Adam smiling right beside "Jack" the pumpkin he helped carve and decorate.We have had another very busy week and we have been so lucky to still have some lovely, sunny days this fall. I have been battling a headache most likely to do with seasonal allergies for the past few days. I still enjoyed doing some cooking and baking and I'm looking forward to feeling 100% very soon so that I can enjoy more fall activities!
Suburban Garden:
Adam and I got outside the other day and enjoyed a sunny fall day. It was wonderful to see that some flowers are still thriving even in the cooler weather. I need to make some time soon to do a another garden cleanup before the cold, wet winter season sets in. By the photos below you can see what Adam and I saw on our afternoon outside.
The begonias in the side yard are still blooming!
Adam by our neighbor's yard. He was building "creeks" with the rocks.
Curly, crunchy dried leaves in our front yard.
This pretty perennial is still blooming and growing strong in our side yard!
Country Garden:
A lovely bloom of Echinacea in the country garden.
Cooking:
Even though I am still recovering and getting over having a headache for a few days I did enjoy cooking a bit this week. I look forward to more soups, stews and baked goods next week as well! I love how warm soups make you feel so at home in the cold evenings during the fall season. I have noticed that my meal planning for only four meals a week has really paid off. Our grocery bills are much lower and we are eating varied, healthy and delicious meals! Another benefit of meal planning is it causes me to check the freezer, pantry and refrigerator much more often for the items I have on hand. Thus, I don't tend to overbuy foods that we already have. Also, every Wednesday when I do my meal planning I also do a quick refrigerator clean out so everything is clean, neat and organized and I can see what I have and what I need to buy to prepare next week's meals. Here are some of the recipes for meals we enjoyed this past week:
Locro de Papas (Potato Soup):
This is another one of my beloved recipe clippings from Gourmet magazine. It is a very simple, comforting soup for cold fall evenings!
An amazing and cozy potato-cheese soup from Ecuador.
2 teaspoons annatto (achiote) seeds- you can find these in Mexican grocery stores or in some international sections.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
1 chopped white onion
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
7 cups water
1 cup whole milk
1 1/4 cups queso fresco or feta cheese
sliced avocados to top soup (optional)
1. Heat annatto seeds and oil in a very small saucepan over low heat, swirling pan frequently, until oil is bright red-orange and starts to simmer, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 3/4 inch pieces.
3. Pour annatto oil through a fine mesh sieve into a wide 7 to 8 quart heavy pot, discarding solids. Cook onion and half of potatoes (reserve remaining potatoes in a bowl of cold water) in annatto oil over moderately high heat, stirring until onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cumin, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring 1 minute. Add water (7 cups) and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are very tender, 25 to 30 minutes, then mash into broth.
4. Drain remaining potatoes and add to stew, then simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in milk and cheese and increase heat to high then bring to a simmer, stirring. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
Serve, topped with avocados if desired. Enjoy!
Squash Spoon Bread:
This recipe was in last month's Southern Living magazine. I halved the recipe which still made plenty of spoon bread to go with the soup. I think next I will add a bit of honey for sweetness but it was delicious all the same. It was a lot like a corn pudding. The original large recipe follows. The only change I made was to add a bit of honey for sweetness. This bread went well with the potato stew.
The squash spoon bread I made from some locally grown squash.
2 cups buttermilk
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups pureed squash (I roasted, pureed and let the water drain out of 1 medium squash)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup whole grain cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons honey
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Cook buttermilk in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often, 4 to 6 minutes or until bubbles appear around edges (do not boil); remove from heat. The mixture may curdle and this is okay.
2. Lightly beat egg yolks in a large bowl; stir in squash and cheese. Combine cornmeal and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Stir cornmeal mixture into squash mixture. Pour warm buttermilk over squash mixture; whisk until smooth. Let stand 15 minutes or until lukewarm.
3. Brush a 2 1/2 to 3 quart baking dish or 12 inch cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon melted butter, stir remaining melted butter and honey into squash mixture.
4. Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold into squash mixture. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
5. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until top is golden and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Chicken Tortellini Soup:
I got this recipe from the "Grandma's Kitchen" recipe book that my dear friend Carol gave me. I changed the recipe just a little bit by sauteing the vegetables and adding a few more herbs.
This chicken soup is perfect for a crisp fall day!
One 3-4 pound chicken, cooked and cut up into bite size chunks (save some of the skin to add to the soup for flavor to be taken out later)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 stalk celery chopped fine
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
6 cups chicken broth
7 ounces of fresh rainbow cheese tortellini, uncooked
1 teaspoon each of rosemary, basil and oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1. Roast the chicken as you like. I roasted mine by basting it with melted butter, then sprinkling it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, basil and rosemary.
2. Heat a 6-8 quart soup pot or dutch oven on medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan.
3. Saute the onion, carrot, garlic and celery until the onion is slightly browned.
4. Add the chicken broth, chicken (along with some of the skin & the wings for flavor), herbs, salt, pepper and tortellini.
5. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 8-10 minutes or until pasta is cooked according to the package directions.
Before serving, remove the chicken skin & wings. This is a fabulous soup! Enjoy!
Adam helping baste the chicken with butter. He really enjoyed helping! He also loved pushing the picking out the herbs, sprinkling them on and pushing the buttons on the oven! He's a little chef!
Fall Oatmeal & Fruit Cookies:
This is a recipe that I clipped out of the Oregonian newspaper quite some time ago. I changed the soaking liquid for the raisins as well as switching in some other dried fruits but the recipe is mainly the same. It is a lovely, chewy fall cookie!
These soft, chewy cookies are full of fruit and brown sugar flavor!
Adam and I got outside the other day and enjoyed a sunny fall day. It was wonderful to see that some flowers are still thriving even in the cooler weather. I need to make some time soon to do a another garden cleanup before the cold, wet winter season sets in. By the photos below you can see what Adam and I saw on our afternoon outside.
The begonias in the side yard are still blooming! 
Adam by our neighbor's yard. He was building "creeks" with the rocks. 
Curly, crunchy dried leaves in our front yard.
This pretty perennial is still blooming and growing strong in our side yard!Country Garden:
A lovely bloom of Echinacea in the country garden.It is harvest time in the country garden! Last weekend my mom said that they did all of the harvesting and got a lot out of the garden. They worked very, very hard to get so much good out of the garden and the orchard. It is amazing! Here is what they harvested & made:
- 25 gallons of apple cider and 5 extra gallons to make hard apple cider with were pressed and processed.
-300 pounds of Bosc pears and 60-70 pounds of Camise pears.
-126 pounds of potatoes are washed and put away in storage.
-4 quarts of grape juice were made.
-3 gallons of tomatillos were harvested.
-1 gallon of cracked, dried hazelnuts were harvested.
As well as all of this the remaining tomatoes were harvested and are going to be wrapped and put away to ripen. Also, corn, cabbages, 3 heads of cauliflower, lima beans, carrots, and turnips were harvested.
Out of the remaining ripe tomatoes my mom also made and canned some tomato soup. This was a huge amount of hard work! It is astounding what my folks have been able to get out of the garden and orchard. How wonderful! I am so glad they were able to get all of this just in time before the frosts started. They will enjoy the bounty throughout the winter! Hooray!
- 25 gallons of apple cider and 5 extra gallons to make hard apple cider with were pressed and processed.
-300 pounds of Bosc pears and 60-70 pounds of Camise pears.
-126 pounds of potatoes are washed and put away in storage.
-4 quarts of grape juice were made.
-3 gallons of tomatillos were harvested.
-1 gallon of cracked, dried hazelnuts were harvested.
As well as all of this the remaining tomatoes were harvested and are going to be wrapped and put away to ripen. Also, corn, cabbages, 3 heads of cauliflower, lima beans, carrots, and turnips were harvested.
Out of the remaining ripe tomatoes my mom also made and canned some tomato soup. This was a huge amount of hard work! It is astounding what my folks have been able to get out of the garden and orchard. How wonderful! I am so glad they were able to get all of this just in time before the frosts started. They will enjoy the bounty throughout the winter! Hooray!
Cooking:
Even though I am still recovering and getting over having a headache for a few days I did enjoy cooking a bit this week. I look forward to more soups, stews and baked goods next week as well! I love how warm soups make you feel so at home in the cold evenings during the fall season. I have noticed that my meal planning for only four meals a week has really paid off. Our grocery bills are much lower and we are eating varied, healthy and delicious meals! Another benefit of meal planning is it causes me to check the freezer, pantry and refrigerator much more often for the items I have on hand. Thus, I don't tend to overbuy foods that we already have. Also, every Wednesday when I do my meal planning I also do a quick refrigerator clean out so everything is clean, neat and organized and I can see what I have and what I need to buy to prepare next week's meals. Here are some of the recipes for meals we enjoyed this past week:
Locro de Papas (Potato Soup):
This is another one of my beloved recipe clippings from Gourmet magazine. It is a very simple, comforting soup for cold fall evenings!
An amazing and cozy potato-cheese soup from Ecuador. 2 teaspoons annatto (achiote) seeds- you can find these in Mexican grocery stores or in some international sections.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
1 chopped white onion
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
7 cups water
1 cup whole milk
1 1/4 cups queso fresco or feta cheese
sliced avocados to top soup (optional)
1. Heat annatto seeds and oil in a very small saucepan over low heat, swirling pan frequently, until oil is bright red-orange and starts to simmer, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 3/4 inch pieces.
3. Pour annatto oil through a fine mesh sieve into a wide 7 to 8 quart heavy pot, discarding solids. Cook onion and half of potatoes (reserve remaining potatoes in a bowl of cold water) in annatto oil over moderately high heat, stirring until onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cumin, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring 1 minute. Add water (7 cups) and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are very tender, 25 to 30 minutes, then mash into broth.
4. Drain remaining potatoes and add to stew, then simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in milk and cheese and increase heat to high then bring to a simmer, stirring. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
Serve, topped with avocados if desired. Enjoy!
Squash Spoon Bread:
This recipe was in last month's Southern Living magazine. I halved the recipe which still made plenty of spoon bread to go with the soup. I think next I will add a bit of honey for sweetness but it was delicious all the same. It was a lot like a corn pudding. The original large recipe follows. The only change I made was to add a bit of honey for sweetness. This bread went well with the potato stew.
The squash spoon bread I made from some locally grown squash.2 cups buttermilk
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups pureed squash (I roasted, pureed and let the water drain out of 1 medium squash)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup whole grain cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons honey
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Cook buttermilk in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often, 4 to 6 minutes or until bubbles appear around edges (do not boil); remove from heat. The mixture may curdle and this is okay.
2. Lightly beat egg yolks in a large bowl; stir in squash and cheese. Combine cornmeal and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Stir cornmeal mixture into squash mixture. Pour warm buttermilk over squash mixture; whisk until smooth. Let stand 15 minutes or until lukewarm.
3. Brush a 2 1/2 to 3 quart baking dish or 12 inch cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon melted butter, stir remaining melted butter and honey into squash mixture.
4. Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold into squash mixture. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
5. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until top is golden and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Chicken Tortellini Soup:
I got this recipe from the "Grandma's Kitchen" recipe book that my dear friend Carol gave me. I changed the recipe just a little bit by sauteing the vegetables and adding a few more herbs.
This chicken soup is perfect for a crisp fall day!One 3-4 pound chicken, cooked and cut up into bite size chunks (save some of the skin to add to the soup for flavor to be taken out later)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 stalk celery chopped fine
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
6 cups chicken broth
7 ounces of fresh rainbow cheese tortellini, uncooked
1 teaspoon each of rosemary, basil and oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1. Roast the chicken as you like. I roasted mine by basting it with melted butter, then sprinkling it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, basil and rosemary.
2. Heat a 6-8 quart soup pot or dutch oven on medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan.
3. Saute the onion, carrot, garlic and celery until the onion is slightly browned.
4. Add the chicken broth, chicken (along with some of the skin & the wings for flavor), herbs, salt, pepper and tortellini.
5. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 8-10 minutes or until pasta is cooked according to the package directions.
Before serving, remove the chicken skin & wings. This is a fabulous soup! Enjoy!
Adam helping baste the chicken with butter. He really enjoyed helping! He also loved pushing the picking out the herbs, sprinkling them on and pushing the buttons on the oven! He's a little chef!
Fall Oatmeal & Fruit Cookies:
This is a recipe that I clipped out of the Oregonian newspaper quite some time ago. I changed the soaking liquid for the raisins as well as switching in some other dried fruits but the recipe is mainly the same. It is a lovely, chewy fall cookie!
These soft, chewy cookies are full of fruit and brown sugar flavor!Filling:
2 cups raisins
1/4 cup rum and 3/4 cup apple juice or apple cider (or 1 cup red wine)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 small tart apple, peeled, cored and chopped fine
1/2 cup chopped dried plums
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
grated peel of 1 small lemon
juice from 1 small lemon
Cookies:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of raisin-fruit filling
To make filling:
-Soak the raisins in your liquid of choice overnight, if possible, or for at least 2 hours. Put the raisins and the liquid in a saucepan. Add the remaining filling ingredients and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed. Set aside to cool. Makes 4 cups (use the extra for more cookies or other uses)
To make dough:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the oatmeal and whisk again until blended; set aside.
2. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer set on low speed beat the butter until creamy, about 30 seconds.
2 cups raisins
1/4 cup rum and 3/4 cup apple juice or apple cider (or 1 cup red wine)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 small tart apple, peeled, cored and chopped fine
1/2 cup chopped dried plums
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
grated peel of 1 small lemon
juice from 1 small lemon
Cookies:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of raisin-fruit filling
To make filling:
-Soak the raisins in your liquid of choice overnight, if possible, or for at least 2 hours. Put the raisins and the liquid in a saucepan. Add the remaining filling ingredients and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed. Set aside to cool. Makes 4 cups (use the extra for more cookies or other uses)
To make dough:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the oatmeal and whisk again until blended; set aside.
2. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer set on low speed beat the butter until creamy, about 30 seconds.
4. Slowly add the oatmeal mixture, beating on low speed until blended. The dough will be very sticky**.
5. Spoon up (or pinch up with your fingers depending on the consistency of your dough) ping-pong ball sized pieces of dough and drop onto the cookie sheets. Arrange on the sheet 2 1/2 inches apart. Lightly dip your fingers in water and flatten the cookies to about 3/4 inch thick.
6.Bake until tops are just golden, about 14 minutes.
7. Let the cookies cool a bit on the baking sheets before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat with remaining dough.
Enjoy!
**A note: I realize that my fruit filling may have been "wetter" than it was supposed to be so my cookie dough was very sticky. Thus, my cookies spread out a lot too. They were still extremely delicious and chewy! Next time I might cook the filling a bit longer to get rid of more of the liquid.
Enjoy these lovely fall days. I know that I will!
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2 comments:
I am impressed with the harvest!!! The potato soup recipe and the oatmeal cookie recipe are definitely ones I want to try. Wonderful pictures and Adam looks so cute with his pumpkin. Looking forward to Halloween costume photos.
Love, Aunt Echo
Thank you so much Aunt Echo. My mom is incredible- I am so amazed at how much she harvested! Wow! So glad you will try the potato soup and the oatmeal cookies. They are yummy! Yes, I love Adam's photo with the pumpkin, what a genuine smile! Thanks again!
Love,
Trista
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