Category Recipes

The goods

Artisan Mini Donuts and a Tea Party

Carroll 8 Comments

Artisan Mini Donuts and a Tea Party!

Today I felt like I stepped back in time to my childhood bedroom.  There is a small table set up with miniature china plates, teacups and saucers and a lovely host is asking how many lumps everyone will take.  The chairs are filled with dolls and stuffed animals with one petite chair waiting for me  to sit…… Are they familiar memories?  Do you ever look back at moments like those?

There are a few loves that a girl takes with her from childhood to adulthood.  No matter how old or how busy life gets, girls just can’t resist “cute”; we adore things like scissors and construction paper, and there are never too many sprinkles, never.  I suppose this lends a hand in our obsession of cupcakes, the adorable cookies, donuts and popsicle that are so popular right now.

I’ve seen Donut Makers in the stores lately and was recently inspired to make artisan donuts myself.  They are just so darn cute, I could not resist.  Cute Tea Party would meet sophisticated, grown up treat, that was the goal. I made 3 flavors; the machine is great- so easy to use.  They really did not take much time at all, and would be perfect to take to a tea party or more likely in my world,  an early tailgate….

Can these get cuter? Little girls are screaming in delight over these!

Recipes adapted from Bella Mini Donut Instruction Manual

Pumpkin Latte Mini Donuts

Batter

  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

Glaze

  • 4 tbsp confection sugar
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin puree

Garnish

  • Instant Espresso Powder, sprinkle lightly

Pumpkin Glaze and Instant Espresso Powder- Lightly sprinkle the espresso, trust me....

Combine all dry ingredients and stir well.  Add remaining ingredients and beat until batter is mixed well.  Follow directions of donut maker.  Allow donuts to cool.  Combine glaze ingredients in microwave proof bowl, stir well.  Heat in microwave for 15 seconds and stir.  Dip donuts into glaze and allow excess to drip off.  Garnish before glaze sets.

Makes about 20 mini donuts

Rocky Road Mini Donuts

Batter

  • ¾ cup unbleached, presifted flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 (1.4 oz) package Jell-O Instant Sugar Free Fat Free Chocolate Pudding mix
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp chocolate syrup
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil

Glaze

  • 4 tbsp confection sugar
  • 1 tbsp milk

Garnish

  • 60 mini marshmallows, cut in ½
  • 2 tbsp toasted chopped nuts

Creme Glaze and Marshmallow Halves, ready for toasting!

Combine all dry ingredients and stir well.  Add remaining ingredients and beat until batter is mixed well.  Follow directions of donut maker.  Allow donuts to cool.  Combine glaze ingredients in microwave proof bowl, stir well.  Heat in microwave for 15 seconds and stir.  Dip donuts into glaze and allow excess to drip off.  Garnish with the mini marshmallows before glaze sets.  With a creme brulee torch carefully toast the marshmallows (if you don’t have a torch, no worries, they still taste great).

Makes about 20 mini donuts

Torching marshmallows. If you don't have a torch, put it on your christmas list. It is use full for so many things, meringues, melting cheese, blistering tomatoes and a ton more.

The last donuts are Peach Cobbler, feel free to substitute the preserves with what is in season, or what you have in the pantry!

Peach Cobbler Donuts

Batter

  • ¾ cup unbleached, presifted flour
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp peach preserves
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil

Glaze

  • 4 tbsp confection sugar
  • 1 tbsp milk

Garnish

  • 1 tbsp butter, softened
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Creme Glaze and Cobbler Crumbles. Save any left over crumbles for muffins, pies, greek yogurt or even ice cream topping.

To make the Cobbler Crumbs, preheat oven to 350. Blend all ingredients with fork until crumbles.  Spread evenly onto parchment lined baking sheet and cook for 5 minutes.  Allow to cool and break into crumble topping.

While the crumble is baking combine all batter dry ingredients and stir well.  Add remaining ingredients and beat until batter is mixed well.  Follow directions of donut maker.  Allow donuts to cool.  Combine glaze ingredients in microwave proof bowl, stir well.  Heat in microwave for 15 seconds and stir.  Dip donuts into glaze and allow excess to drip off.  Garnish before glaze sets.

Makes about 12 mini donuts

Pumpkin Latte, Rocky Road, and Peach Cobbler Mini Donuts

Lesson learned, you are never to old to have a tea party.

Key Lime Pie Ice Cream- Top Chef Nitro Style!

Carroll 10 Comments

There are a ton of cooking shows on television today.  Some I love, some are just “ehh”, and some are just garbage.  The shows I don’t like are the ones that make professional kitchens and chefs look ridiculous. Many of my friends and family ask me after seeing Hell’s Kitchen, “Is that what you do?”…So I’d like to say to everyone, while there are times when chef is screaming in our kitchen, there is no Gordon Ramsey running around yelling at seemingly inexperienced “chefs” that don’t know how to saute a piece of fish. It just isn’t reality….

I am a Top Chef fan, I think Bravo does a great job, capturing the energy and vibe of a kitchen.  When my friends and family chat me up about cooking, our conversations often lead to Top Chef.  I love the creativity of the chefs, the familiar competition amongst them and the accurate portrayal of the stress all kitchens have.  The producers really capture it well, so I love for friends outside of food and beverage world to watch, so they can understand the day to day life in a kitchen.

We have a lot of kitchen “toys” at work, some of which are used by the chefs on Top Chef.  The one fault I see in the show, is that the contestants use new, cutting edge cooking techniques, equipment, presentations and ideas, but don’t give a clear explanation for the viewers. (Perhaps they need a 2 hour time slot).  We recently had a “teach and learn” at work using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream, a method I have seen on Top Chef fairly often.  So I thought I would share the process, while you might not have a liquid nitrogen tank at home, you can at least know what the heck Richard Blais is doing!

The Tank! Saftey first!

Transferring the Liquid Nitrogen

We used Paula Deen’s recipe for Key Lime Pie filling, which is delicious!  Of course we used liquid nitrogen, but if you can make it at home in your ice cream maker too!

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 (12-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 3/4 cups key lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon key lime zest
  • 1 pint half-and-half

Some of the Mise en Place for the Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat cream until slightly thickened. Gradually add the sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Add condensed milk and beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in lime juice, lime zest, and half-and-half. Now you are ready for the ice cream maker, they all have slightly different directions, follow the method of the maker you have at home.  OR…go get yourself a liquid nitrogen tank, and do not forget the saftey mask and gloves!

Pour the liquid nitrogen into a manageable pitcher.

The Key Lime Pie filling is freezing in the mixer!

It's so cool to have the "smoke" blowing all over the place. They should do this in high school science classes!

I am refilling the pitcher, it takes a little more than I thought.

A little more and it should be nicely frozen. It took just minutes!

Voila, Key Lime Pie Ice Cream. Now I need a Graham Cracker Cone!

Now you are ready for the next Top Chef Auditions 🙂

Buffalo and Blue Flat Breads- Game Day Fever!

Carroll 6 Comments

Buffalo and Blue Flat Breads!

Sir Wes has huge affinity for wings…he loves them and would like to eat them every day if he could, especially during football season.  It’s not just NFL Days either, he is a HUGE Alabama fan too, so his appetite for wings is frequent….and it is our waistlines that pay the price.  To protect our waistlines I try to answer his thirst for wings in a healthier manner- as long as the flavors are there, he is satisfied.

Sir Wes and Sir Duke- Even Duke has Bama Fever, see his collar!

These flat breads are quick and easy, some days I make my own pizza dough, but I like the ease and low calories of “Flatouts”, most grocery’s have them close to the deli counter.  I grilled the chicken the night before while I was using the grill so it was even easier, just putting them together took me about 10 minute.  These can also be assembled at your tail gate parties and cooked on the grill, a great alternative to burgers and brats!

Mis en place, simple and easy!

Ingredients

  • 3- Flatouts
  • 3 tsp olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 2- 5oz chicken breasts, cooked and sliced
  • 1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce
  • 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 3 tbsp blue cheese crumbles
  • 3 tbsp sliced green onions

Flat breads are ready for the oven!

Preheat the oven to 375.  Spread a teaspoon of olive oil on each flat bread and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Gently spread 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese over each flat bread. In a bowl toss the slice chicken with the buffalo sauce and spread evenly over the flat breads.  Spread the blue cheese and green onions over the flat breads.  If you have a pizza stone, bake directly on them, other wise place flat breads on a cookie sheet and place in oven for about 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Cut, serve and enjoy!

Buffalo and Blue Flat Breads!!

Satisfying to the wing cravings and keeping your waistline in check!

Raspberry Lemon “Pop Tarts”….From Scratch!!!!!!!!

Carroll 8 Comments

Homemade Raspberry Lemon "Poptarts"

WHAT???????  Homemade Pop Tarts?  Awesome… That was our reaction when we passed by the bin that housed these nifty cutters at William Sonoma this summer.   We spent the rest of the evening deliberating which flavor we loved best, and what flavors would be fun to try.  The good old brown sugar was a contender for sure, and smores too.  Sir Wes wants to see a savory play on Quiche and he tells me, “please add bacon”!  This pastry cutter is a childhood throwback for sure, but how can you go wrong with a “Poptart”?

While I have plenty of pie crust and pastry dough recipes, I like to consider the recipe given with the product.   With the logic that the company is the expert of their product, one would assume, the recipe they provide is a good one.  I adapt the method to suit my kitchen equipment and the flavors to fit my preferences.

The following recipe was adapted from William Sonoma.

The dough mis en place!

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
  • 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 6 to 8 Tbs. ice water
  • 1/2 cup raspberry jam 
  • 1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Colored sprinkles

The butter is icy cold!

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt and granulated sugar until combined. Add the butter and crumble with hands until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 Tbs. of the ice water and mix again with hands. The dough should hold together when squeezed with your fingers but should not be sticky. If it is crumbly, add more water 1 tsp. at a time, mixing after each addition. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, divide in half and shape each half into a disk. Wrap the disks separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. 



Hand mixing is a great way to learn about dough consistency!

The desired cornmeal consistency!

Dough discs, ready for refrigeration.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 dough disc into a rectangle 1/8 inch thick. Using the outer ring of a toaster pastry press, cut out 8 pastries, rerolling the scraps as needed. Using a small offset spatula or a butter knife, spread 1 Tbs. of the jam onto each of 4 pieces of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border.  Brush the edges with the beaten egg mixture. Top each with a plain piece of dough. Place the 2-piece press on top and press the inner ring down to seal the edges. Remove the mold. Transfer the pastries to a prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough disc. 


Flour coats the dough, the surface and the rolling-pin!

Dough is rolled!

Dough is cut!

Filled, Topped and Pressed!

Position 1 rack in the upper third and 1 rack in the lower third of an oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 


Bake the toaster pastries until golden, about 30 minutes, reversing the positions of the baking sheets on the racks and rotating them from front to back halfway through the baking time. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer the pastries to wire racks and let cool completely. 


Golden brown, fresh out of the oven!

In a bowl, stir together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until well combined. Using a spoon, lightly drizzle the icing onto the toaster pastries and shake sprinkles over top. Let the icing harden completely before serving. Makes 8 toaster pastries. 


Homemade Raspberry Lemon "Poptarts"

I think these turned out perfectly, the dough was perfect.  I put them in the toaster oven the next morning to warm to serve.  I see many warm “Pop Tarts” in our future!  Chocolate Hazelnut, Heirloom Apples, Pumpkin Latte, ….plenty of options!

Watermelon Cocktail Sauce with Spicy Creole Grilled Gulf Shrimp

Carroll 5 Comments

Here’s a little secret amongst chefs…we are always looking for something new.  I gotta say, new ideas are hard to come by, as there is not too many original ideas.  So we take to tweaking, swapping, deconstructing and reconstructing, anything we can do to maintain our hunt to be inventive and creative.   Like most chefs I have a pile of food magazines, some cookbooks, and a ton of websites I pour over weekly looking for inspiration.  While some people might see this as unoriginal, I believe it’s more of a catalyst to my own work; after all, it’s the hand of the chef that makes the flavors sing.

During the weekly voyage thru those piles of magazines and multiple websites, I came across, what I thought was a homerun! It would be perfect for a southern Labor Day cookout.  When we entertain at home, we like to have simple, easy and tasty food, along with a few surprises for our guests to enjoy.  Watermelon Cocktail Sauce would do just that, refreshing, zippy and quite the “A- ha”.

Watermelon Cocktail Sauce Mis en Place- Perfect for end of summer cookouts!

Watermelon Cocktail Sauce
  • 2 cups seedless watermelon, diced
  • 1 tablespoon yellow onion, rough chopped
  • 3 tablespoon fresh grated horseradish
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons prepared cocktail sauce/ketchup
 The method is pretty simple…put all of the ingredients except the cocktail sauce or ketchup in a food processor and puree.  Once all the ingredients are puréed smoothly, transfer into a mixing bowl.  The cocktail sauce or ketchup is there to thicken the sauce if necessary.  Add a tablespoon at a time and stir well until the sauce is thick enough; this can vary depending how juicy your watermelon is.  The watermelon cocktail sauce can be made in advance and refrigerated.

Fresh Grated Horseradish- peel it like ginger and then grate.

Fresh horseradish is stronger than the prepared type you can buy in the store.  Peel the root and grate it; add more or less depending on your taste.

Marinated Creole Gulf Shrimp

Creole Grilled Shrimp

  • 2 pounds peeled tail on large shrimp
  • 4 ounces olive oil
  • 4 tablespoon creole seasoning

Marinate the shrimp for an hour or so with the olive oil and your favorite creole seasoning before you skewer them.  A great tip if you use wood skewers is to soak them in water for a few minutes before you put food on them, this will make sure the skewers don’t burn on the grill.

Rain or Shine, Sir Wes is up for anything!

Slowly getting some color

Watermelon Cocktail Sauce with Spicy Creole Grilled Shrimp! Perfect dish to show off your cookng chops!

Happy Labor Day to all and may the the rest of the year be just as tasty!

Sweet Corn and Berry Ice Cream, an Ohio treasure travels south!

Carroll 10 Comments

Sweet Corn and Berry Ice Cream- So unusual yet delicious!

On my recent trip to Ohio, I was fortunate enough to discover a few things, Sweets by Maggie Salted Caramel Cake Balls, Rockmill Brewery and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream.  And I was even more fortunate to take home with me, Jeni’s recipes in her beautiful, smart cookbook, along with her offer to consult directly.  Thanks Jeni, I’ll call you if I need you, and yes, as you signed in my book, I will have many pleasures.  🙂

Mise en Place

This recipe is from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Cook Book.  I followed the instructions on my ice cream maker, make sure you do too!!

INGREDIENTS
1 ear of sweet corn, husked
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoon) cream cheese, softened
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoon light corn syrup
Berry Sauce
FOR THE SAUCE:
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blackberries
½ cup sugar

Local Berries

BERRY SAUCE INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the berries and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches 220 F (5-8 minutes).  Let cool slightly, then force thru a sieve to remove the seeds.  (Or leave them in there just to prove you made it.)  Refrigerate until cold before using.

Berries Cookin'

ICE CREAM INSTRUCTIONS

Prep Slice the kernels from the corn cob, the “milk” the cob by scraping it with the back of your knife to extract the liquid; reserve the kernels and liquid.

Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make smooth slurry.

Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth

Fill a large bowl with ice and water

Soaking the Corn Flavor Up!

Cook Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, corn and juices, and corn syrup in a 4 quart saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat, and boil for 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and for mixture thru a sieve into a bowl, leaving the corn “casing” behind.  Return the mixture to the saucepan and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.  Bring back to a boil over medium high heat and cook, stirring with a heat proof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.  Remove from the heat.

Thru the Sieve- Squeeze every bit of flavor out you can!

Lil' Tip...if no one is around to hold your ziplock

Ice Bath- Shake it around to get it to cool even faster!

Chill Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth.  Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziplock freezer bag and submerge into the ice bath.   Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.

Freeze Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister and spin until thick and creamy.

You Scream, I Scream!

Pack the ice cream into a storage container, alternating it with layers of the berry sauce and ending with a spoonful of the sauce; do not mix.  Press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid.  Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Makes a generous quart

Sweet Corn and Berry Ice Cream-Quintessential Summer Treat!

I hope you enjoy this Ohio treasure as much as I do!

Roasted Poblano and Apricot Chicken Chili, On A Stormy Summer Night!

Carroll 1 Comment

Rainy Summer Comfort

I know, I know…….typically, chili is seen in the fall, with cool days, but here in Florida those don’t come around too often.  We have been having a lot of stormy afternoons lately, so the comforting chili has made an early appearance!

I tend to use canned beans with chili as a time saver, but you can use dried if you prefer.   As a matter of fact, the beans I use change frequently, dictated by what’s in the cabinet.  The only thing that I try to keep constant is the low sodium, which is why I ended up with organic beans this time.  I just want you to know any beans will do –

When a recipe calls for cumin or coriander, I like to take the time to use whole seeds, toast them and then grind them in a coffee grinder.  The aromatics are so intense, toasting them is imperative as who knows how long the seeds sat in the containers before they reached our cabinets.  This will really refresh them and make a HUGE difference in flavor.  (FYI, the same theory is true with nuts).   Just put the seeds in a small sauté pan by themselves over medium low heat, and roll them around until you start to smell them.  Be careful not to walk away, as they are quick to be forgotten about and even quicker to burn! 🙂

To char the peppers, just throw them on the grill, or roast them in the high heated oven until a charred color is achieved.  Sometimes a roasted/charred pepper will call for the skin to be removed, but in this case I don’t think it is necessary, it is chili after all-

I love the spicy sweet of this recipe, the cinnamon ties it all together perfectly, without taking a lead role.

Mise en place, onions, garlic, lime and cilantro- Makings of any good meal!

Roasted Poblano and Apricot Chicken Chili

2 teaspoon olive oil
1 Bay Leaf
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 lbs. ground chicken breast
15 oz. canned low sodium organic pinto beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz. canned low sodium soy beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup diced dried apricots
1½ teaspoon toasted ground cumin
1½ teaspoon toasted ground coriander
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 lime, zest and juice
2 poblano peppers, charred and diced
½ cup white corn meal
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Beans- Washed and rinsed. Whichevers clever..

Charring beautifully!

Start by heating the olive oil in a heavy 4-quart sauce pan; add the bay leaf, chopped onion, chopped garlic and ground chicken breast and sauté.  When the onions are translucent and the chicken is cooked add the beans and the chicken stock to the pot.  Bring the ingredients to a slow simmer and add the apricots, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, lime zest, lime juice, and diced poblano peppers.

White Corn Meal- This will thicken the chili to the right consistency.

Diced Poblanos- You can substitute different peppers if you like!

Let the chili simmer for 5 minutes, then add the white corn meal, stirring until the chili is thickened.  Allow the chili to continue cooking over low heat for the flavors to meld together.  Put the chopped cilantro in a few minutes before serving, which leaves the color fresh and bright!

Garnish with sour cream, salsa, corn tortilla chips, or whatever you like.  As with most chili…the next day the flavors were even more developed – if it can last that long in your house!

Charred Poblano and Apricot Chicken Chili

Brown Turkey “Figgy” Jam

Carroll 1 Comment

Another creation from my Alabama mother-in-law’s backyard!  As always, my eyes are bigger and badder than my stomach; therefore, I insisted on traveling home to Florida with the remaining bounty of my backyard farming.  (No surprise when I realized the life of these beauties was nearing an end.) 

I did the best thing I knew and made jam!  Images of fig jam creations danced thru my head: croissants, Greek yogurt parfaits, chicken marinates, pork belly glazes, salad dressings…etc. –  You get the idea!

Alabama Brown Turkey Figs- Roll Tide!!!!

Fresh figs are in season beginning in July in the south, and a bit later in the summer as you travel north.  Many people we ask have never tried a fresh fig, and only refer to the almighty “Newton” or a dried figs as something they’ve tried.  Well there is more to figs than the “Newton” – the flavor is night and day. A fresh ripe fig has the texture of a ripe peach, and a juicy sweetness.

This is another really easy recipe that will provide endless results.  The shelf-life is great, so no need to feel like you have to use it up right away.  It is also perfect for canning.  **Mental note to myself -must learn how to can soon!!

Figgy Jam

  • 2 ½ cups Fresh Brown Turkey Figs, quartered
  • Zest of ½ a lemon
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (depending how sweet your figs are you may adjust)
  • 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup water (depending how plump and juicy your figs are you may adjust)

Figs cooking -Simmer slowly, let the sugars carmelize

This is super simple – just put the figs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugars into a heavy 2 quart pot and slowly simmer.  The sugars and juices from the figs will slowly release and start to caramelize.  My figs did not release enough juice so I helped it along, with a couple of tablespoons of water at a time.  When the figs had cooked down and a nice golden brown color appeared, I removed from the pot from the stove and ran the chunky jam thru a food processor, giving a smooth spread.  Allow it to cool and keep refrigerated for 3 months.

Cooked down figs- nice caramel color!!

Fig Jam! Spreads, sauces, marintates, dressings, and even homemade poptarts!!!!!!!

Happy cooking!!

Carroll

Backyard Fig and Vanilla Balsamic Glaze

Carroll 1 Comment

Fig Farmer!!  While we were in Alabama I became a farmer, yup- I went out in the morning and got myself some food from the yard, brought it into the table and ate.  It was awesome, fresh figs from the tree, blueberries from the bushes.  While blueberry cobblers were baking, I sat myself in front of a bowl of Brown Turkey Figs and had a feast.  As far as the chores of farming, I have to admit, I did not get a chance to participate, none the less, I did supply some tasty treats!

Brown Turkey Fig Tree! Endless Possibilities!

This Fig and Vanilla Balsamic Glaze made it to the rest of our meals, it was lovely on a Caprese sandwich, drizzled over grilled asparagus, and went perfectly on a bowl of vanilla ice cream.  I made it while the cobbler was going; it really is a “Set it and forget it” item.  Just prep it up, put it in the pot and let it simmer slowly.  Easy!  I am super fond of things that offer a long shelf life, time is limited in most of our lives, so I like to make things that don’t have to get used up within a week- This glaze is certain to be gone for it spoils –

Brown Turkey Figs- quartered with the tree stem removed.

 

Fig and Vanilla Balsamic Glaze

  • 1 cup fresh brown turkey figs, quartered
  • 1/3 vanilla bean, sliced open lengthwise (you can substitute ½ teaspoon vanilla extract if necessary)
  • 12 oz balsamic vinegar (I use inexpensive vinegar when I am playing with it, and save the good stuff when the balsamic will stand alone)

Figs, sliced vanilla bean and balsamic vinegar- this will simmer slowly into a delicious syrup

It’s super easy!! Place all the ingredients in a heavy 2 quart pot and let it simmer slowly.   Boiling it too rapidly will result in a burnt flavor, one that cannot be fixed.  The same burnt flavor will occur if you reduce it too far.  When the balsamic vinegar has reduced to about a quarter of what you started with you are in business.  Too test if it is thick enough, check to see if it is nappe, which is to “coat the back of a spoon”.  Just dip your spoon into the pot, if most of the glaze fall from the spoon, but the back is still coated ….You’re Winning!!!!

Strain the glaze- Apply some pressure with the back of a spoon to get the glaze, I don't mind if the seeds of the fig squeeze thru, it just makes it look more homemade 🙂

Strain the glaze and allow to cool- I reserved the balsamic figs as sundae toppers.  Keep the glaze refrigerated* for up to a year.

** I recommend refrigerating this because of what I added to it- a vinegar reduction with nothing added does not need to be refrigerated.

Fig and Vanilla Balsamic Glaze- perfect with fish, chicken, grilled vegetables and meats, cheeses, berries and ice cream

Vanilla Ice Cream with Fig and Vanilla Glaze- here I used the balsamic figs I cooked in the vinegar

Fig and Vanilla Balsamic Glaze with Vanilla Ice Cream- Move over hot fudge, here something better!!!!

Bon Appetit Ya’ll!

🙂

Farmer Carroll

Preserved Cherries- Small Effort, Huge WOW!

Carroll 2 Comments

Preserving Cherries

Seems like I couldn’t get away from cherries last weekend we dined at a restaurant with a great fresh cherry cheesecake it had a chocolate almond crust Sir Wes kept saying, LORD this is good!  Then I read a blog over at A Cook Walks Into A Bar, who was making homemade Maraschino cherries!!  What???  Who knew??  Not sure why I never thought about fresh made…. just goes to show you, there is always something new to discover!

And then there were Acerola Cherries at the farmers market the next day- Awesome!  Because we were leaving for a family vacation this week, I was a bit limited on time, could not get to the liquor store for the traditional liquor needed for the maraschinos, next time!!  So I used what I had in the pantry- no need to get caught up in recipes, we just make it work!!

Acerola Cherries

  • 1 pound cherries, seeded (up to you if you want to or not, but I plan to serve them in drinks, and I don’t want to have to worry about seed spitting)
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup cherry brandy
  • 1 cup brandy
  • 1 tablespoon whole coriander
  • 1 tablespoon whole black pepper
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • Couple slices of orange peel
  • Couple slices of lemon peel
  • 2 stems of oregano (had some in the garden, thyme would be nice too, just to add that earthy flavor)

I put all the ingredients together in a leak proof container and turned end over end to mix everything up.  They will need about two weeks before we dive in to them, and will last 6 months.  Just be sure to stir them up every few days.  This is a GREAT treat for your cocktail parties coming thru the summer and into the fall- ummm, I can see tailgate parties with these fancy schmancy treats….Awesome!  Small effort, Huge WOW!

Preserving Cherries