Kitchen Gadget Girl

Summer is here! And I can see peaches at our local farmer’s market. Life is once again good.

I found this old recipe in my box, from my paternal Grandmother. It was typed on a small sheet of writing paper on my Grandmother’s typewriter, which wrote everything in cursive. And the date is August 1971, a perfect summer month for peaches.

With July 4th right around the corner, I thought this would make a perfect dish to bring to a potluck BBQ. Ooh, maybe that is what I will make for our neighborhood TGIF!

Peach Torte

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 Tablespoons milk

Sift dry ingredients and cut in butter as in a pie dough. Beat egg yolks and milk together and add to dry ingredients. Form into a ball. Pat into an 8×11″ pan or spring mold form. Fill with peaches and pour custard over all.

Custard

• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 cup half-and-half, scalded
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 10 ripe peaches
• 1 cup slivered almonds (optional)

Beat egg yolks and add cream and mix. Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add to cream mixture and mix well. Add in almond extract. Slice peaches and place into pan with crust. Pour custard over the top. Bake 350F for one hour.

For more vintage recipes, check out Joy of Desserts.

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Last month, on our trip to Maui to celebrate my Dad’s birthday, my sister-in-law Susanne and I found a few stores to satisfy our need for organic, natural and local foods.

The funniest find was that the local Longs Drug Store in Lahaina sells Maui Cattle Co. beef, island grazed beef raised in Maui, with no growth hormones, antibiotics or artificial ingredients. Longs carries all sorts of cuts, including Beef Rib Eye Steaks ($16.31/lb), Beef for Teriyaki ($4.19/lb) and Ground Beef.

Across the street, is the (relatively) new Lahaina Farms Market. Opened just a year ago, this store is a wonderful change from Safeway in the Lahaina Cannery Mall. Everything is so fresh and healthy, and I loved the produce section. I found all sorts of treasures, including local Hamakua Springs tomatoes and baby Bok Choy from Hana. The fish is super fresh and according to the butcher, they will be bringing in Maui Cattle Co. meats soon. On My Plate has a great post about the Lahania Farms Now Open.

And just in Kahalui, right outside the airport, is Down to Earth, Hawaii’s only all vegetarian, organic and natural food store. My sister-in-law stopped there after landing at the airport and stocked up for the trip, and said the staff was very friendly and helpful. She was able to find all their favorites from home, including organic shampoos and lotions.

We also ate at Mama’s Fish House, which prides itself in local ingredients. The menu even includes specific information about where every fish was caught, including the name of the boat captain! And we visited the Surfing Goat Dairy, tasting local cheeses made right on the island. Several local Maui restaurants serve this cheese, it is definitely worth seeking out.

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Did you miss me? Yeah, I didn’t think so. I am sure you had much more important things going on, like mourning the loss of both Michael Jackson (the King of Pop) and Billy Mays (the Kind of OxyClean) in the same week, or trying to keep cool with some funky hot Bay Area temperatures, or perhaps worrying about what to do with the kids now that school is out. See, busy.

But, today is Monday and I have an organic veggie box (well, two) from Two Small Farms to use this week, so I had better come up with a plan. Last night, I made a tasty Turnips and White Beans over braised Turnip Greens, which I served with grilled steaks and a lovely Mulderbosch Rose. Here is my Menu Plan for the rest of this week:

Monday: Quinoa with Green Beans, Tomatoes and Basil (from Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure), green salad, bread

Tuesday: Salmon in soy ginger marinade, sautéed Mei Quin Choy, brown rice

Wednesday: Turnip and Bean Salad, with Turnip Greens (see recipe below), grilled steaks, fruit salad, bread

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: TGIF Mini-block party

What is on your menu this week? And, do you have any great salads to share? I am specifically looking for ones with whole grains or beans. Looks like I will be freezing some of my green beans for future use, and I am going to try to make sauerkraut or chow chow out of all the cabbage. And the extra basil will be whipped into a pesto for future use as well. Maybe I finally need to break down and buy a chest freezer, so I can carry the summer goodness into the fall and winter.

Check out Org Junkie for more great suggestions!

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Turnips and Beans with braised Turnip Greens

• 2 cups cooked small white beans (save the cooking broth)
• 1/2 cup onion or shallots
• 1 bunch turnips, trimmed and cut into cubes
• 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme
• 1 bunch turnip greens, cleaned and chopped
• butter, salt and pepper

Sauté the onion over medium heat in a tablespoon butter (or olive oil, although butter gives a very nice flavor), until beginning to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add in turnips and continue to sauté until crisp tender, about 5-8 minutes more. Check often, you don’t want the turnips too soft. Add in the beans. If the mixture looks dry, add in some of the cooking liquid from the beans.

Add thyme and salt and pepper to taste.

In another sauté pan, cook the turnip greens in a tablespoon of butter. When wilted, season with salt and remove from heat. Place in bottom of serving dish. Top with turnip and bean sauté and serve.

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Hardly a new book, Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure, by Lorna Sass, is still a great resource for the home cook, whether you are a vegetarian or not. I have had this book for a few weeks now and have the opportunity to try several recipes, and would definitely recommend the book to others.

Like Lorna Sass’s other pressure cooker books (including Pressure Perfect, another favorite), some part of the book is spent explaining how to use pressure cookers. Lorna also makes pantry suggestions and menu plans, which is great when determining how to manage a more vegetarian diet [note: I am not a vegetarian, although I find our family diet moving more towards plant-based foods].

In the Grain section, Lorna includes her great recipe for Risotto, along with several variations. She also includes recipes that allow the use of different grains, depending what you have on hand, easy and adaptable. I appreciate this information as I cook, as I think it allows me to learn more, helping me determine what flavors are good for mixing and matching.

A couple downsides: the book was published in 1994, before Pressure Perfect (2004) and I think Lorna has refined some of her instructions and steps in her newer book. I find that I refer to Pressure Perfect sometimes when making a dish out of Great Vegetarian, since I know the instructions in the new book are easier to follow. Also, in Pressure Perfect, she has streamlined the process of cooking beans, and the instructions in Great Vegetarian are often more complex. However, I find the cooking time charts in Great Vegetarian to be easier to read and understand, a plus for this book.

Some of my favorite recipes so far include Warm White Bean Vinaigrette (see photo above), Zucchini Bisque with Tomatoes and Fresh Basil (great for using up extra summer zucchini!), and Quinoa Corn Chili. The Warm White Bean Vinaigrette made a great composed salad for lunch recently and would be a nice hot summer night dinner - definitely a cook-ahead option.

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As the weather becomes nicer, and folks are spending more time in their garden, I am hearing more questions about how to start composting with worms. Since I just installed a worm compost bin for Eleanor and David, I thought I would highlight the steps here for anyone else interested in putting together one for their yard.

For those of you who live in San Mateo County, the first step is to visit the RecyleWorks website and order your worm composting unit. The County of San Mateo subsidizes the cost of compost bins for residents. For $29, you are able to purchase a Wriggly Wranch Vermicomposting Bin. Residents may also purchase Smith & Hawkin Biostack Bins for a reduced rate (not suitable for worm composting, but good for general garden composting). If you live outside the county, check your local Public Works departments for similar programs - in Santa Clara County offers recycled worm bins for $10 and Los Angeles County offers worm compost bins with 1/2 lb of worms for $65.

After the bin arrives, unpack carefully and check for information about ordering worms. I have purchased mine from Sonoma Valley Worm Farms, two pounds of worms is $49.50, which includes shipping and tax. Sometimes I have found coupons inside the worm compost box, so be sure to check there first.

Find a good spot for your worm compost bin. Mine is outside, up against the house, near the kitchen door, in a spot that is shady in the afternoon. I have heard folks who have had them in the garage. Inside the house is probably not a good spot.

Make sure you have a bucket, scissors and a nearby water source handy.

Attach the spigot, then the legs of the bin. Soak the block of bedding material in the bucket filled up 1/2 way with warm water. While the bedding soaks, complete the set up of the bin, adding the main tray atop the bottom bin.

After the bedding has soaked for about 15 minutes, squeeze out the excess water and add to the main tray. This will be the place where you add your worms and the vegetable and fruit scraps to feed the worms. Add in the worms, along with whatever dirt came with them. Cover with a layer of torn newspaper that is slightly moist. You will always want to have torn newspaper over the worms, as it will help keep the flies away. I have also had success using shredded bills from my office shredder.

When you want to feed your worms, lift up a corner of the shredded material and sprinkle in the food. Worms like their food in smallish pieces, so give veggie scraps a chop if they are too big. Here is more information on how to feed your worms.

The best product of worm composting is the worm tea, a highly concentrated fertilizer that is completely organic. I dilute with water and use the juice to feed my tomatoes and vegetables all summer. Once a year, I harvest the worm castings and mix that into my raised beds before planting in the spring.

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Our box this week is full of greens - Spinach, Erbette Chard, Turnip Greens and Spigariello. We love greens simply sautéed, but maybe because I have so many this week, I will find some new ways to use them.

Also in this week’s CSA box from Two Small Farms was Cilantro, Strawberries, Purplette Onions, Turnips (attached to above greens), Tarragon, Salad Mix, and New Potatoes. And my menu plan for this week is pretty straight forward:

Sunday: Chicken Breasts with Tarragon-Mustard Sauce, roasted New Potatoes, sautéed Turnip Greens and Spigariello, Salad

Monday: Leftovers

Tuesday: Chard and Spinach soufflé (I will use the Onions in this dish), caramelized Turnips, bread

Wednesday: Out to dinner with friends

Thursday: Birthday dinner with Dad

Friday: TGIF Mini-block party

I will make the cilantro into a quick pesto that I will freeze for later this summer. Wow, seems like a short week! And, oh yeah, school is out on Thursday. Not sure who is more excited! Happy summer!

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I first heard about these from my cousin Janey, and it took her a while to explain how to pronounce the name Nanaimo. “Nah-nye-a-mo” seems to be the preferred pronunciation, as opposed to “Nana-e-mo”, and the recipe I have is from Doris Osborne, who was probably a friend of my maternal grandmother. I often see these bars as part of a bake sale or potluck, and after reading the recipe, I see why. 

Nanaimo Bars

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup flake coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla pudding mix
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 3 squares semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 Tablespoon butter

Melt 1/2 cup butter in saucepan. Blend in sugar, cocoa, vanilla, egg, crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press in a 9″ square pan.

Cream 1/4 cup butter and add dry pudding mix, milk and confectioner’s sugar. Blend well. Spread over top of crumb mixture and chill thoroughly. 

Melt chocolate with 1 Tablespoon butter. Blend and spread over chilled mixture, then cut into squares.

Well, what do you know? These are not even baked! Perfect for a hot summer picnic, when you need a little sweet treat. Or any other time when a bar cookie is appropriate!

For more vintage recipes, check out Joy of Desserts. Photo courtesy of Jodi Green. And more information about the origin of Nanaimo Bars can be found on Wikipedia.

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It seems as though this week’s box is full of red things - potatoes, strawberries, radishes, red purple scallions. Along with more summer squash. Since I had some squash and zucchini left over from last week, I plan to make soup for dinner tonight (served with grilled cheese sandwiches). 

In our box this week from Two Small Farms, we found Thyme, Spinach, Carrots, Strawberries, New Potatoes, Mustard Greens (I traded mine for double Carrots), Purple Scallions, Summer Squash and Radishes. My menu plan for this week is:

Monday: Summer Squash Bisque (from Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure, by Lorna Sass) with grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit salad

Tuesday: Barley-Carrot Kugel with honey glaze (from Whole Grains Every day Every way, by Lorna Sass)

Wednesday: Tacos with lettuce and tomatoes, Carrots

Thursday: Salmon, Braised Spinach, brown rice

Friday: TGIF Mini-Block Party (last week, I made guacamole with the bacon avocados from the box)

I used the Potatoes this weekend - as new potatoes, they are so fresh, they don’t need to be cooked too long. I wrapped my batch in a thick piece of foil, and steamed them on the grill while cooking the rest of dinner. A little olive oil and nice salt from France, and we enjoyed these small, fresh tubers. Butter would have also been nice.

The Radishes I served as an appetizer, and the Purple Scallions and Thyme I will use here and there this week.

What is your menu plan for this week? Any good ideas? If you are looking for inspiration, check out the other Menu Plan Monday suggestions at Org Junkie.

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 From my recipe box, I pulled this treasure, from my Great-grandmother on my Dad’s side, Grandmother’s Tea Cookies. She was English, although spent many years in Shanghai, China, where my Grandmother was born, but from the looks of the recipe, it sounds like she took her Englishness with her over the ocean.

For this week’s Vintage Recipe Thursday, I offer:

Grandmother’s Tea Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of flour
• 2 small teaspoons of baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Mix all together and add any kinds of raisins, dates and nuts or just coconut (typed exactly as it appears on the card!)

No baking instructions, I might guess 350F for 8-10 minutes.

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Several months ago, I was asked to review the Bagel Biter, the original Bagel Guillotine, a kitchen tool designed to make slicing morning bagels easier and pain free. Last month, while relaxing after a post-birthday ride, I coaxed my friends into trying out the Guillotine and helping me with testing.

Jim Dodge of Larian Products, the manufacturer of the Bagel Guillotine, contacted me after I posted my 100th Post - 100 Kitchen Gadgets. I had mentioned a Bagel Slicer in my list, which I think might have been on our wedding registry. 

Around a table filled with bagels, cream cheese, juice and coffee, we tried out the Bagel Guillotine on many bagels, with mixed results:

Pros:

• Made in the U.S.
• Contained high-carbon stainless blade, safe to use
• Top rack dishwasher safe

Cons:

• Squishes the over-sized bagels so common nowadays
• Not a smooth cut on the interior, could be a problem for toasted bagels
• Is it really that hard to use a knife?

Recommendation:

Bagel slicing cuts are one of the largest source of Emergency Room visits on Sunday mornings, which already gives this kitchen tool a head start. If you are a power bagel eater, or have kids that eat loads of bagels, this might be the tool for you. You could probably also use it to slice other round foods, such as English muffins and rolls. And, it is ergonomically designed, which is beneficial for many folks with hand and wrist issues.

At $24.95, it will not break the bank, but it is another single-use kitchen tool that needs to be stored. And really, a knife is going to be quite fine for most users.

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