Adam eating a ripe, juicy peach at Grossen Peaches- a U-Pick farm in Hillsboro, Oregon.
We had another busy week with off and on sunny weather. We had some cold cloudy mornings but most of the afternoons have been sunny and pleasant. It has been nice to enjoy the warmth and the sun all that we can! It has been another very busy week and this current one is busier than ever. We are having a lot of fun but also looking forward to some vacation time and a change of scenery.
Suburban Garden Report:
There are a few new things happening in the suburban garden this week. I have noticed that we have a lot of tomatoes forming on our plants. They are still small and green but I am hoping that one day we will be able to enjoy some fresh ones off of the vine when they are juicy and red!
Berry Picking:
This past Wednesday we went berry picking with my friend Carol. We decided to go to the Smith Berry Barn in Hillsboro, Oregon. It was a nice sunny day to pick berries. We ended up picking triple crown blackberries as well as blueberries.
Grilled Pizza and a Lovely Visit:
This past Wednesday my Aunt Echo came to visit in the afternoon and stayed for dinner with us. It was so much fun to get the chance to chat with her and also show her around the garden and house. She is such a delight to have around and I am so glad that she was here this summer to visit! I decided to make a grilled pizza with a salad on the side for dinner as a special treat!
This past Friday instead of our normal trek out to see the garden and woods we prepared a nice summer birthday dinner for my Dad. This year he turned 69 years old. How time flies! It was a lovely party that came together with Aunt Echo, Kim my mom and I working together.
Swimming:
This past Saturday we had the fortune of being invited to go swimming at my cousin Helen's house. She has such a beautiful garden and a lovely house. We had fun touring her gardens as well as her home while we were there. What a treat! It was a lot of fun!
Corn Meal Bread:
This Sunday after many weeks without baking bread I decided I wanted to get back into it with this new recipe. It is such a fabulous bread! It is very soft and like my husband Paul says the texture is like the inside of French bread which I love! It is delicious with butter on it and I've also enjoyed it with peanut butter or berry jam. Enjoy!
Corn Meal Bread Recipe:
This recipe is from my James Beard book "Beard on Bread". I just love his bread recipes!
1/2 cup cornmeal (I like to buy the whole grain Bob's Red Mill brand)
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup very warm tap water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup warm milk
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
4-4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1. Place 1 cup of boiling water into a small bowl. Add the cornmeal and salt and stir vigorously until it "cooks" and gets thick. (About 4 minutes)
2. Place this mixture into a large mixing bowl to cool.
3. Mix the yeast with the granulated sugar in a glass measuring cup or a small mixing bowl. Add the hot tap water and mix well. Let it stand about 5 minutes to proof. Then, pour this mixture into the mixing bowl with the cornmeal mixture. Mix well.
4. Add the warm milk salt, brown sugar. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.
5. When the mixture is well blended and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl turn out onto a floured surface to knead the dough.
6. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic- about 10-12 minutes.
7. Butter or oil a large, clean bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with the butter or oil on all sides. Cover the bowl and set it in a draft free, warm place to rise until double in bulk.
8. Punch the dough down and turn out onto a floured surface. Cut the dough in half and form into 2 loaves. Butter or oil 2 loaf pans. Then place the dough into the pans.
9, Cover the pans and let the dough rise until almost doubled in bulk.
10. Bake in a preheated 425F oven for 10 minutes. Then, lower the temperature to 350F and continue baking for 20-25 minutes, until the bread is nicely browned.
11. Let cool on racks before serving.
I love how this bread makes delicious toast in the morning as well as good bread for grilled cheese sandwiches, etc. Enjoy!
Peach Picking:
This Monday we decided to go peach picking. It was a lot of fun! We really enjoyed ourselves. It was also easier than berry picking with Adam on tow because I could pick a lot of peaches fairly quickly since they are large. By the time he was interested in running off I was almost done picking peaches. He also enjoyed eating a couple of peaches right off of the tree. Nothing could be better!! We went to Grossen Peaches in the Helvatia area of Hillsboro to pick peaches. It was their opening day for the first ripe peaches and we were lucky to be there! I am so glad that we made it!
The apples on our dwarf apple tree are getting bigger!
Suburban Garden Report:
There are a few new things happening in the suburban garden this week. I have noticed that we have a lot of tomatoes forming on our plants. They are still small and green but I am hoping that one day we will be able to enjoy some fresh ones off of the vine when they are juicy and red!
Although they are still small and green there will be a big crop of tomatoes!
I think that I got a jalapeno pepper plant instead of a bell pepper plant!
Also, I think I ended up with a jalapeno pepper plant! It is doing very well and has one pepper forming. There are also a lot of blooms on it! It'll be great to be able to make some salsa.
I think that I got a jalapeno pepper plant instead of a bell pepper plant!
Our little garden is growing well and I am enjoying using some of the fresh herbs and lettuce in salads and other dishes. It is such a great luxury to be able to go out and pick what we need and have such fresh and delicious food this summer! I am also going to try to dry as many herbs as I can to use in the fall and winter. I think I will have a lot of sage, parsley, basil, rosemary, tarragon and thyme to dry and save.
Berry Picking:
This past Wednesday we went berry picking with my friend Carol. We decided to go to the Smith Berry Barn in Hillsboro, Oregon. It was a nice sunny day to pick berries. We ended up picking triple crown blackberries as well as blueberries.
Adam really enjoyed eating some triple crown blackberries at Smith Berry Barn.
The triple crown blackberries at Smith Berry Barn.
Adam really enjoyed going down the row with us and "sampling" a lot of the blackberries. However, later on he decided to go on his own adventure- running into the woods beyond the berry farm! We had quite the adventure running after him and getting him to come back with us! After that, we decided to move on to the blueberry area. The bushes were small and so were the blueberries there. Adam sure liked it though because the bushes were just his size and he stayed by one bush further down the row for quite while.
Later on, Adam was on the move again and I chased him through the apple orchard and back!! After that we decided it was time for lunch and we headed across the street to the South Store Cafe for a lovely lunch out on the sunny patio.
Later on, Adam was on the move again and I chased him through the apple orchard and back!! After that we decided it was time for lunch and we headed across the street to the South Store Cafe for a lovely lunch out on the sunny patio.
The triple crown blackberries at Smith Berry Barn.
Adam with Carol picking blueberries.
Carol and Adam eating lunch at the South Store Cafe.
Adam picking blueberries. He put some in his bucket and then dumped them into mine.
Carol and Adam eating lunch at the South Store Cafe.
Carol and both had the turkey club sandwiches with avocado and a side salad with almonds, blue cheese and almonds. Delicious!! Adam enjoyed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and apple juice. It was a lovely lunch and a nice rest from berry picking. After lunch we headed to another farm down the road to pick bigger blueberries. There, we were not disappointed as this farm had large blueberry bushes and super big, ripe blueberries were easy to pick! What a fun day!
Adam picking blueberries. He put some in his bucket and then dumped them into mine.
Grilled Pizza and a Lovely Visit:
This past Wednesday my Aunt Echo came to visit in the afternoon and stayed for dinner with us. It was so much fun to get the chance to chat with her and also show her around the garden and house. She is such a delight to have around and I am so glad that she was here this summer to visit! I decided to make a grilled pizza with a salad on the side for dinner as a special treat!
My Aunt Echo with Adam on our back deck after dinner.
A pepperoni, pepper, onion and mushroom pizza on the grill.
The pizza hot off the grill!
Our dessert: A gourmet smore made with shortbread cookies and homemade lemon curd!
A Birthday Dinner:
The pizza hot off the grill!
Grilled Pizza/Toppings Recipe:
This pizza dough recipe is one that has been in our family for a long time. I want to thank my friend Suzanne Hoselton for the original idea for grilled pizza. I actually searched high and low for her recipe before I made the dough last Wednesday but I could not find it. So, I made it a different way and I liked it as well. Her pizza goes directly on the grill without a pan and is also fabulous!
Pizza Dough:
1/1/2 cups hot tap water (the hottest you can touch)
1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all purpose flour (I like to use King Arthur's unbleached)
1. Put yeast and water in a bowl and let rest for about 5 minutes.
2. When dissolved, add salt and two cups of flour. Mix together with a spoon until combined.
3. Add the last 2 cups of flour and mix together. (Not all of the flour will mix in yet.)
4. Pour the dough (and extra flour) out onto a floured surface and knead 8-10 minutes or until soft and elastic.
5. When the dough is thoroughly kneaded put it into a clean, oiled or buttered bowl and let rise for 1 hour. I like to put my dough-bowl in the sink with a clean kitchen towel over the bowl and fill the sink part way up with hot water.
6. After the 1 hour or when the dough has doubled divide the dough in half.
7. Form two pizza crusts on two greased pans or pizza stones.
8. Let the pizza dough rounds rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.
Then, top with the tomato sauce recipe below and the toppings listed below or the toppings that you desire.
Tomato Pizza Sauce:
olive oil
2-cloves minced garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
2/3 cup red wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
-ground pepper to taste.
1. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil.
3. Add the remaining ingredients.
4. Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer as you wait for your pizza crusts to rise and you heat up your grill.
Topping ideas:
-pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onion
or
-Canadian bacon/pineapple
-shredded mozzarella cheese
-shredded Parmesan cheese
Top each pizza this way: Spread a little tomato sauce on each pizza. Put the meat and veggies on next. Then top with the mozzarella and a little bit of shredded Parmesan cheese.
We did one of each of these pizzas- but the possibilities are endless!
I suggest that you saute the vegetables in some olive oil until they are slightly softened. If they are partially cooked when they go on the pizza they will be much tastier when the pizza is done because grilled pizzas cook very fast!
Cooking the Pizza:
In this cooking method the grill becomes a sort of "wood fired oven" I have discovered. First, I let the grill heat up on high for about 15 minutes. Then, I turned both burners down to medium low. Next, put the pizza on the grill and close the lid. I learned (by the second pizza) that is takes around 7 minutes to cook the pizza thoroughly with this method without charring the crust. Although the first pizza was still very good the bottom was a bit charred.
Enjoy your pizza this summer!
For dessert we enjoyed some gourmet smores made with toasted marshmallows toasted over the flame of the side burner of the barbecue. Yum!
This pizza dough recipe is one that has been in our family for a long time. I want to thank my friend Suzanne Hoselton for the original idea for grilled pizza. I actually searched high and low for her recipe before I made the dough last Wednesday but I could not find it. So, I made it a different way and I liked it as well. Her pizza goes directly on the grill without a pan and is also fabulous!
Pizza Dough:
1/1/2 cups hot tap water (the hottest you can touch)
1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all purpose flour (I like to use King Arthur's unbleached)
1. Put yeast and water in a bowl and let rest for about 5 minutes.
2. When dissolved, add salt and two cups of flour. Mix together with a spoon until combined.
3. Add the last 2 cups of flour and mix together. (Not all of the flour will mix in yet.)
4. Pour the dough (and extra flour) out onto a floured surface and knead 8-10 minutes or until soft and elastic.
5. When the dough is thoroughly kneaded put it into a clean, oiled or buttered bowl and let rise for 1 hour. I like to put my dough-bowl in the sink with a clean kitchen towel over the bowl and fill the sink part way up with hot water.
6. After the 1 hour or when the dough has doubled divide the dough in half.
7. Form two pizza crusts on two greased pans or pizza stones.
8. Let the pizza dough rounds rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.
Then, top with the tomato sauce recipe below and the toppings listed below or the toppings that you desire.
Tomato Pizza Sauce:
olive oil
2-cloves minced garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
2/3 cup red wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
-ground pepper to taste.
1. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil.
3. Add the remaining ingredients.
4. Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer as you wait for your pizza crusts to rise and you heat up your grill.
Topping ideas:
-pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onion
or
-Canadian bacon/pineapple
-shredded mozzarella cheese
-shredded Parmesan cheese
Top each pizza this way: Spread a little tomato sauce on each pizza. Put the meat and veggies on next. Then top with the mozzarella and a little bit of shredded Parmesan cheese.
We did one of each of these pizzas- but the possibilities are endless!
I suggest that you saute the vegetables in some olive oil until they are slightly softened. If they are partially cooked when they go on the pizza they will be much tastier when the pizza is done because grilled pizzas cook very fast!
Cooking the Pizza:
In this cooking method the grill becomes a sort of "wood fired oven" I have discovered. First, I let the grill heat up on high for about 15 minutes. Then, I turned both burners down to medium low. Next, put the pizza on the grill and close the lid. I learned (by the second pizza) that is takes around 7 minutes to cook the pizza thoroughly with this method without charring the crust. Although the first pizza was still very good the bottom was a bit charred.
Enjoy your pizza this summer!
For dessert we enjoyed some gourmet smores made with toasted marshmallows toasted over the flame of the side burner of the barbecue. Yum!
Our dessert: A gourmet smore made with shortbread cookies and homemade lemon curd!
This past Friday instead of our normal trek out to see the garden and woods we prepared a nice summer birthday dinner for my Dad. This year he turned 69 years old. How time flies! It was a lovely party that came together with Aunt Echo, Kim my mom and I working together.
Grandpa Dale on his 69th birthday with Adam.
A delicious Waldorf salad my Aunt Echo made with home-grown yellow transparent apples.
A lovely smoked turkey that my mom made!
Adam enjoying his corn on the cob with my Aunt Echo in the background.
My Aunt Echo made one of her favorite salads for the party- Waldorf Salad. I really like how she made it with fresh apples from the orchard and a nice dressing that wasn't too thick- and plenty of raisins which I love! Delicious! We sure enjoyed visiting together while we cooked!
A delicious Waldorf salad my Aunt Echo made with home-grown yellow transparent apples.
Both my Aunt Echo and my mom worked on this lovely brined/barbecued turkey. It was so delicious and moist! Next week I will be sure to post the recipe for it.
A lovely smoked turkey that my mom made!
Adam enjoying his corn on the cob with my Aunt Echo in the background.
My contribution was a potato salad and also these fresh basil biscuits. They were some simple baking powder biscuits with fresh, chopped basil mixed in.
Some yummy basil biscuits that I made.
My dad with his birthday cake. Kim made a delicious homemade angel food cake.
Kim made a wonderful, homemade angel food cake for the celebration that was topped with rice pudding and raspberries provided by family friends Sandy and Jim. Yum!!
My dad with his birthday cake. Kim made a delicious homemade angel food cake.
Swimming:
This past Saturday we had the fortune of being invited to go swimming at my cousin Helen's house. She has such a beautiful garden and a lovely house. We had fun touring her gardens as well as her home while we were there. What a treat! It was a lot of fun!
My aunt Echo, cousin Helen, mom and Adam by Helen's lovely pool.
Me with Adam in the pool. What fun we had!
Adam had a lot of fun "swimming" with help. He just loves the water and this was the perfect place for him to be! It was a bit of a cold morning so we had some delicious Mediterranean snacks by the pool as well as hot tea and coffee. Yum!
Me with Adam in the pool. What fun we had!
We hope to come back another day to visit Helen and swim in the pool together. Adam was so sad when he left he almost cried! He sure had the best time ever!
Berry Cobbler and Berry Crisp:
For a barbecue with friends on Saturday evening I made a berry cobbler and a crisp. I love these types of desserts in the summer!
For a barbecue with friends on Saturday evening I made a berry cobbler and a crisp. I love these types of desserts in the summer!
A triple berry cobbler that I made for a barbecue.
A gluten and dairy free triple berry crisp.
A gluten and dairy free triple berry crisp.
Triple Berry Cobbler/Crisp:
For this cobbler and crisp I used blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. I topped the cobbler with a scone topping and the crisp with a gluten free oatmeal-hazelnut topping.
For Cobbler or Berry Crisp Filling:
about 3 pints berries of your choice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2-2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
Crisp Topping: (this is the gluten free/dairy free version)
6 tablespoons brown rice flour
5 tablespoons rolled oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
5 tablespoons margarine or butter
3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
Scone Topping for Cobbler:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
11 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 cup mix in: dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, etc), chocolate chips, coconut, etc. (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly butter baking sheet or cover with a sheet of parchment paper.
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder together in a medium size bowl.
3. Cut in small chunks of butter with a fork or with a pastry blender. Blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the cream. Stir just until moist.
5. Transfer dough to a floured surface and gently knead until smooth, about 8 turns.
6. Make a large round out of the dough (enough to cover the berries in the cobbler dish. Brush the top with heavy cream sprinkle with sugar.
To Assemble:
-Heat the oven to 375F.
I used a pie plate for the berry cobbler and a casserole dish for the berry crisp but any glass or ceramic oven-proof dish will work. Mix the berry mixture together. Place the mixture into the pan or pans. Then, make the cobbler or crisp topping and top according to your taste.
-Then, bake for about 40 minutes. Make sure the filling is bubbling and the toppings are golden or crisp. If needed bake a few more minutes. Enjoy!!
For this cobbler and crisp I used blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. I topped the cobbler with a scone topping and the crisp with a gluten free oatmeal-hazelnut topping.
For Cobbler or Berry Crisp Filling:
about 3 pints berries of your choice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2-2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
Crisp Topping: (this is the gluten free/dairy free version)
6 tablespoons brown rice flour
5 tablespoons rolled oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
5 tablespoons margarine or butter
3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
Scone Topping for Cobbler:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
11 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 cup mix in: dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, etc), chocolate chips, coconut, etc. (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly butter baking sheet or cover with a sheet of parchment paper.
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder together in a medium size bowl.
3. Cut in small chunks of butter with a fork or with a pastry blender. Blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the cream. Stir just until moist.
5. Transfer dough to a floured surface and gently knead until smooth, about 8 turns.
6. Make a large round out of the dough (enough to cover the berries in the cobbler dish. Brush the top with heavy cream sprinkle with sugar.
To Assemble:
-Heat the oven to 375F.
I used a pie plate for the berry cobbler and a casserole dish for the berry crisp but any glass or ceramic oven-proof dish will work. Mix the berry mixture together. Place the mixture into the pan or pans. Then, make the cobbler or crisp topping and top according to your taste.
-Then, bake for about 40 minutes. Make sure the filling is bubbling and the toppings are golden or crisp. If needed bake a few more minutes. Enjoy!!
This Sunday after many weeks without baking bread I decided I wanted to get back into it with this new recipe. It is such a fabulous bread! It is very soft and like my husband Paul says the texture is like the inside of French bread which I love! It is delicious with butter on it and I've also enjoyed it with peanut butter or berry jam. Enjoy!
Corn Meal Bread Recipe:
This recipe is from my James Beard book "Beard on Bread". I just love his bread recipes!
1/2 cup cornmeal (I like to buy the whole grain Bob's Red Mill brand)
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup very warm tap water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup warm milk
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
4-4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1. Place 1 cup of boiling water into a small bowl. Add the cornmeal and salt and stir vigorously until it "cooks" and gets thick. (About 4 minutes)
2. Place this mixture into a large mixing bowl to cool.
3. Mix the yeast with the granulated sugar in a glass measuring cup or a small mixing bowl. Add the hot tap water and mix well. Let it stand about 5 minutes to proof. Then, pour this mixture into the mixing bowl with the cornmeal mixture. Mix well.
4. Add the warm milk salt, brown sugar. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.
5. When the mixture is well blended and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl turn out onto a floured surface to knead the dough.
6. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic- about 10-12 minutes.
7. Butter or oil a large, clean bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with the butter or oil on all sides. Cover the bowl and set it in a draft free, warm place to rise until double in bulk.
8. Punch the dough down and turn out onto a floured surface. Cut the dough in half and form into 2 loaves. Butter or oil 2 loaf pans. Then place the dough into the pans.
9, Cover the pans and let the dough rise until almost doubled in bulk.
10. Bake in a preheated 425F oven for 10 minutes. Then, lower the temperature to 350F and continue baking for 20-25 minutes, until the bread is nicely browned.
11. Let cool on racks before serving.
I love how this bread makes delicious toast in the morning as well as good bread for grilled cheese sandwiches, etc. Enjoy!
Peach Picking:
This Monday we decided to go peach picking. It was a lot of fun! We really enjoyed ourselves. It was also easier than berry picking with Adam on tow because I could pick a lot of peaches fairly quickly since they are large. By the time he was interested in running off I was almost done picking peaches. He also enjoyed eating a couple of peaches right off of the tree. Nothing could be better!! We went to Grossen Peaches in the Helvatia area of Hillsboro to pick peaches. It was their opening day for the first ripe peaches and we were lucky to be there! I am so glad that we made it!
Some of the first peaches of the season at Grossen Peaches in Hillsboro.
Adam about to bite into a peach. He sure loved it here!
Some of the peaches that I picked.
Adam running down a row at the peach orchard.
Adam about to bite into a peach. He sure loved it here!
Some of the peaches that I picked.
Adam running down a row at the peach orchard.
A queen Anne's lace flower near the peach orchard.
Adam had such fun exploring in this field by the peach orchard.
We had such a fun & busy week! We will have a lot to report next week too! Enjoy your summer and enjoy your day to the fullest!
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