Good News!

Hi everyone! I have good news: I am expecting TWINS in April! Unfortunately, I have had some nausea and food aversions that have made cooking, writing, and blogging about food a little difficult these past few of months!

I have a little over 100 pages of the cook book done (all of the chicken, turkey, pork, and beef recipes are finished). I still have to complete the fish and vegetarian recipes. I have been feeling a little better lately, so I am still hoping to have the cook book finished and printed by Thanksgiving. I will keep everyone posted.

Thank you for all of your support!

Quick Homemade Pizza

It’s really fun to make homemade pizza.  This recipe is easy and fast to make, because you don’t have to let the crust rise.  This is thin crust pizza, so don’t go too heavy on the toppings or the crust will get soggy.  You can make a couple of batches of crust and freeze the extra for later.  Enjoy!

Thin Crust Pizza

0.25 oz package active dry yeast

¼ teaspoon granulated sugar

¾ cup warm (110 degree) water

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Topping ingredients:  I like to use a pesto-tomato sauce (see recipe below), sliced fresh mozzarella, sliced kalamata olives, fresh basil, and arugula.

1. Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water; allow to rest 8 minutes.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt.

3. Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture.  Add the olive oil.  Mix well.

4. Empty the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 2 min.  You DO NOT need to let this dough rise.  Note:  if you are making extra dough to freeze for later, roll the extra dough into a ball.  Place dough in a freezer bag (leave a little extra room when sealing the bag, because the dough may rise a little bit before it freezes).  Freeze.  Thaw in the fridge completely and continue at step 5 when ready to make the pizza.

5. Press (or roll) the dough into an approx. 12” circle.

6. Place the dough on a lightly greased pizza pan and stretch the dough to the edges. 

7. Top pizza with your choice of toppings.  I like to spread a light layer of sauce over the pizza, then top with slices of fresh mozzarella, sliced kalamata olives, and sliced fresh basil.

8. Bake in a 400 degree oven for approx. 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden and cheese is bubbling.

9. I like to add fresh arugula to the pizza after taking it out of the oven.  The pizza is hot enough that it will wilt the arugula.

For a super easy Pesto-Tomato Pizza Sauce, mix equal parts tomato paste and pesto sauce.  You can use store bought pesto sauce, or make your own using my recipe from this previous post .

I hope everyone is enjoying their last days of summer, and taking advantage of cooking on the grill.  Last week I made one of my favorite steak dishes:  South American Skirt Steak with Chimichuri Sauce.  Skirt steak is a flavorful type of beef steak, often used for fajitas.  It usually comes in long, thin steaks.  This dish is great for an end of summer barbecue.  I usually serve it with a big green salad. 

South American Skirt Steak
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
approx. 1 1/2 lbs skirt steak 

1.  Add the following ingredients to a zip-top freezer bag:  2 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup red wine, 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp salt.  Seal the bag and gently squeeze it to mix the ingredients.  Open the bag, add the steak, and re-seal the bag.  (If you are making this dish to freeze, stop here and freeze the bag of steak/marinade. Continue at step 2 when you are ready to cook the steaks).

2.  Marinate the bag of steak in the refrigerator for approximately 8-12 hours.  Remove the steaks from the marinade and discard unused marinade.

3.  Preheat grill to high heat.  Grill steaks over high heat for approximately 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through.  Important:  cut steaks diagonally, against the grain, into strips to serve.  This step is very important--  skirt steak can be stringy if it is not cut this way!  Serve with Chimichuri Sauce (recipe below).


Chimichuri Sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients.  Serve over skirt steaks.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.  If you are making this dish to freeze, mix the first 4 ingredients in a small freezer bag, and freeze.  Add the red wine vinegar and olive oil when you are ready to serve the dish (it doesn't freeze well if mixed all together before freezing).

Summer Fruit Pie Recipes

As promised, here are my fruit pie recipes.  These are regular size pies (not deep dish).  I made the blackberry pie from the berries I picked at Solebury Orchards.  The secret ingredient is fresh grated ginger.  Don't leave it out because it really "makes" the pie!  The peach pie was made with peaches from a small farm stand on Middle Road in Dublin, PA.  I have also had some excellent peaches from a small stand on E. Creamery Road (between Rickert and Callowhill Roads) in Hilltown Township. 

 

                                                              

Blackberry Pie

Recipe for Double Crust Pie Pastry (see this post for recipe)

1 qt. Blackberries

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup corn starch

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Optional:  one beaten egg white and sprinkle of sugar for top crust

                                                                        

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2.  Prepare a double pie crust and line pie plate with half the dough.  Roll top crust out and cut into strips for lattice crust.

3.  In a large bowl, mix together the blackberries, white sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, grated ginger.  Empty the berry mixture into the pie shell.  Sprinkle the berries with the lemon juice and dot with the butter pats.

4.  Weave the lattice top over the top of the berries.  Optional:  Brush the top crust with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar for a nice presentation.

5.  Set the pie on a metal baking sheet (to prevent a messy oven if the pie spills over).  Bake pie for 10 minutes at 450 degrees F.  Turn heat down to 350 degrees F and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes or until crust turns golden and pie is cooked through.  Cool on a wire rack.

                                                        

Tip:  Fresh fruit pies tend to be a little runny, even with the use of cornstarch.  After cooling the pie, you can chill it in the refrigerator to help it set, if needed.

                                                                                        

Peach Pie

Recipe for Double Crust Pie Pastry (see this post for recipe)

About 10 medium peaches

1/4 cup crushed ginger snaps (about 6 ginger snaps)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup corn starch

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 Tablespoon butter, cut into pieces

                                                                   

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2.  Prepare a double pie crust and line pie plate with half the dough.  Roll top crust out and cut into strips for lattice crust.

3. Cut the peaches in half through the stem end.  Peel the peaches, remove pits, and slice each half into 5 wedges.  Place the peaches in a large bowl, and add white sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, and nutmeg.  Toss to coat.  

4.  Sprinkle the crushed ginger snaps into the bottom of the pie shell.  These will help to absorb the juice from the peaches as the pie bakes, keeping the bottom crust from getting soggy.

5.  Empty the peach mixture into the pie shell.  Sprinkle the peaches with the lemon juice and almond extract and dot with the butter pats.

4.  Weave the lattice top over the top of the peaches.  Optional:  Brush the top crust with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar for a nice presentation.

5.  Set the pie on a metal baking sheet (to prevent a messy oven if the pie spills over).  Bake pie for 10 minutes at 450 degrees F.  Turn heat down to 350 degrees F and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes or until crust turns golden and pie is cooked through.  Cool on a wire rack.

                                                 

Tip:  Fresh fruit pies tend to be a little runny, even with the use of cornstarch.  After cooling the pie, you can chill it in the refrigerator to help it set, if needed.

Enjoy!

Solebury Orchards

Local summer fruits are plentiful here in Bucks County, PA. The peaches and plums are in now, and you can still find local blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Last Friday afternoon my husband and I stopped by Solebury Orchards on Creamery Road in Solebury Township to pick some berries. Solebury Orchards currently has "pick your own" blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherry tomatoes, and flowers. You can also purchase already picked peaches and pears in their market. Check their website for hours and directions: www.soleburyorchards.com . If you do not live in the area, check www.pickyourown.org to locate a farm close to you.


The market at Solebury Orchards. They also sell apple cider and yummy cider doughnuts!



Rows of blackberries at the orchard. They keep the areas inbetween rows mowed, so it is easy to pick and not too buggy.

 Beautiful blackberries!

Some of our harvest!

You can pick your own flowers in the Cutting Garden.  There were many butterflies, moths, and bumble bees flitting around in the rows of flowers.  I didn't cut any flowers this time (husband was getting impatient to leave), but next time I would like to cut a small bouquet.

We had a great time at Solebury Orchards and I recommend them if you are in the area.  I made a blackberry pie with the berries I picked and I also made a peach pie.  I will post the recipes by the end of the week.  Also check back later this month for the recipe for South American Skirt Steak with Chimichuri Sauce.

Crab Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

When people would ask if I had a favorite recipe at my business, I always answered "Crab Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce"!  This dish was probably our most famous and it was the recipe that my family and I most enjoyed testing.  Use the best quality jumbo lump crab meat you can get.  If you make jumbo size crab cakes, they make a great summer dinner-- just add fresh local corn on the cob and some coleslaw and you are done.  You can also make these crab cakes appetizer size and serve them at your summer parties or for events through out the year.  These freeze fine, so you can make them ahead of time.  Just thaw them in the fridge for a day or two before cooking. 

Crab Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

2 large eggs (or approximately 1/3 cup of liquid eggs)
2 Tablespoons regular mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper *USE LESS IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPICY FOODS*
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 can Jumbo Lump Crab Meat (one pound can)
1/2 cup crushed Ritz crackers
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1.  Add the eggs, mayo, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl.  Whisk or stir to combine.

2.  Add the crab to the bowl of egg mixture and gently stir, so the crab is well coated.  Add the bread crumbs and cracker crumbs to the bowl and gently stir until the mixture is combined.  I always try to be careful not to break up the crab meat too much.

3.  Form the mixture into either 6 jumbo size crab cakes or 12 appetizer size crab cakes.

4.  There are two ways to cook these crab cakes.  Method A:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray.  Place crab cakes on baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 - 20 minutes, or until crab cakes are golden brown and cooked through.  Method B:  Heat approximately 1/2 cup of olive oil or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat.  Add crab cakes and cook until golden brown and cooked through, turning once.  Serve with Lemon Dill Sauce (recipe below).  ENJOY!


Lemon Dill Sauce

1/4 cup Buttermilk
2 Tablespoons chopped Fresh Dill
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup Light or Regular Mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir.  (If you are making this to freeze, this portion of the sauce can be frozen.  Wait to add the mayo until you are serving the crab cakes because the mayo will not freeze well).  Add 1 cup of mayo to the mixture and stir.  Ideally, you should refrigerate for an hour or two before serving to let herb mixture fully flavor the mayo.

Local Treasure: Bolton Farm Market - Silverdale, PA

Many of my former customers have mentioned they miss the meats and poultry that I used at my business, and have asked if they can purchase these products anywhere else.  I do not believe the vendors sell to retail establishments, but I mentioned that if I found any good local sources I would pass them on.  I happen to live close to Bolton Farm Market in Silverdale, PA, and I highly recommend them!

Bolton Farm Market is known for their Thanksgiving turkeys, which are excellent, but they carry so much more than that.  It is worth a stop if you are in the area!  Bolton's also carries other turkey products such as:  turkey breast cutlets, ground turkey, turkey sausage, turkey bacon, and turkey hot dogs.  They now also carry their own whole chickens and whole chicken breasts, and Black Angus beef (various cuts of steaks as well as ground beef).  All of their poultry and beef are raised there on the farm, and are not fed any anti-biotics or growth hormones.  Bolton's also carries in-season local produce and Penn View Dairy bottled milk (also no anti-biotics or growth hormones).  I have personally tried almost all of these items and found them to be of excellent quality.  It also feels good to be supporting a local family business.


I have noticed that they seem to have more of a selection on Fridays (many choices of fresh Black Angus steaks as well as frozen, for example) and there has also been a Mennonite baker there on Fridays this summer, selling many kinds of delicious pies, cookies, whoopie pies, etc.  Visit www.boltonfarmmarket.com for more information and hours of operation.

Check back later this month for a Pick Your Own Blueberries account and for the recipe for my favorite Crab Cakes!