Roasted Rosemary Nuts

Perfect snack with your favorite summer beverage:  spicy-sweet-salty-herby nuts.

I saw the original recipe from Farm Cafe in Portland, Oregon when I was still living there. I tried it but something didn't quite work for me (or I did something wrong, who knows).  I kept the recipe because I was convinced I would like it but it's been in my files, ignored, for nearly 10 years.  

I dusted it off recently and was inspired to make them again, with some revisions from the original recipe.  I used almonds instead of hazelnuts -- the latter aren't as available here as in the Northwest, and aren't as inexpensive.  I changed the method a bit but kept all other ingredients as listed.  Here, then, is what I did.

ROASTED ROSEMARY NUTS

Ingredients:

• 2 c. almonds
• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 3 T. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 T. kosher salt
• 5 dashes hot pepper sauce 

Method:

Slowly heat sugar, salt, hot sauce, and a tablespoon of water in a pan over low heat.  Stir constantly until sugar is melted and very warm, adding another tablespoon of water if needed, but keep it minimal.  Give the heat a chance to melt the sugar; if you add too much water it will be too liquid-y.  

Stir in nuts and rosemary; transfer to pan lined with a sheet of parchment paper, keeping nuts in a single layer.  Bake at 325 for 15 minutes, stirring every 4-5 minutes. Keep a close eye the oven as the nuts can brown quickly.  Remove from oven and transfer quickly to a clean sheet of parchment paper.  Cool completely and break apart; store in airtight container.

Notes:

These are yummy -- a perfect blend of sweet, salty, and herb.  I halved the recipe but didn't reduce the hot sauce and still can barely detect it so next time I'll increase it just a little.

Use only the minimum amount of water you can get away with or your nuts may turn out more sticky-gooey than nicely glazed. 

I picked up the sheet of parchment paper from the baking pan to toss when I realized the leftover glaze was coming off in flaky bits.  I saved all this sweet rosemary goodness to add to salads... and may think of some other uses as well!

I don't remember what I didn't like about these the first time I tried  making them but I'm hooked now! They make me want to cook, eat, dance, love!

Plain and Simple

Sometimes food is so succulent, so juicy, so full of flavor, that it needs no embellishment or cooking; it just needs to be enjoyed.

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

Spinach Pesto and Beyond

After several years of just feeling so-so about spinach (I used to love it, but then, I used to grow my own and got spoiled; yes, homegrown is noticeably better), I found myself eating a lot of spinach this spring.  Always looking for new recipes, I found several for spinach pesto and decided to give it a try.  Most of the recipes you'll find on line are very similar.  Here's my version:

SPINACH PESTO

Ingredients, per serving:

• 1/2 c. loosely packed spinach
• 2 T. toasted walnuts, lightly chopped
• 1 T. parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 t. lemon juice
• 1-2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Method:

If you've made pesto before, you know the routine.  In your food processor, pulse to blend the spinach, nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, and lemon juice.  While running processor, drizzle in the olive oil to get the consistency you want.

Notes:

I love this.  The flavors are bright and fresh without being overpowering.  Put on warm pasta, spread on bread for your favorite sandwich (try a sourdough grilled mozzarella cheese sandwich with a thin layer of pesto and some sliced tomato), add to a little sour cream for a dip, or try whatever appeals to you.

I like this much better than basil pesto, and I feel like a traitor for saying that because I love basil.  But for whatever reason, I just don't care that much for basil pesto.  Once or twice a year I love it but that's it.  Sorry, basil pesto lovers!  

I used walnuts but you can use whatever you like.  Toasting them adds another layer of flavor.

I've kept this for over a week with no discoloration (like with basil pesto) and it still tasted good.  I wouldn't keep it much longer than that; it can also be frozen in ice cube trays like basil pesto.

In looking for ways to use spinach pesto, I ran across several similar recipes for a spinach pesto salad.  I modified what I found slightly and made this:

AND BEYOND:  SPINACH PESTO PASTA

Ingredients (per serving):

• 2 T. spinach pesto
• 2 ounces pasta of choice
• 3-4 cherry tomatoes
• shaved parmesan
• 2 T. chopped green onion

     dressing:

• 1 T. pesto
• 1 T. sour cream
• 1 T. mayo
• pepper
• dash lemon juice
• spinach or lettuce of choice

Method:

Cook pasta al dente; drain and put in bowl with 2 T. pesto.  Mix well. Chill.

Make dressing:  combine sour cream, pesto, mayo, pepper.  Use lemon juice to thin dressing a bit (you can also add milk).  Bring pasta out and dress; toss with green onions.

To serve, put a layer of lettuce or spinach in a bowl or on a plate; top with pasta, cherry tomatoes, and shaved parmesan.

Serve with bread or crackers, if desired.

Notes:

The more I ate this the more I liked it.  If you want to make this ahead, don't add the lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and shaved parmesan until just before serving to keep all flavors as fresh as possible.  You could also add mozzarella cheese, black olives, mushrooms.  I think next time I'll make it without the spinach but it was a good addition. 

However you make it, don't forget to cook, eat, dance, love!

Blueberry Tart

Holiday weekends often find me playing in the kitchen. This weekend is no exception.  Here's a recipe I found last summer and am enjoying again this weekend.  It's quick and easy.

BLUEBERRY TART

Ingredients:

• one sheet puff pastry, thawed
• about 1/4 c. jam of choice -- I used peach but blackberry would be good
• about 8 ounces of blueberries
• cinnamon

Method:

Preheat oven to 400.  Unfold puff pastry and cut in half for two rectangles; place on baking sheet.  Score each rectangle about 1/3" from edge to create a rim. Spread thinly with jam; sprinkle with cinnamon and top with blueberries.  Bake about 20 minutes or until puff pastry is golden.

Serve warm or cold, with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Notes:

This is a very light dessert, perfect for summer evenings, blueberries soaking a little into the flaky crust with a bit of sweetness from the jam.  I think a little lemon zest on top of the jam would be a good addition.  Other spices could be used in addition to/instead of the cinnamon (fresh ginger or cardamom comes to mind).  I will also use a few more more blueberries next time, but there's lots of blueberry tang in every bite already.  

Cook, eat, dance, love!

Summer in a Jar

I began making preserves, jams, and jellies almost 40 years ago, and have made them pretty much every year since.  At first, I haunted abandoned orchards and you-pick stands for fruit.  When I had my own land, I planted a sour cherry tree so I could have cherry jelly and preserves; planted currents, gooseberries, strawberries, rhubarb, apples, blueberries, pears, plums, and two kinds of raspberries... all of which were enjoyed a variety of ways, including preserves.  Mom and dad would bring back tree-ripened peaches from a road-side stand in South Carolina every summer, and always gave me at least a half bushel -- and sometimes much more than that.  They were the best peaches; I've rarely had others that come close. It takes flavorful, delicious, properly-grown and properly-ripened fruit to make good preserves.  I've made dozens of kinds of jams, hundreds of jars over the years, and have given away most of them.  It's been a part of every summer.

That is, until a few years ago.  Things in my life were unsettled and I no longer had a garden in which to grow fruit.  Inexpensive, quality, local fruit is rare (the key word being inexpensive; certainly, there's quality, local fruit, although after having grown my own for 18 years I have very high standards).    So jams and jellies went by the wayside.

This summer, I happened upon some really wonderful peaches.  I was skeptical at first (California peaches?  they couldn't possibly compare to those tree-ripened, South Carolina gems) but they smelled so good that I bought a few and tried them.  

Then I went back and bought a few dozen more.  They're the best peaches I've had in years, and the ones that didn't get eaten went into preserves.

Everything I remembered about making preserves was still true: tedious preparation of fruit.  Sticky mess everywhere.  Scrubbing of jars and lids.  Hot, scalding, bubbling fruit splattering my hands and arms.  

And wonderful aromas, warm, rich tastes, and jewel-like colors. Delicious preserves to share and enjoy all winter long. 

But best of all was that it was good to return to that part of me.  It was about more than tradition or doing something familiar; it was a reconnection to my past, to something that I loved, and to a way of sharing that has been part of who I am for the majority of my life.

Cook, eat, dance, love!

   

(The recipe I used is in Sure-Jell boxes and on their website, so I'm not repeating it here.)