Rhubarb Crisp

I have never actually cooked with rhubarb before, it seems quite intimidating to me actually. I never know if I should cook it sweet or savory, if it is a vegetable or a fruit? This year, however, there have been piles of it placed next to the juicy cartons of strawberries and instantly the combination makes me want a fruity crisp. My first attempt at making this crisp involved strawberries, and it was a disaster. I couldn't tell if it was the "compote" ingredients I used to cook down the rhubarb, the strawberries, or the fact that I accidentally doubled the amount of butter necessary for this amount of topping. Either way, the second batch was much more successful so I'll just give it to you straight. I tried it out on my friends, and it was passed around the table and devoured in minutes flat.

This is a little tart, so you can always add more sugar to your taste, but I actually really emjoy its tartness. Serve with some vanilla ice cream or lemoncello, and you've got a spring dessert that is worthy of company!

You will need:

About 1 lb. rhubarb stalks (8 stalks), leaves and ends trimmed

zest and juice from one lemon

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup + 2 TB Bisquick

1/2 brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 TB ground flax seed

1 TB wheat germ

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the rhubarb into 1/2" slices and combine with lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occassionally until rhubarb is tender but still holds its shape, about 10 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Combine the oats, Busquick, brown sugar, cinnamon, flax seed, and wheat germ in a bowl and mix to combine.

Pour the rhubarb into an 8x8" baking dish, or other very cute baking dish you may have. Top with the oat mixture and pour the butter over the top. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until crust is nicely brown and juices begin to bubble up from the bottom. Let cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

There's nothing like baking with in-season produce and enjoying it at it's peak! Hope your family loves this as much as mine did.

Devonly,

Yours

Winters-Not-Quite-Over-Yet-Vegetable Soup

Just when you start seeing fresh tomatoes and berries in the grocery store and start daydreaming of the long summer nights, eating outside until it's late, and all the magical produce that comes with warmer weather, you look outside and realize it's still in the 40's - 50's and raining. And then all you want is a warm bowl of comfort.

I made this soup for some friends and we (mostly I) ate it up so fast, I didn't have time to take a picture of it! Yes, I know this is like breaking the first cardinal rule of blogging about recipes - not to post a picture, but imagine it looks something like this:

Plus a dash of this:

Got the jist? OK.

You're gonna need:

I large yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, cut in quarters lengthwise and chopped

2 celery ribs, cut in half lengthwise and chopped

1 small acorn squash, peeled, de-seeded, and chopped into 1/2" cubes

about 6 cups GOOD chicken stock

1 (14oz) can chopped tomatoes

1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained

2 bay leaves

2 TB freshly chopped basil

1 TB freshly chopped thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 bunch chard

Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

1. Heat 2 TB olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot, stirring until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and still for 1 more minute.

2. Add the acorn squash and the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, chop the ribs of the chard and set aside. Slice the leaves of the chard into quarters and roughly chop about 1" thick. Add the stems of the chard and the remaining ingredients minus the chard leaves and cook until heated through, about another 10 minutes.

4. Add the chard leaves to the soup and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. To serve, top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, or any other favorite hard nutty cheese.

I also made mine the day before and let it sit overnight before re-heating and serving, and it was delicious! This soup is so comforting and reminds me of home so much, I hope it becomes a staple in your home and warms you up on a chilly spring (or winter!) evening. Enjoy!

Devonly,

Yours

Chocked-Fulla-Granola

There is a deliciously sweet smell wafting through my house right now as a HUGE batch of granola is cooling in my kitchen. Growing up, my mom used to make big batches of granola and we'd snack on it for weeks. Her favorite way is to eat it like cereal but as I've developed my own recipe to how I like it, my favorite way to eat it is with a dollop of greek yogurt and some cold poached pears. The lovely thing about this granola is that you can add and subtract the ingredients based on what you like in yours. Any combination of nuts, seeds, and fruits can be combined to make every batch a little different. You can even add some peanut butter to the "glue" if you're in a peanutbuttery mood.

Not only is this really easy to make, but it can be really healthy too! Unfortunately, this is about the least amount of sugar you can have per batch, you need the honey and brown sugar to make the glue and combine it all together. If you don't care for it clumpy, you can add less or even leave out the brown sugar entirely.

You will need:

For the "glue":

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup honey

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 TB. cinnamon

1 TB. water

For the "goodies":

One 18oz. container old fashioned rolled oats (about 5 1/2 cups)

2 - 3 cups mixed nuts (I like a combo of almonds and walnuts)

2 cups shredded coconut

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 flax seeds

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 generous cup seeds (I like sesame and pumpkin, heavier on the pumpkin seeds)

2-3 cups dried fruit (I really like dried tart cherries, currents, cranberries and maybe a little golden raisins)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine all the ingredients for the "glue" in a small saucepan over med-low heat and stir until combined and the honey is melted.

On a large baking sheet, combine all the ingredients for the "goodies" except for the fruit. Toss to combine (I find that your hands are the best mixers at this point).

Drizzle the sauce over oat mixture and toss to combine, being careful not to burn your fingers if using them to mix with!

Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the top is just starting to get browned and you can start to smell the nuts, tossing once or twice during that time. Be careful to not over-brown and DO NOT toss once it comes out of the oven! Let it cool completely in the pan before breaking it up. This will help it to clump better. Once cool, break it up in handfuls and toss with the dried fruit. Store in a large glass jar on the counter for a few weeks, or you can freeze it in batches.

Yummy! Enjoy!

Devonly,

Yours

Pumpkin Cake with Ginger-Buttermilk Glaze

If you're like me and made the pumpkin butter recipe from last week you feel like you still have a bunch left over even after putting it on and in anything you are consuming. So, that means it's time to make pumpkin cake! There's nothing I love more than smelling something containing pumpkin baking away in my oven. And especially if it's topped with a gingery goodness! So, when life gives you pumpkin butter, make pumpkin cake!

You will need:

Cake:

2 1/2 cups pumpkin butter*

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

Glaze:

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup sugar

2 TB. butter

2 tsp. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. baking soda

1 TB. fresh ginger, minced

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a tube pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Step 2: Beat together eggs and butter in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add in the vanilla, pumpkin butter, and buttermilk. Beat until combined.

Step 3: In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt.

Step 4: Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixer in two batches, mixing completely between each batch. Pour into the prepared tube pan and bake 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Step 5: Cool 10 minutes in the pan and then turn over onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Step 6: Make glaze: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and drizzle over the cake.

Enjoy!
Devonly, yours

*If you do not have the pumpkin butter, you can substitute a 15oz can of pumpkin puree into the wet ingredients and 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp. Cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. cloves, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. allspice into the flour mixture.

Pumpkin Butter

This Halloween, I didn't carve my pumpkins into silly faces and pictures, I carved them up for butter. Why waste one of fall's yummiest bounties? It's very easy to make and your house will smell delicious. Last year I attempted making a large batch and then proceeded to can it all for holiday gifts. However, I read promptly as my last batch was cooling that you are not supposed to can squashes of any kind for fear of easily producing bochelism. So, sorry friends, you didn't get any pumpkin butter last year. If you would like some this year, feel free to stop by with a container and I will give you some refrigerated butter!! This year I used a white pumpkin, but really any kind will do, even a butternut squash would be really tasty.

You will need:

1 small-medium pumpkin

1/2-1 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

juice from one lemon

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Quarter, peel, de-seed/de-slimmy stuff the insides, and chop your pumpkin.

2. Place your chopped pumpkin and about 1/4 cup water in a large soup pot and cook over medium to medium-high heat until it breaks down easily, about an hour.

3. If you have a food mill, run the pumpkin through that, otherwise, you can pass it through a sieve, removing any obvious pools of liquid as you go.

4. Return to the soup pot and combine the remaining ingredients over medium heat until nice and thick, about an hour.

5. REFRIGERATE, and enjoy! Great on breads, english muffins, in pancake batter, melted on top of ice cream or in a spicy pork sauce.

Devonly, yours

Blackberry Cobbler

My dear friends, do not let the humble appearance of this quaint looking cobbler fool you. I promise this is one of THE BEST cobblers you will ever have (move over mothers, there's a new kid in town!). My mom and I have been making this recipe every summer since I can remember. We would spend the warm summer evenings picking berries, our fingers dyed purple within minutes and scrapes up and down our arms reaching for the bigger, juicier berries just out of reach. It's one of the two recipes I actually have memorized and never skip a chance to make it. We even eat it for breakfast the next day it's so good. And dare I say it's a little bit healthy? You can of course use any fruit you like, but blackberries are by far the best. And perhaps you will want to make a double batch, it won't last long, I promise you that! Just see if you want to dilute it with ice cream!

You will need:

3-4 cups berries
1/3 cup sugar
1 TB flour
Dash of Cinnamon and Nutmeg
1 box Krusteaz Oat Bran Muffin Mix
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled butter

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2: Combine the berries, sugar, flour, and dash of cinnamon and nutmeg in an 8x8 dish.

Step 3: Pour muffin mix and the 1/4 tsp. nutmeg into a large bowl and cut in butter. Spread evenly over the berries.

Step 4: Bake for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

This dish says summer to me like nothing else. And brings me back to those warm summer evening sitting on my parent's back porch swing watching the sky turn gray. This is so easy and delicious, I hope you enjoy it!

Devonly, yours

Dining Al Fresco

There's nothing I love more than moving my dining room outside during the tepid summer months. And along with that: eating the bounty that summer brings. We enjoyed a marvelous meal with some friends outside (enjoying our new deck, of course!) and the produce couldn't have been more delectable. Don't you wish we had summer produce all year round as fresh as this? Oh, I do!

Heirloom tomato caprese salad with basil picked seconds before

The freshest of fresh summer fruit salad


And a toast to the wonderful evening (not to mention with a glass of some of the BEST wine I've had in a LONG time: a 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stagg's Leap District in Napa. YUM!)

Devonly, yours

Red Onion-Rosemay Marmalade

I found myself with 2 huge red onions needing to be eaten or cooked, so I decided to make a marmalade, or compote, with them. This is so easy and great on sandwiches, alongside cheese and crackers, or a topping for grilled chicken and pork. I enjoyed it in a sandwich with goat cheese and arugula on some toasted bread.

You will need:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 large red onions
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sherry
2 TB. apple cider vinegar
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 cup dried cranberries



Step 1: Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Thinly slice red onions and add to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are tender, about 15 minutes.

Step 2: Add the brown sugar, sherry, vinegar, and rosemary. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for another 20 minutes.

Step 3: Add the dried cranberries and cook an additional 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool completely and refrigerate.

Devonly, yours

Farmer's Market

Summer time is the perfect time for fresh and local produce when it's at its peak and in abundance. And your local farmer's market is the perfect place to find it. I ventured up to the West Seattle farmer's market this weekend and picked up some lovely items to make dinner with. This is one of my favorite things to do in the summer: grab a random assortment of delicious goodies and make whatever comes to you and even make it up as you go. No rules, no plans. You might be surprised at what you come up with - some of my favorite dishes are usually ones I make up using what I have in the fridge or pantry at the moment. And how can you go wrong with such fresh produce?

For my farmer's market dinner, I made a tomato salad with fresh heirloom tomatoes, feta cheese, capers, arugula, and a splash of balsalmic vinegar and olive oil. Season it with salt and pepper and it tastes as fresh as summer can be.


I also picked up some fresh spinach pasta. When pasta is this fresh, I don't like to cover up its natural flavor with much. Just saute some garlic in a little bit of melted butter, add a splash of white wine, salt, and pepper. It's so good and so fresh.

Devonly, yours

Lunching Ladies

My dear friend, CRM joined me for lunch today and to help me wade through the blogging world's features, tricks, and tips (hope you like the result-in-process!). I love lunching because it's usually a fresh delicious meal that has the rest of the day to digest. And it gives me an excuse to make some yummy recipes I've been dying to try.

For our menu today, I made:

THESE! So good...
Frissee salad
Coconut macaroons







The frissee salad is super simple: toss a head of frissee with the juice from half a small lemon, a splash of olive oil, a drizzle of white truffle oil, and some salt and pepper. Yum! Try it tonight!

Devonly, yours

Vodak Infusions

One of my favorite gifts to give is something that has a little of my personality in it but is also something the recipient will really enjoy. This past holiday season I infused vodkas for my friends, and I think I'm the only one that has any left! I made one large batch of Oolong tea infused vodka. They all prefer it straight up or over the rocks, but I like to shake mine up with a little simple syrup and lemon. Today I'm making a few different varieties in smaller batches using what's fresh and in season right now. They're perfect to give out as hostess gifts or to have on hand for the spur-of-the-moment BBQs and guests. And you don't have to spend a lot on fancy, expensive, sugar-laden mixers.

Infusions Du Jour:

Pink Grapefruit
White Peach
Rosemary
Cucumber
Pepper








The grapefruit, peach, and cucumber can all be enjoyed solo or shaken with a little simple syrup. The rosemary is sophisticated and complex so should be paired with care. The pepper infusion (I'm using jalapeno and serrano today) is a great base for a Bloody Mary.

It's very simple to do: slice up your favorite fruit or vegetable, leave herbs sprigs whole, and for tea: bagged or loose will work. Simply place your flavor of choice in a jar and cover with vodka. Cover and refrigerate until desired potency is reached. For stronger flavors like the pepper, rosemary, and tea, a few days should be plenty. For the peach and grapefruit, you want to let them stand for about a week. Depending on your vodka:ingredient ratio, you will want to stir the batch every few days. Once the batch is ready strain out your ingredients using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth in the case of any loose tea or particles, jar, label, and refrigerate until ready to use!

Hope you get to experiment with your own flavors and enjoy some delicious combinations this summer and wow your friends (even though it's really easy...but I'm not telling anyone that!).

Devonly, yours

Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Ice Cream

The only thing I like better than fresh cherries in summer is fresh Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Ice Cream. I can't help but steal licks of this delicious concoction while it spins away in my ice cream maker. It's grown up flavor will not keep you from feeling like a kid again.



You will need:

3 1/2 cups 2% reduced fat milk
1 cup half-and-half
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (14-oz) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
3 1/2 TB bourbon
16 oz. cherries, pitted and halved
1 3.5 oz dark chocolate bar, chopped


Step 1: combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and whisk well to combine. Pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the directions.

Step 2: Once ice cream is almost finished freezing in your maker, add the bourbon, cherries, and chocolate. Stir to combine and freeze in your freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.

Oh, heavens, my! This is so yummy and it's the perfect end to a perfect summer day. Hope you get to enjoy some soon!

Devonly, yours

Fennel Sausage Ravioli

I came up with these delicious delicacies one night when, having cooked an entire 2 acorn squash for dinner for Jason and I, we had a ton left over. I wondered out loud what I should do with them, and Jason said, "make them into pasta!" Thus, this recipe was born. This is a great recipe to make a large batch of and freeze for a quick weeknight meal, or to keep on hand for unexpected company. It's tasty, easy, and decidedly gourmet.

You will need:

1 acorn squash
1/2 fennel bulb
1/2 pound ground sausage
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded aged white cheddar, or your favorite Italian cheese
1 tsp. salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Fresh won ton wrappers*
1-2 TB. melted butter
Powdered sugar, optional

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Half acorn squash, scoop out seeds, and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minuets, flip squash over and bake another 30 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool until you can safely handle the squash. Scoop all flesh into a bowl, and set aside.

Step 2: Finely chop the bulb section of the fennel bulb along with 2 or 3 "leafy" sections. Add this plus the ground sausage to a skillet over med-high heat and cook until sausage is no longer pink and fennel is soft, about 7 minutes. Add this mixture to the squash and allow to cool completely.

Step 3: Once mixture is cool, add the vinegar, egg, salt, pepper, and cheese. Mix thoroughly.

Step 4: To assemble the ravioli, take one won ton wrapper and place a small dollop of the sausage mixture in the center. Brush 2 sides of the wrapper with water, and fold over the other 2 sides to make a triangle. Press along the entire seam to close. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining wrappers.

Step 5: To freeze for later use, place the entire baking sheet in the freezer until the ravioli are frozen completely. Transfer to a freezer bag until later needed. To cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a few ravioli at a time and boil until all the ravioli are floating. Remove and place a serving platter tented with foil until all ravioli have been cooked.

Step 6: To serve, drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. Makes approximately 36 ravioli.

Yum! These are so tasty and easy to make. Now, if only I had someone to share them with! I guess I will be freezing mine for later enjoyment.

Devonly, yours

*If you would like to make your own pasta dough, this is an easy recipe to follow. You can make them bigger if you like with your own dough.

Sip it gingerly, my dear

It seems I am at constant struggle with my insides. Metaphorically, yes. But today I'm talking literally. I often have an upset stomach due to who-knows-what. So this morning, I brewed some homemade ginger tea. My tummy feels so much better and this tea is actually quite good! It's even a little spicy, so be careful on your first sip! If you would like this concoction iced, just make ahead of time, refrigerate, and serve over ice. I'm also going to experiment with making it fizzy, but that will have to come at a later post.



You will need:

1 sauce pan
water
ginger
honey (if desired)
lemon (if desired)

1. Bring about 2-4 cups of water to a boil in your saucepan, depending on how much tea you want to make.
2. Cut off a 2 inch piece of ginger, peel, and slice.
3. Add the ginger to the boiling water, cover, and reduce to a simmer about 15-20 minutes.
4. Strain and serve with honey and lemon, if desired.
5. Enjoy!
   

Devonly, Yours

Strawberry Yogurt Pie in the Sky

You know those "ah-ha!" moments that come only, oh, I don't know, once in a blue moon? Well, this was definitely one of mine. I know you will love this pie, and because it's so easy to make and dare I say? Not that unhealthy, it's quickly becoming a staple in my household. I came up with the idea for this recipe when I was scavenging through my kitchen for a fast breakfast. All I had on hand were strawberries, yogurt, and left-over graham cracker crust. I would take a strawberry, dip it in the yogurt and then in the crust. Oh, my! It was so good I wasted no time in making this delicious pie!
{Don't tell anyone, but I eat for breakfast too!}


You will need:
1 3/4 lbs. fresh strawberries, hulled
20 graham cracker squares
3 TB. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted
11oz. plain greek yogurt
1 TB. honey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crush the graham crackers until they are very fine (a blender or rolling pin and Ziploc bag work just fine)
2. Combine said crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour the melted butter over and stir to combine. Press into a 9" pie dish and bake 10 minutes or until golden. Let cool completely.
   

1. Once cool, spread the yogurt over the entire crust.
2. Wash strawberries* and fill pie dish.
3. If the honey you are using isn't in a pourable condition, melt it in the microwave. A word of caution: honey melts fast and can bubble over your container if you aren't careful, making a sticky mess!
   

There's nothing like fresh strawberries in the summertime, and in this pie, they don't get much better. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

Devonly, Yours

*A note about washing berries: You want to wash berries right before you are about to use/eat them. Strawberries are a little more forgiving than it's more delicate relatives, but they will be the freshest and most tender if you wash them right before using. To keep them fresh store them in a breathable plastic container with a paper towel folded inside.