One of the first things to come up in my garden in the spring is chard (because I have covered it over winter), so this exquisite quiche recipe is a Springtime go-to. Quiche always reminds me of Spring somehow…

This recipe is excellent, enjoy!

1 frozen pie shell (I sometimes use gluten free)

2T butter

1 large leek

1 tsp thyme (fresh is possible)

4-5 large leafs of chard

1 1/4 cup whole milk

3 large eggs+2 yolks

1 t salt, 1/4 t pepper

Melt butter in skillet and saute leeks add thyme, salt pepper. Cook until tender but not brown, approx 10-12 minutes. Add chard and saute 4 more minutes. Cool mixture. Preheat oven to 425F, whisk milk and eggs together, add cooled saute mix and blend. Pour into pie shell, bake 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and bake until set in center approx 15 min at sealevel and more like 35 minutes at elevation.

Bon Appetit!

Gracious nearby neighbor Glynna allowed a massive harvesting of her very large elderberry bush. After cleaning, de-stemming, cooking down with water and adding honey–the result is a special treat reserved for drinking during the cold and flu season: elderberry syrup. Elderberry is a great immune booster during the winter, it helps to break up congestion from cold and flu.

Make your own syrup by de-stemming (use a clean hair pick or fork to assist in getting the berries off the stem) your harvested elderberries, place them in a large stock pot with water to the same level. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash mixture and release more berry juice into mixture. Allow to cool slightly. Set up another large stock pot with a colander over it, line the colander with 4 layers of cheesecloth or a napkin type material that will strain out the seeds (seeds are teeny tiny). Ladle semi cooled mash and juice over the cheesecloth/colander and let juice drain through until you have ladled it all. Grab the edges of your cheesecloth or napkin and squeeze out the remaining juice to gain maximum yield. Remove colander and add your honey to the mixture along with the juice of one lemon per quart of juice. Lemon juice helps to preserve it as well as does honey. Add honey to taste, but the more honey, the more preserving its action is in the mixture. Bottle with a funnel and refrigerate. It will last 2-3 months. Drink a couple of Tablespoons daily or when you feel under the weather to stave off the cold. Alternatively use during a cold or flu to help rid congestion.

For the hot weather, I am going to start experimenting with my lonely, unused since last year popsicle molds. You can use almost anything to create some frozen delights, just open up the fridge and investigate your ingredients…if you run out of ideas there you can head to the garden for thyme, mint, melons, etc.

Tips:: Tongue depressors from your local pharmacy can be used with paper cups. Turn your smoothies and puddings into popsicles. Be generous with your spices and sweeteners, or what tasted great in your glass may dull the flavor once frozen.

Lavender Blueberry

1 1/2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt

3/4 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup blueberry preserves (or grape preserves)

1 pint blueberries

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms

Creamy Coconut Banana

1 1/2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt

2 bananas, very ripe

1 cup coconut milk

3 tablespoons honey

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Cacao Banana Date Pops

1 1/2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt

1 cup whole milk

8 large pitted dates

1 frozen banana

3 tablespoons honey

3 TS cacao powder

Peach Popsicles

1 1/2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup honey

4 cups sliced peaches (4 to 5 peaches)

Any Type Fruit-Yogurt Popsicles
makes 4-6, depending on the size of your molds

1 pint berries or fruit like mango, banana, peach, etc.
6 T honey or 4 T Agave
4 tablespoons coconut milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup Greek style yogurt

Bring your berries, water, and sweetener to a simmer in a medium sauce pan. Simmer for five minutes, or until berries are soft. Pour into a food processor, add the lemon juice, and pulse a few times, until fruit is almost pureed but not liquified. Chill in the refrigerator until cool.

Stir the yogurt into the berry mixture until combined. Pour into molds and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.

To Make Layered Pops:

Pour an inch or so of yogurt into the bottom of each popsicle mold. Freeze this until the yogurt is just set, about 45 minutes. Pour an inch of pomegranate juice on top and freeze until just set, another 45 minutes or so. Repeat in layers until the pops are filled. If your molds don’t come with their own sticks, insert wooden popsicle sticks along with the third layer. Freeze another 2-3 hours or overnight, until the popsicles are solid.

Since the weather is really chilly all the sudden, I can only think of all the hot days that have just flown by. Oddly, I have cool refreshing shave ice on the mind, and it is the last chance for me to post about Fresher Than Snow Cones from Kansas City, MO. Fresher Than Snowcones is the ‘lifestyle hobby’ business of Lindsay Laricks. Laricks bought a 1957 Shasta Trailer on Ebay and had it refurbished to house her imaginative mobile kitchen for 100% all natural, homemade, snow cones.

Inspired by similar foody outfits in trailers around Austin, TX, Fresher than Fresh Snowcones was born. Lindsay makes her own herbal, gourmet syrups with flavors like Lime Mint, Ginger Rose, Blackberry Lavender, Watermelon Basil, Lemon Prickly Pear, Green Tea Pear and Espresso & Mexican Cane Sugar.

Her trailer is available for hire for events and summer parties around their metro area. Yum.

Harvest Season is here! I am preparing to make my annual Damson Plum Jam from plum trees in the backyard. Damson Plums are very tiny silvery looking plums, what they lack in size, they make up for in taste. They are the preferred plums to make preserves and jam out of.

To make the jam, you will need: 3 pounds Damson Plums, 1/2 cup water, 6 cups sugar, two large pots, a stirring spoon, canning jars, canning jar grabber, canning funnel, magnetic lid lifter for canning, cherry pitter, canning jars and lids. (I typically end up with tons of plums so I repeat this recipe until either I run out of plums or canning jars).

Wash plums thoroughly, pit them with cherry pitter and place in large pot, add water, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning and adding more water if necessary. The plums will release their own water and the skins will slip off, leaving a soupy mess. The cherry pitter is crucial, unless you want to strain the plums with cheesecloth. I prefer having skins in the preserves, so fishing out each little pit becomes a nightmare–just pit them and you save yourself the hassle. You will want to cook them 10-15 minutes.

Allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Add sugar. Some people prefer less, some more. I prefer less, so 4.5 to 5 cups is about right to counteract the tartness of the plums. Just add sugar to your taste preference. Place the pot back on the stove, and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring constantly.

I like the consistency to be a bit ‘country style’ so I add  no to little pectin. If I do add it, it is only a couple tablespoons, not the entire packet. I like it to look more natural than ‘gel’ consistency.

If it’s a little runny, it will still be delicious–and perfect on french toast and pancakes!

While the jam is cooking, or simultaneously, I boil the canning jars in another pot of water for 10 minutes–taking them out with a jar lifter and placing them on a towel to dry and evaporate the water off. Lids need only 5 minutes in the boiling water–retrieve them out with a magnetic lid lifter.

Once the jam is ready, place a canning funnel onto the top of a jar and ladle in the plum mixture. The canning funnel prevents a mess. Place a lid and a ring on each jar and tighten as much as you can. When you have 4-6 jars full-place them back into the boiling water and create the vaccum seal by boiling them for  10-15 minutes. (Water must be deep enough to cover jars) Remove them with the jar lifter and place back on towel. Repeat until jam and jars are gone. Listen for the ‘pop’ and you canning is complete. If any jars do not seal, you can re-boil them to try again or just refrigerate the mixture and use within a week or so. Label your plum creations and enjoy for up to a year-ish.

The creation of the company is an endearing story sparked by Veronica Bosgraaf’s support of her six year old daughters decision to become a vegetarian. Veronica wanted her daughter to get all her essential nutrients, so she started experimenting with recipes in her kitchen in Holland Michigan–thus Pure Bars was born.

yum! She does not mention the quantities, but I received a recipe from a friend and she used 1 medium to large onion, 1/2 pound of mushrooms (can be assorted), 3 T olive oil and one cup of walnuts. It’s as easy as pate!

(Serves 9)

4 cups boiling water
3 raspberry tea bags
1 cup raspberries
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Raspberry Liquor
4 cups of watermelon, chilled, pureed/strained
3 cups sparkling wine , chilled *** (see note)

Directions:

1. To the boiling water add the tea bags, 1/2 the raspberries, cinnamon stick, sugar and liquor. Let stand. Remove the cinnamon stick after 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags after 10 minutes.

2. Let the tea mixture come to room temperature. Chill for 2 hours.

3. Strain the tea mixture into a glass pitcher. Strain the watermelon juice through a fine strainer. Add the watermelon juice to the tea and mix well.

4. To serve, fill a tall glass 2/3 with the raspberry/watermelon tea. Top the glass with cold sparking wine. Garnish with raspberries and watermelon cubes.

*** Note: You can make this ice tea without the sparking wine. It will be sweeter without the wine so adjust the sugar to your liking. You can also substitute the wine with ginger ale or club soda.)

yum!