Sunshiny Days and French Toast with Toasted Prosciutto

A Washington summer is so beautiful, so exquisitely clear and sunny and green, that we happily (cough, cough) endure months of dreary winter rains and the random hail storms of spring. This weekend brought those glorious sunshiny days at long last. I unpacked my sundresses and wore sandals for the very first time this year, my nose and shoulders are sunburned and I feel absolutely wonderful. :-)

It was so good to have my friends here for a couple of days. We spent many a happy hour on a blanket by the creek, the sun beaming down upon us as the water gurgled by and the wind shushed through the trees. We sipped water and ate strawberries and talked of writing and cooking, travel and good books, drawing and treasure hunting in junk stores. It's so fun dreaming and scheming with kindred spirits. :-)

This morning we had brunch as we waited for the sun to rise over the trees and flood the meadow with sunny warmth. We had French toast made with fresh French bread from the Dutch bakery in town, slathered with extra thick sour cream, topped with super ripe strawberries, and drizzled with Dutch syrup I brought back from Amsterdam.

Mmmm, SO good, especially accompanied by salty slices of toasted prosciutto.

 After they left, I sat down with some Cheetos and dark chocolate and stared out the window for a while, processing our talks. These friends inspire me, challenge me, empathize with my freak out moments, laugh at my EUREKA! ones, and draw out talents and dreams I didn't even know were there. I'm so grateful for good friends today. :-)

What are you grateful for, dear folks?

French Toast Krista Style

1 loaf French bread, sliced thickly
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
1 bottle real maple syrup or Dutch syrup

Directions:

1. In shallow, wide bowl mix eggs, milk and cinnamon until egg is well incorporated. 
2. Quickly dip both sides of one slice of bread in mixture and place in well-buttered skillet over medium-high heat. 
3. Cook 1-2 minutes each side until nicely browned. Repeat until all slices are cooked. 
4. Spread French toast generously with sour cream, top with strawberries, drizzle with syrup and eat heartily.

Toasted Prosciutto

Ingredients:

Prosciutto, sliced thinly

Directions:

1. Turn on broiler.
2. Place prosciutto slices on cookie sheet. Place under broiler for 2-3 minutes until edges begin to curl. WATCH CAREFULLY. 
3. Remove from oven and flip prosciutto slices. 
4. Broil another 2-3 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove immediately and serve.

Vancouver, DaVinci, and Smoke Salmon Frittata with Hollandaise

The wind is whipping madly about the eaves but the sun is shining and a black squirrel just scampered across the yard and dashed up a cedar tree. :-) It's going to be a good day. :-)

How was your weekend, dear ones?

I had a grand weekend, comfy, cozy and adventurous with dear friends. Saturday morning Deb, Darren, Selwyn and I drove up to Canada to attend the Leonardo DaVinci: The Mechanics of Man exhibit in Vancouver.

The exhibit was fantastic, each carefully preserved piece of manuscript suspended in glass so we could see every detail of DaVinci's incredible drawings and lovely Old World script. What a brilliantly talented man.

Also on display was an exhibit called Visceral Bodies which elicited shudders and groans of revulsion. Blechy. We were delighted to get back out into the sunshine and indulge in "Crazy Canadian Watching" - which was much more inspiring. ;-)

Normally my fellow countrymen are quite dignified and polite, but somehow the sunshiny weather brought out a more diverse crowd. Take the extremely well-endowed, scantily clad hoola-hooper who invited passers-by to join her in hoola-hooping very badly to their hearts content. :-) Or the Cannabis crowd who gathered on the front steps of the museum, flags waving, joints smoking, in preparation for their "No Prison for Pot" parade. People are so interesting, aren't they?

We had a scrumptious brunch in an Old World-ish cafe: smoked salmon frittata with Hollandaise sauce and lovely salty, crispy potatoes. Mmm.

Then we were off to Stanley Park, driving along the coast and delighting in the fresh sea air, white-clad cricketers in a green field, and the beauties of towering trees and sandy beaches.

It was a good day. :-)

Smoked Salmon Frittata
(From Ina Garten)

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
12 extra-large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, such as Montrachet, crumbled
1/2 pound smoked salmon, chopped
3 scallions, chopped, white and light green parts
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Saute the onion and butter in a 10-inch oven-proof omelet pan over medium-low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the heavy cream, goat cheese, smoked salmon, scallions, dill, salt, and pepper and combine. 
4. Pour the mixture over the onions and place the omelet pan in the center of the oven. Bake the frittata for about 50 minutes, until it puffs and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve hot directly from the pan.

Resting, Sketching and Butterscotch Pudding with Black Salt

How was your weekend, dear ones? :-)

Mine was quiet and relaxing, a lovely retreat all by myself so I could get better. I thoroughly enjoyed short walks to the creek, naps in the sunshine, and...

...I even started sketching again! Something I haven't done in ages. :-) My perspective is wonky and I couldn't draw a decent face to save my life, but I had such fun anyways, especially with a fresh package of new markers to experiment with. :-)

I decided a retreat wasn't a proper retreat without something desserty, so I pondered my options. I remembered reading an article in an old Victoria magazine about a young girl who loved staying home sick from school because her grandmother always made her homemade pudding. I do not love being sick but I do love pudding, so I dug out my Betty Crocker cookbook and settled on little bowls of creamy butterscotch. I added my own flair by using almond milk and finishing it off with a sprinkling of black salt. :-) 

I'm not sure why they call it black salt since it is decidedly pink.

Regardless of the name, it tastes marvelous atop sweet pudding, and I felt thoroughly spoiled. :-) I also felt spoiled because my cute-as-a-bug, elderly neighbor lady stopped me the other day and asked if I would mind if she planted flowers all around my apartment. Would I mind?? I was tickled pink! :-) So today I grinned from my armchair as I watched her marching about in a turban and leopard-print wellies making everything beautiful. I'm a lucky, lucky girl. :-)

Butterscotch Pudding with Black Salt
(Adapted from Betty Crocker's Cookbook)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp black salt, more for garnish
2 cups milk or almond milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in 2-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute.
2. Gradually stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks. Stir into remaining hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir one minute.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla.
4. Pour into dessert dishes. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.
5. Sprinkle with black salt and serve.

Homemade Limoncello and Smoked Salmon with Caramelized Onions

I've been a huge fan of Limoncello since "Memo The Beautiful" served icy glasses to me and my friends on a sun-warmed terrace in a tiny mountain village in Italy last spring.

I never thought of making it myself until I stumbled across Mary's One Perfect Bite post a couple of weeks ago. It looked so fresh and inviting in that lovely glass that I immediately sent it to some of my CEC friends to see if they'd like to make it with me. Much to my delight, they said yes!! :-)

So we got together and hunched over cutting boards with knives, oh so carefully separating lemon peel and lime peel (we decided to try Key lime-cello while we were at it!) from the bitter pith.

We slipped the pieces of peel into big glass jars, covered them with vodka and let them steep.

Four days later we got together again to complete the process. The vodka was no longer, but vivid yellow and pale green.

While Darren prepped the simple syrup and washed the bottles, Cameron fired up the smoker and I made Smoked Salmon with Caramelized Onions and Roasted Potatoes with Dill for dinner.

After eating our fill, we knuckled down and got to work. Mike and I strained out the citrus peel, Darren mixed in the vodka with the simple syrup, and we took turns pouring the mixture into bottles. We were SO proud to see the bottles glistening and full. :-)

We finished it so quickly that we also had time to bottle the mead we made several weeks ago. It should be ready in time for our medieval feast this summer. :-)

 
Mary's Limoncello

Salmon with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:
 
1/2 wild salmon
2-3 large onions, sliced
1/4 -1/2 cup butter
1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
Few drops liquid smoke

Directions:

1. Melt butter over medium-high heat and add onions. Cook, stirring regularly until onions are brown and caramelized. 
2. Add brown sugar and stir until melted and onions are coated.
3. Add liquid smoke and stir. 
4. Place salmon skin side down on a tray made of aluminum foil. Cover with onions. 
5. Smoke or grill to desired doneness.

Roasted Potatoes with Dill

Ingredients:

3-4 Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp dried dill

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and spread on cookie sheet. 
2. Roast or smoke until potatoes are crispy and browned.

Lotsa Rest and a Mocha Cinnamon Tart

I was minding my own business, stirring a rather yummy pot of curry when suddenly I realized my prosciutto was on fire. I stared in amazement at my oven, two pillars of fire burning away merrily from the two slices of prosciutto I had been toasting. Thankfully the sink was nearby and teacups of water hastily thrown doused the flames and sent clouds of smoky steam wafting through my apartment.

Happily the rest of my weekend was not so dramatic. :-)

I got to have lunch with Mums and dear friends, and Johanna made us this scrumptious strawberry shortcake.

My boss's adorable Dutch grandmother popped into the office and surprised me with a bouquet of daffodils from her garden, wrapped in paper towel and tucked in a yogurt container. :-)

I did a lot of resting this weekend - how glorious that was!! - reading good books, taking naps. But I also wanted to be outside so I made myself a cozy little nest on a rickety wood and cast iron bench on my patio. I draped it with blankets and a shiny gold pillow and lay back to journal and watch the sun set through the trees. Bliss. :-)

I also cooked. :-) I haven't made dessert in a while and simply had to have something sweet on hand this week. :-) One of my favorite tarts is Mocha with a buttery cinnamon crust. This weekend I decided to try a gluten-free version and it turned out beautifully! Perhaps because the crust is more akin to shortbread than pastry, the gluten-free flour easily replaces more traditional flours.

The recipe comes from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet, one of my all-time favorite cookbooks. I love this tart crust recipe because there is no tedious cutting in of shortening required, no rolling out or chilling of dough. It literally takes less than five minutes from measuring ingredients to pressing the dough into the pan. The secret is melted butter. It makes a wonderfully crisp tart shell with loads of buttery flavor. The best part is its versatility. Simply add garlic and parsley or onion and rosemary to make a savory crust, or add almond or maple flavoring to make unique bases for sweet fillings.

C

Tart cooling in my little herb garden. 

How was your weekend? :-)

Mocha Tart with Gluten Free Cinnamon Crust
(Adapted from Bittersweet)

Ingredients for Crust:

8 Tbsp (1 stick) melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour (I used gluten-free)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Ingredients for Filling:

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup heavy cream (I used coconut milk)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions for Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Mix butter, sugar, salt and vanilla in medium bowl. Add flour and cinnamon and mix until just blended. Don't worry if dough seems too soft. 
3. Press all of the dough evenly into bottom and sides of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until crust is deep golden brown.

Directions for Filling:

1. While crust is baking, place butter, sugar, cocoa powder and cream in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture is blended, smooth and begins to simmer around edges. 
2. Remove from heat and stir in espresso powder and vanilla. 
3. Just before crust is ready, whisk egg thoroughly into hot chocolate mixture.

Directions for Tart:

1. Pour filling into hot crust and return to oven. Turn off heat. 
2. Leave tart in oven until it quivers like tender Jell-O in the center when the pan is nudged, about 10-12 minutes. Cool on a rack. 
3. Serve the tart warm or at room temperature.

Bliss, Rellies and Danish Citronfromage Uden Flødeskum

How was your weekend, dear ones? :-) Mine was beautiful, spent making great memories with all sorts of beloved Canadian rellies. :-)

Sunday dawned dark and blustery, but I had these oh-so-pretty eggs to make me smile. :-)

So I turned some of them into scrambled eggs with salmon, chevre, scallions, and tomato. A splendid way to start off a stormy day. :-)

I had so many grand times with my rellies this weekend. :-) Saturday we went to the beach (which I'll tell you about later), poked around our favorite discount stores and found all sorts of treasures, had coffee and visits at one of our favorite coffee shops, and braved the rain for a trek through the woods to Whatcom Falls Park.

My cousins introduced me to the wonders of sous-vide cooking, and made us amazingly juicy and tender chicken in a cheesy, garlicky butter sauce. Delish!!!

Sunday afternoon before our big family Easter dinner, we puttered around Mum and Dad's house, talking, napping and ...

...helping Mums make a big batch of her delicious Danish Citronfromage Uden Flødeskum. It is a wonderful spring dessert, a light and airy concoction that translates "lemon mousse without whipping cream." I juiced and zested lemons as she stirred and whipped and beat and simmered.

Then it was ready to be chilled, frothy, warm and oh-so-lemony. Alissa figured we absolutely NEEDED flowers sprinkled atop Mum's creation (I quite agree!) so we raided Mum's garden and found pansies and  violets and thought they made the dessert oh-so-cheery on a gray, gray day. :-)

Citronfromage Uden Flødeskum 
(Lemon Mousse without Whipped Cream)
Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
Grated rind of 1 1/2 lemons
6 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp water

Directions:

1. Beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until white.
2. Sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice, water and rind, and let stand for 5 minutes. 
3. Melt gelatin over boiling water until completely dissolved. Stir into egg mixture.
4. Beat egg whites to a peak, add rest of sugar and beat until stiff. 
5. Fold into egg/lemon mixture when it begins to set. 
6. Pour into glass bowl, chill for 2 hours and serve.

Sunshine, Ocean and Strawberries, Potato Soup, and Challah with Basil Butter

 I arrived home late last night after a beautiful weekend near Seattle with dear family and friends. :-) We all congregated at my brother and sis-in-laws house, pleased as punch for a gloriously sunny day so the grown ups could visit outside while the younguns tore around hollering, playing games and took turns pushing us on the swing. :-)

I love my sis-in-law Rachel's tulips clustered round the base of this big ol' tree.

 It felt so good to soak up sunshine and have such great visits and laughter with kindred spirits. There was much hilarity around the game tables as we played Speed Uno and Mexican Train, particularly since half of us didn't have a clue what we were doing. :-) It was grand fun! :-)

For lunch we gathered on the porch with steaming bowls of Mum's fabulous potato soup laced with cream, studded with farmer's sausage and flavored with onions and thyme. Sprinkled with sharp cheddar cheese, it was cozy and comforting. :-)

 Tara brought wonderful challah rolls that were so fragrant, tender and delicious, especially spread with Rachel's Basil Butter.

 We finished off lunch with luscious strawberries dipped in Tara's ridiculously good fruit dip made of cream cheese and marshmallow creme. Yowza!! We ate that stuff on everything! Strawberries, rolls, and Matt and Dana even frosted Rachel's Toffee Chocolate Chip with it!! :-)

 Later this week I'll tell you about the fantastic dinner Rachel made us that night. Oooeee! :-)

After the fun and hoopla of Saturday, we had a blissfully relaxing Sunday in our pjs resting, visiting and eating leftovers. :-) Then we hugged and waved good bye, and Mums and I headed for the ferry. We laughed at  how ridiculously excited we get about taking a ferry. :-) It feels like a REAL vacation somehow, like we've left reality far behind and are bobbing along the waves, watching the coast go by from our warm perch inside. I love it. :-)

How was your weekend? :-)

Basil Butter
(From Taste of Home)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 pound butter, softened
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

1. In a food processor, chop basil.
2. Add butter, lemon juice and pepper and garlic salt; blend until smooth.
3. Store in container in fridge until ready to serve.
4. OR - Drop by half-tablespoons onto a baking sheet; freeze.
5. Remove from baking sheet and store in freezer bags. Use to flavor chicken, fish or vegetables.

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
(From Cooks)

Ingredients:

(32 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

Directions:

1. Combine the marshmallow creme and cream cheese in medium bowl.
2. Blend with a mixer until it is smooth and creamy.

Mum's Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion finely chopped
2 stalks celery finely chopped
1 carrot coarsely grated or julienned
2 leaves kale chopped
3 Tbsp. butter
1-2 John Morrell smoked sausage, halved and sliced
1 quart water
1/2 cup real bacon bits
4 large red or gold potatoes, cubed
1 tsp. dried dill
1/2 tsp. dry thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Melt butter in soup pot. Saute onion, celery, carrot and kale.
2. In separate pan, fry smoked sausage. With slotted spoon transfer to soup pot.
3. Add 1 quart water, real bacon bits, potatoes, dill, thyme,
4. parsley, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, simmer 'til potatoes are tender.
5. Add 1 can evaporated milk.
6. Lightly mash potatoes , just to thicken as desired.
7. Serve with grated sharp cheddar cheese. 

Homemade Sanatorium and Catalan Spinach with Toasted Pine Nuts and Raisins

I sometimes wish I lived in the Old Days. You know the ones where when you were sick (and rich) they would prescribe 6 months rest at the seaside, or 1 year in a sanatorium where all your meals were cooked, room cleaned and you had nothing to do all day but willingly submit to mud baths and "taking the waters" and sitting on manicured lawns watching the world go by.

As I watch old movies, I find it amusing that I can readily suspend disbelief and believe that the chap the fair maiden just spilled soup on is in fact the Prince of Whatsit who immediately swoons at her "cornflower blue eyes" and proposes undying love and affection. But when I see those scenes where everyone packs up their life for a restful escape to more appropriate climes I think, "Yeah, right!!"

I wonder if those things really happened, or if they were like us, refusing or unable to rest because there are bills to be paid and families to be cared for and functions to make an appearance at. This weekend, as I once again realized that I had optimistically over-committed my recovering self, I thought, "There's got to be a better way."

I can't pull up stakes and head off to the Mediterranean for half a year to get better, but can I not play Sanatorium Director for my own self? Providing moments of respite and healing in the midst of the hustle and bustle? So that's what I'm trying to do. :-)

I don't have the manicured lawns of a beautiful, white sanatorium to enjoy, but I DO have my Mum's garden to wander through, and we did that Sunday afternoon as a gentle rain fell.

Bleeding Hearts

Dewy leaves

Lichen-covered stump

I can't spend 6 months at the seaside, but I am within an hour of coast, river or lake. So on the next sunny free evening, I'm driving to one of them after work, past the beautiful mountains that surround us, to watch the sunset.

And, last but not least, I don't have kitchen staff at my beck and call making me the vegetarian meals I must have for a while, but I have fabulous cookbooks with a wealth of nutritious options. This weekend I leafed through my favorite vegetarian cookbook and found Catalan Spinach with Toasted Pine Nuts and Raisins. It was too odd to resist. :-)

So I washed and dried spinach,

toasted garlic, pine nuts and raisins in olive oil,

then tossed everything together with the steamed spinach. Mmmm. :-) The toasted nuts and warm fruit play beautifully off each other and provide earthy highlights for the spinach. Delish!

Catalan Spinach and Toasted Pine Nuts and Raisins

(From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)

Ingredients:

2 bunches spinach, stems removed, leaves steamed then chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large garlic clove, sliced

1/3 cup dark or golden raisins

1/3 cup pine nuts

Salt and freshly milled pepper

Directions:

1. Warm the oil with the garlic in a wide skillet over medium heat. When garlic is golden, remove to plate.
2. Add raisins and pine nuts to pan and cook until raisins are plumped and pine nuts golden.
3. Add spinach and garlic and cook until heated through. 
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.