Saturday, July 31, 2021

Rosie Makes A Peach Galette.


I've got a box of some beautiful peaches, so I've been coming up with all sorts of peach delights.
This Peach Galette is very simple, very quick, and very good.  It’s peachy keen!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 In case you don’t know what a galette is, it’s simply a rustic, free-form pie, filled, in this case, with fruit.

I started out with 5 peaches.
Peel and slice.
Place in a bowl with a mixture of:
1 TB cornstarch
juice of 1 lemon
1 TB vanilla 
1/4 cup brown sugar
Toss to coat.

I always have on hand those rolled up pie crusts that come two to a box.  Never know when you’re gonna want a pie or something, so it’s nice to have them in the fridge for such an occasion.  Sometimes I’m just lazy and don’t feel like making a dough from scratch.  Quel horreur!

To prepare, take the dough out and let it come to almost room temperature so you can work with it.  If it’s cold, it’s not going to be pliable and it’ll crack.

Spread out the pie round on a piece of foil or parchment paper. 

And beginning layering the peach slices in the middle, leaving an inch or so outside border.
 
Pile 'em up.




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
With a galette, you can use most any fruits for fillings.  I happened to have a jar of Amarena cherries in the pantry which I've been meaning to try.  Glad I did.  Amarena cherries are wild, dark cherries from Italy, tender, yet firm, slightly bitter, just a tad sour, and are preserved in a natural sweet cherry syrup.  Maraschino cherries, in comparison, don't have much flavor, are soggy,  are impregnated with sugars, and are loaded with corn syrup, preservatives, artificial coloring, and artificial flavorings (the almond oil of Jergens lotion comes to mind).

Spoon some Ararenas on top,
along with the syrup.

Drape the edges up and over the filling and pour the remaining macerating liquid over top.

Brush the pastry with egg wash.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sprinkle on some cinnamon and turbinado sugar. 
Turbinado sugar is raw sugar, or minimally processed.  Darker and coarser than regular white, granulated sugar, it comes from the first pressing of the sugar cane and thus retains more flavor and natural molasses. 
 
Bake at 400° 25-30 minutes,  until crust is golden brown.










Enjoy!

Monday, July 26, 2021

Rosie Makes A Squash Casserole.

I love fresh vegetables from the garden and this squash casserole is one of my favorites.
 
 
For what it's worth, it must be made in one of those ancient Corningware casserole dishes with the little blue flowers on the side, else it just won't taste like what Mama made.


 Rosie's Quick Squash Casserole
1 6-inch Corningware casserole dish, buttered
1 medium sized squash, peeled and sliced
about 1/4 cup chopped onions
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1-2 TB unsalted butter
3 eggs, beaten 
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
handful of Ritz crackers, crumbled
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
basil leaves, chiffonade
 
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. 
Add in the squash, onions, and pepper.
Cook for about 3 minutes.
Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Pour vegetables into buttered casserole dish.  Stir in 1/2 of the cheeses.
Lightly season beaten eggs with salt and pepper.  If you'd like to use Lawry's Season pepper, go right ahead.  Pour eggs over vegetables and cheese.
Top with remaining grated cheese and crumble Ritz crackers evenly over top.
Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes, until eggs are set.
Cut basil leaves into a chiffonade, or "little ribbons." Chiffonade is a cutting technique.  Simply stack and tightly roll up the basil leaves lengthwise and slice perpendicular to the roll so you get long squigglies.  Sprinkle basil squigglies over top.
Let sit for a few minutes before digging in.

For this squash casserole, I used 2 squashes and 4 eggs.  And more grated cheese.
You can make adjustments as you like.  It's not written in stone.

 








Enjoy!

Friday, July 16, 2021

What To Do With One Banana.

 

Do you have one banana languishing on your counter?
Skin turning black?
Alcoholic fumes emanating from it? 
Don't throw it out.
 
It's enough to make five banana muffins.
And you can make 'em in no time.
 

Quick Banana Breakfast Muffins
Makes 5
1 banana on its last legs
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
handful chopped pecans
5 pats of butter

 In a medium bowl, mash banana,
 then add in sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla.
In a small bowl,
whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Stir dry ingredients into banana mixture.
Stir in pecans.
Ladle into 5 paper-lined muffin tins.
Stick a pat of butter onto center top of each.
Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes.
Serve warm. With more butter and/or honey.
Or you can slice, butter, and toast.

Yup.
Only four muffins left for the photo.
I had to eat one of 'em.

 

If you'd like to make a glaze for the muffins,
I wouldn't stop you.
For the glaze, take about a cup of powdered sugar and pour a tablespoon of fresh orange juice, a teaspoon of vanilla, then enough milk or cream, stirring the whole time, until you have a proper pouring consistency.  Drizzle over muffins.  If you'd prefer lemon juice to orange juice, by all means substitute.  Some added zest would be nice too.  And I like to add in a pinch of kosher salt.
 



 
If you like, slice, butter, and toast.


 

Or, you can bake them with a streusel topping.

I didn't bother to measure,
but if I had to guess, I'd mix together:
3 TB butter, softened
1/4 cup flour
3 TB sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
handful of pecans
Work the mixture together and place on top of each muffin before baking.

Enjoy!

Friday, July 9, 2021

Rosie Makes Dilly Potato Salad.

 
I have the perfect potato salad for you.
Well, actually it's perfect for me since it has no mayo in it.
I am not a fan of mayo.
 I will eat it, in certain preparations,
but I don't like thinking about it.
This potato salad bypasses the mayo
and uses a mustard/vinegar/olive oil emulsion.
 And this potato salad is perfect for all that dill
that's growing in my garden right now.

Here's how:

I took a dozen or so red potatoes,
chopped them into bite-sized pieces,
and cooked them in boiling, salted water until tender.
Drain and IMMEDIATELY drizzle
 1/4 cup white vinegar over the potatoes.
Let the potatoes sit in the vinegar until cool.

While the potatoes are cooling, 
make the dressing.
Combine:
2 TB white vinegar
2 TB Gray Poupon Dijon mustard
 
Rosie Note:  Do NOT substitute a store brand
for the mustard.
Use Gray Poupon.
There's a BIG difference. 

Slowly drizzle 1/2 cup neutral olive oil
 into the mustard and vinegar, whisking constantly
until you have a nice emulsion.

Rosie Note:  I use Bertolli's Extra Light Olive Oil.
It's neutral and you don't want a strong olive oil
to overpower the flavors here.

When the potatoes are cool,
drain off any remaining vinegar,
then pour the dressing over the taters.
Gently toss to coat.

Chop up about 1/2 cup fresh dill
and stir into the salad.






Enjoy!