Summer Carrot Ginger Soup

1 lb (or bunch) of carrots
1" fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
14oz chicken broth (1 can)
1/3 C orange juice
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
2 T honey
sea salt
3 thinly shaved asparagus (save for topping)

Lightly saute carrots, onion and ginger in skillet with olive oil. Add chicken broth, cover and allow to simmer until carrots are tender (about 6 minutes). Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree'. You may have to blend in batches, depending on the size of your appliance. This soup is delicious hot or cold and can be topped with sour cream, chives, asparagus, vegetable chips.... the possibilities are endless! If serving warm, try it with a small pad of butter. Yumm...

Ginger Coconut Rice

1/4 C melted butter
1 medium onion diced
1" fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 1/2 C pearl rice, rinsed
2 1/4 C chicken stock
3/4 C unsweetened coconut, grated

Melt butter in heavy saucepan or skillet. Add onion and ginger and saute until onion is translucent. Add rice and continue to saute until rice is heated.

Add chicken stock and coconut. Cook 20-25 minutes until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.

Cilantro, Cucumber and Yogurt Sauce

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
1/3 C chopped cilantro
1 t grated ginger
2 t minced garlic
1 C plain yogurt
2 T fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Combine cucumber, cilantro, ginger and garlic in food processor. Pulse to combine well. Add yogurt and pulse until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Black Olive, Sun-dried Tomato and Oregano Relish

1/2 C sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed), chopped
or 2 medium tomatoes, cored and diced
1/2 C black olives (preferably kalamata), pitted, chopped
1/4 C good balsamic vinegar
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1 T garlic minced
2 T fresh oregano leaves (or 1 t dried oregano)
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t chopped fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Leave mixture in a refrigerator to blend the flavors for about an hour.

Whipped Cream Flight

Classic Whipped Cream
1 C heavy cream
1 t vanilla extract
1 T confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy and butter like. It is important to use a very cold whisk and mixing bowl for best results.




Whipped Cream with Pinot Syrup
1/2-3/4 C Oregon pinot noir
1/3 C sugar

Combine wine and sugar in a small sauce and place on medium heat. Reduce by 3/4 or until the mixture has become a syrup. Chill. Stir the pinot syrup into the whipped cream and chill.



Guinness Whipped Cream
1 bottle of Guinness Stout

Pour one quarter of the stout in a small glass. Pour the remainder in a small sauce pot and place on medium heat. Reduce the stout by 3/4 and place in the refrigerator until chilled. Split the whipped cream into two mixing bowls and stir the stout reduction into on half. Chill both batches until service.

The Guinness whipped cream goes nicely with a good deal of holiday desserts: pumpkin pie, bread pudding, minced meat pies, apple pies.... and on.



Spiced Whipped Cream
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t allspice
1/4 cocoa powder

Prepare a double batch of the classic whipped cream recipe and dived into two bowls. Mix spices into one of the batches and chilled both batches until service.

Apple Dumplings with Oregon Pinot Noir Whipped Cream

Apple Dumplings
1 C flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 T shortening
1/3 C water or milk
1/2 C sugar
4 apples

Mix and sift flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening with knives, add the liquid, mixing to a soft dough. Roll on a well floured board to 1/4 inch thickness. Clean, pare and cut apples into halves.  Cut dough in 4-5 inch squares. Place half an apple in the center of each square and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Moisten edge of dough and bring the four corners together around the apple. Pierce with a fork to allow steam to escape. Bake on a greased tin in a moderate oven until soft, approximately 25 minutes.

Oregon Pinot Noir Whipped Cream
To prepare whipped cream:
1 C heavy cream

In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy and butter like. It is important to use a very cold whisk and mixing bowl for best results.

To prepare Pinot Noir Syrup:
1/2-3/4 C Oregon pinot noir
1/3 C sugar

Combine wine and sugar in a small sauce and place on medium heat. Reduce by 3/4 or until the mixture has become a syrup. Chill.  Stir the pinot syrup into the whipped cream and chill.

Fresh Fig Cake

1 C raisins (or craisens)
1 C figs
1 C walnuts
1 C boiling water
1 t soda
1 t vanilla
1/2 C butter
1 C sugar
2 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1 t cinnamon
2 C flour

Look over and chop the raisins and figs. Dissolve the soda into boiling water and pour over the figs and raisins.  Cream the butter and sugar, ad the beaten egg yolks, then the spices and fruit with the water then the flour, fold in the beaten whites, and add vanilla. Bake for 1 hour in a loaf cake pan in a moderate oven.

You can eat the cake plain or you can frost it with white frosting.

Fish Balls

This is a simple and easy dish to prepare and a good way to use left over fish.

1 C salt cod fish
2 C potatoes
1 egg
1/2 T butter
pepper

Pick the codfish into small pieces and soak in lukewarm water until soft. Boil and mash the potatoes, season with butter and pepper and add beaten egg. Drain the fish, add to the potato mixture and beat well. Take up by heaping tablespoonfuls and shape into balls; fry about six at a time in deep fat. Drain on brown paper. Garnish with fresh herbs and sprinkle with paprika.

Pacific Northwest Fish Croquettes

This is a simple way to prepare fish croquettes, and can be used with any type of fish (or Dungeness Crab... yum)

1 1/2 C pacific northwest flaked salmon
3/4 C halibut
salt and pepper
1 T flour
2 t butter
1/4 C milk

Put the butter and flour together, add the hot milk slowly, and press out all lumps. Stir the mixture and cook it until it is smooth and thick: add the salt, pepper and flaked fish. Spread the mixture on a plate to cool. When cool, shape, and roll in crumbs, in egg, and then in crumbs. Fry in deep fat and drain on brown paper. Serve on hot dish and you can garnish with fresh herbs (dill, parsley etc.).

Liver Sausage Loaf

3 Strips of bacon or 1/4 C drippings
3 T chopped onion
1 lb liver sausage
2 eggs, beaten
2 C soft fresh bread crumbs
2 T chopped parsley
3/4 t salt

Lightly fry the bacon and onion.s Cut the bacon fine and add it with the fat and the onions to the liver sausage that has been minced with a fork. Add the eggs, bread crumbs, parsley and salt. Mix into a loaf and press into a bread pan. Bake in a 350-degree F oven for about 35 minutes. Serve with bite-size pieces of creamed potatoes surrounding the loaf.

Simple Feather Cake

Beat three egg yolks, add a cup of sugar and beat again. Add six tablespoons of boiling water. Beat again. Then sift together a cup of flour, two teaspoons of baking powder, pinch of salt. Add to egg mixture. Last add beaten whites of three eggs and lemon extract. Back in oiled and floured tube pan in slow oven for 35 minutes. You can frost this cake with a thin coating icing made of powdered sugar, cream and extract. This cake is so yummy!

Soft Pretzels

1/2 to 3/4 C sugar (depending on taste)
1 T yeast (or one small package)
approximately 5 C flour
2 C warm water
kosher salt
oil or butter
3 T baking powder

Activate yeast by combining yeast, warm water and sugar, stir and let stand for approximately five minutes, or until yeast is activated (bubbly). Add in flour until you get a soft dough consistency. Kneed dough until soft and smooth. Form the dough into a ball and cover in a well oiled bowl for approximately 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.

Once dough has risen,  preheat your oven to 350f.  Softly flatten and divide the dough into desired proportions for the pretzels. You can make small or large pretzels. Roll each proportion into a long roll and make a pretzel shape. Dip the pretzel into a bowl of warm water mixed with baking powder and then place onto an floured cooking sheet. You can coat the pretzels with any topping, including butter, oil, kosher salt or cinnamon and sugar.  Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown.

I like to coat the pretzels with butter when I remove them from the oven and use a bit more salt. Enjoy!

Watermelon Salad

Watermelon Salad

4 C watermelon cubes (bite size), seeds removed
2 T fresh chopped basil
2 C good balsamic vinegar
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper

Toss ingredients in large salad bowl and enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Covered Oregon Blueberries

Studies show that eating dark chocolate may contribute to improved cardiovascular health. Packed with natural antioxidants, dark chocolate and cocoa sit in the same healthy category as green tea and blueberries. Blueberries have shown to shrink tumors, prevent cancer, improve memory, and balance - just to name a few. So this summer when you are picking up berries at the farmers market, swing by and pick up some dark chocolate to make this nutritious-delicious sweet.

1 cup dark chocolate (chips or broken up bar)
1 tablespoon shortening
2 cups fresh Oregon blueberries, rinsed and dried

Melt chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave, or in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir frequently until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat, and stir in the shortening until melted.

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Add blueberries to the chocolate, and stir gently to coat. Spoon small clumps of blueberries onto the waxed paper. Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes. Store in a cool place in an airtight container. These will last about 2 days.