Summer Fresh Tomato Sauce

If you are an avid gardener like myself  ( not ) you probably have got one or two tomato plants nestled in a hot spot somewhere.  My only lonely one is growing nicely on the balcony.  My friend Meike form Germany made this for dinner one night.  The family enjoyed it over pasta.

• 1 large onion, diced small
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 – 10 fresh tomatoes   skinned  ( to skin tomatoes, cut a cross in the bottom and pour boiling water over them.  Let sit 3 -4 minutes.  The skin can easily be removed then )
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soya sauce
• 1 tsp Knorr vegetable broth
• fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes  ( more if you like it spicy )
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 can tomato past

Sautee onion in olive oil.  Sautee on low  heat until onion is transluscent.  This may take 10 – 15 minutes.  Add garlic.  Put tomatoes in blender, add to onions and garlic. Add all other ingredients and stir well.  Transfer sauce to crock pot and cook on low for 3 – 5 hours.  ( this step can be omitted, but it will make the sauce more flavourful. )

Just before serving, remove bay leaves.  Fresh basil may be sprinkled on top of sauce just before eating.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Cream Jelly Roll

Strawberries, strawberries, strawberries.  Need I say more to let you know what is ripe in my garden?  I made this delicious strawberry cream roll yesterday, and after a long bike ride through the perimeter trail I was able to sit down and enjoy it, along with a cappuccino in the afternoon.  Being of German origin, we quite often have “Kaffee und Kuchen” on a Sunday afternoon or when guests are visiting.  To quicken up the process of making this roll, I put the roll in the freezer to cool.  If you go that route, do not leave it in too long 1/2 hour to 1 hour tops.   You can also bake the jelly roll in the morning, let it cool, and fill it a few hours later.  Either way, it’s quick and easy.   I hope you enjoy this recipe.

for the jelly roll.

• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp warm water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp b powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Beat eggs, water and sugar until thick and creamy, add lemon zest, salt and vanilla extract.  Sift together flour, and b powder.  Sift over egg/sugar mixture and fold in.  Pour onto parchment lined jellyroll pan and bake for 10 minutes @ 350.  In the meantime sprinkle a clean tea towel with sugar.  While still hot, carefully flip jellyroll onto tea towel and roll up.

For the strawberry cream

• 500 ml whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 cups quartered fresh strawberries

Beat the cream and sugar until stiff, carefully fold in the berries.  Unroll cooled jelly roll.   Spread filling over roll, making sure to get the edges as well.  Carefully roll up again, and transfer to serving platter.  Chill until ready to serve.  Enjoy!

Lemon Bars

I love lemon desserts, what can I say.  Here’s one I’d like to share with you.  It’s quite easy to make and tastes deliciously tangy.

LEMON BARS

CRUST

2 cups FLOUR
1/2 cup sifted CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR
1 cup (2 sticks) BUTTER, frozen

FILLING
4 EGGS, beaten
2 cups SUGAR
1/3 cup LEMON JUICE
2 teaspoons LEMON ZEST
1/4 cup FLOUR
1/2 teaspoon BAKING POWDER

CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR, for dusting

FOR THE CRUST:

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and line with parchment paper.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter (using the large holes of a box grater) into the dry mixture. Toss the butter pieces to coat, then rub the pieces between your fingers for a minute, until the flour turns coarse. Pour the mixture into the lined pan and press firmly with your fingers to form an even crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

FOR THE FILLING:

Whisk eggs, sugar, flour and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir well. Pour mixture into the pan on top of the warm crust.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the filling feels firm when touched lightly. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes. Grasp the parchment and carefully lift the bars onto a cutting board. Cut into serving size squares or bars, wiping your knife clean between cuts if necessary. Sieve confectioners’ sugar over bars and serve.

Brownies

It’s my day off and once again we are off to Dennis Lake.  Looking out the window, the weather does not look too promising.  I’ve packed some hot chocolate and a tarp to put up in case it starts to rain.  I’ve made a bowl of potatoe salad, packed some yummy sausages from The Sausage Factory  ( Fred makes the best )! and I’ve also baked some brownies.  I was tempted to smuggle in some ground flax meal into the batter, but I think I’ll leave that experiment for another time.

My plans are to spend a nice relaxing afternoon in front of a roaring camp fire with a good book, taking a moment every now and then to take in the breathtaking scenery.

The car is being packed as I am writing so I’d better hurry up.  Here’s the recipe I’d like to share.  It was given to me by Rosalie.

I don’t make the frosting very often because I don’t have the ingredients on hand.  I like to sprinkle chocolate chips on top as soon as the brownies come out of the oven.  Then as they melt I spread them with a butter knife.  Easy, but also tasty.

• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 cup melted butter
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt

Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup canned milk
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 10 large marshmallows

Pour melted butter over sugar and cocoa, stir.  Add eggs, vanilla , flour and salt. mix.  Bake ina 9×13 greased pan for 20 – 25 minutes.

For the Frosting:

Boil sugar,butter and milk for 1 minute.  Stir in chocolatae chips and marshmallows until melted.  Spread over cooed brownies.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Today was another beautiful day in paradise!  A perfect day for gardening.  I had a short shift over breakfast this morning and the rest of the day off, so I thought I’d make the most of it and try to sort out my garden a bit.  Thistles, thistles, everywhere!!!!   My goal was to pull out 100 which I managed in no time at all.  I’m sure I doubled my number.  After pulling weeds for an hour, I started finding things that I forgot I planted.  Sharon, I found the spinach!!!  Only 2 plants, but it’s there!!

With the hot, dry weather we’ve been having, the strawberries have ripened in leaps and bounds.  Everyday there are juicy, ripe berries waiting to be picked.  My dog Kip, is not allowed in the garden anymore….. he likes strawberries too.  I also still have some late blooming rhubarb which is patiently waiting to be picked….. so today I decided to make a strawberry rhubarb concoction.  This is what I came up with.  Now keep in mind, I am trying to enrich my diet with extra iron, hence the ground flax meal.  It adds a nice nutty taste to the crumble, can be left out if you like.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble     ( serves 6 – 8 )

• 5 cups quartered strawberries
• 3 cups sliced rhubarb, about 1/3-inch thick (fresh or frozen and thawed)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup flax meal
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup butter, diced

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 7-by-11-inch baking dish and set aside.  I used a casserole dish.  If you don’t have that size, make 2 smaller crumbles and freeze one for  another time.

In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Toss to coat. Pour the strawberry mixture into the prepared baking dish.

In a medium, mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, flax meal, light brown sugar, and salt, stirring to combine. Add the diced butter to the flour mixture, and using your fingers, work the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Pour the crumb mixture evenly on top of the strawberry mixture.

Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.  You may want to put some foil down in your oven as this tends to bubble over.

Serve warm with ice-cream or whipped cream.