Garden Sauce

We are very fortunate in that our garden is producing a large amount of produce, however it has been difficult at times for us to use everything before it goes bad. For example, we have been eating cucumbers with almost every meal and we still have an extra 6 on our counter, and many more left to be picked. We have more hot peppers than I know what to do with (don't worry, I will figure it out!), and up until today we had multiple bowls filled with tomatoes sitting around.

Plus, my herbs are going mad. Check it out:

So today my mother and I decided to make a red sauce, using our home grown tomatoes and fresh herbs. Using more than 7lbs of tomatoes, a healthy handful of basil, and a few extra ingredients we managed to make a delightful garden sauce. I mostly enjoyed how it didn't have any of that tinny taste you can get from using canned tomatoes to make sauces, therefore giving me the freedom to relax and not worry about covering that extra, unwanted flavor.

This is just one bowl of them

We discovered that the best way to get the most juice, with the smallest amount of seeds and skins, was to first blend the tomatoes and then strain them in a mill. In case you are unaware, when I say "mill" I am referring to a strainer that has a handle for you to rotate and squish all the juice out while keeping the seed and skins inside. If you don't have one, then just using a strainer and pressing on the pulp with a spoon will work fine.

Here is a blurry picture of ours:

We washed, cut in half, blended, milled, and sauce-ified. It was a pleasant process. And way less obnoxious than it might sound. In the end we created a very fresh tasting sauce, sort of like pasta fresca but a little more complex with the addition of wine and cheese cooked in. Of course we have many more tomatoes on the way, and I will have to find many more uses for them! 

This recipe does make a lot of sauce, so feel free to cut it down or be prepared to have some leftover. 

Click here for the recipe!

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Rosemary and Sage Peasant Bread

There's this bread that I sometimes make, it's ridiculously easy and versatile, and very quick. None of that waiting 12 hours crap. Plus you can mess with it all you like with a good chance of it resulting in genius. I first came across it through Sarah, who found it here. You don't need to use all the equipment in that post though, I just use a bowl and wooden spoon.

Here it is with ham and cheese! A most delicious combination

We played with it and made many different versions, besides just the rosemary one. For example, we made it with sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Fantastic! And we also made it in muffin tins and used it as sandwich bread. Trust me, it was awesome.

The thing about this bread, other than the different ways in which you can play with it, is the fact that you don't have to knead it at all. Not even a little. All you have to do is stir the dough. I hate kneading, and I try to avoid it. This recipe was a godsend. I'm not even joking, all there is to do is stir. Don't be deceived, these are not biscuits! It does take some patience since it is a yeast dough, but when it's done it has a much sturdier and more satisfying bite to it than most biscuits.

Another thing that scares people off the bread making train is the use of yeast. Yes, there is yeast in this one. Here's the thing, it's recommended that the water you use is between 100-110 degrees (it even says it on the packets or jar). One way to go about this is to do what I do and use a little thermometer. You could also just try using water that feels warm but not painfully hot to touch. Or you can cheat and use fast rise yeast. I'm pretty sure that type has you just add it straight to the flour and not worry about dissolving it. There are many things to try, but don't be scared. Adding the sugar the way this recipe tells you to is a huge help in making the yeast dance. And you'll know it's working if the yeast gets kind of foamy. Just give it a few minutes and don't freak out.

The reason I chose both rosemary and sage for this version of the bread is simply because I have come to the conclusion that these two herbs are glorious together. Also, I have an abundance of them in my garden. Adding them into this dough makes the bread savory with a flavor all on its own, but not so overpowering that you can't eat it with other food, such as in a sandwich or with soup. Enjoy it as is, or eat it with other food. Either way I promise deliciousness.

Ham and Cheese, Eggplant, Chili

I chose to make this bread last week (I was lazy in posting this) because I was thinking of all the great herb breads I can make when I get my bread machine in a week (which I now have and have used at least 4 times and love it!), and then I remembered that I know this classic recipe that I can use to tide me over until then. And so bread was made.

This time I made it into little sandwiches, but sometimes I make this recipe into loaves. For your culinary enjoyment I made sure to include instructions for both ways.

Click here for the recipe!

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Winning is fun

Well, this isn't a recipe, and it isn't advice, but instead it's even better. This is me telling you about how amazing I am! Why? Well, besides the obvious reasons, it's because I won a Food Network Magazine Secret Ingredient contest!!!

Every month, on the last page of their magazine they print a new ingredient. Then within that month it's up to readers to make their own recipe using that ingredient, much like an Iron Chef would.

On my second try I won. The ingredient was peanuts, and I had been making many types of semifreddo so I figured I could just go with that. But I needed a fruit to go with the peanut butter, and so I selected bananas. I made the ice cream, and poured it onto a graham cracker and peanut crust that I invented in order to have more peanuts in the recipe. It was good, but not awesome, so I changed it and made it again. It approached awesomeness. So I changed it again. And submitted the recipe.

Many things happened between then and now. That was in April. Now it's July. The point is that I won, and am currently in this month's Food Network Magazine. I won't post my recipe here, you just need to go buy the magazine to see it. It's pretty epic.

Oh yea, and I spent my $500 winnings this morning. It was fantastic!!

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