I love recipes that come from my mother, aunts or uncles.  It never fails, they all have a list of ingredients with quantities like “enough flour to make the dough stiff” or, in the case of these ruggies, “3 cups flour or enough (up to 5 cups).”  What is “enough”?  Then the directions are “mix and knead and roll flat,”  how flat is flat?  The food is delicious, but only if you make it right.  So today I will try to interpret my aunt’s wonderful rugelach into a recipe with real numbers and directions, while staying true to how I have watched them being made.

One of my favorite thing about my family’s baked goods is that they are all orange juice doughs – baked goods made with orange juice are the BEST!

Aunt Gussie’s Rugelach

3 eggs (from Farmer Kim)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup orange juice

2 Tbsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

3 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup mixture of cinnamon & sugar

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup raisins or chocolate chips (I used half golden raisins and half dark chocolate chips)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice and vanilla.

Mix in the salt, baking powder and 3 cups of flour. Knead in an additional 1/2 cup flour until the dough is dry enough to roll.

Roll the dough out to 1/8″ thickness.

Cut it into triangles or diamonds (today I did triangles).

Sprinkle heavily with cinnamon sugar.

Sprinkle with nuts, raisins and/or chocolate chips.

Roll into crescents, pressing in the end point, and place on cookie sheets.

Bake in batches for 12-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

makes 30 – 40 rugelach, depending upon the size you make them.

Related articles

• Recipe for cinnamon-pecan rugelach cookies (o.canada.com)
• Ha! Did I just discover Rugelach? (theecaffeinatedcrow.wordpress.com)
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The kale in my garden has loved the cool spring weather.  It is the first time I have gotten kale to grow well for me.  I did not plant much since it has always been a bust, but my 4 plants are beautiful and healthy.

I also have some walnuts in the house, left over from another cooking project, so, kale walnut pesto it is. Cam so loves pine nut based pesto, I was curious to see how he would respond to this twist. I have to say that even I was a little skeptical as to how it would taste, but it was amazing!  Cammy ate all of his plate. You have to try it!

I  do have an admission to make, I have no idea where I got this recipe.  I just found the printed page with no reference on it.  So, to whomever this recipe is from…thank you!

Kale Pesto

from unknown

2 cups packed kale leaves (from the garden)

1/2 cup toasted walnuts*

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese or grana padano

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor.

Puree until smooth.

Serve with pasta and grated parmesan.

Makes 1 cup of pesto, enough to make 4 – 6 pasta servings.

*Toasted walnuts: Heat oven to 400F.  Place walnuts on a baking sheet and cook for 5 minutes.

Related articles

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• Sun Dried Tomato Pesto (cookinginsens.wordpress.com)

There are many stars in this salad, but I have to say the spiced almonds and pita chips were amazing!

Add to that the marinated dates (instead of medjool dates, I used some wonderful dried dates my husband brought back from Iran last year) and you have heaven in a salad.

As I was making the salad, I realized that I did not have all the right ingredients, so I had to adapt.  Although my salad was delicious, I think his original ingredients would work just a bit better, so I have used his in the recipe below and noted what I used differently.

Spinach Salad with Dates and Almonds

from Yotam Ottalenghi’s Jerusalem

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced (I used white)

3 1/2 oz Medjool dates, quartered lengthwise (I used dried Iranian dates)

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 small pitas, about 3 1/2 oz, torn into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup whole unsalted almonds, coarsely choppped

2 tsp sumac (this was the super-super ingredient!)

1/2 tsp chile flakes

5 oz baby spinach leaves (I used a mix of baby and regular leaves)

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt

Directions

Put the vinegar, onions and dates in a small bowl.  Add a pinch of salt and mix well with your hands.  Leave to marinate for 20 minutes, then drain any residual vinegar and discard.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and half the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat.  Add the pita and almonds and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring all the time, until the pita is crunchy and golden brown (it may take a little longer if you have very fresh pita).  Remove from heat and mix in the sumac, chile flakes and 1/4 tsp salt.  Set aside to cool.

When you are ready to serve, toss the spinach leaves with the pita mix in a large bowl.  Add the dates and onion, the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, and another pinch of salt.  Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Serves 4.

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Sometimes I hit on some winners; tonight’s dinner was one I found in The Best 125 Meatless Pasta Dishes by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay.  I saw it and was immediately hooked – it would use Farmer Kim’s asparagus and my sun-dried tomatoes. I would even use the olive oil from my tomatoes as the cooking oil to amp up the sun-dried tomato flavor.

Mediterranean Asparagus and Artichoke Pasta

Slightly adapted from The Best 125 Meatless Pasta Dishes

1 pound penne pasta

1 1/2 pounds asparagus (from Farmer Kim)

12-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts

4 Tbsp olive oil, divided (I used the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes)

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp dried oregano (from the garden)

2 tsp dried mint

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, slivered

3/4 cup white wine (I used Riesling)

1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta,cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile, drain the artichoke hearts. Break off the woody end of the asparagus and cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces.

Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute the onion and garlic with the oregano and mint for 5 minutes, until the onion is golden and limp.

Add the asparagus, salt and pepper and saute 5 minutes.

Add the artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes, stir and cook 5 minutes longer.

Stir the wine into the vegetables and turn off the heat.

Drain the pasta and place in a large, warmed serving bowl with the remaining 2 Tbsp oil and the cheese.

Mix in the vegetable sauce and top with parsley.

Serve with some additional grated cheese.

Serves 6.

Related articles

• Pasta with Asparagus, Peas and Pesto (andreasgardencooking.com)
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Garden Update

The greens have loved the cool weather, they are growing nicely.  In this pic are the spinach, kale, various lettuce, collard greens, and swiss chard. You can also seethe garlic, strawberries, kohlrabi, eggplants and celery.

The Food

On another of our nights alone, I decided that instead of fighting Cam’s grilled cheese obsession, I would join him and make my favorite grilled cheese sandwich – Pesto Grilled Cheese.

I first had a pesto grilled cheese sandwich while wandering around Nova Scotia in 1997.  It was so tasty, unlike any cheese sandwich I ever had before.  They used Asiago along with Mozzarella and some other cheese I can no longer remember.  I remember the Asiago, because it was the first time I ate that as well.

Since I first began making pesto, I have made various versions of this sandwich.  This one uses Balsamic BellaVitano, a truly delicious Wisconsin cheese I recently discovered. I included Mozzarella for texture, and my staple for all good grilled cheese sandwiches, Muenster.

Play with ingredients, vary the cheeses and their amounts, the type of pesto or the bread.  But most of all, enjoy it!

Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2 slices good bread (I used pumpernickel from the Frankfurt Bakery)

1 slice Muenster cheese

2 oz grated Mozzarella

1 oz grated Balsamic BellaVitano, Asiago, or other flavorful, italian-style cheese cheese

Pesto

Tomato sliced or chopped, depending upon the type of tomato

Unsalted butter

Directions

Spread the pesto on both slices of bread.

Layer the cheeses on top of the pesto on one slice.

Top with tomato.

Press the other slice of bread on top, pesto side down. Spread a think layer of butter on top of the sandwich.

Heat a panini press, or if you are like me and do not have one, heat a flat pan over medium or medium-low heat.  Place the sandwich, butter side down, on the pan and, using a second pan, press down on the sandwich and cook until browned (about 2 – 3 minutes).

Spread butter on the top of the sandwich (optional) and flip.  Press down again and cook another 2 – 3 minutes, until the bottom is browned.

Serve and enjoy!

Makes 1 sandwich.

Related articles

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One of the few other foods I can still get him to eat is pesto. He removed the asparagus (he is 4, after all) but devoured the pasta and peas, declaring it delicious!  So, I had a tasty dinner and he ate something other than grilled cheese.

My cooking pictures are using quantities for two people, I have included the recipe for 4 servings.  For the leftovers, I added in some sun-dried tomatoes, another fun way to eat this.

Pasta with Asparagus, Peas and Pesto

12 – 16 ounces pasta

1 lb asparagus (from Farmer Kim)

1 cup peas, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup pesto (I used garlic scape pesto with pistachios, any pesto would work well)

Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, for serving

Directions

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.  With 4 minutes left to cooking, add the peas.  Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water.

While the pasta cooks, cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces, steam for 3 minutes.

Place the pesto in a large bowl.  Add the asparagus.

Drain the pasta and peas and add to the bowl.  Mix well to coat all with the pesto.  Add some of the reserved pasta water if more liquid is needed.

Serve with grated cheese.

Serves 4.

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• Fetuccine with Saffron and Asparagus (andreasgardencooking.com)
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• Easy Spring Pasta Recipe: Fettuccine with Peas, Leeks & Thyme (nestleusa.wordpress.com)

Spinach crust?  Yes, the crust is simply spinach, flour and wheat germ and it is a great crust for quiches such as broccoli and, in this case, asparagus. The crust and my general approach to quiches is based on Mollie Katzen’s quiche formula in the Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook.

We enjoyed our quiche with a salad made with the romaine from the garden.  Things are finally starting to grow, late, but the greens all look very healthy.

Optional tasty additions could be 2 leeks, chopped fine and sauteed, or a non-vegetarian addition would be to cook a couple of slices of turkey bacon and add them in the layer with the asparagus.

Asparagus Quiche in a Spinach Crust

Crust:

1 – 2 Tbsp Oil – Olive or Canola

10 oz spinach, finely chopped

3/4 tsp Kosher salt

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup wheat germ

Quiche:

4 – 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

8 – 10 stalks asparagus (from Farmer Kim)

3 eggs (from Farmer Kim)

1 cup milk

Freshly ground black pepper and Kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Oil a pie dish.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the spinach and salt and saute until the spinach is limp, just a minute or so.  Remove from heat.

Add the flour and wheat germ and mix well. Press the mixture into the pie plate to form the crust.  Bake for 15 minutes.  You do not need to let the crust cool to assemble the quiche.

Sprinkle the cheese over the bottom of the pie plate.  Layer the asparagus over the cheese.

Beat the eggs and milk in a bowl.  Add pepper and salt to taste.  Pour over the quiche.

Bake for 35-40 minutes.  Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

The quiche can be served at any temperature.  Enjoy!

Serves 6.

Related articles

• Asparagus Quiche Recipe With Chervil (greatbritishchefs.com)
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The tomato plants are looking healthy as are 2 of the 3 cucumber plantings.  I am not sure what is going on with the third mound.  This weekend I will add a couple more tomatoes, eggplants and plant seed for okra and green beans.  I love my garden!

The sage in my herb garden is looking old and leggy, so I bought a new baby plant to replace it. It is still sitting in my kitchen window, I am getting too much pleasure looking at it each day.  But it will likely move to the garden this weekend as well.

But, while it is so close by, I figured I would pick a few leaves to use in an omelet with Farmer Kim’s eggs.  A flavorful omelet with just a few ingredients, the only other things needed are gruyere cheese, some salt and pepper for seasoning, and canola oil and butter for cooking.

Typically I try to make a large omelet to feed more than one person; that does not work well for having a pretty omelet.  So tonight I was patient and made each omelet individually and, voila!, they look like real omelets!  And they taste yummy!

Fried Sage Omelet

from Food Network Magazine, with my notes

For each omelet:

1 Tbsp canola oil

8 to 10 small fresh sage leaves, to taste (from the garden – or window sill)

Kosher salt

3 large eggs (from Farmer Kim)

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese (it would also be very good with an aged cheddar)

Directions

Fry the sage leaves:  Heat a small non-stick skillet over high heat and add the oil. Have a tray lined with paper towels and a slotted spoon ready.  When the oil begins to look thinner and spreads to the sides of the pan, turnoff the heat and add the sage leaves.  Stir them to caot with oil and cook, stirring, until the sage pales slightly in color and gets slightly crisp, 45 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes.  Use the slotted spoon to transfer the leaves to the paper towels. Season immediately with salt and allow to cool. Reserve the skillet.

Blend the eggs:  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 tsp water and 1/4 tsp salt.Whisk only enough to integrate the eggs;you don’t want to whip too much air into them or make them frothy.

Cook the omelet: Return the skillet to medium heat.  Remove the excess oil and add the butter, swirling it as it melts so it coats the pan.  When the butter is melted, reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the egg mixture.  Use a fork to stir the eggs slightly, as if you were about to make scrambled eggs. Then allow to cook, undisturbed, until they start setting in the middle.  Sprinkle the cheese and sage leaves over them.  Cook until the eggs look almost fully cooked and only slightly loose, 1 to 2 minutes. (For making additional omelets, you may not need to add more butter, I made two omelets easily with the 1 Tbsp butter).

Serve the omelet:  Lift the handle of the pan, tilting the pan away from you and towards the heat.  The omelet should slide down the pan a little.  Using a spatula, fold the edge closest to you toward the center.  Fold the other edge in toward the center and invert the pan over the center of a plate so the omelet lands seam-side down.  Season with pepper.  Serve and enjoy!

Makes 1 omelet

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I also added chopped grape tomatoes, which added both flavor and color.  I cooked ours more to pizza done-ness, you can cook it on the longer end for a more browned cheese.

Chicken Pesto Tart

adapted from theKitchn

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1/4 cup garlic scape pesto

1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced

1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

2 Tbsp Parmesan, grated

6 grape tomatoes, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning, if needed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the thawed puff pastry on the parchment.  Prick the dough all over to prevent it from puffing (I did not prick the edges because I wanted a bit of a puffy crust).

Brush the pesto over the dough, scatter the chicken over the pesto (if your chicken is bland, toss it with a bit of oilve oil, salt and pepper first), then top with the cheeses.  Finish off by sprinkling the tomatoes over the top.

Bake until the cheese is melted and light golden brown, approximately 15 – 25 minutes.  Start checking for doneness after 15 minutes. Remove the tart to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.

Cut into squares and serve.  Enjoy!

Serves 2 as a dinner, can be cut smaller and used for appetizers.

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The course was basically 2 miles of downhill, 2 miles flat along the creek, then 2 miles uphill.  The downhill aggravated my hamstring and I was in pain after 3 miles. But the flats helped.  Then came the uphills…ugh!…expletives!…but then, as I approached the finish, my daughter showed up to run the last bit with me (she had finished a good bit earlier)…and this is what I saw:

So, I made it. Slowly, 1:06:15, but I made it!

Now for food!

We love cauliflower and I am always happy to make another cauliflower dish.  Look at this cauliflower, isn’t it pretty?

My cauliflower plants are still babies, with the cool spring, I am hopeful that they will produce for me.  But for now, I have to buy my cauliflower from someone else.

It does seem like Persian stews are the main times we eat beef in our family.  The stews are mainly vegetables, with just a touch of meat, so even when we eat it beef, there is not much of it.  For this recipe, I only used 1/2 pound of stew beef and it was plenty for 4 large servings.

If you notice the pickles, it is because some Persian dishes go best with little pickled vegetables (or torshi). All we had in the house tonight was dill pickles, so that is what we used and they were a fine condiment.

Khorest Gol Kalam (Cauliflower Stew)

4 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 lb stew beef, cut into bite-sized pieces

3/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp Kosher salt, divided

1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets

1 lime

1/8 tsp ground red chili pepper

1/2 tsp Advieh (or 1/4 tsp cinnamon & 1/4 tsp cumin)

1 Tbsp tomato paste

Boiling Water, about 4 – 5 cups

Directions

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a small pot. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat until translucent.

Add the beef and brown on all sides.  Add turmeric and 1/2 tsp salt, cook for another 2 minutes.

Pour in enough boiling water to cover the beef by about 2 inches.  Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot fry the cauliflower in the remaining 2 Tbsp oil for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the juice of the lime (about 2 Tbsp), ground chili pepper, advieh, the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and the tomato paste, mix well.  While the beef continues to cook, remove the cauliflower mixture from heat and cover.  The cauliflower will continue to cook, but not overcook.

Add the beef mixture to the cauliflower, add additional boiling water to cover, and cook over low heat for another 15 minutes.

Serve with rice and pickled vegetables. Enjoy!

Makes 4 large servings.