Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Scottish Oat Scones

I LOVE scones----all shapes and sizes and flavors! I am particularly fond, though, of the plain oat scone. I used to make them often when my two older boys were little----they were easy, quick, and inexpensive afternoon treats, but, they were always a bit too dry. I ran across this particular recipe in a wonderful gem called Babe's Country Cookbook (yes, folks, as in the movie about a sheep-herding pig!!) quite a few years ago and I haven't bothered looking for another scone recipe since. This one is beyond excellent.




Real Scottish Scones (or so the cookbook says)


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar (if using Sucanat, reduce to 8 tsp.)

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small chunks (NO substitutes, please)

1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup currants, raisins, or dried cranberries

1 large egg

1/3 cup whole milk

Topping:

1 Tbsp. whole milk

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter. Stir in oats and dreid fruit. Make a well in the center of the mixture.


In another bowl, mix egg and milk, then pour into well in the dry mixture. With a fork, stir together until evenly moistened. The dough should be soft and just a little crumbly.

On a lightly floured board, pat the dough into an 8-inch round. Carefully transfer to prepared baking sheet. With a knife dipped in flour, cut into 12 equal wedges.


For the topping:

Brush wedges with milk, then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Best served warm from the oven with jam, marmalade, or honey, and, of course, a nice cup of English tea.


Friday, March 25, 2011

For the Love of Cooking

I've been trying to stay committed to blogging more regularly---needless to say, it's been hard! I look at my life as being rather simply-lived, and although simplicity really suits me, it doesn't provide much in the way of excitement that some might find worthy of sharing. So, just the other day, a friend suggested I start posting my menus/recipes on occassion; the ones that seem to have appeal and sound incredibly delicious. I've decided that it's a good idea.


I am going to kick off this new portion of my blog with a tribute to the "mom" who raised me; my maternal grandmother, Kay Dean. Mom was such a wonderful cook. Growing up in the 1920s and through the Depression years and, later, surviving as the divorced mother of a young child for several years during the 1940's before she re-married, she learned to be creative with food preparation and to be able to, somehow, whip up a feast with very little.

In the late 1960's and early 70's, when I was a little girl, Mom would stand me on a chair in the kitchen right next to her so I could see what she was doing and participate, at least as much as my small hands would allow, in the whole kitchen process---from stirring, to chopping, to washing dishes and wiping counters, I wasn't viewed as a nuisance, but as a "helper". I lovingly acknowledge her for encouraging my love of cooking and for teaching me that food doesn't have to be "fancy" to be delicious. Her kitchen motto was always "simple is best".

Growing up, one of my favorite cold weather, rainy day meals was Shepherd's Pie. Because ground beef has always been an economical option, we ate our "fair share", to be sure. Here is her recipe for that lovely, stick-to-your-ribs casserole.


Shepherd's Pie

Topping 1 1/2 lbs. Russet potatoes, peeled, quarted, and boiled until tender

1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1/2 tsp. garlic

ground pepper and salt, to taste

When potatoes are cooked to tender, drain and reserve 1/2 cup liquid. Return to pan and mash with remaining ingredients, adding some of the reserved potato water if needed. Using electric mixer, whip potatoes until smooth and creamy. Set aside and keep warm.

Filling

3 Tbsp. cooking oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk, halved length-wise, then cut into thin slivers

1 lb. ground beef (or lamb)

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup beef broth (more may be needed)

salt and pepper, to taste

paprika

In heavy skillet, heat oil on medium heat, add onion, carrot, and celery, and cook until tender; about 5 minutes.

Add ground meat, 1 Tbsp. flour, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Cook until meat is no longer pink and mixture is bubbly and thickened. Add additional beef broth if mixture becomes too thick---should be a gravy-like consistency.

Pour mixture into a 2-qt. casserole dish and top with mashed potato mixture. Sprinkle top with paprika and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes.

***NOTE*** When I make this for my family, I always add 4 oz. sliced, sautéed mushrooms to the filling and I sprinkle the top with 1/4 cup butter-toasted bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese and just a bit of paprika for color.

Mom always served Shepherd's Pie with green beans cooked with chopped onions and a little bacon grease, with bread pudding for dessert.


Mom's Bread Pudding



3-4 cups stale bread, torn into pieces (I always use French bread)

2 cups whole milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins, soaked in warm water, drained

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbsp. butter, melted, and more to butter dish

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, soak bread in milk until completely absorbed. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, sugar, vanilla, raisins, and spices. Add to bread and stir to combine. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish. Pour melted butter over top. Bake 30-35 minutes until firm and golden brown. Serve with vanilla custard or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

"Food is our common ground; a universal experience." ~~~James Beard~~~



















Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Love Thy Neighbor

I guess it's about time I wrote another post-----I just keep putting it off hoping something exciting will happen.

Well, it did! After the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11, we had our own tsunami warnings here in Humboldt County. As a whole, it turned out to be absolutely NOTHING compared to what Japan is suffering, but frightening nonetheless, for residents up and down California's coast.

Crescent City, about 60 miles north of us in Del Norte County, experienced the worst property damage in our area, along with one lost life, which was the result of failing to follow orders issued to keep folks off the beaches and ocean-emptied waterways. Crescent City Harbor lost 11 boats and saw additional boats damaged, many beyond repair. The docks there are no more.

Here, in northern Humboldt County, the surge was just a few feet, with very little damage. Check out this video!





It amazes me that there were folks there, with their children, watching the surge----surge height was expected to be over 6 feet. Although I'm sure it was an awesome thing to behold, from afar, I'm quite sure it wasn't worth the risk had the water height been as predicted. However, I do appreciate being able to see it, if only from the lens of someone else's video camera.

When we got the intitial information on Friday morning, we immediately pulled up the National Weather Service online and called the boys. Ryan was already on "stand-by" with the National Guard, but both he and Matthew decided to drive up to McKinleyville and wait it out with us. Shortly after they left their apartment, the local police requested a non-mandatory (suggested) evacuation of several apartment complexes since they were in a low-lying area. We waited it out most of the day here at home, listening to the local news and checking weather updates off and on, until the warning was lifted in the early evening. Much of neighboring Eureka, which is at sea level, was shut down on the perimeter and inland about a mile until late afternoon. With the exception of just a few, all schools in the entire county, even those not directly in a tsunami zone, were closed for the day. The "tsunami sirens" in Samoa sounded----at least we know they work!

Although I was concerned, I was not as worried as my husband was, who had us gathering water and establishing evacuation plans for ourselves and our pets. It was my sincere belief that we would not have it nearly as bad as was being predicted, and although I was right, it could have been much, much worse (like the 1964 tsunami that was spawned by a 9.2 earthquake in Alaska) had the surge been what was originally expected. We were lucky that day!

Japan, however, was not to experience that same kind of luck. My heart aches for that nation as they deal with the aftermath of the quake and tsunami. I feel helpless, really. I can pray and send my love and warm thoughts, but that is all. With the world joining together to support our Japanese brothers and sisters, maybe it will be enough to help lift them into a place of recovery, of healing. Healing goes so far beyond the re-building of a home or even a city. For most, it will require the re-building of a life and learning to go on, somehow, after the loss of loved ones.

It is sad, on many levels, that it often takes a disaster of massive proportions to bring people together in a real and tangible way, rather than only paying lip-service to the idea that we are all, regardless of our national or ethnic allegiance, fellow travelers on this earth, bound together by our humanity. We all love and laugh and cry--we all endure hardship and sorrow--we all feel pain--we all rejoice in our triumphs. Now it is time to embrace a nation who is suffering in ways that most of us never will, in whatever way we are able.

If you feel led to donate, please contact the organizations below. They offer help and aid all over the world, with no strings attached. I believe in their mission.

http://www.ifrc.org/ OR http://www.icrc.org/eng/index.jsp

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/


"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the
whole earth." ~Bahá'u'lláh