~A Kitchen Vignette~

We are promised 50 degree nights and 70’s during the day, this week.

I know, and completely understand, not everyone welcomes Fall with open arms, the way I do.  It truly is my favorite time of year. 

This year I will welcome the season even more than usual.  Summer has been a tad hot, here in the St Louis area.  The temperatures, coupled with the humidity we have in Missouri, makes it seem much warmer than the thermometer reads. 

I tend not to think about what lies beyond Fall, preferring to savor the season, rather than project toward Winter.

When the time comes, I’ll welcome Winter, when we light the fireplace and enjoy the season, from our hearth room chairs. 

Since J retired, as a Lineman, for the local rural electric cooperative, I don’t have to worry about him going out in all kinds of weather conditions, including Winter. 

He served the cooperative well for nearly 40 years.

“Moose” celebrated his 65th birthday, Monday August 23. 

It’s been an interesting 65 years, to say the least.

  

It’s nice having him home when the weather is extreme and the roads not so nice .

It’s also nice the phone doesn’t ring, with “trouble calls”, in the wee small hours of the morning.

The vignette

I gathered a few cookbooks and added them to the cabinet top, at the end of the island.  Black and white dishes in a dish rack, a welcome home sign, canister and rooster add to the vignette.  I couldn’t resist the addition of a pumpkin. 

Tuesday Night Supper

One day a week, we have pasta.   

I love pasta!

I was very happy when I had great cholesterol numbers, at the check up, earlier this month.  J’s cholesterol report was good, too. 

That means we can continue our once a week pasta night, until further notice.

I’m always on the lookout for different ways to prepare pasta.

This week, I chose a recipe from the magazine, La Cucina Italiana (October 2010).

Penne con Salsiccia Zafferano

Fine sea salt

1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup thinly sliced onion

(from one medium)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage

1 cup heavy cream

1 pound penne

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Meanwhile combine 1 tablespoon water and saffron in a small bowl; set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet; heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and thyme, cook stirring frequently, until softened, about 4 minutes, then add sausage and cook, breaking up sausage with a wooden spoon, until sausage is mostly cooked through, about 6 minutes.  Add cream, saffron mix and a generous pinch of salt, bring to simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.  Drain, then transfer to a large bowl; immediately add cream mixture and toss to combine.  Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

Salad

I served Heirloom Tomato Carpaccio Salad, with the pasta.

The recipe is from Mary of Home is Where the Boat Is. 

The link will take you to photos of her beautiful salad and the recipe.

Linking to Artie’s Vignette Fridays.

&

Designs by Gollum

Happy weekend!

~Lazy Days of Summer~

Endless Summer

I am adding this post to Michael’s Foodie Friday, at Designs by Gollum.

Insalata Caprese

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Dust off the sun and moon and sing a song of cheer.

-Artist: Nat King Cole
-peak Billboard position # 6 in 1963
-Words by Charles Tobias and Music by Hans Carste

I can hear Nat King Cole, singing this song, as I write this post.

Lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer will arrive soon, here in the St Louis area.  Even though it is another three weeks until Summer officially arrives, we are beginning to feel the promise of heat and humidity. 

It’s time to start thinking about lighter meals, with less time spent in the kitchen.

Over the weekend I made one of my favorite salads, Caprese, using tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil.  Our tomatoes won’t be ready for a few more weeks.  I purchased vine ripened  tomatoes with a nice flavor. Basil, growing in our back porch pots, is abundant.

Insalata Caprese recipe can be found at Epicurious.

  Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad, from Saint Louis Bread Company

Tuesday, we spent the morning running hither and yon, in Saint Charles County, stopping for lunch at Saint Louis Bread Company; a favorite of ours.

  

J ordered Tuna Salad.  My lunch was the Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad, with chicken. 

I’m going to try making this salad at home using, lettuce, strawberries, mandarin oranges, pineapple, blueberries and pecan halves. I’ll add sliced roasted chicken and light poppy seed dressing. 

I’m sure it won’t be as good as the salad at “breadco”.

Tuesday night supper, on the patio.

We stopped by Lowe’s, this week, and picked up an indoor/outdoor fan on a stand.  Having the fan on the patio will make summertime outdoor dining much more comfortable.

Update

We’re making a couple of changes in the bonus room/studio over the garage.  More about this in an upcoming post.

Appreciation  

Thank you  Gypsy Purple for mentioning Back Porch Musings’ black and white table, featured in THIS post.

Edited Wednesday evening to add my version of St Louis Bread Company Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad.

~Lunch on the Deck~

Stop by Designs by Gollum, each Friday, for delicious inspiration from kitchens around the blogosphere.

Wednesday was a beautiful day in the Ozarks.  A perfect day for lunch on the deck.

I prepared Clam Chowder and served it with hot rolls.

 CLAM CHOWDER

4 or 5 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

2 or 3 ribs of celery, chopped

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

2 or 3 6.5 ounce cans clams, packed in water.

8 ounce bottle clam juice

4 slices bacon

1/2 stick butter

1 pint heavy cream

1 cup half and half

Thyme

Parsley

Bay Leaf

Cracked pepper to taste.

No salt needed.

Cook potatoes, covered in water just to the top, until slightly underdone.  While potatoes are cooking, cut bacon into small pieces and cook in skillet.  Drain on paper toweling.  Add celery and onion to skillet and cook until translucent, not brown.  Add minced garlic at the end. 

Drain clams, reserving a portion of the liquid.  Rinse clams removing any remaining sand.

Drain potatoes and return to pot.  Add 1 bottle of clam juice, about a cup of the juice from the canned clams and the drained clams.  Add onion, garlic, celery, approximately 1 tablespoon of dried thyme, tied in cheesecloth and 1 bay leaf, simmer about 15 or 20 minutes.

Remove thyme and bay leaf.

Prepare a roux of melted butter and 1 tablespoon flour, stir into chowder to thicken.

Add bacon, heavy cream and half and half. Heat, do not boil.

Garnish with a pat of butter and chopped parsley.

Serve with multigrain rolls

6-8 one cup ladle servings

Enjoy!

 Lunchtime View

There are lots of Clam Chowder recipes.  I sort of combined a few to make this pot of chowder.

One of the easiest chowder recipes, I know of, was prepared by an old St Charles, Missouri restaurant, Noah’s Ark, now closed and demolished.  That recipe includes 3 canned soups; celery soup, potato soup and clam chowder.  This is the chowder I make for big gatherings. I prepare a potato soup, add the canned soups and extra clams, a couple of cans of evaporated milk and butter.  I throw in a handful of instant potato flakes to thicken.  It’s okay, but not quite a tasty as the chowder I prepared Wednesday.

Family…..are you reading this?

~Peachy Dessert & Other Goodness~

I baked an easy peach cobbler, for one of my contributions to this week’s Foodie Friday.

Stop by Designs by Gollum, each Friday, for delicious dishes from blogland.

I doubled the flour, sugar, milk, etc and put the berries on top, when I made Wild Blackberry Cobbler, using this recipe, last summer. I wrote about it here.

J just reminded me, I still have a bag of those Blackberries in the freezer.

I believe I posted about Peach Cobbler a couple of years ago.  I can’t find the post.  Oh well…it’s worth repeating.

About 15 miles east of our home and just across the Mississippi River, you will find Calhoun County, Illinois.  Each summer, we wait with anticipation for Calhoun County Peaches to ripen.  Find more about Calhoun County, Illinois HERE.

Sometimes we hop aboard the Golden Eagle Ferry, to Illinois and take the back roads, to the orchards. Other times, we find the peaches, in our town, sold from the back of a truck.  The Calhoun peaches, used in today’s dessert, were purchased from a truck.

Peach Dessert-Easy Cobbler

12 or 14 peaches (these are clings)

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

Sprinkle of nutmeg

3/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350

Peel, slice and sweeten peaches, to taste.

Assemble dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.

Add vanilla to milk and stir into dry ingredients until well blended.

Batter will be slightly lumpy.

Pour peaches into 9x13 baking dish and dot with butter.

Pour batter over peaches, bake in 350 oven, 35 to 40 minutes,  until batter is golden.

When cool, sprinkle a small amount of sugar over top.

Option: A large can of peaches, in heavy syrup, can be substituted for fresh peaches.

~Summer Saturday Supper~

Well, of course I put the dessert first!

One of our favorite summertime meals; green beans and new potatoes, corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers & onion and cornbread.

We like our green beans and potatoes cooked in one pot. 

Stem and break about 2 pounds green beans.  Place in large pot and cover with water, to top of beans.  Cut ham into small pieces and place over beans.  Cut 1.5 pounds new potatoes into quarters; do not peel. Place the potatoes over the ham and green beans; cover and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and cook 1 to 2 hours. 

To complete the meal, cook a few ears of corn, slice a fresh tomato, or two, prepare a bowl of cucumbers and onion. Last, but absolutely not least, bake a big iron skillet of cornbread

Cucumbers & Onion

This is one of my favorite summertime dishes.  J does not eat cucumber.  I usually make just a small bowl, unless the kids are here.  Then I make two batches; one with onion and one without.  I have to have the onion, oh my goodness.

Several cucumbers (homegrown is best), peeled and sliced

1 sweet onion, sliced

Cider Vinegar

Water

Salt

Cracked Pepper

Sugar.

Mix equal parts vinegar and water, add salt, pepper and sugar, to taste.  Pour mixture over cucumbers and onion. Chill for a couple of hours.

I’ve used this mix for a week to ten days, adding cucumber and onion, along the way.

Most of the fruit and vegetables, used in this meal, were grown in Missouri and Illinois. The ham is also a Missouri product.

Photo taken from Southern Lady-Nancy’s post.

How appropriate that I saw Nancy’s post, about Paula’s new furniture line, just as I was about to publish this post, featuring good ol’ down home cookin’!

Stop over by Southern Lady to read about this fabulous new furniture line!

Giveaway~

Carol, of Long Ramblings, is having a giveaway from Leen Graphics.

For details, click the link above or the button on my side bar.

~Red White & Blue Dessert~

I’m joining Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, for Tasty Tuesday and Michael of Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday. Please stop by these lovely blogs for wonderful dishes.

1prepared angel food cake, cut into large cubes…

4 lbs strawberries, stemmed, quartered, sweetened to taste (artificial sweetener may be used); mash slightly, with potato masher, to release juice…

2 pints blueberries…

1 16 ounce container whipped topping…

Strawberries and blueberries for garnish…

Place a layer of cake in bottom of trifle bowl or other deep bowl, top with strawberries. Place a layer of whipped topping over strawberries. Continue with another layer of cake, topped with blueberries. Next, another layer of cake and more strawberries. Finish with whipped topping. Garnish with strawberries and blueberries.

Serve in a stemmed glass or pretty bowl. Garnish with berries and flag pick, for an easy and festive 4th of July dessert.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!

~Good Ol’ Summertime Table & Food~

I’m combining Tablescape Thursday & Foodie Friday with a table set for summertime and cool summer foods. Visit Susan to see beautiful tablescape's and Michael for delightfully delicious dishes.

A slice of cold Watermelon on a hazy, lazy, crazy day of Summer.

Two scoops Blue Bunny Orange Dream Ice Cream, topped with a dark chocolate and almond Lacey (Whole Foods); garnished with orange peel and a tiny sprig of mint.

Tip: For something different, try barware when serving desserts .

Melon and berries, served with Cream Fraiche.

Fresh fruit, poppy seed Scones and a wedge of Laughing Cow Original Light cheese.

Seven Layer Salad

1 head iceberg lettuce~chopped

1 head cauliflower~chopped

1 bag frozen peas

6-8 slices bacon~microwave, drain, crumble

6-8 scallions, sliced thin

1 16 ounce jar light mayo, sweetened to taste (artificial sweetener may be used)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, layer lettuce, cauliflower, scallions, and peas. Mix sweetener with mayo, stir well and spread over peas. Top dressing with grated cheese, then bacon. Garnish with a few sliced scallions. Do not mix. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Mix salad, just before serving.

When I make this, for family gatherings, I serve the onion on the side, at the request of a couple of our children.

This salad looks gorgeous in a trifle bowl. I’ve made it this way a few times. However, I have to transfer to a larger bowl, for mixing, just before serving.

This is a family favorite.

Enjoy!

I served Seven Layer Salad, with Texas Toast, for our Tuesday night supper. The salad is delicious as a meal or as a side dish.

Limeade

Sparkling Water

Limes

Confectioners Sugar

Lime slice and cherry for garnish

Pour small amount of sparkling water into 10 ounce glass , add 2 heaping teaspoons confectioners sugar, dissolve; add juice of 1.5-2 limes, stir thoroughly. Add ice, fill with sparkling water, stir, garnish, enjoy!

I’ve added Grenadine to Cokes, for cherry Cokes; this might work for cherry limeades, also.

6/4/09…Just had a call from one of our daughters. She and our son in law will arrive, at the lake, late this evening.  They put in a Friday dinner request; Seven Layer Salad!  I’m on my way out for ingredients.

 Just a Note:

Marty, of A Stroll Thru Life, is hosting a Cloche Party, June 19th.  For details, stop by Marty’s.