Baked Apples, Book review links and Plans for July

First off, welcome and thank you to Ivy at Simply Beautiful and Healthy Living for becoming a follower of my site!

Hello family and friends. What interesting things have you been doing, eating, drinking and/or reading in your part of the world? Staying cool, planning vacations?

I have been reading a little more lately...a fine balance of fitting it in before dinner and a glass of wine or two, or later in the evening before bed. Having roughly 10 days off for vacation allowed me to get quite a bit more book time in as I didn't have to adhere to a schedule. Other than the dog's meds that is....otherwise, we did quite a bit of chillin' out!

My last book was How to Cook a Wolf by M.F.K. Fisher (For a review click on title)


This is the current book on the reading list at Cook the Books. Great read, even if it was printed waaay back in the 1940s. Of all the intriguing recipes in her book I will settle on baked apples. Growing up we had several apple trees which bordered our garden. My mother, an ingenious cook who made miracles with meager supplies, would use the fruit so many different ways. She made our applesauce, apple tarts, pies, roasted apples with pork and of course….baked apples. My father slathered the baked apples with way too much vanilla ice cream.




Baked apples

Apples…almost any kind, although Delicious are delicious.
Brown sugar (1 TB for each apple)
Cinnamon, nutmeg
Raisins, dates, leftover jam butter
water

“Core the apples, and put in a baking dish. Fill each hole with the fruit or jam, and put a dab of butter on top if you want to. Mix the sugar with enough water to fill the baking dish almost to the top, and bake slowly until the apples are tender.”

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A few other reviews I posted are The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The Hills of Tuscany, both of which I added to my reading challenge at Goodreads as well as getting me in the mood for reading about foreign terrains again. Hey, it's a cheap way to travel and has me experimenting in the kitchen a bit more.

Beautiful Italian Countryside....would love to see this one day.....



Now I am gearing up for the humid scorching weather for July, planning some cooler meals and utilizing the grill and slow cooker more. As we speak I have a very large bowl of lemons I scored at Costco. Before they go bad I plan to make lemonade (all natural, no high fructose corn syrup for me), Lemon Posset and a Lemon Chicken with balsamic onions. Vodka Collins would be good too (Doug would use Sapphire gin in his).

Soon I will have some photos to share of us at the range as well as weekend outings in search of seafood. Can’t wait for the oyster months to arrive for fat, juicy salty oysters. Mmmmmmm………

I hope you all are enjoying summer and using lots of sunscreen!

The Picnic Game....would you like some Eton Mess?

It's that time of year again at Louise's site, Months of Edible Celebrations! This is the fifth year she has organized this event....come join in.




As I selected the letter E, I will be bringing a dish which starts with the that letter. Before I share the goodies, I will list what others brought (those whose letters preceded me).


I'm going on a picnic, and I'm bringing...

Aloo Gobi,
Blueberry Cumberland Salsa,
Crispy Curry Fried Chicken,
Dying for Chocolate Cake and

Eton Mess - Here is the latest creation of Eton Mess.




This is a photo I use for my site badge…feel free to grab it if you’d like a photo link...it's available here on my site. See, look to your right.



Couldn’t be easier to make and what a delicious way to use up fresh strawberries.

Ingredients

4 cups strawberries
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
2 teaspoons pomegranate juice
2 cups whipping cream
1 packet individual meringue nests
Directions

Hull and chop the strawberries and put into a bowl and add the sugar and pomegranate juice and leave to macerate while you whip the cream.
Whip the cream in a large bowl until thick but still soft. Roughly crumble in 4 of the meringues nests - you will need chunks for texture as well as a little fine dust.
Take out about half a cupful of the chopped strawberries, and fold the meringue cream and rest of the fruit mixture together.
Arrange on 4 serving plates or glasses or in a mound, and top each with some.

It’s a light tasting summery dessert you should try at least one time. Bet you will want it again sometime. We love it.

Hope you all are well and I have enjoyed reconnecting with those of you (you know who you are) who have been absent from the blogging world!


I have some book reviews coming up soon as well as snaps of some outings we enjoyed during vacation.

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc: Weekend Wine Review

Kim Crawford wines never disappoint. Never. The Sauvignon Blanc is one of our favorites and very reasonably priced at $13 a bottle in our area (North Florida).



This New Zealand wine from the Marlborough region (which is located in the northeast of the South island) has a wonderful climate for growing grapes. I have been reading about this as the New Zealand wines have been high on our favorite list for a long time. Why is that? Why are the wines from this region always reliable and easy on the palate? It’s the ideal temperature fluctuations and so…perfection! The grapes like this and make for a bright and clean taste. Lovely on these brutal hot evenings when humidity seems to have texture. This Sauvignon Blanc is going to be a staple in our wine rack this summer.

Enjoy with seafood, mild chicken entree or a light pasta meal.

Highly recommended!

June Celebrations

June is a month when we celebrate my birthday, our wedding anniversary and Father's Day. As a tradition, we always take vacation time during the week of our anniversary. Usually we stay close to home, taking day excursions in search of BBQ, seafood, a country ride and a good time. Sometimes we ride to St. George Island, sometimes we go to local seafood joints. Last year we enjoyed Italian food and took bike rides, for our 25th anniversary we also stayed around home but went all out with crab cakes, steak and champagne.

I will post photos of some of the things we do this week and alert you to any good BBQ we find. By the way, this anniversary was #29 and as always, I enjoyed the best company, good food and music. And wine.

Ok, birthday first: I pick whatever I want and even though I love cassoulet, roasted lamb, New York strip steak.........it's always so horribly hot that I choose cool foods. Steamed shrimp (cooled) with honey dew melon and Mojitos! Doug makes excellent Mojitos, it's the recipe from Bonefish Grill, but better!



We sit outside and enjoy patio time, wildlife, begging shibas and imbibing. This year we hung dragonfly lights and my new wind chimes. My friend Mary Margaret, who lives too far away from me up in Eagle River Alaska, sent me the chimes. Very soothing.



Ready for anniversary photos? We headed out to Bonefish Grill early so we could sit at the bar. Also, we need to be home by 6:30 for Kobe's medications so.....our time frames for going out are rigidly controlled. The idea was to have appetizers and drinks...then head home and enjoy a very light meal later on.

Warm bread with an herbed olive oil dipping tray. I had a wonderful Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc and Doug had a Sapphire Martini.



Crab cakes and Bang Bang Shrimp actually filled us up more than we thought. Big appies.



Home......take care of Shiba Dinner and meds......then we have some freshly baked bread, a Chimay cheese...(yes, like the Belgian ale)...very good semi soft cheese with a hoppy taste, fresh fruits and wine. As always, lots of begging from Kobe and Aja.





Since the heat index was still pretty high we sat in the den, nibbled our light meal, listened to a Diana Krall CD and chatted.



Perfect day, perfect company. I couldn't ask for more.

More adventure, certainly more food will be coming up.

Potluck at I ♥ Cooking Club so I am picking Jamie's Eggplant Parmesan

It's time for Potluck at IHCC, something I look forward to each month. Thank you to the hosts Kim, Deb and Sue for expanding the theme to include previous featured chefs - brilliant idea!



Why do I like Potluck? Because sometimes I feel like venturing out and cooking with a group instead of doing my own thing. I'm not super social but I do like these virtual get-togethers now and again. Jamie is a fine example of a social being so...here you have it. Check out which dishes (and chefs) are featured this week at I ♥ Cooking Club.



Pssst....I actually made this eggplant earlier but waited to share it for Potluck. Here's the amazing recipe below!


Ingredients

1 large eggplant
olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 heaped teaspoon dried oregano
1 good-quality canned plum tomatoes, or a few fresh ripe tomatoes
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
a little wine vinegar
several leaves fresh basil
3 large handfuls Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 handfuls dried breadcrumbs
a little fresh oregano, leaves chopped
a cup or more of mozzarella, depends on how much you love the ooey gooey cheese in this dish

Directions

Two ways you may prep the eggplant for this dish. Cut into thick slices and set aside.

Heat olive oil into a large pan on a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and dried oregano and cook for 10 minutes, until the onion is soft and the garlic has a tiny bit of color. If you're using canned tomatoes, break them up, and if you're using fresh tomatoes prick each one and put them into a big pan of boiling water for under a minute.. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put them into a bowl of cold water for 30 seconds, then remove the skins. Add the tomatoes to the onion, garlic and oregano. Stir, then simmer slowly for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, grill the eggplant on both sides until lightly charred OR use a skillet and cook in oil. By the time you are done cooking eggplant the tomato sauce should be reduced and ready.

Season with salt, pepper, basil and a bit of wine vinegar. Now the layering starts.

In a casserole dish place a small layer of tomato sauce, Parmesan, followed by a single layer of eggplant slices. Repeat these layers …you know what to do. Try and keep a layer of sauce for the top. If you want it to be pretty toast some breadcrumbs and scatter on the top.

Bake at 375 F for half an hour until crisp and bubbly. Eat it straight away, so good and ooey. Leftovers can also be used to make eggplant parm sandwiches. Great dinner, awesome lunch.


Sharing this with IHCC. Hope you enjoy this one as much as I do.



Coming up may be some disjointed posts about vacation. We have been enjoying being off work this week, always take our anniversary week off, and so we have some outings planned. Stay tuned!

Weekend outing.... Calvary Georgia

A lazy ride into southern Georgia was like stepping back in time. The route we took anyway...because we like back roads and rural scenery.






Calvary Georgia, population 161......



Old farmhouses stand way back from the road. The plain white paint and wrap-around porches are great.



Green leafy something growing in this large field.



Still searching out local BBQ...........will report back later.

Tuscan Pot Roast in the Slow Cooker; Keeping the Kitchen Cool

It’s quite hot and sticky here in North Florida. The humidity settles in so thickly it has texture. The idea of keeping the oven cranked up to roast a piece of meat is not appealing……..so I turned to the crock pot. This also frees up my time to use the oven for a very short period to bake an Italian loaf. The good news first: it smelled so wonderfully good when the mushrooms, plum tomatoes, beef, wine and carrots were simmering gently in the pot. Also, it freed up some time to do other projects and prepare the bread.

(Photo was taken after assembled in slow cooker, prior to cooking.)



The bad news, although in the grand scheme of things I suppose it's not bad...just disappointing. It did not turn out rare. I thought 8 hours on low heat was too long so I on;y cooked it 6 hours. Still too long. It was well overdone, although edible, but not at all to our liking with a red center.

If anyone has a suggestion to cook a pot roast in a slow cooker AND attain a rare end result, please, please, please email me! Maybe next time I should try 2 hours and hope the veggies aren't raw and crunchy. (big sigh) Below is the recipe if you'd care to try it. At least I can turn this into a soup :-)


Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
1 2 1/2- to 3-pound bottom-round pot roast
2 large onions, quartered
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced (2 cups)
2 large carrots, thinly sliced (2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
Handful of white button mushrooms
salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, chopped

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the roast on all sides. Transfer the roast to a large slow cooker. Leave the fat and oils in the skillet.

Into the abandoned skillet add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables; transfer to the cooker.
Pour the wine into the skillet, swirl about a little and scrape up leftover bits. Add the contents of the skillet to the cooker, along with the mushrooms, salt, oregano, and tomatoes (plus 1 cup of their liquid).

Cook 8 hours on low heat, or 4 hours on high heat.

Note warning about the cooking times!

Kirkland Chardonnay - Weekend Wine Review

As the temperatures swelled to an almost unbearable 90 degrees (32 C) it was decided to open this bottle of Kirkland Chardonnay. Advertised as a crisp California wine with notes of melon and butterscotch. Yes, it was bargained priced at 7.99 for 1.5 liter bottle, which should have been the clue anyone, I mean anyone, would have picked up. I prefer unoaked Chardonnay but was willing to give this one a try. Epic Fail



Tastes heavy on the tongue, coating as the promised butterscotch or some other coagulated substance.
Tastes like a wine up too late for its age.
Honeydew, unemployment and scents of urine after you have eaten say....asparagus.
Oily, a good bum wine. First bottle we have upended into the sink in quite a long time.
Clearly, not recommend. Grade = F

Weekend outing around the lake

I took these photos when the fog had set in around a little park where we sometimes walk the shibas.






The fog lifted off the lake, very cool to watch it slowly gather up into one small location on the lake...like a portal.



The gulls line up and soak up the sun. They remind me of the gulls in Finding Nemo when they fly off shrieking, competing for food. Mine! Mine!



This injured Canadian goose was left to hang with the Muscovy ducks. The Muscoveys are hideous, fight and hiss at each other and I just can not imagine they would be good to eat. Maybe if the Zombie Apocolypse happens we may need to resort this, but then I may go vegetarian rather than eat one of these nasty ducks.



I think a local wildlife sanctuary came after this poor guy because he just disappeared after a few weeks. His mate stayed with him while he foraged near the shoreline. His foot is, as you can see, bent at an awkward angle making it hard for him to swim.



This lake isn't one you would swim in, or drink from, but I have seen people fish there. It's a nice walk in winter but way too hot in summer temps.

Just wanted to share a relaxed outing.

Cheers!