How to Eat Daylilies

One of my greatest late winter pleasures is scouting my gardens for signs of new growth. I'm not a fan of cold weather, so I usually begin looking far too early. But by February my searching is rewarded. One of the first perennial flower beds to show signs of new life are my daylilies. Yum, I'm hungry!

Many parts of the hardy daylily are edible. The earliest leaves which emerge from the ground are the first parts I harvest to eat, when they are very young and most tender. I pinch off the center few leaves from a plant, leaving outer leaves so they will continue to grow. Harvesting a few leaves from many plants scattered throughout the bed doesn't effect their growth as a flower garden later in springtime, and it provides me with a nourishing fresh winter green. The taste is very subtle, and the chopped leaves can be used raw or cooked. I have added chopped young raw daylily leaves to creamy dips and salads, and I've cooked them in omelettes, soups, and stirfries. Keep cooking to a minimum, to retain their crispness and bright green color.

Later in the growing season, the unopened pods of the daylily flowers can be snapped off to cook. I prefer these in stirfries and sautées. The petals of the bloom are also edible, and add lovely color to a salad without altering the flavor. I've also read that the root tubers are also edible (and reportedly delicious simply quick-cooked in oil or butter), although I've yet to try cooking with them. The only trouble with the latter is that digging the roots destroys the plants, while the other parts of the daylily are 'sustainably harvested,' allowing the plants to continue to grow. Daylilies are a workhorse, as you can see, as well as a striking bedding plant... I grow them in masses!

My gardens are all organic, so I have no hesitation about cooking with edible flowers and wildplants. For my most recent stirfry with daylilies, I harvested several other plants from my garden and from the wild, as the photo shows. Notice that I harvest the top growth from the garlic I plant in the fall (I harvest the garlic bulbs in June.) I added these fresh greens to my wok last, after cooking chopped onions, celery, carrots, napa cabbage, and sweet peppers. I added cooked rice-based ramen noodles (sans any pre-packaged seasoning - yuck!) and the spicy peanut sauce I've posted in this blog as an oriental salad dressing. It was delicious!

When picking parts of daylilies to eat, I stick to the traditional orange "tiger lily," which is native to Asia, even though I grow many other colors. Visit a daylily farm and you will be overwhelmed at the variety of colors, shapes, heights, and flowering time. It takes willpower to limit your purchases, they are so lovely and easy to grow. Or visit me... I usually have an over-abundance of plants to dig up and I love to share them!

It may be a bit late for my local friends to eat daylily greens this year, since our 7+ inches of rain in February and temperatures reaching the 70s have made everything start growing fast, but be sure to plant and try daylilies for your future kitchen creations.

Sweet Potato Fries

It's sweet potato time, and I'll be digging some from my own garden soon. I still have some of last year's harvest stored in the basement (my sweet potato storage tips are below), so I've been cooking them a lot lately. Here's the best method I've found to make sweet potato fries which are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, just the way I like them… without any frying.


Sweet Potato Fries

Recipe type: Vegetable dish
Cuisine: Vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free
Makes: 2-3 servings
Note: Ingredients in red type are detailed on the "Ingredients" page of this blog


INGREDIENTS
2 large sweet potatoes (about 1-1/2 lb)
1 T coconut oil
1 t salt
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced (about 1 t)
1 T of mixed herbs and spices of your choice (for example: Italian herbs, cajun spice mix)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450°F. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into sticks like fries. I cut mine about 3/8" to 1/2" thick. Boil water in a 3 qt saucepan. Add the cut potatoes to the water and cook at a rolling boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and drain off the cooking water.

Put the potatoes and all other ingredients into a bowl or bag and mix until the potatoes are coated thoroughly. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread the cut potatoes in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the sticks over and bake for about 20 minutes more, until the outsides are browning and crispy. Remove and serve immediately.

One of these days I'll try this recipe with my sweet potatoes cut with my spiralizer cutter… yum, sweet potato curly fries!

NOTE:  For long-term storage of sweet potatoes, here are my tips:
The longer the potatoes are in the ground, the sweeter they will be. If a heavy frost kills the above-ground vines, dig the roots within days or the potatoes will begin to rot. I dig my own sweet potato roots a few days after a rain, so the soil has been softened by the rain (our Tennessee clay soil is very hard when dry) and when the roots are not too moist from the rain. I dig them up carefully, loosening the soil about 2 feet from the main plant, then mostly digging by hand so I won't pierce the potatoes with my pitch fork. Don't wash the potatoes, just carefully brush off the dirt. If necessary, set them in the sunshine until the dirt is very dry and it will come off more easily. Use any bruised ones right away.
     I "cure" my harvest by laying them on layers of newspaper on my covered porch. Our daytime temperatures are usually still in the 80's at this time of year. I allow the potatoes to dry this way for at least 1 week, since this helps heal the places where they were separated from the roots. I've also read that you can do this curing in the oven, so check that option online. If you buy your sweet potatoes from a farmer, ask if they have been cured similarly. Once the curing is done, I put the potatoes in a large corrugated cardboard box, separating each single layer with plain brown kraft paper, and I store this in my basement which remains about 60 degrees year-round. Below 55° can make the potatoes darken and change texture, so don't refrigerate them. Check your storage occasionally and remove any which are rotting and use any which begin to sprout new growth right away.
     With these steps for curing and storing my home-grown sweet potatoes, I can easily enjoy them until the next year's harvest is ready.

Golden Milk Two Ways

A lot of people I know take turmeric root, a traditional culinary spice, in a capsule as a supplement. The medicinal properties of turmeric's component called curcumin (or curcuminoids) are well documented. Tumeric is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, pain relieving, anti-coagulant, anti-depressant, and reportedly reverses specific disease. I heard there are over 6000 clinical studies about turmeric's healing properties. 

I like to get my daily dose of turmeric in the form of an age-old drink called Golden Milk. There are many online recipes for this mixture of turmeric, ginger root, black pepper, cinnamon, coconut, honey and sometimes other ingredients. There are also turmeric teas, and I bought two delicious blends called "Turmeric Spice" and "Turmeric Truffle" on a recent visit to a fabulous tea shop in Blue Ridge Georgia called Tupelo Tea. I've read that drinking Golden Milk before bed is most beneficial, but I honestly like it any time of day.

BEWARE - the turmeric stains yellow, so don't cut the root or measure the powder on a porous surface or get it on your clothing. Golden milk can also turn a white ceramic mug yellow, but a bit of elbow grease cleans it off.

Below are my two favorite variations for making Golden Milk. The Golden Milk Latte is pictured in the above photo on the right and the Golden Milk drink made from the paste is pictured on the left.

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TUMERIC GINGER GOLDEN MILK LATTE 

I grow turmeric and ginger root and make this frappe-like drink in my Vitamix from the fresh or dried roots I've harvested. Some grocery stores are now selling turmeric root, so you don't need to grow your own. Feel free to vary the quantities to your taste, but don't leave out the pepper - it increases the body's absorption of the tumeric enormously.

Recipe type: Drink
Cuisine: Gluten Free, dairy free, vegetarian, medicinal
Makes: 2-3 servings
NOTE: Ingredients in red type are detailed on the "Ingredients" page of this blog

INGREDIENTS

Fresh tumeric root (equal to about 2 t if chopped)

Fresh ginger root (equal to about 1 T if chopped)
1 T coconut oil
1-2 T honey
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t pepper
2 c milk (I use almond milk, but you can use dairy or coconut or other nut milks)

DIRECTIONS

Combine in a Vitamix and process until the roots are finely chopped and the mixture is smooth. If you want it hot, process until it heats up, about 4 minutes. I like it hot or cold. Also, I use the lesser amount of honey and add some of my homemade stevia extract for a bit more sweetness.

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GOLDEN PASTE 

I make a batch of this paste and leave it in the refrigerator, making it easy to mix up some Golden Milk anytime.

Recipe type: Drink
Cuisine: Gluten Free, dairy free, vegetarian, medicinal
Makes: 1-1/2 c
NOTE: Ingredients in red type are detailed on the "Ingredients" page of this blog

INGREDIENTS
1/2 c ground turmeric
1 T ground cinnamon
1 T ginger root powder
1-1/2 t black pepper
1/2 c coconut oil
1-3/4 c water
1/3 c honey 

DIRECTIONS
Mix everything but the honey in a saucepan, whisking. Heat to just starting to boil. BEWARE - the turmeric stains yellow, so don't let it bubble and splash your clothing (it wipes off the stove surface). Continue to whisk over a low boil for 10 minutes. The mixture will get thick. This cooking process helps make the turmeric less bitter.

Cool the mixture. Add the honey and stir to fully incorporate it. Pour into a glass jar, cover and refrigerate. Keeps for several weeks.

TO USE TO MAKE GOLDEN MILK:
Determine how strong you like your Golden Milk by trying 1 to 2 tsp of the paste per 8-10 oz cup. To dissolve the paste I put it in my mug or pitcher and add just enough very hot water to cover it. Stir well, then fill the mug with milk (I use almond milk; dairy, coconut or nut milk are fine, and can be warmed if desired). 

Some people like to pour the mixed golden milk through a fine sieve, but I don't mind having a little sediment at the bottom of my cup so I skip this step when making one cup. If I make a pitcher of Golden Milk, I use my lovely English tea strainer as I pour into my mug. I like a bit sweeter taste, so I often add some of my homemade stevia extract, but more honey would be fine also.

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Watch for my upcoming post on using the fabulous spices of golden milk to make cookies!
 

Lemon Curd - New and Improved!

Don't be turned off by the word "curd" - it doesn't sound too appealing, particularly for a concoction as heavenly as this. Curd is a traditional British spread, most often made from lemons but sometimes from other citrus fruit. It is thick, soft and creamy, with a great tartness mixed with sweet. Since my Florida friends Dee & Len supplied me with fabulous organic lemons from their own tree, I've been making lots of lemon recipes. The fresh lemon juice has been wonderful for many of my favorite recipes, like my Caesar Salad Dressing and Scampi recipes. When my nephew visited I surprised him with one of his favorite desserts my mother used to bake for him, Lemon Bars. (I'm still working on a healthy version for a future post).
 
I decided to make Lemon Curd, remembering its wonderful taste when we had some on scones at Afternoon Tea on a long-ago visit to England. My recipe search revealed it is most often made with butter, white sugar, eggs and the lemon ingredients, all cooked together to make the mixture thick. I have nothing against butter - in small doses - but I substitute here with nutritious coconut oil. Eliminating the sugar was a no-brainer for me, and raw local honey works fine to sweeten the curd. Some recipes I read used whole eggs, others the yolks only; the explanation is that yolks and whites cook at different temperatures, sometimes making the curd lumpy and needing to be strained. Since I get fresh eggs from my friends, I wanted to use the whole egg, and I discovered a tip from another blogger to avoid lumps:  slowly beat all the ingredients together before heating the mixture. And it worked - no lumps and no straining required. Just a melt-in-your mouth sweet/tart flavor with little specs of flavorful rind.

So now I've made several batches of Lemon Curd. Yesterday I decided to double the recipe and combine equal parts of lemon and orange, since I had one big organic orange in the fridge that needed to be used. I served the Orange and Lemon Curd to guests at a dinner for 10, as a topping for fresh fruit, and got lots of positive comments. I look forward to trying Key Lime Curd sometime. You can use Lemon Curd as a spread like jam on toast, muffins, or scones; mixed into plain yogurt; as a topping for fruit or ice cream; swirled into cheesecake; as a filling for tiny tarts; as a spread between cake layers… or eat it as I sometimes do, right off a spoon!

I've grated and juiced the rest of my lemon stash, freezing what I haven't used right away, so watch for other lemon recipes in future posts. This Lemon Curd recipe takes a wee bit of time, as my Scottish friend Maggie might say, so now I've got the lemon parts pre-done. Incidentally, it's best to use organic citrus, especially when you are using the rind, since many of the toxins from chemicals reside in the peel of sprayed fruit.

Lemon Curd

Recipe type: Topping
Cuisine: Gluten Free, dairy free, vegetarian
Makes: 1-1/2 cups
NOTE: Ingredients in red type are detailed on the "Ingredients" page of this blog


INGREDIENTS
    1/2 c of coconut oil, softened or melted
    1/4 cup of honey
    3 eggs
    1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
    1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained and pulp used elsewhere

DIRECTIONS
Using a food processor or mixer, beat the coconut oil with the honey until well combined. Slowly add each egg while continuing to whip until frothy. Gradually mix in the zest and juice and beat well.

Put the mixture into a saucepan over medium/low heat. I like to use a spatula. stirring constantly as the mixture thickens. Be sure to scrape along the bottom of the pan so the mixture doesn't burn and do not allow it to boil. The thickening happens pretty fast; when you can leave a clean path on the spatula when you wipe your finger on it, remove from heat. The curd will thicken at 170°F, and will get thicker as it cools.

Refrigerate for several hours to thicken. Will keep about one week or longer in the refrigerator. Freezes well.

How to Prep Blueberry Bushes

Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits to grow and eat, as I revealed in a previous post "Top 10 Reasons to Grow Blueberries." Here in SE Tennessee, I start preparing for my summer blueberry crop months earlier, usually in February. It is best to do the necessary pruning, cleaning, and feeding while the plant is dormant.

I now have a dozen established blueberry bushes scattered in my gardens, with many different varieties suitable for growing in the South. It's hard to beat the nutritional value of wild blueberries, but they don't grow on my land so I'll happily settle for cultivars. The varieties best suited to our hot humid growing season don't seem to grow as fast from one year to the next as those I once grew in New Hampshire, perhaps because they prefer well-drained soil to our clay. But I'll settle for the great production of big sweet berries from my 12 bushes.

Here in Tennessee, I have bushes in all 3 southern varieties. Misty, a southern highbush type, is my earliest (and favorite) variety, so when it begins to show new growth I know it is time for prepping the blueberries. Here's what I do:

• Clean away leaves, weeds, and anything else that covers the soil around the base of the blueberry bush. Be careful, blueberry roots grow near the top of the soil.
• Cut off any branches, stems, or ends which are not showing any new growth, especially big old main stems. Cut off branches which are criss-crossing with other stems. Keeping the bush open and uncrowded helps keep it healthy in our hot humid growing season.
• If the plant is sending up new suckers from the ground where you don't want it growing, cut them at the soil line.
• Amend the soil with good compost, spreading below the bush out to the drip line
• Blueberries prefer acid soil (pH 4.5 to 5.2). If your soil tests show more neutral soil, you can add garden sulphur to the ground to lower the pH.
• Blueberries are sensitive to certain fertilizers. I prefer an organic slow-release fertilizer and I use Espoma Holly-Tone (4-3-4) since it is specifically for acid-loving plants. I sprinkle the amount required (based on the size of the bush) over the soil.
• Blueberries are also high nitrogen-feeders, so you can add some cottonseed meal at any time.
• Mulch the ground under the bush with pine straw, but keep it a few inches off the main stems. This will help control weeds and keep the ground insulated and moist during the growing season. Pine straw helps keep the pH in the acid range.

All your efforts now will reap great results come harvest time!

My Favorite Winter Greens

 

I don't remember ever eating collards before I tried growing my own. Now I love them and they are a staple in my winter garden. The leafy plants grow continuously in cool weather and provide delicious fresh greens even in our coldest months. Winter is fairly mild here in Tennessee, but even after being buried in snow and subject to freezing for several days, the collard plants spring back to life and begin to grow again. I just ignore them and they grow! No bugs and very few weeds in the winter gardening, so that makes it easy too.

Southern style collard greens are traditionally cooked with ham hocks or bacon and cooked until what I consider to be "mush!" I prefer to saute chopped leaves in olive oil with onions, garlic, herbs, and perhaps some tamari soy sauce. I've also discovered that collard leaves are much easier to stuff than cabbage leaves, so I've created this entree….

 

Stuffed Collard Leaves 

Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Gluten Free
Makes:4-6 servings
NOTE: Ingredients in red type are detailed on the "Ingredients" page of this blog
 
The four collard plants in my garden are flourishing, so I've been trying new recipes. I've loosely based this creation on Polish stuffed cabbage rolls, called golabki. I don't eat much red meat, and I reduced the amount for this recipe vs. the traditional rolls and added chopped squash. You could easily make a vegetarian version by substituting about 1-1/2 cups of chopped vegetables (carrots, broccoli, celery) for the ground beef and skip the egg and top with chopped nuts. I used my ground dried red jalapenos for just the right touch of spice, and you can adjust the heat level to your preference. This preparation is more time-consuming than I usually spend, but it's a one-dish meal (with good leftovers for the two of us) which helps justify the labor!

INGREDIENTS

12 fresh collard leaves
1 T olive oil
3 fresh scallions, chopped
1 T  fresh parsley, chopped
1 t minced garlic
1 small squash (yellow or zucchini), chopped or other fresh firm vegetables
1 T tomato paste
1-1/2 c tomato marinara sauce
1-1/2 c cooked brown long grain rice
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 t hot jalapeno powder
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c feta cheese crumbles

DIRECTIONS
Blanche the collard leaves very briefly to soften, by boiling them in water for 1 minute then plunging into ice water for 2 minutes; drain. Line the bottom of a greased 3-quart casserole with two or three leaves, cut in pieces if necessary. Spoon about 1/4 c of the tomato sauce over these leave.

In a skillet, saute the scallions, parsley, garlic and squash in oil briefly. Add tomato paste, 1/4 c of the tomato sauce and cooked rice, mix together. Spread mixture to the edges and brown the ground beef in the center, breaking it into small pieces. Mix it into the rice mixture, add the hot pepper powder. Remove from heat when the beef is mostly cooked. Let it cool slightly, the mix in the beaten egg.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
To stuff, lay one leaf flat and plop about 1/2 c of the filling in the center. Fold up the stem end, then the sides, then the top, to create a little bundle. Put it into the casserole, smooth side up. Repeat with the rest of the leaves. Top with the rest of the tomato sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven, remove the casserole, uncover and sprinkle with feta cheese, Return it to the oven, uncovered, for another 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve. The leaves laid in the bottom of the casserole make delicious cooked greens too. 

Not Your Mother's Rum Balls!

My mother was renowned for her homemade sweets. One of her most popular holiday confections was Bourbon Balls, made with crushed vanilla wafer cookies, corn syrup, confectioner's sugar, and a lot of other ingredients which are not in my kitchen! In her memory, I've come up with my healthier version, and invite you to try these sweet treats with your own favorite alcoholic flavoring. The photo above shows them ready for my holiday buffet, along with some chocolate peppermint bark I also made.

Spiked Chocolate Balls
Recipe type: Candy Treat
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Makes: About 2 dozen
NOTE: Ingredients in red type are detailed on the "Ingredients" page of this blog

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 c raw hulled sunflower seeds
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 c almond flour
2 T coconut oil, softened
1/4 c coconut palm sugar
1/4 t salt
1/4 c alcoholic beverage*
Coating suggestions:  powdered sugar, sweetened cocoa powder, finely chopped almonds (about 2 T)

* Use your choice: rum, bourbon, scotch, creme de menthe, coffee/orange or other liqueur, etc.

DIRECTIONS:
Put all ingredients except the coating into a food processor. Process until sunflower seeds are chopped into small pieces and the mixture sticks together. Remove to a covered container and refrigerate until the chilled coconut oil hardens the dough. Scoop with a small spoon and roll in your palms to form 24 balls, each about 3/4" in diameter... the warmth of your hands will soften the dough. If making ahead, refrigerate these balls in single layers between wax paper sheets. Before serving, put your choice of coating into a small zipper bag and shake a few balls at a time to coat them. If you roll the coating on too far in advance, it sort of melts into the dough and disappears. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

As my mother always did, I decided to coat mine with powdered sugar. I don't keep 10X sugar on my shelves, and didn't want to buy a box for such a small amount. I stock regular white sugar for my hummingbird feeders. So I put about 2 T of white sugar into a clean coffee grinder and whirled it into just the right amount of white powder. This also works with sweeteners like coconut palm sugar (making a light brown powder) or types of raw sugar.

Fruit Flies Be Gone!

This is probably the most practical recipe I've posted on this blog... a solution which will help attract and eliminate fruit flies in the house. They always become a problem for me at this time of year, likely from the fresh tomatoes on the windowsill, the ripe melons from the farm market, the bouquets of fresh flowers from the garden, and even fruit from the store.

The recipe is simple, just water with 3 ingredients commonly found in most kitchens. This is my slight variation of the recipe which my friend Pam gave me. I didn't want to post a photo of cups of dead bugs, so just take it from me that this really works!

Fruit Fly Catcher Solution

INGREDIENTS
1 T vinegar
1-1/2 t white sugar
drop of liquid dish soap
2 cups (1 pt) of water

DIRECTIONS
Mix all 4 ingredient in a 2-cup measuring cup, a bowl, or a pint jar. Mix well. Using small pottery cups, fill each about 1/2" deep with the solution. NOTE: clear glass containers don't seem to work as well in attracting the insects. I use little oriental tea cups which have no handles. I pour any remaining solution into a pint canning jar and cover it, keeping it in the refrigerator until I need to clean out and replenish the little cups.

Position the uncovered filled cups where you see the fruit flies most often, like on the kitchen counter where you cut fresh produce or near the bowl of bananas. Placing them under a light source seems to help attract the bugs. After a few days check the cups and you'll likely see signs of success!

I've also used this solution to re-fill some commercial apple-shaped fruit fly catchers after the liquid they come with has expired, and it seems to catch more. 'Hope it works for you too!

The Best Springtime Ever

Wild blackberries are abundant this year, and I ate these two plump sweet ripe berries just after taking this photo!

This is one of several elderberries in my edible front yard, full of flower clusters

Lemon scented Yellow Trillium grow by the hundreds in my woods

Wild crested Iris has magnificent flowers

As we approach the official start of summer and the wild blackberries begin to ripen, I declare Spring '16 as one of the best ever for gardening here in East Tennessee. The mild winter, with regular rainfall, seemed to provide ideal conditions for all the spring flowering plants, shrubs and trees to produce maximum flowers. In addition, our spring weather has been comfortable, not as hot as usual, and fairly regular with rain.

All those spring flowers mean loads of berries this year. I harvested a bumper crop of luscious sweet strawberries. Just as they were winding down, the blueberries began to turn dark blue. Last December I had worried about my blueberries, since they began to flower due to the unseasonable warmth. I was afraid I'd lose this year's crop, but my concerns proved to be unfounded. Clumps of blueberries have grown like bunches of grapes, and I am picking them every day now. My thornless hybrid blackberries are also ripening with the biggest crop ever, and the elderberry bushes are healthy and covered with huge white flower clusters which will ripen to dark blue berries later in the summer.

Cooler spring weather with ample moisture also made it possible to do lots of transplanting. For the last few years I have been creating a Wildflower Specimen Garden, on one of our woodland trails less than 100 feet from the house. I have become passionate about spring wildflowers, since the woods surrounding our house are amazingly lush and varied. I decided to have a "cultivated" wildflower garden near my house, to showcase these beauties to visitors who are not up for bushwhacking down a slope far from the house and/or are not familiar with the beauty Mother Nature displays in springtime. One year some purple flowering Lunaria (aka Money Plant or Silver Dollars, due to the papery circular seedpods it produces after flowering) seeded itself on the edge of one of our trails. I walk by this spot daily on my morning walk with the dogs, and I thought it would be wonderful to see what was flowering elsewhere without traipsing through the woods. This gave me the idea to move some of my most abundant spring wildflowers from other places in my woods, so during the last few years I have carefully transplanted Bloodroot, Myrtle, Yellow Trillium, Rue Anemone, Blue Phlox, Jack In The Pulpit, Foam Flower, Solomon's Seal, Blue-Eyed Grass, Little Brown Jugs, Doll's Eyes, Yellow Fairybells, many varieties of Violets, and one successfully transplanted Pink Lady's Slipper.

I took this photo in April in a lush hollow we call Dee Spring - some of the wildflowers growing in one little section are labelled

The soil were I've moved them is rich humus, and the area is under a canopy of hardwood trees. Several friends have shared their wildflowers with me, adding Crested Iris, Bird's Foot Violets, Sweet Woodruff, maroon Toadshade Trillium and Nodding Cateby's Trillium to my specimen garden. I have purchased many others from wildflower nurseries which Rick wonderfully scouted-out for my May birthday mystery dates, adding Black Cohosh, Grandiflora Trillium, Prairie Trillium, Blue Cohosh, Wild Ginger, Yellow Root, Green Dragon, and Bleeding Hearts. One of the first springs I walked the trails of this land, I spotted magnificent Showy Orchis, but I've never been able to find it again. So this year I broke down and bought some roots on eBay. They initially showed growth, but soon died back, so I am not sure I'll see them again.

Foam flowers now grow in my specimen garden

This spring I also added many more discoveries from my own woods, including Canadian Violets, Hearts-A-Bustin', Mayapple, Wild Geraniums, White Milkweed, Golden Groundsel, Wild Oats, Solomon's Plume, Fire Pinks, Pink Wood Sorrel, Mountain Laurel, and more wild Violets. All of these grow naturally in the dappled sunlight of the spring forest, so they have done wonderfully along my trail. I've counted over 50 wildflower specimen on display now, all with labels. Many sun-loving spring wildflowers, not suitable for the conditions in my Specimen Garden, are in my cultivated gardens just outside the house, including Columbine, Showy Evening Primrose, St. John's Wort, Yucca, Salsify, Coneflower, Garden Phlox, Liatris, Lily of the Valley, Wild Poppies, Larkspur, Oxeye Daisies, Brown Eyed Susans, Daylilies, Butterfly Weed, False Indigo, Foxglove, Irises and probably those I've forgotten! On the outskirts of my planted gardens grow spring flowering Venus's Looking Glass, Japanese Honeysuckle and Multiflora Roses which can be invasive, Clovers, Chickweed, Thistle,

This gorgeous Lady's Slipper was especially pink this year!

Cranesbill, Horsetail, Fleabane, Wild Lettuce, Poke, Common Dandelion, Queen Anne's Lace, and many others. And there are many others in my woods which I haven't transplanted, like Squaw Root which grows as a parasite from roots of trees like oak, and a new discovery I've identified as Scorpion Grass. Some others grow in sunny spring locations, so my woodland setting with partial shade is not suitable. I have many summer and autumn wildflowers too, but the wonder of discovering gorgeous flowers after the dullness of winter is probably what makes those my favorites. As you can tell, I've been busy documenting my wildflowers with photos, and I've amassed quite a large reference file. Be sure to ask me for a tour of my wildflower specimen garden if you visit me in the springtime. I love flowers!

Since this is a Good Food blog, I should add that many wildflowers are edible. Of course, you have to make positive ID's before picking any plants to eat, pick only what is abundant and vibrant. It's best that what you pick isn't subject to chemical sprays and roadside auto exhaust. You also need to harvest sustainable, so you don't kill the plant. Some of the wildflowers growing on my property which I harvest as edibles are Chickweed (a fabulous winter green), Jerusalem Artichoke tubers, Daylily shoots/buds/flowers, Violets, Trillium young leaves, Dandelion flowers/leaves/roots, Lamb's Quarters, Muscadine leaves, Watercress, Wild Onions, and oodles of Wild Blackberries will be eaten this year! Let me know what wild edibles you've had in your diet.

Strawberry Spice Cakes

This is my variation on strawberry shortcakes, bursting with flavor. Instead of plain biscuit-type "cakes," I make mine as spiced muffins. Freshly picked ripe strawberries are naturally sweet, and are wonderfully accented with these ingredients. You can also make this recipe for spiced cakes as a sweet bread, and use slices for the final presentation:

INGREDIENTS
If an ingredient is in red type, look for details on my "Ingredients" page, linking from the top of any page in this blog.
 
For the Cakes (makes about 18 muffins or 6 muffins and 3 mini loaves):

2 eggs, beaten
1 c honey
1/2 c sorghum syrup or molasses
1/2 c coconut oil, warmed to liquid
1 can pumpkin puree (about 1-1/4 c)
2 c all purpose gluten free flour *
1/2 c sorghum flour
1 T chai spices or pumpkin pie spices
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c chopped fresh strawberries
(* If not concerned with making this dessert gluten-free, use 2-1/2c white wheat flour in place of the two gluten-free flours in my recipe.)

Cream:
Whipped Coconut Cream (see the recipe here)

Topping:
3 c sliced fresh strawberries
1 t ground cinnamon
2 t lemon juice
sweetener to taste

DIRECTIONS (for 4):
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease large muffin tins or mini bread pans. Mix eggs, honey, sorghum, coconut oil and pumpkin puree well. Separately mix the flours, spices, baking soda and salt. Stir the chopped strawberries into the dry mix to coat them. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until well mixed. Spoon into the muffin cups, filling them just half way. Bake for 30 minutes for muffins or 50 minutes for mini bread loaves. Remove to a rack and cool.

Mix the sliced strawberries with the cinnamon and lemon juice. If they need sweetening, I use my own homemade vanilla/stevia extract. Alternately, sweeten with a little local honey. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, and the berries will release juices.

Mix the coconut cream topping, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Just as delicious on slices of spiced bread

To serve, split 4 muffins in half (top and bottom) and place them open in an individual serving bowl. I switch the order of the toppings from a conventional strawberry shortcake: top muffin halves with a big dollop of cream, then spoon the strawberries on top, with all their sweet juices, flavoring the cream and the cake. This tastes just as scrumptious on a slice of the spiced bread - for breakfast, dessert or anytime snack.


P.S. Thanks to my special friend Sandra for my lovely personalized dish cloth; she is an extraordinary quilter and master of machine embroidery, as you can see.

The Easy Way to Grow Onions

I've been planting onion sets in my spring and winter gardens for years, but last year I learned a new, easy method. Two of my gardening friends, Kathy and Carol, recommended that the best way to plant onion sets is not to bury them in the soil (which I had been doing). Their method couldn't be easier, and my harvest proved it works!

Here's how: Just soften up the dirt with a hand rake in the area you've prepared for your onion bed. Place each onion set right on top of the soil, root side down. Push each one down into the dirt very slightly, just enough to keep it stable, upright, and in place.  Put the next one in, about 3-6" away. That's it! The onion set's roots will quickly make their way down into the soil, and green tops will start growing quickly. Any rain will probably push the dirt up around the growing bulb a bit, and that's fine. The top of the onion will stay visible as it grows, which actually makes it easy to see how big it is for harvesting.

Onions are cold hardy, so I plant my spring crop in February and March in my zone 7 garden. In fact, onions don't like heat when in the early growth stages. I've tried growing onions from seed, but the thin blades - like grass - require more time for weeding than I'm willing to invest, and they grow very slowly. Onion sets, which are immature bulbs and look like tiny onions, give a bit of a head start on growth vs. seeds or transplants, and they are less prone to disease. You can usually find them for sweet, red, yellow or white onions; I've grown all types successfully. I've seen them sold in small sacks or sold loose, by the pound. No matter what color onion I plant, they all seem to have a good strong flavor; I once heard that the stronger the onion, the long it keeps. My onions don't store really well, so I use them fresh, or peel/chop/freeze, or cut up and dehydrate. Onions like regular watering during growth; dry weather can cause the bulbs to split. Mulching the onion bed keeps down weeds and holds in moisture. I've never had any bugs or diseases on my onions, which makes them very easy to grow organically.

During the growing season, I harvest onion tops as scallions (as I do with the green tops of garlic), selecting one or two green leaves from each plant rather than cutting the entire top from any one onion. This way the growth of the onion bulb is not affected. You can also dig the bulb up at any time, or wait until the plant tells you it is ready to harvest. Mine are usually ready to dig up in June or July.

When the green tops begin to turn tan, fall over, and die back, withholding water will help the onion cure and increase the storage life once harvested. I wait until a dry spell to dig the onions up. Once dug, I let them dry outside, making it easier to brush off any dirt from the outer skin. Usually I'll lay them on sheets of newspaper in a single layer, shaded from the sun on a table on my porch.

Clumps of potato onions, planted last fall

I've grown two other types of onions in my gardens, each considered to be perennial onions. "Walking Onions" will grow little bulblets at the top of the green leaves. These make the green stalk top-heavy, so it falls over, setting its babies on the soil so they will start to root new plants. This type is best harvested for its green tops vs. the root. Last fall I planted "Potato Onions" (aka Multiplier Onions). They looked like small onion sets when I planted them, and each one planted is supposed to produce a cluster of 10-12 bulbs, ranging in size from 3/4" to 4". When harvesting, the smaller ones are replanted to begin the growing cycle again. I haven't had a harvest yet, but they are supposed to have a great mild flavor and good storage.Remember to plant these 'forever' types of onions where they can remain year-round; not in your vegetable garden if you till the soil.

Try some onions in your garden this year!

Spicy Cheese Bites

 

  These are not your mother's thumbprint cookies! Spiced up with the hot pepper powder I make by grinding my dehydrated home-grown jalapenos and filled with hot pepper jelly, these are crispy, zesty and satisfying. They were a hit with my Christmas guests who were my guinea pigs for this new creation.
    This is my variation of a recipe from my friend Sandra, who shows my paintings in her art gallery. The original recipe called for crispy rice cereal, which typically includes sugar, salt, vitamins, and other ingredients I don't want added to my food. Substituting rice crackers which have just 3 ingredients: rice, oil and salt, makes for a healthier treat. Next time, I'll go one step further... instead of the crackers I'll try using brown rice flour and a small amount of coconut oil - and eliminate the salt, since the cheese provides plenty. I make these gluten-free by using GF flour also, but regular wheat flour can be used. I used a hot pepper jelly made by the nearby Menonnite community and it is yummy!

Hot Pepper Cheese Crackers {Gluten-free}
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Makes: About 3 dozen
NOTE: Ingredients in red type are detailed on the "Ingredients" page of this blog

INGREDIENTS
rice crackers*, enough to make 2c of crushed cracker crumbs
4 c grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 c all purpose gluten-free flour
1 c softened unsalted butter
1/2 t ground pepper
1 t paprika
1 t hot pepper powder or chile powder (adjust to your taste)
hot pepper jelly

INSTRUCTIONS
To crush the crackers, place them in a zipper bag and roll with a rolling pin until crushed into small pieces. Whirl the cheese in a food processor to make it finer then gradually add all other ingredients except the cracker crumbs and jelly. Dump into a bowl so you can mix in the cracker crumbs - I found my hands to be the best tool for this step.

Shape dough into 1" balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet lined with baking parchment, placing them 2" apart. Press to flatten slightly, then push your thumb into the center just enough to make a small indent.

Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and spoon a small dollop of hot pepper jelly in the center of each. Bake an additional 10-13 minutes, until crispy and golden.

Alternately, if you don't want the hot pepper jelly filling, you can flatten the balls of dough with a fork before baking, then bake for a total of 25-28 minutes... see the photo below.

Remove to a rack to cool.

* I used Nabisco Poppy & Sesame Seed Rice Thins, whose ingredients include: white rice flour, safflower oil, millet, poppy seeds, salt, mustard flour and sesame seeds. The poppy seeds show up as the black specs in my photos of the dough and baked crackers. You can use Nabisco GF Original Rice Thins for fewer ingredients. Watch out for added sugar in other brands of rice crackers. It took a little less than 2 boxes to make 2 c of crumbs.

Eat Real Food

Just by chance, we caught the premier of a PBS documentary titled "In Defense of Food" at the end of December. It came at the perfect time - just as we were feeling the negative effects of holiday overeating and too much of the wrong foods. So the message really hit home!

The program is based on a book by the same name by journalist Michael Pollan. If you too are trying to get onto a healthier eating regiment as this new year begins, I highly recommend you watch this show. If you can't find being repeated on your local PBS station, you can watch the whole program online. The messages and tips are simple, easy to adopt, and make sense.

The bottom line, as summarized into 7 words by Pollan, is "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." The program has good tips like "Eat plants, not food made in plants," and "Don't eat anything your great-grandmother would not have eaten." Pollan suggests ways to help us all get back to eating "real food," versus the highly processed offerings so prominent in the contemporary Western diet. He shows how people automatically eat less simply by using smaller plates, without feeling like they've reduced their portions. The messages are great, and the presentation is excellent.

For continued good advice from Pollan, like the In Defense of Food Facebook page and start your own path to getting eating healthier today!

How to Grow Ginger

 

I love ginger, and I've wanted to grow my own for years. So much of it in the stores is grown in countries which I don't trust, and if I could grow my own organically it would be great. One year I potted up some healthy USA-grown organic ginger roots from the supermarket and set the pot outdoors in our hot humid summer weather; I barely ended up with more than I had planted. Then I learned about a plant related to the variety of ginger we commonly eat, called "galangal"  (pronounced guh-lang-guh). Used in Thai cooking and in curry seasoning blends, some argue that it tastes different from common ginger, while others use it interchangeably with ginger. Reading that it was successfully grown by home gardeners, I felt it was worth a try. A source I found online seemed to be sold out as soon as they listed some for sale in late winter. But last year I got lucky and here is how it worked for me....

I found an Etsy shop called Magical Mystery Herbs selling fresh live galangal root, grown near me in Athens, Georgia. I ordered 12 ounces last January (I see they are selling it again now; likely it's a seasonal offering). They sell 4 oz. for $9.95. Plump big rhizomes arrived quickly. I set the galangal chunks in water until I had a chance to pot them. Then I cut them into smaller pieces, each with a growth bud or two, buried them in soil, and set the small pots by a sunny indoor window in my dining area. Be forewarned - it takes a lo-o-o-o-ng time before any little green sprouts begin to emerge from the soil (3 months for me). Be patient and keep them watered and warm. Mother Nature understands the proper timing.

Once the plants started to develop green leaves I carefully transplanted them into very large pots, allowing plenty of room for new rhizomes to grow. I tried planting some directly into the soil of my cold frame too. We were past our last average frost date, so I put the pots outdoors. I also decided to bury one large pot in the vegetable garden, with the rim at the soil line. This way, there was less likelihood for the soil to dry out during hot weather.

During our hot, humid, rainy summer, each pot grew more and more stems and long green leaves, about 12-18" tall. The plant buried in the garden showed the best growth… I had to keep pulling away the Seminole pumpkin and sweet potato vines from nearby garden rows!

Before our first fall frost (our average date is Oct. 15), I decided to uproot each galangal pot and see how the roots had multiplied. I was delighted with my harvest! The plant submerged in the garden had grown the best, and the photos of my harvest are from that pot. The roots I planted directly in the garden soil didn't fair as well, but still grew big rhizomes from the small pieces I had started with. And the flavor is so much like common ginger that I don't notice any difference.

I had too much ginger to use all at once, so I kept some growing in their big pots and brought them into my south-facing basement window to continue to grow. I also shared some of the small sprouts with friends to grow their own. I'll separate my potted plants to start the cycle of summer growth again this year, burying each big pot in my garden soil for the best results. I hope to have more and more each year.

The galangal I didn't use fresh immediately was washed clean and frozen in zipper bags. The frozen chunks have all the flavor of fresh, and can be cut or grated easily. Fresh ginger tea is wonderful in winter and even makes a refreshing cold summer drink. The galangal has been delicious in my favorite gingerbread, gingerbread biscotti (where I substituted 1 T fresh grated ginger in place of 1 t of dried gingerroot powder), in sweet breakfast breads, and in stir-fries. I added a small amount of grated fresh gingerroot to my homemade holiday cranberry-orange sauce and one of my guests said it was the best cranberry sauce he had ever eaten. It would be possible to dehydrate thin slices of galangal root too, using the slices chopped finely or making some into dried gingerroot powder in a coffee grinder.

If you too love ginger, don't settle for store-bought any more. Grow your own!

5 Steps to Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

Just in time for Easter eggs, I've got 5 easy steps to help you cook perfect hard-boiled farm-fresh eggs. I love deviled eggs, pickled eggs, and egg salad, but stopped making them since I began getting fresh eggs from friends' hens. If you've ever tried peeling a fresh egg, you likely struggled as I did… a frustrating, tedious task to to pick the shells off without pulling off pieces of the egg white. I swore never to try again! Even my friend Deborah, who supplies me with her hens' eggs (with shell colors ranging from light minty green to dark chocolately brown) had resorted to letting some of her eggs "age" when she wanted to hardboil them.

Technically, store-bought eggs have sat around long enough (an unpleasant thought) so the eggshells' coating wears off (or is removed by commercial cleaning), the egg becomes porous, and air is allowed to penetrate. This makes the inner membrane stick to the shell less and also makes the egg white shrink. More air space develops in the egg… resulting in easier-to-peel eggs. But who wants to use old eggs when you have access to super fresh eggs?

I accidentally came across a blog post on perfect boiled eggs last week, and I developed these steps from the comments to the post, where readers offered their own tips. I wanted to bring green deviled eggs* to a St. Patrick's Day potluck, and I didn't want to hassle with peeling the fresh eggs I had in the fridge. So I broke down and bought a dozen large white eggs at the supermarket. The expiration date was 3 days away, and retailers have 30 days to sell eggs, so they had been aging! I tested my new 5-step method, adding one farm-fresh egg to the batch - a lovely dark brown maran egg from my friend Deborah. The results were wonderful... the shells slipped off easily, the whites were not tough, and the yolks were pure yellow. The next time I tried using only one-day old eggs, and the results were still perfect! I'll no longer hesitate to make hard-boiled eggs.

Here are my five steps to perfect Hard Boiled Eggs:

1. Poke a tiny hole through the large end of the shell with a sharp thumbtack (some people say this isn't necessary, but I tried one without the hole and it didn't peel as well)
2. Put cold eggs in a steamer rack in a saucepan, cover and boil 15 minutes, starting the timer when the water starts to boil (NOTE: be sure you have enough water under the steamer rack so it won't boil away; elevate the rack in the pan if needed) If you don't have a steamer, submerge a small colander in the pot, making sure the eggs are above water
3. Remove the steamer basket and rinse the eggs under cold water, then immediately put them into an icy cold water bath and let them stay there for 10 minutes
4. Shake each egg in a 1/2 pint mason jar to crack the shell
5. The shell slips right off!

* For green deviled eggs, Google "Avocado Deviled Eggs" or "Guacamole Deviled Eggs" and you'll find recipes - basically the yolks are mixed with your favorite guacamole recipe. I used a recipe that got the onion flavor from chives (sticking with the green theme ) and mixed my green filling in a food processor until smooth, so I could pipe the green filling into the egg whites. They are delicious, eye-catching, and cute too!

My hard-boiled eggs cooked with tender whites and clear yellow centers, perfect for these St. Patty's Day Green Deviled Eggs.

Delicious Gluten Free Dinner Rolls

  
I shy away from posting someone else's recipe in this blog, but this one is worth an exception. I made these rolls last night and they are fabulous! Make them for yourself or make a batch for a GF family member or friend and treat them to the bread they've been missing! I think even non gluten-free eaters will love these rolls, as Rick did.

NOTES: I ordered the specified flour from Amazon, but the next time I'll try some other GF all-purpose flour, like Bob's Red Mill, for comparison. The original recipe, with many variations, is here, on the flour website, but I first saw it posted by another food blogger with her changes, and that's the version I followed (and posted below). Next time I make these, I'll reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons, since they tasted a bit sweet to me (some sugar is necessary, to feed the yeast). I used coconut palm sugar instead of white sugar (which is only on my shelf for the hummingbirds). I might use honey next time, which always worked fine in my non GF bread recipes in place of white sugar. Also, I used unsalted butter. The recipe calls for xanthan gum, which might not be on your baking shelf if you are not GF yourself; it's a bit pricy but you use very little at a time. A substitute which perhaps you'd have more use for is psyllium powder, which you can buy at a drug store or online as Konisyl Original Psyllium Fiber. I don't have a cookie scoop, so I greased an ice cream scoop (complete with a penguin handle!) and globbed the dough into the pan, smoothing it with wet fingers. I made 8 rolls (and we each ate 2!), not 9, so mine were a little bigger. They browned really fast; I added the note about browning in the recipe below, in case your oven reacts the same as mine. Remove the rolls from the pan as soon as possible, as with all gluten-free baked goods. 

Bottom rolls have been smoothed with wet fingers.

     There are many other GF recipes on the flour maker's website so be sure to check it out - I plan to try others, maybe the pumpernickle bread next.


Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls {Gluten-free}
Author: Michelle @ MyGluten-freeKitchen.com
Recipe type: Yeast Breads/Rolls
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Serves: 9
NOTE: Ingredients in red type are detailed on the "Ingredients" page of this blog

INGREDIENTS
2-3/4 c Gluten Free Mama's Almond Blend Flour
1-1/2 tsp xanthan gum or 1 T psyllium powder
2 tsp instant yeast
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 c warm water (105-110°)
2 T butter, dairy-free margarine, or Spectrum shortening, melted
1 egg (preferably room temp)
1 tsp cider vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

Right out of the oven, brushing the tops with melted butter

In the mixing bowl of your electric mixer, mix together flour, xanthan gum, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. With mixer running on low speed, add in the water, melted butter (or substitute), egg, and cider vinegar. Mix on high speed 3 minutes.

Spray 8" or 9" round cake pan or pie plate with cooking spray. Using a 2" scoop or ⅓ cup measuring cup, scoop dough into 9 mounds in the pan. I place one mound in middle, then scoop 8 mounds of dough side by side all the way around the pan. Dip your fingertips into warm water and use to smooth out the tops of the rolls, continuing to wet fingers as needed.

Cover with a dry towel and let rise in a warm place 45 minutes to 1 hour. During the last few minutes that the rolls are rising, preheat oven to 400°. Bake in 400° oven for 26-28 minutes. [If they brown too fast, lay a piece of aluminum foil over the top to prevent further browning; I had to do this after 15 minutes of baking.] Tops should be golden brown and if you measure temperature of dough, it should measure 200°. Brush rolls with additional 1/2-1 Tablespoon of melted butter.

Let me know how you like these!

Variations On A Breakfast Favorite, Muesli

In the late 19th century, a Swiss physician and pioneer nutritionist named Dr. Bircher-Benner ran a sanatorium in Zurich, using diet as a means of healing patients. He created "muesli," a blend of hearty grains, seeds and fruit - but a different combination from what today is known as muesli.
     To me, muesli is a hearty and delicious breakfast dish using uncooked rolled oats, which my friend Claudia from Swizterland introduced to me many years ago. Traditionally, the oats are mixed with yogurt, milk and other ingredients and refrigerated overnight, which allows the uncooked oats to absorb the liquids, soften and blend. I've tweaked my recipe over the years, substituting nonfat dairy products, eliminating sour cream since I rarely have it on hand (original called for 3/4 c yogurt  + 1/4 c sour cream), and using apple or pear sauce instead of grated apple. Below I've posted my version of Breakfast Muesli, and then several of my variations… invent your own!
     I was inspired to share this recipe after learning of some Overnight Oats/Chia Pudding recipes my friends Richard and Regina have been enjoying. The ingredients and process are similar to the recipe below, with an addition of chia seeds. The chia seeds add a great nutritional boost, so now they are a mainstay in my recipe.

JUDY'S BREAKFAST MUESLI
Author: Judy Lavoie
Recipe type: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Serves: 3-4
NOTE: Ingredients in red type are detailed on the "Ingredients" page of this blog

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 c old fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking, and gluten-free if that is a concern)
• 1 c yogurt
• 1-1/2 t fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 c milk of choice (dairy, almond, cashew, rice, hemp, organic soy)
• 1 t chia seeds
• 1-1/2 t real maple syrup
• 1/2 apple, grated OR 1/4 c unsweetened apple sauce or pear sauce
• 1/2 banana, peeled and chopped into small pieces
• 1/4 c chopped pecans or other nuts

DIRECTIONS
In a container with a lid, stir together all the ingredients except the apple, banana and nuts. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, prepare the apple and banana and stir them into the oat mixture. Sprinkle chopped nuts over the top of each serving. Eat and enjoy!


VARIATIONS:

Carob and Raspberry Muesli
Add 2 t carob powder to the recipe above, and stir in 1/2-1 cup of fresh raspberries just before serving. Garnish with a few whole raspberries.

Pumpkin Muesli with Currants
Delete the milk and add these ingredients to the original recipe (above) before refrigerating overnight:
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 t pumpkin pie spices
1 t molasses or sorghum syrup
When ready to serve, sprinkle dried currants over the top of each serving. (Or add them the night before, and they will absorb some liquid and soften a bit.)

Double Berry Muesli
Delete the apple and add these ingredients to the original recipe (above)  before refrigerating overnight:
1/3 c fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 c sliced fresh strawberries
OPTIONAL: 1 T buckwheat

Whipped Coconut Cream

Whipped Coconut Cream on top of my homemade Pumpkin Bread Pudding (a future recipe post)

My friend Diane asked that I post this recipe after I served it on pumpkin bread at a gathering of gardening friends last week. I first made this recipe last Thanksgiving, to go on top of a peanut-chocolate pie (recipe in a future post) I was bringing to our hosts. We had a 3-hour drive and I knew "real" whipped cream would not be a good option... I couldn't whip it fresh on-site at a house I'd never been to (filled with loads of people I'd never met!), and if I made it ahead it would have lost its volume in transit. So I decided to try a variation of a coconut whipped topping recipe I had copied off the internet. I got many compliments, no complaints, and didn't find any reason to reveal its unconventional ingredients. I dubbed it a winner!

I love this non-dairy alternative to traditional Whipped Cream for several reasons:

• I always have the ingredients on hand
• It's very fast and easy to make
• Doesn't separate even if mixed days ahead
• Travels well
• Can be made with simple hand-mixing; a mixer is not essential
• It's thick and rich, so you don't need to use much for each serving
• Cholesterol-free
• I can control what goes in it (ReadyWhip and other creams have ingredients I don't like)
• All-natural ingredients (unlike other non-dairy whipped toppings)
• Sweetening with stevia creates a sugar-free topping
• This is delicious!

 Whipped Coconut Cream
(makes about 10-12 servings)
(items in red type are detailed on the Ingredients page) 

INGREDIENTS
1 can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated (I use Thai Kitchen brand)
vanilla stevia* to taste

Optional Ingredients: Other flavored extracts (like almond or peppermint), cocoa or carob powder, citrus peel, cinnamon or other spices

DIRECTIONS
I keep one unopened can of coconut milk in the refrigerator all the time, UPSIDE-DOWN so it will be cold whenever I am ready to make this. Cooling helps make the thick creamy part separate from the watery liquid. Open the can at the top and scoop the thick white cream into a small bowl. To catch all the thick cream, you can scoop the last of it with a spatula, pouring the watery liquid through a strainer to catch any remaining thick cream. Save the watery liquid to use in smoothes or other recipes.

Use a hand whisk to mix in the vanilla stevia. If you don't want to use vanilla stevia, add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 T of honey or maple syrup or agave nectar. Alternately, you can beat the cream with a hand- or standup-mixer to make it more airy and light. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This mixes up so firm and thick that you can pipe it for a more decorative look, decorating a cake top with it in place of frosting. Or just plop it by the spoonful on top of a slice of pie, sweet bread, pudding, fresh fruit, or whatever suits your fancy. If left in the refrigerator, it might thicken, but just stir it up again when ready to use. Keeps for up to a week in the fridge, if it lasts that long at your house! Let me know how you use this recipe.

* I make my own vanilla stevia. I harvest organic stevia leaves and flowers from my summer garden and pack them in a jar, covered with vodka of the highest proof I can find affordably. After 4-6 weeks, I strain the plant materials out and discard them in my compost, and put the extract into a jar. I add several pieces of vanilla bean, (some I have already used to make vanilla extract!) and leave them in the jar with the stevia extract indefinitely. You can purchase vanilla stevia liquid extract also. Since there is no consistency to the sweetness of stevia extracts, taste as you add very small amounts - it is powerful.