French Fried Onion Straws

It's Sunday.  I love making family dinners on Sundays.  Makes no difference to me if it is for twelve or two dinner guests, I love the Sunday dinner.  Most of the time I have all the necessary ingredients for the meal on hand.  I am really not into milk and whatever runs to the grocery market.  Today, Sunday dinner is Baked Ham.  Since I am making a ham dinner, perfect side dish is the Green Bean Casserole.  A friend from across the ocean wanted to know how to make the green bean casserole she has heard Americans raving about as a popular holiday meal side dish.  You know THE Green Bean Casserole with the French Fried Onions topping?  Only, I do not have the French Fried Onions in the famous can.  Nor can my friend find them in her grocery aisles.  No problem.  Easy and quick to make French Fried Onion Straws / Rings.

Start with a large Sweet Vidalia Onion sliced very thin.

Soak in approximately 1 cup buttermilk.  No buttermilk? *See above regarding trip to market...add 1 teaspoon white vinegar to milk.  Soak onions in milk 30 minutes.  Don't ya love milk in a glass bottle?  At the end of 30 minutes dredge onion straws and slices in flour seasoned with salt and pepper.

Shake the onion straws from excess flour and gentle put in hot (350degrees) canola oil. I don't deep fry these, I shallow fry them until golden brown.  Drain onion straws on paper towels..

In casserole mix green beans and cream of mushroom soup.  Top with French Fried Onion Straws.  bake in oven at 350 degrees until hot, approimately 20 minutes.

Serve warm.

 yum!

 

Exhale...

Island time, no clock, no To Do Lists...vacation time!

Summer Sunshine in a Jar

Is it just me?  Do you love the smell of fresh tomatoes on the vine in the garden?  It's the time of year for Summer Sunshine in a Jar, canning.  I am re-posting, by popular request,a post for canning tomatoes for those that have asked for it.  You can find the post here - Summer Sunshine in a Jar.

I'll be in the garden and kitchen...

 



Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake

Continuing my baking, canning, freezing and cooking from the Farmers Market post found here at  Farm to Market to Table ...today sunshine ripen, fresh blueberries!  We purchased a generous five quarts of blueberries for $4!  I have made this twice this week so far.  I think I like it when it has cooled overnight with a cup of coffee in the am best!  Or maybe warm with french vanilla ice cream....mmm!

Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, whisk before measuring
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

Topping

• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Preheat oven to 375°. Rinse and clean blueberries.

  Cream 4 tablespoons of butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar; add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth and well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture alternately with 1/2 cup milk, beating until smooth.

 

Gently stir in blueberries.

Spread the batter in the prepared baking dish.





For topping, combine topping ingredients and blend well to form crumbs. 

Sprinkle topping crumbs over batter.   

Bake the cake for 35 minutes. 

 Allow to cool completely to room temperature.

mmm!  Is there any cake that says Summer time more than Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake?



Summer Sunshine Frozen in Time

Imagine this if you will...winds howling, snow drifting across the driveway (again), frozen fingers and toes being warmed at a roaring fireplace, dreams of summer days yet to be...

In the midst of winter I have Summer Sunshine Frozen in Time in my freezer  in the form of corn on the cob and corn.  Probably the quickest end of summer harvest freezing and canning I do.  Trust me, nothing in the grocery freezer will taste as good as your own corn on the cob from your freezer in the middle of those long cold days on your dinner menu. 

As promised on this post Farm to Market to Table USDA National Farmers Market Directory, this is the first of what I did with the Farmers Market bounty.  A crate of corn on the cob for $3.

Shuck and clean your fresh corn.  In large stockpot boil water.  Put ears of corn in  pot.  When water boils again, blanch the corn for 4 minutes in boiling water.

Plunge hot corn into ice bath to stop cooking. Drain cobs of corn, pat dry before wrapping in plastic wrap each cob individually and then but ears of corn in to zip lock backs.  Freeze.



With sharp knife slice corn kernels from cob.  *I usually use a Bundt pan or Angel Food cake pan to hold the corn cob. To remove corn kernels from the cob after blanching, put the pointed end of the ear into the hole in the middle of a Bundt pan and cut. The kernels will fall into the pan..  Put corn portion into zip lock and freeze.

 

 Summer Sunshine Frozen in Time to be consumed on a chilly winter night.



Farm to Market to Table and the USDA National Farmers Market Directory

I love the sights and aromas of the local Saturday Farmer's Market.  Munching on warm, fresh made doughnuts and a cup of coffee as I walk the barns of vegetables, fruits, flowers.Talking with craftsman about their products I always gain inspiration for future projects, as well as, a few local recipes from the produce growers. 

Today, I am on vacation out of state.  But thanks to the USDA National Farmers Market Directory, I can quickly find a local market any place in the U. S.  The USDA National Farmers Market Directory, gives the public access to information about U.S. farmers market locations, directions, operating times, product offerings, and accepted forms of payment.  You can check it out at this link:  U.S. Farmers Market Directory. 

In the next couple of posts I'll share what I did with this trip's bounty from the market!