Blue Cheese Croutons

Cut the crusts of some good sourdough bread then cut into desired cubes.  Toss with Blue Cheese salt and pepper, place single layer on a baking tray bake in oven at 400 degrees until golden brown.  Remove from oven.   Melt in microwave a small wedge of blue cheese. Pour over croustons and toss.  Serve over salad or as a munchie!!!

squash soup

So here we are Thanksgiving week enjoy the company of friends, family and the mountains.  So what's for dinner.  Butternut Squash soup!  AMAZING not to sweet not to salty!

3 butternut squash pealed and cubed
2 onions chopped
3 potatoes peeled and cubed
6 cans chicken broth
4 sliced of bacon (cooked and crumbled)
2 Apples peeled and cubed
4 carrots peeled and cut into small pieces.
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sautee apples, onions and carrots in a skillet. Add to soup mixture
Boil over med heat until the squash, apples and potatoes are soft  and you can pull a fork out smoothly when you prick them. Cook Bacon and Drain.  Use a mixer or emulision tool to lightly  smash it until smooth.   Top with a Garlic crutouns.
Enjoy!!  You can use this same recipe with any type of soups

Using Fresh Herbs in cooking

There is NOTHING like using fresh herbs in your cooking.  If you think about it cooking and food is all about your senses. the tastes,the texture,the smells!  A few years ago I planted a herb garden and I have to say everyone needs a herb garden.  I have sage, thyme, mint, chives, rosemary, tarragon, oregano gorwing right out my door.   All I have to do is cut it back in the fall and water it a bit. 


When roasting meats in the oven or crock-pot cut a mixture of herbs about 4 inches in length, rinse and pat dry with paper towel tie a cotton cooking string around bundle lastly add it to your meat dish.  After roasting is complete  just pull the herb bundle out and toss it.  How easy is that.  Once you use herbs this way you will never turn back the flavors ther herbs add to your cooking and the ease of clean up is amazing!! 

The perfect stuffing

A little salty a little sweet!  The perfect combination;

This is a recipe that has been made by my family for years. 

1 package sage sausage cooked
5 stalks celery (cut into half moom pieces)
1 whole white onion diced
3 tbl. dried sage
3 tble. dried thyme
3 tbl. kosher salt
3 tbl. pepper
1 cup butter

Sautee all the above ingredients in a frying pan until the onions are translucent.

3 eggs
1 box of turkey or chicken stock
3-4 loafs of bread cut into pieces (cut this a few days before and let dry out or roast in oven until crunchy)
1 8 oz bag of dried cranberries

All the sauteed ingredients to the bread, mix and pour over the chicken stock and eggs, toss in cranberries.  mix all together.

Stuff your turkey, chicken or put into a oven proof pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until golden brown on top.

homemade by jill: Christmas Craft Saturday

homemade by jill: Christmas Craft Saturday

A day in the country

Growing up in the country makes you appreciate the simpler things in life... A beautiful sunrise, the smell of fresh flowers, the joy of eating an orange plucked right off the tree.... And yet there is an understated elegance about the country... one of which are the Sunday brunchces in the country...

Sunday morning brunch with the neighbors----

I love breakfast casseroles, stratas, quiches.. WHY YOU ASK? well for many reasons. First, lets start with they are the easiest breakfast menu to entertain with and what is life without our family, friends or just you and your spouse on a Sunday afternoon --- Exactly--- not slaving over a hot stove to prepare a brunch... The seconds is well I think the old casseroles made off with a bad reputation in the past for heavy, tasteless dishes... that is just a plain old wive tales... Here is a lovely, fresh, mouthwatering breakfast recipe that will make change your thinking about that old wives tale...

Spinach, brie, carmalized onions casserole.

Scramble 1 dozen eggs with 1/4 cup of water ( that is right water not milk) this actually is an old chefs trick that make the eggs light and fluffy... Add salt pepper to taste, 1 tsp of ground nutmeg, set aside, saute 1 peeled and sliced white onion until translucent in color add fresh cut up spinach or frozen thawed and drained spinach in a pan lightly coated with olive oil and 1 clove of garlic chopped, toss until until slightly browned, remove from frying pan and pour over eggs. Cut into small pieces 1 wedge of your favorite brie. This can be assembled before and refridgerated. When ready to make, place baking pan into oven at 375 and bake for 20-25 mintutes until bubbly on top and. Cust and serve over a toasted peice of sourdough..

Prosciutto wrapped chicken breast with figs and Rosemary

November 4, 2009

FIGS FIGS FIGS!!!!

In Late September and October here in Northern California we are blessed with a fresh crop of Figs--- You know like what is inside the Fig Newton cookie, yes I know most of us only know of Figs because of this cookie. Believe it or not, there is a whole world of recipes that you can use Figs in.

The photo on the left shows a fast appetizer I made for a group of friends.... This is quite easy, first take a boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into desired pieces, pat dry with paper towel.. Next wrap a thin slice of prosciutto around chicken and secure with a appetizer tooth pick. Then place on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper along with a few cut in half figs. Bake for 10-15 minutes on 375 degree's (depending on size of chicken piece) remove from oven, season with sea salt and pepper place on a platter over a bed of rosemary springs, lay figs around tray and fill with blue cheese crumbles, the sweetness of the roasted fig and the saltiness of the blue cheese WOW!! AMAZING!!!

Fill a small bowl with some heated fig jam purchased from your local grocery store and BINGO you have a appetizer fit for any party!!!

FIGS filled with goat cheese wrapped in bacon AMAZING!!

Baked Brie cheese topped with roasted figs and walnuts, served with favorite cracker....