Easy Homemade Cookies

The cookie jar has been empty for quite some time. I had to step up and whipped up a batch of whole wheat drop cookies with raisins. Nothing flashy. Simple, adapted from a recipe by King Arthur Flour. First combine 2 cups of white flour, 1 cup of whole wheat flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp baking soda in a large bowl. Next cream two sticks of butter with 3/4 cup each white and brown sugar. Beat in two eggs and a splash of vanilla. Mix in half the flour mixture, then 1/4 cup of milk, and finish with the rest of the flour. Stir in the raisins. Drop by spoonfuls or a cookie scoop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 16 minutes at 375º. Let cool and fill your cookie jar just like it was nothing.

Summer's Favorite Sauce

Stretching our backyard harvest into yet another meal I whipped up a batch of one of my favorite garden treats -- arugula pesto. I pulse together grated parmesan (1 cup -- or whatever sharp aged cheese I have in the fridge), arugula (4-5 cups), garlic (3-4 cloves), 3-4 TB lemon juice to taste, S&P, around a half cup of blanched almonds and about 3/4 cup olive oil into a hearty, still a bit chunky paste. An all purpose sauce that keeps well in the fridge or freezer, arugula pesto is great on sandwiches and stirred into soups . Tonight I topped a big bowl of spaghetti and broccoli (boiled with the pasta for the last 4 minutes of cooking time) with a good sized dollop of the piquant co cooking required sauce and a super fresh lightly olive oil fried egg (thanks Foggy).

Something New With Collard Greens

Still working on yesterday's harvest.
Tonight I stirred up a bean and greens soup topped off with turkey meatballs.
First the meatballs, I combined ground turkey with eggs, bread crumbs, grated cheese, chili peppers, thyme, S&P, and minced garlic. I formed the mixture into balls and baked them for about 20 minutes at 375º. Meanwhile I sautéed some onions and chopped garlic in hot olive oil along with thyme, dried basil and chiles. After about 6 minutes I poured in a good quantity of white wine and let that cook down until the pot was almost dry. Then I added in several cups of chopped collard greens and about 5 cups of chicken broth. I let the greens simmer in the broth for about 10 minutes and then added in cooked white beans and let the pot simmer for about 5 minutes more. Just before serving I popped the flavorful meatballs into the soup to heat through and then served our garden fresh soup supper sprinkled with grated cheese.

Afternoon's Harvest Evening's Dinner

 After being gone for just a fews day the garden is brimming over. Mustard greens are crowding arugula, cucumbers are being nudged over, collards are reaching out for chard. Time to harvest. I went out and cut armloads of greens picturing flaky Greek style stuffed pies, bean soups with savory collards and spicy arugula pesto.

Tonight I washed up a big bunch of mustard greens and sautéed them with onions, garlic, spices, and rounds of Italian sausage. Simple garden fresh supper served over creamy baked yukon gold potatoes.

Looking For Greener Pastures

We're lucky to have a nice group of Western Pond Turtles that bask on a small wood float in our sadly a bit overgrown pond.
Walking down the driveway today I came across this little gal heading towards the front pasture.
I thought maybe she was lost (foolish helpful me) and carried her back to the edge of the pond. But, by the time I walked to the front gate and down the driveway again she was moving across the flat making good time crawling back into the grass. We're hoping this means turtle eggs and baby turtles sometime soon.

Lazy Day In The Front Pasture

Never Fail Oven Baked Polenta

Stumped on dinner again. I started with a recipe that always delivers. Oven baked polenta: 2 cups of cornmeal, 7 cups of water, 1 cup of milk, salt, a splash of olive oil and a couple TB of butter. Whisk everything together (Just plop the butter on top -- it'll melt) and let bake uncovered for an hour and 20 minutes at 375º. Sprinkle in parmesan cheese, stir and return to the oven until a creamy polenta forms -- about another 10 minutes. While that cooked I had time to figure out what to put on top.
Simple. I sautéed Italian sausage with onions and peppers, deglazed the pan with a splash of beer I happened to have in the kitchen, and stirred in some cooked broccoli just because James loves it.