doing summer things

The summer is the  perfect time to do outside things.  So early morning Farmers' markets, outdoor flea markets, and open Amish markets have been our weekly thing.  We make sure that we are home by late morning or early afternoon.  I have been trying new recipes, this I am sorry to say has meant that I've been less than stellar in photo taking.  I always start by grabbing the camera to make sure: battery is full, space on the Memory Stick/Card, and that is as far as I get.  Our vegetable and flower garden hasn't been photoed either, so yeah, I've been slacking.....

I did take some, so here they are:

These are from our garden planters, these tomatoes are doing wonderfully.  The tomato plants that are in the ground are doing just as well.  The herbs are growing like weeds.

The container tomatoes gave us fruit long before the ones in the ground

The Figs have landed.....I wish I could eat them, if I walk by them I have to run to....they really do run through me.  I made jam and gave it to Glenette.  She could not go to work the following day.

The Amish market is just amazing, the bacon is simply the best I have ever had.  It surpasses the bacon from the smokehouse in Warrensburg, NY.  I really love bacon.

Yummy

 

My summer side dish is German Potato Salad.  I can't even begin to say how many times I have made it.  What makes it over-the-top is the bacon.  I like to bake the bacon, I think it cooks more evenly.  I strain the butter through a fine mesh strainer with a coffee filter.  The butter has to be golden and clear.  The onions have to be sauteed in the bacon.

No, Virginia, that is not too many onions......

I could really have some right now

Another great summer side, little baby taters & fresh corn boiled together with a smidge of butter, firewood smoked salt, pepper.  Simple and delicious.....

simple & delicious

Gabriella has requested Salmon twice a week, we have tried all different kinds of Salmon and have yet to make decision on which one is the best.  One thing I will say is that it has to be Wild Caught.
The meat is so clean tasting and each type has a different taste.  I was able to show my Mom the color difference between farm raised and wild caught.  No more farm raised for them anymore.

How beautiful are they

We have had many grilled burgers, hot dogs, pork chops, chicken thighs, and of course, steak....

But every other week I have made Pulled Pork, that is wanted by all.  I just love it.  Andrew takes off the non-essential fat, dries it totally, rubs it with his secret rub, then we wrap it up for a few days so that the rub permeates the meat.  When we are ready to make it, we sear it on all sides, lay it on a bed of slightly sauteed Vidalia Onions and Jack.  I have been using the probe thermometer to make sure the meat comes up to 195F.  I have had the meat stall on me at 185F twice and it took 3 hours to break the stall to get to the 195F.

This is a beauty

rubbed with the super secret rub

Vadalia Onions

pulling perfectly

stalled again 187 after 10 hours & finally at the 13 hour we got to 193

Yes I triple filtered the delicious juice

yeah, it was all that

Summer is almost over, time to think about the Fall......


Happy Birthday A & M

 

Cooking on Goodall

Kiki called to tell me that all we needed to do was to go to their house I was elated.  The funny thing is that I felt lousy, not sick "lousy" but lazy "lousy".  I love to have the holidays, it is my thing, my shtick, my most wonderful "duty", my job.  I am the Keeper of Tradition.  It is a self-appointed position. 

I have been thinking about making a crepe cake.  Deciding on a filling was a no brainer, it had to be Dulce de Leche mousse.  Done, done, done.  I would need 3 days to make it properly.  Day one would be for making the crepe batter, it is always taste better when you make it and let it rest overnight.  I also made the dulce de leche.  I was so hard (hehehe).  You take the label off of a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk, put the can (unopened) into a pot and cover with water.  Then boil the can for 3 hours, make sure that the can is always submerged in the water.  I let the can cool on the counter.  When it completely cooled, I opened the can and made the mousse.  The morning of day 2, I made the crepes.  Later in the day I put the cake together.  On day three the cake was ready to be enjoyed.

I made a quick berry topping....

We may have been invited out, but we still made the lamb.  And deboned, trimmed, and butterflied the leg of lamb.  We made a delicious herb paste and then rolled and tied the meat.  I used And's 17" Lodge to roast the lamb, then made some pretty amazing pan gravy....it's all about the gravy...

It was a most wonderful day on Goodall.

True love is....

Today, yes, today my most favorite dinner was prepared for me, for my pleasure, for my dining enjoyment.  Rubbed & Grilled on the bone thick Pork Chops, oh yes, yes, yes.  There was also, Applesauce and Rice-a-Roni, well almost Rice-a-Roni, it was Rice with saffron and chicken stock.

There was also an added bonus, Gabriella's fave, Shrimp Cocktail.  We indulged in very beautiful Tiger Shrimp from the Asian Market.  Andrew cooked them in his House Special Seafood Boil.  He grilled the chops to perfection and they were moist and magnificent.

 

We have to go see the Butcher @ Acme to tell them that the pork chops were amazing.  They are really great, they will cut all the meat exactly how you like.  We have gotten to know them well and everything I have asked for, they really go above and beyond.

having my favorite meal cooked for me.

penicillin for the soul

It truly does cure everything....Chicken Soup in all it's different forms does somehow make it all better.   It warms you when you are cold, fills you when hungry, and keeps you from getting the  cooties.  On the Soup Scale, there is one that always ranks in the top three, Matzo Ball Chicken Soup with tons of And's secret Grated Cheese.  It just rocks my world, no it's not Kosher but neither am I.  

Chicken Soup...it's penicillin for the soul