Southern Biscuits

my preferred breakfast has always been a late brunch of vegetarian breakfast burrito with avocado. one has to adapt to their surroundings, the result being that this California girl has eaten more biscuits since moving to the South than thought possible. it was high time to do biscuit testing long ago...
this recipe is the best i've come across yet, but i'm sure a Southern grandma could easily top them (using lard, no doubt)

4 c. self rising flour (White Lily is a good 'un)
2/3 c shortening (or mostly shortening in the measurer and then a dab of butter at the end)
2 c buttermilk

1. cut the shortening into the flour until it resembles a coarse meal
2. mix the buttermilk in with your fingers until its a sticky mass
3. turn onto a floured counter and lightly knead a few times (most people agree that in general, the less you mess with it the better your biscuits turn out. the jury is still out on that here at casa de rosebud)
4. wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight. (you can omit this step but they won't rise as high)
5. pat (don't roll!) into a 1" thick disc and cut into rounds. when you cut, move the cutter straight up and down or else your biscuits will rise unevenly. i like to put the scraps onto a separate baking sheet and bake them first, while i'm not sure if the oven is quite ready. they make nice snacks, and re-kneading makes inferior biscuits anyway. at this point if you've say, tripled the recipe for a special occasion dinner, you might like to brush the tops with melted butter. this is too much trouble for me most of the time.
6. bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes on an ungreased baking sheet with biscuits 1/2" apart.
makes about 12-14 biscuits.
now, eat your delicious biscuits with jam! or...
if sausage gravy doesn't send you into a calorie counting frenzy, try this southern heart attack waiting to happen:

"real" Southern sausage gravy (thanks to Matthew Kelly for this recipe)

1 lb Neese's Sausage (it's a Southern thing...sub for a another ground sausage you like, if you must)
1 pint heavy cream (or 1/2 & 1/2)
1/4 c flour

brown the sausage nicely. whisk the flour into the cream until lump-less and add to the sausage. cook until thick. serve over biscuits.

Lentilles with a Fried Egg and a Green Salad

Today I woke up craving lentils. This is not an uncommon occurrence, and since I was planning on making a peach tart later, I figured a salad accompaniment would be nice.

Lentils

{This is a fairly standard recipe I think, feel free to vary it up a little!}

1 small onion, peeled

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 bay leaf

1 carrot, peeled

1 piece of smoked bacon

1 leek, washed and roughly cut

1/2 pound of lentils

Dijon mustard, salt, red wine vinegar, to taste...

Place the ingredients in a medium sauce pan and cover with cold water. You should check for pebbles in the lentils before you put them in, but no need to wash them. Bring the mix to a boil, and then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Discard the onion, garlic, bay leaf and leek. You may but up the bacon and carrots and use them in the lentils {something I recommend you do, and don't be put off by the bacon, no it doesn't look as good as its fried cousin, but if you chop it up finely it will taste good}. Strain the lentils, keeping a few spoonfuls of juice to re-moisten them. Put the lentils back in the pot along with your carrots and bacon, and lentil juice. Add salt, a tiny spoonful of dijon mustard, sprinkle with vinegar, and season with salt, taste-testing as you go.

Fried Egg

I like to top my lentils with a fried egg, sunny side up, for a little extra protein.

Salad

Mixed greens of your preference

2 avocados, sliced {for this purpose I think wide very thin slices are best}

1 carrot, sliced {I like to julienne carrots}

1/2 good quality apple, pink lady or fuji, thinly sliced

3 radishes, thinly medallion-ed

3 tablespoons feta cheese

1 thin medallion of lemon per plate

Dressing

dijon mustard

honey

balsamic vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

red wine vinegar

pinch of salt

{I find making dressing is easiest in a sealable jar (such as a little mason jar)}. Place all the ingredients in a jar or a bowl, I never measure, but about a spoonful of dijon, an equal amount of honey, and when pouring the oil and balsamic, they should be about equal parts as well, then a splash of red wine vinegar. Mix them until smooth with a fork, or by sealing and then shaking the jar.

Assemblage

{this is really just a suggestion, but thats how I plated the meal for the pictures}

*Dress the greens in a separate bowl, then place them on a corner of the plates and sprinkle with feta cheese, top with a lemon slice.

*Arrange the slices of avocado, carrots, apples, and radishes along the side of the salad, leaving room for the lentils.

*Dish out the lentils and then top with a fried egg.

Tarte aux peches et gingembre (Peach Ginger Tart)

I have been wanting to try this recipe for a while, and since there are now bountiful piles of peaches in every supermarket I figured it was time. As soon as the fruit comes out and the days are long and uneventful I always get the itch. The itch to make pie! I love pie, because of its prestige and variety, and also because of its innate simplicity. Something so difficult to perfect, yet so elementary in concept is quite irresistible. A couple of weeks ago, I made my first pie of the summer, as I am determined to perfect my recipe and technique this summer. It was a disaster! The mixed berries were part frozen part fresh, and at first they were so dry the powdery additives of corn starch and sugar didn't melt in. The crust wouldn't stick together (which I must say is a common problem, one with which I have dealt many times before, and therefore can usually master). I had to roll it out three times (which is a big pie no-no, as the more you man handle the dough, the tougher it becomes) just to get it in the pan. Then in order to make it look presentable in the pan I had to cut of the edge because it was socrumbly it wouldn't flute. At last when I pulled it out of the oven, and thought well ugly, but perhaps delicious (one can only hope), I was dismayed to see it was soup and not gushy berries that filled my fickle crust. Well, look more like a cobbler than a pie on the plate, but still might taste good. WRONG! It was way too sweet and while the crust in the end was flaky and golden, it was just such a mess from every angle that I have to completely dismiss it.

Anyway, it should therefore come as no surprise that I was chomping at the bit to try another and prove my worth as a pie maker. However, we had a party recently and the fridge (and freezer) was overflowing, so I decided to wait it out until we might actually be able to eat the thing. I was looking through my recipes and I found this recipe for a peach ginger tart, where else but in my favorite Chocolate and Zucchini book, and I have uncanny goody luck with these recipes, especially the crust, so I decided to slide back into my comfort zone and make a tart instead (lazy, I know!). However, in the end it came out beautifully, in outer appearance and inner flavor, so a win on my list; i will definitely reuse this one!

Tarte aux peches et gingembre

{the original calls for half nectarines, but i'm not a huge fan, so I just cut them out}

serves 10, chilling time 30 minutes for the dough

Pate sablee (short pastry crust)

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 inch knob of fresh ginger

7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, diced, plus a pat to grease the pan

1 to 2 tablespoons cold milk

*grease a 10-inch tart or quiche pan with butter

*peel the ginger and grate it using the small holes of a cheese grater, discard the woody fibers and save the pulp and juice; set aside

*If you have a food processor use it for these next few steps, if not you can do it just as well by hand with a pastry cutter or your fingers. Combine the sugar, flour and salt in the processor. Add the butter and ginger and process in short pulses, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add a tablespoon of milk and process again, in short pulses, until the milk is absorbed. The dough should still be crumbly, but it should clump if you gently squeeze a handful in your hand. If it doesn't, ass a little more milk, teaspoon by teaspoon, and give the fough a few more pulses, until it reaches the desired consistency.

*Pour the mixture into the prepared tart pan and use the back of a tablespoon to spread it evenly over the bottom. Using the heels of your hand and your fingers, press down on the dough to form a thin layer, covering the surface of the pan and creating a rim all around. Don't worry if the dough feels a little dry-this is normal. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a day.

Filling

5-6 ripe white peaches (about 7 ounces each) {or 2 peaches and 3 nectarines}

2 tablespoons good-quality candied ginger (the sort and moist kind is better)

2 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraishe (I use non-fat greek yogurt)

1 large egg

1 to 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, depending on how sweet the fruit is

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

*While the shell is chilling start the peaches. Blanche them by putting them in a pan of simmering water for a minute, then peel them. (If using nectarines no need to peel them). Core and slice the fruit, about 12 slices per fruit, and pute the slices in a colander to drain for 15 minutes if they are very juicy.

*Dice the candied ginger finely and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cream and egg.

*Pull the tart shell out of the fridge after 30 minutes and bake the shell for 15 to 20 minutes until golden {I find it looks good after 15, but in the end it can get a little soggy so I'd cook it for a couple more minutes just to start with}, keeping an eye on it.

*When the crust is golden, remove it from the oven (leave the heat on) and let cool for 5 minutes. Arrange the fruit in a circular pattern over the crust, starting from the outside. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the fruit; it will look a little thin {and you may need to spread it out with a pastry brush to get it evenly distributed}. Sprinkle with brown sugar and candied ginger.

*Bake for 25 minutes, until the fruit is softened. Turn off the oven and leave the tart in the closed oven for another 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely before serving. (The tart can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead. Cover with foil and keep at room temperature).

Summer Pasta Salad

This has been a Felder family favorite for years, and lends itself to many different variations. Here's the version I do best.

What's in it:

1 lb pasta (farfalle/bowties or macaroni elbows are fun)

1 chopped red/yellow/orange pepper (or combo of all!)

1/2 lb fresh mozzarella

1 can garbanzo beans

1 can olives

20-30 cherry tomatoes

15 slices salami, quartered

10-20 sliced pepperoncini (remove seeds)

lots of fresh basil

Dressing:

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp water

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp red hot pepper flakes (optional)

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

salt & pepper (optional)

Toss all together, et voila! This time I tried little mozzarella pearls to save on chopping time; works great. The proportions and presence of ingredients can differ depending on your preference. I'd suggest keeping the fresh basil in a separate dish to sprinkle on top with each serving, then you can eat it for leftovers and the dressing enhances the flavor after keeping.

Serves: This recipe feeds an army.

Bon appetit!

Lynn's Bowtie Salad

this recipe came from my friend Lynn. it makes enough to take to a summer BBQ.

12 oz of bowtie pasta
1/2 c sesame seeds
2/3 c salad oil (i like to use mostly olive with a bit of sesame, but you can use whatever you like)
2/3 c soy sauce
2/3 c white wine vinegar
6 Tbsp sugar (white or turbinado)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
two bags of spinach (@ 15-20 oz, depending on how spinachy you like it)
two bunches green salad onions, sliced in rings

1.put water on to boil for pasta
2. in a medium frying pan heat half the oil and fry the sesame seeds until golden.
3. remove from heat and cool a minute. boil your pasta until al dente.
4. to the sesame seeds add the remaining oil, sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar, and soy sauce.
5. drain pasta and put in a tupperware container. pour the dressing over the pasta. let cool to room temp, shaking occasionally to coat pasta. put in the fridge and chill at least two hours, although i usually make it a day ahead.
6. just before serving, toss spinach and onion in.

also good in this salad is boiled, peeled edamame.

i just found this link (thanks, anne!)...these would be good and cute!! in the salad:
http://redcurrantdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/06/30-days-of-creativity-day-5.html

radish toadstool photo by red currant designs

Hummy Dumby Sandwich (w/ Andy's Hummus)

Ingredients

• Seedless Rye Bread
• Andy's Hummus
• Sliced Cucumber
• Sliced Roma Tomato
• Alfalfa Sprouts

I added about 1/2 cup of unaltered garbanzo beans to Andy's Hummus recipe. It gives the hummus some texture and beefiness for the sandwich. Toast the rye bread with a soldering iron and add a garbage can load of sprouts to the top. It's a delicious hummy dumby.