Summer Vacation Salad

Just as we're about to leave town for anything longer than a weekend the panic sets in. What to do with all that produce that won't make it until we're back? This time our Angelic Organics CSA box arrived Wednesday and we were leaving for Traverse City, Michigan, (more on that in a later post) on Saturday, so it was quite a bounty!

First, I whipped up some pico de gallo but in the flurry of packing, cooking, searching for bathing suits, and back to school preparations, I never got around to taking photos. Rest assured it was suitably fresh and piquant with lots of jalepenos, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime, and even a few chopped tomatillos thrown in for good measure. We brought it along in the cooler and ate it all vacation long with chicken, over pulled pork, on eggs, and mixed with pasta.

For my next endeavor, Vacation Salad. What's Vacation Salad you ask? Why, it's anything you need it to be. That is the beauty of Vacation Salad.

To make Vacation Salad simply dump the perishable contents of your refrigerator as well as the wire basket or whatever contraption you use to store non-refrigerated vegetables onto the counter. For us that meant I was staring down exactly 4 ears or sweet corn, 8 tomatoes (that was after the pico de gallo), 2 green peppers, one red bell pepper, one banana pepper, one zucchini, one yellow squash, a white onion and two lemons. Get chopping.

Then make a splash of dressing and drizzle over the top. Mix it all up and pack it in the cooler.

The longer it sits, the better it gets. For maximum flavor, enjoy on a balcony overlooking a beautiful mist-hooded lake.

Now obviously, the allure of this salad is that you can make it out of whatever you happen to have on hand. Here's how ours went down.

Our Summer Vacation Salad

Corn kernels cut from 4 ears of sweet corn
8 tomatoes (any variety)
2 green peppers
1 red bell pepper
1 small yellow squash
1 zucchini
1 banana pepper
1 medium onion

For the dressing

1 clove garlic
1 cup basil leaves, loosely packed
zest of one lemon
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper

1. Place corn kernels in a large bowl. Chop all the other vegetables into 1/4-inch dice and add to the corn.
2. To make the dressing, puree the garlic and basil in a blender. Add the lemon zest and juice and pulse to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil through the top opening in the blender lid while continuing to pulse. Season with salt and pepper and pour over vegetables. Mix the whole concoction together and serve, or pack it up in tupperware for your own vacation, or at the very least, a leisurely picnic lunch. 

Egg-free Sunbutter Cookies

Among the joys I lament Roo missing out on due to his allergies, a tray of peanut butter cookies cooling on the counter ranks near the top, right behind family vacation to Thailand.

It's not just the infatuating aroma of nutty goodness wafting through the fall leaves as he steps off the school bus or the crumbly hunger quelling first bite after swimming lessons, it's the process. I have such fond memories of hovering over a tray while my mom rolled neat balls, poised with my fork, ready to press in the telltale crisscross pattern that proclaims, stop what you're doing, there are homemade peanut butter cookies over here!

We've been using peanut butter substitutes for years on sandwiches, in sauces, on crackers, apples, and much more. To be fair we've all grown quite fond of Sunbutter as a worthy substitute. But, we've already lost eggs in our baking due to, you guessed it, Roo's allergies, and I get nervous when we start over-substituting. Up until now I've avoided making Sunbutter cookies all together for fear of their shortcomings without peanut butter or eggs.

Sometimes someone should shake me. I made these and maybe it's been too long since I tasted real peanut butter, but I could not tell the difference. I kid you not, these are the real deal.

Egg-Free Sunbutter Cookies
adapted from Food.com

1/2 cup sunflower butter (we use Sunbutter)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla
1 & 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the sunflower butter, both sugars, butter and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour, salt, baking powder and soda and mix again until combined. Stir in chocolate chips, if using.
2. With clean hands, roll the dough into balls, about 1/2-inch diameter. Place on a cookie sheet. Enlist your favorite child or children to gently mark each cookie with a fork in a crisscross pattern.
3. Bake 8-10 minutes until light golden brown. Allow tray to sit for a few minutes then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Grilled Cheese with Roasted Tomato Dip

The tomatoes have finally arrived! Between the bounty from Angelic Organics and the blushing vines outside our own back door, we are in tomatoes at every meal mode. Enjoy it, folks. It won't last forever. Now put down that Campbell's can and try this fresh spin on a classic kid-friendly lunch. No kids necessary. 

Grilled Cheese with Roasted Tomato Dip
adapted from Williams-Sonoma Cooking Together by Erin Quon

For the dip
2 pints cherry tomatoes or the rough equivalent in larger tomatoes, quartered
2 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
10 fresh basil leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, tossing to coat, and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the skins are wrinkly and tomatoes are soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
2. Place tomatoes, salt, and basil leaves in a blender and process until nearly smooth. Pass through a sieve to remove solids, if you don't like too much texture in your tomato dip. Serve with grilled cheese sandwich triangles.

butter, anyone?

For the Sandwiches
(makes 2 sandwiches)

4 slices bread of your choice
4 slices cheese of your choice
Lots of butter, at room temperature

1. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Slather bread slices with butter on one side. Place one slice of bread buttered side down in the pan, top with 2 slices of cheese followed by second slice of bread. The butter faces out. Flip the sandwich when the first side is golden brown and delicious. Remove when both sides are lovely and golden. Repeat to make second sandwich.

Homemade Dog Cookies

It's been four years since we said goodbye to our buddy, Scout, (aka Scooter-booter, Bubba, Boo, Smunchy Munchy Pants, and many more) after a cruel but swift bout of bone cancer.

Our first baby prepared us in so many ways for the two-legged children who now race the halls where he once jingled and pranced, from his delicate constitution and frequent bellyaches, to waking us up at the crack of dawn demanding breakfast, and taking over our bed at night by poking his elbows into our backs. He and our cat, O.C., were dear friends from the beginning, and O.C. missed his best bud right up to the day he passed away this spring. 

 

Since O.C. died a few months ago, Roo's allergist put us on strict orders to remain pet-free for the foreseeable future. That seems particularly unfair - the kid who can't eat a cupcake at a birthday party or go out for breakfast can't have a dog either? What's next? Grass allergy? No more playing outside? It's supposed to be rhetorical. Please don't answer that.

So, missing our dear departed fur babies and filled with futile longing for a new four-legged friend (or two), imagine our delight when we were asked to dog-sit this week for our best dog pal, Cali!

Cali is every kid's dream dog. She is smart, agile, active, obedient, big enough to roughhouse but not big enough to break bones in the process. She runs a mean agility course, fetches balls and frisbees like a champ, and just in case you think she might be a little too cool for school, she also cries like a baby when there's thunder. Just like Bean.

We relished Cali's visit the best way we know how, with homemade dog treats.

Apple Chicken Oat Cookies for Dogs

2 apples, peeled and grated

1/4 cup honey

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup oats

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup apple juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well-mixed. The dough will be sticky. 

2. Roll the dough into balls (choose the size based on how big your dog is. We made medium sized treats for Cali and some tiny ones for the little dog next door). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press each ball with the palm of your hand to flatten.You might need to dip your hands in flour since the dough is so sticky. Just do your best, dogs aren't picky about presentation.

3. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, flip the cookies and continue to bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Smaller treats will cook more quickly so keep an eye on the oven. Remove from oven when the treats are crisp and golden brown. Cool completely and share with your furriest friends. 

Cali likes them!

Divvies Egg-free Banana Muffins

It was a bleak and pitiable day a few years ago when Roo received his initial eosinophilic esophagitis diagnosis (EoE). Our GI team assumed that dairy was largely to blame and we eliminated it cold turkey. Just like that, one half hour doctors appointment and no more pizza, ice cream, Goldfish crackers, Parmesan on pasta, you get the idea. Shortly afterward, a skin prick test revealed Roo was also IgE allergic to peanuts and eggs. That's the scary anaphylaxis-causing kind of allergic, as opposed to IgG mediated allergies which cause his EoE. Then he lost all the tree nuts. Then peaches. Beef. And apples.

Suddenly very alone and flailing in a sea of Earth Balance, Veganaise, and Enfagrow Soy Formula with Christmas approaching, I was pulling out all the stops to come up with something remotely palatable to bake that we could all enjoy. It was not going well.

Just as I was about to call off the reindeer and torch the stockings, I discovered Divvies, nut-, dairy-, and egg-free cookies, popcorn, and candy. Thanks to Lori Sandler, Christmas came after all.

Even with dairy and apples back in play for Roo, Divvies is still without a doubt one of my favorite sources for baked goods. The cookies are top notch, not top-notch for allergy-free cookies, but rather, someone please take these things away from me before I eat the whole plate good. The Sandler family's attitude is proactive, inclusive, and upbeat. And though she might not know it, I credit Lori Sandler with single handedly pulling me out of the little pity party I was having for myself when Roo was diagnosed.

So, when Divvies came out with a cookbook, can you guess who was first in line? The Warm Apple-Apricot Cake on page 19 is ridiculous even though we modify it a bit. Apples are ok for Roo now but apricots are still a little too close for comfort to peaches, so I use orange marmalade instead of apricot preserves. The chocolate cupcakes are the best I've ever tasted from a home kitchen. The fudge is decadent and well, super fudgy, but the recipe we end up making more than any other in the book, is the banana bread.

My girls adore quick breads and this banana bread is their favorite of the bunch. Roo, a relative latecomer to the world of breads, will eat this over most any other. Throw some of the batter into mini muffin tins and you have one of our favorite lunchbox treats.

Egg-Free Banana Muffins (or Loaves)
adapted slightly from The Divvies Bakery Cookbook

3 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 & 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
5 ripe bananas
1 cup baby food pears (or pear puree)
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water
2 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners or spray with cooking spray. Alternatively, spray loaf pans
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Set aside.
3. Peel the bananas and place in a separate mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until pureed. Add the pear puree, oil, water, and sugar and beat until all elements are well-combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat at medium speed until well combined, remembering to scrape down sides of the bowl.
5. Bake full-sized loaves for 65-80 minutes, mini-loaves for 45-60 minutes, muffins for 25-27 minutes, and mini-muffins for 12-15 minutes, testing with a toothpick for doneness.
6. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack (muffins 10 minutes, loaves 20 minutes) then remove from pan and allow to cool completely.

Makes three 9x5-inch full sized loaves, six 5x3-inch mini-loaves, 12 muffins, or 36 mini-muffins

The First Tomato

We celebrated a momentous occasion this week. Our first tomato has finally blushed to perfection! 

I might have mentioned before that I excel at killing plants. Thank goodness children require slightly different care and feeding from vegetables or I'd be in a penitentiary somewhere. Fortunately Mufasa has spent the past few years honing his gardening skills and after several disappointments (ravenous rabbits and squirrels mainly) we have a real thriving, albeit small, garden.

Picking time!

Much to our delight we feasted on tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil all grown within a 10 foot radius of our house. Now that's local. I love summer.

Tomatoes and Cucumbers with Basil Salt

1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup kosher salt
3-4 cucumbers, the fresher the better, extra points for growing them yourself
3-4 tomatoes still warm from the sun

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Combine the 3/4 cup of the basil leaves and salt in a food processor. Process until well combined. Spread basil-salt mixture on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 45-50 minutes shaking pan occasionally until dry. Allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Slice the cucumbers and tomatoes. Arrange on a platter and top with remaining 1/4 cup basil leaves. Sprinkle a bit of the basil salt on top to taste, reserving the rest in an airtight container for the bounty of vegetables yet to ripen (or perhaps to rim a margarita, the choice is yours).

So simple, lovely, and summery

Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

Looly will have you know she does not like potatoes. I believe it's a texture thing but she argues that potatoes are just disgusting. Despite a few Ruffles here and there, the ubiquitous tubers are off limits to her. No baked potatoes, hash browns, french fries (I don't know what's the matter with her. Maybe I should have her tested), tater tots, and don't even think about mashing or smashing them. Gag city.

As far as I know no one else in the family is quite so averse to potatoes, but we still don't eat many. No one's big on the mashed variety, myself included. I like to chew my food. Unless it's ice cream. And most of the time potatoes are a waste of carbs for Mufasa who has a family history rife with diabetes. He'd rather save up his carbohydrate allowance for a generously buttered buttermilk biscuit.

When we do eat potatoes they tend to be cubed, roasted, and lightly salted. In other words, b-o-r-i-n-g. Roo and Bean like them that way, but trust me, that recipe is not winning any contests for creativity. I've tried jazzing them up in the past and you should hear the hysteria that ensues.

Kid: "Why are there red things in here?"
Mom: "They're poisonous sea urchins (roasted red peppers) because I'm trying to kill you. Obviously."

Kid: "Somebody put dirt on my potatoes! I'm not eating dirt." (That's black pepper, by the way, for those of you unfamiliar with the I'm not eating this dirt defense)

Kid: "What are those onions for? Because I don't want them in any of my stuff."

Ahh, yes, the majesty of parenthood.

But with a little help from the Olympics, I've found a winner. Tangy, salty, malt vinegar sauce seems decidedly British, so I primed the kids with an enthusiastic description of Olympic synchronized diving and water polo followed by a quick lesson on British pub fare. Basically I convinced them they'd be supporting the Olympic athletes by partaking in a potato and vinegar dip feast. What? It's not like it's not helping the Olympians if they eat a few potatoes. Bear with me here.

Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes
adapted from Vegetarian Times

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 head of garlic, peeled and sectioned into cloves
2 tbsp. canola oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup malt vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar

1. Soak the cubed potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the dry potatoes and garlic cloves in the oil and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally to promote even browning. Season with salt and pepper (use white pepper instead of black if your kids don't like "dirt" on their food)
3. Meanwhile, combine vinegar and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half. Serve sauce as a dip alongside the potatoes and garlic or drizzle it right over the top. The drizzle is great for adults but I don't recommend it for kids. They like to control their own destiny. Give them the dip on the side and see what happens.

Good stuff! Even if you don't like potatoes like Looly, make this just so you can dip the roasted garlic cloves. Crazy delicious. For the record Looly did try a potato, sans dip. She didn't like it. But she tried it. Roo was a fan and Bean's favorite "potato" was actually a roasted garlic clove. That girl has a refined palate.