Peach Crisp with Sweet Topping

Woo hoo!

Bring on the sugar ~ butter and peaches!

After eating this peach crisp, you'll be dreaming about it in your sleep!

This is undoubtedly the shortest post I’ve ever written ~ and this is undoubtedly the best peach crisp I have ever eaten!

It’s Laurie's simple easy recipe from here that's pretty close to perfect!

                          Put it together                            and                                  baked!                                

It's peachy keen!



Peach Crisp with Sweet Topping
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

6-7 peaches, peeled and sliced
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
1 cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
½ to ¾ cinnamon (I used 1 teaspoon)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick butter 

Method:

Preheat oven to 375°.
Grease an 8” baking dish.
Mix the sliced peaches with the almond extract and pour into the baking dish.
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly.
Sprinkle on top of the peaches.
Bake for 45 minutes until peaches are tender and the topping is evenly browned  (I baked it for 1 hour).
Serve warm with ice cream


Enjoy!

Crispy Cucumber, Celery & Sweet Onion Salad w/Sour Cream Dressing

You’re familiar with the old rule of thumb, you should drink eight glasses of water per day, some experts say more… 

That seems like quite a grind to me most days, but here’s the catch:  You don’t have to drink all that water...

Roughly 20% of our daily water intake comes from solid foods, especially fruits and vegetables.

Cucumbers have the highest water content of any solid food at 97%, and they truly do have a cooling effect on the body, so there is some truth to the phrase, “cool as a cucumber”.

While it’s still important to drink plenty of water, especially on hot days, eating cucumber is a great way to get some of that fluid into your body and quench your thirst at the same time.

But, the great refreshing cucumber taste is the best part, and this slightly adapted Country Living recipe provides the proof ~

It’s a fresh, crunchy, tasty salad of cucumber, celery, and onion; enhanced with a touch of dill and seasonings,  swimming in a creamy tangy dressing coating.    

It’ll perk up your taste buds, for sure!

Cucumber, Celery & Sweet Onion Salad w/Sour Cream Dressing
Printable recipe      

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 medium sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
Salt and seasoned pepper, to taste

Method:

Whisk together sour cream, oil, lemon juice, dill, and sugar in a bowl.
Season with salt and seasoned pepper.
Add vegetables and toss to combine.
8 servings


 Enjoy!

Garlic-Herb Shrimp on the Grill

Nothing beats grilling in the summer

and this is 

another great recipe 

for your grill!

Super simple, is this recipe that comes together quickly and easily, all the better for you to enjoy another summer evening!

Lemon juice and herbs are exactly what puts this shrimp over the top.  Serve it with fresh steamed broccoli, corn on the cob or rice, or grilled veggies, the choices are endless.

Ready to move on to the grill!

You may prefer to peel the shrimp before grilling; however, cooking the shrimp with the shells on makes them remarkably flavorful ~ just peel and dig in at the table!


Garlic-Herb Shrimp on the Grill
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1½ pounds large unpeeled shrimp
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Method:

Using kitchen shears of a paring knife, cut through shells along the back of each shrimp.
In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and place in a resealable plastic  bag.
Seal bag, making sure all shrimp is covered with marinade.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Heat grill.
Remove shrimp from marinade, wiping off excess.
Grill until opaque, 2-3 minutes per side.
Serve as is or with your favorite sauce.



Enjoy!

Buttery Balsamic Corn with Mushrooms and Grilled Onions

Fresh and sweet summer corn 

has a short season here,

I like making the most of it!

About as sweet and fresh as you can get...

Those were the days ~ growing up on the farm, running outside to our own sweet corn field, picking a few ears for Mom to boil quickly for lunch or dinner, maybe even breakfast, if she had her way!

I definitely took the abundance of fresh vegetables, fruit and meat for granted and didn’t realize how lucky I was until years later.

By the way, as you're driving down the road here in the Midwest, and you're seeing acre after acre of corn, don't assume you can leap out of the car and grab a dozen ears of sweet corn for your next meal.  Chances are, it's field corn...


 

Gravel road by a corn field

  

Sweet corn and field corn are cousins with very different tastes, different purposes. 

Sweet corn is harvested when the silks at the top of the ear are brown, when the kernels inside are fully developed.  The leaves wrapping around the ears are nice and green, with a little brown at the edges maybe.  Perfect for any meal!

Field of sweet corn

Sweet corn ear on the stalk

Field corn, aka cow corn, not so sweet, nor does it taste as good right off the cob.  Corn has a very high moisture content and field corn needs to dry out while the ears are still on the stalk. 

Silks commence to turn dark brown, shucks around the ears turn brown, the remainder of the corn plant dies, turning brown.  Finally, instead of being supported by the main stalk, ears fall with the silks pointing toward the ground.  That's the farmers' indicator to harvest.

 

Harvest time - Illinois field corn

Field corn kernels are a darker yellow and larger than sweet corn kernels.  Some of them have "dimples," another sign that the kernels have dried out; hence the name, "dent corn."

Dent corn

Cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, geese, deer and other wild animals love the taste of field corn ~ you want to attract Cardinals to your bird feeder?  Attach an ear to it!
 
Field corn is also the corn that is processed into corn meal or corn flour, and used in foods that have corn as an ingredient, such as corn flakes, and tortilla chips.  

And then, there's popcorn, another story...

Back to this recipe that’s slightly adapted from Fine Cooking magazine:

This is an easy, savory side dish that you can whip up quickly.

Uncooked corn?  Yes!  Just cut it off the cob raw.  It cooks quickly and is delicious prepared this way with the mushrooms and onion.   

The balsamic vinegar punches up the flavor in the vegetables, and the olive oil on the onion and butter to stir-fry the corn adds a dose of richness to the dish.  

While you’re grilling the onion for this tasty side dish, throw some chicken, steak or fresh tuna on the grate also:  Voila, Dinner!



Buttery Balsamic Corn with Mushrooms and Grilled Onion
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1 small Vidalia onion or red onion, cut into 3 or 4 slices
1 teaspoon olive oil, more as needed
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces button mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
3-4 ears fresh corn, cut off the cob
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, more to taste
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Prepare a medium-high grill fire.
Rub onion slices with a little olive oil, and grill, turning occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes.
Remove from the grill and coarsely chop.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat.
Add mushrooms, season well with salt and cook until light browned and almost tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add corn, onion, remaining butter and cook, tossing occasionally, until the corn is tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper and more vinegar.
Serves 4



Enjoy!

Ginger-Peach Shortbread Cobbler and ICD!

Woo hoo! 

You cat lovers, 

today is...

 ~ International Cat Day ~

a day to recognize one of humanity's 

oldest and 

most beloved pets!

And here's Bucky stylin' for the occasion:

Bucky, Bubba's proud Tuxedo cat who loved to "dress up!"

Now, on to dessert for any occasion ...

Delicious!!!

First you have to take a whiff to determine if it’s sweetly fragrant, next you give it a little gentle squeeze; it shouldn’t be too hard, best if it’s soft to the squeeze, then remember that the color tells more about what variety it is than its ripeness. 

That’s the way I find the best peaches at the farmers’ market!

We’re in the swing of peach season here in the Midwest now, and they are juicy delicious and fragrant this summer.  

They’re great eaten fresh just as they are with all the sticky juice running down your chin and fingers.

But, when you want to gussy them up, here you go…

Southern Living did it again ~ published a recipe I couldn’t resist!

Any recipe that begins with 2 sticks of butter, and turbinado sugar has to be good!

 

Mom's biscuit cutter, older than dirt and well-used!

Forked Medallions

Turbinado sugar is “sugar in the raw,” made from pure cane sugar extract, very light brown, with a subtle molasses flavor, that's great in baked goods, barbecue sauces,  and in your morning cup of java.  

And, if you've never added fresh ginger to a dish, this is the recipe to start with.  

Peel the yellowish-pink peaches, encase them in gingered-syrup,  let them bubble away with a shortbread topping of unleavened cookies.

Ummm, mmm!

Oven ready goodness...

Just imagine how delicious this is...

You’re gonna’ want seconds!


Ginger-Peach Shortbread Cobbler  
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened 

½ cup loosely packed light brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
2¼ cups, plus 3 tablespoons flour, divided
1 (½-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
¾ cup turbinado sugar, divided
7 to 9 medium-size peaches, peeled and halved
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Method:  

Preheat oven to 400˚.
Beat first 3 ingredients and 2¼ cups flour at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer just until combined.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface, roll to ¼” thickness.
Cut about 14 rounds with a 2½” fluted round cutter.
Place rounds in a single layer on a baking sheet; cover and chill until ready to use.
Pulse ginger and ¼ cup turbaned sugar in a food processor 5-6 times or until well combined. 
Stir together ginger mixture and remaining ½ cup turbinado sugar in a large bowl.
Add lemon juice, peaches, and remaining 3 tablespoons flour, toss to coat.
Place peach halves, slightly overlapping in a greased (with butter) 10” cast-iron skillet, and pour any remaining juice over peaches.
Bake at 400˚ for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, and nestle shortbread dough rounds among peaches.
Brush rounds with egg white, and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve warm or at  room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of ice cream.


 

Enjoy!