A Blueberry Buckle Bonus for Avoiding Mayflies

This is a Mayfly

This is a small sample of their gathering behavior. They tend to
fly up when you approach so I couldn't get a picture of our
walls "decorated" with tens of thousands of them. They fill they air and
the droning sound of their beating wings is unbelievably loud. They live just
one day and in the morning we sweep up dust pans full of them.

Clear Lake's tourist season usually begins in May.  This year concern for the Corona Virus has caused some annual events to reschedule or cancel.Unusually chilly weather has slowed the opening of cottages. However one crowd has not been deterred. I don't think the Mayflies read the Clear Lake Mirror Reporter, watch television, listen to the radio, or go onto the Internet.  Nope, they lurk around rocks in the lake until ready to mate. This Iowa DNR article points out there are between 70 and 95 species in our lakes. file:///Users/RaeAir/Downloads/mayfly.pdf  

This one from Michigan State University describes their life cycle and celebrates them as a sign of healthy bodies of water.   https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the_mayflies_are_coming_time_to_celebrate

Well, I celebrated by deciding to stay inside and tidy up the freezer rather than working in the garden breathing in scores of pests. Imagine my surprise to discover a lovely small container of Blueberry Buckle nestled between the applesauce and chocolate cake, next to the green beans and smooshed up tomatoes, and underneath the packages of pork roast and creamed corn. 

Thawed and heated up it made a lovely addition to breakfast. 

Easily made Blueberry Buckle features a simple cake topped with
a layer of fresh (or frozen) blueberries and a cinnamon and
sugar streusel.  Whipped cream is a delightful addition.

Blueberry Buckle

1 pint blueberries--Although  this is better with fresh berries, you may use frozen

Topping
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
12 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan and set aside.

Stir sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Cut the butter into this mixture until crumbly and set aside.

Buckle Cake

1/4 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
1/3 cup milk

Cream the butter and sugar well. Stir in the egg. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, if using Add alternately with milk to the cereamed mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Kerplunk the berries on top of the dough so that a lay jut one berry deep completely covers the batter. Sprinkle with topping.. Bake until the berries are bubbly around the edges and the topping i a light golden brown, about 25 to 35 minutes.

Signs of Summer from a Stay-Sheltered Kitchen

Ice has been out for a few weeks, but so far spring has been cold and windy.  We've even had two small snow storms! The dock crews have been working as best as they can. It feels good to see some signs of normal activity.

This has been a strange time. With the Corona virus ravaging communities across the nation, we've been pretty fortunate here in north Iowa.  At this writing there are 13 identified cases with another 6 suspected. The businesses around town have expanded drive-up and delivery services. Churches and schools are closed. So distance worshiping and learning are the new form of interaction. Many of us are simply staying inside. Going to the store only when absolutely necessary. And then wearing masks and gloves and disinfecting when we come home. Strange times indeed.

Which brings me to canned goods.  I usually stock up in the fall just in case we get snowed in.  So I've had a goodly supply of vegetables.  But sometimes canned goods need what we used to call "doctoring up."   You can only make so much chili with the kidney beans. And as healthy as they are, canned green beans lack the snappy flavor of fresh.  And without lettuce it is hard to have a green salad.

So bean salads to the rescue.  These two recipes are easily made family favorites. The kidney bean salad from my childhood is not only a nice alternative to potato salad, it could fill in for a main course as well. The green bean salad recipe is from the 1880s. Of course you could put any seasoning you like into the vinegar dressing-- Italian or Mexican spice blends would work just fine.  But I find that I like the more unusual blend of mace, cloves, dry mustard, cayenne, ginger, and horseradish. Both salads keep in the refrigerator for two or three days.

Pickled Green Beans  based on an 1883 recipe 

1/8 teaspoon ground mace

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon mustard seed, or 1/8 teaspoon ground dry mustard

½ teaspoon grated horseradish

1 cup vinegar

3 cups cooked green beans (2 cans)

5 thin slices of peeled fresh ginger, or 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

In a small non-reactive saucepan combine the seasonings with vinegar and bring just to boiling. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. In a non-reactive bowl combine the beans and ginger. Pour the warm vinegar mixture over the beans and set aside for at least 6 hours at room temperature, stirring from time to time. Beans will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Kidney Bean Salad

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup diced celery

2 tablespoons minced onion

1/4 cup grated carrots

1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise 

Combine all ingredients and mix well.. Refrigerate at least half an hour before serving.. Stir well before serving. Bean Salad will keep up to two days in the refrigerator. 

SWEET CORN!!!!

First of the season purchased today from the Harrington pick-up truck in the old K-Mart parking lot.

I don't need to say anymore.  You can imagine!

A fine reward for picking up four bags of branches knocked down by the horrific wind storm yesterday afternoon. We were lucky. There are trees and substantial branches down around town. The yard waste site was pretty busy yesterday evening.

Happy summer foods.. not so happy summer extreme weather.

The Recipe --

boil or grill.. slather on butter.. and eat!

Even Better... the Glorious Fourth -- with freezer raiding treats and tasty leftovers

Perfect--Iowa-- weather filled the days during the week surrounding the Fourth of July celebration. We  had two super steamy days, then more moderate temperatures with a "scurry up the dock steps" threat of thunderstorm. Rain delayed the fireworks until Friday, but the display was well worth the wait.  All of us on the deck declared "the best ever!"

There were other shows, too, including causal air show fly-overs beginning with the B-17 on Saturday and Sunday from the real air show at the airport. The sea plane made several landings and take-offs at our end of the lake, and on the Fourth the biplanes flew over in formation. Quite a sight to see!

All manner of boats, including some woodies from the 1940s and 50s, a very large inflated flamingo and an even larger inflated pelican--this one towed by a jet ski-- filled the lake. At times it seemed as though one could walk across the boats rafted  up at State Park Beach.

I had the freezer well-stocked,. Or so I thought until the hungry -- growing -- boys arrived.

Loaves of zucchini bread, sweet-potato cinnamon rolls, and the Berry Bread disappeared before the week's visit was completed. But that is, after all, why they were there.

We had enough good food to last the week and we had planned well enough so we didn't have to go to the store too often. We grilled meat from Louis Fine Meats, enjoyed meal out at PM Park, crafted the left-overs into sandwiches, pizza, and quesadilla. Gobbled our Farmer's Market vegetables and fruits while we looked longingly at the too-slow progress in our vegetable garden and berry patch.

With the company headed home, time to tidy the cottage for the next round of guests, do the laundry, and convert the bits of leftovers into unexpected delights.  Ham bone in the freezer for winter soup. Yogurt Cheese: I spooned the plain and vanilla yogurt into a coffee-filter-lined sieve and let it drain overnight. Then put the thickened almost cheese in a thin cotton dish towel and hung it up over a bowl to drain for a few more hours.  Plunked the cream cheese like mixture in a container and back in the fridge. Berry Bread: I took the leftover strawberries, cherries, and eggs and made another batch of Berry Bread. Tasted great, but as the strawberries faded a bit it isn't as pretty as the original loaf made with blueberries.  I made more of that, too.  Here's the recipe.

Always good to have this terrific Berry Bread in the freezer.

Berry Bread (Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Roman Breakfast Cake in the New York Times)

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons, loosely packed,  finely grated lemon zest
     from one huge or two regular lemons
1/2 cup vegetable oil -- such as Wesson
3 tablespoons lemon juice -- more or less depending on what you get from the zested lemons
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries -- you can also use raspberries, very firm diced peaches, and / or blackberries.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the baking pans by greasing them well and dusting with flour.  OR use the "baking spray" right before putting the pans in the oven.  Loaves can have an tendency to stick, so be generous. I bake this in three loaves -- the foil kind roughly 7 x 3 x 2 1/2.  You can use any pan you like and adjust the baking time.

Combine the flour and baking powder and set aside. Have the rest of your ingredients measured out and at hand. You don't want to shilly-shally mixing this up.

With an electric mixer beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside. Combine the sugar and lemon peel in your electric mixer bowl and knead with your hands until the lemon aroma fills the room! Or so it will seem.  Add the egg yolks and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes making a thick, pale batter. Add the oil and continue mixing for another 3 minutes. Then stir in the lemon juice and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients until well blended. Next, using a rubber spatula, gently fold about a third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it. Then fold in the rest, adding the berries just before the egg whites are completely mixed in.

Pour the batter into prepared pans filling them about 2/3 full. Place pans on baking sheet and bake until firm in the center, about 35 minutes for the loaf pans. Remove from oven and put the pans on a cooling rack on their sides for about 10 minutes, flipping them to the other side once. Remove loaves from pans and place breads on the cooling rack. You may find it useful to run a dinner knife around the edges if necessary to help loosen. Continue to cool on their sides

Note: fruit frequently sinks to the bottom third of the loaf.  That's just fine!

Makes 3 loaves  approximately 7 x 3 x 1 1/2
Loaves keep well in the refrigerator for a week, OR in the freezer for months.. I wrapped them in Press-N-Seal, returned them to the foil baking pans and put them in a heavy freezer zippered bag, pressing out as much air as possible.

Best Memorial Day Ever? Sure Seemed Like It

Saturday and Sunday could not have been more perfect. Temperatures in the high 70s, light breeze, fulsome sun all day.  Delicious bbq aromas wafted through the neighborhoods. Driveways were filled with parked cars as folks arrived to open up cottages and entertain guests.

Jet skis, sail boats, motor launches--several pulling water skiers and floaties filled with thrilled children yelling their delight, and even the Lady of the Lake took full advantage of the beautiful CLEAR water. Many fish were caught. Some tossed back in, some brought up to be dinner guests.

Monday's weather was not as fine, but even that provided a chance for folks to clean up, pack up, and depart for the shortened work week ahead.

The back-and-forth winter-to-spring temperature rollercoaster weather this year had me with a mix of seasonal foods to use up for the weekend entertaining. So I pulled out my copy of Potluck Paradise for a favorite recipe and made---

Waldorf Sweet Potato Salad 

Sweet potatoes, apples, and walnuts are a perfect combination. 

2 cups sweet potatoes peeled, cut in 1/2-inch cubes and cooked until just tender
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup cored and chopped apple
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup, or more, mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped walnuts for garnish

Gently mix the potatoes, celery and apples in a large bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over and sprinkle with salt and sugar. Stir in mayonnaise to taste. Chill for at least half an hour before serving.

Serves 6 -8 and will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Rhubarb!!!!!

Between cold temperatures, being new plants, and the deer nibbling. my garden rhubarb crop is slow...and, let's face it... sparse.

So Thank Goodness for Clear Lake Farmer's Market Opening Day!

The market was filled with great foods!  Especially rhubarb.  I came home with three pounds of beautifully packed stems from Red Shed Gardens.

Now I could have made pie, but my new favorite rhubarb recipe is a rhubarb preserve. I discovered it in an issue of The Homemaker from 1900. The key to success is taking your time and careful measuring.  The reward--tangy sauce with nearly candied pieces of rhubarb.  Tasty by the spoonful, delightful warmed over ice cream, scrumptious drizzled over cake, or just dandy dabbed on a simple saltine with a bit of cheese -- perhaps from Lost Lake Farm who will be back at the Market on the first Saturday of each month.

1900 Rhubarb Jam 

1 pound rhubarb (about 4 cups when sliced into 1/4-inch slices)
1 pound granulated sugar (2 cups)

It is best to make this measuring your ingredients by weight. But it will work if you do just measure by cups.  I've found it best to make no more than a pound at a time.

Slice the rhubarb across the stalks into 1/4-inch pieces. If the stalks are wide, slice them in half lengthwise as well. Mix the sliced rhubarb and sugar. Let the mixture stand for at least 8, and up to 24, hours in a cool place. You can put it in the refrigerator, especially if your kitchen is warm. Give it a stir now and then as the rhubarb juices are released. Or, if you put the mixture in a zippered freezer bag, you can just smoosh them with your hands.

When it is time to make the sauce, pour the rhubarb, accumulated juices, and any remaining undissolved sugar into a heavy pot or pan with a 10- to 12-inch bottom. A frying pan with sides at least 2-inches high works well. You want the mixture to come into even contact with the heat. Begin cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently. DO NOT walk away from the stove. As the juices begin to thicken, they bubble up and could overflow or stick. This can happen as fast as it takes to look at a text. So don't do that either. Continue cooking and stirring until the juices have thickened and the pieces of rhubarb look translucent. When you pull a silicone spatula or spoon across the bottom, the jam moves to the sides and you can see the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat. Cool and enjoy. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Serve at room temperature, or slightly warmed.  NOTE: I have been known to keep this in the fridge for longer than 2 weeks.  If it thickens, add hot water by the tablespoon, and stir carefully to loosen it up.

Makes about 2 cups of delicious preserves.


Copyright 2019 Rae K. Eighmey all rights reserved.

Summer's Bounty is Starting and So It's Time to Finish Up Last Year's Crops

From the sound of it today -- Summer is here!  The dock crews have been busy on our shore all day today. The installed docks are quickly supplied with boat hoists.  Just in time to be ahead of the predicted five days of rain.

The past few days have finally felt seasonable for yard work, too.  Managed to get inside the garden fence to do some digging. This year I hope to stretch the sunny garden space by putting planter boxes and even pots along the edge. That's where the spinach, lettuce, and lunch-box peppers will grow. I've also tried some green beans. It will be much easier to walk around the growing tomatoes to the cucumbers without risk of stepping on those ground-level crops. Tripods are set up to support the pole beans and the peas are getting ready to climb up their own supports. 

If you look closely at the full garden picture you'll see the holes in the background ready for the heritage variety tomato plants and the watering jugs I bury next to them so I can get liquid fertilizer directly to their roots. Six small plants from Seed Savers are hardening off on the back porch ... but I got impatient. So.....

This patio tomato plant, complete with flowers, just happened to fall into the cart while we were shopping at the garden center. Some hearty, yet leggy, basil plants came home with us too, to join the already potted up parsley, rosemary, and lemon thyme. 

Some hearty, yet leggy, basil plants came home with us too,

to join the already potted up parsley, rosemary, and lemon thyme.

But here's the opportunity.  I still have a couple of bags of peeled, seeded, roughly chopped tomatoes in the freezer.  When we've tomatoes in abundance, I just toss them in zipper freezer bags. All winter I pull those out for making soup or chili.  But now I have some fresh produce. So I made a Winter-Summer Pasta. 

Winter-Summer Pasta

1 bag home-frozen tomatoes -- about 8 medium

1 small can tomato paste, optional 

Fresh herbs, finely chopped -- basil, thyme, rosemary -- or your preference 

pasta

Thaw the bag of tomatoes in a large bowl. Drain off the accumulated juices and put into your pasta cooking pot. Add just enough water for the pasta to boil comfortably. You want them to absorb as much of the "tomato water" as possible. While the pasta is cooking, heat the tomatoes, If you want a slightly thicker sauce, stir in a tablespoon or two of the tomato paste. Off heat, stir in the herbs, reserving some for garnish. Drain pasta, plate and add sauce. 

Leftover sauce will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, or can be frozen for the next time winter temperatures come along this spring. Hey!  It's north Iowa.  It happens. 

For the Birds

Geese try to take over our dock! They did skedaddle when I opened the door and stepped out on the deck.

The birds are flocking through these days. I've seen the usual

ICE OUT!!! Warm Day and Summer Salads from the Winter Pantry

April 5, 1919 Ice Out.  Ice In was November 13, 2018

Well, it seemed as though I just turned my back and Bingo!  The ice was gone. Seemingly all at once, the lake was back. Last year the dock crews were pounding posts on the on the south shore near town while our shore was trapped behind tens of feet of still-thick ice.

I've heard that dock guys are looking for their season's supply of dock posts and boards. I saw one barge out and three fishing boats passed by while I was raking yesterday afternoon. Amazing!

So the stew I had planned for supper seems just plain wrong.

Time for summer salad. I scanned the pantry and fridge and discovered ingredients to be seasonally repurposed. Harvested a few fresh chives from the herb planter at the edge of the garden. Thawed some already grilled burgers and we were ready to sit down to a summer supper, even though it is just April.

Harvested a few just emerged chives from the herb pot.

Black Bean Salad, Quick Corn Relish, and Pickled Carrots
share the salad dish with a few corn chips. 

Black Bean Salad
Instead of going into the taco or chili, these beans combine with the chives to make a delicious salad.

1 can black beans
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced cucumber
1 tablespoon diced chives
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Drain the beans and rinse. Combine with rest of ingredients and chill for an hour before serving. Salad will keep in the refrigerator for two or three days.


Quick Corn Relish
What could be easier that this?

1 small can corn
3 tablespoons salsa

Drain and rinse the corn. Mix and chill. Salad will keep for two or three days in the refrigerator.

Pickled Carrots
A long-time family favorite.

1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried dill weed

Cook the carrots until just tender. Drain. Combine the sugar and vinegar in a small pot and bring to a boil. Add the cumin and dill weed to the carrots. Pour the boiling sugar vinegar mixture over the carrots, stir, and set aside until cool. Salad may be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days.


Copyright 2019 Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved.

It's a Lake Again and Sour Milk Biscuits that Delight in a Variety of Meals

Gentle ripples against the south shore 

Tuesday there was a small crack along our shore--about 4 inches wide. By Wednesday evening it looked like a small creek had come along, winding its way through the ice. Thursday mid-morning, we had our lake back. Well, at least in front of about five houses. To the east and the west, we still have a grey slush.  The center looks slushy, too.

Spring is almost here. Yet, variable is the name of the game. Temperature is predicted to be near 70 over the weekend. Thunderstorms and then cold again. So tempting to work in the garden. Probably too soon to plant the peas... but I might take the risk.  After all the crocus are ready to bloom

The first of the spring blooms... almost. The daffodils and tulips have
broken through the soil. I even noticed the tip of a peony.

Variety is the name of the game in my kitchen as well.  With temperatures bouncing up and down, dinner menus are flexible, too. I like to serve meals that fit the weather. Soups and stews to take the chill off dreary evenings. While barbeque and even simple salads or sandwiches fit family appetites on warm afternoons. With these Sour Milk Biscuits I have a basis for all kinds of meals.

Sour Milk Biscuits with grated cheddar cheese mixed in shown
here in as rolled out and cut with 1 1/4 inch cutter.

These are quickly mixed and baked. Split them for a leftover sandwich. Or leave them open faced with a dollop of egg salad, or ham, or cheese and jam for a tasty two-bite appetizer.

These biscuits can even stand in for dessert. Here the drop biscuit version
is shown topped with a quickly made
apple pie filling, or strawberry compote. Serve
with a small scoop of ice cream or swirl of whipped cream
for a two-bite fruit pie.  Yum!  

Sour Milk Biscuits 
based on a 19th century recipe popular when homemakers had lots of sour milk.

2/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vinegar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
1 tablespoon sugar, optional
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, optional
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Combine the milk and vinegar and set aside for the milk to sour, about five minutes. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar and mix together. Stir in the cheese, if desired. Add the butter to the boiling water.  Stir the soured milk and water melted butter mixture into the flour mixture.

FOR DROPPED BISCUITS: Drop mounds of biscuit dough, about 2 tablespoons in size, on the baking sheet and bake until lightly brown, about 20 minutes.

FOR ROLLED BISCUITS:  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle about 15 by 10 inches. Fold the dough like a letter, turn in one quarter turn and roll again. Repeat the rolling and folding twice more. Then roll out to about 1 inch thick. Cut with 1 1/4-inch cutter. And bake until golden, about 20 minutes.



Copyright 2019 Rae Katherine Eighmey, all rights reserved

As You Can See, Sometimes Black Ice is Good and a Really Good Lenten Spinach Pie

Not waves, yet. Lake ice is turning black as it begins to melt
into slush before breaking up. This is the south shore.
Off City Park, the lake looks close to opening back
up although the aerators were pulled during the January thaw.

March 27, 2019.  66 degrees at three in the afternoon.  The month may indeed actually be going out like a lamb. True, we do still have four more days to go... and it is Iowa where weather can turn on a dime. Earlier in the week predictions called for six inches of snow. Not any more. Just a bit of rain... well, and some snow flurries on the 31st.

I'm seeing a band of slush at the shore. 

Geese have been flying over and some have stopped by in the marsh. I saw three pair the other day each staking out an icy corner. This morning there was a bit of water for them to paddle about in.

It will be some time before we can work in our gardens. Still, most of our piles of winter-packed leaves have been raked up and delivered to the Clear Lake yard waste. A huge flock of robins--40 or 50-- swooped in to then peck about in the softened ground. Nuthatches have been hopping up and down the tree trunks. The vegetable seeds have arrived in the mail. I'm thinking of starting some in pots. Lettuce and spinach "bowls" sound like they might be a useful, early way to get crops going.

I know I do have a favorite recipe for spinach that uses frozen chopped spinach. Tasty as a side dish, or even a main dish for meat-free meals.

"Shakespearian" Spinach Pie

I found the inspiration for this spinach tart in a recipe book from England during the 1600s--the era of the first Queen Elizabeth and William Shakespeare. I've updated it, but the combination of currants and seasonings elevate ordinary greens into an unusually tasty delight.

1/3 cup dried currants
1/4 cup brandy or orange juice
30 ounces frozen chopped spinach
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons peach juice, rosewater, or orange juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 8- or 9-inch unbaked pie crusts
Walnut halves for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, F. Combine the currants and brandy in a glass measuring cup or other container. Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes on medium until the currants have absorbed the liquid. Set aside to cool. thaw spinach, and press out ALL the water. Put eggs in a medium mixing bowl, add juice and seasonings. Beat well. Add the melted butter, spinach, and currants. Mix thoroughly, making sure the spinach clumps break up, and then divide mixture between the pie crusts. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and continue baking until filling is puffed and set so that a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Tart is good hot, warm or cold. Store uneaten tart in the refrigerator for up to two days, or freeze for up to two weeks. NOTE: You may use frozen leaf spinach, but chop well for much easier slices and serving of the finished pie.

Disappearing ... Icicles, Snow, and Irish Soda Bread

March 11, 2019 sunrise hits the monumental icicles

Two days after I took this picture the ice dam shelf of icicles slid off and crashed to the ground. Today, not quite a week later, the icicles are gone all over, even from the homes where they reached the ground in a kind of ice-cave way. The snow is melting and nearly gone from lawns and streets, except for where the wind and snow plow had piled up mountains. If we're lucky, we won't get the early spring blizzards as we did last year--three in March and April.  But for all the progress no one is likely to plant potatoes as is the St. Patrick's Day tradition.

In the kitchen, I have another tradition simmering away--corned beef and cabbage!

I've made my favorite Irish Soda Bread, too. It is an easy recipe. Makes a single loaf with a great chewy texture -- perfect for the leftover corned been sandwiches.

Irish Soda Bread

1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup milk, any kind will do
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the vinegar in a glass measuring cup and add milk to make one cup. Stir, and set aside for a couple of minutes to sour. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. Pour in about 3/4 cup of the soured milk and mix quickly with a fork. Then begin to knead gently to form a rough, slightly damp, dough. You may need to add a bit more milk, a tablespoon at a time. DO NOT OVER KNEAD.  You don't want a smooth and elastic dough as you have for yeast bread. This is a roughly textured dough. If you over knead, the bread will be tough. Form the dough into a circle about 6-inches in diameter. Flatten to about an inch and a half thick. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. With a serrated knife make an "x" cut almost halfway through the dough. Bake until the bread is browned and sounds hollow when you tap it. Cool before slicing.  Best eaten in one or two days after baking... if you can wait that long!

Copyright 2019, Rae Katherine Eighmey, all rights reserved

In a Winter Pickle

The recent blizzard and cold temperatures have restored the
lake to fine conditions for a snowmobile highway.

Well, it is winter, again.  Snow....snow...snow and cold! Days and nights near (or below) zero! Hard to believe that a good portion of the main lake out from City Beach was open water about a month ago. Froze up beautifully for the Jack snowmobile race and the Color the Sky kite festival. 

The huge blizzard on February 23-24 brought about a foot of snow--36 hours of fifty mile per hour winds rearranged it, blowing it across the lake surface, unobstructed until it reached the South Shore.  It took about two days for the hard working city and county crews to clear the roads throughout the region. Here's a bit of the scene from our journey along South Shore Drive on March 2, 2019. 

Well, this is all dandy, but the kitchen conundrum concerns the Empty Pickle Jars!!!!

I thought I had put up enough pickles from our garden cucumbers this summer.. Clearly I was wrong.  It will be MONTHS before I have cucumbers hanging productively from the vines. A little less time until the Clear Lake Farmer's Market vendors will have some.  What's a pickle-craving family to do?  Well.... there are those lovely, long, hydroponic "English" cucumbers in the stores. Six of them fell into the cart at Fareway.  And Presto! Bingo! 5 jars of Bread & Butter Pickles are in the fridge.

Winter Bread & Butter Pickles to keep in refrigerator
adapted from the 1967 Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book 

6 long "hydroponic English-style" cucumbers -- or 8-9 regular with unwaxed peels
6-10 small sweet red, yellow, orange peppers
1/3 cup pickling salt
ice
5 cups sugar
3 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
2 tablespoons mustard seed

Thinly slice the cucumbers into disks, peel and all. Seed and slice the peppers into very, very thin strips. Put both into a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt and toss gently, Cover with cracked ice or small ice cubes. Let stand at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Drain well.  Sanitize the jars in dishwasher or wash in hot water. Wash the lids and cover with boiling water. In a large stockpot combine sugar, vinegar, turmeric, celery and mustard seeds. Bring to a simmer, stirring to assure the sugar is dissolved. Carefully add the drained cucumbers and peppers. Stir and cook until the mixture comes to a boil and the cucumbers begin to turn slightly yellow.  Fill hot jars with pickles and top with juice. Let cool and store in the refrigerator.

Tomatoes in the Lull Before the (Next) Storm

View from the window at the drifts BEFORE yesterday's
additional 8 inches. 

Last winter we had 7 inches of snow for all of February. Then, March and April made up for that, to be sure. This February we've had about 30 inches--so far--with one more storm to come on Friday through Sunday. The predictions are all over the map from half an inch plus rain, or wintery mix, or all snow up to 22 inches!  And there will be wind. So.. .we'll hunker down after making sure we have snow-thrower gas.

I can be hopeful that with March coming in "like a lion" that it may go out "like a lamb" so we won't get 30 inches at the end of the month.

anyhow...

Seems like a good day to thaw out garden tomatoes and make up some soup.

The thawing tomato iceberg!

I inhaled the aroma of summer as I opened up the ziplock of frozen tomatoes.

In August and September my garden routine includes "dealing with" the tomato bounty. We continue to enjoy BLT's and fresh salsa, but as the days start getting shorter--sun setting by 8:30, not 10, it is time to think about winter.

So, after supper I pull out my large pot and bring a bunch of water to a boil. I've already picked a bowl full or tomatoes and now I'm ready to "put them by." I do can, make spaghetti sauce, and a fabulous 19th-century chili sauce, but this is the easiest, fasted way to process bounty.

I cut a couple of slits in each tomato's skin and gently lower it into the boiling water. After about 30 seconds I can see the skin start to flutter away from the tomato. Then pull them out with a slotted spoon and put them in another bowl. I'll let them cool for a bit and then set up a yet another bowl with a sieve. Next step--cut out the core of the tomato, slip off the skin, take a slice off the top, and squeeze out the juice and seeds, letting all that drop into the sieve. Put the peeled tomatoes in one more bowl. The juice that will dribble though the sieve is terrific!  Finally,  put the peeled tomatoes, and the drained juice, into a ziplock--I usually put a dozen or so into a gallon bag. Then into the freezer.

Until Soup Time!

Tomato Soup from Summer Frozen Bounty

1 bag of 12 medium tomatoes (about 4 cups thawed)
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup rice
1/4 cup salsa
salt and pepper to taste

Thaw tomatoes and, if you are picky about seeds, remove them by pressing the tomatoes through a sieve. Put tomatoes in a medium pot. Stir in the cornstarch and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until soup is slightly thickened. Add sugar and rice. Simmer until rice is cooked, about 20 minutes. Stir from time to time. Add the salsa, salt, and pepper.  Makes about 4 cups of soup.



copyright 2019, all rights reserved, Rae K. Eighmey 

Winter is Back.... and then some. Time to make below-zero back-porch ice cream

A single sun dog was visible from inside the house.
At 30 below with wind chill at 51 below,
ot going out on the deck to capture the whole of it.

Well... quite a change from two weeks ago. The past three days have brought the polar vortex cold temperatures throughout Iowa and other Midwestern states.  Reminded me of college days in Iowa City where we regularly had a January week where it wouldn't get above 10 below--night, or day. 

So we hunkered down, well provisioned. As did most of the critters in neighborhood. We usually see tracks in the snow -- squirrels, rabbits, deer, mice, birds, and the occasional ferrel cat. Not a one for the past two days on the freshly fallen snow.

With temperatures predicted to be way below zero, I got to wondering how long it would take to make ice cream using the cold Mother Nature provided. I pulled ingredients on hand and an hour later... ice cream.

I used my immersion blender to chop up the pie filling and slightly whip the cream. Then into a metal bowl and outside on the deck.

In an hour it was frozen more firmly than ice cream does in my machine. It would have frozen faster if I had spread it out in a baking pan. The edges were frozen in about 10 minutes.

It looks much prettier in a glass.

The texture is a bit like a mixture of ice cream and gelato-- a bit light and crystalline-- and it could use a bit more sweetness. It was pie filling after all. But a bit of chocolate syrup will solve that problem.  If I make it again, I'll pour the mixture into a large zipper freezer bag and smush it every ten minutes or so.  But, I"m hoping I won't have the chance.

We're getting a quick thaw this weekend. Rain and temperatures up into the 40s. I'll do up some Juicy Lucy burgers (see previous post) to refill the freezer. More cold and snow due next week.

Winter in Iowa... got to love it.

April Lake? Nope, an amazingly warm January thaw. Time for a grill full of burgers

The Outlet. Lake level is still high on January 15, 2019

It has hardly seemed like winter these past three weeks.  Daytime temperatures up into the high 30s and even low 40s with overnight lows just into the teens and 20s. Seems more like March. The lake, which had the second earliest ice-in back in November now has open water over vast stretches.

Flocks of geese have stopped by on what appear to be trips north.

Geese at City Beach

View from City Beach over toward North Shore January 13, 2019

So with all this warm weather, what's a person to do?

Get out the grill!

Especially when I've looked ahead at the forecast to see winter returning next week. Temperatures with highs in the teens and lows below zero.  Time to stock the freezer with cooked burgers read to warm up for summer once it snows ... predicted for Friday!

A fringe of cheese oozes out from the center of the Juicy Lucy burger.
Deviled egg and pickles put up last summer from the bumper crop of cucumbers
complete springtime on a plate.

Juicy  Lucy -- a Twin Cities Treat 

Makes 30 slider-sized burgers. This is enough to fill my 24-inch grill.  Of course you can cut the quantity down, but it is just as easy to make the whole batch, wrap cooled burgers airtight, and freeze. Then you can have nearly "fresh off the grill" when it is ten below outside.

8 to 10 ounces cheese -- cheddar, jack, mozzarella
3 pounds ground beef
3 pounds ground round
1 12-ounce jar chunky salsa -- your favorite variety

Cut the cheese into squares about 3/4 by 3/4 inch and about 1/8-inch thick. You will need 60 of these squares for about a 1/4-inch thick chunk of cheese in the middle of your Lucy.

In the biggest bowl you can find combine the meats and salsa and squish together with your hands until just mixed.  Start your assembly line -- I make 15 burgers at a time, requiring 30 patties. Spread out a large sheet of plastic wrap on your counter and start making the burgers. Scoop up about 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture -- palm-sized in my small hands. Form into THIN patties, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.  Put 2 cheese squares in the middle of half the patties. Cover with second patty. Seal the cheese into the middle by pressing around the edges and then gently forming into a nicely rounded burger. Make up all the patties and put in the refrigerator to chill for an hour or so while you heat up your grill.  Grill as usual.   NOTE: you might want to put more cheese in the middle but too much will just ooze out and fall down onto the coals.

A Holiday Lake -- Eggnog Cookies

An fisherman stakes out his spot off the island in the middle of December.

Ice came early to Clear Lake this year. Official ice in was declared on November 13. The second earliest on record.  The earliest was November 4, 1981.  It firmed up quickly. Snowmobiles scurried around near the shore by the second week in December.  Ice shacks appeared right before Christmas.

But how long will it last?  We've had a couple of light snowstorms and lately the highs have been above 32!  Have not seen any cars or truck out.  The aerators are working.  Winter is here and it will be interesting to see how long it lasts.

It is also Eggnog Season. For those who can't get enough, here's a recipe for a tasty cookie. Make up the dough in rolls to slice-and-bake when you want a nice touch of holiday spirit.

A simple cookie with a taste that improves with time.

Frosted Eggnog Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 cup commercial eggnog
1teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 1/2 cups flour

Note: there are no eggs in this recipe.

Cream butter and sugar, blend in eggnog. Stir in baking soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg, and two cups of flour. Blend in the rest of the flour. Form into 4 logs, about 10-inches long.Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to three days. Dough rolls can be put in freezer plastic bags and frozen for months. When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap and slice into 1/8-inch slices. Place an inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until set and lightly browned around the edges. Remove to wire rack and cool. Frost

Frosting--enough for entire batch--cut down if you only bake off part of the recipe.

1/4 cup melted butter
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup eggnog

Combine the butter and sugar, stir in eggnog.