Sherry – Page 58 – Rosemary and the Goat

Arugula and Watermelon Salad

Watermelon with any kind of greens is fantastic.

I love the pine nuts in this salad. No such thing as too many pine nuts.

I can’t believe it is Labor Day already and summer is behind us. Well, almost, the heat is still here so here is one more salad to add to your summer collection.

Arugula is a fairly new green to me. I guess it was about 4 years ago that I first discovered them, and then while in Italy “rocket” salad was on every menu. After ordering the Rocket Salad for the first time, I realized that it was my new friend “arugula” I was eating. If you love a peppery taste to your greens then you need to be eating arugula. I love it on sandwiches, even grilled on a panini, chopped up in a pasta salad or just eat it straight out of the bag.

This particular recipe called for just arugula but I have another NEW friend and that is pea shoots/sprouts. Pea shoots are the leaves of the pea plant and they are oh so cute and delicious. You can put them in a salad, stir-fry them, bake with fish or chicken or wilted into a risotto or pasta dish. They are delicious chopped into marinades and dressings. Can you image your favorite sandwich with some arugula and a big pile of pea sprouts. Makes my mouth water. I may just have to do a blog on a great little pea shoot recipe I have.

I do grow my own arugula and it grows best here in Texas from Fall-Spring. I have tried growing micro greens before in the house with no luck. There’s a company called Sprout People where I ordered my kits and even a hemp bag to grown them on but can’t seem to keep them as moist as they need to be to produce. I have not tried my hemp bag yet so may try that soon. Sprout people now have pea sprouts you can order to grow. So, if you can’t find them in your local store, try growing them.

The recipe called for pine nuts and I always toast mine because I think it flavor of the nut is delicious when nicely browned. There is not anything I would change about this salad — it is crisp, fresh, sweet and the feta and pine nuts make it simply wonderful.

September 5, 2011 By Sherry

Bread/ Morning Foods

Chocolate Raspberry Soup Can Bread

Recycle those soup cans.

How many things can you remember doing with a soup can or for that fact any can.

Did you ever tie strings on them and use them for mini stilts to walk on? I did. Did you ever connect two cans with waxed twine and use them for walkie talkies? My twin sister and I did. Did you use them to hold your marbles or Jacks or even use them to plant flowers in? AND, who doesn’t remember playing kick the can out on a dark street on a hot summer’s night until our mother’s called us home.

Here’s a new use for the can if you haven’t already tried this. I’m making chocolate raspberry loaf in a soup can. I recently had a pumpkin soup can bread in a restaurant in Austin and thought that it was so cute and just couldn’t wait until fall to make it since I always think of pumpkin bread when the leaves start to fall and there’s a chill in the air. The chill in the air in Texas might not come until sometime in December. So I started getting anxious to try some kind of bread in these soup cans I have been saving. I’m sure you could make any quick bread recipe in the cans but I had everything needed for this bread, so chocolate raspberry bread it was going to be. I also noticed that Campbell’s soup cans have a little lip on the inside which might prevent the bread from sliding out whereas the store brand did not have that lip. I think a tuna can would make a cute can of bread or even a mandarin orange or mushroom can would make an individual loaf for each person.

BLAST FROM THE PAST — Garden Vegetable Terrine has been one of my favorite recipes that I make for parties I cater. I finally gave up the recipe a couple of years ago. If you haven’t tried it, you should. If you have tried it, please leave a comment.

September 1, 2011 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp

Watermelon Amuse

Are you amused by a bouche?

Have you ever seen watermelons growing in a field. What a beautiful sight to see all those plump juicy spheres covering acres of farm land. Makes you want to jump out of the car and go grab one.

When we were kids (I’m a twin and I use to refer to us as “we”) our grandfather once took us to the field where one of his trucks was being loaded with watermelons to take to market. This is the same grandfather that took us out into the hay fields to learn to drive while dodging the bales of hay. What fun.

Also the same “papa” who never bought a watermelon or any other produce from a farm stand on the way to Florida vacations without asking for a taste before buying anything. I so want to do that at the store because sometimes what looks like a delicious watermelon turns out to be a disappointment when cut open.

Recently I saw this watermelon cube on www.pinterest.com . It was sitting alone with a pool of balsamic in the center and I immediately thought why not add a pearl of mozzarella and a tiny basil leaf and have a cute little amuse bouche. An amuse bouche is suppose to be just one bite but it is hard to eat just one of these.

August 27, 2011 By Sherry

Bread/ Morning Foods/ Sauces

Chocolate Toffee Scones

You will fall in love with this scone recipe!

Who doesn’t love scones of any type, slathered with Devonshire or clotted cream or lemon curd or strawberry jam.

For some reason I just love baking. I think maybe it is the aroma that fills the kitchen and I’m off in my imaginary world sitting in some English garden with teacup in hand sipping my tea munching on one of these scones and taking in the view of my beautiful garden (one that is not fried from the Texas heat).

We had company coming this past weekend for a bridal shower being held for my daughter and I just happened to have a half bag of toffee bits and some chocolate chips in my pantry and decided it would be a good time to try out this scone recipe. And, since I still had some Devonshire cream in my refrigerator, it was just begging for something to be eaten on.

I love having any kind of homemade baked goods in my freezer ready to bake when I have company or as a special treat for my husband.

Make yourself a pot of tea and either make some Devonshire cream or go out and buy some clotted cream to go with these scones and sit back and enjoy.

August 23, 2011 By Sherry

Salads

B-E-A-T Salad

Bacon, egg, avocado and tomato salad.

This was a paleo recipe that my daughter gave me a while back. I really am trying to cook and eat a little healthier at least for the next couple of months.

If you don’t know what the paleolithic diet is well it is also referred to as the “caveman diet”, “Stone Age diet” and hunter-gatherer diet. Eat like our ancestors did. The diet is centered on items like grass-fed pasture raised meats, fish, vegetables, nuts, seeds, minimal fruit and EXCLUDES grains, legumes, dairy products, sugar and also processed oils or really most processed food for that matter.

I have found after looking at many of her recipes that some are quite good and very tasty. And for the time being I will be trying some of her favorites occasionally. The key word in that statement is “time being” and “occasionally”.

The author of this recipe also suggested adding a tablespoon of mayonnaise. I took the mayo and added a little healthy olive oil and toss it with the mixture. Loved the salad is all I can say.

August 18, 2011 By Sherry

Cookies/Bars/ Dessert

Cowboy Cookies

So you wanna be a cowboy!

Recently my husband and I were at the movie watching Cowboys and Aliens and he turned to me and said “I wanna be a cowboy”.

My first thought was “Am I going to be his cowgirl”. Now according to the lyrics of that song I will be riding on the chuck wagon following my man. I guess that means I’m going to be cooking and blogging from a bumpy ride in a wooden wagon sleeping under the stars, fighting off the bad guys and making our espressos over an open fire. Now, whose going out to kill our dinner for the night. Not me, I’m inside the wagon whipping up some delicious menus to try over the dusty trail.

I think he may have watched too many western TV shows when he was a kid. I’m sure he was a fan of Roy Rogers, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Bonanza and of course Have Gun Will Travel. I picture him sitting in front of the tv with his cowboy hat on, gun in hands and even spurs on his boots (or shoes) saying “I wanna be a cowboy when I grow up.”

This is my cowboy. He knew at a very young age he wanted to be a cowboy.

August 14, 2011 By Sherry

Food Stories

Favorite Food Memories

Memories, what would we do without them?

Some of my favorite moments are served around a table. What on earth is more enjoyable than sitting around a table with friends or family sharing a fabulous meal. Nothing, in my opinion. It doesn’t even have to be a fabulous gourmet meal but could be something as simple as a bowl of ice cream and some homemade cookies. Hey, they don’t even have to be homemade.

This picture was from a little cafe in Tuscany where we went several mornings for breakfast. No one spoke English, and this one kind little lady took it upon herself to get us a table and proceeded to show us some of the pastries. They were wonderful, the people and the pastries. — Unforgettable experience.

Some of my unforgettable moments of food are: my birthday dinner at Brennans’ Chef’s table which is in the kitchen, sitting outside a cafe in Bruges having a bucket of mussels, and sitting at my parents table with a big platter of fried catfish piled so high it looked like it would topple at any moment. I’ll never forget dinner in the cellar at Botin (the oldest restaurant in the world in Madrid) or a simple plate of cheese and meats sitting on our son’s deck in Chicago.

Also, top of the list would have to be any meal my son, Paul (chef Paul now) has ever prepared for us. He puts so much heart and soul into everything he cooks.

August 9, 2011 By Sherry

Entree/ Fish/Seafood

Fish Tacos with Jalapeno Creme Fraiche

What’s in that taco?

40 years ago, even 20 years ago I would not have imagined I would be eating a taco with fish in it. After all, isn’t a taco suppose to be made of greasy flavored hamburger meat that drips down your elbow when you eat it and the shell cracks and spills it’s contents all over the place and you.

I remember when my husband was still in college. We were poor newly weds and we would go out to a taco trailer (and this was way before the ever popular food trucks that you see now) in Rolla, Missouri and buy ground beef tacos for 25¢ each. If I wanted to make tacos I had to buy tortillas in a can (Old El Paso brand) which were just flat corn tortillas. I had this little gizmo that folded the tortilla and I would put it in a pan filled with oil and fry up some shells. Crazy. Back then I could also buy, for $1, a pizza mix (50) and a lb. of hamburger meat (50). Now that was a cheap meal.

These days you can find just about anything in a taco shell from fajita meat, chicken, ground beef, pulled pork, pork belly (had these in Chicago), shrimp and fish. I had my first fish taco at Georges at the Cove in LaJolla, California, a few years ago and ever since then I have copied their recipe and served a creamy jalapeno creme fraiche sauce and mango salsa with my fish tacos. Of course I had to come up with my own recipe but that was easy.

August 4, 2011 By Sherry

Bread/ Morning Foods

Lemon-Scented Pull-Apart Bread

Pucker up for this Lemon Bread!

With my daughter’s wedding coming up in October, I’ve been really watching what goes into my mouth. At this time of the game, any weight lost would be appreciated. Well, let me tell you this past two weeks has been a challenge and I think I made it through with flying colors.

It started a couple of weekends ago with my daughter’s dress fitting followed by two days of some great food. That was the end (at least for a while) of me over indulging myself. Then that weekend was followed by me preparing dinner twice for visiting friends and then four days with our niece and her family visiting. Those four days consisted of making ice cream 4 times, grilled pizza, potato breakfast casserole, cheese grits and I have to say not a crumb touched these lips.

My husband is my best critic because he tells it like it is when I ask for his opinion. And, his opinion on this lemon bread is that it is the BEST. My nieces’ family agreed that it was a wonderful bread.

I love Flo Braker’s Sweet Miniature cookbook and when I came across this recipe from her book “Baking for All Occasions” I knew I was going to have to try it. She calls it a cake but to me it is more like a sweet breakfast bread.

July 31, 2011 By Sherry

Salads/ Vegetables

Pesto Cauliflower with Arugula Salad

No boring cauliflower taste here.

A side dish or salad? You decide how you want to serve it.

I’ve really never been a cauliflower fan and it’s one of those vegetables and have to talk myself into buying because I know it is good for me. Not even a fan of raw cauliflower on a veggie tray even though I know it is going to get dipped into something really good.

I would like to learn to add the white flowery head to my vegetable repertoire especially since I’ve, for the time being, taken potatoes off the table. Cauliflower can actually be made into mashed potatoes by steaming or boiling it and mashing as if it were a potato. The mashed cauliflower is great when folded in with some mashed green peas. Beautiful combination.

In case you are trying to talk yourself out of trying this recipe, remember that cauliflower is one of the cancer fighting vegetables, is full of Vitamin C, low fat and high in fiber. Now, did that change your mind?

July 27, 2011 By Sherry

Entree/ Fish/Seafood/ Salads

Grilled Seafood Salad

Shrimp and Salmon make the perfect combo in this salad.

I’m one of those people who can never make a decision on almost anything. I second guess everything I do wondering if there is a better way of doing it or, if I’m buying something then I’m thinking there may be something out there I haven’t seen that I will like better. So, I try not to shop. Not one of my favorite things to do — lucky for my husband.

Picking out shrimp is easy. Does one buy 30/40 count, 18/20 count, heads on/off, cooked/uncooked. Now that is easy compared to picking out salmon.

Should I buy farm raised salmon or wild Atlantic salmon. Do I want the whole side so I can make fresh salmon cakes from the left overs or do I want the tail piece which is one of my favorite pieces becauses it gets nice and crispy around the edges. Do I want salmon steaks or better yet do I want steelhead trout which is nice and red like salmon, cheaper by a couple of dollars a pound and has a milder taste than salmon. There’s always canned salmon and even that has options — pink or red.

There’s always smoked salmon which you don’t have to do anything to but open the package, put a little on a cracker with some onion, capers, and boiled egg — instant appetizer.

July 18, 2011 By Sherry

Dessert/ Ice Cream

Black Walnut Ice Cream

Are you screamin’ for ice cream this summer?

I don’t know what your first memories of ice cream are but mine are of a Walkaway Sunday at Figgins ice cream shop in my hometown. The little neighborhood shop is long gone but what I remember is my grandmother taking my sister and I there. We lived within walking distances and it was a real treat to be able to go.

I don’t know where the name walkway came from because we didn’t walkway away eating it. Believe it or not it wasn’t any more than a large sundae glass filled with rich vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. I’m sure it was Hershey’s syrup because sometimes when I get the right combination of the right brand of vanilla ice cream and the “canned” Hershey’s syrup, I can close my eyes and see those two little twin girls sitting on a bar stool eating their ice cream. I have had similar experiences with smells and taste that take me back to a different time. Mysterious!

Then, of course, who doesn’t have all those memories of parents or grandparents churning ice cream. Remember how we use to have to layer the salt with the ice in the big wooden ice cream makers and we would sit there and take turns churning the mixture until you just could not turn one more time. Seems like it was always the adults doing the churning and the kids were all running around saying “is it ready yet”.

July 14, 2011 By Sherry

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