Loving mashed potatoes the Irish Way!!!

You can use kale instead of cabbage, but I personally prefer the softer and sweeter taste of cabbage. Colcannon is traditionally topped with melted butter – because let’s be honest, mashed potatoes and butter are a match made in heaven.

Ingredients

Potatoes – You’ll need a good starchy baking potato. Our favorite choices are Russet or Yukon gold potatoes. Once boiled, mash them with lots of butter, light or heavy cream. While it’s not traditional, you can also add sour cream or cream cheese to taste.

Cabbage – Green cabbage becomes tender and sweet when fried with butter. However, you can substitute curly kale (about 1lb) or savoy cabbage if you prefer.

Onion –  Fried onions pair beautifully with mashed potatoes. Use a white onion, or green onion, or try using leeks for an extra special dish. Leeks are mildly flavored and look like extra large scallions.

Butter & bacon – Could anything be better?! I love the flavor bacon adds although it’s not a traditional addition. If I have it on hand, I add it but if I don’t this colcannon recipe is equally delicious with just butter.

How To Make Colcannon

1. Cook the potatoes in a large saucepan until fork-tender and drain well. Mash the potatoes with cream and butter.
2. Soften onion or leeks and cabbage in a skillet.
3. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Stir the cabbage mixture into the mashed potatoes and top with lots of butter.

It's always pumpkin something around here along with some sourdough fixins... gathering seeds...

It's always pumpkin something around here
along with some sourdough fixins...

Ah, January, the perfect season to snuggle up by the fire and dream up garden plans! I've been busy cooking up a storm, making pumpkin puree for my adorable grandbaby. And let me tell you, the seeds from this Silver Edge Squash are something else! They've got this silver lining that makes them look like stars, and they make for a delicious snack. Plus, rumor has it they're used to make Pipian sauce, which is a type of mole. I've never tried it before, but it's now at the top of my to-do list!
As I was researching pumpkin recipes, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of Mexican dishes that use pumpkin, and I'm excited to dive into this new culinary adventure! Who knew pumpkins could be so versatile? Well I did and at the same time I'm learning MORE!

A Guide to Roasting Pumpkin Seeds:

Roasting pumpkin seeds is simple and delicious. Follow these six easy steps to make a healthy and tasty snack.

• *1. Clean the seeds.**

Clean the pumpkin seeds by separating them from the guts. Put the seeds and the guts into a bowl of water and use your hands to break them apart. The seeds will float to the top of the water, making the cleaning process less time-consuming.

• *2. Boil the seeds for 10 minutes in salt water.**

In a medium-sized pot, add the pumpkin seeds and 1 tsp of salt to water. Bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the seeds simmer for about 10 minutes over low-medium heat. This method makes the seeds easier to digest and produces a crispy outer shell during roasting. If you're short on time, you can skip this step.

• *3. Drain the seeds and dry lightly with a paper towel or tea towel.**

Drain the seeds in a colander and lightly dry them with a paper towel or tea towel. The seeds will stick to the towel, but you can rub them off with your fingers. Make sure to give them a light pat down.

• *4. Spread the seeds onto a baking sheet and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.**

Spread the seeds onto a baking sheet and add 1/2-1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil. Massage the oil into the seeds and add a generous sprinkle of Herbamare. You can also use fine grain sea salt. Try to spread out the seeds as thin as possible with minor overlapping.

• *5. Roast the seeds at 325F for 10 minutes.**

Roast the seeds in the oven at 325F for 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and stir. Roast for another 8-10 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of roasting, remove a few seeds and crack them open to make sure the inner seeds are not burning. The inner seed should have only a hint of golden tinge to it; they should not be brown.

• *6. Enjoy!**

Remove the seeds from the oven and add a bit more Herbamare before serving. The outer shell is edible and quite possibly the best part, so there is no need to remove it.

It's that time of the year...Carmel Time

 

Saturday, Brent picked the apples...this is always a busy time for us in the garden when so many things are coming in season. The plan is to put up a few jars for some apple pies and enjoy the rest.  My granddaughter fixed dinner tonight and it included whipping up some carmel sauce for a nice refreshing dessert. We used a recipe with brown sugar and condensed milk tonight. Yes, apples and carmel sauce it's a great treat!!! There are a lot of recipes out there...GET YOUR CARMEL ON!!!

Salted Carmel Sauce

https://mygardnerguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/salted-caramel-sauce-with-printable.html

Mini Pumpkin Bunt Cake with Carmel Sauce

https://mygardnerguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/mini-pumpkin-bundt-cakes-1-cup-sugar-1.html

Our families favortive Pop Corn Balls

https://mygardnerguy.blogspot.com/2013/10/pop-corn-balls-and-halloween.html

Creamed Corn the easy way

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds 

  frozen corn kernels, 4 (15.5-ounce) cans drained corn kernels, or kernels from 5 to 6 ears fresh sweet corn

• 1 tablespoon 

  granulated sugar (optional)

• 1 teaspoon 

  salt, plus more to taste

• 1 cup 

  whole or 2% milk

• 4 tablespoons 

  (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

• 8 ounces 

  cream cheese

• Freshly ground black pepper
• This is a easy recipe. 

• Combine the corn, sugar, and salt in the slow cooker if you want to cook it faster I use a big cast iron pan. 

• Pour the milk over the top of the corn.

• Dot the surface with butter and cream cheese. Cut the butter and cream cheese into small pieces, then scatter them over the surface of the corn. Do not mix them in.
• Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, or on low for 4 to 6 hours. If you're around while this is cooking, stir the corn once during the second half of cooking to prevent a crust from forming around the edge and fold the partially melted cream cheese and butter into the corn. This helps prevent a crust from forming around the edge, but it's not strictly necessary.
• Stir the corn thoroughly at the end of cooking. When you first stir the corn, the cream cheese, milk, and butter might look fairly thin and a bit curdled. Continue to gently stir until they come together into a creamy sauce. Taste the creamed corn and add additional salt or sugar, as well as fresh black pepper, to taste.
• Adjust the consistency of the creamed corn. Let the corn stand for a few minutes, either with the heat off or on the "warm" setting, to give the sauce time to set. Stir again to check the consistency. If it seems thicker than you'd like, stir in some milk. If it's thinner than you'd like, let the creamed corn stand for a few more minutes before serving; it will continue to thicken as it stands.
• Serve the creamed corn. Transfer the creamed corn to a serving bowl, or you can serve it directly from the slow cooker. For buffets, leave the slow cooker on the "warm" setting to keep the creamed corn warm; check the corn occasionally and stir in more milk if it seems to get too thick.

Freezing that delicious corn...Here's 3 ways

Freezing Method#1: Blanched Corn Kernels   

The corn you’ll find frozen at the grocery store has been blanched prior to freezing. This is a great option for freezing at home as well because it makes the corn even easier to use, as the cooking is already done. Remove the corn from the cob, blanch it in salted water for two minutes, drain, and immediately shock in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Remove the corn to a towel to drain, pat dry, and then freeze in whatever quantity you prefer. You can also boil the whole corn on the cob and then remove the kernels for freezing. 

Freezing Method #2: Unblanched Corn Kernels

My favorite way to freeze corn is raw because it’s easy to do and versatile to use once thawed. First, remove kernels from the cob. Once the kernels have been removed from the cob, you can
pop them in a freezer bag (or vacuum seal them), label and date them, and store them in the freezer for up to 12 months. For those who love corn chowder save your cobs, freeze them the same way until you’re ready to make corn stock or corn chowder.

To use frozen raw corn, place the whole bag of corn in the fridge overnight, or run the bag of corn under running water if you’re short on time. Frozen raw corn won’t have the same texture as fresh corn, so I wouldn’t recommend it for salads or fresh salsas, but it does work well insautés, soups, and chili.

Freezing Method #3: Corn on the Cob

You can also freeze whole cobs of corn. Simply shuck, blanch for about four minutes, and put the cobs in an ice bath before drying and freezing; make sure to remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible before popping them in the freezer. To use frozen corn on the cob, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and boil the cobs for two to three minutes, just enough to cook the kernels without getting them waterlogged. While the texture of the corn won’t be as crisp and fresh, frozen corn on the cob is quite close in taste andtexture to its fresh counterpart, and it makes a simple, quick side dish for busy weeknight dinners.

As for me...I am freezing just a enough for a few dinners of Creamed Corn and 

Mexican Street corn...Yum!!!

Oh the Broccoli Salad with the pineapple

Broccoli 2023

This year the broccoli did really good and my Gardner Guy planted to much. Lesson learned here is to space out the planting's so we don't have more than we need coming on at one time. Spacing the planting time will give us broccoli through out the summer season.

Our neighbors and friends enjoyed our abundance and I made my favorite broccoli salad. I even took it to a Rotary luncheon and people loved it. I believe the secret to a good tasting broccoli salad is taking the time to cut your broccoli in small bite size pieces and don't forget the cheese and I believe the secret ingredient is the pineapple. 

Broccoli Pineapple Salad – 

SOOO simple and SOOO good!! Fresh broccoli, cheddar cheese, red onion, red grapes, fresh pineapple, pecans, sliced almonds, or sunflower seeds, bacon, mayonnaise, cider vinegar and sugar. I also add rasins and crasins.  Great for spring/summer cookouts, potlucks, camping and Easter side dish. As for myself I'm inviting a big group over to finish this huge crop of broccoli we have.  You can make ahead and refrigerate for several days. I add the dressing a few hours before serving.

Ingredients:

6 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into small bite size pieces
1 cup cubed Cheddar cheese
½ medium red onion, chopped
1 cup red seedless grapes halved
½ cup diced fresh pineapple, I add what I like 
¼ cup chopped pecans, or sliced almonds

Sunflowered seeds, to your liking
3 slices of cooked bacon chopped
1 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, cheese, onion, grapes, pineapple, pecans, or almonds and I always add sunflowerseeds, bacon rasins and/or craisins.
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar. Spoon the dressing over the broccoli mixture and toss gently until evenly coated.

Simple Sandwich Sundays - Sourdough Patty Melt Recipe

 

Simple Sourdough Patty Melt Recipe

I have been making my own sour dough bread and loving it. In fact I have a list of sandwiches I plan to make!!! It's a silly thing to be excited about but I am enjoying the easy meals I can make with the garden goodies and sourdough...

Serve it with what you want, I'm serving it with fresh broccoli and stewed rhubarb

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 tablespoons dried or ground thyme, divided
• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 8 slices sourdough bread
• 8 slices Swiss cheese

Directions

1. Begin by caramelizing the onions: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron skillet and sauté the onions on low, stirring frequently, for about 35 to 40 minutes. Halfway through cooking the onions, add apple cider vinegar and stir to combine. The onions will slowly soften and darken into a caramel color. Keep the heat low –– if the onions are burning, the skillet is too hot.
2. While the onions are cooking, prepare the patties. Mix the ground beef, one tablespoon of thyme, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to combine, and then form the patties into long, thin ovals, similar to the shape of the bread.
3. Once the onions are softened and jammy, remove them from the skillet and reserve. Turn the heat up to medium. When the skillet is hot, add the beef patties. Allow each patty space –– you may need to work in batches.
4. Firmly press down on each patty, flattening the burgers as they cook. Cook for three to four minutes, and then flip them and cook for another three to four minutes on the other side, pressing down firmly again to flatten. Once the burgers are cooked to your preferred doneness (8 minutes should be medium), remove them from the skillet.
5. Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter in a small bowl and stir in one tablespoon of thyme. Brush the melted butter on one side of each slice of bread.
6. To assemble the sandwich, take two slices of buttered sourdough bread and stack them, buttered sides together. On the bare side of the sourdough bread, place a cooked hamburger patty. Then layer the patty with two slices of Swiss cheese and the caramelized onions.
7. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, place the sandwich butter-side down. Then stack the second slice on top of the onions. Cook for about two to three minutes, until the bread is deeply golden brown and the cheese is melting. Flip the sandwich and cook for another two to three minutes, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted and gooey.
8. Remove the sandwich from the skillet and repeat this process with the remaining sandwiches. Cut them in half and serve.

Making your own Pumpkin Puree...Easy

 

    https://mygardnerguy.blogspot.com/2021/09/what-pumpkins-are-best-for-eating

Keeping true to my word, pantry time...

See linkhttps://mygardnerguy.blogspot.com/2012/03/rosemary-garlic-parmesan-biscuits.html

Shopping from my Pantry...

Elliott Pantry

 

Going to the grocerie store these days is crazy!!! I really dislike seeing bacon prices and the butter my, my... I have always been a believer of a stocked pantry (not my husband). I dislike the going out to eat prices even more. It is just my husband and I so I let it slide when he wants to go get his hamburger.

We could save a lot if we ate from our pantry. With these prices I think I shall get back to my old ways. So Thanksgiving dinner I am shopping in the pantry. My pantry is not a beautiful designed space...but it has bottles of garden goods and other stuff I can use.

Tip for savings....Shop Your Kitchen First

"Before [buying] more food, look through your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry and try to come up with a dish with what you have. Let the contents of your kitchen dictate what you'll cook next.

Even if you're unable to create a full meal out of existing ingredients, browsing your kitchen allows you to establish a jumping-off point for the next dish. This way, you can fill in the blanks at the grocery store and only buy what you need to complete a meal, effectively shortening your shopping list. Need a center piece, use natural stuff you can find outside. Lucky me I have paper plates from a year ago. Looks like I am ahead of the game. I love Thanksgiving...Those pumpkins sitting on the porch, pumpkin pies coming up!!!

We are at the very end of our garden this year. I am always surprised of the amount food we can get from growing a garden. I always have more than I can put up. This year I have about used up all of the Jalapeno peppers. I think these will keep my husband supplied for the coming year.