A Garden Party

Tags

birthday, Entertaining, garden, Gardening, Inspiration, party, Party Food

Last month Georgia turned one year old, it is hard to believe that she is walking and trying to talk!  Since we have such a great deck for entertaining, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to have a garden party.

Pink floral details were added where ever possible.  The rustic floral topped cake was made by my MIL, and the cake topper is actually just a wooden number one from the craft store that I spray painted and hot glued to a chopstick!

I made a few large paper flowers from this tutorial (minus the stems), and hung them along the pergola.

The pink party hats are some from target that I embellished with silk flowers.

Putting together this party for Georgia was a blast!  Nothing is sweeter in life to me than being a mom, and I treasured every moment this evening celebrating Georgia and all of the joy she has brought to our family this year!

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Rustic Garden Tomato Sauce

Tags

Gardening, summer, Tomatoes

Today it is freezing, literally.  Yesterday I spent the last day of the gardening season in my garden, picking whatever tomatoes and peppers I thought may be able to ripen in the house, and shedding the inevitable tear or two.  I never thought it would be such an emotional experience, gardening.   I really thought it was just something we would do for a fun experiment.  In May we built some raised beds and ignored all the warnings about waiting to plant until June.

Five months later I am sitting here in my kitchen, looking at bowls upon bowls of tomatoes in every shade from deep red to pale green, proof of our successful year.  Even though I hate to see my plants that were just thriving yesterday go so quickly, I come away from this with a great new hobby, and an even greater respect and love for the earth. It is truly amazing how these little seeds have provided so much nourishment!

As for my bumper crop of tomatoes, I will be using them in everything this week, from my roasted tomato salsa to this fresh and easy tomato sauce.  The tomato sauce is not the perfectly smooth marinara that is the result of canned crushed tomatoes.  This is the “I’m too busy to peel and seed my tomatoes” kind of sauce, and it is rustic and lovely in its own right.  I serve it with pasta or as a sauce for my pizza, and I will probably be eating on just about everything else this week.

Goodbye summer, you were amazing!

Rustic Garden Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large bell pepper, finely diced

1 pint of white mushrooms, thinly siced

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 pounds ripe red tomatoes, halved (or even quartered if they are large)

1/2 loosely packed cup fresh oregano leaves, chopped

Heat oil in a large stockpot or saucepan over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and bell pepper, cook stirring frequently for eight minutes.  Add the garlic and stir constantly for one minute.  Add the tomatoes and cover the pan.  After about seven minutes remove the lid and mash the tomatoes with a potato masher or a whisk, you could even use an immersion blender if you want it really smooth.  Once it is nice and saucy, add the herbs, salt and pepper.  Reduce the heat to low and recover, let simmer for ten minutes stirring occasionally.  Serve in any recipe that calls for marinara.

Potato Pie on Rye

Tags

Gardening, Pizza, Potato

I have never met a potato that I did not like.  Whether baked, mashed, or fried into chips, potatoes have a certain umami that makes me happy.  It is a good thing that I am such a fan because potatoes were quite the star of the garden this year.  The seven measly potatoes that I threw in the ground a few months ago somehow turned into 25 pounds of creamy red potatoes.  Now I have been making potato everything, including this pizza topped with potatoes and caramelized onions, it is two of my favorite foods together in a happy marriage!  I have made it a few times now, most recently on a rye crust.  If you have time to make the crust, I definitely recommend it, it is worth the effort, but a premade frozen crust would work in a pinch.

Potato Pie on Rye-Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Eating by Color

For the Rye Pizza Dough:

2 ½  teaspoons yeast

1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses

1¼ cup hot water

2  cups whole wheat flour, plus extra if needed and for dusting

1 cup Dark Rye Four

1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for greasing the bowl

½ teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, combine the yeast, molasses, and hot water.  and let sit until frothy (about 5 minutes).  Add the olive oil, flours, and salt.  Turn the mixer on to speed 2 and let mix for 2 minutes.  The dough should come together and clean the sides of the bowl, but if it is too dry at this time, slowly add water, a tablespoon at a time, until this happens.  Let the mixer knead the dough on speed 2 for 3 more minutes.  Alternatively, if you do not have a stand mixer, stir the dough until it begins to come together, and then hand knead on a lightly floured surface for 7 minutes.  Lightly grease the bowl and a sheet of plastic wrap large enough to cover the bowl.  Return the dough to the bowl and cover with the plastic wrap.  Leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.  I place a small sauce pan with boiling water in the oven, and then place my dough in there.  I find that this makes the perfect warm and moist environment for my dough to rise in.

Caramelized Onions:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2  red onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon muscavado

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

½ cup water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the remaining ingredients, cover and cook until the onions are soft, around 15 minutes.  Uncover and continue cooking until all of the remaining liquid is evaporated.

For the Pizzas:

1 pound small potatoes (not russets or baking potatoes), steamed or boiled until just tender

1 cup grated mozzarella

6 ounces crumbled goat’s milk feta

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

Chopped fresh rosemary for garnish

Preheat Oven to 500° F.  Lightly dust a large baking sheet or pizza pan with cornmeal.  Roll out the pizza dough onto the pan with a rolling pin.  Top with mozzarella.  Spread the potatoes evenly over the pizza in a single layer, and repeat with the onions.  Sprinkle the feta over top.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

Roasted Radish Pizza with Radish Greens Pesto

Tags

Gardening, Pizza, Spring

When I started my garden 6 weeks ago I had very little experience.  I was not a huge fan of radishes, but I read that radishes are fast an easy to grow, so I included them in my gardening plan for a boost of confidence.  Fast forward to today, and I have more radishes than I know what to do with.  I  tried the obvious, using them raw in salads, but it was rather uninspiring.  I then tried roasting a bunch tossed in olive oil and salt and pepper, and this really brought out their lovely earthy flavor.  I have also discovered that the greens mixed with almonds and garlic make a really good pesto. Lately, I found my favorite way to use the radishes is spreading the radish greens pesto over some whole grain pizza dough and topping it with some mozzarella and roasted slices of radish.  Now if you think you are not a radish fan like I did, try this recipe, and I am almost positive you will be converted.  If you already love radishes and have an over-abundance, this recipe is a great way to mix it up a bit.

I wrote the recipe in three parts, so that it would not seem too overwhelming (it really is not), and I suggest making the dough first, and then while it is rising, roast the radishes and prepare the pesto.

Roasted Radish Pizza with Radish Greens Pesto

Whole Grain Pizza Dough (see recipe below)

½ cup Radish Greens Pesto (see recipe below)

1 cup freshly grated part-skim mozzarella

2 bunches of radishes, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sea Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon cornmeal for dusting the pan

Preheat Oven to 375° F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Toss the radishes with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Turn the oven up to 500°. Lightly dust a large baking sheet or pizza pan with cornmeal.  Roll out the pizza dough onto the pan with a rolling pin.  Spread the pesto over the dough.  Top with the mozzarella.  Spread the radishes evenly over the pizza in a single layer. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

Spelt Pizza Dough

2 ¼ teaspoons dried yeast

1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses

1 cup hot water

2 ½ cups whole spelt, plus extra if needed and for dusting

1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for greasing the bowl

½ teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, combine the yeast, molasses, and hot water.  Stir for a couple of seconds to combine and let sit until frothy (about 5 minutes).  Add the olive oil, flour, and salt.  Turn the mixer on to speed 2 and let mix for 2 minutes.  The dough should come together and clean the sides of the bowl, but if it is too wet at this time, slowly add flour until this happens.  Let the mixer knead the dough on speed 2 for 3 more minutes.  Alternatively, if you do not have a stand mixer, follow the instructions above stirring until the dough begins to come together, and then hand knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 7 minutes.  Lightly grease the bowl and a sheet of plastic wrap large enough to cover the bowl.  Return the dough to the bowl and cover with the plastic wrap.  Leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

Radish Greens Pesto

2 packed cups radish leaves (just the top, stems removed)

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup olive oil

Juice from 1 lemon

¼ cup whole raw almonds

2 tablespoons finely grated grana padano

Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Rosemary Semolina Focaccia

Tags

baking, bread, Gardening

It seems as if the last couple of weeks have been a long string of cold rainy days.  I am beginning to understand how it must feel to live in the Pacific Northwest.  I have spent many days cosied up, drinking coffee, and reading this book. I have also spent a fair amount of time baking all sorts of things, including this foccacia.

I have been staring at a bag of semolina sitting idly in my pantry for a while, a reminder of a failed attempt at pasta making.  I decided to give it a try in my usual whole wheat foccacia recipe, and I am glad I did.  It made a world of difference in the taste and texture.   This bread is also really versatile.  You can slice it in half lengthwise and toast it topped with some mozzarella and tomatoes for a sandwich, or serve it alongside your favorite pasta.

I was happy to be able use some of the rosemary from my garden, which is doing great thanks to all of the rain.  I guess rainy days are good for something after all.

The garden progress, one month after planting.

Rosemary Semolina Focaccia

2¼ teaspoons dried yeast

1 teaspoon natural sugar

1¼ cup very warm water

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup semolina flour

½  teaspoon fine grain sea salt

3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

½ teaspoon of Celtic sea salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling the bowl and the pan

Cornmeal for sprinkling

Combine the yeast, sugar, and ½ cup of the water in a small bowl and let proof for 15 minutes.  In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached mix the whole wheat flour, semolina, and salt.  Add the yeast mixture, 2 tablespoons of the rosemary, 1 tablespoon of the oil and the remaining water.  Mix on low-speed until a smooth dough forms and cleans the sides of the bowl, adding more flour or water a tablespoon at a time if necessary.  Let the mixer continue to knead the dough for four minutes.  Next remove the ball of dough from the bowl, and lightly oil the bowl and a piece of plastic wrap.  Return the dough to the bowl, cover with the plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until the dough has approximately doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400F.  Uncover the bowl and gently punch down the dough.  Lightly oil a large rectangular baking sheet with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal.  Roll the dough out on the baking sheet.  Poke a finger around to dimple the bread.  Brush the top with the remaining olive oil.  Sprinkle the top with the rest of the rosemary and sea salt.  Bake 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

Does anyone else have a kitchen garden growing?  I know I can’t wait to reap what I have sewn in mine!

XO-Jenny

Starting a Kitchen Garden

Tags

Calgary, Gardening

We have spent the majority of the past few weekends working in the yard, preparing a space for our little kitchen garden.  This will be my first real attempt at gardening, an ambitious undertaking considering the extreme climate here.  In preparation, I have been spending many hours reading online about different gardening methods and pinning away ideas on Pinterest.  After a little research we decided to try raised bed gardening.  I hope that it will give us the best chance of being successful. Matt bought some natural cedar lumber from Home Depot, and built three 3×8 beds and a 3×3 bed. We have already planted a variety of vegetables and herbs, despite the ominous warnings from people we know about not planting anything before May long weekend.  I think our gamble will pay off, and I cannot wait until we have our first bowl of garden salad.

The Plan

The help

I kept some of the herbs in pots so I can bring them in at the end of the season

Half finished bamboo cages for the tomatoes and lemon balm to keep mosquitos at bay.