INA GARTEN'S PASTITSIO

My Pastitsio

The recipe is hers and its easy to follow; while it does take a little (lot) of prep work and time to cook it was well worth it. I had never heard of Pasitsio (Greek Lasagna) and at first when I thought I'd never make it again because it was not a quick dinner... however after tasting it I changed  my mind.

I was a little afraid when I read it had a Bechamel sauce as I did not know what this was... turns out it's white sauce... something I've been making long before I ever turned 16. It was the first sauce I learned to make at my daddy's side in the kitchen.

Rather than post the recipe, I've provided the link... please follow it and try this dish, I promise you it's wonderful!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pastitsio-recipe/index.html

ALMOST KEY LIME CUPCAKES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

I love Key Limes, Key Lime Pie and well just about anything made with Key Limes. I grew up in Florida, home of sunshine, citrus and yep you guessed it Key Limes.  For years I would have to purchase bottle juice when I went back home for a visit or maybe grab a bag of limes if I was lucky. Then the local discount store decided to carrry both the limes and the juice... until recently... shoot! Wouldn't you know it, I had my mouth set for something tart and sweet and well Key Limey.

Don't fear though, these cupcakes are divine even if I had to use a regular lime, they are worth the time. I could have eaten the bowl of frosting by itself but decided a trip to the hospital or sick in bed would not be worth it.

Dorie gave them 5 stars with the following comment:  "Granny.... (long pause as she swallows her bite) you sure make good cupcakes".


CUPCAKE BATTER

1 box Betty Crocker White Cake Mix

3 Eggs
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup Key Lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest

Mix batter according to package directions. Fill cupcake pan with liners and fill liners 2/3 full. Bake 18 - 20 minutes, check with toothpick for doneness.

Cool 10 minutes and frost with frosting:


WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

5 ounces melted white chocolate
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Crisco
dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of lime juice
3 1/2 cups shifted powdered sugar
Heavy whipping cream

Cream butter and Crisco, add melted chocolate, salt, vanilla and juice. Add powdered sugar. Thin frosting with whipping cream until consistency. Fill with bag and pipe on frosting or use a spoon.

FRESH FRUIT COFFECAKE

This recipe is adapted from the first dish I ever made with Blueberries. We were living in Connecticut and bought some local berries and I pulled out my only cookbook at the time and I found this wonderful recipe that I decided to try out and being generous I ended up making half a dozen and sending them to work with my husband.  My grandfather called this a Kuchen (German for cake). Twenty years later along with a few alterations and its still a favorite…

Have all ingredients at room temp. Put rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x2 round pan.

Whisk together thoroughly:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
In large bowl, beat on medium to high speed until light and fluffy (3 to 4 minutes)

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar

Beat in 1 at a time until just blended:
2 large eggs

Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. If batter is too thick (should be like brownie batter) then thin with about ¼ cup of milk. Scrape batter into the pan and spread evenly.

Combine:
1 Tablespoon of sugar and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over
2 cups fruit (if using Peaches, sprinkle with Fruit Fresh or lemon juice)

Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the cake and bake until top is a golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center (avoiding fruit) comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

PALM PLATE REVIEW

Not an Adaka Palm, but one I fell in love with off the coast of South Carolina.

As most of you know I detest using paper or Styrofoam plates and for years have kept a supply of off-white dishes stashed away for large gatherings… but every once in awhile we all break our rules and yes I have been known to use recycled paper products, but now I’ve found something even better… Palm Plates.

When I saw that Marx Foods was offering a free sample I jumped at the chance to try them out and do a review as I love new kitchen products especially natural and eco-friendly ones. And of course being a lover of palm trees, tropical locals and anything to do with the beach… I jumped at the chance. Not since I saw my nephew carve a totem pole from one of the old palms from our grandfathers property have I seen such a wonderful product made from palm…

We loved them here at the Black house; I rushed to open the box when it arrived and we all stood around oohing and ahhing at the way they looked and even felt. To be honest they were so pretty that I did not want to use them and throw them away! But we did.


First I served lunch on them, nothing fancy. Homemade chicken salad sandwiches and potato salad, then after supper we tried out hot Peach Cobbler on them… finally today I gave them a real work out and allowed my two granddaughters to use them as finger-paint palettes.

No cracking, breaking apart or sagging occurred even after several hours of sitting with paint in them they still are holding up although the middle is getting a little soggy where it is wet… what a wonderful product, one I hope you all try out and recommend to friends.

Made from the leaves of the Adaka palm tree, they are not only eco friendly but elegant as well.
The leaves are gathered as they naturally fall from the trees and never pulled or cut. After they are gathered they are washed and then allowed to air dry and then stretched, flattened and cut into various size plates.
No harsh chemicals, dyes or toxic anything is used it the processing of these plates, just water, turmeric, the sun and air. How much greener could you get?

DARK FRUITCAKE WITH GRAND MARNIER

Don't let the name scare you, we've all heard the horror stories of fruitcake, but believe me this cake is dense, moist and chock full of goodies. I dare anyone to try it and not like it!

It took me years to get my fruitcake recipe as I wanted it. I began with an old recipe in my grandmothers Amy Vanderbilt cookbook, added this, took out that and finally we ended up with this recipe.

Last Chrismtas I decided to change and use Grand Marnier and a Peach Wine I bought in Tennessee instead of the usualy Rum and people loved it. I have in the past used various liquours included Rum, 50 year old Jack Daniels and Peach Wine from Habersham Farms.

The orignial recipe called for Dates and Currants which I left out as I don't like dates and have never seen Currants for sale here in our area.
7 cups of candied fruit as follows:
2 cups of cherries
2 cups of pineapple
1 cup of mixed fruit
1 cup white raisins

Cover and soak fruit for at least 24 hours in equal parts of Grand Marnier and Peach Wine. Drain fruit well before using.

Have all ingredients at room temp, preheat oven to 300 and grease and line bottom and sides of pans with paper bag and Crisco.

Sift together

3 cups all purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground mace
1/2 t ground cloves
In a large bowl beat until creamy about 30 seconds:
2 sticks unsalted butter
Gradually add and beat on high speed until light in color:
1/2 cup dark molasses
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with 3/4 cup of brandy or wine (Grand Marnier)

Beat on low speed or stir with rubber spatula until just blended.

Drain fruit, add 2 cups chopped nuts (I used a mixture of walnuts and pecans toss this with flour and shake off excess, add to cake batter.

Scrape into pan and bake for 3 1/2 hours, if cake is getting too dark, place foil on it for the last 30 – 60 minutes.

Let cool in pan on rack for 1 hour, invert on rack and remove paper to finish cooling.

I then poured Grand Marnier onto a linen towel and wrapped it around cake and drizzled more on top…

Grand Marnier

ALABAMA CAVIAR -- TEXAS CAVIAR - BLACK-EYED PEA SALSA

Black-eyed Pea Salsa on Salad

No matter what you call it, this is a great treat. I though my momma had lost her mind when she first told me about black-eyed pea salad… it took me years to try it but when I did I fell in love with it.


2 cups black-eyed peas, cooked
3 Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup purple onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 chopped green bell pepper
1/2 chopped yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Dash of Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup cider, red wine or balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup water
Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Combine black-eyed peas, onion, peppers, tomatoes, parsley, vinegar, oil and sugar
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Marinate for 12 to 24 hours before serving.
4. Serve with tortilla chips or use as a side salad.

FIELD PEAS: BLACK-EYED, CREAM, CROWDER & PURPLE HULL

Field Peas or Cow Peas can be found all over the world; from Africa, Asia & Europe to South, Central and North America. There are hundreds of varieties in four different groups and everyone has a favorite. They can be cooked fresh or bought dried and cooked.

Here in the South; peas are usually cooked with some sort of pork; bacon, fatback, ham hocks, or leftover ham were added to the pot of peas. I gave up the pork in my peas some time back but if you must go ahead and add some as it does lend a nice flavor.
My mother always added cut up or whole Okra to her peas during the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking. Although I love fried Okra, I have never developed a liking for the texture if its cooked too long as it becomes slimy. I prefer mine to have a bit of firmness to it.

Fresh peas are simple to cook. All it takes is some peas, a little seasoning, water, a pot and a watchful eye! Peas can burn in seconds if you allow the water to cook out. My family almost gave up on me ever cooking them without burning them; in fact my husband’s cousin used to cook them and hand them over so he could have some.
Leftover peas are wonderful just to eat but they may also be used to make fritters, salsas or added to salad. The Black-eyed pea Salsa is wonderful change, give it a try and surprise your family and friends at the next party and make what some call Alabama or Texas Caviar!


FRESH PEAS

4 cups fresh field peas (Crowder, Purple Hull, etc)
6 cups water
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 strips cooked bacon (reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings)
5 or 6 cups whole Okra

Put peas in saucepan and add water to cover.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat and add salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon bacon drippings.
Cook for 15 minutes.
Add Okra and cook another 10 or 15 minutes.
Serve as a side dish, over rice or cornbread.

FRESH PURPLE HULL PEAS

4 cups purple hull peas
1 – Medium smoked ham hocks or chunk of leftover ham bone
1 med. onion chopped
3 or 4 tablespoons of bacon drippings or oil to cover bottom of pan

Put oil in a pot and on a medium heat saute the onions until slightly brown.
Add ham and cover with water.
Boil ham hocks about an hour, remove and cut meat away. (if using ham bone about 15 minutes)
Discard any fat and return meat and bone to the pot.
Add peas and enough water to cover the peas.
Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook peas until they are almost tender.
Add water as needed and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Add salt as needed. You will need to taste as you cook.

Farms, Farmers & Roadside Stands Photos

Emment & Dot Black's

Hwy 70, Barnwell SC

Fresh Peas

Okra

Black eyed Susans in a hanging basket

 Watermelons in a wagon

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Herb n Berries U-Pick

Montomernci SC

Blueberries on the bush

and in a bowl.

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Chappell Farms

Kline, SC

Elberta Peaches

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Neighbors, Friends & Family

Green Beans from Cala & Eddie Myers

VANILLA PEACH JAM

Chappell Farm Peaches

From the roadside stand in Kline, SC

To Camella's kitchen

Snelling, SC

3 pounds of fresh peaches

Juice of1 lemon

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 tsp Fruit Fresh

1 box Sure Jell

5 ½ cups Vanilla Sugar*

½ teaspoon butter

*Prepare vanilla sugar at least 3 days in advance (best if allowed to sit 1 week) or purchase store bought

Vanilla Sugar:

Bury 1 vanilla bean pod (scraped or not) in an airtight container with 4 pounds of sugar

Remove pod before using sugar

Measure exact amount of sugar into a separate bowl

Before beginning jam, place canning pot (with rack) half way with water and bring to a boil

Also have another small pot of water simmering in case you need it to cover jars

Peel, pit and dice peaches
Place into a 6 to 8 quart saucepan

Add Fruit Fresh

Stir in lemon juice

Stir 1 box SURE-JELL into fruit

Add ½ teaspoon butter

(to reduce foaming)

Add vanilla

Bring mixture to full rolling boil

Stir in sugar quickly

Return to full rolling boil

Boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly

Remove from heat

Skim off any foam

Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch tops

Wipe jar rims and threads

Cover with two-piece lids

Screw bands tightly

Place jars on elevated canner rack

Lower rack into canner

Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches

Add boiling water if needed

Cover; bring to gentle boil
Process 10 minutes

DORIE'S BLUEBERRY PIE

Blueberries waiting to be picked.

Herb n Berries U-Pick

148 Keeper Lane Montmorenci, SC

Blueberry Pie, well what Dorie usually asks for – Dorie gets… so when we were out picking Blueberries in the near 100 degree weather this morning and she said she wanted a Blueberry pie I went home and made one (after resting several hours and waiting until the sun went down to turn on the oven).

Althea and her empty bucket...

The girls taking a rest and laughing at us adults!

Never having made this type of pie I was a little afraid it would be runny, but it didn’t do too bad (of course if we adults had allowed it to cool it may have been set up better). I told Dorie not to burn her “goozel” (more on that one day) we tore into it… all except Dorie who took a little bite and then another; and then she shuddered. As we kept on eating, she tried it again, this time with a big shudder like she had a chill and making a sound (not exactly a gag but close).

Seems as if she had never eaten Blueberry pie and really didn’t know if she liked it (she didn’t) but she so wanted someone to make one (which I did).

Needless to say we girls still had a good time, picking blueberries in the hot Carolina sun, sipping water and heading off to eat lunch together afterwards.

Bowl of berries...

Not the best looking pie (we ate half before I thought about a picture) but it sure tasted wonderful!

Dorie’s Blueberry Pie

5 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup of sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of butter cut into small pieces
2 pie crusts (I cheated and used refrigerated pie crust)
Water
Pie pan
Cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, mix berries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon zest and juice in a bowl allowing it to sit for 20 minutes.

Place 1 pie crust in pie pan and then pour berry mixture into crust, top with butter pieces and then brush top edge of crust with water before placing second crust on top. Pinch to seal crusts together and then pinch or crimp with fork.

Cut several small slits in top of pie crust and place in oven, cook for 30 minutes. Carefully place cookie sheet under pie, reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake for 30 more minutes.

Pie will be still be a little runny; allow it to cool before slicing or better yet grab a spoon and go for it!


Dorie's Blueberry Pie

SUMMER TIME SEASIDE TABLESCAPE

Another great buy from Evelyn's! This beautiful piece of yellow pottery is just what my house needed! It along with assorted seashells, Becki's vintage green glasses and my lighthouse dishes (thanks Bonnie & Danny) make a wonderful casual but pretty tablescape for us to enjoy while eating dinner.

The table is one that Frank made years ago and I hand painted. It is not necessary to spend a great deal to decorate your table or house as this design shows... I simply pulled various objects from my china closet, the craft room and borrowed from Becki to help pull it all together.

ITALIAN STYLE POT ROAST

Ingredients


2 cups beef stock
Salt and pepper
1 (4-pound) beef chuck roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped carrot
1 finely chopped celery stalk
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
5 cups red wine ( I substituted grape juice and then used 1 tsp of vinegar to cut the sweetness)
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and crushed

Directions

Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet or sauce pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown the beef on all sides, about 15 minutes total. Transfer the beef to a plate. Pour off browning fat. Add onions, carrots, and celery, stirring, until they are golden. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir in bay leaves, rosemary, basil, and tomato paste. Add the wine/juice and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 20 minutes.

Add the beef, tomatoes, and enough beef stock to come 2/3 up the side of the beef. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook at a gentle simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the meat is tender. Turn the roast every 30 minutes or so.

Transfer the meat to a plate or shallow pan and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Skim off any fat from the surface of the liquid. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer until it is slightly thickened; add salt and pepper. Slice meat and return to sauce. Serve with Herbed Polenta.

HERBED POLENTA

6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Bring the water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the cheese, milk, butter, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and pepper, and stir until the butter and cheese melt. Transfer the polenta to a bowl and serve.

CAPPUCCINO CUPCAKES

My house smells wonderful.... like your local coffee house, coffee shop; the smell of these cupcakes is beyond belief! So is the flavor... the first batch I tried didn't have the right texture to suit me so I tried again, this time with my normal Betty Crocker cake mix.

If there is a Cappuccino drinker in your family, do them a huge favor and mix up a batch of these, and don't worry the frosting is a simple buttercream that takes mere minutes to mix up.

1 box Betty Crocker Vanilla cake mix

1 tsp fine ground coffee
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tablespoon instant coffee
1 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

Follow package instructions, adding the ground coffee and cinnamon to the dry mix. Stir instant coffee into the water before adding to the dry ingredients.

Bake per instructions and allow to cool before frosting with the Coffee Buttercream.

COFFEE BUTTERCREAM

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups confectioners sugar - sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 1/2 cup water

Bring butter and shortening to room temperature. Blend until smooth, add salt and vanilla, blend and then add sugar 1 cup at a time blending well. Mixture will be thick, thin to desired consistency with 1 tablespoon of coffee mixture at a time.

Frost with spoon or with piping bag and large star tip.

CHERRY PEPSI CUPCAKES

1 Box Betty Crocker Super Moist Golden Vanilla cake mix
¾ cup Pepsi Cola
Juice from a 20 oz jar of Maraschino Cherries
Add water to equal the required amount on box (1 ¼ cups)
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
½ of the cherries finely chopped and mixed with 3 tablespoons of cake flour

Mix chopped cherries with the flour and blend with the dry cake mix; add juice, cola and water to equal 1 ¼ cups.
Follow directions on box for mixing and baking.

Allow to cool and frost with Cherry Cola frosting below:

½ cup melted butter
3 tablespoons cocoa
6 T Pepsi
1 T cherry juice
1 box sifted powdered sugar* (may need more depending upon the moisture in the air and the temperature of room).

Melt butter on stove top on low, remove from heat and stir in cocoa, Pepsi, and juice. Make a well in the bowl of sugar and pour in while stirring. Mix well, allow frosting to sit 5 minutes or longer, and then stir again.

Frost cooled cupcakes.

She’s a cupcake kind of girl…

Dorie with a bowl of Cherry Pepsi Cupcake Batter

I don’t know when it first started, but for the past several years our granddaughter Dorie has loved cupcakes and making them. Every so often, she and I have a cupcake baking day and we gather in the kitchen and create magic.


I don’t know how long these cupcake days will last or if when they stop she’ll remember them, but for right now we are having a blast and building memories that I will treasure.

Of course like most children her favorite is usual chocolate or something with decorations like sprinkles or colored sugar. Sometimes we make them for holidays, but the best are the just because kind… just because we can and just because we love them!

I have decided to try a new cupcake recipe for the next year and will be baking a new one each month to enjoy and share here on Foundations, because after all Foundations is about food, family and love.