Mediterranean Artichoke Dip

Who doesn't love Mediterranean food? And, especially artichokes? Some people love them with mayo, some swear by lemon, others with insist on dipping in spiced butter. This recipe is a combination of ALL that everyone is sure to enjoy. What an elegant, yet easy dish this is to prepare! I promise you will love it, but DO NOT give into the temptation to add salt. The natural ingredients from the Parmesan cheese, the mayo and the cream cheese is good enough to season this appetizer! NICE served with a chilled bottle of Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.

The recipe comes to you from my Ruralite Magazine (January, 2010 issue).

1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. rosemary leaves, crushed 1/2 tsp. thyme leaves, crushed
8 oz. artichoke hearts (frozen or canned/drained)
3 oz. cream cheese (soft)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Optional: 2 TBSP chopped green onions and 2 TBSP chopped tomato (looks very pretty)


First, mix the spices in a small bowl like this.



Next, measure 8 oz. artichoke hearts. Process in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the cream cheese, mayo, Parmesan cheese, and the small bowl of herbs. Process all of this until it is creamy.



Lastly, spread into a 9" pie plate and bake in preheated 350 F oven for 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Garnish with chopped green onions and tomatoes if desired and serve with pita chips or crackers.

3-4 Whole Grain Casserole

Yes, it has been a while since the last post...between vacation and trying new things,,no good excuses.

I do have a lovely side dish or salad to share with totallly hopes to expand upon and make it your own

The original recipe comes to me from my friend Jessica Westfall who got it from a friend. I only modified it a bit BC i live in a place where I cannot get what I nws.

½ cup whole-wheat berries, rinsed
2/3 cup long grain wild rice, rinsed
¼ cup basmati or long grain rice rinced
¼ cup oat groats, rinsed
3 small bay leaves

5 Cups boiling water

1 bulb fennel (anise) cut 1/4 “ dice
¾ cup diced carrots ¼” dice
2 small zucchini ¼” dice
2 small yellow squash ¼” dice
2 cups dried cranberries
¼ cup thinly sliced green onion
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil or butter
2 tsp salt
½ tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/8 tsp. dried

Preheat oven to 350. Combine wheat berries, bay leaf and 1-½ cups of boiling water. Cover and bake 1 hour. Combine wild rice, bay leaf and 2 cups of boiling water in a 1 qt. casserole dish and bake 45 minutes. In another casserole, combine basmati with 1 ½ cup water and bay leaf and bake for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves in all dishes. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Heat large pot of water and 1 tsp. salt to boiling. Add diced fennel and carrots. Cook 3 minutes and add diced zucchini and yellow squash. Cook 2 minutes and drain.

Add to cooked grains in bowl with cranberries, sliced green onions and chopped parsley, oil/butter, 2 teaspoons salt and pepper and thyme. Toss well, serve hot or at room temp. Makes 10 ½ cups.

Halibut with Coconut Curry Broth

Since moving to AK I have learned to love Thai food and especially curry. Since I have a freezer full of halibut, I googled a lovely recipe for a Thai-Style Halibut with Coconut-Curry Broth. I did find it necessary to spice it up a bit and had to modify the spinach (I used my own garden-grown New Zealand version of home canned spinach).

2 tsp. oil
4 green onions, chopped
2 tsp. green curry paste and 3 tsp. red curry powder (depends on how spicy you like it)--I also added about 1 tsp. of crushed red pepper-but we like it HOT
1 cup chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
salt to taste
2 cups spinach (I used my own homegrown, canned spinach)
4 cups diced zuchinni
4 (6 oz.) pieces of halibut, skinned
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
2 TBSP lime juice
Black pepper to taste
2 cups cooked rice

Heat oil, add onions and stir 3-5 min. Add curry and cook until smelling nice...3-5 min. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes. Salt both sides of the halibut fillets. Place fillets in sauce and coat both sides. Cover and simmer for 7 minutes. Remove fillets to individual serving dishes with approx 1/2 cup cooked rice on the bottom. Add spinach to remaining sauce. Heat through about 4 minutes. Ladle spinach/sauce over the top of the halibut rice and serve.

*** add 4 cups diced zuchinni,

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup

I could eat soup EVERY night...this is truly COMFORT FOOD!


1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots (I use my Vidalia chopper on this)
1 cup chopped celery (with tops)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp olive oil

Combine these ingredients in the crock pot...wait 2 hours and add the mixture:

1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme (I used my own lemon thyme)
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
Saute this for about 5 min.

Take out of the crockpot and finish on the stove. Add 6 cups chicken broth, potatoes and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover for 15-20 min, until potatoes are tender. Stir in chicken and noodles and simmer for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, stir in milk; heat through but don't boil.

Cajun Spice Mix

I am reminded today how much I cherish this lovely rub for fish, chicken or any meat I want to "blacken". I gave the last jar to Marie Brooks and didn't replace it. As always....I will not take credit for something I did not personally create. This recipe comes to you from "Cooking Light Magazine". I have made it for over 3 years now. It's a great blackening recipe for salmon, ESPECIALLY Tuna, and any other meat you want to blacken...keep it in a 1/2 pint jar and take out and use as you please.

3 TBSP paprika
2 TBSP ground red pepper
2 TBSP thyme
2 TBSP oregano
2 TBSP onion powder
2 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP kosher salt
1 TBSP black pepper
1 TBSP sugar or 1/4 cup brown sugar

Combine all ingredients and keep in a sealed jar.

Swiss Cheese and Mushroom/Vegetable Strata-A Perfect Marriage

What to do with the little bit of leftovers from last nights Staff Christmas Party? Those veggies cooked in garlic, olive oil and butter was so delish, but I want a different take on eating the leftovers. My good friend from 25 years ago, Linda Garlington, gave me this fabulous recipe for a swiss cheese and mushroom strata. Most of the veggie ingredients called for in her recipe can be found in my Roasted Vegetables recipe (posted here earlier). So, I am combining the two recipes to serve to my school family tomorrow.

Ingredients:
Roasted Vegetables
1 large can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
9 slices white bread (I used the thick Texas Toast like you would use for French Toast buttered on both sides)
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 lb. cubed swiss cheese 1" cubes

First Step:
Cook the Roasted Vegetables recipe posted here earlier. Save about 3 1/2 cups of the veggies after cooked and drain.

Second Step:
Butter 3 slices of bread on both sides, cube into approx. 1" pieces. Place in the bottom of a LARGE baking dish (Do NOT use your stoneware for this--it will break!), add 1/2 of the Roasted Vegetables and 1/2 of the cubed cheese on top. Place 3 more buttered and cubed slices of bread on top of the vegetables, and the remaining cheese and vegetables. Mix milk and eggs together well and pour over the top of the layers. Put on a lid or seal tightly and let sit in the fridge for 24 hours. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Take out of the oven and add 1 can cream of Mushroom Soup mixed with 1/2 can water. Bake uncovered for 30 more minutes. Allow to sit about 10 minutes before diving in.

Roasted Vegetables and Ramen Noodle Salad

Tonight is our annual staff Christmas Party. It's always a gala event that both Jim and I look forward to. Especially the crazy gift exchange. I refuse to get stuck with the edible underpants ever again. I love sampling all of my colleagues fares. Last year, Sandy Kowalski's husband had the most incredible recipe for a mushroom dish made of several varieties of mushrooms. This year I am taking two tried-and-true recipes I inherited from friends and family. My roasted vegetables recipe was given to me by my beautiful, talented and smart sister-in-law, Linda Blizzard. This dish can stand alone as the main entree or as a lovely side-dish at a potluck. It is ALWAYS a winner and every time I make it I am asked for the recipe.

1 large eggplant, diced into 1 1/2" cubes
1 pint pearl onions
1 pint small button mushrooms
1 lb. asparagus
1 red, yellow and green bell pepper cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup olive oil
3 TBSP minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly spray a large roasting pan with non-stick spray. Toss in all vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Combine butter, olive oil and garlic. Pour over veggies to coat and toss. Roast in the oven for 1 hour at 400.

Next up is a Ramen Noodle Salad recipe that I got from my friend Lauri Capps in Cloudcroft, NM. Who knew Ramen Noodles could be used in something other than soup? This is a do-ahead recipe that actually needs some time for the flavors to marry and the noodles to soften (yes, without cooking them!) The dressing must be made the day before you plan on serving it, and the salad is mixed with the dressing and needs to sit for a few more hours before serving.

The Dressing:
2/3 cups salad oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar (I used rice vinegar but I am sure you can choose)


The Salad:
1 pkg. coleslaw mix
2 bunches green onions, chopped or sliced thin (I also include some of the tops)
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds, roasted and salted
2 pkg. Chicken Ramen Noodles (broken up with the seasoning packets)

Mix the dressing ingredients and let sit overnight. DO NOT REFRIGERATE THIS. The next day, mix all salad ingredients together, add dressing and toss. Let stand for a few hours before serving.

Moose Spaghetti

I am always up for a new recipe. I have to say that this one I kind of said....."I don't think so...." who thinks of celery and carrots and pasta....not me...but I grew up in the Southwest. A: We don't have moose B: Pasta should not be combined with celery and carrots C: What the heck is Montreal Steak Spice? This is a great addition to my recipes and I WILL use it again. If you don't have access to moose then ground venison will do. I will not take credit for what I did not create.....This recipe comes to you from GoodGrief3....whoever he or she is...ok...I fudged on a few things..Plus or minus on the seasonings...I included some Chipotle b/c I love the heat!

1 1/2 lbs. ground moose (or venison)
1/2 lb ground beef (I used ground pork)
3 cloves crushed garlic (I like more)
1 lg. onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 green bell pepper diced (I didn't have one and didn't miss it)
1 can mushrooms (Didn't provide a size, so I included two--I LIKE mushrooms)
1 can tomato paste (the small one)
1 large can of tomatoes crushed up (I used organic)
Montreal Steak Spice, parley, basil, oregano, salt, peper, chili peppers.

In a large pot, add a little oil cook onion, garlic, celery, bell, and carrots until soft. Remove from the pan. Add the meats and brown. Drain if you need Ad ushrooms, tomatoes, tomato paste and spices. Allow to simmer for a few hours and serve over pasta topped with some great Parmesaean Romano Cheese.

**You know what? A tiny tin of anchovies diced and a teaspoon of capers would add a whole new dimension to this dish...it's great as it is, but play with it.

P.S....I served this up on Spinach Fettucinne and a herb salad with balsamic vinegar dressing (I truly LOVE dill weed in salads...it makes all the difference!)

Pumpkin Pie Makeover! Turtle Pumpkin Pie

In the mail recently I got a recipe with the coupons section that was worth clipping and trying. This concoction sounded too decadent to pass up. I think the recipe comes from Jell-o.

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping, divided (use the squeeze or jarred syrup)
1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp chopped pecans
1 cup milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
DIVIDE: 1 tub (80z.) Cool Whip

Pour 1/4 cup caramel topping in the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Beat dry pudding mix, milk, pumpkin, spices with whisk until well blended. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip. Spoon this onto the crust. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Top with the rest of the whipped cream and nuts, drizzle remaining caramel over the top.

Side Note: How funny that a girl like me who doesn't particularly care for sweets enjoys making them for others....anyone else like there, please speak up...feeling a little weird here. :)

Saurkraut Revisited....Canning time

Yes, those who follow my blog saw how to "cook" cabbage into saurkraut. My ancestors would be proud! (although I don't think they did theirs in a 5 gallon bucket using garbage bags!) Seriously though....I allowed 2 more weeks to ferment my kraut than last year and it made ALL the difference. IF you like your kraut mellow--cook (ferment) for only 6 weeks. If you want a twang and a sour taste, go for 8 weeks. This year I alternated layering cabbage and salt with dill and caraway seeds.

After cabbage has fermented to your desired taste, pack hot, sterilized pint or quart jars with cabbage Spoon liquid over the top and seal with hot, sterilized lids and bands. Process in a hot water bath (all that means is a BIG freakin' pot--like a stock pot, with boiling water that covers the jar-lids about 1/4") as follows:
pints - 15 minutes
quarts - 20 minutes
Immediately remove your jars and listen for the "pop" as the lids seal.....Lids that do not seal should be stored in the fridge and served at your leisure.

Wow! This is going to be a great year at the Blizzard House for kosher dogs, grilled sausages and Mom's Fe'Lances.....

La Posta Green Chile Enchiladas

When I married Jim (almost 21 years ago), I inherited a cookbook that is now out of print. The copyright date on it is 1971. The La Posta Restaurant in Old Mesilla, New Mexico was once a stagecoach stop on the famous Butterfield Trail and has been serving some of the best food the Las Cruces area has to offer since 1939. My favorite dish (and I make it often) is Enchiladas Verdes (Green Chile Enchiladas). Please note that the "Original" recipe calls for layering enchiladas in a pancake-style fashion, not ROLLED up the way I do. Either way, they taste the same.

1 doz. corn tortillas (yellow are best)
3 cups green chile sauce (see recipe below)
2 cups grated cheese

Allow 2-3 tortillas per person. Fry tortillas in hot oil to soften. Quickly dip in sauce and build on plate layer-cake fashion with grated cheese sprinkled between the layers. Spoon green chile sauce over each enchilada and top with grated cheese. Bake until cheese is melted. Serve with shredded lettuce as a garnish and sour cream if you desire.

Green Chile Sauce (Chile Verde)
12 green chile peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, deveined and diced into 1/2" pieces.
1 cup canned, diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 small garlic cloves or garlic powder
1 tsp salt
water

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and add only enough water to slightly cover. Simmer for ten minutes.

Somen Noodle

Somen noodle reminds me of a "grown ups" version of Ramen. I love these noodles with this simple sauce.

Sauce:
Juice of 1 lime
1 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP olive oil
pinch of fresh ground ginger
optional: thinly sliced green onion

1 bundle of Somen noodles, cooked separately.

In boiling water soften Somen noodles (only takes a few minutes). Drain. Mix sauce ingredients and pour over Somen noodles to mix.

Bologna Anyone?

Every once in a while I develop a craving for my mom's Stuffed Green Bell Peppers. Just like getting our own individual artichoke, it was a treat to get your own piping hot stuffed pepper served up with a mound of mashed potatoes. This wonderful dish is made, not with the traditional hamburger and rice--NO! Mom used ground bologna. Don't let the main ingredient throw you off. It tasted unlike anything else! Here it goes:

4 medium sized green bell peppers, tops cut off and seeds removed

1 1/2 lbs. bulk bologna (get the good stuff from the butcher dept.), ground
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 large raw potato, grated
1/2 onion, diced fine
salt and pepper to taste

1 can Tomato soup, diluted with 1/2 can water

Mix bologna, eggs, grated potato, onion and seasonings. Stuff raw peppers and place in a baking dish. Pour the diluted tomato soup over the top, cover with foil and bake in hot preheated 375 oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Mom also likes this over quartered potatoes to bake with your peppers.

Chocolate Mint Jelly and Canning Tomatoes

I can't believe that it is October and there is no snow on the ground! First time in the 6 years I have been in Alaska. My mint is still producing lovely outside. I grew 3 varieties this year: Chocolate Mint, Orange Mint and Ginger Mint. I just had to give the Chocolate Mint a haircut and make some jelly. No Kidding....This mint tastes EXACTLY like a York Peppermint Pattie...I kid you not! So it only stands to reason that I should make a jelly out of this to serve on Easter Sunday with a grilled leg of lamb served with wild rice and grilled bacon-wrapped asparagus and mozzarella! (I am so traditional...Thanksgiving MUST be turkey stuffed with cranberries, cornbread and walnuts and Christmas will be spent this year in Hawaii sunning on the beach, getting couple of tan lines, listening to island music, warming ourselves, looking at turtles under water and roaming the streets at night for a good place to eat with the hunky hubby---so I'll eat fish with macadamia nuts and snorkel day and night! ha ha)

The tomatoes have ripened as much as they are going to. Poor things have sat on my dining room table for 4 weeks now....and I have nurtured them to this point. Many of them are meant to be eaten yellow and orange...so don't be alarmed. I have par-boiled and will freeze them for pizza sauces, or soups or anything that calls for really good tomatoes. There is nothing like the taste of a fresh, vine-ripened tomato, don't you think? One knows--IMMEDIATELY....that this tomato was not mass produced and shipped to some grocery store. NOPE! It was nurtured along and hand-picked and selected with tender loving care.

The calendar says that on October 25 I will need to can my sauerkraut. It will have been fermenting for 8 weeks. More later on great kraut recipes...Mom's Fe'Lances for one!

Pot Pie

TOTAL comfort food....when in need one MUST submit to their total comfort foods......mine are Pot Pie and Chicken and Dumplings.......So tonight I am submitting to a left-over moose stew that has magically transformed itself with a little help, into a wonderful pot pie with a fabulous phyllo-crust topping....

It makes me smile just to think of it...Listen to the crunch sound as the spoon penetrates the crust. One immediately knows that a wonderful surprise awaits in the first bite. Yes, when depressed, eat your heart out! Cry later and grin now!

Tomatoes and Cabbage

This is me and my beautiful cousin Sandy Sloan. She sent this picture to me last week. I can't wait to re-connect with her next summer!

It is a shame that I have to be in school this time of year! The tomatoes are FINALLY rippening...I am so excited....I just processed and put up the last 2 heads of cabbage into Cabbage Rolls....filled with a combination of moosemeat and ground pork mixed with eggs, rice and seasonings....oh yes...don't forget the purple cabbage saurkraut I canned from last year and the Polska Kielbasa sliced on top! Again....I won't take credit for what I didn't create...I got this recipe from Mom and she called it Felances...a polish dish served at Christmas...well...it's not Christmas, but then in Alaska...Christmas comes early!

Tip: If you throw a head of cabbage into the freezer it will save for a couple of years...I saved mine for 2 days.....but when you take it out...the leaves are as though you par-boiled them to make your cabbage rolls....so simple! Thanks John Boyarsky for that quick tip.

I can't leave without showing the beautiful Hatch Chiles my mom sent me....yum yum.....I've roasted them on the grill and vacuum sealed them for that "special" occasion! Ok...I can't show my chile just yet...but here are my carrots...

Saurkraut 101

It is SO easy to make your own saurkraut. It just takes time and patience. I just harvested my 6 green cabbages today. I could only use 4 for saurkraut and will use the other two like my Grandma Sadie would have done and fry it up with some bacon and salt and pepper...Yep...can live off that stuff for as long as it lasts!

Here is the process for making saurkraut.... it takes anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks to "cook" or "ferment"....I personally like a strong kraut flavor and go for the 8 weeks, but if you like yours mild.....can it at at 6 weeks.

First, line a 5 gallon bucket with a trash bag. Next,shred the cabbage very thin. Place a layer of shredded cabbage dust lightly with kosher salt and either caraway or dill seed (This year I alternated both varieties). Place another good layer of shredded cabbage and do the same.... this process ending with the seasoning of choice or NONE if you decide.

Now put a clean trash bag over the top of your cabbage. Now fill the trash bag with water (to seal your cabbage underneath!!!....I move the bag around a bit (without breaking the bag) to get out as much air as possible.....the water in the second bag completely seals your cabbage.

Keep your bucket in a cold dry place from 6-8 weeks. I like mine REALLY sour so I will go the 8 weeks....but at 6 weeks your kraut is mild yet tart and ready to eat!

FYI: If you do not eat it immediately, you should process it in pint/quart jars.......Please know that your kraut needs to be processed or eaten.

Garden Jelly

I must beg forgiveness from those who are following this blog for my somewhat cryptic title of a truly fabulous jelly. I fear that if I divulge the secret ingredient right away that everyone will close their minds and even refuse to try it! I suppose I can understand. In my mind, the taste of liver can't be disguised no matter how hard one tries....although...a number of years ago I found that I loved Dirty Rice ... aka...gizzards and chicken LIVERS. (eek....running away screaming)

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. Yes. It is August and therefore it is FALL in Alaska. Last night my tomatoes, squash, peppers and eggplants froze. The fireweed has finally bloomed to the top, signaling the end of summer. We really know that fall is here when the "Dirty-Feet-Smell" permeates the air. That's when I know I must venture out into my own backyard with my raincoat, high-top rubber boots, ballcap and berry picking bucket to harvest those nasty smelling High Bush Cranberries and make and jar that wonderful ketsup!
High Bush Cranberries
The root crops are still fine and enjoying the cooler temperatures. I harvested most of the beets last weekend and couldn't bear to throw away that beautiful crimson liquid. So, I looked on-line as to what I could do with my beet juice and found an interesting recipe for Beet Jelly as well as some really cool information about the benefits of beets. There is just something about this fabulous veg. That intense, deep almost royal red of it, the Earthy smell and taste of it...you immediately KNOW it is GOOD for you and, if like me, want a little more. I didn't fully appreciate beets until pregnant with Chris-and then I couldn't eat enough of them. I love them best simply boiled then lightly dusted with salt, pepper and a little melted butter...nothing fancy.

Beets are a universal veg! You can eat the greens as you would spinach or any other green, the root with butter and seasonings, and the juice made into jelly. They are full of anti-oxidants and have been used to treat anemia, circulatory problems, kidney disease, menopause, tiredness, bladder problems, eye fatigue and liver problems. Beets are a great source of calcium, sodium, vitamin A, chlorine, sulfur, vitamin B-6, iron, potassium and choline. The leaves and juice are known to cleanse the blood and kidneys...this is why you need to eat/drink them in moderation (I've read that one should never drink beet juice alone-it needs to be mixed with another veg).

With that said, here is my recipe for "Garden Jelly a.k.a. Beet Jelly"

4 cups beet juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 pkg. Sure Jell Pectin
1 -3 oz. pkg Jello (raspberry or black raspberry)
6 cups sugar

In a large pot, mix beet juice, lemon juice, SureJell and Jello. Bring to a boil. Add sugar and bring to a full rolling boil for 3 minutes and pour into sanitized jars. Process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.

This recipe made 12-4 oz. jars and three 12-oz. jars and two 1/2 pint jars. (Yes, everyone will be getting one of those little ones with your Christmas present)

Farmer's Daughter Tribute

Thanks Mom!

Growing up, my brothers and I were led to call broccoli "baby trees" and Brussels sprouts "baby cabbages". My mother had to divide Brussels Sprouts among us or a fight was sure to ensue. I can't think of one veg that me or my brothers will not readily eat. In fact, I'd almost be willing to bet that any one of us would pass over the meat for a fresh ear of corn on the cob, a green onion plucked from the soil-washed and dusted lightly with salt, or a slice of a tomato cut from the vine.

This farmers daughter tells me she grew up poor but what she doesn't know was rich in culture. My grandfather read to his children (3 girls) for entertainment. I remember my grandma Sadie telling me to go pick out some fruit for the dinner table....Oh how I loved my grandmas pears and peaches! Cousin Cathy and I would sneak out in the middle of the night, lift up our nightgowns and fill the pockets with Granddads sweet peas, then retreat to our downstairs room and feast on his lovely crop! Sorry Granddad!

So....the conclusion is this. Every year about this time I begin to harvest the rewards of my efforts in the garden. But I have never acknowledged the beginning of my efforts. This is a good time to do so.......And, by the way....Isn't my mother beautiful?
Tonight I am making a grilled King Salmon with lemon and dill weed. Poor thing is a shadow to the fresh beets and beet greens I harvested from my garden today. To add more salt to that wound, I have fresh zucchini clipped from the vine that I am sauteing in a lovely butter and garlic/tomato sauce. Of course, this meal is not complete without a lovely salad of my own grown butter lettuce, red radishes and green onions served with vanilla-cinnamon walnuts and a blue cheese dressing. Also to accompany this is fried green cabbage with my last year's canned red sauerkraut and bacon. For dessert I made a lovely fruit compote of raspberries and blueberries we picked last weekend and have mixed them with peaches and an oatmeal crust.

Thanks Mom for exposing us to so many wonderful veggies. Poor King Salmon is taking a back-seat to the beets I pulled up today!

Next-up: Green Beans!!! they will be ready to pick next week!

Halibut Olympia, Curried Rice and Ninilchik Deep fried clams

It really sounds more difficult than it is. The Halibut Olympia....mix equal parts of sour cream and mayo. Add dill weed and salt and pepper to taste....Cover the Halibut with your sauce and broil until done (about 7-8 minutes). The Curried Rice....leftovers!!!! Serve that up with a salad and you are a "Goddess".

Deep fried clams are different....you can buy the prepackaged breading mixes (from the Butcher and Deli dept) and deep fry them to accompany a good sauce (like my high-bush cranberry sauce) or a jarred version of tartar or sweet and sour.....Personally.....I think.....who would ruin a good clam by disguising its taste with something overpowering? Use a malt vinegar if you want--that's what I really prefer).