Peach and Strawberry Daiquiris

 

On a hot summer day, my husband decided to surprise me with a mystery drink.  We'd stocked up on peaches and strawberries since they're in season, so we had a bunch cut up and frozen in our freezer.  We also have some mint that survived the winter in an outdoor planter, so he threw some of that in there too.  What a refreshing drink!  And it beats paying $10 at a bar for one of these!

Ingredients:

2 peaches

5 medium sized strawberries

10 ice cubes

a handful of mint leaves

2 tbsp vanilla syrup (the kind you use for coffee flavoring)

3 shots rum

1. Put all ingredients into blender.  Some blenders may have you put the ice in first.

2. Blend.

3. Pour and enjoy!

Note: You can substitute sugar for the syrup, or leave it out altogether.  Use fresh or frozen fruit - and if it's the kind in syrup, leave out the vanilla syrup/sugar, of course.  You can also use a couple drops of vanilla extract instead of the syrup if you're watching calories very closely.

Indian Spinach (or, classy creamed spinach)

I would call this saag paneer, but there's no paneer (cheese). But if you like saag paneer and you are either lazy, forgot to shop, or are in a hurry to make a quick meal for one (or maybe two), this is a keeper.  I tried this yesterday without the rice and it was a great.  Today I used the rest of it over macaroni and it made for super delicious mac n' cheese with an Indian twist.  I feel so fancy.

Ingredients:
1 box of creamed spinach from the freezer
1/4 tsp curry powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp garam masala (or to taste)
Rice or pasta

Directions
Heat the creamed spinach following the directions on the package.
Stir in the curry powder and garam masala.
Serve over rice or pasta.

Baked or Grilled Pattypan Squash

I was unfamiliar with pattypan squash before it found its way into our farm share. It's a neat looking veggie, and you don't have to peel it before eating! This makes a pretty appetizer, or can be served as a side dish.



4 pattypan squash
olive oil
8 basil leaves
shredded hard cheese (Parmesan or asiago work nicely)
salt & pepper, to taste

1. Cut off stem & bottom so the squash sits flat. Cut squash in half horizontally.

2. Brush cut ends of squash with olive oil.

3. If Grilling: Place cut sides on grill. Grill until soft, then flip over. Place a basil leaf on each squash, then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Close grill and cook until cheese is melted.

4. If Baking: Place one basil leaf on each squash half. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until cheese gets lightly browned.

5. Remove from heat and sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Sausage & Kale Soup

I had almost given up on this blog, but now that we've started getting a farm share from a local farm, we have lots of organic veggies that need to be cooked, and preferably cheaply!

This soup is a great way to use up the kale that we've been getting in our farm share. It's good for you, and it's cheap! The kale adds a nice peppery flavor despite looking like seaweed.

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 lb spicy sausage (such as chorizo), sliced thinly (about 4 sausages)
6 cups water or vegetable stock
1 bunch kale, shredded with scissors
4 potatoes, sliced thinly
salt & pepper (to taste)
olive oil

1. In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil until lightly browned. Add garlic and saute a minute more. Add potatoes and saute until potatoes are softened. Add water, season with salt & peeper and bring to a boil.

2. In a separate frying pan, cook sausage slices until browned. Drain and set aside.

3. With a masher or immersion blender, smoosh up potatoes in the soup, as desired.

4. Add sausage and let simmer for about 20 minutes more.

5. Just before serving, add kale and let cook for another 5 minutes.

Bubble & Squeak Cakes

(picture taken before frying)

These are traditional English food. Basically it's a way to use up leftover cabbage & potatoes. Though you may think that after eating a bunch of cabbage, the name "bubble and squeak" might refer to your stomach, it really refers to the cooking process: boiling water (bubble) & frying (squeak).

1lb potatoes
1 head cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic
1 egg
butter
salt & pepper
mixed herbs (whatever you have on hand)
flour
oil for frying

1. Wash potatoes, chop into big chunks and boil to soften.
2. While potatoes are boiling, blanch shredded cabbage & diced carrots for 3 minutes in boiling water.
2. Fry diced onion and chopped garlic in butter.
3. Mash potatoes, add fried onions & garlic, cabbage, carrots.
4. Add 1 egg, slightly beaten.
5. Season with salt & pepper and mixed herbs.
6. Form into patties, about hamburger size, 1 inch thick. Dredge in flour to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour (optional).
7. Fry in oil, about 3-4 minutes each side.

Apple Crumble Cake

This recipe uses a shortcut: pre-made cake mix.

Cake Ingredients
1 package cake mix
1 egg
water
(possibly) oil

4-5 small apples
1/8 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping Ingredients
3 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. oats
2/3 c. flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1) Peel, core and chop apples into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss with 1/8 c brown sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Set aside.

2) Make cake mix according to package. Add 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. Mix together with hand mixer.

3) Add apples to cake batter, toss.

4) Spread in 9x13 baking pan.

5) Mix together topping ingredients with a fork until it looks like clumpy sand.

6) Squeeze together small chunks of the topping and drop onto cake batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or by itself!

Patatas Bravas

I tried these at a restaurant the other day, and they were really delicious. We were dining with a Spanish couple, and they said this was a really easy dish to make. Not only is it easy, but it's cheap! We were so hungry, and these were so tasty that we ate it all before I could take a picture. This probably isn't the most traditional recipe, but you can make it with ingredients you probably already have on hand.

5 medium or 10 small potatoes
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
olive oil
hot sauce, to taste
fresh basil or other herbs, to taste
sale & pepper, to taste

1. Dice potatoes. Coat with about 2 tbsp olive oil and bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes, or fry in a wok (which is what we did) for about 15 minutes, until tender.
2. sautee diced garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil. Add tomatoes, hot sauce, herbs, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Pour tomato sauce onto potatoes.
4. (optional) top with grated cheese (we used cheshire, but cheddar, feta or mozzarella would work too).