Simon and Garfunkel Potatoes

Hello Gastronauts!

Happy Sunday !! Just wanted to share a quick recipe from this morning. I call it my Simon and Garfunkel potatoes. Why? Because I cook them with Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (duh!)

Just cut up a mixture of golden and red skinned potatoes into bite sized pieces. Transfer them to a medium sized pan and add your seasonings: salt, pepper, sage, rosemary, parsley and thyme. (I used all dry spices.) Add olive oil. Mix until all potatoes are evenly coated. Then heat on medium to high heat stirring so they do not burn. Cook until tender and the skins are crispy (as desired.) Serve with fresh rosemary sprinkled on top.

I served these up with some Dr. Ben Carson Fruit Salad of Your Life (oranges, pears, and apples mixed with agave syrup drizzled on top.)

ENJOY!

-Susannah

 

 

Passion Fruit and Lemon Pie Bars

HEY GUYS!

So our CSA gifted us some lovely passion fruit this week!

These bad boys are SO good! Usually we scoop out the sweet insides and put them into a cocktail, or plop it on top of ice cream. But this week I was inspired to do something a little bit more adventurous. I hope you like it!

Here is what you’ll need:

For the Crust:
8 oz unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups (9 oz) all-purpose flour

For the Filling:
5 large eggs
2 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups passion fruit puree (or combination of fruit – I used passion fruit, lemon juice, lemon zest, blackberries, and lavender syrup.)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

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To Make the Crust:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×13 pan with foil so that it extends up the sides, and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a bowl, (or mixer ) whisk together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt.

Once mixed, add the flour and stir with a spatula until combined and no streaks of flour remain.

Scrape the dough into the pan and press it into an even layer. It might seem a little greasy—this is normal.

** don’t worry, it doesn’t need to look pretty, you won’t see it in the end. Just be sure it’s as even and flat as possible.

Bake the crust for 25-30 minutes at 350 F, until it’s golden brown on top. While the crust is baking, prepare the filling so it’s ready to go as soon as the crust is done.

To Make the Filling:
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and fruit puree.

*note, if you are using fresh fruit, you need to make the puree. A blender or magic bullet will do this. Combine whichever fruit you like until you make 1 1/2 cups total. You can get creative by adding jelly, or flavored syrups etc.

^^ Look how beautiful those passion fruit are!

Sift the flour on top of the egg mixture, and whisk it in as well.

When the filling is done baking, slide the rack part-way out of the oven. Pour the filling over the hot crust and slide it back into the oven. Reduce the temperature to 325 F and bake for 30 minutes.

OOPS! I TOTALLY FORGOT TO PHOTOGRAPH THIS STEP!

But it is pretty self explanatory so I think you’ve got it!

As it cooks, the flour in the fruit and egg mixture will harden and make a mini top crust. It won’t be ask thick as your bottom crust, or even like traditional pie crust. To be sure it is done cooking, cut into it and see if the insides have hardened at all, if they pour out, it needs some more time in the oven.

Once done, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool until it reaches room temperature. For the cleanest cuts, refrigerate the bars and cut them when completely cold. The time in the fridge will also help the insides harden/firm.

The first time I cut into it, the insides were still way too oozy. Don’t freak out if this happens to you. I just put it back in for an additional 15 minutes and they were good.

To cut, remove the bars from the pan using the foil as handles.

Use a large sharp chef’s knife and wipe it off often between cuts. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar before serving. ( I also added some strawberry preserves on top!)

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Happy Eating!

SUSANNAH  

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BRUNCH ALERT – pancakes served with sweet cheese topping and blackberry-strawberry-pomegranate syrup.

Hello Fellow Foodies!

Who doesn’t love brunch? Since we were gifted with a 3-day weekend, I felt it only proper to celebrate with a fabulous brunch. This recipe turned out SO good and was SO easy to make. There is definite prep involved which lengthened the cook time, but in the end it was very worth it.

FIRST- pick your breakfast/brunch item of choice: i.e. pancakes, waffles, french toast, crepes, etc…

If you are going to buy them already made, great! If you’re going to make them on your own, I suggest making them last so they can be served hot.

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Let’s get to our TOPPINGS!

SYRUP – the idea of homemade syrup can be daunting, but don’t let it be! It’s really easy.

Ingredients- fresh fruit of your choice (no citrus), granulated sugar, any juice, honey OR simple syrup.

ONE – slice fresh fruit into smallish pieces. They don’t have to be minced, chopped is fine, just small enough that they will break down during the cooking process. I used strawberries and blackberries. Place cut fruit into medium sized sauce pan. If you are using a juicy fruit – like I was with the blackberries- squeeze/smush them a bit.

TWO – add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/2 cup juice (I used orange juice), and honey or syrup to the pot. I used a pomegranate simple syrup – you know the kind you use to make fancy sodas or badass cocktails? (SEE BELOW) If you do not have this on hand you can easily substitute a honey or agave.

THREE – cook on medium heat until the mixture has reduced to the desired texture. Stir occasionally so it does not burn to the bottom of the pot. I left this on for about 25 minutes while I cooked the rest of the meal. Remove from heat at least 5 minutes before serving so that it may cool and “firm” up.

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SWEET CHEESE – this sweet cheese can be made in a variety of ways and can be used as a topping or put inside a crepe to make blintz!

Ingredients – cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla, cream.

ONE – Pick your cheese. You can use ricotta, mascarpone, cream cheese, or a mixture of any of these. I only had cream cheese on hand so that’s what I used. In a bowl mix 4 tablespoons of cheese, 1/2 table spoon of granulated sugar, 4 drops of vanilla extract, and 3 tablespoons cream – if you do not have cream on hand you can use half and half – I did and it turned out great. Mix with a spoon until all ingredients are evenly mixed.

TWO – Use whisk (a small whisk is preferable) to whip mixture into more “spreadable” consistency. This took approximately 5 minutes.

THREE – Place uncovered in refrigerator.

— At this point you are ready to make your pancakes, waffles etc. The cheese should chill the entire time you are cooking these. Remove cheese mixture from refrigerator 5 minutes before serving so that it can come to room temperature. —

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Now you’re ready to put it all together! First spread a spoonful of the cheese mixture, then the syrup. Then add fresh fruit, mint, and some powdered sugar to garnish!

I read on a cooking blog recently that you’re not supposed to garnish with anything not in your actual meal, but I think that’s absurd! So garnish away!

Serves 2.

ENJOY!

-SUSANNAH