Posts from the ‘Side Dishes’ Category

Mar 8

It’s A Comfort-Food-Farro Kind Of Day

Spring is here, no wait… it’s not, oh here it comes… Nope. Now it’s snowing. Don’t get me wrong:

I LOVE SNOW.

But I can see grass now. It’s over, I can’t go back, I’ve gone and done it. The potting shed is clean and the seeds are calling my name.

Ok, so it’s mud season; the fifth season (right after Winter; just before Spring) Mud season is when we are thankful for all wheel drive and a high clearance vehicle, when I get to be a little crazy at the wheel, just to get up the mile long road we call a “driveway.” Mud season is when the dogs’ paws are caked with the newly emerged earth and their fur becomes the transporter for all that was outside to now reside inside. My neighbor tells me “You’re out numbered” (kids, dogs, cats, bird, bunny, chickens… oh and our exchange student’s fish-Fishy (guess who’s fish it will be in July?)) she advises to “Just let go.”

I think it will be my new mantra.

This morning I practiced that mantra and put on slippers (dirt goes unnoticed better that way) and made emmer pancakes; a little comfort food for a cold damp day. I was surprised by the fact that breakfast, from egg-crackin’ to clean-up, took little more than 20 minutes. The aroma wafting from the griddle pulled my little sleepy heads out from under their covers and had them at the kitchen bar in no time. I had that Proud Mama moment of knowing that I’m providing a healthy, beginning of the day meal (that they will actually eat) for my active kids. Hopefully they’ll be satisfied until lunch.

Oh! Lunch! I plan the day from one meal to the next. Last night I tried something new; the farro boldly went where only basmati rice had been before…the rice maker. Yup, hoping it would transform our long stove top cooking times to that of a care free slow cooker experience. I am happy to report: <<genius!>> It worked! And today I have fresh farro for lunch, via my rice maker. (Enter celebratory music and little happy dance that you really don’t want in your head).

Spinach and Blue Bird Grain Farro Salad:
serves 2 for lunch

1 cup farro
3 cups washed baby organic spinach
A handful of sweet cheery tomatoes halved
1/4 cup goat cheese(Sunny Pine Farm)
dash of lemon pepper
pinch of salt

Stove top method: Add the Farro to a medium pot with 3 cups or so of water and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then turn down heat to simmer for 45-50 minutes.When farro grains are plump, soft and still chewy remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
Or
Rice Maker method: I use a 1 cup grain to 1 cup liquid and set it to gaba (longer time but great for more nutrients) brown rice mode. But follow your rice makers directions for brown rice.

~Saute baby spinach with a little water and a dash of lemon pepper and a pinch of salt, until it wilts then remove from heat
~fill warmed bowl with farro
~crumble goat cheese onto the farro
~top with wilted baby spinach and halved tomatoes

Enjoy!

Rachelle Weymuller @ Caramelize Life
“Making Life Sweeter Through Food, Travel and Community”

Feb 9

9 Comments

Blueberry~Beet Winter Salad

‘Florescent fuchsia’ would be a great name for this salad. The sweet pink and purple juices of berries and beets brighten a winter meal and recall us to the tastes of summer. And their florescent colors nearly scream healthy nutrients.

A little ode to the beauty of the beet… Often underestimated, the beet is many things—an early and hearty grower, edible from root to leaf, beautiful and versatile. And if you believe that color content really does indicate vitamin content, then the beet is at the top of the list for nutritional value.

It takes winter for me to cultivate a desire for pickled items. The palate matches the season in that sprightly pickled beets compliment winter main dishes, often heavy with starch or fats. Beets from the summer garden were preserved for just such a salad at this time (canning recipe below).

2012 garden beets

The work involved with pickling beets is truly worth the effort. The vegetable is good shredded raw on salads or roasted in the oven, however, the pickling process adds sugar and spice to the benefit of the beet. I tried this recipe with oven roasted beets and it was good, but not nearly what it can be when the veggie is pickled.

Preserved, the beets in this pickling recipe are seasoned to perfection, through and through. A jar can be pulled for topping salads, as a vegetable side for just about any meat dish, or eaten as a coveted appetizer.

baby beets ~ perfect for salad greens

Rachelle and family gathered and froze bountiful blueberries 2012

2012 garden spinach

~ Blueberry-Beet Winter Salad ~

1 large head spinach, washed and torn

1 pint jar pickled beets, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups blueberries

3/4 cup roasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup feta cheese (I use Sunny Pine Farm chèvre feta)

fresh ground pepper to taste

1 recipe Sherry Vinaigrette (optional, recipe below)

~NOTE: If you are using pickled beets, I find a dressing unnecessary to this salad; alternatively, if you are roasting the beets, the sherry vinaigrette or another similar dressing is required.

~The presentation of this salad is best plated individually, so begin with beds of spinach.

~Combine chopped beets and blueberries in a bowl and set aside; roast walnuts and chop.

~Assemble salads by topping each spinach bed with approximately 1/2 cup beet and blueberry mixture; sprinkle with nuts and cheese; dress with vinaigrette or not as desired and serve.

Yield: about 6 servings

~ Sweet & Spicy Pickled Beets ~

10-12 medium sized beets, or 4 pounds

3 cups onions, sliced long and thin

3 sticks cinnamon, broken

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoons sea salt (to taste)

1 Tablespoon allspice, whole

1 teaspoon cloves, whole

2 1/2 cups cider vinegar

3 cups water

4 cayenne peppers, whole and preferably fresh

4 cloves garlic

~Wash beets and trim stems and roots to about 2 inches (this will allow easy skin removal); boil in water until tender, remove and drain; when cool enough to handle, remove peel and trim ends if necessary.

~Combine remaining ingredients, besides peppers and garlic, in a large sauce pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

~Add beets and simmer until heated throughout; remove cinnamon sticks.

~Using sanitary, hot pint jars, add one garlic clove and one cayenne pepper to each; pack beets into jars and ladle hot liquid over beets, leaving 1/4 inch headspace; remove air bubbles and adjust two-piece caps; process in boiling water canner for 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 pints

Sherry Vinaigrette

If canning or pickling doesn’t suit your fancy, simply roast the beets on 400 degrees for about 25 minutes and make up a sweet vinaigrette. I love working with sherry as it seems to pick up flavor complexities in a wide variety of foods. You may easily substitute other vinegars.

1 shallot, finely minced

1-2 cloves garlic to taste, finely minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup sherry vinegar

salt

pepper

~ Carefully sauté shallots in 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil until transparent and just beginning to brown; remove from heat and cool.

~Combine shallots, garlic, vinegar and mustard with whisk or food processor; emulsion is the key to a good vinaigrette, so proceed slowly with olive oil, pouring in a steady, small stream while mixing until smooth (it is far easier to use a food processor for this step); add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

The Beet as Food Coloring

One of the niftiest uses for beets is as a natural food coloring. For those attempting to avoid synthetic food coloring (often containing unnatural or toxic chemicals), the beet is the ticket. Simply slice the root into chunks, cover with water, and simmer down the liquid into a thick, fuchsia sauce.

This natural food coloring is virtually tasteless and is great added to frostings or desert sauces on special occasions. My daughter knows it well as her signature birthday cake coloring.

Love from our kitchen to yours! Georgina @ Caramelize Life

2012 garden beets

Feb 1

L to R: Jalapeño-Tomato, Salsa Verde & Red Cayenne Salsa

8 Comments

Salsa Mia ~ Beat the Chill with Garden Spice

This weekend we will enjoy a community salsa and chili contest: “Beat the Chill Chili & Salsa Cook-Off.”

And the chill must be beat. Until this week, the temperature has not crested zero in about three months. I begin to wonder if the garden was all just a dream…

The pantry proves that the sweet dream was in fact real. Seven varieties of tomato and tomatillo salsas still stock the canning shelves, some made with orange and yellow heirlooms, others packed with fresh cilantro and lime, still others combining smoked peppers with dark brandy wines. One of these lucky salsas just may enter our community cook off. (For our readers local to the Methow Valley, enter the contest to benefit our Methow Valley Community Center, February 2.)

Of all the salsa recipes created and tested through the years, above all I’d like to share the tried and true tomato salsa. I’ve landed on this one as solid and adaptable ~ the ratios are reliable for water bath canning and depth of flavor is guaranteed.

Heirlooms of Autumn

2012 garden tomatoes & tomatillos

Left to right: Jalapeño-Tomato, Salsa Verde & Red Cayenne Salsa

~ Tried & True Tomato Salsa ~

Some prefer a thick and chunky salsa, in which case, seed the tomatoes. Others prefer a thinner salsa for which you can leave the seeds. This recipe works for either.

The instructions are for a “max batch,” designed to fill the water canner with 7 full quarts or multiple batches of pints. Cut the recipe in half for smaller amounts of vegetables.

Hopefully your garlic is plentiful and punchy for this recipe. I find the spicyness of garlic to be one of the most important flavors in good salsa. Our garlic was happily bedded down in the fall, and last summer’s crop is still in use, but I’ve found that the garden garlic we dried is also workable and very punchy.

Cilantro is easy to grow on a constant basis. It grows very quickly, and can be reseeded throughout the year indoors. Cilantro is entirely useful, roots, stems, seeds, leaves and all!

When in comes to cumin, purchasing fresh seed is necessary. Pre-ground cumin is always disappointing and a recipe like this takes the full-on flavor of the spice to stand up to competitors like onion and vinegar.

The same is true of sea salt ~ an area where the cook should not skimp. Especially in canning recipes, the stronger sea salt is vastly different from standard table salt.

A final note about jalapeño peppers: gauge their spice level partially on their maturity. A pepper of full maturity will have “veins” of white stretching vertically from base to stem. Without these, you may still have a spicy pepper, but a taste test is advised.

Tomato Salsa, Max Batch

24 large tomatoes

6 cups onions

30 cloves garlic

12 + jalapeño peppers

1 ½ cups red wine or cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons fresh ground cumin seed

1 teaspoon dried red pepper to taste (optional)

2 teaspoons ground sea salt (more or less to taste)

Bunches of fresh cilantro, at least 1 1/2 cups, preferably 3 cups

~Dice all vegetables in batches in a food processor; use gloves when handling peppers if you find it necessary, and be careful not to touch face or eyes.

~Combine all ingredients besides cilantro in a large sauce pot; bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 5-10 minutes; then add chopped cilantro (its delicate construction loses flavor if boiled much, but more benefits flavor).

~Taste for spice and salt content; adjust with dried red pepper.

~Process in a boiling water canner 25 minutes for quarts, 15 minutes for pints.

Note: the ratios in this recipe are specific to preserving. If you wish to eat your salsa fresh, use less vinegar, some to taste or none at all.

Yield: 7 quarts or 14 pints

Stay warm and enjoy!

Love from our table to yours, Georgina @ Caramelize Life

Salsa Trio

Dec 11

6 Comments

Soup Sensations of the Season

Soups are definitive of the winter palate. In the days of summer heat, a steamy soup might strike us as absurd. But as soon as winter sets in, I begin craving those foods that warm us from within.

Hot entrées are a must, but soup recipes are some of the best, not only heating the body from tummy to toes, but providing perks like great nutrition, improved digestion and an adventure in flavors.

And with this backyard view of snowy white, the inspiration has sprung to put the soup on!

current backyard view

Last month I published a culinary article for our local newspaper, Methow Valley News, which showcased five soups from area chefs. Here is one of those and one of my own, with some lovely embellishments.

~Chicken Pesto Tortolini Soup~

Hearty without being heavy, and nutritious without compromising flavor, this soup is a comparably quick recipe that suits many tastes. The zing of lemon-almond pesto lends flavor sensations. Fortunately, there are many batches of pesto from this summer’s abundance of garden basil and garlic. Frozen in the hot months, my pesto batches come out of the freezer nice and fresh.

~Recipe~

garden basil for pesto a’plenty

1 lb. chicken, skinned and boned, cut into 1 inch pieces

3+ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 large yellow onions, minced

5 stalks celery, minced

6 cups chicken stock

1 lb. cheese tortellini

1/3+ cup pesto

salt and pepper to taste

fresh lemon juice to taste

fresh basil for garnish

~Almond-Lemon Pesto~

4-5 cloves garlic

1 cup + fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup roasted almonds

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

garden garlic

1~ Begin by preparing pesto; combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pesto can be made ahead and frozen for later or kept refrigerated for up to 3 days.

2~ For soup, begin with a large sauce pot and heat olive oil; sauté chicken for a few minutes and add onions and celery, cooking until soft but not transparent.

3~ Add stock and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and add tortellini, cooking until softened but not pillowy.

4~ Stir in pesto and adjust flavor with salt, pepper and lemon; remove from heat.

5~ Garnish with freshly minced basil and/or parmesean, serve and enjoy.

Yield: about 8 servings

Hotspot Firepits by Alpine Welding

~Roasted Squash Soup with Fennel & Pear~

Cooking with chef Stewart Dietz (www.dietzcatering.com) is delightfully creative. Her many culinary creations draw on classic French cuisine, flavors from around the world and our local gardens. I was happy to cook with her throughout her catering season this summer and learned to make this delectable soup, which I reproduced at home in vast amounts.

With fall harvest vegetables and fruits in storage, this soup utilizes seasonal bounty. For those looking for dairy and gluten free recipes that don’t compromise complex flavor, this recipe is highly recommended. Stewart adapted a similar recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s book, Around My French Table, and serves it to large groups at catered parties.

This bisque-like soup is highly nutritious and can be made with meat stock or completely vegan with vegetable stock. Distinguishing elements include the warm spices of fennel and ginger, zesty orange overtones and a perfected silky texture.

~Recipe~

5 lb. butternut squash
3 yellow onions
olive oil, salt & pepper for sauté
1 fennel bulb
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons minced garlic
6 cups chicken stock
3 ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1 orange
salt & pepper to taste
additional stock to thin, optional

1~ Cut squash in half lengthwise, core seeds and pulp, brush with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper; roast flesh side down on a baking sheet at 400 degrees F or until easily pierced.

2~ Chop onions and sauté in olive oil, salt and pepper on medium high in an 8 quart sauce pot; add one fennel bulb, rough chopped with core and stems removed and sauté until softening but not mushy.

3~ Add garlic and spices and sauté one minute more.

4~ Add stock, set heat on medium high and bring to a simmer; add squash and pears and return to a simmer.

5~ With a vegetable peeler, take three long strips of peel from orange and add to soup; cover at a low simmer for 20 minutes.

6~ Remove from heat and cool enough to handle; blend in food processor or blender until smooth and adjust flavors with stock, salt and pepper.

7~ Serve as is or garnish with chives, sour cream, croutons or a combination.

Yield: 6-8 servings
Notes: 1) by using vegetable stock, this recipe can be vegan and gluten-free and, 2) making this soup a day ahead benefits flavors

Love from our kitchen to yours! Georgina @ Caramelize Life

Oct 2

Smoked Kind Salmon, Chèvre and Apricot Date Chutney Crostini

2 Comments

Caramelize Life Cooking Class @ Sun Mountain Lodge

It was quite a joy teaching garden to table, Methow based cooking to visitors from around the country this month.

We were invited by Methow Arts Alliance to beautiful Sun Mountain Lodge where I taught original recipes and methods while Rachelle took fabulous photos and video while we prepped. Our attendants asked for full recipes and photos published on our site, so this article includes methods for all that we made in class.

Luckily for us at the time, the garden was at it’s height, so most all of the ingredients we used were pulled straight from the backyard. Heirloom tomatoes, hericot vert, fresh herbs, a chèvre selection from Sunny Pine Farm and my husband’s Columbia River King Smoked Salmon received praise all around for a delightful light-fare meal we all enjoyed.

About Sun Mountain Lodge

Honored for many years with it’s five star, four diamond status, Sun Mountain draws visitors to the Methow from around the globe. Exquisite natural beauty as well as world class skiing and trail sports make the mountain a prime destination. The best in fine dining is guaranteed at Sun Mountain, but what we particularly appreciate is the chef’s use of local, organic ingredients in their culinary creations. Check out their menu for great inspiration.

~ Introduction to Gourmet, Garden to Table Methow Cooking ~

A Collaboration of Caramelize Life, Methow Arts and Sun Mountain Lodge

We are Caramelize Life: Making Life Sweeter through Cooking, Travel and Community

We are Methow Valley mothers, cooks, gardeners, photographers and writers publishing original recipes and bringing the magic of Methow foods to readers and students around the world.

We write realtime narratives, methodologies and recipes weekly in articles showcasing locally grown foods, heritage and community ~ each of them organic and self-sustaining in philosophy and heart. In everything we write, photograph, teach and create, we’re seeking to make life a little sweeter.

MENU

~Methow Harvest Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes, Lemon-Pepper-Almond Pesto Dressing and Handcrafted Twisp River Feta

~Crostini with Columbia River King Smoked Salmon, Local Goat Cheese & Apricot-Date Chutney

RECIPES

~ Tomato & Baby Green Bean Salad with Lemon-Pepper-Almond Pesto & Feta Cheese ~

3 lb.s Tomatoes, seeded and diced

2-3 lb.s Hericot-Vert, flash boiled and diced

1 head Romaine or other hearty green

1 cup Crumbed Feta Cheese

Lemon-Pepper-Almond Pesto Dressing (see below)

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Heirlooms, basil and beans for the salad

~ Lemon-Pepper-Almond Pesto Dressing ~

1 Recipe Pesto Sauce

Juice of 1 Lemon

2 Tablespoons E.V. Olive Oil

Fresh Basil Leaves

Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

~Chiffonade basil (stack 7-8 leaves, roll them in a tube and fine slice, 1/4- inch, at a diagonal) and set aside.

~Juice lemon into a jar or small bowl and add olive oil, pesto, salt and pepper.

~ Combine with basil and serve.

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Pesto Sauce

2 cups Fresh Basil Leaves & Flowers

3+ Cloves Garlic

1/3 cup Roasted Nuts (we recommend almonds, walnuts, pine nuts or sunflower seeds)

1/2 cup Parmasean Cheese, grated

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

~Blend nuts and garlic in a food processor until finely ground, but not sticking.

~Add cheese, salt, pepper and basil and blend until smooth.

~With machine running, slowly pour olive oil through feed tube to emulsify.

~Serve on salads and pastas, in marinaras, soups, dressings or sandwich spreads.

Yield: about 6 servings

~ Smoked Salmon Crostini with Goat Cheese & Apricot-Date Chutney ~

1 Baguette (we used the Mazama Store‘s superb french style)

2 Tablespoons each, melted Butter & Extra Virgin Olive Oil, combined

Soft Goat Cheese, about 8 oz.

6-8 oz. Smoked Salmon

1/2 pint Apricot Date Chutney

Fresh Italian Parsley

~Slice baguette on the diagonal into 1/2 inch pieces and place on a sheet pan; drizzle olive oil and butter mixture over bread and toast in the oven at 350 F for about 7 minutes; remove from heat and set aside to cool.

~Spoon about 1 teaspoon spreadable goat cheese on each piece of bread.

~Top each crostini with 1/2 teaspoon smoked salmon.

~Garnish with a 1/4 teaspoon chutney and a sprig of parsley or serve with chutney on side.

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Georgina’s preserves, and the nectar rules. See our index of recipes on our page, Canned and Preserved 2012

~ Apricot-Date Chutney ~

6 1/2 cups Fresh, Ripe Apricots

2 1/2 cups pitted Dates

2 1/2 cups Golden Raisins

1 Tablespoon Salt

2 teaspoons ground Ginger

1 teaspoon ground Coriander

2 cups White Wine Vinegar

2 cups Water

Pint or Half-Pint Canning Jars

New Lids, Bands

~Wash, pit and chop apricots in 1/2 inch pieces.

~Combine apricots and remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer and allow mixture to thicken, stirring frequently.

~Ladle hot chutney into hot jars, leaving 1/4-1/2 inch headspace; clean rims, adjust hot lids and bands.

~Process for 10 minutes at a rolling boil in a boiling-water canner.

~Remove from canner and tighten bands; let sit for 12+ hours to seal.

~Shelve your chutney for three weeks at a minimum, 6 ideally.

Yield: 12 half-pints or six pints

~ Columbia River King Salmon ~ Smoked & Preserved ~

Recipe coming soon on caramelizelife.com

Love from our kitchen to yours, Georgina @ Caramelize Life

Jul 26

9 Comments

Columbia River Sockeye Off the Hook

The Sockeye Salmon numbers in the Methow Valley region are off the hook! Or, to be exact, they’re on our hooks.

Currently, there are over 20,000 Sockeye being observed and recorded over the Columbias Well’s Damm ~ per day. Wells is a check-point for salmon between headwaters and the ocean. These fish are counted by live people ~ 24 hours a day.

Largely a wild run fishery, the vast number of salmon are making national news and statistical records. This high mountain river run is one of the last of it’s kind in the entire country for wild river fish.

That’s according to our resident expert, my husband Wes, who is a Fisheries Biologist here in the Methow Valley for the Department of the Interior (U.S. Geological Survey). The sockeye percentage alone has increased in number to over 350% over the last ten years. That is fantastic news in terms of river health, and reflects positively on Dam management of fish populations.

Fresh garden herbs and butter for salmon garnish

Sockeye salmon and other wild fish run up the Columbia River to the the Okanogan River, then travel up to Lake Osoyus, B.C., to the Columbia’s origination. Wes mentioned after a successful day of fishing this week that the Okanogan River is truly impressive, even on an international level. It provides a major salmon resource for recreational anglers and Tribal sources.

Sockeye, Summer Chinook, and Stealhead are among the finest fish we gather locally for creating fresh, gourmet cuisine. But among those, fresh Sockeye are really the cream of the crop ~ in our humble opinion.

Herb~butter, sockeye and ground Brittany Grey salt

The Columbia River real time data access gives up to date statistics on fish to catch: http://www.cbr.washington.edu/dart/

After a good catch the last few days, we have 8 large Sockeye fillets in the freezer and tasted one off the grill last night. We grilled Sockeye fillets and tossed fresh baby green beans with cherry tomatoes from the garden.

~ Grilled Sockeye with Herb Butter ~

1 large sockeye salmon fillet

bunches of fresh herbs ~ Dill, oregano, chives, basil, terragon (you may also substitute your preferred combo of fresh herbs ~ rosemary, mint, sage, cilantro are good options).

3 Tablespoons butter

~Coat the fillet in extra virgin olive oil, top and bottom; sprinkle with fresh ground sea salt and pepper.

~Place fish on preheated grill, skin up, and seer for about 2 minutes; turn the fish skin down and seer for 5-7 minutes more.

~Remove from grill and top with herb-butter.

~ Green Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad with Feta & Herb~Lemon Vinaigrette ~

1 lb. fresh green beans

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup crumbled feta

~Boil 1 pound of green beans for 5 mintues then rinse in cool water; cut into 1 inch lengths.

~Toss with 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes and the lemon dressing and top with feta.

Herb~Lemon Vinaigrette

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 cloves minced garlic

chopped fresh basil, about 1/2 cup

salt & pepper to taste

Jul 17

17 Comments

Chicken Whisperer

We absolutely love chickens at Caramelize Life. Both Rachelle and I have been raising chickens for their farm fresh eggs for years, but now our kids are so in love with the chickens, we’ve handed over the task to them.

My son Phoenix and Rachelle’s daughter Eva are the same age and recently got together for some gardening and chicken care. Eva shared that she now has 29 birds and cares for all of them!

We have a small flock of five (after one winter weasel incident and two unfortunate raccoon attacks). But, we have hand reared them just like Eva, so they are very gentle creatures. Eva got to meet our new young ones, and the kids and chickens had a fabulous time.

Baby Ginger, Polish Crested, “hippy-chick”

Baby Melon, Polish Crested or “top hat”

Now, I knew that Phoenix loves his chickens ~ especially Ginger, a Polish Crested (or, hippy-chick, as we call them). But when I saw the emotional bonds between the kids and their chuckies, I couldn’t resist writing about it.

Ginger’s sister is Melon, another Polish Crested, or ”top-hat,” and we have one Buff, my daughter’s “Sqeaky.” Our two unknown multi-breed variety, we christened Cheep and Re-Cheep. On almost a daily basis, each of them gets hand fed, cuddled, and spoken to like a member of the family.

During our playdate, Phoenix and Eva first gave the chickens a tour of the garden ~ in arms of course.

The beloved birds were hand-fed fresh strawberries…

Garden sampling for the chicken friends

Then they tried sweet peas, just picked…

And finally, two lucky chickens got naps in arms to the tune of lullabies and whistling by both Phoenix and Eva.

At one point, I returned outside to find Eva with Melon laying belly up on a pillow in the grass. With Eva protectively overseeing, Melon was peacefully sleeping.

All I really wanted from the chickens were good organic eggs ~ but with a couple chicken whisperers around, the benefits of the birds are greatly enhanced. Chickens aren’t just worth the effort, they are a joy!

So my methodology for our readers this week is a simple one: love your chickens and you’ll have a happy, healthy flock.

Love from our nests to yours! Georgina @ Caramelize Life

Jul 7

3 Comments

Any~Time~Any~Meal Winners: from Rhubarb Crisp to the Philly Cheese Steak

Recently Rachelle and I, partners at Caramelize Life, were happily bantering about favorite foods and recipes we adore. We landed on a few win-all, any-time, all-purpose recipes.

I think we’re all familiar ~ those recipes that we’ll secretly devour on any occasion in a darkish corner of the kitchen. It’s just as good first thing in the morning as late at night, whenever hunger strikes.

There is most commonly no guilt associated with these snackings, because the recipes are so delectable (and arguably healthy in our minds) that they should be enjoyed for any meal. No excuses.

Four quick and easy Any-Meal-Any-Time Recipes for our Beloved Readers

These recipes may be made garden to table any time of year with a few tricks, but each one also uses produce and ingredients currently in season. I’d like to highlight the Emmer Farro recipe and our friends at the Methow Valley’s own Bluebird Grain Farms because it is now prime salad season. This recipe and those for Rhubarb Sauce and Philly Cheesesteak were also published in recent months.

But don’t miss the new recipe of Rhubarb Crisp at the end ~ it’s a universal winner!

~ Philly Cheese Steak Meets Methow Mama ~

The first weekend I made this recipe, I’ll admit, I ate this cheesesteak for three different meals. And yes, one of them was breakfast.

~ Emmer Farro Salad with Fruit, Feta & Pecans ~ High-Protein, Hearty…. Delectable

Emmer Farro is a unique, ancient grain cultivated in the Methow Valley. It is highly sought after in fine dining establishments in larger cities. And here is why: emmer has a full-bodied flavor, a texture and shape that holds, and contains up to 22% protein.

Photo credit: John Lok of the Seattle Times

~ Rhubarb Sauce & Yogurt ~

Rhubarb and yogurt is a family staple. Check out this easy recipe for healthy any-time snacking.

New Recipe

~ Rhubarb Crisp ~

Fruit Mixture ~

5 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb, diced in 1/2 inch pieces

3/4 cups sugar

4 Tablespoons flour

Note: if rhubarb is frozen, thaw but do not drain.

Crisp Topping ~

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or cinamon

1/4 cup cold butter, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1~ Combine rhubarb, sugar and flour in a bowl and set aside. Let stand for at least 1/2 hour, stirring periodically.

2~ Meanwhile, prepare topping by combining all dry ingredients, then cut in butter.

3~ Place fruit in greased 2 quart square baking dish or equivalent and sprinkle topping over fruit.

4~ Bake at 375F for about 1/2 hour or until fruit is bubbling and topping is golden brown.

Yield: 10-12 servings (or4-5, depending)

Love from our kitchen to yours! Georgina @ Caramelize Life

May 30

11 Comments

Good Morning Good Muffin ~ Rhubarb Morning Delight

After all the rhubarb enthusiasm following my article “The Barb is On!“ , we thought more rhubarb recipes for our readers were in order.

Morning muffins…so easy, so tasty, and they are a joy to make. And, speaking of that sentiment, it is The Joy of Cooking that contains the base recipe for these treats. The opening quote affirms precisely how I feel about cooking and writing at Caramelize Life: “Joy’s soul lies in the doing.” ~ William Shakespeare

When the children and I harvest our own fruit, make our own food and eat it with satisfaction, we find the joy in doing, and each experience is amplified. There is no question that these muffins are enjoyed exponentially more than anything we might buy.

Bountiful Barb~

After harvesting rhubarb and making gobs of sauces, we still have some bright, baby red shoots growing like crazy. So, with just 4 1/2 cups of fresh cut, super ripe rhubarb, we made a triple batch of this recipe. Some for now, some for morning breakfasts this week, some to freeze for later.

Any basic muffin recipe can work for rhubarb muffins. I reference The Joy of Cooking for such basics. Recipes are always garunteed goodness out of the Joy and I probably use it more than any other cookbook.

Wait until your rhubarb is ruby red before harvesting. Sometimes the baby shoots are the best.

In baking, I see no reason to reduce fats. If I am going to indulge in a pastry or bread, I want it to be delectable, a treat worth savoring. Thus, I have no interest in the “Basic Reduced-Fat Muffins” in the Joy and stick with the full flavored buttery goodness of “Basic Muffins.”

Though I’ve never seen an actual written recipe for rhubarb muffins, it is perfectly simple to modify any fruity muffin recipe to accommodate your rhubarb. Begin by chopping the barb into berry sized bits and coat it in sugar to stand for about 1/2 hour. Then start your batter.

~Rhubarb Muffins~

1 1/2 cups Rhubarb, chopped in 1/2 inch peices

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk or cream

2/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup melted butter or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

~Instructions~

1~ Combine chopped rhubarb and 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl and set aside for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally.

2~ Set oven to 400F.

3~ Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla in a separate bowl.

4~ Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and add the egg mixture.

5~ Mix to barely combine (the batter should look lumpy and not fully mixed for proper rising). Fold in rhubarb, and fill greased muffin tin cups.

6~ Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7~ Let cool for a couple minutes before removing from pan; serve warm with butter.

Yeild: 12 muffins

Love from Our Kitchen to Yours! Georgina @ Caramelize Life

Rhubarb Muffins and Honey Suckle

May 25

13 Comments

Spring Start Salad ~ with Caramelized Balsamic Dressing, Roasted Nuts, Berries & Goat Cheese

Tough Greens Sweeten Up !

Well, not exactly tough ~ but more hearty than the sweet lettuces of later spring. The kale, beet greens and spinach called for in this recipe can be rather fibrous as adults, but more tender as babies. So springs the recipe!

The spinach is currently exploding, so I’m using it in every meal. This recipe is a favorite, loaded with the flavors of its dynamic, crowd pleasing, caramelized dressing.

Spinach, kale and beet greens, picked small as soon as you’re ready to thin, are a delectable treat. But they also hold their shape under a warm dressing very well. The slightly bitter taste of each adds to the complexity of flavors, which are plenty with the garlic, berry and honey content in the dressing.

Salt and a slight tang in the goat cheese tops the flavor combo…to the point that I’d love to have this salad as a main course regularly ~ if my family would agree.

The balsamic vinaigrette tends to wow guests. Sautéed garlic combines with honey, balsamic and dried fruit to caramelize into a thick, warm syrup.

Caramelizing honey, balsamic and olive oil requires a full boil.

I first tasted a version made by Julie Libby, former chef and now owner of our local book haven, Trail’s End Bookstore. (Some of our favorite cookbooks from Trail’s End are featured on the righthand sidebar.) I’ve modified the recipe with honey rather than sugar, added some dried berry options and expanded from spinach to a variety of tougher greens.

Healthy spring garlic ~ carefully roasted, the garlic in this recipe’s caramelized dressing works to enhance all other flavors.

 ~Caramelized Balsamic Dressing~

½ cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

½ cup dried cranberries, huckleberries or blueberries

1/2 cup honey

Salt and pepper to taste

1~ Sauté garlic in a small saucepan in 1 T olive oil until slightly browned and fragrant.

2~ Mix all other ingredients well and add to garlic on medium-high, stirring frequently.

3~Bring to a rolling boil and reduce heat to a lively simmer, stirring constantly. Do not let boiling or stirring cease. Allow to thicken until caramelized, about 5-7 minutes.

4~ Let cool for 10 minutes or until just warm and serve. Top each salad with prudent spoons of dressing, tossing lightly with each spoonful (it is very flavorful, so be careful:)

~ Use this dressing as soon as it is cool enough to pour and save the rest to reheat later. It can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks and reheated for additional meals.

~Spring Start Salad~

Spinach, Kale, Beet Greens (full sized salad bowl, filled)

½+ cup roasted almonds (or substitute walnuts or peacans)

½+ cup crumbled goat cheese

1~ Roast slivered or chopped nuts for 5 minutes or until just brown. Set aside to cool.

2~ Tear greens in ratio to your liking. This recipe can be made in one bowl, but we recommend plating individually because of the warm dressing ~ the presentation is better and it holds shape in smaller portions. To prepare individual salads: make a bed of 1 ½ cups mixed greens on each plate.

3~ Drizzle ¼ cup warm dressing over top and toss~barely; top with 2 Tablespoons each, cheese and roasted nuts and serve.

A little sprinkling of each topping is all that’s needed for this salad of full bodied flavor.

NOTE: This salad can be made all year long with standard spinach and kale as well. Try experimenting by substituting different roasted nuts or other tough greens to fit your family’s fancy.

Love from our Kitchen to Yours ~ Georgina @ Caramelize Life

If it’s not time to grow your own greens, local producer’s in our Methow Valley are easy to find at METHOW NET’S DIRECTORY, or look for organic goodness at your local farmer’s market.

Kale, like spinach, grows quickly in cool spring weather. If your garden is populated with kale, it can be used solely for this salad, or check out a different take on tough spring greens on Sassy Radish. The Tuscan Kale Salad with Pecorino looks divine.

We love to use SUNNY PINE FARM’S Chèvre. Not only do we love the families who tend and milk the goats, but the product is out of this world! Thank you Vicki and Ed Welch for your amazing farm!

Sunny Pine Farm serves the local community with high quality, healthy, organic products. Ph:(509) 997-4812

Up north, the Larkhaven Cheese Farm is superb as well. Their goat and sheep combo feta is mouth watering and would go very well with this recipe.

Larkhaven Farm (509) 486-1199.

Making life a little sweeter through food, travel and community

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Spring Start Salad ~ with Caramelized Balsamic Dressing, Roasted Nuts, Berries & Goat Cheese

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