Over the years, Brion and I have vacationed many times in the Carmel / Monterey area on the California coast. As a rule, we make Pacific Grove ‘home base’ and from there do numerous day trips. About a 20 minute drive inland from Monterey Bay is the tiny agricultural town of Castroville. It is surrounded by robust fields of artichokes. When you enter into the town you will see a sign that says ‘Artichoke Center of the World’.
As the Italians migrated in large numbers to the United States in the early 1920’s, they brought with them some of their cherished and favorite foods. One of them was the globe artichoke. Landowner, Andrew Molera was approached to grow artichokes. The idea was encouraging because they were very expensive and looked like he could make better money than with his current crop of sugar beets.
The loamy, well drained soil and cool foggy summers were a good match for this crop. More than nine decades later, nearly 100 percent of America’s fresh artichoke supply comes from California and nearly two thirds are still grown in Castroville.
Today, I’m using artichokes in a quiche with a potato pastry. This type of pastry was very popular during WWII, as rationing was tightened. It enabled homemakers to stretch their flour ration with potatoes from their gardens. I think potato pastry makes the perfect crust for this kind of quiche. The Red Pepper Puree is the ‘icing on the cake’, as they say.
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Salmon / Artichoke Potato Crusted Quiche
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Rating: 5
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Ingredients
Quiche Filling
- 250 grams salmon fillet, cooked (canned salmon can be substituted)
- 170 ml marinated artichoke hearts, drained
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 250 grams fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 100 grams Gruyere OR Swiss cheese, grated
- 30 grams Parmigano - Reggiano cheese, grated
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp fresh basil
- 1/2 tsp EACH dry mustard, dill weed, garlic powder, & onion powder
- salt to taste
- 300 ml roasted red peppers, drained & rinsed
Ingredients
Quiche Filling
- 250 grams salmon fillet, cooked (canned salmon can be substituted)
- 170 ml marinated artichoke hearts, drained
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 250 grams fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 100 grams Gruyere OR Swiss cheese, grated
- 30 grams Parmigano - Reggiano cheese, grated
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp fresh basil
- 1/2 tsp EACH dry mustard, dill weed, garlic powder, & onion powder
- salt to taste
- 300 ml roasted red peppers, drained & rinsed
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Potato Pastry
In a bowl, combine potato, flours & salt. With a pastry cutter, add butter. Knead dough lightly on a floured work surface. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes then press into quiche pan. Preheat oven to 425 F. 'Blind' bake until lightly golden.
Quiche
Reduce oven temperature to 375 F. Place salmon fillets on a lightly oiled foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 14 minutes. Flake cooked salmon & set aside. In a large skillet, saute mushrooms, onions for about 5-7 minutes. Dice artichokes into quarters & add to skillet along with garlic; cook 3-4 minutes & remove from heat. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, fresh basil & spices.
Quiche Assembly
Spread half if the Gruyere cheese on bottom of quiche crust. Top with flaked salmon & sauteed vegetables. Carefully pour egg/milk mixture over all. Top with remaining Gruyere & Parmigano-Reggiano cheeses. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until quiche is 'set'.
Meanwhile, place the roasted red peppers in a food processor & process until almost smooth. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve with quiche.
Recipe Notes
- A nice alternate crust would be one made with cheddar cheese.
I realize raspberry season in our part of the country is still a number of months away. I still see nothing wrong with using some of those frozen ones from last years crop. If there’s one thing I love, its an easy dessert that is still totally delicious. Combining raspberries and cream cheese is a match made in heaven then add some oatmeal and it becomes amazing.
The cheesecake part of this recipe has been one of my ‘go to’ recipes when it comes to the base for any any number of variations. Since I had some frozen raspberries on hand I though they would give this dessert just what it needs. I have also used different pie fillings and preserves in it or just left it as a plain cheesecake bar — all are good. These bars freeze well so its great when you need a bit of dessert on short notice.
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Raspberry Oatmeal Cheesecake Dessert
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Rating: 5
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Raspberry Filling
In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together 1 1/2 cups raspberries, sugar & water until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat & add vanilla. In a small dish, combine cornstarch & 2 Tbsp water; mix well. Add to boiling mixture, stirring over medium-low heat for about 4 minutes or until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat & allow to cool for 15 minutes, then fold in the last of the raspberries. Set aside.
Oatmeal Crust
In a bowl, combine flour & brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in oatmeal. Reserving 1 1/2 cups; press remainder onto bottom of a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan.
Cheesecake Filling
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese & sugar until fluffy. Add eggs; beat well. Add milk & vanilla then lemon juice & beat well.
Assembly
Pour cream cheese mixture over crust evenly. Next, carefully pour raspberry filling over cheesecake evenly. Sprinkle top evenly with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 25 minutes or until tests down. Cool thoroughly & cut into bars or diamond shapes.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe will divide easily into thirds for a smaller batch.
- If you prefer the raspberries sweeter, add another 1/4 cup sugar.
German-inspired yeasted coffee cake is a very popular type of cake all over Germany and Austria. It is very different from the typical butter cake associated with streusel coffee cake in North America. Whereas a butter cake is rich, sweet and fine grained, kuchen is light and slightly porous with a complexity of flavor that can only be found in yeast leavened baked goods. Of course, there are many different variations, but the important part is the streusel or crumbled topping, which consists of a combination of flour, sugar, butter and spices.
In the past, most German towns and cities had orchards planted all around them, on land that belonged to the community. Cows or sheep grazed underneath the trees and people were free to pick the fruits when they became ripe. Today most of those common lands have been turned into suburbs and the trees are gone. Destruction of the remnants of ancient orchards is ongoing, contributing to the loss of heirloom varieties. Even though the diversity of choice is decreasing, the apple is still by far the most popular fruit in Germany.
Here is my best adaptation of an APPLE STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE that I think you might enjoy to try.
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Apfel-Streuselkuchen - German Apple Coffee Cake
Votes: 2
Rating: 4.5
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Votes: 2
Rating: 4.5
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Instructions
Coffee cake
In a large bowl, combine yeast, 1/8 cup sugar & lukewarm water; allow to dissolve. Stir in remaining 1/8 cup of sugar, salt, milk, sour cream, lemon juice & vanilla; mix well. Add egg & blend.
With fingertips, rapidly work the butter into 2 1/2 cups of the flour until coarse, meal-like consistency. Add to the yeast mixture & knead in bowl, adding more flour if necessary to make a smooth, elastic dough. Shape into a ball & place in a lightly buttered bowl. Cover tightly and let rise in a draft-free place until doubled in bulk.
Apple Filling
Peel & slice apples. In a small saucepan, combine all filling ingredients except pecans. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until apples are tender, & juice has evaporated. Stir in pecans; set aside to cool.
Streusel Topping
In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon & lemon zest. With fingertips, rub in butter until mixture is coarse & crumbly. Set aside.
When dough has doubled in size, turn out on a lightly floured piece of wax paper. Press out gently into a rectangle about 10 x 14-inches in size. Spread apple filling to within 1/4-inch of edges & very gently press into dough. Roll up from the wide end, jelly-roll fashion.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 9-inch tube or bundt pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel in pan. Carefully, (dough will be very soft) with the help of the wax paper, fit the roll into the pan so that the ends of the dough join. Pinch ends of together. Sprinkle cake with remaining streusel. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven & allow cake to cool before slicing.
Anyone growing a vegetable garden will now be reaping the benefits of all your hard work. Have you ever stopped and thought about how many summer vegetables are fantastic for hollowing out and stuffing? Any vegetable with a fairly sturdy shape can become an edible vessel for dinner. All we need to do is scoop out the middle and fill the inside with a stuffing of our choice. A little time in the oven until everything is heated through and dinner is ready!
When my siblings and I were growing up, my mother had many unique ways of teaching us how to take responsibility. On one side of her huge farm vegetable garden, she designated a ‘strip’ each for the three of us older siblings. The strips were each about 4 feet (1.22 m) wide and the length of her garden. The deal was that we could grow whatever we choose to, but it was ours to weed and care for all summer. At the end of the season, it was fun to see who had the most success. One of my sisters absolutely loved to grow pumpkins as they grew fast and large. I can’t really remember my mother stuffing a lot of vegetables but the idea of stuffing ‘things’ always appeals to me. The blended flavors make for some pretty tasty meals.
I couldn’t resist making a few kinds even if I’m not a vegetable gardener. These blog recipes have been adapted from tasteofhome.com which just happens to be one of my favorite recipe companies.
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Stuffed Onions, Tomatoes & Zucchini with Herb / Cheese Bread Sticks
If your a vegetable lover, this meal is for you.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Ingredients
Tomato & Zucchini Filling
Ingredients
Tomato & Zucchini Filling
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Stuffed Onions
Cut a 1/2" thick slice from tops; discard. Trim just enough off bottom for onions to stand upright. Scoop out all but outer 2 or 3 layers from each onion. Chop scooped out onion reserving 2/3 of it for tomato/zucchini filling.
Cook bacon until crisp; transfer to a paper towel, reserving fat in skillet. Add onion, celery, salt & pepper to skillet; saute, stirring until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic & saute, stirring about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a bowl & stir in spinach, bread crumbs, margarine, chicken broth & bacon; cool.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Arrange onion shells, open sides up, in a small baking pan. Add 1/2 cup water & cover tightly with foil. Roast onions until JUST tender. Do not over bake! Remove from oven. Lift carefully to work surface & fill with stuffing. Set aside until tomatoes & zucchini are prepared.
Stuffed Tomatoes & Zucchini
Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato; remove core, discard. Using a melon baller, scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/2" shell. Reserve pulp. Invert tomatoes onto paper towels to drain. Slice each zucchini into thirds. Using melon baller, scoop out centers, leaving one end of each piece in tact to hold filling.
In nonstick skillet, cook turkey & reserved, chopped onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in basil, salt, pepper & reserved tomato & zucchini pulp; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes. Stir in rice, cheese & pesto; heat through. Cool slightly; spoon into tomato & zucchini shells.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place any remaining filling in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Place stuffed onions, tomatoes & zucchini on top. Bake, uncovered, for about 20-25 minutes. Do not over bake as it is best when vegetables still have a bit of crispness rather than being completely soft or mushy.
Herb / Cheese Bread Sticks
In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. In a small dish, beat egg & divide. In another dish, whisk yogurt with 1/2 beaten egg. Stir into dry ingredients until mixture forms a ball.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Divide into 12 pieces & roll each into an 8" length. Lay on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with remaining beaten egg & sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire rack.
Recipe Notes
- Don't hesitate to add some tomato sauce to your tomato/zucchini filling if you think it needs a little more flavor.
In 2015, my husband Brion and I spent three months in Ecuador. Other than a holiday, we were wanting to check out this country as a possible ‘winter haven’, away from the cold ‘Alberta’ winters. It didn’t quite make the list but it was another adventure in our travels that is valuable in the big picture.
Cuenca is Ecuador’s third-largest city and the economic center of the southern sierra. The city sits on a plateau surrounded by mountains which explains the name Cuenca which means ‘basin’ in Spanish. Four rivers are found in the Cuenca basin and one, the Tomebamba, runs right through the center of the city.
An artistic mecca of southern Ecuador, artisans produce fine leather goods, custom made guitars, filigree jewelry, ceramics as well as the famous Panama hats, which originated in Ecuador not Panama.
Although near the equator, Cuenca sits high in the southern Andes at an altitude of 8300 feet and its residents enjoy year round spring-like weather. Temperatures rarely go beyond highs in the 70’s F.(21 Celsius) and lows in the 50’s F.(10 Celsius), so a sweater or light jacket is sufficient all year long. Rainfall averages around three inches per month.
Cuenca’s two ‘seasons’ are rainy and dry. The rainy season, roughly from January through May, features warm sunny mornings and frequent afternoon showers. During the middle of the dry season (June through December), you can expect long periods of chilly weather and overcast skies.
The apartment we had rented was in central Cuenca where we discovered a nice little place called ‘Tutto Freddos’. It was a unique spot where you could enjoy having a variety of things to eat such as pizza, sandwiches, ice cream treats, cakes and pastries with your coffee. It was like a bistro in appearance with its small tables as well as a mezzanine floor. While you enjoyed your coffee and treats you could watch the activity in the streets. Of course being the nature of the country, it never failed to be interesting! One of the treats we had numerous times was what seemed to me like a version of ‘Dutch Apple Pie’. I tried to find out anything I could about it in hopes of duplicating the ‘Taste of a Memory’. Here is my interpretation of this special ‘pie’.
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Dutch Apple Pie
Apple-cream cheese filling with a wonderful blend of 'Dutch' spices, baked in a shortbread cookie crust.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a food processor, combine flour, powdered sugar & cornstarch. Cover & process until combined; add butter. Pulse with on/off turns until mixture forms fine crumbs. Press mixture onto the bottom & 1 1/2" up the sides of a 9" spring form pan.
Beat cream cheese & 1/4 cup sugar with mixer until well blended. Add egg & vanilla; mix well. Spread onto bottom of crust. Mix remaining sugar, 2 Tbsp flour, & spice blend. Add to apples in a large bowl; toss to coat. Spoon over cream cheese layer.
Mix remaining flour, brown sugar & rolled oats in a medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle over apple mixture. Lay a piece of foil loosely over pie to prevent over browning. Bake in bottom third of oven for 20 minutes, uncover & continue to bake for another 30 minutes or until apples are tender.
Recipe Notes
Spice Blend Mix: 4 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cloves, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp anise seed, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp cardamom, 1/4 tsp mace
- Grind the spices together in a coffee grinder or blender; place in a screw-top jar in the refrigerator.
- Any extra spice mix can be used in recipes calling for 'apple or pumpkin pie spice'.
