Marvelous Fudge! Shhhh...Its fun having a Secret!

Butter...

I wish I remember her name, It was when I worked at the Brainerd Daily Dispatch and this older woman used to bring in the most wonderful fudge. I love to bake and make candies, so I begged her for this recipe and she always told me "It is my secret recipe".

 I begged her for 2 years! Finally I was moving back to Minneapolis to get ready for my wedding and to get ready for married life and she gave me the recipe because she knew I was leaving and wouldn't share it with anyone in town. You know how small towns are...

 It took a bit to master this recipe because it is not easy. I probably made 3 batches before it even turned out. And then I heard that copper distributes the heat more evenly when making chocolates, so now I use a copper pot. Through trial and error I have figured out which brand of Chocolate to use and I even prefer the Mexican Vanilla because of the strong flavor. This has been a fun journey of perfecting this fudge recipe spanning over 23 years. I feel like Willy Wonka while I am making it.




the finished product. Yum!

I feel like Willy Wonka while I am making it, standing over a boiling pot for a long time, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn or boil over. I love selling it at the farmers market. I think people have figured out that I can make fudge! But please don't ask me for the recipe...



Cowboy Caviar

It's tomatoe time! It's pepper time! It's sweet summer onion time! It's cilantro time! It's time for fresh salsa...Cowboy Caviar!

Now I haven't found a recipe that is perfect yet, so what I do is combine recipes and make my own. The problem is that this all depends on how things taste from garden to garden also. So making this requires a lot of tasting. And you can tweek the recipe to your taste, which requires more tasting. So here is a skeleton recipe for my version of Cowboy Caviar...

3 ripe tomatoes (slightly unripe is good so they don't go mush)

1 green bell pepper

1 sweet banana pepper or yellow bell pepper

2 or 3 jalepeno peppers (or habeneros, how hot do you want it?)

1 fresh sweet white onion

1 small can of shoepeg corn or 3/4 cup fresh sweet corn
1 can black beans, rinsed
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro (this is our favorite part, but if you must you can use parsley)
2 or 3 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped fine
you can also throw in 1/2 cup zucchini, a fresh cucumber, this time of year its all good.

I like to hand chop it all. In a food processor it turns to mush. You want the peppers, onions and cilantro to have equal flavor with the tomatoes. Don't let the tomatoes overpower the flavor. You need to let it set in the refridgerator at least 2 hours before serving, but its best the 2nd day. Serve your Cowboy Caviar with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Or you can come buy fresh Cowboy Caviar from me at the Farmers Market on Thursdays when all of the tomatoes and peppers are at their best.

Garlic!

-just picked varieties of Garlic! from the top- Belarus, Krasnador Red, German Extra Hardy, Spanish Roja, Music, Georgian Crystal and Chesnook Red.

  "I never knew there were so many different kinds of Garlic!" is what I usually here. And let me tell you that I have barely scratched the surface on the varieties of garlic that grow in Minnesota.

  Garlic has been a really fun adventure for me. I have gone to the Garlic Festival for the past 4 years now looking for new varieties that I don't have yet that I need to add to my little collection. And it has also been fun trying to figure out how to use garlic!

  Did you know you can use the scape? The scape is the long curly top that comes out of the plant late in the spring that will eventually be the bloom, like a chive. You can use it like you use a green onion, except it has a nice garlic flavor to it. One of my favorite things I found this year is to saute cut up scapes in butter until they are tender and then add sweet corn to them and saute it for 20 minutes more. Yum! I also tried Pickling Garlic Scapes to sell at the Farmers Market this year.

 Today I hope to be making some Garlic Jelly. I made this for the first time last year and that has been a big hit. You use it with crackers and cream cheese, pretzel sticks or on roast beef. Some spread it on toasted french bread with butter.

My varieties of garlic are-

Belarus-A mellow smooth flavor great for roasting.

Krasnodor Red- from Russia, a strong taste, for those who like to taste their Garlic.

Spanish Roja- My favorite! good flavor for many uses.

Georgian Crystal- rich, smooth, slightly smokey flavor.

Chesnook Red- best all around garlic for cooking.

German Extra Hardy- strong, full bodied garlic flavor.

Music- the taste is Medium to Hot.

for info on the Garlic Festival go to www.mngarlicfest.com

   

Peppers!

Hopefully there will be peppers. Its been a tricky Spring and Early Summer. As we all know its been cold. And then when it has been warm, its been too warm.

I tried a couple of new things this year with peppers. One of my "moments of brilliance" ideas was to use paper grain bags as mulch between the rows. My husband had been rolling them up all winter and leaving them behind the Garden Shed to burn in the spring. They are just nice thick brown paper, so why not try to anchor them between the rows to save on weeding and hold in moisture. So far its good. I will let you know how it works out.

The other thing I am trying is hiding my peppers in this very nice hoop house. And instead of covering the ends I left them open, so its a little warmer inside, but won't cook my plants. The hoop house is wonderful, but tends to blow around in the wind and when I leave the ends open I don't have that problem. Kinda cool.

I am anxious for my peppers. Especially since I have figured out how useful they are when making jam. I am having a lot of fun finding new recipes for spicy jams like "Raspberry Jalepeno", "Blueberry Habenero", and using the Jalepenos in my "Dilly Beans". This year I want to try making "Habenero Gold Jelly". I am loving the combination of Sweet and that nice little pepper burn at the end.

A Day in the Life of the Market

 Thursdays are exciting at our house! It is a very busy day getting ready for the Monticello Farmers Market. In the morning I get up and do all of my baking. I try to make at least 2 quick breads, a fun bar to sell individually and my Monster Cookies. I like things to be made that day for the market so they are fresh.

So I get up and start baking, and while things are in the oven I gather all of the supplies I need for the day, bags, sign, tent, chair, plants I'm bringing that day, shelf, Jams and Jellies, ect.

As things are coming out of the oven I am putting them out to cool, and then on to the next baked item!

 In between all of the baking I get outside to pick whatever is ready that day. At the beginning of the market it is easy, all there is right now is Rhubarb. But soon there will be lettuce, spinach, radishes and swiss chard.

In another 3 weeks there will be peas, garlic scapes, kale, and soon, green beans! This year I decided to try Edamame beans. They are supposed to be really good to snack on raw. It should be interesting because the variety I chose is called "Beer Friend".

 Then in about 6 weeks the real bounty will begin! We will have garlic, zucchini, cucumber, summer squash, patty pan, eggplant, onions, oh joy!

When the tomatoes and peppers show up then life really gets going!

 As soon as things are cooled I package them up so that they are still moist when people buy them. I put my little label with the ingredients on each item.

My truck gets nice and full on market day. There is usually not an inch of extra space! I arrive at 2:30 to set up...and then the real fun starts! Market opens at 3:30 sharp. They usually let a kid ring the bell each week to signal that everyone can start selling their items. Its really fun to see everyone and chat about gardens, what was new with their weeks and, of course, the weather! See you at the Market!

Happiness is a full cookie jar!

It's January in Minnesota. It's cold outside. In January in Minnesota it's all about keeping yourself from getting cabin fever. It's about comfort food, trying to get some exercise and trying to find some fun things to do to keep you busy so you don't go stir crazy!

So I try to keep the cookie jar full. But I try to fill it with things that are semi-good for us. So I tweaked the Old-fashioned Oatmeal Cookie recipe. We love it! The cookies are thicker and slightly crunchy around the edges. I hope you like them too.

Tami's way to make Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

2 sticks of butter, softened

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 large eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup raisins, chopped dates or dried fruit

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla together until creamy. Add eggs, soda and salt until light and fluffy. Mix in flours and cinnamon till blended. Stir in oats and dried fruit. Drop dough onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in 2 tablespoon balls. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes. Allow to cool for 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheet. Enjoy!

Christmas Treats!

My husband and I have a great debate when it comes to Christmas Cookies! He loves Peanut Butter Blossoms, and I say they are an everyday cookie. When I was growing up Christmas Cookies were special! They have icing and sprinkles and they have flavors that you don't eat other times of the year. They include molasses, nutmeg, cloves and chocolate. So I found a good recipe we can agree on. And you use those wonderful Mint Truffle Kisses that are only available at Christmas!

Chocolate Mint Kiss Cookies

2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking powder1/2 t. salt
2 cups granulated white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1 cup powdered sugar
bag of mint truffle flavored Hershey kisses

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil and eggs until well mixed. Whisk in extracts. Stir dry ingredients with wet ingredients just until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough int 1/2 tablespoon balls. Dough is very sticky! Roll balls in powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 11 to 13 minutes, until cookies crackle. While cookies are baking unwrap the kisses. When the cookies come out allow them to cool for 2 minutes. Then push the kisses into them. Cool all of the way before putting into containers.

I also found another recipe that is a keeper. I'm going to give these away as gifts.

Spiced Nuts

3 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cups whole almonds
1/2 cup sugar; plus
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tsp, kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. cayenne pepper (I used 1/2 tsp.)

In a large, heavy bottomed saute pan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the almonds, and stir with a wooden spoon, coating each thoroughly with oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar, and continue to stir until the almonds become golden brown and the sugar caramelizes, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour almonds into a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle the remaining sugar, salt, cumin and red pepper, and toss well. Pour the spiced nuts onto a well greased cookies sheet and spread them out into a single layer. Allow to cool and then break apart. Store in a air tight container for up to 2 weeks.

Have a Blessed Christmas! Tami