Pear and Walnut Pizza

A good alternative to traditional style pizza.  Pears should be ripe, yet firm.  If they are soft they will be mushy when cooked.

2 Tbsp. Butter
1/3 C. Dry White Wine
1/3 C. Heavy Cream
1 C. Fontina cheese, shredded
1 Pear, thinly sliced
½ Cup Walnut pieces
Honey
Heat butter and 1 Tbsp. Water in saucepan on low until melted. Add wine. Simmer 5 minutes. Add cream. Simmer on low until thickened. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Spread on your favorite pizza crust, (I like the Boboli thin crust style). Top with Fontina. Arrange the pear slices on top. Scatter with the walnut pieces. Bake at 375 until crust is well melted and starting to bubble in places. Take out of oven and let cool 5 – 10 minutes. Drizzle lightly with honey.

Sandwich Spread - (Tail of the Garden)

An old recipe handed down from my mother, which she received from my grandmother.  Excellent on burgers, hotdogs, or really any sandwich.  Can also stand alone or eaten on crackers.  You can substitute any relish type condiment with this spread. 

1 Doz. Green Peppers
1 Doz. Red Peppers
1 Doz. Green Tomatoes
5 Lg. Onions
1 Tbsp. Salt
3 C. Sugar
1 C. Cider Vinegar
½ C. Corn Starch
6 – 8 oz. Yellow Mustard
1 Qt. Miracle Whip

Finely grind peppers, tomatoes and onions.  Place in large bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Add salt.  Let sit 5 minutes, then drain.  In a very large saucepan, combine sugar and vinegar.  In separate bowl, combine cornstarch with enough water to make a paste.  Add to the vinegar mixture.  Bring to a boil.  In sauce pan, stir in mustard and cooked vegetables.  Cook until blended, stirring frequently abut 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and add Miracle Whip.  Pour into clean canning jars.  Hot water bath jars for 15 minutes for jars to seal. 

Marinated Tomatoes

There is nothing like the taste of tomatoes fresh from the garden.  The marinade for these tomatoes only accentuates their taste.  Very good as a side dish or serve with crusty bread and some good cheese for a meal.  Vary the spices for your own personal preference.  Leftover marinade is also excellent as a salad dressing.

¼ C. Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
1 ½ tsp. Seasoned Salt
1 ½ tsp. Ground Black Pepper
¾ C. Vegetable Oil
½ C. Red Wine Vinegar
¼ C. Onion, chopped
3 – 5 Tomatoes, sliced

Blend all ingredients, except tomatoes, in a large sealable container. Add tomatoes. Marinate in refrigerator overnight.     

Teriyaki Sauce

This is a good sauce that goes great with chicken, salmon or tofu. Grill your choice of protein, add crisp-tender veggies and toss with the sauce. Pair it up with rice and you have a fast weeknight meal.

1 C. Chicken Broth

1/3 C. Soy Sauce

1/3 C. Sugar

2 Tbsp. Mirin

2 Tbsp. Sake

In saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer. Stir to dissolve sugar, continuing to simmer until sauce starts to thicken and turn syrupy.



Summer Cranberry Seltzer

Light summertime drink for people that don’t like the strong taste of alcohol.  It is almost like a wine cooler in flavor.  You can change the cranberry juice to almost any other juice. Grape or pomegranate juice works well.

2 C. Cranberry juice
2 C. Seltzer
2 Tbsp. Lime
6 oz. Vodka

Fill glasses with ice.  Mix all ingredients in small pitcher.  Divide among glasses.

Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Sauce

I have to admit, I have a love affair,….. with balsamic vinegar.  I absolutely love the stuff.   This sauce has a good balance of flavors and would pair equally well with chicken or salmon.

 

1 pd. Pork Tenderloin, ½ “ slices
1 ½ tsp. Butter
1 ½ tsp. Olive Oil
1 Onion, minced
2 Tbsp. Honey
½ tsp. Allspice
2 C. Chicken Stock
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
¼ C. Heavy Cream
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
Parsley, minced

Pound slices of pork to ¼ “ thick. Season with salt and pepper. Heat large skillet. Melt butter and olive oil. Cook pork slices in batches, until lightly browned on both sides. Remove from pan. Add onion, honey, and allspice. Saute until softened and translucent. Increase heat to high and add stock and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Continue to simmer until the sauce is starting to thicken. Add the cream and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Return pork slices to pan. Heat through.



 

 

The Salty Dog

I like just about any drink that has salt on the rim.  The grapefruit gives a nice sourness to the drink.  This is a great summer evening porch sitting drink.

½ C. Vodka
¾ C. Fresh Grapefruit juice
Coarse Kosher Salt

Moisten the rim of 2 glasses. Dip in salt. Fill glasses with ice cubes. Divide the vodka and juice evenly between the two glasses.