Green Tomato Relish

I'm still at it: working with my 10+ pounds of green tomatoes. This recipe is a real winner; it's technically a "relish" but tastes much more like a "salsa" (what's the difference, anyway?). If you don't have any green tomatoes, then you're out of luck. I'm going to have to make another batch following the recipe as originally written (my notes are below); I think I'll like it even better than my accidental changes.

Green Tomato Relish

Recipe from Farmgirl Fare.

• 2 pounds green tomatoes, cored and chopped (I use a combo of Romas and Mr. Stripeys)
• 1 pound white or yellow onions (I left out--oops...it would be even better!)
• 3/4 pound sweet peppers (I used yellow)
• 1/2 pound tart cooking apples, cored and chopped (I used a pound)
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 T. kosher or sea salt
• 4 jalapeno peppers, cored, seeded if desired, and finaly chopped
• 2 T. chopped cilantro
• 1 t. ground cumin

1. Combine the tomatoes, onions, peppers, apples, garlic, vinegar, and salt in a large, nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about an hour.
2. Stir in the jalapenos, cilantro, and cumin and simmer for 5 more minutes.
3. Carefully puree the mixture using an immersion blender (ideal) or in batches in a traditional blender until still somewhat chunky.
4. In canning, return the pureed relish to a boil, then ladle the hot mixture into hot, sterilized jar, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Store in a cool, dark place. You can also freeze this mixture.

Makes 3 pints

Zucchini Sunflower Bread

I must confess that my family didn't enjoy this as much as I did: my husband has passed on his dislike of nuts/seeds in bread products to our children (sigh). However, if you enjoy nuts and seeds in your baked goods, then you should try this bread! It's a nice alternative to the more heavily spiced zucchini breads, and the sunflower seeds add a great flavor and slight crunch.

Recipe based on outline in How to Cook Everything, 10th ann. edition

• 
  
• 4 T. cold butter, plus more for the pan
• 2 c. all-purpose flour (or half whole wheat)
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1 t. salt
• 3/4 c. milk
• 1 egg
• 1 c. zucchini, grated and excess moisture squeezed out
• 1/2 c. raw sunflower seeds

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with butter (I used an 8x4-inch pan; cookbook recommends a 9x5).
2. Stir together dry ingredients. Cut butter into pieces and then cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, 2 knives, or your fingers. Mixture should be crumbly.
3. Beat together milk and egg. Pour into dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Fold in zucchini and seeds, then pour/spoon batter into pan. Bake for about an hour, until bread is golden brown and toothpick comes clean from the center. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Makes 1 loaf

Carrie's Strawberry Jam

Carrie lives in a small town that has a strawberry festival every year. They grow tons of strawberries! She's learned to make great strawberry jam--freeze it or can it. (I realize this posting is way past strawberry season--file it away in your memory for next May!)

2 pounds strawberries, hulled

4 cups sugar (less if your berries are really sweet)

1/4 cup lemon juice

Stir all in a LARGE pot over low heat until sugar dissolves (jam can really splatter, so keep hot pads handy to stir and make sure it's a deep pot). Once sugar dissolves, raise heat to high and stir frequently until the jam has reached 220 degrees. If it seems to be taking a while, you can always take a spoon which you thought to stick in the freezer before starting your jam (!), stick it in the jam, pull it out, and see how the jam cools/sets on the spoon. Alternately, stick a plate in the freezer before starting your jam. Spread some jam on the plate. If you can draw a line through it and it starts to run back together, it's done.

Makes ? pints--I can't remember!

Gardening is for Chefs

I do NOT know what is up with the fonts--I keep changing them, but they won't cooperate....

I have to remind myself every year that I don't garden in order to provide food for my family. I tell myself that I can always go to Kroger or the farmer's market if my garden goes belly up... or if my LABRADOR eats all my baby spinach plants...or if three little preschoolers manage to squirm in through a hole in the fence and pick "apples" (green tomatoes), "cucum-cum" (not-quite-ripe cucumbers), and... um... an entire pepper plant (yep, they picked the whole plant up... so I have lots of green cayennes in my freezer now).

So, why do I garden? And why should you? If you love to cook, then you must garden--just grow some herbs, if nothing else. Why?

1. A garden is the cheapest, easiest way to add a gourmet touch to your cooking (or your Christmas gifts!). Herbs, in particular, are easy to grow, and nothing will spice up your everyday cooking quite like fresh herbs. My favorites to grow are basil (look at all that basil--harvested in one afternoon!), ros

emary, parsley, thyme, oregano, and marjoram. Mint can also be fun (be warned that oregano and marjoram are also part of the mint family, so choose your location wisely!). Herbs provide the biggest bang for the buck. Many are perennials; even if they're only annuals, a seed pack will set you back $1. Then, you can make all the pesto you want, add fresh rosemary lavishly to breads and stews, and throw in fresh thyme sprigs to your pot roasts. It's the easiest way to go gourmet and still be cheap!

2. A garden provides bounty that is both delicious and unpredictable.

I tend to cook more healthily when I have a garden. If you have an entire head of Napa cabbage sitting on your counter that you grew, you're more likely to use the entire thing, even if it means eating some variety of the same dish for several days in a row. I'm inspired to try new things, like green tomato bread and green tomato cake, when I have an abundance of something. I also tried Kosher dill pickles earlier

this summer--that recipe will be going up soon because I had millions of requests for it!

The plants that require a significant investment in time/money are things like tomatoes and peppers--both of which provide the successful gardener with tons of byproducts (salsa, tomato sauce, tomatoes and peppers in the freezer, ketchup, endless summer salads,...). Other plants require virtually no effort and very little expenditure in money (they don't need much fertilizing and are easy to start from seed): greens, lettuces, squashes--winter and summer, cucumbers, beans, peas.... So, it's relatively easy to get started with something.

3. I'm also reminded that we are ultimately dependent on our Creator to provide us with food. He sends the rain (abundant for us this year), the sun, and sustains creation through His word. I'm reminded of people in other parts of the world who don't have the variety of food we do; when it's tomato season, that's what they eat. They're not also eating spinach, winter squash, and asparagus. When it's winter, they're not eating as much fresh stuff as we have available. When late tomato blight hits, they have to make use of the green tomatoes in order to have something to eat before the plants die.

4. With an interesting variety of homegrown produce, even the kids are motivated to try (and keep trying) different vegetables. They love to munch on cherry tomatoes, even though they often spit them out. Still, they continue to try them! In fact, one of my sons has finally decided he likes cherry tomatoes and now sneaks them off my counter to eat on a regular basis. They've grown to love cucumbers, homemade salsa, winter squash--partly because they see it growing in their own back yard.

This year, I bit off a bit more than I could chew (but not more than the myriad squirrels, rabbits, toddlers, and dogs could chew!). Still, despite my frustrations along the way, I've had a good year. The vast majority of my effort in relation to my garden has been in dealing with an abundance of produce--so it's been a nice problem to have. What did I grow? In addition to lots of herbs, we have/had winter squash (bonbon--like butternut--and spaghetti), snow peas, sugar snaps (didn't do much), baby bok choy, Napa cabbage, broccoli, mustard greens, spinach, spinach mustard hybrid, lettuces, cucumbers (several kinds), tomatoes (several kinds), bell peppers, jalapenos, cayennes, zucchini, pumpkin, green beans (several kinds), and lima beans. Not all flourished, but enough has flourished to give me some to put by. Here's a sampling of my freezer's bounty (more tomato sauce, green tomato ketchup, green tomato relish, and squash puree are coming):

6 pints salsa

2 cups tomato sauce

6 cups pesto

jalapenos

cayennes

green beans

lima beans

Poblano peppers

bell peppers

shredded zucchini (hello, zucchini bread!)

green tomato puree

Green Tomato Cake

Once upon a time, my boys picked green tomatoes from my garden, called them apples, and proudly handed them to me or threw them over the garden fence into the compost heap. Waste not, want not, right! Between the boys and the squirrels, I harvested quite a few green tomatoes. I discovered this yummy cake recipe back then--like a spice cake and very similar to Green Tomato Bread. Somehow, despite their nearly identical ingredient lists, the two recipes do taste and feel different. Now that I'm getting green tomatoes from the Colvins, I'm revisiting this delicious recipe! You can freeze the tomato puree if you need to save the cake-baking for another day. I'm assuming you can freeze the cake as well since other, similar cakes freeze just fine.

Green Tomato Cake

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

• 4 cups pureed green tomatoes (puree in food processor until small pieces remain; don't liquefy)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raisins (I think chocolate chips or Craisins would also be good)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Place pureed tomatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Place in a colander, rinse with cold water and drain.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan or 2 8x8-inch pans.
3. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until creamy.
4. Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add raisins and nuts to dry mixture; add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Dough will be very stiff. Mix well.
5. Add drained tomatoes and mix well. Pour into the prepared 9 x 13 inch pan.
6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Green Tomato Bread

That's "green tomato" bread, not green "tomato bread." Yep--you can eat green tomatoes in more ways than fried. This bread is every bit as good as zucchini bread--maybe better! It's quite reminiscent of my mother-in-law's plum cake as well. If you're a gardener, you can now use up every last little bit of that tomato crop when frost approaches. Or, if you're like me, you can hope the green tomatoes keep coming in those boxes from the Colvins!

Green Tomato Bread

Recipe from Cooking with Michelle Recipes

• 2 cups green tomatoes, pureed, juice drained and discarded*
• 1/2 cup canola oil (or other neutral oil)
• 8-oz. plain yogurt
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 1/2 t. cloves
• 1/8 t. salt

*I pureed my tomatoes (cutting out the stem end) until not quite liquified. Then, I poured them into a wire strainer. I measured the pureed tomatoes before I drained them. You can also freeze extra puree--a nice time-saving touch for future loaves.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans (I used 8x4-inch). Combine oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar, and tomatoes in large bowl; mix well.
2. Sift together white flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Add to wet ingredients along with whole wheat flour. Stir together just until combined. Batter will be fairly runny.
3. Divide evenly between the two pans and bake just until a toothpick comes clean from the center of the bread--about 45 minutes. Let cool in the pans, then remove.
4. Note from recipe originator: to retain moisture, wrap in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator. May be frozen.

Makes 2 loaves

Favorite Recipe Tip

Have a favorite recipe that you make a lot but just can't quite remember? I've started printing a few recipes that I make a lot, but have trouble remembering completely (like cottage cheese pancakes, basic vinaigrette, etc.), and taping them to the inside the cabinet housing the majority of the ingredients or which is located next to the most likely prep area. Out of sight and a big time saver when you just need to double check the amount of garlic or vanilla.

Mom's Banana Pudding

This is comfort food for me: it immediately takes me back to childhood and my mom's cooking. Why? Because it's so hard to find this anywhere else. One bite and you'll never be tempted again by the banana-flavored pudding restaurants try to pass off. This is vanilla pudding layered with sliced bananas and Nilla wafers. Mmmm.... Even better--you cook it in the microwave!

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. four (don't level off the scoop--it's not a precise meas.)
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2 c. milk
• 1 t. vanilla
• 3-4 eggs
• 4 sliced bananas
• Nilla wafers (about half a box)

1. In a 4-cup microwave safe bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add the milk, stirring. Heat the milk mixture in the microwave until hot (about a minute and a half or so). Beat the eggs in a different bowl and slowly add some of the milk mixture to the eggs to temper them. When eggs are warmed up a little, add the egg/milk mixture back to the original milk mixture. Microwave at 80% power until thickened to soft pudding, stirring every 30 seconds. This may take as little as 1.5 minutes or as long as 5+. You'll know when it's thickened--it will look just like pudding!
2. Stir in the vanilla.
3. Layer wafers, bananas, and pudding, lining the bowl with wafers first. You can eat the pudding warm, but we like it better chilled. So, make this in the afternoon and you can eat it for dessert. The longer it sits, the soggier the wafers become.

Serves 6

Basic (Cooked) Salsa

Homemade salsa was my first exposure to canning--about 10 or 12 years ago. My friend Barb introduced me to the joys of this experience, cheerfully donating most of the produce from her own garden. I wish so much I still had her recipe because it was amazing!!! It even had basil in it which was a nice touch. Below is the recipe I used this year; it's a wonderful, fresh-tasting, basic recipe. Remember to always follow instructions and measurements when canning to ensure the food will be safe to eat. Do not change proportions; you may switch out herbs or reduce hot peppers only.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 12th edition

• 7 pounds tomatoes (20 medium all-purpose; more if you use romas)
• 3 c. green peppers, any combination of the following (listed in order of heat): bell peppers, Anaheim, poblanos, hot bananas
• 1/3 c. hot chili peppers (jalapenos, serranos, etc.)
• 2 c. coarsely chopped onion
• 1/2 c. snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
• 1 c. vinegar
• 1/2 c. tomato paste
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T. sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. pepper

1. Chop, chop! Chop all tomatoes, removing stem end and any bad spots. No need to peel and seed for this recipe (of course, if you hate skin, feel free to peel tomatoes). Let tomatoes drain in a colander for 30 minutes or so (or just cook them longer).
2. Seed and chop all peppers; if using hot peppers, make sure you wear gloves or wash your hands. I never wear gloves, and my hands are on fire right now as I type....
3. Place drained tomatoes in an 8-quart pot. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes or till thick and chunky; stir frequently. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boiling. Remove from heat.
4. To Can: Ladle salsa into hot, sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process in a boiling-water bath for 35 minutes (start timing when water begins to boil).
5. To Freeze: Place the pot in a sink filled with ice water; stir mixture to help it cool. Spoon into wide-top freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal, label, and freeze up to 6 months.

Makes 4 pints

Note: I like my salsa a bit sweeter than this recipe, so I stir in a spoonful of sugar to a new jar when I open it. You can also add more heat to individual jars when you open them by adding an extra chipotle pepper or jalapeno pepper or cayenne pepper or.....

Gyoza Dipping Sauce

This is the sauce we use for our gyoza (aka jiaozi, pot stickers, dumplings, ...). This is pungent, salty, and slightly sweet.

1 clove garlic, mashed

3 T. sugar

black Chinese vinegar

8 T. soy sauce

chili oil or chili sauce to taste

Combine garlic and sugar. Add as much vinegar as the sugar will absorb (less than 3 tablespoons). Then, add soy sauce and chili sauce to taste. Mmm...

Sausage Scones

This is a different take on the usual scone, but it's delicious! The sausage gives the scones a touch extra protein as well, making them a nice choice for a quick breakfast on the go. I like to double this recipe because then it uses an entire pound of sausage.

Recipe from Meals for a Month

• 1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
• 1 1/2 cups flour*
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour*
• 3 T. sugar
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 c. heavy cream
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. butter, melted

*can use all white whole wheat flour

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In heavy skillet, cook sausage until crumbly and brown. Drain on paper towels. In large bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix to combine. In small bowl, combine cream, egg, and melted butter and beat well; add all at once to dry ingredients along with dained sausage and cheese. Stir until dough forms.
2. Pat out dough into an 8-inch round on ungreased cookie sheet. Cut the circle into 8 wedge-shaped scones. Bake scones at 400 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes, until very lightly browned and set. Cool on wire rack, then flash freeze on cookie sheet (if you haven't already done so, separate scones before flash freezing). Pack into rigid containers (or large ziploc bag), separating layers with wax paper; label, seal, and freeze.
3. To reheat: Place frozen scones on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and hot. Let cool a few minutes before serving.
4. Alternatively, before freezing, bake scones until they look done (light brown) and simply microwave or pop in a toaster oven to reheat.

Serves 8

Egg McMuffins for the Freezer

These are tasty and super easy to assemble/freeze/thaw/eat! There's some assembly work required, but it's not complicated, so your children could probably help. Recipe can be doubled or tripled quite easily (if you triple it, you can use up all the English muffins in the packages you'll have to buy as well as almost an entire can of evaporated milk).

Recipe adapted from Meals for a Month

• 2 T. butter, softened
• 8 English muffins
  
• 8 eggs, slightly beaten
• 8 slices Canadian bacon (can use regular, but Can. is so much easier!)
• 1/3 c. evaporated milk
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/8 t. pepper
• 1/2 t. thyme (dried)
• 16 slices American cheese, unwrapped

1. Spread butter on both sides of (split) English muffins and toast in the toaster oven until light brown. Set aside (incidentally, we always skip this step and don't pre-toast). If using regular bacon, cook in heavy skillet until crisp; remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from the skillet.
2. (This is where I start, skipping step 1 entirely) In large bowl, beat eggs with milk and seasonings. Pour into hot drippings (or 1 tablespoon butter in heavy skillet) and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until just set. Remove from heat, and then crumble bacon and stir into egg mixture. If using Canadian bacon instead, then don't use the bacon yet.
3. Spread out bottoms of English muffins on cookie sheet(s). Place one slice American cheese on bottom half of each English muffin. Place one slice of Canadian bacon, if using, on top of each cheese slice. Top with egg mixture, dividing evenly among the muffins. Top egg mixture with remaining cheese slices and cover with remaining English muffin halves. Flash freeze sandwiches in single layer on cookie sheet until solid. Wrap in microwave-safe paper towel, then pack into ziploc bags (we can fit several into one larger gallon sized bag). Label bags, seal, and freeze.
4. To Thaw and Reheat: Place frozen, wrapped muffins, one at a time, in microwave and heat on high power for 1-3 minutes, until thoroughly heated and cheese has melted.

Serves 8; recipe tripled serves 24

Baked Oatmeal

This is from my good friend Megan, and it is wonderful! The consistency is sort of between an oatmeal bar cookie and an actual bowl of oatmeal. Definitely pour milk over top like you would cereal when you serve it (in bowls). My kids love this. We only use the 1/2 cup of brown sugar (and we use the vanilla since we're using less sugar), and it was plenty sweet enough--if your kids are used to super sweet breakfasts, you might up it to the full cup. Experiment with less (as Megan so aptly said)!

• 1/2 c. oil
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2-1 c. brown sugar
• 3 c. old-fashioned oatmeal
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. milk
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

Combine all ingredients and spread in greased 8 or 9-inch square pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes and serve hot with milk. (Cold leftovers are also good with milk, or you can reheat.)

Serves 6-8 or so.... depends on how hungry those kiddos are and what you're serving with it; my 3 kids and I nearly polished off the pan!

Overnight Crockpot Oatmeal--Steel Cut Oats

This recipe is iffy because my crock pot cracked in the process; I figure it's best to find a new way to do it! The former recipe involved a water bath feature in which the oats/water were mixed in a bowl that was set into the crock. Water was poured around the bowl until it was level with the oats/water mixture. I'd done this recipe several times without incident, but this past weekend, there was a hairline crack in a perfect circle in the crock where my smaller bowl had rested.

Use a 2-quart crockpot by itself or rig up a roasting rack under your bowl.

The original recipe below in brief:

1.25 c. steel cut oats
5 c. water

Cook in a smaller bowl inside a bigger crockpot as long as it's resting on a wire rack of some sort. OR, cook same amount of water/oats in a 2-quart crockpot. Cook on low overnight (~8 hours).

Microwave Egg Sandwich

These are nice when everyone's eating at different times and/or you don't want to be left with any breakfast dishes to clean up. The bread is a bit tougher than it might be had you toasted it separately, fried the egg in a skillet, etc. etc. BUT you'd then have more stuff to clean up and it would take longer. My kids love these, and they've become a staple on busier mornings. Sometimes, they even eat two!

Recipe based on one from Recipezaar

1 slice bread

1 egg

1 slice American cheese

salt and pepper to taste

butter for bread

Place bread on microwave-safe plate. Spread butter thinly on bread. Mash bread insides down with fork (leaving a "rim" where the crust is--you don't want to poke holes in the bread, just flatten it some). Crack egg onto bread (don't allow the egg to touch the plate). Poke tines of fork into yolk a couple of times. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Microwave on 60% power until egg is done (about 1-1.5 minutes in my microwave). Remove and lay slice of cheese on top. Wait a minute or two. When cheese is melted, cut bread in half and put the two pieces together to make a small sandwich.

Serves 1

Carrie's Island Rice

This is one of Carrie's specialties, modeled after a similar dish at Bone Fish. It goes well with Caribbean entrees, such as fish, seafood, and grilled meats or chicken. Enjoy!

• 1 box Uncle Ben's Original Wild Rice Blend
• 1 can coconut water (check Hispanic areas of grocery store)
• 1/3 c. almonds, sliced
• 1/2 large red pepper, chopped
• butter
• 1 small box Raisins (lunch box size--not the micro box)

Prepare rice according to package directions, substituting coconut water (plus additional water if needed) for the water called for on package. While rice is cooking, saute red pepper and almonds in a little bit of butter until almonds are toasted and pepper is slightly softened. Add to rice when rice is done; add raisins.

Serves 4-6

Stir-Fried Chicken with Basil and Chiles, Thai Style

This is very authentic tasting to me (my only Thai food experience is limited to Thai restaurants); I suspect it's the Thai basil (cinnamon basil--has a faint licorice or anise aroma). If you have a garden, this is an easy stir-fry to make and very inexpensive. If you don't garden this year, try some cinnamon basil and some jalapenos next year (both very easy to grow) and you can whip this up any time! As with most stir-fries, have all ingredients ready (including some cooked rice) before you begin because it moves fast. If serving young children, keep the pieces of jalapeno fairly big; then simply pick them out of their servings--there will be some residual heat, but not like what they might experience if they bit into a piece of hot pepper.

From How to Cook Everything, 10th ann. edition

• 1/4 c. peanut oil (or neutral oil)
• 2 T. minced garlic
• 1 T. grated or minced fresh ginger
• 2 or 3 minced fresh or dried chiles (serrano or jalapeno) or cayenne to taste
• 2 medium to large onions, sliced
• 1/2 c. chopped scallion, plus more for garnish
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch chunks or thin slices and blotted dry
• 1 c. fresh basil leaves (preferably Thai/cinnamon)
• 1 t. sugar (optional)
• 2 T. fish sauce (nam pla)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable stock, white wine, or water

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add half the oil, swirl it around, and immediately add half the garlic, half the ginger, and the chiles. Cook for 15 seconds, stirring, then add the onion and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes ('til softened). Remove onion to a separate bowl.
2. Turn heat down to medium. Add remaining oil, swirl, then remaining garlic and ginger. Stir, then add the chicken. Raise heat to high, stir the chicken once, then let it sit for 1 minute before stirring again. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken has lost its pink color, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Return the onion mixture to the pan, add the scallions and basil, and toss once or twice. Add sugar if using, then fish sauce (can use soy sauce, but it won't be as authentic tasting); toss again. Add liquid of choice and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced slightly and you've scraped up all the bits of chicken, about 30 seconds. Garnish with scallion and serve.

Serves 4, with rice

Side dish suggestion: Asian Cucumber Salad or crudite

Basic Banana Muffins

These are easy to make, not-too-sweet banana muffins. They're on the small-medium side in size, making them a perfect offering for a young child's breakfast or lunch. I made mine with half white whole wheat flour.

From Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 11th edition

• 1 3/4 c. flour
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/4 c. cooking oil
• 3/4 c. mashed banana (2-3 bananas)
• 1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional

1. Prepare muffin tin (paper liners or grease the cups). Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in center of mixture; set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine egg, milk, oil, and banana. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture (along with nuts); stir just until moistened.
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from muffin cups.

Makes 12 small-medium muffins

Fruit and Berry Patch Cobbler

Whenever I taste a blackberry, I think of my grandmother's farm and the blackberry cobbler she used to make. I don't have her recipe (yet), but this is the recipe from the orchard/farm up the road where we pick blackberries (and peaches, apples, blueberries, pumpkins...).

4 cups fruit (peaches, berries, etc. peaches and apples must be peeled and sliced)
sugar to taste for fruit (I don't use any)
1 stick butter, melted
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. milk

Place fruit and sugar in pie plate or baking pan; pour on melted butter. Combine flour and sugar; stir in milk. Spread crust over fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until light brown and fruit is bubbly.

Easy Cobbler

This is my mother-in-law's cobbler recipe and super easy to throw together. Follow directions exactly--the crust forms as it cooks.

3-4 cups fruit (peaches, berries, etc.--peaches and apples need to be peeled and sliced)
2 T. lemon juice
1 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 egg
6 T. melted butter

Combine fruit and lemon juice. Place in pie plate. Combine flour and sugar; add egg. Mixture will be crumbly/lumpy. Spread on top of fruit. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes (or until crust is light brown and fruit is bubbly).

Great with ice cream!

Chicken, Corn, Black Bean, Tomato Salad

This is a delightful, mild summer salad that can be eaten as is, with a big spoonful of zesty salsa (how my hubby and I like it), and/or eaten in a tortilla as a wrap. You can also skip the mild dressing and just use Italian dressing. If you use Italian dressing, you can freeze it! My kids eat the mild version and seem to enjoy it.

Recipe based on one from Group Recipes

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and chopped

4 cups cooked black beans, rinsed
1 bag frozen corn, thawed
6 Roma tomatoes cut into small bite size pieces*
4-6 green onions, finely chop the whole stalk*
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime squeezed
½ cup light olive oil
½ cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons of sugar
Salt & Pepper

*I used 2 small all-purpose tomatoes from the garden; my sister's made a similar salad using 1 can diced tomatoes. I also used 1 small regular onion in place of the green onions.

Mix all together and chill for several hours to let flavors blend.

Makes a lot--maybe 6-8 servings.