3 cups flour

4 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

1 Tbs lemon zest

juice of 1 large lemon

1 generous tsp dried lavender buds

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each

addition. Stop and scrape down the sides with a spatula and resume beating until the mixture looks like

buttercream frosting. Meanwhile…in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice and buttermilk together. With the mixer on low, alternately mix in

the flour and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, in 3 additions. Do not over-mix, just allow the ingredients to come together. Stir in the lavender. Pour into 2 loaf pans that have been coated in pan spray. Bake at 325 F for approximately 50 mins. Check for doneness after 40 minutes. Cake is fully baked when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.When cool, pour glaze over

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbs cream

Juice of lemon (more or less to your taste)

Stir together and pour over cooled cake.

i've linked my cake up to this great weekly party