Garden Report: Garlic Planting Day

Wow. Here it is, officially past the middle of October, and normal people are starting to think about Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the upcoming Winter holidays, and I am thinking about Spring. If I want to have garlic scapes and garlic bulbs to pull from the garden next Summer, then I need to get my garlic bulbs in the ground now, a few weeks before the ground begins freeze.

If I wasn't so lazy, and didn't use my phone to take the picture, you'd know I planted Red German  hardneck garlic that I bought from Territorial Seed Company at the end of the Summer. Put 80 cloves into the ground and with much hope, luck...and some weeding and fertilizer, I should have 80 nice, fat garlic bulbs next year. Has worked every year for the past 10. Some types of garlic need to be chilled in order to produce a bulb. Learned THAT lesson the hard way.

I planted using the square foot method, used my trusty dibble to make holes about 3" deep and dropped a clove (root end down) into each hole spaced about 5" apart. Covered the holes with soil, watered well, and when we get close to a frost (usually around Halloween), I'll mulch the garlic bed with a few inches of straw in case we have a really harsh winter here in the Philly 'burbs.

It does seem a little funny planting for Spring, since my peppers, chard and tomatoes are still producing, but I know in a couple of weeks, I'll have yanked out all the dead plants and will be dreaming again of Spring. After all, it's only 155 days away.

Garlic, ready to plant for Summer 2014!

Meaty Monday: Summer Slow Cooker Braised Retro Brisket

A week or so ago, when it was impossibly hot and humid, I was lying under my AC vent dreaming of beef brisket. Even me, a recovering amateur BBQ competitor, likes to think about a juicy pot roast, something other than  grilled or barbecued meat. The very thought of running the oven for hours, even with AC going full tilt, just put me off when it's sweltering outside. But then I thought of my mother.

When the weather was really hot and sticky, as it usually is in Philadelphia in the summer, she would cook a pot roast over night, either in the oven or in her brand new electric crock, aka a slow cooker, which became quite popular when I was in high school. It always was made with a packet of onion soup, and a cup or two of Italian vermouth.We lived in a hundred-year-old house, and we had window air conditioners and whole house fans, and we would run through the steamy halls from one cool room to another. Not the sort of atmosphere in which you wanted to do anything that would make the house hotter. But back then, we ate at home most nights, and in summer we often had cold sliced  beef with potato salad or green bean salad, and Jersey tomatoes and corn or a warm pot roast sandwich on a roll later in the cooler part of the evening.

I spotted a really nice small brisket at the market this week, just a wee bit under 4 pounds, and the rest is history. Even though this dish has some barbecue sauce in it, it's not barbecued beef. It tastes like summer, in a very beefy, juicy way, and is marvelous cold for sandwiches or platters.  Mom always used a packet of soup mix in her pot roasts, and it does add a lot of flavor to the finished product. Plus it makes this really quick to assemble, and it can cook while you are staying cool doing other things. Like working all day, or, sunbathing. This is quick and simple to start in the morning and just takes a few minutes to finish at dinnertime.

Yes, that is steam rising from my beautiful, delicious braised brisket!

Summer (Crock) Slow Cooker Braised Retro Brisket

4 lb brisket
1 bottle (12 oz.) dark beer
1 cup smoky barbecue sauce
2T Worcestershire sauce
1 packet of onion soup mix

1.Into a 5 - 6 quart slow cooker, add the Worcestershire, the barbecue sauce, the dark beer and the onion soup mix. Stir well to mix. Place the brisket into the sauce mixture fat side down, and then turn to coat in the liquid so it rests fat side up.

2. Start the slow cooker, and cook on low for about 7 - 8 hours until the meat is fork tender. Remove the meat from the crock, and let stand about 7-10 minutes to cool slightly before removing the fat layer on top, and then slicing. Serve hot, with some of the pot juices, or cool, as part of a platter with salads or in a sandwich. If you want, you can reduce the juice in the crock slightly to thicken it before serving.

Makes about 6 servings.

Meaty Monday: Grilled Chicken Paillards with Corn, Green Beans & Basil Drizzle

Certain foods, I think, are etched into our national psyche as symbols of things near and dear to our heart. If you are eating cotton candy, chances are there's a Ferris wheel not far away,  and if you're munching a corn dog on a stick, there is probably a heifer wearing a blue ribbon in her halter within spitting distance. Corn, tomatoes, basil and green beans scream "Summer!" to me in a not so subtle way. If there is ever a time of year when these foods have reached their pinnacle of perfection, it is now.

Chuck likes grilled chicken. Actually he loves grilled chicken. Really loves grilled chicken. Really thin grilled chicken. If I was willing to serve it at least once a week on a regular day (have I told you about our Tuesday burger night....?), he'd be thrilled. Me, I like change. Especially different dinners.

Since I do like to make dinners that will make us both happy, I came up with this combo that even I could eat once a week...at least during the Summer. The chicken is a simple as can be, "paillards" is just a way to describe very thin pounded slices of meat -- and the drizzle is somewhere between a pesto and a vinaigrette. This can become one of your favorite do-ahead meals. Add the two, to the corn, fresh beans and tomato, and the whole thing just sings. If you need a vegan or vegetarian (or if you are doing a Meatless Monday side dish), just replace the butter in the corn dish with evoo.

Yes, it's every bit as good as it looks. Yes, I did lick the plate.

Grilled Chicken Paillards with Corn, Green Beans & Basil Drizzle
Serves 4

For the chicken:

1/4 cup low sodium gluten free tamari soy sauce
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 garlic cloves, crushed (jarred equivalent is fine)
2T olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin (paillards)

For the drizzle:

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
3 garlic cloves, (jarred equivalent is fine)
1/2 cup evoo
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the vegetables:

1 tablespoon butter or organic corn oil
4 ears of fresh corn, shucked and kernels cut off the cob
1/2 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and broken in half
1 small fresh tomato, diced
a few basil sprigs for garnish


Instructions:

1. Early in the day, mix the first 4 ingredients and pour into a zip top bag. Add the chicken and chill until dinner.

2. Place all the ingredients for the drizzle in a blender or a mini processor and puree. Place in a covered container in the fridge until dinner time.

3. At mealtime, heat the butter or oil in a medium saucepan, over medium heat, and add the corn and the green beans to the butter. Stir to coat and sauté for a few minutes. Add 1/3 cup of water to the pan, cover and let steam for about 3-4 minutes until the beans are tender. Remove the lid and cook away all the water. Turn off the heat and stir in 3 Tablespoons of the drizzle. Cover and set aside.

4. Heat your grill to medium high, remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the marinade) and grill the chicken about 3-4 minutes per side depending on how thick it is. Place on a platter and drizzle lightly with a bit of the basil drizzle to serve. Pass the extra basil drizzle on the side.

5. Turn the vegetables into a bowl. Sprinkle the tomato over the top and garnish with a basil sprig.

Delicious corn, green beans with basil drizzle and chopped tomatoes,
easily made vegan...

Dog Days: Simple Healthy Frozen Dog Treats

You know its Summer when you absolutely have to pry the dog out of the house for a walk in the middle of the day. He's dragging me out the door in the morning and evening to go, go, go, but at midday, it's no, no, no. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, " the hot sultry time known as the Dog Days has begun--and lasts for 40 days, from July 3 through August 11. Named for the Dog Star, Sirius, which rises and sets with the Sun at this time, the Dog Days are associated with uncomfortable levels of heat and humidity."

Every day around here is a dog day. It's his house; he just lets us pay for the food and the mortgage. Still, I do feel bad for him during these hot days, and so I make him a few favorite frozen dog treats that help keep him cool.

These aren't really recipes, (there plenty of good versions that are more exact, but I am not that fussy, and neither is The Fuzzy Boy), these are just purees of dog friendly ingredients frozen in ice cube trays. And all are grain free.

The first is essentially a smoothie of ripe banana, peanut butter and plain yogurt, with a little water added if it's too thick to pour into the cube tray. Some folks add honey, but he's never had it and I'm not starting him on any kind of sugar.

Second is chicken stock (which I usually have frozen in cubes to cook with, anyway).

Third is organic meat pureed baby food, (single ingredient) mixed with yogurt and stock, and frozen.

Just remember to give these treats, either in a bowl, or outside where you can hose away any sticky mess.

And I can lure him out the door with one of these.

Your pup will love these guaranteed, and the cat will be jealous.

Resting his little head on the cool marble
 threshold. He lives in air conditioning, but he still hates the heat.

Fee, Fie, Foe, Friday: First Day & I'm Late

Here it is, the very first day of summer, and I'm STILL running late with all the garden chores. Putting in all the raised beds, and moving all the extra soil and compost off the driveway and into a temporary straw bale raised bed have eaten up so much of my time. Vegetable planting was way late this year because of all that. I usually have everything mulched, the cold frame cleaned out,  and all the patio pots planted. Not this year. Usually by now, it's almost "Hammock Time." Instead, I feel like the Mad Hatter.

Summertime! The livin' is easy if you're a tomato plant.

At the rate I'm going, I'll still be doing spring chores by the 4th of July. Not that it matters, but the entire family comes over  for a barbecue at some point over that weekend and I hate having outdoor works-in-progress. Guess I'll have to get over it. And let some of it go. Summer is the time to relax, isn't it? If you are a gardener, the livin' is NOT easy; fun, but not easy.

Even though I may be behindhand, and whipping myself into a froth, Mother Nature is right on schedule. The tomato plants ate tomatoing, and the beans plants are beaning. Swiss chard is ready to pick, and we've already eaten all the radishes and arugula. Second plantings are already IN. Soon we'll be up to our eyeballs in tomatoes and basil. It's all good, isn't it?  Soon I'll be canning and freezing, and too soon, it'll be fall. Here I am already ahead of myself. Worrying.

A tomato plant, tomatoing.

I know, I know, I should let some of it go. And I will. What gets done, gets done, because pfffft! It's a metaphor for life. If you worry too much about the past and the future, you'll miss now. Because I don't want to be late for a date, a very important date...with the hammock this afternoon. Life goes too fast to get caught up in the To Do list. Enjoy. It's Summer.

Fee, Fie, Foe, Friday: The Summer Neighborhood is Back

For a few short months, each year, I feel like I'm part of a neighborhood. We all live here year round, that's for sure , but during the winter months we just give muffled, mittened waves at each other from our driveways. Too cold and dark to stop and chat when walking the dog. These long, light evenings, though, get everyone out with their dogs, or in their gardens.  Late spring and summer, this neighborhood is reborn. All good.

Luckily, all the dogs get along, and except for a few tangled leashes, and some joyful barking, even the dogs seem to be sharing news. Last night, first Hobbes and I ran into Denise and Buddy the Havanese outside of Bob's house, and then Bob came out to join us, followed by Caroline and Bacchus. The conversation runs from dog training, to good groomers to the houses for sale, and the fact that the prices are again rising. Who's passed away, who the new family is up the block, and how confused the trash pick up days are  this week. Who is digging out extra ferns and perennials, and who wants them. Lotta nothing-gossip. All good.

Saw Sue and Timmy the spaniel on the way back home, and old Dugan in his yard.  It's hot, and the mosquitoes are back, but the fireflies are about a week away or so unless it stays hot. Crickets are starting up, cicadas, too. Little clumps of folks are congregating by garden gates and on porches. Leashes and baby strollers. All good.

The Summer Neighborhood is Back. Long, light summer evenings for me, equals happy.

Happy Blue.

Chicken in Vermouth with Tomatoes, Peppers & Herbs

This is one of those "fall back on" recipes that are so easy and good at any time of year, but truly spectacular when you can get garden fresh vegetables and herbs. Another beauty of this dish is that it works with fresh chicken,  leftover chicken or even a rotisserie chicken.

The vegetables, garlic and herbs I've used have come from my own garden, but at this time of year, it would be a shame to make it with canned tomatoes and frozen peppers if you have access to any sort of fresh, locally grown produce. All the summer vegetables and herbs are at their peak right now. Leave the canned and frozen  vegetables for when the snow flies in January.

Italian vermouth is both sweet and herbal, and adds a lot of depth of flavor to this dish. Other red wine is good, but the vermouth really makes it sing. There are plenty of savory juices that are perfect over pasta or rice, or with a nice chunk of crusty baguette. This a sophisticated comfort food at its best.

Chicken in Vermouth with Tomatoes, Peppers & Herbs

The actual hands-on time is about 15 minutes, but it tastes like
 you've slaved all day.

Ingredients:

4 lb. of raw chicken parts, with skin, or a cooked 4-lb. chicken  cut into portions
2T olive oil
6 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
2 large onion, one thinly sliced, one diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large yellow or orange bell peppers, diced
1/4 cup  fresh basil leaves
3T fresh oregano leaves
2 T fresh rosemary leaves, lightly chopped
Kosher salt, pepper
1 cup sweet Italian vermouth

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and oil a broad, shallow oven-to-table baking dish that will mostly hold the chicken in a single layer. If you are starting with raw chicken, heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick sauté pan and place the chicken skin-side down. Cook for about 5-7 minutes over medium high heat until the skin is browned. Place the chicken in one layer in the pan.  Proceed to step 3.

2. If you are using cooked chicken, place it in the prepared baking dish, and then heat the oil in the pan.

3. Add the tomatoes, peppers, garlic, basil and diced onions to the chicken pan or the heated oil, and cook until soft. Scrape the tomato and pepper mixture evenly over the chicken. Separate the sliced onions into rings and spread them out evenly over the tomato mixture, and then scatter the oregano and rosemary over the top and season with about 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and a few grinds of freshly ground pepper. Drizzle the vermouth back and forth over all, cover tightly with aluminum foil or a lid, if your dish has one.

4. Place in the oven and bake for 1-1/2 hours if using raw chicken, and just 1 hour if using pre-cooked chicken.

Serves 4.

Looks good, even before baking.

Enjoy Summer More: 7 Simple Kitchen Tools To Step Up Your Game

I'm always surprised when I go to teach a cooking lesson in someone's home, how they almost always have good pots and pans, and often decent knives, but the simple, behind-the-scenes workhorses are MIA. Sometimes it's just that there aren't enough of things like cooking tongs, but more often they just aren't there. The really weird part is that they are simple, fairly cheap items that will add speed, finesse and also safety to your everyday cooking chores. Get you out of the kitchen faster, and into that chaise on the patio with a margarita in your hand.

#1 on my list is a good, safe way to store kitchen knives so that they stay sharp, and easy to grab when needed. There are any number of good ways to keep them, but loose, jumbled in a drawer is dangerous for anyone who sticks a hand in there and and the blades will get damaged banging into each other. Never good. A knife block suits most people, one that sits on the counter or fits into a drawer with slots for your knives. If you have to toss them into the drawer, then please put them into individual sheathes to protect yourself and the blades. My own favorite ways to store knives is up on a magnetic bar, and in slots cut directly into the countertop near a wall edge. See the picture below for details. I have the same set-up on two sides of the kitchen so everyone working in there has access to what they need.

Good kitchen knife storage is a MUST!

#2 is a good pepper mill. Pre-ground black pepper has little flavor, and no self-respecting home cook would be caught dead using it. 'Nuff said. Get a good mill, or a few if you like more than one type of peppercorn at hand. The one you see on the rear left side is an old Peugeot mill from the late '70s that still works like new. Buy good quality and you'll have it a long time. Peugeot still wins hands-down for me. I actually have 4-5 and I can't ruin them.

A good pepper mill will last forever.

Multiples of these are good. Really good. #3 is tongs. You need more than one pair; one pair means that they are sitting dirty in the sink when you need to turn a steak out on the grill. Get at least two, or better yet, shop for several different styles. If you have traditional non-stick cookware, get one set with silicone tips, too to avoid scratching your pans. Having to stop cooking and wash tools is a drag at best and at worst will give food time to burn.

A girl can never have too many tools...tongs.

Batting in #4th place is opening tools: Your good kitchen knives are NOT what you use to open boxes and bags. Well, maybe they are what you use, but you'll save your blades if you keep a pair or two of good kitchen shears or scissors around for those jobs. Good for trimming fat off chicken and cutting herbs, too. Also, no banging jars on the counter--if you have granite or quartz, lemme tell you, you can make quite a mess. Get a good, easy to use jar opener. My favorite is from OXO that you see here.

Use these to open bags and jars, not your good knives.

My #5 must-have is cooking parchment. I line pans with it, cook fish in it, support dainty souffles with it and just generally love the stuff. Greener than foil, its good even just to cover your counter with it for messy jobs. Buy a big roll like this and USE it.

Best stuff on Earth, next to chocolate.

#6 is ice cube trays. I know, you have an ice maker in your fridge. So do I. These aren't for ice. These I get at the dollar store, and use to freeze things that elevate my day-to-day cooking from ho-hum to WOW! Freeze chicken, veggie or beef stock in cubes, and toss a couple of cubes into a pan to deglaze and make a quick pan sauce. Ditto for leftover wine (you know you don't finish every drop). Too much leftover fresh parsley? Chop it fine, mix with a bit of water and freeze into cubes. Voila! Fresh looking and tasting herbs for soups, stews, and even to mix into dressing at the drop of a hat.

Not for freezing water, although you could...

Bringing up the rear at #7 is one of my secret weapons: portion scoops. Makes everything in a batch the same: ice cream, sandwich fillings--two scoops of tuna salad for each sandwich--fill muffin pans, make meatballs, evenly baked cookies, melon balls. Get a few in sizes you think you'll use most. At the very least a small one for cookies, and one larger to fill muffin or cupcake pans, or to make crab cakes...

Perfect size every time, now just don't burn them!

Even adopting a few of these items will step up your game in the kitchen without spending much extra time or money, and will give you time to enjoy more of the summer out of the kitchen.