Basil

Today I sowed the basil seeds. We are supposed to have chilly weather tonight, but I think it will all be good, and that we can probably count May 15 as the Last Frost Date, which is weirdly in accordance with the estimation that I use for my zone. My friend asked how much basil to plant for a person, and that is a tricky equation. Some folks use less than a single, small herb pot plant for the whole season, for a whole family, while I can use a garden of the pungent leaves all on my own in a week.

So here's my recommendation:
Start with a single plant. For me, that is nowhere near enough, and I usually end up buying a packet of seeds and planting a row or two. I could harvest it darned near daily. Also, it's a handy plant in the garden. Plant it around tomatoes and it will repel various predators, including deer (nothing is guaranteed when it comes to deer, but they seem to avoid the stinky plants), and it will also keep fruit flies away when the vegetables are harvested. Pick a bowl full of sunshine-ripe vegetables and throw a few leaves of basil over it all to repel the fruit fly. Then, in the kitchen, warm some garlic in some olive oil and tear the basil leaves into the pan. Let it all warm gently while you wash and dice the tomatoes, which you throw into the pot and let simmer until the whole thing is warm, while the water for angel hair comes to a boil in a different pot. By the time the angel hair is ready, the tomato has released its juices and the whole thing is herbalicious. Ladle the tomatoes over the pasta and enjoy!

Soup of the Day: Handfasting Soup

This soup makes use of all the many root vegetables you have on hand and need to use up in the new year. Parsnip, turmeric and garlic help boost the immune system and banish colds. Bonus, any that is left can become the base for golden noodle chicken soup, with all the immune benefits intact.

I didn't know that yellow split pea soup is a Thursday night staple in Sweden; this is a tradition I could adopt, especially now that I know that yellow split peas are a superfood.

Dried split peas, like other legumes, are rich in soluble fiber. They also contain an isoflavone called daidzein, which acts like weak estrogen in the body. The consumption of daidzein has been linked to a reduced risk of certain health conditions, including breast and prostate cancer. Split peas are particularly rich in potassium, a mineral that can help lower blood pressure and control fluid retention, and may help limit the growth of potentially damaging plaques in the blood vessels.

Add parsnips, mother nature's multivitamin, and turmeric, a natural anti-inflammatory substance, and it's no wonder the Swedes eat this all the time.

An excellent companion to basic bread, it's simple, easy fare that will have folks coming back for more.

Ingredients
1 cup dried yellow split peas
3 cups water or broth
Potatoes, parsnips, Daikon radish, databases, turnips, and any other root vegetables that need to get used.
Carrots, diced
Onion, diced
1/4c. Olive oil, plus more as needed
3 - 6 cloves garlic, diced
Celery, diced
1-2 tablespoons dried basil
1 - 2 teaspoons white pepper
1+ tablespoon turmeric powder, as much as you dare to

Directions
In a medium saucepan, bring the three cups of water or broth to a boil. Add the split peas and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes, or until whisking results in a broken down broth.
Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, cover the root vegetables with just enough water that a few stick out above the water line. Bring the water to a boil, and simmer until the vegetables begin to soften.
In a heavy stock pot, sautee onion, garlic, celery, carrot and spices in oil until onions are transparent. Add more oil if necessary to prevent sticking.

Add softened vegetables to stock pot, including cooking liquid. Add split peas when ready. Stir to mix and let warm through while flavors marry.

Bagels

These beauties take some foresight and planning, but they are absolutely worth it. And while the recipe is a bit of a task list, nothing is difficult or fiddly - feel free to include chefs of all ages and experience levels. Simply perfect for a Sunday brunch in January. Serve warm with butter, or as a base for a spread involving cream cheese, roast beef, smoked salmon, cheeses and spreads of all kinds. The best part is that most of the work is done the day before. The batch makes 16, and you can season them as you choose before baking. If you are expecting a crowd, double or even triple the recipe; for a weekend batch for two, make half as much. My family and I were thrown by the ingredients in weights, as opposed to volume. I will make a note next time we make it of what volume we used. We made some other changes as well, listed below.

Ingredients
4 cups all purpose flour instead of bread flour
1 tablespoon Barley malt syrup used instead of malt powder

Directions
We made bagels from scratch. We are almost as impressed with ourselves as we are with the results.

Sponge stage. We set this up in a few minutes and then went to the gym and went to a movie (All the King's Men - it was pretty good, too).  When we got back, it was perfect and ready to be made into dough. We used the stand mixer, and it was exceedingly simple.

After the dough cures in the refrigerator overnight, the bagels are ready to cook. Step one is boiling in water with a tablespoon of barley malt syrup and a teaspoon of baking soda, one minute on each side.

This is the part Vivian really likes: adding seasoning on top of the boiled dough before baking. Note: the foil was a bad choice. A little vegetable oil on the pan is a better  way to go, or parchment paper if you need to keep the dough off the pan.

Yummy goodness.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Christmas is a fantastic time for baking, but anytime is a good time for shortbread. This version is so simple and easy, young children can do the whole process, and it's a great way to include them in the kitchen. Shortbread takes on a rich flavor by aging a few days, so make a double batch to set some aside - at our house it's a miracle if there is any left the next day.  If you need a quick hostess gift, whip up a batch and place some bars (or use cookie cutters for shapes, omitting the chocolate chips) in a tin or baker's box lined with parchment paper. Tie a ribbon on it and give with confidence.

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup premium dark chocolate chips
1 tablespoon Madagascar vanilla

Whisk the sugar into the butter until it is creamy. Add half the flour gently using a wooden spoon until combined. Pour the vanilla over the chocolate chips and stir, then add to the batter and fold in. Add the remaining flour and blend.

Bake in a well-buttered 9x12 pan at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. It's done when the top is starting to firm and the edges are golden, pulling away a bit from the sides of the pan. Remove and scoreline bars, then let cool before removing.

French Onion Soup

There's nothing quite as satisfying as a bowl of French Onion soup on a grey autumnal afternoon. Light a fire in the fireplace while it simmers. It's simple and will warm you through, and onions are reported to boost the immune system, a perfect foil to the season's colds.

One each red, yellow and white onion
Plenty of butter, about a stick or so
1 tablespoon flour
Dash sugar
Tone's beef base
4 cups water

Chop onions and place in a heavy pot. Simmer with butter and beef base until caramelized, stirring often. Once the onions are soft and ready, stir in the flour and sugar and simmer for three minutes or so, to thicken. Add the water and simmer for thirty minutes or more.

Spoon it into a bowl and cover with a slice of French bread and gruyere, then toast in the oven to melt the cheese.

Cheesecake

Crust
2 cups (475 ml) of Graham cracker crumbs (from a little less than 2 packages Graham crackers)
2 Tbsp sugar
Pinch salt
5 Tbsp (70 g) unsalted butter (if using salted butter, omit the pinch of salt), melted
Filling
2 pounds cream cheese (900 g), room temperature
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar (270 g)
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream (160 ml)
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream (160 ml)
Toppings
2 cups sour cream (475 ml)
1/3 cup powdered sugar (35 g)
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces (340 g) fresh raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
1/2 cup water (120 ml)
Special equipment needed
9-inch, 2 3/4-inch high springform pan
Heavy-duty, 18-inch wide aluminum foil
A large, high-sided roasting pan

Prepare the crust
place springform pan on foil wrap first layer of foil around pan
wrap second layer of foil around pan finish wrapping foil
1 Prepare the springform pan so that no water leaks into it while cooking. Place a large 18-inch by 18-inch square of heavy duty aluminum foil on a flat surface. Place the springform pan in the middle of the foil. Gently fold up the sides of the foil around the pan. Make sure to do this gently so that you don't create any holes in the foil. If there are any holes, water will get into the pan and ruin the crust. Press the foil around the edges of the pan. Place a second large square of foil underneath the pan, and repeat, gently folding up the sides of the foil around the pan and pressing the foil against the pan. To be triply safe, repeat with a third layer of heavy duty foil. Gently crimp the top of the foil sheets around the top edge of the pan.
2 Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in lower third of oven. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Put in a large bowl, and stir in the sugar and salt. Use your (clean) hands to stir in the melted butter.
use your hands to press down graham cracker crumbs form even layer of graham cracker crumbs
3 Put all but 1/4 cup of the graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the springform pan. (Save the remaining 1/4 cup for if you happen to have any holes that need to be filled in, either while you are making the crust, or after the cake has cooked and you've unmolded it.) Gently press down on the crumbs using your fingers, until the crumbs are a nice even layer at the bottom of the pan, with maybe just a slight rise along the inside edges of the pan. Be careful as you do this, as not to tear the aluminum foil. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
Make the filling
place cream cheese in mixer beat until smooth
4 Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes until smooth, soft and creamy. Add the sugar, beat for 4 minutes more. Add the salt and vanilla, beating after each addition. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Add the sour cream, beat until incorporated. Add the heavy cream, beat until incorporated. Remember to scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl, and scrape up any thicker bits of cream cheese that have stuck to the bottom of the mixer that paddle attachment has failed to incorporate.
Cook the cheesecake
place pan in high sided roasting pan pour cheesecake filling into pan
place pan on roasting rack in oven pour hot water into roasting pan to create a water bath for the cheesecake
5 Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in a large, high-sided roasting pan. Prepare 2 quarts of boiling water. Pour the cream cheese filling into the springform pan, over the graham cracker bottom layer. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place the roasting pan with the springform pan in it, in the oven, on the lower rack. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan (without touching the hot oven), to create a water bath for the cheesecake, pouring until the water reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan, about 1 1/4 inches. (Alternatively you can add the water before putting the pan in the oven, whichever is easier for you.) Cook at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours.
6 Turn off the heat of the oven. Crack open the oven door 1-inch, and let the cake cool in the oven, as the oven cools, for another hour. This gentle cooling will help prevent the cheesecake surface from cracking.
7 Cover the top of the cheesecake with foil, so that it doesn't actually touch the cheesecake. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.
Prepare sour cream topping
8 Place sour cream in a medium sized bowl, stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, until smooth. Chill until you are ready to serve the cake.
Note that this recipe produces enough sour cream topping for a thick topping and some extra to spoon over individual pieces of cheesecake, if desired. If you would like a thinner layer of topping and no extra, reduce the sour cream topping ingredients in half.
Prepare the raspberry sauce
crush raspberries and sugar in small saucepan heat and whisk raspberries
9 Place raspberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Use a potato masher to mash the raspberries. Heat on medium, whisking, about 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Let cool.
Prepare the cake to serve
run blunt knife around edge of pan to separate cheesecake from pan remove springform pan from cheesecake
spread top of cheesecake with sour cream cheesecake is ready to serve
10 Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Remove the foil from the sides of the pan, and place the cake on your cake serving dish. Run the side of a blunt knife between the edge of the cake and the pan. Dorie recommends, and we've done with success, that you use a hair dryer to heat the sides of the pan to make it easier to remove. Open the springform latch and gently open the pan and lift up the sides. Spread the top with the sour cream mixture. Serve plain or drizzled with raspberry sauce.
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Recipe adapted from Dorrie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours. Used with permission from author.

Read more: Baking: From My Home to Yours

Simple Ice Cream Cake

www.realsimple.com
How to Make the World's Easiest Ice Cream Cake

Memorial Day marks the official kickoff of summer entertaining season—which means there's never been a better time to add a few winners to your warm weather dessert repertoire. Like this one: an insanely easy (and unbelievably delicious) ice cream cake that's infinitely customizable and—thanks to a few store-bought shortcuts—requires only a few minutes of your time and inches of freezer space.

You will need: Whipped cream, 10 ice cream sandwiches, and 2 pints of ice cream in the flavor(s) of your choice. These are going to be your cake's layers, so you can go any direction you want—Sour cherry! Salted caramel! Pistachio honey! Peanut butter! Or maybe you're a bit more traditional. Grab one pint of chocolate and one pint of strawberry to do a riff on the classic Neapolitan. Or try espresso ice cream (as we did in this photo) and aim for a decidedly adult, mocha version.

Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches hanging over each of the long sides. These pieces will act like handles, making it easier to remove the cake from the pan once frozen.

(You want the ice cream to be spreadable but not liquid.) In the bottom of the loaf pan, place 5 ice cream sandwiches in a single flat layer, chocolate "cookie" side down, trimming them to fit as needed. Cover the sandwiches with 1½ cups of ice cream (this will be about ¾ of a pint), smoothing it out to form an even layer about ¾- to 1-inch thick. Cover that with another layer of sandwiches, and then another layer of ice cream, spreading it so that it is even. Make sure the ice cream is smooth and packed tightly, then cover the entire loaf pan neatly with plastic wrap.

When ready to serve, lift it out of the pan using the parchment paper handles and transfer it to a large plate.

To serve, slice cake into thick, striped pieces.

(It should yield about 8 servings.) Top each slice with whipped cream and the garnish of your choice. Brandied cherries? Espresso powder? Toasted nuts? Rainbow sprinkles? Cocoa nibs? Good news: You've got all summer to perfect your recipe.

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Rutabaga hasbrowns

I found this over at  Julie's for a completely different recipe, but I had to use this part again so that I could make paleo Eggs Benedict

Ingredients
1 large rutabaga, peeled
½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
3-4 tablespoons bacon fat (or other kind of fat)
2 eggs (or more)
salt and pepper, to taste
parsley (to garnish-optional)

Instructions
Peel your rutabaga. Roughly chop then send the rutabaga through a food processor with the shredding attachment. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a cheese grater.Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of bacon fat and minced garlic.In a bowl, mix together rutabaga and sliced onion. Place in skillet, spread out in pan and press down. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, then use a spatula to flip the rutabaga. Cook another few minutes and turn out onto a plate.

Three Cheese Hashbrown Casserole

I'm flat-out stealing this recipe from Lisa Marshall, but any real chef knows goodness when she sees it. And this paleo, gluten-free recipe will blow your mind. What an amazing way to start the day! I plan on making a huge batch on Sunday morning and saving leftovers for the crew on the way out the door. There isn't much that could be better than this breakfast in hand to help you face the day.

Three Cheese Hashbrown Casserole

6 slices bacon

1/4 lb bulk pork sausage

2 cups shredded rutabaga

4 eggs

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

Bake or pan fry bacon. Drain and crumble. Brown the sausage in a small skillet. While those are cooking, place shredded rutabaga in a microwavable bowl with 2 tbsp water. Cook on high power in the microwave for 2 minutes. Drain and cool.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in the crumbled bacon, browned sausage, all the cheeses and the shredded rutabaga.

Coat an 8 inch square casserole dish with bacon grease. Pour in the casserole mixture and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting into 6 servings.

Recipe can be doubled or tripled.

Serves 6   472 calories   6 net carbs

Greek Beef Orzo

I love this dish. Simple and easy to prepare, it scales nicely to serve a crowd or a couple.
Serve it with a fresh tossed salad and enjoy the simplicity of a one skillet meal.


Ingredients
Half teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef
One medium onion, diced
A half dozen ripe tomatoes, diced with their juice
1 tsp dried oregano, or a handful chopped fresh
1 tsp black pepper
4 cloves minced fresh garlic
1.5 cups beef broth
1 cup Orzo pasta (or any pasta -- use rice pasta for a gluten-free variety)
1 cup chopped spinach


Directions
Sprinkle salt into a large skillet. Add ground beef and brown on medium high for 3-5 minutes.
Add onion and cook until soft, removing excess grease.
Add tomatoes, garlic, pepper, oregano and broth and bring to a boil.
Add Orzo and cook at a simmer until done, about 12 minutes.
Fold in chopped spinach until warmed and serve.

Breakfast Oatmeal

Heartwarming and heart healthy, oatmeal is a great way to start your day. A staple in any pantry, we use the microwave to keep the prep time simple and the portions perfect for each of us, from Goldilocks to Baby Bear. We like old fashioned rolled oats for their hearty taste and texture. Also, using the microwave for these gives us a no-excuses approach to making certain we don't skip the most important meal of the day.

I've written the recipe for apples and spice, a staple around our house since we have fresh apples available for the better part of the year, and spicy apple goodness is the epitome of back-to-school. But feel free to get creative. Add pretty much anything you have on hand to make it a truly remarkable morning. Blueberries, bananas, almonds, a dollop of yogurt, raspberries, hazelnuts, peaches; whatever is in season is exactly what you want.

From athletes to academics, this is the most efficient and economical way I can think of to ensure your success. This along with sunscreen and regular exercise could probably save the world. Or at least make us happier in the process.

Ingredients (per person)
1/2 cup of Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (certified gluten-free variety is made by Bob's Red Mill and are quite tasty indeed)
1 cup water

Directions
A solid dash of apple pie spice, diced apples goes right into the dried oats nicely.

Place the oats and in a microwave safe dish, at least 16 ounces in capacity to prevent it from boiling over.

Microwave for 4 minutes (more or less, depending on preference and microwave power. We like our oats middling-to-firm, and have a reasonably powerful microwave, but not the super-duper mega-powered one).

Stir and add sugar, milk, honey or anything else that waits to the end.