Knit & Nosh

rose jelly

Pacific NW Magazine is part of our local paper's Sunday publication. It almost always includes a food article, and I almost always want to jump right into the kitchen after reading the recipe. I tore the page with Rose Jelly out of the magazine and it sat on the counter, calling to me, for almost 48 hours before I had a chance to make a batch.

Rose Jelly can be made using any variety of unsprayed roses. The color of the petals will determine the color of the finished jelly.

I used roses that are mostly yellow with bit of pink at the ends of the petals. These roses were blooming the day we moved into this house and they have been a part of every summer since. The first thing to bud out in the spring, and the blooms keep coming all summer and fall. Winter will arrive and leave the bush with frozen buds.

This jelly, when eaten on a cold, grey, February day, will remind me of the special gifts of summer.

As soon as the red roses bloom I will give them a try. I wonder where I can find some peach petals that have not been sprayed?

Greg Atkinson is a wonderful chef and food writer. He has numerous cookbooks, but my favorite is At The Kitchen Table. A book more about the story of food than the food itself, although it includes some fine recipes.

Full text of the Rose Jelly can be found here and there are tons of different recipes on the web. Give it a try!

 

JC-100 salade nicoise

 

We are at week four of our Julia Child adventure and this week's recipe is a family favorite, Salade Nicoise, a classic that is infinitely adaptable. The ingredients are things I usually have on hand, and if I am missing something, improvising works well.

For this particular salad I used salmon that was leftover from the weeknd's grilling, and asparagus could easily be used instead of the green beans. It is going to be months before a decent tomato can be found around here, so I used cubed avocado instead.

 

The complete recipe can be found here, along with a video of Julia making the dish. A beauty of a meal appropriate for so many occasions. Serve it to the family with everything in its own dish and let people people pick and chose their own perfect salad. Serve it outdoors with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to company, or bring it to a potluck and prepare to be fawned over.

 

fancy chicken and the garden

This week's Julia Child recipe is the classic Coq au Vin. I am not sure I am going to be able to squeeze this into a very crowded week. We have had an out of town guest that just left this morning, and I need to get the house turned over for another set of guests that arrive Friday. AND I really want to take part in this contest going on at the Herbivoracious site. If I do not end up making the JC dish, I will still post the recipe so you can have a go at it. BTW, Herbivoracious is the next book in line for review. It is fantastic!

A quick peak at the garden.

Things continue to get a little taller. I have thinned the radishes once and will do it again today or tomorrow. I was able to harvest some lettuces this weekend that were darn tasty on sandwiches. I am certain that growing things yourself makes them taste better.

The corn has begun to sprout.

Also, the peas have begun to flower.

Nothing is happening in my re-re-planted patch of bare ground. It is my guess that something is digging in this spot, as I could see pea seeds on top of the soil a few days ago when I came out to water. I do not think I will try peas again here, but will move on to beans and see what happens.

Then there was the onion incident. Yesterday I found a little red onion whose top had been eaten laying in the bed. I popped it back in the soil, not sure if it will continue to grow. I will be keeping a close eye on things and install netting if needed. Do you know what four-legged critter would eat an onion?

 

 

cbrm-easy gluten-free!

It has been a couple of weeks between cookbook reviews and this week is a goody. Easy Gluten-Free! by Good Housekeeping. This is a book that I wish had been around when I was first diagnosed with Celiac. The book begins with a lists of products and ingredients that may have hidden gluten. There is some basic information about Celiac Disease, and help for eating out. The section on cross contamination is so important for those newly diagnosed and sharing a kitchen with wheat eaters. It took me months to figure this stuff out on my own. There is information on gluten free ingredients, baking help, and an all purpose flour recipe. Throughout the book are pages listing gluten free substitutes for the gluten filled things you love, complete with brand names, so helpful.

The recipes include all the things you love to cook:

Breakfasts & Brunches

Sandwiches, Wraps, & Dips

Salads & Sides

Soups, Stews, and Chilis

Stovetop Suppers

Grilled Favorites

Bakes & Casseroles

Sweet & Fruity Finales

For me, the Good Housekeeping name brings up images of processed foods and women cooking while wearing heels and pearls. I need to get over that because these recipes are fresh and thoroughly modern.

I have been given permission to reprint this recipe, I have tried it and it is tasty. I did make one substitution, I do not like pieces of canned tomatoes on my fork so swapped out the 1 cup of of canned crushed tomatoes, for 1/2 cup of puréed tomatoes. The flavor was still there, but no chunks. Also, if you family is veggie, or vegan, this recipe will work well substituting tofu and/or vegetables. Just add those ingredients at the point you would add chicken and you will be good to go.

Chicken Tikka Masala

1cup Basamati rice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1medium onion (6 to 8 ounces), chopped

2 teaspoons grated, peeled fresh finger

1 garlic clove, crunched with garlic press

2 tablespoons Indian curry paste (Patak's brand is gluten free)

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup half-and-half or light cream

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, plus additional for garnish

 

1. Prepare rice as label directs.

2. Meanwhile, in 12- inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat 1 minute. Add onion and cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add ginger, garlic, and curry paste; cook 3 minutes longer.

3. Add chicken, salt, and pepper and cook 2 minutes or until no longer pink on the outside stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes; cover and cook 3-4 minutes longer or until chicken just loses its pink color throughout.

4. Uncover and stir in half-and-half and cilantro. Spoon rice into four shallow bowls; top with chicken mixture and garnish with chopped cilantro.

 

 

 

 

***I was sent these books by the publisher or their PR firm with the hope that I would write a review for the blog. No money changed hands and my opinions are my own.

 

 

blue is the best flavor

Helene asked what I am knitting. Still working on Pink Lemonade and the truth is that it is probably at the exact same point in the knitting as it was the last time I posted.

I have begun the increases after the waist shaping and there it sits.

We have an out of town guest this weekend who is a member of the Coast Guard and part of the National Strike Force.

He brought me patches! Once a Girl Scout always a Girl Scout and it is all about the patches. Last night we talked about making a National Strike Force cocktail. Something that would be topped by a faux sheen of oil. Right before I went to bed last night I had a great idea and today I am off to look for blue alcohol.

Youngest Son tells me that blue is the best flavor.

 

hello sunshine

Today was suppose to be a knitting post, but the truth is I have not been knitting. I think it is the sunshine. My knitting routine involves climbing into bed once dinner is cleaned up and knitting while watching something easy on Netflix. We have had a run of glorious days and now I tend to bring a glass of wine out on to the deck after dinner instead of hunkering down under a pile of blankets. Will the trend hold?

Yesterday afternoon Youngest Son was standing in the kitchen,wondering what to make for lunch, when he remembered something he had seen on a cooking show. We do not own a television so cooking shows are only watched when we are traveling and staying in hotels. He LOVES them!

So Youngest Son proceeds to cook up a few slices of ham, and some toaster waffles, for a sandwich he declared delicious. The photos are his. Seems that apple did not fall too far from the tree.

 

JC100 - mousseline au chocolat

 It is like a chocolate cloud.
  -Youngest Son

Chocolate Mousse is this week's recipe for the Julia Child celebration.  The recipe was not at all what I expected.  Not a drop of cream in site, although there is certainly enough butter to make up for the lack of cream.

 

Do you know that even the smallest amount of fat will prevent your egg whites from forming nice peaks?  Because I only have one bowl for my mixer ( I know!),  I beat my egg whites first, transferred them to another bowl, and then began back at the beginning of the recipe.

The first step is to beat the egg yolks and sugar.  I was amazed by just how stiff the yolks became.

 

When I moved the bowl from the stand mixer to the stove it was difficult to use a hand held whisk.  As the egg mixture warmed up the whisking became easier.  The warming also helped to dissolve the sugar.  I used super-fine sugar and was worried that I should have used powdered, but it all smoothed out at this stage.

Trying this recipe without a stand mixer would take a very strong arm.  Not so much for the egg whites, which I think become stiff faster if done by hand than with the mixer, but those yolks.  Wow.

I did not use a double boiler to melt the coffee and chocolate, I turned to the trusty microwave for that.  Then comes the butter.  A stick and a half of butter!

Yolks and chocolate are mixed, egg whites are folded in, and you have mousse.

I thought the mousse would be thicker with more definition.  It goes into the bowl quite loose but firms up nicely in the fridge.  I can not imagine eating a bowl of this for dessert.  So rich.  Maybe even a little too rich.  A couple of spoonfuls was enough for me.

In addition to Youngest Son declaring that the mousse was like chocolate cloud, he also proclaims it to be very good with graham crackers.

Download Chocolate Mousse recipe

Excerpted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. Copyright © 1961 by AlfredA. Knopf. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a divisionof Random House, Inc.

grow little plants, grow

Everything that should be planted now, has been planted.

 

Things are growing!

That big empty patch at the top of the photo will be corn. I planted three types that mature at different rates, carefully spacing the seed holes eight inches apart. Into each hole I placed three seeds with the intention of thinning out the weakest plants. Then I top dressed with a bit of compost. Youngest Son showed up at this point and asked if he could use the rake to evenly spread the compost. Of course. Well, he was a bit over zealous, and corn seeds were moved from their carefully spaced holes and spread willy nilly over the patch. Oh well, we will see what happens.

I swear this little zucchini grew while I was watering.

The brussel sprouts are happy as can be.

Pretty tomatillo flowers. They always point downwards, interesting.

No idea what type of lettuce this is, but I bet it will be tasty.

 

spam, spam, go away

The blog is being spammed big time, so I have turned on the secret code verification for comments. With luck it will force the evil doers to move on. I will turn it off ASAP.

Terri

Hood River Sunset

This past weekend Husband and I were out on the deck, enjoying this cocktail, when his brother called. Husband explained the drink and that we we trying to come up with a name for this adult beverage, one that would be served this summer while we are all together in Hood River. His response? Hood River Sunset. Done.

 

 

Hood River Sunset

2 ounces tequila

2 ounces Rhubarb Ginger Syrup

a squeeze of lime

Add tequila and syrup to a double old fashioned glass filled with ice and give it a good stir. Top with a squeeze of lime and garnish with a lime wheel.