7 Ways To Use Apricots (or Apriums)

Ah, apricots.  The harbinger of summer.  We have been enjoying local apricots (or apriums, in our case) for a few weeks now.  Learning to eat locally means you not only enjoy the fruit as it is in season, but also find ways to extend the season by preserving in various ways.  I am sharing seven ways we have prepared and preserved apricots over the years so as to not let a single one go to waste.  Find this post over at Modern Alternative Kitchen by clicking here.  Happy apricot harvest!

Summer Squash Gratin ~ A Gluten-Free Recipe

As summer squash season comes to an end, it's easy to lose all inspiration finding new ways to enjoy them.  This is a very simple, very rich and satisfying recipe that is quite a welcome side dish to any meal.  This recipe was enough for our family of six to enjoy with one dinner.  If you'd like leftovers or are heading to a potluck, it doubles quite nicely.  I love me some gratin.

Gluten-Free Summer Squash Gratin

Yields 6 servings

• 3 tablespoons fat of choice (butter, ghee, coconut oil, or bacon fat work best)
• 1 onion, sliced into thin rings
• 2 summer squashes (zucchini, yellow, patty pan...) sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• Ground pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour of choice (use a mixture or whatever you have on hand)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup grated cheese (we really enjoyed a mixture of white cheddar and smoked gouda)
• 1/2 cup almond meal (to make your own, process almonds through food processor and stop right before it turns into butter).

1. Preheat oven to 400º F
2. Melt the fat over medium-low heat in a large, oven-safe skillet or pot and sauté onions until soft and translucent, but not browned.
3. Add the squash, give it a stir, and cook, covered for about 10 minutes. 
4. Sprinkle in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and cook uncovered for about 5 more minutes.  
5. Add the gluten-free flour and slowly whisk in milk.  Continue to whisk until things look saucy (this can take a few minutes).
6. Sprinkle cheese over mixture, then sprinkle the almond flour over the cheese.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese and flour are nicely browned.

Serve warm and enjoy!

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I'm sharing this at Monday Mania, Traditional Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Pennywise Platter, Fresh Bites Friday, Fight Back Friday, & Simple Lives Thursday.

Gooey Blackberry Peach (or Nectarine) Cobbler ~ A Recipe

Have you ever ended up with a bunch of lip-puckering fruit or berries? On a recent blackberry-picking trek, my four-year-old didn't learn until half way through our day how to decipher that the big, dark, juicy berries were the sweetest and the ones with pink still in them are tart. So we ended up with a few sour, pinkish blackberries. Blinkberries? Either way, this is the perfect recipe for tart fruit and berries. It definitely enhances this dish. An added bonus, the oats are soaked to release the very helpful phytase enzyme to encourage nutrient absorption and digestion. I can't tell you the feel of a-job-well-done it gave me when all four children agreed that this cobbler was their favorite over any other cobblers or crisps I've made in the past. They have no problem giving me their honest opinion, especially when it comes to food, so this was a big deal for my nourishing-food-loving mother-heart.

The cinnamon and nutmeg give my taste buds a happy reminder that Autumn is approaching. The weather outside give a hot reminder that it is definitely still summer... I wait in patience for you, Fall. :)

Gooey Blackberry Peach (or Nectarine) Cobbler
2 cups oats
2 cups water
3 Tablespoons cultured dairy (buttermilk, kefir, yogurt)
6-8 peaches or nectarines (or a mixture), cored and sliced (and peeled if you have time. I prefer the nectarines with their skins on, and if you don't have time to peel the peaches, your family and friends will be blessed with extra fiber. :) )
1 1/2 cups blackberries
1 1/2 cups rapadura (the second-best choice would be turbinado, and if you only have brown sugar, that's what you use)
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup butter or coconut oil (or a mixture)

Soak oats in water and cultured dairy for 8-12 hours (I started soaking them in the morning so they'd be ready to use tonight for dessert.)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 9 x 13-inch pan. Place peaches, then berries in pan (as you can see, I stored our gathered blackberries in the freezer. No need to thaw if you're using frozen berries, too)

Combine soaked oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter (softened or cut in slices). It will resemble oatmeal. Pour over fruit.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

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This is a contributing post for Pennywise Platter, Monday Mania, Homemaker, Tuesdays at the Table, Monday, Meatless Monday, Twister Tuesdays, Two for Tuesdays, Real Food Wednesday, Tasty Thursdays, Recipe Swap Thursday, Vegetarian Foodie Friday, and Fight Back Friday.

Summer Vegetable Skillet Pizza ~ A Recipe

Abundance is the word of the season.  Oh, the variety of in-season vegetables during summertime!  Then, there is the squash.  So.  Many. Squashes.  And tomatoes.  The glorious onslaught of 'maters.  But when you get about 50 pounds of organic produce in your CSA box each week and you still have ten pounds left the day before the next box arrives and your storage space is laughable... Ya gotta find a way to use up a lot of veggies all at once.  Well here you go, then.  And, because I am philosophically opposed to using the oven when it's 100+ degrees outside, this is a stovetop only recipe.


Yields 6-8 hearty servings.  From preparation to most of the clean up and hot on the table, this takes about 40 minutes when grating and slicing with a food processor, and about an hour when grating and chopping manually.


Summer Vegetable Skillet Pizza
5 links Italian sausage (sweet or spicy, your choice), cooked and crumbled (or sliced)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 summer squashes (yellow, zucchini, patty pan, whatever you have), grated or sliced (my kids had an easier time eating it grated.)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 potatoes, grated
1 smallish onion, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup flour (I used kamut because that's what was on hand)
Sea salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (optional)
1 cup pizza or spaghetti sauce (see recipe below as an option)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup feta, crumbled (optional)

1.  Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil.  Add sausage, squashes, bell pepper, onion, and garlic.  Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Remove from pan and reserve in a bowl.

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   2.  Now it's time for the crust, which is basically potato pancakes.  Mix grated potatoes and onions, eggs, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.    Because less dirty pans is more, in the same pan you sauteed the squash mixture, (your biggest cast iron skillet is the best choice), heat some more olive oil, about a tablespoon or two, and press potato mixture into the bottom.  Cook on med/high heat for 4-5 minutes.  Cut in four sections and flip.
   
   

   
   
   

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         3.  Turn heat to medium.  Spread pizza sauce (see below for a recipe) over potatoes.  Sprinkle squash mixture, then sliced tomatoes and optional basil, then cheese.  Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.  Or, if you don't mind turning on the broiler, place covered pan in broiler for 5 minutes.

   

   Here's a simple pizza sauce recipe my mom taught me (you'll probably only use half of this recipe; it can cover up to two normal pizzas):

   Pizza Sauce

   15 oz. tomato sauce

   1 Tablespoon each: minced garlic (1 clove), crushed basil and oregano

   2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese

   
   

   Mix all ingredients and use.

   
   

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   Browse more recipes at Monday Mania, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Fight Back Friday, and Pennywise Platter
   

Summertime Finds

In some parts of the world, people stay indoors during the extreme weather that comes with the winter chill.  Folks around here cloister away inside during the triple-digit summertime heat.  Like today.  It's currently a balmy 105 degrees where we live.  We've escaped five of those degrees while our visit with my parents continues.  You know it's hot when you're jumping into an unheated pool at 8:30 in the morning and it feels good.  Ah, summer...

So as I sit here, enjoying my folks' air conditioning, I thought I'd share with you a few new fun finds.

Presently, there's a double-batch of sourdough English muffins proofing in the kitchen.  This would be the third double-batch I've made in two weeks.  This amazing recipe found on Gnowfglins is prefect to make in the summer because it's cooked on the stove top.  I get to keep my no-oven-use-in-the-summertime challenge and my family adores these whole-grain treats.  The healthiest part is, all the flour used has been lacto-fermented, making the bread easy for your body to digest.  Take a look at the English Muffin recipe here.  While you're at it, you might want to spend some time on that blog; my lacto-fermenting-loving heart finds great joy in it.

It's that time of year when I start thinking about Christmas.  You read right.  Christmas.  In late July.  Yep.  It's okay, I'm used to the odd expressions.  The frugal, artsy side gets so excited to play with materials, learn new things, and make special treasures to give loved ones at Christmastime.  A friend recently introduced me to this blog.  Be careful of it's potential life-consuming powers.  It's called Design Sponge and it will change your life.  Or at least make it an even prettier one.  And what better a thing to do than enjoy crafty time in the coolest place you can find, thinking of everything you love about the people you're making gifts for during the heat of the summer?  Happy.

Between these two sites and preparing to home school a 2, 4, 6, and 8-year-old, I can easily say there is plenty to do while I hide from the summer heat.  I can't say I mind it a bit.  And about homeschooling...  I have some news. Well, that's a whole other post that will have to wait until next time.  Until then, dear friends...

Raw Coconut Creme Pie with Coconut Fudge Crust

After several attempts, it finally happened. I invented a raw recipe! We took our first dive into raw cuisine about a year ago. It feels good to finally have enough experience to contribute a recipe. Here's a simple-but-eye-catching dessert to serve at any get-together you're having this weekend. Be forewarned, it is decadently rich, so cut small slices. Serves 14.

Raw Coconut Creme Pie with Coconut Fudge Crust

You will need:

For the Crust:

2 cups dried coconut flakes

2/3 cup cocoa powder

2/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/3 cup almond meal/flour

"Flour" the pie pan with about 3 Tablespoons coconut flakes.

Process all crust ingredients in the food processor.

Press into pie pan (look out for sneaky little fingers).

For the Creme Filling

Meat from 3 young coconuts

1/2 cup pitted dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1 cup coconut water (from the young coconuts you just split open)

Blend all ingredients in a VitaMix until smooth & pour it into the pie crust. Stick the pie in the freezer while you prepare the topping.

For the Topping:

There are actually 2 ways you can top this pie. I have a "frostingy" recipe if you want to play with it a little more,

or a drizzle recipe, which (in my opinion) is tastier and quicker. Just be careful, or you'll have a drizzle accident like I did.

Frosting Option:

2/3 cup pitted dates

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/3 cup coconut water (from the young coconuts you split open for the filling)

Blend all ingredients.

Use cake decorating tools to create a fun design on your pie.

Drizzle Option:

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

Blend all ingredients. This drizzle recipe makes more than enough for the pie; you'll have extra to use on top of ice cream or for any other way you like to eat chocolate syrup.

We discovered a pleasant, ice cream cake-esque texture when this pie is stored in the freezer and brought out at the beginning of dinner to thaw a little (and incentive for picky little eaters), but still obtains a lovely iciness. This also makes it firmer and helps it hold it's shape when sliced.

Enjoy!

~Browse more riddlelove recipes here.~


Links: Traditional Tuesdays & Gluten-Free Parade.

Nutrition Monday ~ Yo Quiero Quick Spelt Tortillas

Tortillas were required.  We had none.  Nor did I have the time to wait for a yeast dough to rise, and loading four kids up to "run out" and grab a bag of them were out of the question.  It was 5:00 and I needed them for dinner that night.  Solution: a new recipe to make up.  Hallelu.  Making up recipes is so exhilarating, I tell you.  My kids got in on the fun, too. They said we were a tortilla factory now.  I said child labor laws prohibit us from becoming a factory.  Detecting a spontaneous, drawn-out, history/social studies lesson, they pretended to know what I was talking about.

From start to finish, this took us 35 minutes (with an 18 minute leave-alone, clean-up-the-kitchen-while-you-wait time).  It would've taken me at least that long to lug the kids to and from the nearest store so we could purchase a store-bought package, which aren't nearly as nutritious.  This recipe yields 2 dozen little taco-sized tortillas, and would make a dozen burrito-sized ones.

"Mommy, can I have just tortillas for dinner?"
"No."
"Can I have just tortillas for breakfast?"
"No."
"Can they be for snack tomorrow?"
"No."
"Are we ever going to eat them?"
"Not if I eat them all first."
"Daddy!  Mommy's being selfish!  Hurry!"


You will need:

To buy in bulk.  (Just kidding.)

3 1/2 Cups whole grain flour, such as spelt
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup coconut oil (expeller-pressed doesn't taste like coconut)
1 cup hot water

Mix all ingredients together.  Use the dough hook if you have a Kitchen Aid.

Kneed (with the dough hook if you have it) for 3 minutes.

Cover for 15 minutes.

Then form into little dough balls (12 for bigguns or 24 for taco-sized) and cover to keep them from drying out.

Roll them out, one at a time.  Um, no.  We're not perfectionists.

Slap the uncooked tortilla onto a hot griddle.  Cast iron is preferred.  Flip once little bubbles appear.

Cover the finished tortillas with a towel while they wait for their little friends to join them in tortilla maturation.

There you have it, folks.  We made quesorritos with ours.  Queso what-oes?  My mama's ingenious recipe.  It's a mix between quesadillas and burritos.  She is one smart woman, I tell you.

And if you want to go hog wild, use homemade refried beans, cheese, creme fraiche, and salsa.  But that would just be overboard, right?  I mean, who would ever go that far, seriously?

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This is a contributing post to Tuesday Night Supper Club & Vegetarian Foodie Friday.