Blog Archives

Love the Farmer's Market!

7/31/2019

I love that we have the Farmer’s Market! It’s so great to have fresh garden produce for those of us who don’t have the space or the physical ability to have a garden. We do manage to have two tomato plants and several kinds of herbs that supply us with all of tomatoes we can eat and some to share. I love the green beans, beets zucchini and other veggies that the market provides for us, now we are waiting for the sweet corn. Today I am sharing a green bean recipe, I hope that you will enjoy!

Green Beans Amandine:
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds green beans, ends snapped
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons dry sherry or sherry vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to a rolling boil, add the green beans and cook until al dente’, 6-8 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
Return the saucepan to medium heat, melt the butter then add the garlic and saute’ until softened , about 30 seconds. Whisk in the brown sugar, sherry and cider vinegar. Add the green beans and toss until well coated.
Add the almonds, 1/2 tsp. salt, and the pepper and toss until well combined. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Have a great week!

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Quick and Easy Side!

7/24/2019

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I don’t know about you, but I wilt in this miserable hot weather! Its really too warm to do much, except read a good book. Come to think of it that’s what I do in the winter when its too cold to go anywhere too! Maybe I’m just not too motivated to do house work anymore. It’s such a useless cycle, just gets dusty and you start all over. My priorities have definitely changed through the years. Nowadays I like to keep meals on the simple side unless I am going to have guests.
Today I am sharing a easy and seasonal recipe for you, enjoy!

Garlic and Herb Tomatoes:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
5 fresh thyme sprigs
1 pound small red, yellow, and/or orange cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat olive oil, garlic and thyme over medium-high heat until hot. Add the tomatoes and toss to coat in the olive oil. Cook until the tomatoes’ skin splits but they have not burst, 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle the tarragon and salt over the tomatoes. Remove the pan from the heat, crack pepper over the top and serve.
Makes 4 servings.

Stay cool and have a great week!

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A recipe for BLTs???

7/17/2019

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I thought I knew how to make BLTS, one of my summer favorites with those garden fresh tomatoes but there is always room for improvement. I discovered when I found a recipe for a BLT. So see what you think!

BLT Sandwiches:
1 # smoked bacon
1/2 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
8 slices thick cut bread ( your preference )
1/2 herb mayo ( recipe follows)
8 leaves of lettuce
tomato, sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Arrange the bacon slices on one or two baking sheets. Bake until desired crispness is reached, about 20 minutes, drain on paper towels.
Spread a small amount of plain mayonnaise on both sides of each slice of bread. Heat skillet over medium heat and toast the bread on both sides until crispy and brown, 1-2 minutes per side.
lay out four slices of toast and spread each with one tablespoon of the herb mayo, layer lettuce, bacon and tomato slices on top and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread each of the remaining 4 slices of toast with the 1 tablespoon of the herb mayo and place mayo-side down on the toppings to form four BLT’s. Slice each in half and serve.

Herb Mayo
1 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 Tablespoon minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. white pepper
Place the mayonnaise in a medium bowl. Mince the garlic on a cutting board, then add a couple pinches of salt to it. Tilt the knife at an angle, and scrape it over the mixture several times to work it into a paste. Add it to the mayonnaise along with the remaining salt, chives, parsley, dill, lemon juice, paprika and white pepper. Stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Stay cool and have a good week!

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Time for Dessert??

7/9/2019

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Actually today’s recipe was in the dessert section of the cookbook but I can see it used for a brunch too. My little Great Grand daughter Lydia loves blueberries so I am always on the look out for a recipe using blueberries. I found a great one, even Pa Lloyd said that I can make that one again! The recipe says to serve warm but we liked it the next day at room temperature too. We liked it with whipped topping on top, ice cream would be good too.

Buttermilk Blueberry Puff:
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
12 cups cubed croissants ( I used a pkg. of 6 small ones not 12 cups)
3 cups blueberries
1 cup granulated sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
1 tablespoon coarse raw sugar ( turbinado) , optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, butter a 9x13 inch deep baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter

Spread cubed croissant cubes evenly in baking dish, top with the berries.
In a stand mixer ( or in a large bowl with a hand mixer) beat the butter with the granulated sugar on medium speed until creamy, beat in eggs, one at time. beating well after each addition. Beat in the cream and buttermilk, vanilla and salt, the mixture will look curdled.
Pour over the croissants and berries, sprinkle with coarse sugar if using. Bake until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Makes 12 servings.

Enjoy our summer weather and have a great week!

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Summer is here!

7/2/2019

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I am trying not to complain about the last couple of days of hot, humid weather! I weeded my flowers on Friday it was really hot but worse on Saturday and Sunday so glad I got it done. My flowers are really tall so the weeds don’t show to just a casual look, but once I start looking I find them. Fourth of July is just around the corner, after that it seems like fall comes fast.
Today I am giving you the recipe for sausage gravy to go with the biscuit recipe I shared with you last week, I dare not make it too often!

Classic Sausage Gravy:
1 # Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage
1/3-1/2 cup all purpose flour or as needed
4 cups milk, or as needed ( I used 2 % )
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

In a large skillet cook sausage until crumbly and no longer pink, Add 1/3 cup flour, if there are not enough drippings to make a roux add 2 Tablespoons butter, cook until bubbly. Whisk in milk until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Adjust the gravy’s consistency if necessary. If its too thin, whisk in more flour 1 tablespoon at a time or if its too thick, add milk a couple Tablespoons at a time. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve over biscuits warm. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently over low heat.

Happy Fourth and have a great week!

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Author

I'm Kathy Lloyd. I grew up on a farm near Elmore, MN and have lived in Fairmont for over 44 years. I have always loved to cook, even when I was very young. I loved to stay with my Aunt Dorothy during my childhood. She was a great cook and used to give me freedom in the kitchen, teaching me along the way. She made recipes from our Norwegian heritage, along with pies, homemade doughnuts, yeast bread and cinnamon rolls.

Marrying a husband with a hearty appetite and raising 3 sons and 1 daughter gave me plenty of hungry appetites to satisfy! I worked as a nurse for 42 years and have been retired for 11 years. Even though I loved my work, I love having time to spend with my grandchildren, to experiment with new recipes and work with my flowers in the summer. Life has been very good to me, blessing me with my loving family and great friends!

I enjoy sharing my love of cooking and recipes with the readers of the Photo Press! (I have had my share of cooking failures over the years!)

Love the Farmer's Market!

Quick and Easy Side!

A recipe for BLTs???

Time for Dessert??

Summer is here!

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