Memorial Day...

Happy Memorial Day everyone!  I am proud to be an American EVERYDAY but on days that we have set aside to honor our Military heros, I am especially proud.  Both my grandfather's served in WWII, one in the Army, the other was mounted Calvary.  My mother's father (who slipped into a coma due to advanced Alzhimers) lay in his hospital bed on September 11th, 2001 unaware of the terrible events of that day, never knowing that the country for which he fought and was wounded for twice in Checkoslovakia had been attacked.  He died on September 15th, never having regained consciousness and was buried on the 17th as US Navy Warships guarded the Eastern Seaboard.  After the funeral we watched as the Theodore Roosevelt Battlegroup got underway for the Middle East. 

My grandfather, Thomas Oliver Williford was buried that day with two Purple Heart Medals pinned to his chest in the rotunda of the Tennessee Veterans Cemetary with full Military Honor Guard, a 21 Gun Salute.  We filed out of the rotunda behind his flagged drapped coffin to listen as a lone bugle played Taps by his graveside.  It's something you never forget. 

My husband (who is very humble about his Military service by the way), retired from the US Navy in 2004 after 20 years of distinguished service.  For many years he was a Search and Rescue Swimmer, Helo air-crewman (AW) and for the last couple of years, an instructor at both Mayport and NAS JAX Naval Air Bases.  He has over 500 combat hours and more than 3000 total flight hours.  He recieved the Navy Com with Valor medal for his participation in the rescue of a downed helicopter crew (behind enemy line).  There are many other metals in his sea chest and plaques and commendations covering the walls of his office. 

I generally strive to keep political discussion out of my blog because this is not the platform for it.  I don't really consider being greatful for our American heros a political issue however.  It's a matter of National pride.  Anyone who does NOT appreciate the sacrifices of our veterans and their families probably should go live somewhere else.

Whether you agree or disagree with the issues and politics of war is irrelevant.  You live, work, play, raise families, and enjoy the freedoms and ALL the benefits that America has to offer largely due to the few who put duty to God, Country and Family before their OWN personal safety.  The least we can do is honor their sacrifices.

My husband Roger...his retirement photo

March 19th, 2004

Farmstand Frenzy

Several days ago, I mentioned finding a farmstand that sells locally grown produce.  I can't stay away from that place!  The tomatoes are so delicious and actually TASTE like a tomato should.  The little grape tomatoes are so sweet...I've been popping them like skittles. 

I stopped by yesterday and bought zucchini, yellow squash, kirby cukes, yellow tomatoes, grape tomatoes, limes, grapefruit, canteloupe, sugar-baby watermelon, pole beans, bell peppers, cabbage, romaine lettuce, peaches and sweet onions.  I had to make two trips to the car for UNDER TWENTY BUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!

I eat enourmous amounts of raw veggies so you can imagine what a find this is for me.  I must say that the taste of food that's been on the vine until maturation beats ANTHING in the grocery store including the organic stuff.  Then again, the organic produce in the store is usually OLD. 

Do you ever just open up the fridge and make a salad out of everything?  I do it often.  In fact, some of my favorite salads were created that way.  Since I'm sitting on a veritable GOLD MINE of vitamins, minerals, antioxidents and phytonutrients, I've been making these huge bowls of chopped salad with different veggies combos.  Today's salad was particularly satisfying. 

I'm not a big fan of cooked cauliflower and broccoli.  I know...that's kind of wierd coming from someone who's largely a vegan right?  I like the taste of cooked broccoli (not cauliflower so much) fine but I can't get past that smell...kind of like a storm drain full of rotting grass clippings.  Raw on the other hand,  I just love them.  I eat them nearly everyday.  Tonight's salad takes advantage of the half head of cauliflower I had in the veggie bin.

I can't really call this a recipe...it's too simple for that.  I just chopped cauliflower and chucked it in a bowl; added petit carrots, sweet yellow onion, kirby cukes, celery, chopped radishes, diced tomato and some crumbled feta.  Feta and goat cheese are my two dairy splurges.  I never met a hunk of feta I didn't like!
Next, I just tossed it all up with some minced fresh parsley, raw apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and cracked black pepper.  I put it in one of my amazingly cool antique bowls (this one a vintage 50's piece) and served it with grilled burgers (for hubs and mom) and a homemade grilled veg burger for me.  What I liked most about this salad, other than how awesome it looks in my gorgeous bowl, was the CRUNCH!  I don't eat potato chips, pretzels and such so sometimes I really crave something crunchy.  This was perfect.  You could use anything you have in the veggie bin though.

Here are a few pics.......oh and sorry about the shadow.  It was close to 7 pm and the sun was casting a shadow across half the pic.  I thought it was kind of "artsy" so I used the pictures anyway.

I hat to step back and get a shot that shows off this incredible bubble glass bowl.

Want To Get Lucky?

Remember my "pet" Lucky that I started about a month ago?  For those who missed my post on the origins of my sourdough starter, you'll have to go back and read it to understand why I named it Lucky.  In any event, Lucky is smelling pretty "ripe" these days so I decided it was time to put him to work. 
I make bread the way my grandfather taught me...by sight and feel.  I know, I know...they always tell you baking is an exact science (unlike cooking which is much more forgiving) and most of the time that is true.  I think bread is the exception to that rule to an extent.  You can't just go hog wild though...a basic understanding of bread making and PATIENCE are key. 

For the purpose of sharing the recipe, I will give measurements (as best I can) but my best indicator that the dough is right is how it feels and how it behaves and unfortunately that's something that just comes with practice and experience. 

I was reading Chef Dennis's post on making his mashed potatoes the other day and he mentioned butter and Paula Deen in the same sentence.  Everyone does!  I suppose Paula has become the quintessential icon of southern cooking.  She is certainly the poster child for butter consumption.  I had to laugh as I was thinking about this because my previous post was a butter love-fest and this one is as well...and I don't eat butter...LOL.  I can't say I NEVER eat butter but I try very hard not too because dairy of any sort gets my system all discombobulated which is very, VERY bad JuJu!

That being said, we can now move on to the pound of butter thats in these cinnamon rolls!  I think I mentioned before that some people are purists where sourdoughs are concerned...no little boot from some yeast.  I don't use yeast in my starter but I do use it when making a batch of bread or rolls because I don't have the patience to wait all day for sourdough to rise without it.  When it comes to my bread...I want instant (ok maybe not instant but REASONABLE) gratification!

For that same reason, I rarely ever knead bread by hand unless I am just angry at someone and need to take it out on a poor unsuspecting hunk of dough.  I prefer to let my bread machine do the work...set to the "dough" setting.  It will mix, knead and provide a nice cozy environment for the first rising.  Ok...Ma Ingalls I am NOT.  I say if you have modern conveniences...USE THOSE PUPPIES!  Just a note about bread machine mixing and kneading though.  I DO open the lid and feel the dough during the process.  I don't know how to tell you what to feel for so I'll just do the best I can.

The biggest mistake most people make when making bread dough is getting it too dry right from the git-go.  It's a big glob of flour and water (granted with other ingredients)...basically a glutinous ball of GOO...and it SHOULD BE.  If you add so much flour that the dough isn't sticky at all you have nowhere to go from there.  Less is better...you can always ADD but you can't take away.  If you're kneading by hand, purposely leave out at least 1 cup of the suggested amount of flour.  This way you can use it to sprinkle the countertop and your hands as needed while working the dough. 

The dough should look homogeneous once kneading is complete.  In other words, smooth...not lumpy or "thread-like".  I don't know what else to call that texture except it looks like a ball of rubber bands.  If you've ever made bread...you know what I mean.  It's the look of a dough that isn't kneaded enough.  The surface should be moist but not to the point that it adheres to your finger if you poke it.  You'll probably laugh when I say this...but think of MEMORY FOAM. 

The other secret is rising.  Don't rush it.  Double in volume means presisely what it says.  Don't be so hung up on the amount of time suggested.  If a recipe says the dough should double in volume in an hour it could be because in the enviroment in which it was made, it DID so.  In your kitchen it may be different.  Watch for the volume.  If you use a deep glass bowl, it's a little easier to judge than a wide, spread out bowl.  If your ball fills the bottom half of the deep bowl, when double it will be bulging to the top.  Poke it gently...if it deflates it is ready.  If your fingers make an indenture that fills back in...raise it some more. 

The second rise will depend on what you are making.  Obviously pizza crust takes less time to rise than a loaf of bread.  Fancy braided breads take more time to rise than a baguette.  The second rise is generally about half the amount of time as the first.  The volume of the loaf or roll or whatever will be not quite double. 

A preheated oven is important.  That initial exposure to heat will puff that dough right up and kind of "set" the crust so it doesn't fall flat.  Then just let it bake until golden brown.  Another big bread failure, and arguably one that is near impossible to resist, is cutting hot bread.  LEAVE IT ALONE!  Laissez le petit pain sans encombre jusqu'à ce qu'il refroidisse!  There is steam in there and if you break the crust and allow it escape...it sucks all the moisture right out with it.  Of course if you are planning to stand at the counter and consume the entire loaf hot out of the oven with a whole stick of butter...c'est une autre affaire!

Thats enough chatter...time to get Lucky.........

These are Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting and they probably fall under the deadly sin of gluttony..........

This recipe makes enough dough to make approximately 24 large (palm sized) cinnamon rolls.

Begin with 2 cups of sourdough starter brought to room temperature in a very large bowl. 

In a small bowl, dissolve 1 package (about 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast in 1 cup warm (not warmer than 110 degrees) water.  Stir in 1/4 cup sugar and let the mixture stand for 10 minutes.  If the yeast does not foam up (from feeding on the sugar), it's no good.  Toss it and use fresher yeast. 

Once the yeast has activated, pour this mixture into the sourdough starter.   Whisk in 1 tablespoon kosher salt.  Don't have a heart attack about the amount of salt.  This is a LOT of dough.  You will also need to add 1/2 cup dry milk powder and 1 cup bread flour; mix thoroughly.  Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic film topped with a damp cloth and allow your SPONGE to develop for 1 hour.  It should have a strong, unmistakably yeasty smell and it will be a very loose bubbly batter at this point. 

If you have a 2 lb. loaf sized bread machine, the rest of the mixing and kneading work may be done in that.  Pour the sponge into bread machine or alternately leave it in the large bowl.  Add 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter to the sponge.  If using bread machine, add 1 cup of bread flour and turn the machine to the DOUGH setting.  Plug it in and let the machine begin mixing.  You will be adding approximately 4 or 5 more cups of flour, 1 cup at a time.  TIP:  I usually run the mixing/kneading part of the dough cycle TWICE with this much dough and THEN I let it rest. 

Remember, add your flour 1 cup at a time and stop when the dough becomes cohesive and starts to leave the sides of the mixing chamber and form a ball.  If you are adding by hand or with a stand mixer, still work in flour 1 cup at a time.  Your dough may hold all this flour or not...much of that will depend on how wet (thin) your sourdough starter was to begin with.  Mine is usually the consistency of thick pancake batter so I generally need all the flour.  Keep the last cup out to use in the kneading process if kneading by hand.  If using the machine, just keep an eye on the ball of dough and how well it comes together before the next addition of flour.  Touch the dough...it should have a moist exterior that's ever so slightly sticky. 

Once kneading is complete, place dough in a buttered bowl and brush the top of the ball with melted butter as well.  Cover and let dough rise in a warm place until DOUBLE in bulk.  With this amount of dough, it could take as long as two hours depending on how strong your sourdough starter is.  A well fermented starter will go a lot faster especially with the yeast boost.

Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and turn out onto a floured work surface.  Take care not to add too much flour at this stage.  You only want enough to keep it from sticking.  Too much will change texture of the finished bread.  Divide the dough into two equal portions.  Knead each for 2-3 minutes, place in two buttered bowls.  Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

Make the filling:

2 sticks...HALF A POUND room temperature butter

1/2 cup pure cane sugar ( I use Florida Crystals)

4 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 cups chopped pecans (plus more for the tops of the baked rolls)

In a large bowl; blend butter, sugar and cinnamon until well mixed.  Divide into two equal portions.  This will be used to spread on the dough.

MAKING THE ROLLS:

1. 
   
   Line two baking sheets with parchement paper.  Butter the paper and set sheets aside. 
2. 
   
   Working with one ball of dough at a time, flour the work surface lightly and roll dough out to approximately a 14 x 18 inch rectangle.  You'll want to have the short end closest to your body so you can roll forward.
3. 
   
   Using a spatula, spread half the butter cinnamon filling on the dough to withing 3 inches of the top edge.  Sprinkle with half of the chopped pecans.  Lightly brush the top unfilled portion of the dough with water or egg white.  Gently begin rolling the dough from the end closest to your body.  Use even pressure and don't try to squeeze it down.  Just lightly roll until you reach the end.  The 3 inch headspace that you brushed with water will work as the seal.   Leave the roll sitting seam side down as you cut. 
4. 
   
   I like to divide my roll into 4 equal segments and then cut each of those into 3 equal portions.  A dough cutter or pastry scraper works great for doing this.  Serrated edge implements tear the dough.  The best technique is to use a wide flat blade like a pastry scraper and cut straight down through the roll in one swift motion....no sawing back and forth.  Turn the rolls onto their sides (so you can see the cinnamon swirl) and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  As they rise, they will fill the sheet and be touching.  Repeat this process with the second piece of dough.

5.  Cover the rolls with clean damp cotton towels and allow to rise in a warm place until they have nearly doubled and are touching on all sides.  This usually takes about an hour.

6.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  When rolls have risen sufficiently, bake on the center rack for 25 to 30 minutes or until HUGE and golden brown.  Make Caramel Frosting while rolls bake.

Caramel Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 tablespoons half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 cup (approximately) powdered sugar

1. 
   
   Melt butter and brown sugar in a small sauce pan.  Cook once minute.  Stir in half and half.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt.  Beat in powdered sugar by hand until desired consistency is achieved.  Use to frost warm cinnamon rolls.

Spinkle the tops with more chopped nuts

I realize a recipe like this is not for everyone.  It is a lot of work and time and does require a bit of bread making skill.  But if you are bored or just have a craving for a kick butt cinnamon roll...give it a try!  GO BACK AND COUNT UP ALL THE BUTTER.... PAULA WOULD BE SO PROUD OF ME!!

(c) copyright Jill Anderson

The Homegrown Gourmet

Pulled Pork BBQ

Since I've already posted this article in the newspaper I write for, I'll just add the link to the page instead of typing it all out again.  Lazy huh?

http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/blogs.detail/display/121.html

Here are some pictures though...

Good Grief!  But after all that low and slow roasting...that mess turns into this.........

The easiest pulled pork bbq you will ever make!

(c) copyright Jill Anderson

The Homegrown Gourmet

Buttery Chevre' and Pesto Strudel

Hello blogger friends!  I feel like its been months since my last post but in fact it has only been a couple of weeks.  As some of you may know from reading earlier posts, my mother moved in with me about two weeks ago.  We've been tied up with getting her settled in and all that goes along with it.  I think things are finally about to even out.  I started to say normalize but we all know I'll never be normal!

I haven't had much time to dabble in my kitchen but I finally decided I was going to loose what little mind I have if I didn't get to make something to post.  I got the most amazing artisan (locally made) goat cheese last week.  I was driving down the road and actually drove past a huge pasture of grazing goats.  There was a farmstand shack by the side of the road that said "fresh produce" so I pulled off the road and went in. 

What an amazing find!  LOCALLY GROWN food!!!!!  I talked with the lady running the stand who told me they used to grow it right there until the city widened the Cape Parkway but now they just brought everything from their main farm in Immokolee (which is about 45 minutes from here).  They don't have organic certification because they simply can't afford it BUT they have a reputation for safe, sustainable farming practices and use no pesticides.  I'm ok with that...there's a lot to be said for knowing where your food comes from even if it isn't organic.

Anyway, I asked about the goats and she explained that they are raised for milk production and that they make and sell the cheese.  Of course I must add that the State of Florida prohibits the sale of raw milk and or milk products for human consumption (ahem).  Raw dairy (whether cow of goat) must be labeled "for agricultural use only" or some such nonsense...in other words, you are only supposed to buy it to feed your PETS!  I didn't even ask if the goat milk was pasteurized because I don't drink animal milk anyway so it wouldn't make any difference to me.  I also didn't ask if the cheese was made from raw milk but I am assuming it isn't since it doesn't have that silly label.  Who cares...it tastes amazing!

For those of you who read my post In Memory of Katarina you may recall I mentioned learning to make a great many wonderful foods from her.  She wasn't much of a cake, cookie or even bread baker but that woman could THROW DOWN on some strudel!  There were two main methods that we used for making strudels.  One was the ultra-thin stretched method (phyllo) which is time consuming and quite tricky but requires only a couple of ingredients....basically flour, room temperature water, pinch of salt and oil.  The other also requires a mere three ingredients BUT...the time and difficulty factor is far more suited to most strudel novices. 

Those familiar with Serbian cooking know about their somewhat obsessvie interest in sour cream.  This dough sounds so strange you would almost believe it could not work...but it does, and well IF you chill the dough long enough and handle it quickly and gently when rolling.  It is made of 1 part softened butter, 1/2 part sour cream to two parts flour.  Nothing else...not even salt!  You can't use totally room temperature butter either.  It just needs to be soft enough to mix.  I'd say no more than an hour at room temp.  As you can see in the following picture, the baked dough even LOOKS tender and flaky...and oh my is it tasty!

Can you see the gorgeous "bubbles" in the surface of the baked rolls?  This is buttery golden goodness right here.  Flaky, tender, flavorful and NOT on anybody's diet plan I assure you!  The best part about using this method is, you don't need a six foot long work space in which to stretch that dough and a degree in pastry to pull it off.  If you really really really want...I can also show you how to make the other kind sometime.  Like phyllo, this dough is also versitile as fillings go...sweet or savory will do.  Also like phyllo, super wet fillings will NOT do!

By nature, Pesto is rather a "wet" concoction.  So to compensate for that you could sprinkle it with dry bread crumbs but I find that flax meal is a better choice.  First, it can never hurt to have more flax.  Secondly...I'm not the biggest fan of bread crumbs so there!  Feel free to make your own pesto...which I do and have used in this recipe but don't beat yourself up if you prefer using store bought.  Just make sure it is a quality product that uses OLIVE OIL and not some designer blend of rancid garbage oils.  Other than the pesto and the flax...the only other ingredient is that amazing goat cheese...or Chevre' if you want to sound like a food snob!!! 

If you note in the picture, I place my baked rolls on paper towels on the cooling rack.  Pesto as we all know has a LOT of oil in it (another reason for making your own because you can make a drier pesto to use for this dish).  When the strudel first comes out of the oven it is basically sitting in a puddle of olive oil that has leached out from the pesto.  Remove it to a towel covered cooling rack right away because if you let it sit on the pan... it will reabsorb everybit of that oil from the pesto and make for a greasy strudel.  Its best to let it cool almost to room temp before cutting.  When fresh out of the oven, it is SO delicate. 

Buttery Chevre' and Pesto Strudel

For the Strudel:

1 stick unsalted room temperature butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup flour

1. Blend these three ingredients with mixer or wooden spoon until a very soft dough forms.  Do not attempt to work the dough at this time.  Sprinkle plastic wrap with flour and turn dough out onto plastic wrap.  Roll up and sort of shape into a flattened ball.  Place the dough packet in the fridge for at least two hours or until dough is firm enough to handle.
2. When ready to roll, cut the dough into two equal portions.  Working quickly, heavily flour your work surface and begin flattening the first piece.  You'll need to flour the rolling side, turn over and flour the other side several time while rolling.  This is a VERY soft dough and the more you play with it the harder it will become to manage.  Once dough is rolled out into approximately 12x14 inch rectangle yo are ready to fill.

For filling:

1/2 cup well drained store bought pesto or homemade (make using less oil)

1 heaping cup crumbled goat cheese

4 tablespoons golden flax meal

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet and a cooling rack with parchment paper.  Roll out dough and spread 1/4 cup of the pesto over two-thirds of the dough (dough is worked lengthwise so spread on the the bottom 2/3).  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the flax meal and half of the goat cheese.  Use remaining filling for second piece of dough.

2.  Begin by folding the shorter sides in about half an inch to lap over the filling.  Starting at the long side (which works best if you have it closest to your body), gently begin rolling the log all the way to the unfilled side.  If you've done your job correctly, it won't be stuck to the counter and will still be cold enough to roll easily.  Gently lift roll onto the lined baking sheet.  Repeat process with the second piece of dough.

3.  Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown...about 30 minutes in my oven.  The will puff up slightly.  Have some paper towels layed out on top of the parchment linded cooling rack and remember to get the rolls off the pan as soon as the come out of the oven to prevent reabsorbtion of that extra oil. 

If you simply MUST have a warm piece...at least wait 20 minutes until the fats in the dough have settled down and stopped steaming.  It's the bomb even at room temperature though.

Are you smacking your lips or licking your computer screen???

(c) copyright Jill Anderson

The Homegrown Gourmet

*This recipe is copyright protected and is provided courtesy of The Homegrown Gourmet and intended for personal use by our readers.   Permission to reprint must be obtained in writing from the author.  The use of this recipe to make this dish for commercial resale is copyright infringment. 

(Sorry...I had to put that for just ONE reader...and they know who they are.)

cape-coral-daily-breeze.com | News, sports, community info. - Cape Coral Daily Breeze

cape-coral-daily-breeze.com News, sports, community info. - Cape Coral Daily Breeze

In A Pickle

Yesterday my mother (who is living with me now) and I made a batch of a summer time favorite...bread and butter pickles.  Making pickles the way my grandmother used to make them conjurs up images of a big tub out on the back porch to which an offering of ice and salt must be made daily.  The pungent aroma of vinegar permeating EVERYTHING and of course the smell of pickling spices.  I'm afraid you'll be sorely disappointed if you were looking for an oppotunity to wrestle a tub full of freezing vinegar water and a bushel of slippery cukes for a week because this recipe is just NOT that involved.  It is minimal effort for maximum rewards and we like that!  I will give you a hint...the pickles are made in the microwave in under 15 minutes!

If you are interested in reading the entire recipe please visit
http://recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/easy-recipe-for-bread-butter-pickles

Is anyone else diggin on my little antique spice cabinet that  I just found while picking though an antique shop a couple of days ago??  It's SO adorable and of course I've filled it already!

These pickles are SO crispy and delicious!