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