not so pickled Dill Pickles

Pickles are a laborious task.  Unfortunately sterilization of jars and adequate supply of produce make it more difficult to do.
These quick pickles are easy, taste great but will only will last about a month in the refrigerator

12 small cucumbers washed and quartered lengthwise (I have tried these with regular cukes and the results are just as good)
1 cup kosher salt
Handful Fresh dill
6 quart size bottles with tight fitting lids

In large colander cover  cucumbers with salt and set in sink to drain for 20-30 minutes

Meanwhile boil for about 5 minutes
4 cups water
2 cups vinegar
12 cloves garlic
2 Tbs Dill seed
1 Tbs black peppercorns
1 Tbs mustard seed
2 Tbs kosher salt
1 large yellow onion sliced thin

Rinse salt from cucumbers and blot dry
tightly pack in clean jars with a sprig or two of dill per jar

Pour hot liquid into jars making sure to distribute the garlic and spices between jars
Let cool on counter then store in refrigerator

Caprese Salad

I have eaten too many poor versions of this in restaurants etc.  Perhaps my tastes are not developed enough but I need stronger flavors than a rubbery slice a cheese with a slice of tomato and a drop of balsamic.

4 medium tomatoes sliced 1/4" slices

8 oz Fresh Mozerella sliced

1/4 cup ev olive oil

3 Tbs balsamic vinegar

2 Tbs fresh basil chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 tsp salt
crushed rep pepper to taste
Black Pepper to taste

Alternate and overlap tomato and cheese slices
Mix remaining ingredients pour over tomato cover and rest for at least 3 hours

Serve over crostini as an appetizer or over fresh arugula as a salad adding some dressing to the plate

Fried Green Tomatoes

3-4 large unripened green tomatoes sliced 1/4 " slices

1 cup flour

2 tsp kosher salt

generous ground black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 cup whole milk

2 eggs

1 cup stone ground corn meal

peanut or canola oil

mix four salt and peppers in one bowl

mix eggs and milk in second bowl

cornmeal in third bowl

coat each tomato slice in flour mixture, dip in egg mixture, press into corn meal coating both sides at each step.

Place on waxed paper.

Heat 1/2 inch oil in large fry pan medium high heat

Fry in batches two minutes each side until golden, drain on wire rack over a baking sheet

Serve with remoulade sauce and additional salt an pepper



Mushroom Ravioli with Browned Butter Sauce

Grandma Moses' Molasses Cookies

Yes indeed I did have a Grandma Moses!

Molasses was on everyone's kitchen table, ready for bread and molasses after dinner with a cup of tea.
Gram's house was no different.  I have very fond memories of the smells from her oven, fresh bread, baked beans and of course molasses cookies.  After a recent Texas trip and an unscheduled stop in a one horse town and $18 worth of home baked molasses cookies later, I knew I had to resurrect the recipe.


1 cup molasses
1 cup sugar
1 cup melted shortening
4 tsp baking soda
4 Tbls hot water
2 tsp cream tarter
2 tsp cinamon
1 tsp allspice
1 heaping tsp ginger
1/2 tsp  salt
2 eggs
4 cups flour

Mix shortening, sugar, molasses, eggs to creamy batter.  Dislove soda in hot water and add to batter.  Mix flour, cream of tarter, cinamon, allspice, and ginger.  Add dry ingredients to batter to make thick dough.  Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness.  Form cookies with 6"cutter.  Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375 for approximately 10-12 minutes.  Best warm out of the oven

Tomato Pie

Some of the neighbors tomatoes made it through our last frost and needed to be "used up"

1 pie crust
4-5 large tomatoes cut in half, seeds and water squeezed out and sliced
4 slice bacon cooked and crumbled
4 green onions sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
2 cups grated cheese, your choice I like a sharp cheddar
1/4 cup mayonaise
plenty of ground pepper
head of roasted garlic or clove garlic minced

Have tomatoes as dry as possible by either laying slices on paper towel or salting in a colander
Line 9" pie pan with crust
Layer tomato, onion bacon basil and pepper and repeat
Mix cheese mayonaise and garlic.  Spread on top of pir

tent with foil sprayed with non stick spray
Bake at 375 x 30 mins, uncover and bake 30 mins longer

Apple Pie

Pie Crust for 9" pie
see Peach Pie Recipe

6 Large Apples Mcintosh or Granny Smith work well)
2 Tbs Lemon Juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbs flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1-2 Tbs butter

Preheat oven to 450
Peel and slice apples thinly and coat in lemon juice
Mix sugar flour and spices and add apples mixing to coat well
Line Pie plate with crust. Pile apples onto crust. Dot with butter.
Top pie with crust, crimping edge and venting center
Bake pie 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 40 minutes until crust browned