Streaked Mountain Herbs and Crafts

Last weekend we hiked Streaked Mountain with our friends from Streaked Mountain Herbs and Crafts.

We packed a simple lunch of peanut butter sandwiches made with the last of our Harvest Hill Farm maple bread, apples, bananas and plenty of water.

We were also counting on picking some wild blueberries or raspberries along the trail.  Though the blueberries and raspberries were scarce, the wild blackberries were quite abundant.

We were put to shame, and inspired, by the beautiful spread of goodies that our friends had packed: fresh garden vegetables, sharp cheddar, smoked mussels, fresh bread and a homemade dipping oil called Heaps of Herbs. Continue reading

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The Yearly Steak

Every summer we plan a time to invite my grandmother over for grilled steak.  I don’t buy steak often, so when I do, I want to be sure I get a really good one.  Today I visited Borque’s Market and explained my plan to the gentleman behind the meat counter.  He pointed me in the direction of the porterhouse steaks saying with a smile, “That piece, right there, is the tenderloin.  That’s for your grandmother.”  I nodded, and thanked him for the advice, as he wrapped the steak in paper, meanwhile further advising me to grill it for 12 minutes and it would be perfect.  I passed those directions on to my better half who was manning the grill, and yes, 12 minutes was just right.

We also grilled fresh zucchini and summer squash, brushed with Heaps of Herbs oil from Streaked Mountain Herbs and Crafts, and prepared a fresh salad, steamed beet greens, and Near East toasted pine nut cous cous. Continue reading

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Baby Turnip and Peas

My grandmother shared this recipe with me, and also brought the fresh baby turnip and peas, so we cooked it up as a side dish at camp.  The farm fresh baby turnips had a nice sweet flavor, quite different from the large store-bought variety.

It’s very easy to make:  Slice the baby turnips very thinly, but there’s no need to peel them as long as they have been scrubbed well.  Cook the sliced turnips over medium-high heat in about 1 tbsp butter or olive oil until lightly browned, then add the peas, cooking until the peas are cooked to your liking.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I would have never thought to cook turnips and peas together prior to trying this, and I have to say that the flavor combination was great.  We really enjoyed it, and will definitely make it again!

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Key Lime Cake

Earlier this summer I made some key lime cupcakes for my sister-in-law’s birthday, and found that the recipe produced enough batter for a dozen cupcakes and a smaller cake.  This time around I used the same recipe, but decided to make it into one larger (13 x 9) cake, and decorated the top with less frosting than the original recipe, fresh lime slices, and lime zest.

With the bold lime flavor, and less of the sticky sweet cream cheese frosting, this version was refreshing, if cake can be described as such.  This recipe was a hit;  all I had left to bring home was my empty blue baking dish!

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Zucchini 2 Ways

Sadly, my zucchini plants are not producing, probably due to the limited amount of sunlight in my yard.  On a positive note, other people I know have an abundance of zucchini, and I seem to be finding myself with a zucchini or two on a weekly basis.  Two really easy ways to prepare zucchini are to make stuffed zucchini and grill it, or chop it with other vegetables and stirfry with garlic and herbs to make a vegetable primavera.

A simple way to make a very tasty stuffed zucchini is to hollow out the center part with a spoon or scoop.  I like to use the smallest of this very handy scoop set.  Chop the scooped out bits into small pieces, and mix with bread crumbs, feta, sundried tomatoes, garlic, fresh oregano, and whatever seasonings you enjoy.  Then stuff the zucchini halves, wrap with foil, and grill until they sizzle.

Vegetable primavera is one of the easiest dishes to make, and usually results in plenty of leftovers for easy lunches or even another dinner.  Just chop whatever veggies you want to use and set aside, mince some garlic and saute the garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil.  I like to add crushed red pepper to the garlic and oil to give it a little kick of spice.  Then stirfry the veggies in the garlic oil, adding a little (1/4 to 1/2 cup) of white wine while cooking, and toss with pasta.  Top with parmesan or feta and dinner is served!

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Crispy Roasted Kale

A couple of summers ago we participated in a CSA with Summit Springs Farm and really enjoyed the experience.  Due to the amount of driving necessary to pick up our veggies, we opted to try to purchase fresh produce at markets closer to our home and grow a few veggies ourselves, but we still use some of the recipes we learned about while participating in the CSA.  I was reminded of my CSA experience when I happened upon some beautiful fresh kale.

Roasted kale is easy to make, and hardly requires a recipe, though many are available online…  Some people call it kale chips since the end result is crispy, and with a little salt it makes a nice side with a sandwich.

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Maple Bread

After walking the trails at Poland Spring Preservation Park, we decided to take a ride to Harvest Hill Farm with the idea of getting some locally grown, range fed meat to grill for dinner.  After seeing the animals on the farm, and in the petting barn, I lost interest in having meat for dinner, but did see that they had freshly baked breads in their market.  The maple bread looked and smelled amazing, so I couldn’t resist.

This morning we had eggs, homefries, and maple toast to fuel up for another hike.

We also packed some peanut butter sandwiches made with this maple bread to bring along on the hike.  The maple flavor is potent enough not to be overpowered by the peanut butter, but the bread was not as sweet as I would have expected.  It is chewy, sort of like a sourdough bread, and is even good on its own.

After our stop at Harvest Hill Farm, we decided to take a ride further down Route 26 to check out Square Root Natural Foods to see what products they have to offer.  We were impressed with their wide variety of grains, including blue corn meal which I bought with no particular recipe in mind.  While browsing the wine section, we were approached by a knowledgeable and friendly employee who told us a little about the wines he had in stock.  We splurged on a bottle of Malbec that was made with organic grapes (Lulpeo Malbec 2009 Curico Valley, Chile) and a package of GIN-GINS, double strength ginger hard candy from The Ginger People.

We also noticed that they carry Harvest Hill Farm breads, and many other Maine products including an apple salsa that looked interesting, and a few Maine made wines and mead.  Wanting to only spend cash, and not knowing what we’d be cooking with several days of hiking planned, we only purchased a few items, but will return again soon.

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Frozen Tangy…

Several weeks ago I noticed a new type of Hood frozen yogurt called Frozen Tangy at the grocery store.  This week, armed with a $1.00 manufacturers coupon, I set out to try it.  I was impressed with the flavor: not too sweet, just a little tangy, and a smooth texture similar to real ice cream.  The blueberry flavor was not overwhelming or overpowering.  I was also happy find out that it was very low in saturated fat.

The only downside is that it contains high fructose corn syrup, which some people try to avoid.  Despite this fact, I would still buy it again–perhaps the vanilla next time I’m craving ice cream or frozen yogurt and do not feel like making my own…

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L/A’s Finest: Moroccan Salmon Cakes & Fresh Garden Veggies

The weather last night was comfortably cool and crisp; a perfect evening for a patio dinner with friends overlooking the “big city” over the river.

We started off with Moroccan salmon cakes, which were lightly crispy on the outside and had a wonderful balance of seasonings and flavors including spinach, cumin, and even cous cous that had been cooked with orange juice!  The flavors melded wonderfully together, and the garlic mayonnaise was the perfect condiment to bring it all together.

The main course was also a real treat:  tortellini with fresh garden veggies and grated parmesan.  This dish made me quite envious of my friend’s amazing raised gardens, and has also inspired me to look into ways in which I can hone my own gardening skills to produce a greater yield next growing season!

Thank you again, M & J, for a lovely dinner!

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Stuffed Green Peppers, Camp Style

Stuffed green peppers were a staple dish in my family’s house when I was growing up.  This dish is fairly easy to make, and there are many varieties of fillings that can be used.  My mom’s recipe is similar to this recipe, which I found on Cooks.com.  The major difference is that my mom does not use cheese in her stuffed green peppers, but does add carrots to the stuffing.

Instead of baking these stuffed green peppers in the oven, these were cooked on the grill in an aluminum baking pan covered with aluminum foil.

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