Stuffed Deer Hearts

Prepare pickled deer hearts the same as the deer tongues

butter - 1½ oz.
onion - 1 small, chopped
fresh breadcrumbs -2 oz.
lemon - 1, zest only + extra for garnish
fresh sage - 1 T., chopped + extra for garnish
grated nutmeg - pinch
egg yolk - 1
plain flour - 2 T.
chicken stock - ¾ pint
dry sherry - 3 T.+-

Pre-heat oven to 150 °C / 300 °F .

Melt ½ oz of the butter in a large frying pan and fry the onion for 5 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, sage and nutmeg. Bind with the egg yolk and mix well.

Fill the hearts with the stuffing and sew up neatly with strong cotton or fine string. Coat them in the flour.

Heat the remaining butter in a flameproof casserole and brown the hearts well. Pour over the stock and sherry and bring to the boil. Cover and bake for about 2 hours or until tender.

Serve the hearts sliced and pour the skimmed juices over. Garnish with sage and lemon zest.

source unknown

ZenMeadow: Fondue

http://www.angelfire.com/tn2/minsrecipes/FondueSouffle/FondueSouffle.htm

Fondue

NOTE: If you prefer to not use alcohol, I've found that I can easily substitute using about half a cup of clear soda such as sprite, seven up or ginger ale and it works well. Mostly this is needed to prevent the cheese from getting clumpy and stringy when trying to dip. Mignonne
Beer-Cheese Fondue 2 C. shredded Swiss cheese 2 C. shredded American cheese 1 T. cornstarch 1/2 tsp. dry mustard 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 2/3 C. beer Small loaf French bread, cut into bite size pieces Have cheese at room temperature. In a mixing bowl, combine cheeses with cornstarch and dry mustard; toss to coat. Add Worcestershire sauce; mix well. In saucepan heat beer just until warm. Gradually add cheese mixture, stirring constantly over medium low heat till the cheese has melted. Quickly transfer cheese mixture into fondue pot; place over a fondue burner. Spear a bread cube with a fondue fork. Dip in cheese mixture. Makes 6 servings
Cheese Fondue 2 lbs. grated sharp Cheddar Cheese 2 T. cornstarch 1/4 tsp. dry mustard 1 clove garlic, peeled 1 1/2 C. dry Sherry or dry white wine 2 T. cherry liqueur, optional 1 loaf French bread, cut in large pieces Food Items for Dipping: French, rye or pumpernickel bread cubes, smoked turkey or chicken breast; cooked & cubed, broccoli or cauliflower florets, baby carrots, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, apple or pear wedges, celery and peeled carrot pieces, and/or cauliflower and broccoli florets. Blend cheese, cornstarch and mustard together in bowl. Rub garlic around inside of ceramic cheese fondue or electric fondue pot. Pour Sherry into pot; heat until hot but not boiling. (Cheese fondue requires low or medium-low heat.) Gradually add cheese mixture, stirring until completely cooked. Cook until mixture begins to bubble; lower heat, add liqueur. Each person uses individual fondue fork for dunking. This fondue does not have as high a temperature as beef fondue, so that food need not be transferred from fondue fork to place fork.
Swiss Fondue 4 dinner or 6 appetizer servings 5 C. (about 1 1/4 lbs.) grated Swiss or Gouda cheese 2 T. cornstarch 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved 1 1/2 C. dry white wine 1 - 3 T. Kirsch liqueur Nutmeg and freshly ground black or white pepper to taste Graphics by Mignonne

Today's Flower Finds - 05/07/08 - Mom's yard/field

Buttercups

Oxalis

Red Dock?

Blackberry bloom

Spring Inventory & Counting

Coming up,
but not blooming yet.

Pa's Cotton

Caption above: Elder W.L. Latham, Pastor of the Seventh Day Adventist church in Bloomington, Indiana, is frequently on his knees - but not often for picking cotton on his front lawn, as he is doing here. ~ Photo by Hariet Weaver

As far as I can ascertain, this article was written sometime between 1938 and 1940.

Click on image below to view larger size.

Who? What?

First encounter.

Doo, doo, doo, Lookin' out my back door...

. . . and you wonder why I can't sleep in? lol

This is actually the window at the head of my bed,
but I couldn't help but think of that Buck Ownes song.

Miniature Shrimp Quiches

1 cup swiss cheese shredded, (4 ounces)
1/2 cup shrimp, cooked finely chopped
2 tablespoons chives chopped
1/2 teaspoon thyme dried
2 large eggs beaten
1/2 cup cream, half and half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg ground
1 dash red hot pepper sauce (eg. Tabasco)

Pastry Shells
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 package cream cheese softened, (4 ounces)
1 1/2 cups flour, all-purpose
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 C. + 1 T. water

PASTRY SHELLS: Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed of an electric mixer until well blended; stir in flour and salt. Add water and blend just until incorporated. Cover and chill 1 hour. Shape chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Place in ungreased miniature (1 3/4-inch) muffin pans, shaping each ball into a shell.

QUICHE: Combine first 4 ingredients, spoon evenly into pastry shells. Combine eggs and remaining ingredients, stirring well; pour mixture evenly into pastry shells.

Bake at 350F for 30 to 35 minutes or until set.

Yield: 3 dozen

Zinger - Zing Zing

Thank you to everyone who sent in their Z name suggestions. That was a lot of fun, and I have kept a tally list along with the reasons given so I can look at it again and again. When the final vote was in; Zinger won out!

As you can see Zinger is already getting into things, and quite happy about it too.

Isn't he just adorable?

PS You can hardly tell he has a broken leg any more. Hopefully he won't have a limp at all.

Rosemary Goat Cheese Muffins With Golden Raisins

1 T. chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 C. golden raisins
3/4 C. milk
4 T. unsalted butter
1-1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lg. egg, lightly beaten
4 oz. goat cheese (8 T.) or 4 oz. cream cheese, cut into 3/4" cubes


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin pan. Combine rosemary, golden raisins, and milk in a small saucepan. Simmer 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter and stir until melted. Let cool. (To cool quickly, place pan in refrigerator about 10 minutes.) Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until combined. Set aside. Slowly add beaten egg to cooled milk mixture. When combined, add to dry mixture. Mix until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon one-third batter into muffin cups. Place 2 teaspoons goat cheese or one 3/4-inch cube cream cheese in center of batter, dividing among cups. Top with remaining batter. Bake 20 minutes, or until golden brown and springy in centers. Muffins can be served hot or at room temperature.

YIELD: 1 dozen muffins
Source unknown

Look What The Cat (Precious) Dragged In

This is a little male
who is a total lover.
Everyone at the vets office
totally adored him.
His leg is broken,
but on the mend.
Won't you help me name him?
I like names that start with the letter Z.
The first thing that came to mind is Zinger.
Mom suggested Teddy.

Chocolate Ribs

The first time I made this recipes was to make a Valentine dinner for my husband who is a chocolate lover. Since then I've made this at least half a dozen times. This recipe is a real keeper.
BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH CHOCOLATE AND ROSEMARY

1/4 cup diced pancetta (Italian bacon; about 1 1/2 ounces)
6 pounds bone-in short ribs
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrots
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups dry red wine
3 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 cups chopped drained canned diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 very large fresh thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons shaved or grated bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Heat heavy large pot over medium heat. Add pancetta and saut�� until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown ribs in drippings in pot over medium-high heat until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate. Add onions and next 4 ingredients to pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add wine. Boil uncovered until liquid is reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and pancetta. Return ribs to pot, cover partially, and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and simmer until rib meat is tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours longer.

Transfer ribs to plate; discard bay leaf. Spoon fat from surface of sauce. Boil sauce until beginning to thicken, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add chocolate, cocoa powder, and rosemary; stir until chocolate melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return ribs to pot. Simmer to rewarm, about 5 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Bon App��tit
January 2006
Bruce Aidells and Nancy Oakes

My Notes: I don't eat pork so I use boneless beef ribs, and either substitute the pancetta with turkey bacon or leave it out altogether. It doesn't make or break this dish at all.

Grilled Corn with Queso Fresco & Lime Tarragon Butter

This recipe is based on typical street food in Oaxaca, Mexico, where Bernstein once lived. The corn is typically smothered in mayonnaise, dipped in cheese and then covered with a spicy chile powder. Here, Bernstein adds a little melted butter for an American accent. She uses a powdered-sugar shaker to apply an even coating of the chile powder.

6 ears of corn, unhusked
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chile powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 pound queso fresco or mild feta, finely crumbled

Soak the corn in a large bowl of water for 1 hour. Light a grill. On a large plate, blend the butter with the lime juice and tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Spread the butter in a 1/3-inch-thick layer in the center of the plate. In a small bowl, mix the chile powder and cinnamon.

Grill the corn over moderately high heat, turning often, until the husks are evenly charred all over, about 25 minutes. Carefully peel back the corn husks but leave them attached to the cobs. Discard the corn silk and use the husks as a handle. Roll the corn in the softened butter, top with a thick layer of crumbled cheese and sprinkle with the chile powder mixture. Serve right away.

Recipe by Michelle Bernstein
Published in Food & Wine magazine
-------
My adaptation:
I thought it would be a real pain in the you know what to try and remove the silks after cooking, but I followed the recipe anyway, and found it actually seemed easier so I'm thinking of cooking my corn this way all the time. Or at least steaming it in the oven. I adore the flavor that corn husks give to foods anyway.

The only changes I made to the corn were that I used Cilantro instead of Tarragon. Thought that would be a bit more authentic. I used the Feta instead of the Queso Fresco, and even though I can't imagine it being any better I still want to try it with the Queso Fresco next time.

Piquant Jelly

12 habanero peppers, stemmed

2 C. Red wine vinegar, 1/2 C. reserved

7 C. sugar

1 pkg. (1 3/4 oz.) Jel Ease fruit pectin

Stem the habanero peppers, and put them (whole) in a blender along with 1 1/2 cups of the red wine vinegar, and whizz them up well. Pour the mixture into a stock pot, and add all the sugar. Let this come to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

In the meantime get your hot water bath going. Jars, lids and rings may be sterilized (for 10 minutes) in the hot water bath, and kept hot until ready to use.

When the pepper mixture has simmered strain through a fine mesh seive or cheesecloth, and put back into a clean pot. Use the final half cup of red wine vinegar to mix with the Jel Ease Add to the syrup mixture, and bring to a full rolling boil (where the foam can not be stirred down), and boil for 2 minutes. Pour finished product into hot sterilized jars, cap, and place in the boiling water bath (BWB). Process for 5 minutes with lid on. Remove jars from BWB, and set on a dry towel and let sit for approximately 24 hours before moving to allow the jelly to set up.

Yield: 6 half pints.

Recipe & Photo by Mignonne

All rights reserved. 2007

The Folded Napkin

Table linens seem to have fallen by the wayside
so it is a real treat when one is greeted by
a table set with all the linens, silverware and glassware in place.
A simply edged white linen napkin can be folded quite easily,
and will be sure to make your guests feel special
or turn a dinner for two into a more romantic setting.
There are web sites now available where you can easily follow
step by step instructions for napkin folding
from something as simple as this example to ones far more fancy.

Pasta With Four Cheeses & Sauteed Radishes With Cilantro

Pasta With Four Cheeses

8 oz. vermicelli noodles
1/4 C. sharp white cheddar cheese (you can get this at Walmart)
1/4 C. brie cheese
1 to 2 T. dry white wine
1/2 C. ricotta cheese
1/4 to 1/2 C. Parmesan, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced

Garnish: finely sliced fresh chives or scallion and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add noodles and cook until done about 6 to 7 minutes or according to package directions.

Meanwhile, dice your cheddar and brie into 1/4 inch cubes. Combine the cheeses (half of the Parmesan) and minced garlic with the white wine and ricotta in the top of a double boiler or in a microwave proof container that is large enough to accommodate the cooked pasta. If you are using a double boiler, melt the cheese while the pasta is cooking, if you are using a microwave you can wait until the pasta is done. When the pasta is done, drain, pat dry, and toss it with the melted cheese. Or is you are using a microwave oven, heat the cheese for 1 minute. Whisk it vigorously and return it to the microwave for 20 seconds. Add the drained pasta to the melted cheese, right in the microwave dish, and toss. Season with lots of freshly ground pepper and scallion. Garnish with remaining Parmesan, chives or scallion, and black pepper.

Yield: 2 servings
Notes: When I made the Pasta With Four Cheeses recipe I added one more cheese. As if four wasn't enough. lol Actually, I still only used about 1 1/4 cup of cheeses altogether. I cooked approximately two cups of a mixture of macaroni, shells, and wheels to make it easier for my grandchildren to handle. The cheeses I used were Blue, Butterkaise, Feta, Brie and Parmesan. I blanched some baby red onions to add, and some cut up jumbo shrimp.
Radishes With Cilantro & Lemon

To go with my pasta dish, I sliced up some radishes and sautee'd them in butter with a tad bit of olive oil then after draining I tossed the slices in lemon juice and fresh cilantro.

Note: Fresh Lemon Zest would really look terrific on this dish as well.

Hollyhocks

Dinner Roll Twists

When making this recipe today I created simple half knots instead of twists.

6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 envelopes Active Dry Yeast
1 cup milk
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine
2 eggs, at room temperature
Optional: sesame seed, dill seed, poppy seed and onion flakes (I used black sesame seeds)

Egg Wash Ingredients:
1 egg lightly beaten (I used just an egg white beaten; without water)
1 tablespoon water

In a large mixing bowl thoroughly mix 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and undissolved yeast.Combine milk, water and margarine in a saucepan. Heat over low heat until liquids are very warm (120�� to 130��F.). Margarine does not need to melt. Gradually add to dry ingredients and mix two minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 3/4 cup of flour. Mix at high speed two minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out on lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about eight to ten minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, then a towel. Let rest for 20 minutes.

Punch dough down; divide into three equal pieces. Divide each piece of dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a pencil shaped 12-inch roll. Fold in half and twist together. Pinch ends to seal. Place on greased baking sheets, about two inches apart.Brush rolls with egg wash. Sprinkle with seeds or onion flakes. Cover baking sheets loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.

When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator. Uncover rolls carefully. Let stand 10 minutes. Bake in a pre-heated 375��F oven. 15 to 20 minutes, or until done. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks. If desired, brush with melted butter or margarine. Serve warm.

from: FLEISCHMANNS