Basic Dill Fermented Pickles

2 c. filtered water
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
2-3 heads of dill or 2-3 TBSP fresh dill leaves

1 tsp. peppercorn
1 tsp. mustard seed

3 cloves garlic, chopped into sections

4-5 small or medium pickling cucumbers

½ onion sliced (optional)

1. In a pot over medium high heat dissolve the salt in 1 cup of the water.

2. Turn off the heat and add the other cup of room temperature water.

3. Add the pickle ingredients to a glass pint jar. To the bottom of the jar add the smashed garlic cloves, dill, sliced onion, peppercorns, mustard seeds, or whatever you like to add more flavor.

4. Cut off the ends of the cucumbers and make sure that the tops are 1 inch below the top of the jar.

6. Pack the cucumbers in the jar (small whole ones or quartered are easiest). These should be packed tight enough that nothing floats to the top.

7. Pour the brine over the cucumbers.

8. Screw the lid onto the jar. One of these jar weights can also be used to keep the cucumbers below the brine (to avoid mold growth).

9. Let the jar sit out at room temperature for 2-3 days, until pickles are the desired flavor. Be sure to release the air from the jar occasionally or built up pressure can cause the jar to explode! You can also buy special fermenting lids that don’t need “burping.”

--I've seen other recipes which state to pickle them for 3 weeks at least.

10. When pickles are as sour as desired, store in the fridge for several months. The cold temperature halts the fermentation process.

Blueberry Muffins / Coffee Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees for Muffins, 325 degrees for coffee cake.  This works great as a coffee cake as well.  I made 8 muffins and poured the rest into an 8x8 glass baking dish.  

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter, slightly softened and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

In a medium bowl, stir flour and sugar.  Add butter pieces and combine mixture with a fork until topping resembles coarse crumbs.  Set aside

Muffin Batter

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 sticks butter (room temp.)

1-1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs, (room temp.) 

1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces sour cream

1/4 cup milk

2-1/2 cups fresh blueberries

In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and baking soda.

With an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).  

At low speed, beat  in one egg at a time, then add vanilla, sour cream, and milk until combined.  

Add 1/3 of dry ingredients at a time and beat until just combined.  

With a spatula, evenly fold blueberries into batter.

Spoon batter into muffin pans and fill each cup to the top. 

Sprinkle streusel topping over batter.

Bake Muffins at 350 F for ~30 minutes.  

Bake Coffee Cake in the 8x8 pan at 325 F for 50-55 minutes

*I usually start checking these early because I like them lightly brown not dark.

Makes 24 muffins. 

Kohlrabi Cakes

 Kohlrabi is something which grows very well in the Spokane WA area.  We found a variety that can be planted in May and be harvested by early July.  Having a lot of kohlrabi, I decided to start experimenting with it in recipes.  Every part of kohlrabi is edible and delicious.  The greens are a tougher type of green great for sauteeing like chard or collard, or putting in soups or quiche.  The bulb is sort of turnip like, but has a fibrous exterior which must be peeled off until you get to the smooth meat underneath.  

Mashed kohlrabi bulb didn't work.  I thought it might be sort of like mashed potatoes, but its consistency is off.  I thought the flavor was good, but Alex didn't like it for the texture.  It came out too watery with a lot of lumps.  

I then tried turning them into sort of a fritter or potato pancake.  Added flour, egg, feta cheese, onion and some seasonings and it came out great.  Its more work than a potato pancake but its a viable use for kohlrabi if you're out of stews to put them in.  

3-4 large kohlrabi, de-stemmed, peeled, diced, pressure-cooked.
2 eggs
1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 c. minced onion

1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp sour cream

The kohlrabi bulb has to be peeled down to the smoother meat beneath the fibrous exterior.  Once its peeled and de-stemmed, dice it into 3/4 - 1 inch chunks and place in pressure cooker with 3/4 c. water.  Pressure cook for 20 minutes.  This will help ensure that its well cooked and soft. 

In a stand mixer, use a whisk attachment and whip the kohlrabi until its as smooth as possible.  Add the remaining ingredients, and mix.

Fry pancake-sized (about 3 inches across) amounts in olive oil in a frying pan.  Cook for 2-3 min per side.  Server with sour cream.

Chile Spice Cocoa

Serves 2

3 Tbsp Cocoa powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp mild chili powder

1/4 tsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of salt

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp light corn syrup

Whipped cream

Blend the cocoa, spices, salt, sugar, vanilla and butter in a bowl until its a crumbly texture.  Put in a saucepan over medium heat and add the corn syrup.

Blend with a rubber spatula until its a smooth paste, then gradually add the milk, blending smooth with each addition.  Once the mixture is like a thick syrup, add the milk more liberally and blend.  Heat until a light steam is coming off the surface.  Serve with whipped cream

Rosemary Balsamic Glazed Ham

8 lbs Cooked Bone In Ham

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Rosemary Crushed

1 teaspoon Black Pepper (or to taste)

1 Cup of White Wine/Champagne (optional)

Linne Mixed Peel

Mixed peel is great in many recipes.  Particularly British Tea Biscuits.  They take a bit of work but add a citrus note to many things.  This is best done when you need the citrus for some other recipe and are going to be using it all.  For instance I made mixed peel last when I made my Mincemeat filling recipe last November for Christmas.  It calls for the zest and juice of 4 lemons and oranges.  Perfect time to turn the leftover rinds into mixed peel.

Ingredients
4 lemons
4 oranges

2 cups sugar

water

extra sugar for rolling

The rinds need to have the pulp and meat removed.  Use a large spoon to scrape along the interior of the rinds to pull away most of the pulpy material so that you've just got the rind and some pith.  Cut into 1/4 strips.  Place in a large pot and cover with water.  

Cook over high heat until boiling.  Let it boil 10 minutes and then drain it.  Repeat the process two more times.  This is to remove the bitterness.  You may think this is excessive or that the rinds will end up without flavor, but this isn't so.  Trust me they'll be delicious.

Once you've blanched the rinds for the 3rd time, drain them again and set the rinds aside.  Put 2 cups of water in the pot and 2 cups of sugar.  This is a basic simple syrup proportion.  Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.  Once hot and dissolved, place the rinds in the syrup, reduce the heat to low and simmer it for an hour or more, stirring every 5-10 minutes, until the syrup is cooking done to be very thick and there's very little actual liquid left.

Set the oven for 250° F.  Spread the goopey mixed peel mass out across on a drying grill lined with parchment paper.  Try to space them out evenly so that the oven is able to dry them out quickly. Place this over a large baking sheet to stabilize it.  Place the sheet with the peels in the oven and let it dry with the door to the oven cracked open 2 inches.  This process should take about 2 hours.  Once the rinds are no longer sticky-feeling, remove the sheet from the oven.  Let the rinds cool.  

In a separate large bowl, put a cup of white sugar and then dump the rinds into it.  Shake it around and separate the clumps of rind strips as best as possible.  Try to get them all separate and sugar coated.  This will help them last longer.

Store in a large quart-sized mason jar.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Armageddon Brownies

Ingredients

3/4 c. butter (1.5 sticks), melted
1 1/4 c. sugar

4 eggs

2/3 c. cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 c. chocolate chips

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter (divided)

12 peanut butter cookies

1/2 c. peanuts

4 Butterfinger minis

2 Reeses peanut butter cups

Chocolate Drizzle

1/4 c. chocolate chips

1 tsp. butter

1 tbsp milk

Method

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Use an 8x8 inch glass baking tray and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  

First melt the butter and blend in the cocoa, eggs, vanilla and sugar.  Once smooth, blend in the flour and salt.  Add the chocolate chips and mix.  

Spread half of the batter in the pan, then layer the peanut butter cookies on top.  Microwave the peanut butter to make it spread easy.  Spread half of it over the cookies.  Spread the remaining batter and then dollop the other half of the peanut butter on top and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with peanuts.  Bake for 40 minutes.

When the brownies are done and cooled, chop the candies up and sprinkle on top.  Place chocolate chips in a small saucepot and melt with butter.  Once blended, blend in milk and drizzle over the brownies.