Pickles

I've never been a huge fan of pickles until I tried pickles made by Michelle and Nathan. Now I'm a pickle snob, so I figured I better learn how to make my own! Here is a good recipe I found. These pickles turn out very flavorful (too flavorful for some) and crunchy- just the way I like! You can make a lot of alterations to this recipe to customize it to your tastes. (original link)


Refrigerated Dill Pickles

1 small sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Maui), thinly sliced (** I did not use onion, I used crushed garlic instead) 2 pounds medium pickling cucumbers, scrubbed, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (**I could not find pickling cucumbers and used normal ones instead) 1 large bunch dill, coarsely chopped (stems included) 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds 2 teaspoons whole white peppercorns 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar 1 cup water 1 cup sugar (** I used less sugar than this, about 1/2 cup) 3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt 2 teaspoons dill seeds (did not use) Divide sliced onion (garlic-about 4 to 6 cloves) between two 1-quart wide-mouth glass jars. Pack cucumber slices horizontally in jars. Top each jar with dill. Using mortar and pestle or resealable plastic bag and mallet, crush mustard seeds and peppercorns together. Place crushed spices in medium saucepan. Add vinegar, 1 cup water, sugar, coarse salt, and dill seeds. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Ladle mixture evenly over cucumbers. Leave jars uncovered and chill 24 hours. Cover glass pickle jars tightly with lids. Keep refrigerated. These will last a couple of weeks! The vinegar is an antimicrobial so it keeps it fresh for awhile.

Strawberry Shortcakes from scratch

This recipe is simple but absolutely delicious. The shortcake is similar to a biscuit but a little sweeter. The real sweetness comes from the strawberries- use good strawberries for this one! (original link)

Strawberry Shortcake


4 pints strawberries, lightly rinsed, hulled and halved

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
1 tablespoon sugar
6 shortcakes (see recipe below), for serving
6 whole strawberries, for garnish
Shortcakes:
2 cups self-rising flour
2 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoon heavy (whipping) cream

For the shortcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet.

2. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.

3. Add the butter. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, rub it into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in the milk until a very soft dough is formed. Do not overwork.

4. Drop the dough in 6 equal portions onto the prepared baking sheet. Lightly pat the dough into rounds—3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter—and lightly brush the tops with the cream.

5. Bake the shortcakes in the center of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

For the Strawberries:

1. Place strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar, then gently toss with a rubber spatula. Let rest for 1 1/2 to 2 hours for juices to develop.

2. Just before serving, whip cream with 1 Tbsp sugar until it holds soft peaks.

3. To serve, slice off the top third of each shortcake. Place the bottoms on 6 dessert plates and top with 1/3 cup of the prepared berries and juice, plus a spoonful of whipped cream. Cover with the top. Spoon over more berries and juice, then dollop with whipped cream. Garnish each with a whole berry and drizzle with any remaining juice.

Potato Salad, my only success

I have been searching for years for a potato salad recipe that actually tasted good without too much mayonnaise. Well, Emily and I went searching and found a winner! Here it is! (original link)

Creamy Potato Salad with Lemon and Herb

3 pounds baby red potatoes
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 medium green onions, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

Directions:


1. Cut up the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and boil for about 15-20 minutes, until soft. Strain the potatoes and rinse with cool water. Let sit until cool.
2. Combine the herbs, mayonnaise, vinegar, green onions, celery (I left this out because I didn't want to buy a whole package just to use one stalk), parsley, basil, dill and lemon. (note: I added fresh chives to this recipe as well).
3. Mix well and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. This potato salad lasts well in the fridge and tastes better the next day!


(pics to follow)