2 Food Companies Who Use Real Jars!

While making chili today, I was overcome with joy because the salsa I was using came in a pint mason jar I can reuse! I know that this seems like a small thing but I have always been moved by the little things. Anyway back to the salsa, the company is Green Mountain Gringo and their salsa is FABULOUS. It is made with ingredients that I would use with no added crap. It is available in a variety of heat levels as well. However, I was very touched by the fact that I will be able to reuse the jar when summer rolls around to can my own vegetables. I will only need to purchase new lids and rings. One more thought-the labels come off with no trouble.

The other company I use at times is Classico Pasta Sauce. I always use the tomato basil flavor and my family seems to enjoy it. It is great for when I am unable to make homemade. It comes in a large 24 ounce jar that I am able reuse as well.

Just wanted to make you aware that some companies do a great job helping us now and later. Please let me know of other companies you know who use reusable jars.

Whole Wheat Bread

My family loves fresh bread and I just now seem to have time to bake it. Gardening is almost over (only kale and broccoli remain) and I am ready to make winter food. This recipe for bread is one of the easiest I've ever encountered. It comes out perfectly every time. I always feel like a hero while it bakes because my house smells absolutely wonderful.

Whole Wheat Bread

1 Tbsp or 1 package of yeast
1 1/3 cup of water
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup of honey, molasses, maple syrup or brown sugar
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together, stir until dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer dough to a lightly greased surface and with greased hands, knead for about 6 minutes. Let rise in a covered, greased bowl for about an hour or until double in bulk.

Transfer dough to a lightly greased surface and shape into a log. Place dough log in a lightly greased loaf pan, cover and let rise again (30 minutes to an hour)..

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes, tenting with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. Turn loaf out of pan onto cooling rack to cool. Don't slice until cool. Bread freezes well so do yourself a favor and double recipe to make 2 loaves.

Homemade Granola

Granola is one of God's most perfect foods. The cost of it is appalling in the grocery store. I was feeling lazy last week and actually thought I'd buy some. I quickly changed my mind when I looked at the price. Today I made it and decided that you would love to have this low fat recipe too.

Granola

2 tbsp of canola oil
1/2 cup hulled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup honey
2 cups of old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
zest from 1/2 of an orange
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1 tbsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together except cinnamon until thoroughly coated. Turn out onto a greased baking pan with a rim, and spread out the ingredients. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake on 350 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times until evenly browned. Let cool. Store granola in a well sealed container. It will keep for a couple of weeks.

Typically I double this recipe. It is terrific as a cereal or a topping for yogurt or ice cream. Fresh fruit or dried both taste great on this granola.

Grilled Cheese #1

Today's grilled cheese is a pesto and goat cheese sandwich. This sandwich came to our attention at a great restaurant in Knoxville, Tomato Head. The restaurant serves outstanding pizza, pasta, sandwiches and salads. I have never had anything less that terrific there.

Pesto and Goat Cheese Sandwich

For each sandwich you will need:

Ciabetta bread (Ingles Grocery Stores sell this in their bakery)

1 tbsp of pesto

2-3 tbsp goat cheese

3-4 sun dried tomatoes, chopped

Cut ciabetta in half. Spread pesto on one side of cut bread. Add cheese and tomatoes on top. Bake in a 400 degree oven until bread crisps and cheese melts. I love to dip this sandwich in tomato basil soup. A great Chianti goes especially well with this sandwich and the soup.

Tomato Basil Soup

My favorite lunch as a child was Campbell's Tomato Soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Of course, the soup was concentrated and the cheese was yellow American. As an adult, I still love tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Now however, I prefer tomato basil soup and a more sophisticated cheese. Today I will share an easy, but great recipe for tomato basil soup. Be looking this week for some lovely grilled cheese recipes.

Tomato Basil Soup

In a large soup pot heat:

1tbsp olive oil

Add 1/2 onion chopped and cooked until soft

Add the following and cook until thickened:

1 large can of crushed tomatoes (if you can your own like I do use 1 quart of tomatoes)

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 6oz can of tomato paste

1/8 tsp black pepper

3 cups of chicken broth

I use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. You can use a blender for this if you prefer. Blend half of soup at a time.

Top with sour cream. This is great served with a glass of red wine.

Crab Cakes

I love crab cakes! To me they are quite the gift. Husband and I make these for dinner and are delighted to have crab cake sandwiches the next day. This recipe has been a trial and error experiment. We liked and disliked things about every recipe we tried. Finally, I combined the things we loved and tossed out the things we didn't. We think what's left is yummy!

I don't use lots of bread crumbs. I like to taste the crab. For the crunch we like on the outside, we roll the cakes in panko after forming them. Therefore, make the crab cakes early enough to give them time to firm up in the fridge before cooking them or they will fall apart.

Crab Cakes

Olive oil

1 small onion, finely minced

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1/2 red bell pepper, finely minced

1 lb lump crab

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 large egg white

about 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (you will use 1/2 cup in crab cakes and 1/2 cup outside the crab cake)

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic and red pepper until they begin to caramelize. Dump that into a large bowl and fold in crab meat, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, egg white, lime juice,cayenne, salt, pepper and cilantro. Mix just until well blended. Shape the mixture into 8 fat crab cakes. Roll cakes in extra breadcrumbs. Put on a plate, cover and refrigerate until chilled. Heat a skillet with about 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Cook crab cakes about 4 minutes on each side, or until they are nice and crisp.

We usually serve them with a Chile Mayonnaise. In a small bowl, combine the following:

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

1/2 of a chipotle chili in adobe sauce, chopped

zest and juice of 1/2 of a lime

a few chopped cilantro leaves

Pumpkin Muffins

Since Fall began, I've had nothing but pumpkin on my mind. I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of pumpkin coffee creamer, pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin beer. The good news is that last week I found the beer (Blue Moon) and today I (finally) found the coffee creamer, thanks to my friend Deanna. Still awaiting pumpkin ice cream, but the stock boy assures me it will arrive soon. If you are like me and love this season of pumpkin, try this recipe for pumpkin muffins.

They are moist and easy to make. Your house will smell amazing while they are in the oven.

Pumpkin Muffins

Mix the following dry ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup sugar

Add these wet ingredients:

1/2 cup applesauce

2 eggs beaten

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup pumpkin

Mix until moistened. Don't over mix or the muffins will be tough. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Makes 12.

To Meat or not to Meat....

My family loves pasta, we generally eat it twice a week. Our only argument comes to the meat. Husband and I prefer our pasta meatless. Our daughter, however, loves meatballs. These recipes help to please everyone.

Spaghetti Sauce

Saute the following in a large dutch oven:

1 onion

5 cloves of garlic

8 ounces of fresh mushrooms

1/2 chopped green pepper

Add the following:

1 quart of crushed tomatoes (or 1 large can of crushed tomatoes)

1 small can of tomato paste

1 cup red wine

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp marjarom

1 tbsp honey

Let cook on low heat, uncovered until sauce reaches desired thickness. I like to cook for a minimum of 1 hour.

Meatballs

When it comes to meatballs, I refuse to buy hamburger. I have read too many articles about the number of cows found in one pound of ground meat. The practice of putting hundreds of cows in a large vat before packaging increases the risk of e.coli. This bothers me a great deal. Why in the world would this practice continue? For a long time I refused to make any dish with ground meat in it. Protests from my daughter convinced me to find an alternative. I get a steak from the meat department and have the butcher grind it. I use a round steak or a sirloin (a chuck roast will also work). The butcher is more than happy to do this for you. It takes only a few minutes of your time and you know what the steak looks like before it is ground. No strange parts are added. You can serve your family a product that makes you feel safe.

Okay, enough about the horrors of hamburger. Here's my recipe.

1 pound of ground beef

1 small minced onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

salt

pepper

Gently combine ingredients and shape into meatballs. Don't overwork the meat. Brown the meatballs in a skillet on medium heat. When meat has browned, add 1 cup of the sauce from the recipe above. Turn down to a simmer and let cook until cooked through.

When the sauce is ready, boil the pasta. My preference for this dish is thin spaghetti. Be sure to add plenty of salt to the water, your pasta will be flavorless if you don't. Cook for the shortest amount of time on box (al dente).

Lots of chefs tell us to add the pasta to the sauce before serving. I find this makes the pasta even better. The pasta soaks up the sauce and adds extra flavor. Be sure to top the pasta with lots of freshly grated parmesan. Now add the meatballs, or not!

Pesto Pizza

I've told you all before that I love pesto. It is a gift from the gods as far as I'm concerned. I want to share a tasty pizza recipe featuring this yummy concoction.

Pesto Pizza

1 pizza crust (recipe follows)

1/2 cup pesto (recipe in July 20th post)

1 small onion, sliced

handful of fresh mushrooms, sliced

handful of chopped sun dried tomatoes

1 grilled chicken breast, sliced (optional)

4 ounces black olives, sliced

8 ounces of shredded mozzarella

2 ounces of goat cheese crumbled

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Preheat pizza stone in oven for at least 30 minutes. This is what gives the crust it's lovely texture. Don't even think of preparing a good pizza without doing this.

While oven preheats, roll out dough to roughly the size of of your stone. Have all ingredients ready to top the pizza before taking stone out of the oven. Take out the stone and immediately place dough on it. Top with pesto, mushrooms, onions, sun dried tomatoes, chicken if using, black olives, mozzarella and goat cheese. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Check on pizza often. It will be done when cheese is bubbling and crust is lightly browned.

Pizza Crust

1 package of yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 cup warm water

3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour, plus more for rolling

Olive oil for oiling bowl

Mix the yeast, sugar, and water. Let rest for 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tsp of salt. Add flour. If dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. It crumbly, add more water, 1 tbsp at a time. Knead dough until it's smooth and elastic. Form dough into a round ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a towel and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Once the dough has risen, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and roll to needed size. This makes a large crust.

Chicken Broccoli Pasta

I was in the grocery store this summer and overheard a troubling conversation between a mother and son. The grocery cart was overloaded with the "blue" box of macaroni and cheese. The son was telling the mother, "I'm not supposed to be eating this. I need other things for my body." Of course my imagination went wild. Does he have health problems? Has his coach expressed the beauty of performance food? Sadly, the mother left all the mac and cheese in her cart and I was unable to hear (I tried) the rest of the exchange between them.

My mind immediately thought of a great alternative to the blue box, Chicken Broccoli Pasta. The original recipe was in a swimming magazine my daughter was subscribed to. I modified it to fit my family. We love this wonderful performance meal.

Chicken Broccoli Pasta

12 ounces of whole wheat pasta

1 broccoli crown cut into florets

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 tbsp pesto (recipe in July 20th post)

1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound boneless chicken breast chopped into bite sized pieces

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot with salted, boiling water, cook pasta until al dente

2. Meanwhile, saute chicken and garlic in olive oil for several minutes in a large skillet

3. Add broccoli and saute until all is cooked through.

4. Add chopped tomatoes and pesto

5. Toss cooked pasta into chicken mixture

6. Season with salt and pepper and toss with Parmesan cheese

This is great served warm or leftover cold.

Dress your salad!

I was in the grocery store the other day and took a look at the salad dressings. The ingredient lists on some of these scared me a little. There were as many as 25 ingredients; many I could not even pronounce!

Not knowing what these ingredients are frighten me:

xanthan gum

disodium inosinate

disodium guanylate

maltodextrin

mono and diglycerides

sorbic acid

phosphoric acid

calcium disodium EDTA

proplene glycol alginate

sodium benzoate

titanium dioxide

What is this stuff? I don't want to eat anything that sounds like a science experiment.

I want to share my family's favorite two dressings for salad. I promise you will be able to pronounce every ingredient and buy them at your local grocery store.

Italian Dressing:

1 cup of canola oil or olive oil (I like a mixture of both.)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp dries basil leaves

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

2 cloves of garlic, crushed ( or 1/4 tsp dried garlic)

1/4 cup of red wine vinegar ( or whatever vinegar you like)

Shake all ingredients in a tightly covered jar.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup raspberry vinegar (red wine vinegar works here in a pinch)

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves

Shake all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. My family loves this dressing in a salad of fresh greens and fruit.

10 minute pasta

Roma tomatoes are very happy at my house right now. We are picking tomatoes and making pizza sauce every few days. While tomatoes are in abundance, my family loves to make this pasta. It is simple and delicious. You can make this in the time it takes for you to drive to a restaurant for take-out. I hope you enjoy it.

Fresh Tomato Pasta

To serve four, you will need:

1. 12 -15 Roma tomatoes or 4-6 regular tomatoes chopped
2. 8 ounces of angel hair pasta
3. olive oil
4. 1/2 small onion chopped
5. 2 cloves garlic minced
6. handful of basil leaves chopped
7. 1/4 cup of dry red wine
8. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
9. salt and pepper to taste

Put salted pasta water on to boil. While waiting: chop tomatoes, onion, basil and garlic. Put a large skillet on medium heat. You will make the sauce in this. When the pasta water is at a heavy boil, add the angel hair. Be sure to time the pasta. It cooks very quickly (in about 4 minutes) and will be mushy if overcooked. By now the skillet should be hot. Add olive oil, onion and garlic to the skillet at this time. As soon as the onion and garlic become transparent, add the tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper and wine. By now your pasta should be ready to eat. Drain well and add to the tomato sauce. Divide pasta between four bowls. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Aunt Becky's Guacamole

My Aunt Becky was an amazing lady and cook. She was passionate about good food. Sadly, she passed away a couple of years ago. I think of her often especially when I make guacamole. The first time I ever had it was at her home. I've never had guacamole I like as well as hers. Husband and I had this tonight with our veggie fajitas. I hope you enjoy her recipe as much as we do.

Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 avocados mashed

1 tomato chopped

2-3 cloves of minced garlic

1 onion chopped

juice of 1/2 lime

handful of chopped cilantro

olive oil - just a swirl around the bowl

salt and pepper to taste

Simply mix all ingredients and eat! I could make a meal on this with a good tortilla chip.

A variation to this is to add chopped basil instead of the cilantro, different, but equally great.

Since you went to all the trouble to make fresh guacamole you might as well make a great Margarita to go with it. I am so against the neon green mixtures you find in grocery stores full of high-fructose corn syrup. This recipe is for a Margarita the way it was intended, tart and refreshing.

Classic Margarita

2 oz silver agave tequila

1 oz triple sec

Juice of 1 large lime

1 tsp agave syrup ( you will find this in the baking aisle near sugar)

Coarse salt for garnish

Rub the rim of a glass with lime and rub it in the coarse salt. Add ice to the glass. Combine tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and agave syrup in a cocktail shaker or jar and shake for 30 seconds. Pour into salted glass and enjoy.

Pesto Confessions

I spent yesterday morning making pesto. One of the plants husband left alone gave me six batches of pesto! I'm so excited. We will definitely not have to buy the expensive stuff from the store this year.

My family loves pesto. I will share some recipes using it later. Whatever you do don't buy the canned variety. The refrigerated type is heads above the canned in my opinion. I have not found one that is even close to homemade or refrigerated. Of course, I stopped trying a couple of years ago.

My sister always tells me that my pesto is different. She thinks it's due to the fresh basil. It's time to come clean. When I began making pesto, I was complaining about the cost of the pine nuts to the owner of my local greenhouse. She gave me a great solution - use sunflower seeds instead! I was reluctant to try it but being the Betty Bargain that I am, saving money prevailed. To be honest I couldn't tell the difference (my sister is the only one who can). Now I wouldn't consider using pine nuts in this. I save them for pasta dishes that lets them shine.

My secret is out. Here is the recipe I use. I revised it from a recipe my daughter found in a book at school years ago.

Basil Pesto

2 cups of freshly washed basil leaves

1 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup of sunflower seeds (use the pine nuts here if you want)

1/2 cup of graded Parmesan cheese

3 cloves of garlic

1. Put garlic, basil, and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blend until thoroughly mixed.
2. Add cheese and sunflower seeds and blend for 3-4 minutes.

That's it. Now you can use it on pizza, pasta or for dipping bread into. I make lots of pesto in the summer and freeze it for later use. Typically I freeze it in ice cube trays. When it is frozen, I put the cubes into freezer bags. I take out what I need and thaw on the counter or in the refrigerator.

It's not too late!

Driving my daughter to soccer practice this week, I have been seeing a sign outside the local greenhouse. It says herbs, veggies and annuals half price! Now is the time to get those herbs you like to use and spend too much buying in the grocery store. I promise it is not as difficult as it seems. I have lots of herbs in my regular herb garden. However, I also keep a pot of my favorites on my patio. I only have to open the back door and snip what I need. In this pot I have cilantro, parsley, sage and basil. These are the herbs I use most frequently. They are no effort to grow at all. I have only watered them twice this summer and that was early in the season. Now they flourish when my flowers need constant attention. Remember, herbs are just weeds. They should grow when nothing else will. I have also had lots of success growing them with my flowers. They add the greenery you need but serve a greater purpose.

Make things simpler and save money by running to your greenhouse and getting herbs to season your life.

Sunday Dinner

We returned from vacation yesterday and there must be a thousand things to do today. Yard, garden, laundry, and dog all needed our attention. Usually we like to grill something on Sunday during the summer. Today we were desperate for a good meal that would not require much looking after.

This is a great recipe for roast chicken. It is yummy and will leave you with leftovers for the next day. I am also a fan of it being a one pot meal, leaving me time to do other things while it cooks.

Rosemary Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole fryer chicken

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup of lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)

2 TBSP honey

2 TBSP fresh rosemary or 2 tsp dried chopped or crushed in the mortar and pestle

2 cloves garlic minced

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, honey, rosemary, and garlic.

3 carrots cut into chunks

2 potatoes (sweet potatoes work well too)

1 large onion quartered

1 package of frozen brussels sprouts

2 yellow squash cut into chunks

2 turnips peeled and quartered

6 mushrooms

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken in the middle of a 9X13 baking pan. Add the vegetables to the pan putting them in all open spaces. Top the vegetables and chicken with olive oil mixture trying to spread evenly. Salt and pepper everything to taste. Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 hours.

The other beauty of this dish is that if there is an ingredient you don't care for leave it out. By the same thought if there is something else you love, add it. Today I don't have brussels sprouts so I plan to serve a simple green salad with our meal. I was a vegetarian for three years and prepared the vegetables without the chicken. So, anything goes!

Here is what I like to do with the leftover chicken.

Chicken Salad

leftover chicken

1/2 cup or so of grapes, dried cranberries or raisins chopped

handful of chopped pecans

1 slice of onion minced

1 stick of celery finely chopped

1/4 cup mayonaise

1/4 cup of vanilla yogurt (I know it seems strange but, it lowers the fat and adds a touch of sweetness.)

1 TSP dijon mustard

salt

pepper

Pull the leftover meat from the chicken and chop. Add vegetables and fruit. Combine mayo, yogurt, salt, pepper and dijon in a small bowl. Add to chicken, vegetables and fruit.

Perfect Shrimp.

Let's talk about the perfect summer shrimp. Of course, the best shrimp comes right off the ocean. However, good quality shrimp may also be found at home. The secret is in how you cook it. Whatever you do, do not over cook the shrimp.

Ingredients:

One pound of large shrimp

One twelve ounce beer

Palm full of sea salt

Old Bay seasoning

Pour beer into large stock pot.

Add water till stock pot is half full.

Add sea salt and bring to a boil.

Add shrimp and boil until shrimp turn pink and float. When they float they are fully cooked.

Remove from heat and drain. Do not over cook.

Sprinkle with a generous amount of Old Bay seasoning.

Peel and Eat.

Necessary Equipment

I thought I should let you know the tools and accessories that the Keene household can't live without.

1. Sharp Knives: Husband loves his Shun knife and would recommend it to everyone. His outcast knives are sharp enough for me. I am not nearly as skilled with a knife.
2. Grater: We put parmesan on everything.
3. Gas Grill: Heats up quickly and the temperature is more controllable. We even grill in the winter so charcoal is out of the question.
4. Heavy Duty Stock Pot: Find one that has a removable colander for pasta and a steamer basket for vegetables.
5. Electric Smoker: We use it to smoke turkey breasts, salmon and occasionally ribs. As with the grill, the temperature is more easily controlled with electric.
6. Stainless Steel skillets: They can go from stovetop to oven, no problem.
7. Pizza Stone: Put it in the oven while it preheats. The crust will be amazing.
8. Kitchen scissors: Will cut everything including chicken bones.
9. Cast Iron Skillet: Can't make a descent grilled cheese without it.
10. Metal mixing bowls: We have various sizes.
11. Wooden spoons
12. Mortar and pestle: Essential for grinding herbs.
13. Metal tongs: We use them inside and out.
14. Colander
15. Measuring cups
16. Large porcelain casserole (dutch oven): Can go from stove top to oven like skillets.
17. 2 Loaf Pans
18. Pepper mill
19. Food Processor: It will act as chopper and blender.
20. Each Other: It sounds so cheesy, but we love to be in the kitchen together. Husband swears that couples who cook together have more sex. Sorry Maggie! Kidding aside, we have solved many problems while chopping vegetables and having a cold beer.

Not Your Grandma's Green Beans

I am not a dietitian or a chef. I am just someone, who at times, is quite obsessed about what my family eats. For the record, I want to say, "Just eat real." Stay away from processed, high fructose laden things disguised as food. Your body and taste buds will thank you.

I went out to my garden this morning and was delighted to find that I had green beans ready to pick. Fresh green beans for dinner! My husband and I grow a type called Tenderette. It is a thin stringless bush bean that has a very small bean inside. Growing up, we both came from households that grew white half runners. While we love the way our mothers cooked them, we have never missed the hours spent stringing and breaking.

We like to cook our skinny beans in a way that differs from the usual Southern way. A couple of years ago while at our farmer's market a farmer shared this recipe with me. (By the way, listen to the farmer when you buy his produce. He will be happy to offer ideas for preparing his bounty.)

Green Beans with Fresh Thyme

Ingredients:

1 pound of green beans washed, dried and strung if necessary. Do not break.

2 cloves of garlic-leave the skin on

juice from 1/2 fresh lemon

olive oil

salt

pepper

2 tsp. anchovy paste

a couple sprigs of fresh thyme- remove the leaves and discard the stem

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While oven preheats toss the beans and garlic in a little olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Bake beans stirring often until they begin to turn a little brown and caramelize. It will take 20 minutes or so. At this time, squeeze the lemon over the beans, squeeze the garlic out of the skin and toss with the beans. Sprinkle with the thyme.

I hope you enjoy them!

Those of you who know me will not be surprised to hear me say to cook something else in that oven while it's hot. You can accomplish 2 tasks and use your electricity wisely. While preparing my beans, I will also roast potatoes. If you decide to do this check the time for the potatoes and put them in first.

Roasted Dijon Potatoes

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 pound of small red skin potatoes, pricked with a fork several times

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk together olive oil, mustard, cumin, and chili powder.

Toss the potatoes in the mixture to evenly coat. Pour into a baking dish and bake for 30-45 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Don't Screw with the Basil!

I was recently visiting my sister and her family. Knowing that they have a killer downtown farmer's market, I suggested we meet there to get some goodies and have lunch after. My family arrived first and I must say we were appalled by the price of fresh basil. Farmers were charging $3 for a small bunch. There were maybe six leaves on the bunch! Being a tight wad, I thought that I should share how easy it is to grow basil.

1. Go to your local fruit market or garden center and buy a tray of three plants. The cost is around $2.00.

2. Plant it outside in the ground or in a large pot.

3. Here is the important part---Leave it alone!! Basil doesn't want to be fussed with. I tell you this because I am a fusser. I want to baby the plants in a way that smothers them. My sweet husband has taken over the job of leaving the basil alone.

In a couple of weeks you will have hundreds of dollars worth of basil to sell at the farmer's market!

Here is my family's favorite basil recipe:

Bruschetta

Ingredients:

1. a loaf of good french bread, sliced
2. 3-4 fresh summer tomatoes, chopped (in the winter use Campari tomatoes)
3. 2 tbsp. of olive oil
4. 1/2 bunch of basil leaves chopped
5. 1 clove of fresh garlic cut in half
6. sea salt to taste

Combine tomatoes, basil, 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt. Set aside. Brush slices of bread with remaining olive oil and toast. You may do this in the oven on 400 degrees, in a skillet, or grill it. When the bread is toasted, rub slices with garlic. Top with tomato mixture.

It's amazing that something so simple could taste so great!