PEACHES

It is peach time at the Farmer's Market.  I use to buy peaches and wait for them to ripen as they were always still a little hard when I bought them.  By the time they had ripen, the peaches would be starting to get brown and nasty.

I asked my friend Shirley, a third generation fruit farmer at the Muskegon Farmer's Market, what I should do.  Here is her answer and it WORKS!!!

http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2010/08/peach-buying-tips-and-ripening-hints.html

HEAVENLY GLAZED VEGETABLES KABOBS

Here is a re-post of one of the first recipes that we posted.  It is a super summer recipe when the Farmer's Markets are bursting with every kind and color of zucchinis, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and other vegetables.  In case you missed it the first time, check it out today.

http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2010/04/heavenly-glazed-grilled-vegetables.html

PURE MICHIGAN, PURE JOY!

When our North Carolina Grandchildren are in Michigan, it is pure joy for Izzy and I.  Izzy just can't get close enough to them.  She would like to sit on both their laps at once but she hasn't figured out how to do that yet. 

 So beautiful, so delightful, so loving, so special, so everything!  

One picture was just not enough.  I needed to post two pictures!!!

TRADITIONAL DUTCH-MEXICAN FOOD #3--PIGS IN THE BLANKET WITH CHORIZO SAUSAGE

I found the third Dutch-Mexican recipe in Holland, MI.  The idea of Dutch-Mexican food started in Muskegon, MI at Ryke's Bakery. 

http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2012/06/dutch-mexican-cooking-mango-or-peach.html

 

 Our third recipe comes from de Boer's Bakery.

This is part of the menu on the de Boer food truck at the Holland Farmer's Market.  Pigs n' Blanket are one of the most popular Dutch foods in this area.  de Boer's has made the Pigs into a Mexican treat by using Chorizo Sausage.

Is is Dutch?

Is it Mexican?

It is Dutch-Mexican and it is delicious!  Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!

For a recipe on how to make Dutch Pigs 'n  Blanket go to:

http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-make-dutch-pigs-in-blanket-6000.html

To make the Pigs Dutch-Mexican, substitute Chorizo sausage for the Dutch sausage.

RECITAL CHEESE BALL--MEXICAN FLAVORS, PLENTY OF CRUNCH WITH DELIGHTFUL COLORS ROLLED IN PECANS AND BACON

My Grandson, Bradley, and his "intended" Jera are incredibly talented musicians.  Whenever they give a personal concert or one for their students, I always want to be there.  Bringing the food for the receptions after the concerts/recitals is a great joy for me.

Jera at her Senior Recital-Grand Valley State University.

I like to make cookies and bar cookies for easy eating at the receptions; however, I also like to have a savory treat.  At an earlier recital my    Retro Crunchy Cheese Ball had been very popular.  http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2011/12/4-crunchy-vegetables-and-3-flavorful.html


I wanted to make something like my old cheese ball recipe for Jera's Senior Recital, but different, so I made a two lists.  In one column, I listed cheeses.  In a second column, I listed crunchy ingredients.  Then I decided on a theme or flavor.  Since my crunchy list tilted toward Mexican I decided to eliminated celery as I don't see much of it in Southwestern recipes.  I have a big jar of sun-dried tomatoes in the refrigerator that I want to use and I thought they would give a good flavor and great color.   I crossed cheeses and crunchies off my lists until I thought I had a nice blend of flavors and colors. 

Jera and Bradley, so beautiful, so talented, and they like my cooking!  What joy they are.

RECITAL CHEESE BALL--MEXICAN FLAVORS, PLENTY OF CRUNCH WITH DELIGHTFUL COLORS ROLLED IN PECANS AND BACON


8 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz. Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 to 2 T sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
2 to 3 T sweet bell pepper, chopped
2 to 3 T green onions, chopped
1 (4oz) can green chiles, drained and chopped
4 to 6 slices bacon, chopped and fried
1 to 2 dashes garlic powder
Sweet Hungarian Paprika, or just paprika
Chili powder
1 (2oz) pkg. pecan bits or chips
Assorted crackers for serving

Ingredients:  Sharp Cheddar cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes in oil, green onions, sweet bell pepper, green chiles, garlic powder, chili powder, sweet paprika, bacon, and pecan bits or chips.

With a box grater or food processor, grate Cheddar and Pepper Jack cheese. Put grated cheese in a mixing bowl and add softened cream cheese. Beat until well blended with an electric mixer. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, green chiles, and green onions. Add chopped vegetables to cheese mixture and carefully stir to blend. Add garlic powder and stir to blend. Chop bacon into strips and fry until crispy. Drain well. Add half the bacon to the cheese mixture. Mix well. Form cheese mixture into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When cheese mixture is firm and chilled, sprinkle a piece of non-stick aluminum with chile powder and paprika. Roll cheese ball in mixture.  After

rolling the ball in the chile and paprika, put pecans and the remaining bacon on the foil.  Roll cheese ball in the bacon/pecan mixture until well covered.  Wrap ball in the foil and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld.   

   

 

With a food processor or box grater, grate the cheese.

Clean bell pepper and green onions.  Chop sun-dried tomatoes in oil, bell pepper, and green onions.

Slice bacon into strips and fry until crisp.  Drain well.  My bad, I don't have a frying bacon picture.

With an electric mixer, beat together grated cheeses and softened cream cheese.

Blended cheese mixture.

Chopped vegetables.


 

Add chopped vegetables to blended cheese mixture and carefully blend.

Add canned drained chopped green chiles.

Add half to two-thirds of the crisp, well-drained bacon strips.  Reserve the rest for the topping.  Carefully blend well.

Form cheese mixture into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until firm.

I like to roll the outside coating on the cheese ball using non-stick aluminum foil.  Unwrap the cheese ball.

 

On non-stick aluminum foil, sprinkle chili powder and paprika. 

Roll the cheese ball in the chili powder/paprika mixture.

Remove cheese ball from foil.  Put pecan pieces and remaining bacon on the foil.

Roll the cheese ball in the pecan/bacon mixture.

Coat cheese ball well.

Wrap cheese ball in foil.  Refrigerate overnight, if possible, so the flavors can meld.

Serve the cheese ball with assorted crackers.

:( not a very good picture taken at the reception of a bite of cheese ball on a cracker.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!! 

Not the picture, but the cheese ball.

 

 

BLUE CROP BLUEBERRIES ARE AT THE MARKET---THE PERFECT BLUEBERRY MUFFIN RECIPE

Michigan Blue Crop Blueberries.

Blue Crop Blueberries are considered by most people to be the best commercial blueberries available. As you can see by the picture of them, they are big, juicy, and sweet. They are now in season so it is a perfect time to make the perfect blueberry muffin recipe. Some recipes just can't be made better. Like the chilled blueberry pie, baked blueberry pie, and blueberry sauce I posted earlier this month, I have never found a better blueberry muffin recipe and neither has my friend, Nelda, and we are always looking for the perfect recipes.

Family Favorite's Jordan Marsh Maine Blueberry Muffins.

http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2010/05/family-favorite-jordan-marsh-maine.html

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!

ANNE'S COLORFUL BELL PEPPER SALAD----ITALIAN-STYLE OR GREEK-STYLE.

Anne's cool, crispy, and colorful salad is just perfect for the hot days we are having this summer.  The salad is also a wonderful use of all the fabulous peppers that are available in the farmer's markets this time of year.

Ann calls this her garbage bowl salad as she likes to put everything from her refrigerator into it.  I like the salad because it can be made either as an Italian Salad or a Greek Salad to compliment whatever you are having for dinner.  I haven't given many quantities for ingredients as it is pretty much how much you prefer for each vegetable.

Extremely good for you nutritionally, this salad made with fat-free dressing has only the fat from the cheese in it.  You can reduce the amount of cheese if you desire.

I really like garbanzo beans, chickpeas, in salads.  If you don't, substitute a pinto, red or white kidney, Navy, or bean of your choice.  The beans add a bit of protein and water-soluble fiber to the dish.

Fresh herbs like basil and/or oregano make a nice addition to Anne's Salad.

ANNE'S COLORFUL BELL PEPPER SALAD----ITALIAN-STYLE OR GREEK-STYLE
Sweet Bell Peppers, in three different colors

English cucumber, about 1/2, quartered and sliced

1 can (16oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinse, pinto or red kidney work well too

Sweet or red white onion, chopped

Black olives, pitted and cut in half

Asiago or Parmesan cheese, shredded

Black pepper

Ingredients:  Fresh sweet bell peppers, English cucumber, sweet onion, black olives, garbanzo beans, Asiago cheese, and black pepper.

I added a couple of fresh Serrano peppers to my salad.  They didn't make the salad hot.  They just upped the flavor.

FOR ITALIAN-STYLE SALAD

For the Italian-style salad, add some Italian Herb seasoning, and an Italian dressing.  Ann likes the Balsamic Vinaigrette, but any of these dressings would compliment the salad.

Italian seasonings
Balsamic dressing, Zesty Italian dressing, or Tuscan dressing


FOR GREEK-STYLE SALAD

For the Greek-style salad, which is what I made, you need Greek salad dressing, Greek seasonings, and some Feta cheese.

Greek seasonings
Feta cheese, crumbled
Greek salad dressing

Drain and rinse the beans.

 Cut the peppers into bite-size pieces.  Chop the sweet onion.  Cut the cucumber into fourths and slice. 

This may look like a piece of junk to everyone else but it is dear to my heart.  It is my Grandma's drainer to put scraps in from the vegetables so they don't clog the sink.  We did not have garbage disposals at home or in the cottage. 

Chop peppers into bite-sized pieces.

Quarter the cucumber then slice.

Chop the onion.

Remove the seeds and ribs from a couple of Serrano peppers.  I use a quarter teaspoon to scrap them out of the pulp.  Slice in fine pieces.

Put peppers, beans, cucumber, and onion in a bowl.

Add black olives that have been pitted and cut in half.

Add some Asiago cheese.

 

Add black pepper. Add Greek or Italian seasonings.

If making the salad Greek-style, add some crumbled Feta cheese.

Add dressing of your choice and carefully toss the ingredients with the dressing.  Chill.

Add fresh chopped oregano or basil, if desired.

Oops, I ate half my salad before I remembered I needed to photograph it.  It is so good.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!