A Salad Buffet

My youngest son and his family (including their dog) come to visit every summer around the end of July.  He graduated from college, married his fiancee, moved to St. Louis and began his engineering career all within a month’s time in 1982.  This is my favorite picture of them taken quite a few years ago.  The girls have both graduated from college by now….

…and the dog, Brandy, passed away and has been replaced by Maggie.

Each year, there’s the decision of what to cook, particularly for the big family meal when everyone gets together.  It’s always blistering hot, of course, and I don’t want to spend all of my time in the kitchen.  This year, I decided to serve corn-on-the-cob from my local farm market and a Salad Buffet.  All but one of the salads have been posted previously on my blog and are old favorites:

• Broccoli-Bacon-Pecan Salad.  All of the women in the family especially like this salad.

• Chicken and Fruit Orzo Salad.  Another favorite of the women with chicken, orzo, pineapple, grapes, banana and almonds.

• Vegetable Pasta Salad.  This is an adaptation of the Tuna and Veggie Salad posted previously.  I omitted the tuna so I could have one plain pasta salad.

• Thai-Inspired Chicken and Noodle Salad.  This is a new salad this year and we all like it very much.  It’s good either room temperature or chilled.

THAI-INSPIRED CHICKEN AND NOODLE SALAD

• 8 oz. ( 4 cups) LoMein noodles (or thin spaghetti)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup Teriyaki sauce
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 3 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• few gratings of black pepper
• 2 chicken breast halves, baked and shredded
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions.  Drain pasta and rinse with cold water.  Transfer pasta to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine canola oil, Teriyaki sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, peanut butter, ginger and pepper.   Mix well until smooth.  Pour dressing over pasta and toss to coat evenly.  Gently mix in chicken, cilantro and toasted sunflower seeds.

This makes a big bowl of salad – 6 to 8 servings.

For dessert we had a sundae bar and then went out on the patio to work off the calories.  My daughter-in-law brought water balloons and small fireworks and the visit ended with a flourish.

Already, I’m wondering – what can I cook next year?

Greek Potato Salad

I fell in love with Susan Branch with the first cookbook I bought, published in 1990, Christmas from the Heart of the Home.  Her artwork is so charming and her recipes are excellent.  Susan offered this potato salad recipe on her F.O.S.B (Friends of Susan Branch) Facebook page and it is also in her 1995 cookbook, The Summer Book.  I made a few minor adjustments (used new potatoes, less sweet pepper and feta cheese, and added a bit of honey to the dressing) and served it  for our Fourth of July lunch along with the usual hamburgers, hot dogs and baked beans.  It was great.

GREEK POTATO SALAD

• 2 lbs. red new potatoes
• ½ cup red sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
• ½ cup green onions, chopped
• ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

Dressing:

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. honey
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• ½ tsp. dried rosemary

• Salt/pepper to taste

Cover the potatoes, unpeeled, with cold water and cook over medium heat until tender.  Drain thoroughly.

Place the dressing ingredients in a pint jar with a cover and shake vigorously to blend.

When cool enough to handle, cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl.  Add chopped vegetables, cheese and olives.

Pour dressing over salad and toss lightly.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least ½ hour.  Serve at room temperature.  Makes 8 servings.

Susan has a wonderful blog, www.susanbranch.com.

Tea at the American Girl Place, Chicago

Every year in June, my two daughters take the two grandchildren (known here as Dolphin and Jellyfish) on a special, kid-friendly trip.  This year, they chose Chicago and in addition to all the museums, shops and parks, they visited the American Girl Place.  Dolphin had just received her first American Girl doll, Kit from the 1930s era.  Her mother asked me to make a dress for each of them to wear for their visit.

I used Simplicity Pattern 2675 for Dolphin’s dress, and McCall’s M4336 for Kit’s.

At American Doll Place, they walked into an American Girl doll wonderland with all kinds of shops and displays.

There was an exhibit for each doll with vintage items.  Kit’s display included an old school desk, a pencil box and her pink sweater.

There was a beauty shop where Kit could get a pedicure and hair styling.

Kit looked beautiful after her visit to the beauty salon.

In the afternoon, they attended a tea in a beautiful dining room.

The selection of little sandwiches and pastries was wonderful.

Dolphin enjoyed the pink lemonade.

Everyone enjoyed the food.

Big brother Jellyfish was a good sport at a very “girly” affair.

Later, he took a nap in the lobby after American Girl Doll-overload.

For her 8th birthday on July 1, Dolphin chose another doll to join Kit.

It was a great visit to Chicago for all of them and OK with Jellyfish because he also got to see dinosaurs, dolphins and whales.

A Good Find at Summerfair, Cincinnati

The 44th annual Summerfair was held over the weekend at Cincinnati’s version of Coney Island.  This is a 125-year-old amusement park with lots of old, shady trees and plenty of places to sit and rest between visits to all of the juried crafters’ booths.

Many years, I just stroll and admire all the beautiful crafts without buying anything, but this year, I saw a wall pocket that I really liked.  It was made by the Pottery Boys from Blue Island, Illinois, and I had just the right spot for it in my kitchen.  It is exactly the same color green as my primitive shelf and is just right for a snapdragon cutting from my garden.

Summer Lunch for the Ladies

My two daughters were here for lunch before going swimming in my neighborhood pool.  I wanted to have something summery and light and decided to have corn-on-the-cob, Pecan Spinach Toss Salad, and Pineapple Cups.

PECAN SPINACH TOSS SALAD

• 2 cups orzo pasta
• 3 cups boiling, lightly salted water
• 5 cups fresh baby spinach (about 5 oz.)
• 5 oz. crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup toasted pecans
• 3 Tblsp. olive oil
• 1 Tblsp. lemon zest
• 3 Tblsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Grinding of black pepper

Add orzo to the boiling water, bring to a boil again and cook for 6 minutes.  Rinse in cold water and drain.

Put spinach, cheese and pecans in a very large bowl or pot and add orzo.

In a small jar, mix together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper – put a lid on the jar and shake well.  Pour this dressing over the salad and toss well.  I let the salad set for about 30 minutes and served at room temperature, although cold leftovers were also good.

WARNING:  This makes a lot of salad – it would be good to take to a potluck or family gathering.  We three each had a big serving for lunch and each one had another large serving to save for supper.

This recipe is adapted from one in Susan Branch’s AUTUMN cookbook.

I’ve been organizing my huge collection of cookbooks and this dessert recipe jumped out at me from a 1939 Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook.  There are a lot of recipes in the cookbook, but my favorites are always the Round Table Recipes from readers which were clipped from the magazine and inserted in the cookbook binder.  This one is from someone in Connecticut in November, 1940.  Her comment, “Double surprise!  Comes cake, then custard hiding pineapple!”, which describes the dish exactly. This is a nice, tasty, light dessert – just right for lunch or supper.

PINEAPPLE CUPS

• 8 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve juice)
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• Dash of salt
• 1/3 cup juice drained from an 8 oz. can of pineapple tidbits
• 1-1/2 Tblsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tblsp. grated lemon peel
• 1 Tblsp. butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp. milk
• 2 egg whites, beaten stiff

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Have 3 small ungreased individual baking dishes at hand.  Boil water to pour into a flat pan with a lip that will hold the 3 dishes.

Drain juice from pineapple can into a cup – should measure approximately 1/3 cup.  Set aside

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, flour and salt.  Add the lemon juice, lemon peel, cooled melted butter and milk, whisking until smooth.

Fold in the beaten egg whites.

Place tidbits in the bottom of three individual casseroles.  Divide batter among the three dishes and pour over the pineapple.  Place the dishes in a pan with a lip containing an inch of hot water.

Bake @ 325 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Pineapple cups are best served warm or at room temperature.

The buttered corn-on-the cob, the Pecan Spinach Toss Salad and this Pineapple Cup dessert made the perfect ladies’ summertime meal.

State Fair Blackberry Pie

In 1986, my oldest daughter had been entering needlework in the Ohio State Fair for several years.  She kept nudging me to enter something in the food division but I was hesitant after seeing all of the beautiful entries that come in from all over the state.  Finally, I gave in and decided to enter a blackberry pie to use up some of the buckets of wild blackberries we picked every day in a thicket on the far edge of our property.  I used a recipe from a book by Susan Purdy that my daughter had just given me (unfortunately, I lost the book and I’m not sure of the title*) and made the long trip from Cincinnati to Columbus to enter the pie for judging.

I was pleased to win a third place ribbon on my first Ohio State Fair entry.

We no longer live in the house with the blackberry thicket but there were some beautiful blackberries at my farmers’ market in Loveland, Ohio (Blooms and Berries) and the pie turned out great.

STATE FAIR BLACKBERRY PIE

• Pastry for a 9″ two-crust pie (click here for my favorite recipe)
• 4 cups fresh blackberries
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
• 3 Tblsp. cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tblsp. quick cooking tapioca
• 2 Tblsp. butter
• 1 Tblsp. milk

Preheat oven @ 375 degrees F

In a heavy pan combine the blackberries, sugar, vinegar, cornstarch, salt, and 2 Tblsp. water.

Mash fruit very slightly with wooden spoon to start juices flowing.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until mixture nears boiling point (3-4 minutes).  Remove from heat and cool completely.  Stir in tapioca.

Pour into unbaked pie shell and dot with butter.  Fit top crust over fruit, sealing well.  Brush top crust lightly with milk and cut vents.

Place on flat pan to catch spills and bake @ 375 degrees F for 45-50 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack.

The flavor of this pie is so delicious – even the leftovers the next day were good.

*UPDATE:  I was able to identify the book – As Easy as Pie by Susan G. Purdy and found a nice hard-cover 1984 edition on eBay.com.  I feel better now.  That was the only cookbook that I have ever  lost and I’m happy to have a copy to complete my collection.

Fresh Peach Crumble Pie

I’ve been traveling a bit – peach-wise – the past couple of weeks.   I’ve had South Carolina Peaches, I’m waiting on the Georgia Peaches, and this week my farm market had Ohio grown peaches.  This recipe is a combination of a favorite filling and a favorite streusel topping plus my all-time favorite pie crust.  It’s a perfect dessert for a summer day.

PEACH CRUMBLE PIE

• Pastry for a 9″single crust pie, unbaked (click here for my favorite recipe)

Filling:

• 4 cups sliced fresh peaches
• 1/4 cup Minute Tapioca
• Pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tblsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp. almond extract

Crumble Topping:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 Tblsp. butter, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven @ 375 degrees F

In a large bowl, combine peaches, tapioca, salt, sugar, lemon juice and almond extract.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients:  flour, sugar and butter.  Set aside.

Stir peaches and pour into pastry lined 9″ pie pan.  Spoon crumble topping on, covering all of the top surface of peaches.

Place on a flat pan to catch spills and bake @ 375 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Best served after cooling to room temperature.  Servings:  6 to 8

Yukon Chicken Salad

This is a combination of a couple of favorites, made with the little Yukon Gold potatoes.  My husband was growing Yukon Golds in his garden in the late 1990s, before they became so popular on all of the cooking shows.  We loved them then and I’m happy they’re available in all of the grocery stores now.  Combined with chicken, gorgonzola cheese and walnuts – what’s not to like?

YUKON CHICKEN SALAD

• 10 small Yukon Gold potatoes (2-2-1/2″ diameter), unpeeled
• 1 large tart apple, thinly sliced (Golden Delicious)
• 1/4 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsley chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
• 1 cup chopped, cooked chicken breast
• 1 Tblsp. fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. honey
• Salt/Pepper to taste

Wash potatoes and put in a large pot.  Cover with cold water and cook over medium heat until tender (30-45 minutes depending on size).  Set aside to cool.

When potatoes are cool, cut into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.  Add apple and onion slices, toasted walnuts, gorgonzola, cooked chicken and fresh basil.

In a jar or other container with a lid, mix the olive oil, vinegar and honey.

Pour over the potato mixture and toss to mix.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Makes 4-6 servings

This is not a very photogenic salad, but it sure is good.

Along with the salad, I served an old favorite summertime pie, Nancy’s Chocolate Lime Pie.

It was a nice summer lunch for my two daughters and two grandchildren.

Blackberry Glory Pie

I found this recipe in a magazine in 1999 and it gave me another kind of pie to make with the wild blackberries that we had all over our back yard.  My favorite farm market, Blooms & Berries in Loveland, Ohio, had some beautiful big blackberries for sale this week.  They aren’t as tart as our wild ones were, so I reduced the sugar to compensate.  It makes a great pie for the Fourth of July or any other summer holiday – truly glorious.

BLACKBERRY GLORY PIE

• Pastry for 9″ single crust pie (click here for my favorite pie crust recipe)
• 4 cups blackberries
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (depending on how tart the berries are)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 2 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1 Tblsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F

Cover the pie shell loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 5 minutes @ 450 degrees F.

Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.  Place on rack to cool.

Set oven to 375 degrees F

Rinse and drain blackberries.

In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar, sour cream, flour and salt.  Set aside.

In another small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, 2 Tblsp. of sugar and melted butter.  Set aside.

Place the rinsed and drained blackberries in the baked pie shell.

Cover berries with the sour cream mixture.

Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top.

Bake @ 375 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Makes one 9″ pie – 6-8 servings

This pie is all about the berries – the filling is about 2″ high.  The flavor of the blackberries seems to intensify the next day.  The pie can be warmed in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes.

Strawberry Picking and Strawberry Shortcake

Ever since we left our country home 10 years ago, my oldest daughter has wanted to go berry picking again.  She got her chance today when we went to Blooms and Berries Farm near our home in Loveland, Ohio (near Cincinnati).  The strawberry fields stretched out in several directions.

My daughter couldn’t wait to get in and start picking….

…and was thrilled with her first ripe beauty.

She picked about three pounds to fill the large bowl we had brought along.

I also stopped at their farm store to pick up a jar of maple syrup to bring home.

While my daughter was busy picking berries, I was sitting in the shade enjoying a nice breeze, but when we got home, my participation began.

Her favorite strawberry dish is Strawberry Shortcake, so I took out about 6 cups of berries to have for supper.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

• 6 cups strawberries
• 6 Tblsp. granulated sugar

Wash and drain strawberries.

Remove hulls and cut larger berries in half.  Place in a bowl and cover with granulated sugar.  Let stand for 20-30 minutes at room temperature.

The Shortcake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tblsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, cut in small cubes
• 3/4 cup undiluted evaporated milk
• Whipped Cream or Whipped Topping

Preheat oven to 410 degrees F

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  With finger tips or a pastry blender, work in the butter until evenly distributed.  With a fork, mix in the evaporated milk until dough holds together and forms a ball.

Place dough on lightly floured board and knead for a few seconds.  Press dough into a circle about 3/4″ thick.  Cut with a 2″ floured cutter to form 10-12 shortcakes.  Place shortcakes on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart and bake @ 410 degrees F for 12 minutes.  Remove to a rack to cool.

When ready to serve, stir strawberries and spoon over split shortcakes.  Top with whipped cream or topping.

Refrigerate any leftover berries.

Especially delicious with these fresh-picked, farm-grown strawberries.