Sweet Pea Tendril Salad

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Our local farmers markets are packed of wonderful produce this time of the year. This week I bought sweet corn, super sweet orange cherry tomatoes, peppers, beets, cantaloupe, and peaches. I can't help it. When I get to the farmers market I just go a little crazy and want to buy some of everything. This week I also found pea tendrils, also called pea shoots, from one of our local farmers. Pea tendrils are the are the young leaves and shoots of the pea plant. If you've never tried pea tendrils, they are delicious. I think they taste like fresh peas crossed with spinach. You can use them in  much the same way as you would use spinach. They can be sauteed, tossed into pasta, or eaten raw in a salad.
I used the pea tendrils and several of my farmers market purchases, along with some grilled shrimp I had leftover from the night before, to make this delicious salad. I used only pea tendrils for this salad but if you like, you could also mix the pea tendrils with other salad greens.

Sweet Pea Tendril Salad with Grilled Shrimp and Corn
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side salad
(printable recipe)
For the salad:
2 cups tender sweet pea tendrils or a mixture of lettuces and pea tendrils
A handful of fresh cherry tomatoes, I used tiny sweet orange tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the corn:
2-3 ears of fresh sweet corn cut from the cob
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. curry powder (optional)
freshly ground black pepper

Remove the husks and the silk from the corn and cut the kernels off as close to the cob as possible without cutting into the cob. Melt the butter in a large, heavy saute pan. Add the corn, salt, pepper and curry powder, if using. Saute uncovered on medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.

Lemon Vinaigrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Gently stir the ingredients together, do not emulsify.

I used this recipe for Margarita Grilled Shrimp. I made the shrimp the night before and had it leftover. I put them on the salad cold but they would be great right off the grill on top of this salad. (If don't want to go to the trouble of grilling the shrimp, you could substitute steamed shrimp.)

Place pea tendrils in a serving bowl or divide onto individual plates. Add the tomatoes and sauteed corn and grilled shrimp and drizzle the lemon vinaigrette over the salad.

Shop at the farmers market! You not only support your local growers but you also get to eat some really tasty food.

Making do

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As a reader of this blog, you only see the things I post. You know the things that turn out great, taste wonderful, in short, the Martha Stewart perfect life. I'll let you in on a little secret, not everything is perfect in my world. Shocking, right? Here's a glimpse into the, less than Martha, part of my life.  
I have plenty of cool kitchen gadgets/equipment but there are many times I don't have the special equipment needed to make a recipe. So when that happens I  just try to make do and make it work!

I know, they make racks hang your fresh pasta on to dry but I don't have a fancy schmancy pasta drying rack. This is how we dry our fresh pasta!

Yup, a rolling pin between two chairs. Hey it works, and that's just how we roll. ( I couldn't resist...) The best part of this contraption is there's no extra piece of equipment to store when I'm not using it.  I love using things I already have, for other purposes. How do you make do in your kitchen? I'd love to hear your ideas/suggestions!!!

Chocolate Banana Bread

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Move over plain ole banana bread, you've been replaced! Traditional banana bread is good enough but if you're a chocolate lover like me I'm sure you'll agree, chocolate makes everything better! In this case, I think chocolate makes it much better.

Most of the time when I bake with bananas it's to use up ones that have gotten overly ripe and started turning black. Not so, this time. When I came across this recipe from Savory Sweet Life, I intentionally bought overripe bananas just so I could make this banana bread. I was not disappointed. It reminded me of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream, but in bread form.  Moist, chocolaty, not too sweet, this bread will have you hoping you've let your bananas get overripe!

Although it's completely unnecessary, I highly suggest serving this bread topped with a large dollop of Nutella.

Chocolate Banana Bread
source: Alice, Savory Sweet Life June 18, 2009 (adapted)
(printable recipe)
Ingredients:
1 stick of salted butter, softened to room temp.
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 large ripened bananas, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. espresso powder
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbl. cocoa powder
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

Method:
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan, or 2 mini pans with non-stick baking spray. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Stir in egg, mashed bananas, sour cream, espresso powder, and vanilla until well blended. Add baking soda, cocoa, and flour. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using). 
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes – 1 hr for the 9x5 loaf pan or 35 to 40 minutes for the mini loaf pans. Insert a tooth pick into the center of the loaf and check to see if it comes out clean.
Remove from heat and allow bread to cool for 10 minutes. Invert the loaf pans onto a cooling rack. Great served warm, topped with Nutella.

On second thought, I feel the Nutella is a totally necessary part of this bread!

Hydrangea Cupcake Bouquet Tutorial

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I made this Hydrangea cupcake bouquet a couple of years ago to give as a gift to a friend for her birthday. I've been asked about how it's made many times and have finally gotten around to posting this tutorial. It's fairly simple to do but very impressive when finished. 

To make one small cupcake bouquet, you will need:

4-6 vanilla cupcakes

1 recipe (2-3 cups) buttercream frosting (you can use any type buttercream frosting you prefer. I used this recipe)

Violet or purple food coloring. The gel type icing coloring works best.

Pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. 

Container for your bouquet

Floral oasis or foam cut to fit the into your container

toothpicks

5-10 pieces of tissue paper cut into 4-5 inch squares

 

Add the violet food coloring to the buttercream but don't blend it in completely. Let some of the icing be darker and even leave some white bits. This will make your hydrangeas look variegated and more realistic. 

I used the Wilton 1M star tip. This is my go to decorating tip. I use it all the time!

Fill your pastry bag with the violet frosting and pipe stars all over the top of the cupcake. Pipe the stars very close together so that you cover the entire top of the cupcake.

I found these cute metal buckets for $1.00 at Target ! Small terracotta pots or any small flower pots work well too. Cut your floral foam to fit into your container. If you have a wide topped pot/container you may have to extra pieces to fit down into the sides. It doesn't have to fit perfectly, just make sure you have enough oasis to support your cupcakes.

Poke 2-3 toothpicks into the bottoms of you cupcakes. Two toothpicks usually does the job, but occasionally I need three to keep the cupcake in place.

Stick the tooth-picked cupcakes into the oasis in your container. Place the cupcakes as close together as possible. Fitting as many as possible around the top of the container. this will vary on the size of your cupcakes and the container you choose. I could fit 4 cupcakes on this bouquet. Don't worry that there are gaps where you can see the oasis. You will be hiding these with the tissue paper.

Grasp the tissue paper in the center of each square and twist. This will form your tissue paper "leaves". Going around the bouquet add the pieces of tissue paper anywhere you have a gap. I stick the pieces all around the edges and usually one on top. If you have a piece that won't stay in place you can secure it with a toothpick.

Voila, an edible bouquet, a great gift for almost anyone!

Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies...

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or should I call them pop tarts?

I made these little cuties yesterday. After dinner last night, hubs grabbed one, asking mid-bite what it was he was eating. While I was saying, those are strawberry rhubarb hand pies, he says, "Oh my God those are the best pop tarts EVER."
No matter how much we begged, my mother refused to buy us pop tarts when we were kids. She said they were "all sugar, junk food". Whenever we asked for things like, sugary cereals, pop tarts, pretty much any prepackaged sweet, Mom would say no. She usually followed the "No" with, "You'd be better off eating the cardboard it came in." Don't feel too sorry for me. Mom did not withhold sweets from us. I didn't realize till I was much older that we were quite spoiled, in fact. She baked something from scratch nearly every day. The sweets in my lunch bag were the envy of all those around me at school lunch table! But as a kid, I always assumed my parents were withholding something wonderful, just to torture me.  I think I was in middle school or possibly high school when I ate my first pop tart at a friends home. I remember opening the foil package, thinking, "this is going to be awesome!" Wow, was I disappointed. I didn't even eat the whole thing. Mom was right, I'd have been better off eating the cardboard box it came in.
It didn't occur to me while I was making these hand pies, but they are very similar to a pop tart, sweet pastry with a fruit filling. Cut them out in rectangles and you've got the best pop tart ever!
Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies/Pop Tart
(Printable recipe) 
source: Southern Living May 2011
Yields about 2 dozen

Ingredients:   
For the filling
3/4 cup finely diced fresh strawberries
3/4 cup finely diced rhubarb
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest

For the crust:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup butter, cold
1/4 cup shortening, chilled
3 tablespoons ice-cold water
3 tablespoons orange juice
Parchment paper
1 egg yolk, beaten

Method:
Combine strawberries, rhubarb, cornstarch, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp. orange zest in a small bowl.

Preheat oven to 375°. Combine flour, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in orange zest. Drizzle with ice-cold water and orange juice. Stir with a fork until combined. (Mixture will be crumbly and dry.) Knead mixture lightly, and shape dough into a disk. Divide dough in half. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Roll half of dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a heavily floured surface.

Cut with a 2 1/4-inch round cutter, rerolling scraps as needed. Place half of dough rounds 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Top with 1 rounded teaspoonful strawberry mixture (Don't overfill or your pies will not stay together). Dampen edges of dough with water, and top with remaining dough rounds, pressing edges to seal. Crimp edges with a fork, and cut a slit in top of each round for steam to escape. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and strawberry mixture.
Stir together egg yolk and cream; brush pies with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar. Freeze pies 10 minutes.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days. 

I know another strawberry/rhubarb recipe. In my defense, they are both in season in Spring and I look forward to strawberries and rhubarb all year! When I saw this recipe in Southern Living I knew I'd be making it as soon as possible. I loved the idea of little pies. Pie filling encased in flaky buttery pie crust. The best part, you can pick it up and take it with you! So much more portable than a regular pie. Perfect for lunch boxes or picnics.

Pineapple Upside Down Bundtlets

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Pineapple upside-down cake is one of my childhood favorite desserts, as I mentioned when I made this apricot upside-down cake. Today when I had some leftover pineapple I needed to use up, pineapple upside-down cake came to mind immediately. Instead of making the cake in my cast iron skillet like I usually would, I thought I try making it in these cute little bundt pans I bought a while back. I bought these mini bundt pans a couple of years ago, mostly because I had never seen small bundt pans before and I thought, "How cute, baby bundts!" Yes, I buy bake ware based on looks sometimes, shallow, I know. Anyway because the pans are cute, and I love making individual sized desserts (also for the cute factor), I decided try using them for this cake. The mini bundt pans, made the perfect, individual, pineapple upside-down bundtlets.

 Little baby bundtlets, adorable!

Pineapple Upside Down Bundtlets  
(printable recipe)

Yields 6 one cup mini bundts
Ingredients:

For the topping
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 8 ounce can of pineapple slices, drained. Reserve juice.
1/4 cup pecan pieces

For the cake
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
reserved pineapple juice and milk to equal 1/2 cup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 maraschino cherries (Optional, for garnish)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 6 one cup capacity mini bundt cake pan(s) with non stick cooking spray. You can also use the the super mini bundt mold pans or a muffin tin but will have to your adjust cooking time.
For the topping:
Melt the butter in a small glass bowl. Stir in the brown sugar and place bowl in the microwave. Heat for about 30 seconds on high heat just until the sugar melts. Spoon brown sugar evenly into the mini bundt pan molds.
Sprinkle the nuts over the brown sugar mixture, dividing them evenly between each bundt mold
Place one pineapple ring in each mini bundt pan. Depending on the size of your bundt molds, you may have to cut the pineapple rings to fit. 

For the cake batter:
Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and beat well.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add about one-third of the flour
mixture to the sugar and egg mixture, then one-half of the juice and milk mixture and mix
together. Repeat until the flour and juice mixtures are mixed into the batter. Add the vanilla. Blend until smooth. Pour the batter over the pineapple dividing it evenly into each bundt cake mold. Place bundt pan(s) on a baking sheet to catch any overflow while baking. Bake 25 to 28 minutes, less (about 15 minutes) if you have the really mini sized bundt mold pans, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes. To remove the cakes from the pan, place a sheet of wax paper or
foil over the top of the pan. Place a wire rack face down on top of foil, flip over, and let sit
a few seconds. Lift off the pan. The cakes should remain on the foil or waxed paper.
You may have to spoon some of the nuts and sugar back onto the cakes.
Slice the cherries in half. Place half of a cherry in the middle of each mini bundt cake.

I've noticed recently that mini bundts are suddenly everywhere. I bought these individual 1 cup capacity pans a few years ago. At that time these were the only mini bundts I had seen, but now there are lots of different pans to chose from. You can use any mini bundt pan you have for this recipe, but your cooking times can vary widely.

You can find these pans here

I love my individual bundtlet pans, but I've got my eye on this pan

Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

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I know I've mentioned before that my father side of the family is Pennsylvania Dutch Mennonite.  Although I'm not a practicing Mennonite and wasn't raised as one, most of the rest of my father's side of the family are still Mennonite. Because of this the Mennonite culture has had a huge impact on who I am. Much of the culture in just ingrained in my soul. Especially when it come to food and feeding people. It's nearly impossible for me to cook for less than six people, no matter how hard I try. I also inherited my inability to dance or play sports from the Mennonite side of my family, but that's another story. Back to the food stuff, Mennonites (at least the one I know) have a love affair with gravies, sauces, relishes, etc. Gravy is so sacred in my family, it's practically its own food group. I don't remember not knowing how to make gravy. Then there's applesauce. Also nearly a food group. Applesauce is more or less a condiment in my family.  It was almost always on my grandmother's table. As a child, I thought everyone dipped their potato chips in applesauce or poured it on top of their coffee cake. So not surprisingly, I too love a good sauce.

Anyway, both my grandmother and my mother, who is not Mennonite but cooks like one, instilled the love of rhubarb in me at a very young age. I look forward with great anticipation to the arrival of rhubarb every spring. Even if you think you don't care for rhubarb, I'm telling you this sauce will change your mind! It's amazing on ice cream, mixed into plain yogurt, poured over a slice of pound cake, smeared on hot buttered pancakes... Hungry yet? 

Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce
(Printable Recipe)
Ingredients:
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar, depending on desired sweetness
1/3 cup water
1 pound rhubarb stalks, diced
1 quart strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Method:
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat combine sugar and water. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add rhubarb and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until very tender. Add strawberries and lemon juice and simmer for 10 minutes more. Allow mixture to cool slightly before serving. It's great served warm or cold.

The perfect balance of sweet and tart!