Engagement Party Time!

It is time to celebrate two of my favorite people, Greg and Danny, who recently got engaged.  We are going to my mother-in-law's for their engagement party this weekend, so my job today is to make a gift basket for the boys getting hitched.

I bought a cute basket to hold all my homemade goodies. I also used a mason jar stamp to make labels for everything. That way, Greg and Danny know what they are getting, and also know when to use it by.

Cute right?

Cucumber Infused Gin
Thinly slice the cucumber and place in a jar.  Fill with gin (I used Bombay, because it is Greg's favorite). Let the gin sit for 2 to 3 days.  Great for gin and tonics or cucumber gimlets.

Fennel Infused Vodka
Combine 1 small fennel bulb, fronds and vodka. This infusion can sit for much longer and will be good for up to a month (remove the fennel if it starts to break down).  

Tito's is my favorite vodka and is very affordable.

Fire Roasted Peppers

peppers (any variety)
1 cup of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic

Not having a grill makes this a rather hilarious process.  Soak skewers (or wooden chopsticks will do) in water for about ten minutes.  While they soak, rinse peppers, and cut off the tops. 

Place your gas stove on medium heat.  Skewer the peppers and place right on the stove top.  Turn as needed.  You want a charred skin on all sides.  

This just looks ridiculous.

Once the pepper is done, place in a sealed ziploc bag to steam (this will help to remove the skin later).  Repeat this process with all the peppers.  

Once all of the peppers are done, take them out the bag and use your hands to remove as much skin as possible (some char left over is fine). Then slice the peppers open and remove the seeds and any white membrane.

Heat about a cup of olive oil in a pan on medium low heat.  While it warms, slice two cloves of garlic and put them in a jar. Then place the peppers in the jar.  Pour the olive oil over the peppers.  Let cool before placing the lid on.

These peppers will keep in the fridge for up to three months.  

Lemon Sugar Scrub
2 cups of white sugar
1/4 cup of coconut oil
lemon essential oil

Place the sugar in a bowl.  Slowly add the oil while stirring until you have a soft consistency that is not too oily.  Add lemon essential oil and stir.  Put into a jar and seal.

Some for the boys and a little leftover for me.

I also included my Lavender Bath Salts, Baba Ganoush and Fruit Leather.  You can find the recipes here. 
http://farmtoharlem.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-gift-of-relaxation.html 
http://farmtoharlem.blogspot.com/2015/08/fruit-leather.html
http://farmtoharlem.blogspot.com/2015/08/baby-ganoush-baba-ganoush-made-with.html

Not Your Average Fried Zucchini

Being a part of a farm share means finding a variety of ways to cook the same vegetables when you get a lot of them.  With so many zucchinis, I decided to try something I have never made before... fried zucchini. I breaded them with gluten-free bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and fried them in coconut oil. Although they were messy, they were really delicious.  For this particular dinner they were accompanied by a cabbage, scallion and cilantro slaw and baked dover sole with lemon.   

Fried Zucchini
3 small zucchinis 
1 cup of parmesan cheese
1 cup of bread crumbs*
2 eggs
Coconut oil
Salt and Pepper

*For this recipe I made my own gluten-free bread crumbs and also grated a chunk of parmesan in the food processor.  You can use any bread crumbs you have on hand, including Panko, and pre-grated parmesan will work just fine!

Slice the zucchini into 1/2 inch discs.  Combine parmesan and bread crumbs in one bowl.  In another bowl, gently whisk the eggs.  

In a large non-stick pan, heat enough coconut oil to coat the bottom.  (Let this get nice and hot before adding any zucchini). Once the coconut oil is hot, turn the temperature down to medium.

Dip each zucchini disc in egg and then in the bread crumb mixture, being sure to coat both sides.  Set aside on a plate and continue.  

Fry each disc for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.  (Be sure not to over crowd the pan).  Drain on a paper towel, sprinkle with salt and enjoy!  

Whipped Coconut Oil Body Cream

After days and days in the sun, my skin has been incredibly dry. Most lotion is packed with all sorts of chemicals and harmful ingredients.  But I have never been able to just use straight up oil, so here is my compromise.  Whipping solid coconut oil completely changes the texture. It is delightful!  I am using it for myself, but it makes a great gift as well.  You can mix it up with any essential oils to add fragrance if you like.  Today, I used grapefruit essential oil, but you could use lavender, peppermint, lemon or anything else. 

Whipped Body Cream

1 cup SOLID coconut oil

15 drops Grapefruit essential oil

1 tablespoon of almond oil (you can skip this, or use olive oil instead)

Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl.  Using a hand mixer, whip the ingredients for at least 5 minutes, or until you get a texture that you like.  You can adjust the amount of essential oil you use if you want more or less fragrance.  Place the fluffy delightfulness in a jar, and store at room temperature.

A Classic for Calvin

To me, meatloaf seems pretty old fashioned.  A throw back to the past.  But to my husband, meatloaf is a classic. An old friend. And he loves it.  So tonight's dinner is for him.   

In a few days we will be leaving to visit family in Arizona and Atlanta, and I wanted to use up as much as possible from our fridge before we go.  So tonight I made a big salad and some roasted yams to go with the meatloaf.  I used blueberries, avocado and goat cheese in the salad, and made a simple lemon vinaigrette. 

Classic Meatloaf
Ground beef
1 Egg
Bread Crumbs*
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Tomato Paste
Ketchup
Onion
Coconut oil
Salt and Pepper

First, heat coconut oil (or olive oil works too) in a pan.  Add diced onion, salt and pepper and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add worcestershire sauce and tomato paste.  Add a few tablespoons of either stock or water and stir to combine.  Leave the mixture to cool for a bit. 

In a large bowl add the egg, bread crumbs, beef and onions. Add salt and pepper to the meat and lightly mix it all together with a fork.  Do not over work the meat.

Place the mixture on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Shape it into a rectangular shape and cover the top with ketchup. Bake in a 325 degree oven for about an hour or so.  If you put a pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf it will keep the top from cracking.  Let the meatloaf rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

*I make my own "lazy" bread crumbs.  All I do is toast two pieces of Udi's gluten-free bread, and then put them in the food processor.  

Lemon Vinaigrette
1 Lemon
2 tablespoons of good Olive Oil
1 teaspoon of Whole Grain Mustard
Salt
Pepper
Herb de Provence (if you have it on hand)

Put all of the ingredients in a small mason jar.  Shake and serve!  Herb de Provence raises the bar on this simple vinaigrette.  The lavender in it pairs perfectly with the goat cheese and blueberries in this salad.  



Roasted Yams  
Coconut Oil
Yams
Salt 
Pepper

For tonight's dinner I roasted the yams at the same temperature as the meatloaf.  Normally I would roast them at a higher temperature, but with one oven that isn't possible. If they don't seem to be caramelizing as much as you want, then crank up the oven and cook them a bit more as the meatloaf is resting.

Dice the yams.  Drizzle with coconut oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook until soft and sweet.

Family Brunch

Today my mom, brother and nephew are coming over for brunch.  For casual entertaining like this, I like something that doesn't keep me in the kitchen and away from everyone.  I also wanted something that would be inexpensive but delicious and a way to use up some of our farm-share vegetables.  Here's what I came up with...

Mushroom, Squash and Goat Cheese Frittata
1 container of Baby Bella mushrooms
2 baby squash
Goat Cheese
Scallions
12 Eggs
Salt and Pepper

Roast the mushrooms and squash in the oven (see my Pizza Party post for recipe).  This can be done the morning of or the day before.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile whisk together eggs, salt and pepper.  Crumble in the goat cheese. Heat a bit of oil or butter on medium heat in an ovenproof saute pan. Add the scallions and the roasted vegetables. Pour eggs over the vegetables and let cook, without stirring, for about 2 minutes. Transfer the pan into a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes (make sure the center is set).  Let cool a few minutes before cutting. This can be served warm or at room temperature. 

Baby Yam Latkes

8 Baby Yams
1 Onion
1 large Egg
4 tablespoons of flour

1 tablespoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of salt

(I also threw in the leftover baby zucchini I had and one small kohlrabi) 


I use a food processor to grate all of the vegetables, but you can easily grate by hand.  I don't remove the skin of the baby yams (just wash them well).  I also grate the onion in the food processor.  Gently whisk an egg in a large bowl.  Add the grated vegetables and the flour, baking soda, salt and pepper. Mix together.  If the consistency seems too wet, add more flour.

Make sure the mixture is not too wet, otherwise the latkes will fall apart.

Heat coconut oil (or any other high temperature oil) on medium high heat.  Once it is hot, scoop some of the latke mixture (I use a 1/4 cup as my scoop) and place in the hot oil.  I usually can fit about 4 or 5 in the pan at a time, so this has to be done in stages.  Let cook for about 3 minutes on each side.  Then remove and drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle with salt. 

The latkes can be kept warm in a low temperature oven until ready to serve.

I served this all with a salad using the greens and roasted beats from our farm share, with lemon juice and olive oil.

The latkes and frittata recipe are great for entertaining. They can both be made with a variety of vegetables or whatever you have on hand.  I have made latkes with butternut squash, kohlrabi or of course any variety of potatoes.  The frittata is also great with any leftover vegetables you may have in the fridge.

Caramel and Chocolate and Popcorn Oh My

This tasty treat is a favorite of my friends.  Whether served at a party, or wrapped up in individual snack bags it goes FAST! I like this recipe because there is no corn-syrup and it's dairy free.

Irresistible
 

Caramel can be intimidating, but I promise it is totally manageable.  I don't own a candy thermometer or any fancy equipment.  Truth be told, I don't even measure when I make it. Here is what you need...

Caramel Sauce

1 stick of unsalted butter

1 cup of Brown sugar*

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1/4 a teaspoon of Baking Soda

1/2 a teaspoon of Salt

*A note on brown sugar: I actually don't ever buy brown sugar.  I just add a bit of molasses to white sugar and mix well (1 cup of sugar to 1 tablespoon of molasses is a good ratio).  It's way cheaper, and that way you never have to throw away a brick of brown sugar or wonder if you have any in your pantry. 

Instructions:

Melt the butter over medium heat 

Add sugar and stir until well mixed

Turn up the heat a bit until the mixture starts to boil.  You want it to boil for about 4 minutes (keep stirring!)

Take the pot off the heat and add vanilla, salt and baking soda. It will bubble up like crazy so don't get scared, just keep stirring until you have a nice thick sauce.  

I suggest making your popcorn first, so it is ready to go while your caramel sauce is warm (I make popcorn on the stove using a tablespoon of coconut oil and about 1/2 a cup of kernels).  Pour the sauce over the popcorn and mix well. Spread on two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake in a 250 degree oven for about an hour, giving it stir a few times.  Remove and let cool completely.

Once it cools, I like to drizzle melted dark chocolate over all of the popcorn and sprinkle with kosher salt (this process makes a Jackson Pollock type mess, so I cover a large section of our dining room table with parchment paper and go to town).  Let it cool at room temperature or you can put it in the fridge if you have room.  Once it cools, break up the popcorn and store in an airtight container.  

Tips for melting chocolate: I have a large bag of dark chocolate chips that I keep in the freezer.  I temper the chocolate in the microwave by putting a handful of chips in a glass bowl and letting the microwave do the work.  Every 15 seconds or so I give it a stir. The whole process should take under a minute for all of the chips to be melted.