Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemons seem appropriate on this blog, although I'm not sure about lemon pie!

However, Joey of Moore Pigs at Fernandina Market gave us these wonderful lemons from his tree last week.  Pie was the first thing that popped into my mind.  Oh, how delicious!

My Favorite Pie Crust

~Makes about 3 crusts~

2 cups flour

1 cup butter Crisco

1/2 cup water

1 Tablespoon sugar

dash of salt

dash of baking powder

Whisk flour, sugar, salt & baking powder.  Cut in Crisco with a pastry blender.  Stir in water with rubber spatula.  Dough is extremely sticky.  Divide in half and wrap each half loosely in waxed paper.  Put in freezer to chill a bit.  Flour a pastry cloth generously (if you don't have a pastry cloth go buy one!! It makes pie crust 400% easier).  Roll out dough bigger than pie pan.  Picking up pastry cloth by two adjoining corners, fold crust in half.  Using the same method, fold again making the pastry a quarter size.  This transfers & unfolds easily in the pie pan.  Trim edge and flute.  Prick bottom & sides for this baked pie crust. Bake 475 F for about 8-10 minutes, until brown.  Cool on wire rack. This is one of those recipes where I wish I could 'demonstrate' instead of write down!

**** I cut the recipe in half for this pie.  It made one 9" pie crust and then I froze a little personal crust for Freddie for later -- he's happy! ****

Lemon Meringue Pie

(My Friend: Betty Crocker!)

Baked Pie Crust

3 large egg yolks

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1-1/2 cups water

3 Tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1/2 cup lemon juice

Heat oven to 400 F. Beat egg yolks with fork in small bowl.  Mix sugar & cornstarch in saucepan.  Gradually stir in water.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens & boils.  Boil & stir 1 minute.  Immediately stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks; stir back into hot mixture in saucepan.  Boil & stir 1 minute; remove from heat.  Stir in butter, lemon peel & lemon juice.  Pour into pie crust.  Prepare Meringue (see below) & spoon onto pie filling, sealing edges firmly.  Use back of spoon to make peaks.  Bake 8-12 minutes or until meringue is light brown.  Cool.  Cover & refrigerate cooled pie until serving.

Meringue

3 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

6 heaping tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg whites & cream of tartar in medium bowl with  electric mixer on high speed until foamy.  Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff & glossy.  Do not under beat.  Beat in vanilla.

*** Next time, I will 1-1/2 this recipe.  I think the pie would have been prettier with more meringue.***

Jerk Shrimp & Quinoa Salad

This is hands-down one of Freddie & my favorite dishes!

Our only complaint is that it is over so quickly!!

This recipe comes from www.iowagirleats.com with a few personal adaptions.

Jerk Seasoning Blend:

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon allspice

Jerk Shrimp & Quinoa:

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed very well

1-1/4 cups chicken broth

1-1/2 lb peeled & de-veined shrimp

1 recipe of Jerk Seasoning Blend (see above)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 to 1-1/2 cup of chopped fruit (see note below)

4 green onions, chopped

2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

Quinoa Dressing:

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons orange juice (or reserved pineapple juice)

Combine rinsed quinoa & broth in a pot.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer covered on low heat until all the broth has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. (Or use a rice cooker -- easy!)  Spread the quinoa out onto a big plate to cool.  (I usually do this step at lunch if I'm having it for supper.)

Combine cooled quinoa with chopped fruit, green onions & cilantro.  Whisk dressing & pour on top of the quinoa.  Toss & chill while preparing the shrimp.

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.  Place in large bowl.  Add olive oil & Jerk Seasoning blend.  Toss to coat.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Spray with non-stick spray, then cook shrimp for 1-2 minutes a side, or until cooked through.  (Enjoy the aroma ~ it will draw the household to the kitchen!)

Serve plates with shrimp on top of the quinoa.

NOTE: I have used a variety of fruits, usually what I have on hand -- definitely involve citrus.  I always use mandarin oranges & pineapple.  However, I limit the pineapple because of the acid.  Strawberries are a beautiful addition when available.  Grapes are nice & I have used kiwi, as well.  Be creative - but don't forget the mandarin oranges & pineapple!

Fruit Wash-up

Well, I'm back to cooking (clap for Freddie)!  I was given several new recipes from our customers the past couple weeks so I'm excited to try them & then share them here.  Meanwhile, I stumbled on this fruit wash-up on Pinterest.  The idea & picture originally came from www.aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com (a very interesting blog that I am enjoying).

Last week after returning from the grocery, I cleaned my kitchen sink and filled it with water and one cup of white vinegar.  In went all the fruit, which included apples, grapes, grapefruit, oranges & lemons.  After letting them soak a while (she suggests 10 minutes but I think mine were forsaken for a little longer than that), I rinsed and dried each off.  The residue in the water was most alarming!  The best part was that my "fruit" drawer in the refrigerator was full of items that we could take out and immediately sink our teeth into.  Perhaps I need to get as wise with my vegetables now!

A Perfect Gift -- and not just another cookbook!

A special friend of mine gifted me this cookbook when I was about 30 years old.  Up until this time, I had not needed to have any cooking expertise (I escaped it that long :).  I always said I didn't enjoy cooking but I realize in hindsight that it was simply because I didn't know how.  I read this book from front to back.  It is most interesting (even for the experienced cook), starting with giving a list of the essential equipment & tools of any kitchen, a list of the three basic knives, etc.  One particular section that I love is the vegetable pages.  The book takes one vegetable per page teaching you how to buy & prepare it and ways to it cook (with times!).  I'm blushing, but it was with this book that I learned to make mashed potatoes!  I can say now that I've come far beyond that & love to cook!

Here's a very condensed list of recipes from the book that are now my standbys (and pretty much committed to memory):

Potato Soup (yes, you've seen that on this blog)
Broccoli Soup
Orange-Glazed Pork Chops
Fried Rice
Potato Salad
Roasted Garlic
Spanish Rice
Beef Stew

(The only recipe that I did not care for was Turkey Salad with Fruit.)

So, if you need a gift for a new bride or graduate, this is perfect!  And if you want to take a peek for yourself, check it out at the library. (ISBN: 9-780028-624518)

RAM -- October 5th

We will NOT be attending RAM October 5th.  We apologize for any inconvenience.  We will be at the Market in Fernandina on 7th & Centre.

October 5th:

(The sidebar saved function is impaired!)

Butterhead Lettuce
Romaine Lettuce
Red Oakleaf Lettuce (LIMITED)

Kale (Curly & Dinosaur)
Baby Bok Choy 

Mini-Seedless Cucumbers
Watercress
Baby Arugula

Live Herbs:
A Variety

Apology & Confession

Hello from such a long time ago!  I keep telling Freddie that I must write a little blurp to fill in the long silence.  I have not forgotten this blog & have every intention of keeping it up.  However, we have had a little interruption in our routine.  We have a new 'crop' planted & it should be harvested late March -- a baby!  And with that has come three months of nausea & total food aversions.  Poor Freddie, my usual love of cooking has been completely gone!  I tried to do what I could with the blog but even the pictures made my stomach churn.  So here goes to hoping I've rounded the bend and Freddie can eat decent again & I can blog again!!  Thanks for your patience.

Watercress & Pepita Salad

This is a delicious salad recipe from one of our customers.  Cress has a very strong peppery taste, but the dressing on this salad compliments it well.  We really enjoyed it.  We also tried using a sweet red wine vinegar dressing, but the sweetness seemed to make the cress stand out too much.

---------------

It's easy to feel extremely healthy consuming this salad!!

Watercress & Pepita Salad

Serves 6

1/3 cup toasted pepitas

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp ground cumin

3 tbsp olive oil

coarse salt & pepper

1-1/2 lb watercress, tough stems removed

In a large bowl, combine vinegar & cumin.  Whisk in oil.  Season with salt & pepper. (Dressing will keep 2 days covered in the refrigerator.)  Mix with cress & top with pepitas.