Blanching and Freezing Sweet Corn

How to preserve your sweet corn harvest for enjoyment throughout the winter.

Easy Tips for Freezing Corn
Don’t let all that sweet corn go to waste. Follow these steps for blanching and freezing, and you can enjoy the fresh taste of summer all winter long.

Freezing Corn: Step 1: Remove the silk with a soft brushClean the Corn
Shuck the corn as you normally would. Remove corn silk with a soft vegetable brush.

Bring it to a Boil
Drop corn into boiling water.

Tick tock
Boil for 4 to 6 minutes.

Cool It
Plunge corn into ice bath, using one tray of ice per ear of corn into the bowl.

De-cobbing
Using a sharp knife, remove corn from the cob.

 Documentation

Pack the corn into freezer-safe containers—be sure to label and date each container so you know what it is and when it’s from.

Freeze
Tuck the containers of corn into your freezer and wait. On a cold day in winter you’ll thank yourself for taking the time to blanch and freeze your corn. Enjoy.

Don’t Pass Over the Broccoli Rabe

NOTE: I recently bought some broc. rabe which, when prepared, was still too bitter to eat. Ugh. I asked some questions and found out that, DUH, it should be fresh rabe. If it is “aged” as most produce is these days, the bitterness remains and it’s a waste of money to buy. Fresh is important here, as always!

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Broccoli rabe often gets passed over because people don’t know what to do with it. We think of it as a sexier alternative to broccoli—darker and a little bitter. It’s available nearly year-round and, like its cruciferous cousins, can be roasted, steamed, braised, or simply sautéed, as it is here.


INGREDIENTS
  • 1 pound broccoli rabe, ends trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Prepare an ice water bath by filling a bowl halfway with ice and water; set aside. Fill a large pot with heavily salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook the broccoli rabe until the stalks are just tender when pierced with a knife, about 2 minutes.
  2. Drain the broccoli rabe and place in the ice water bath until cool. Remove, shake off excess water, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside. (If not cooking immediately, store in the refrigerator in a resealable plastic bag lined with paper towels for up to 1 day.)
  3. Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. When it shimmers, add the shallots and cook until golden, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Add the reserved broccoli rabe and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste, adjust the seasoning as needed, and serve.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Ingredients:-1 lb large strawberries
-8 oz. cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat)
-3-4 tbsp powdered sugar (4 tbsp for a sweeter filling)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-graham cracker crumbs

Directions:
1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife, if necessary (some may already be hollow inside). Prep all strawberries and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill strawberries with cheesecake mixture. Once strawberries are filled, dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.

Source: jebelingcopycatrecipes.blogspot.co.il

espresso-chocolate shortbread cookies


Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours

I have to admit that one of the coolest things about this is the rolling-in-a-bag technique. Why have I never thought of this before? This is a common refrain whenever I make Dorie recipes.

Makes 42 cookies

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (plain, or a toffee variety), finely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid.

2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.

3. Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.

6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.

7. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.

Source: smittenkitchen.com

Hasselback Potatoes

These Hasselback potatoes looks beautiful, don’t’ they? Here, I also added several cloves of garlic to these Swedish version of baked potatoes to enhance the flavor. It turned out great, they were very delicious, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.. 


Hasselback Potatoes
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

6 Medium Size Potatoes
2 - 3 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
30 g Butter
Maldon Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220˚C (425˚F). Put the potato on a chopping board, flat side down. Start from one end of the potato, cut almost all the way through, at about 3 to 4 mm intervals.

Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray and insert the garlic in between the slits. Scatter some butter on top of each potato. Then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake the potatoes for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.

Source: http

Ten Tasty & Easy Ways to Prepare Zucchini

1.  Saute it.  Try Sauteed Zucchini with honey basil vinaigrette from Frugal Foodie Family.

2.  Bake it.  Your picky eaters will hardly know it’s there in The Ranting Chef’s Baked Ziti with Summer Veggies.

3.  Stuff it.  Zucchini are known as courgettes in England.  Enjoy this vegetarian Stuffed Courgette Recipe from Veghotpot.

4.  Curry it.  Make this Sri Lankan-Inspired Cashew Curry (with zucchini) from BitterSweet.

5.  Casserole it.  My mouth is watering just looking at this Zucchini Casserole from The Townhouse Homesteaders!

6.  Grill it.  And add it to this scrumptious Grilled Veggie Salad from love + cupcakes.

7.  Ratatouille it.  Make this healthy Ratatouille in just 15 minutes, courtesy of Barely Poppins.

8.  Lasagna it.  Vegetarian Lasagna gets the full treatment from Frugal Feeding.

9.  Muffin it.  Food & Feminism gives us these adorable Lemon and Courgette Muffins.

10.  Fry it.  Zucchini, butter, and coconut oil.  Enough said.  Thanks for this great techniquefrom Food loves writing.



Source: downhomesouthjersey.com

Pina Coladas !!!!

What you’ll need

  • 2 parts BACARDI Superior Rum
  • 1 1/2 parts Fresh coconut cream
  • 1 part Pineapple Juice
  • 3-4 Fresh Pineapple
  • 3 parts caster sugar
  • Crushed ice
  • Sling Glass or Fountainware Soda or small pilsner glass
  • Pineapple wedge and pineapple leaves to garnish
  • Blender

Instructions

  • Step 1. Put all the ingredients (except the garnish!) into a blender. If you don’t have a blender, put them into a cocktail shaker.
  • Step 2. Add 1/2 a cup of crushed ice and whizz in the blender until smooth / shake hard.
  • Step 3. Pour / double strain into a frozen or chilled glass.
  • Step 4. Garnish with a wedge of fresh pineapple and pineapple leaves.

E-Z Butter Bean Soup

E-Z Butter Bean Soup

I’m constantly trying to figure out how to use up celery and carrots. They last forever and are so healthy, but hard to figure out how to use in bulk sometimes. Here’s a really easy soup—-good, cheap, fast to make: 

2 Carrots

2 Stalks Celery

1 Medium Onion

2 Cloves Garlic

Food process all above into pestata (finely chopped). 

Saute five minutes until onions are brown. 

Add one or two cans of Butter Beans, undrained. 

Add two cups chicken or vegetable stock. 

Add fresh rosemary, salt and pepper. 

Simmer for however long you like to simmer simple soups (like 20 minutes for me). 

Serve with buttered bread. 

Great for a rainy summer day!

Feasting on Art: Frittata with kale, tomato, and chorizo

Frittata with Kale, Tomato & Chorizo

Yield: a light meal for 4 people

1 tablespoon olive oil
 1/4 cup chorizo, chopped
 1 can of chickpeas, drained
 1/3 cup tomatoes, chopped
 1 tablespoon chili flakes
 small handful of kale, roughly torn
 1/4 lemon, juiced
 salt & pepper
 5 eggs, beaten with a fork
 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/ 390 degrees F.

In a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil and add the chorizo. Cook the chorizo for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, and add the chickpeas, tomatoes, chili flakes and kale. Continue to cook until the tomatoes begin to break down and the kale has wilted, around 2-3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and seasoning, stir well and add the beaten eggs. Cover with the Parmesan cheese and slide into the oven.

Cook for around 10-15 minutes until the middle of the frittata has set. To check, grasp the handle of the pan and shake. If the eggs in the middle are wobbly, then the frittata needs to continue cooking.

Serve warm or cold. Makes a nice lunch when paired with a salad of bitter greens. Can be reheated the following day if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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