I was given some blueberries and decided to use them in the blueberry muffin recipe. The instructions have you chop about half of the berries and the rest go in whole. That was an interesting process. I used my tiny Black and Decker food chopper. It worked well, and I didn't have to clean the big one. The recipe adds lemon zest and juice of one lemon. Both Craig and I thought it was too lemony. I will use this chopping technique again, but reduce the lemon. They look really pretty. They are intensely blueberry and not at all mooshy which I was afraid of with the chopped berries.

New York-Style Crumb Cake

The New York-Style Crumb Cake sounded almost like the coffee cake I used to order at Millie's Kitchen, a quirky diner in Lafayette, CA, only open for breakfast. I have fond memories of gobbling up coffee cake at Millie's after morning swim practice. After looking over the recipe, it seemed like I should probably exercise before partaking in this version -- the topping alone calls for one pound of butter.

Like most recipes in Foster's Market, this one serves a crowd; I decided to bring it to our neighbors' house when they invited us over for pancakes. I had all the ingredients on hand, and the whole thing came together easily and quickly--just in time for breakfast at 9:30 without rushing our morning routine.

People really seemed to like it, and only four end pieces remained after everyone had finished breakfast. I recommend eating it right after it comes out of the oven. I ate one piping hot piece and another piece later after it had cooled; the topping definitely tastes better gooey and warm.

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Making bread makes Ellie so happy (her's is the little folded one on the right).  This recipe also interested me because I have lots and lots of rosemary in my front and back yard.  I am always looking for ways to use it.  Well, I found a great one.  I brought this to the potluck tonight too.  All gone.  Thank you Foster's market.  I am making this again tomorrow.

Foster's Market Brownies

I thought I would try the brownies.  Like many of the recipes in this cookbook the brownie recipe is huge.  I halved it.  I am not sure what I did wrong.  I am pretty sure my calculations were correct.  I cooked it for the allotted amount, let them cool an hour or so before cutting.  They were a runny mess.  Unless someone else tries this one it will not be repeated by me (Anyone?).  I was a little sad but I think my sister and Adam were much sadder.  Se la vie (is that how you spell that?)

Zesty Tomato Sauce

I wanted to try the zesty tomato sauce b/c when the tomatoes and eggplants come in I want to know if it is worth using this recipe or something else.  I like this recipe and I will use it for the Eggplant Parmesan.  The recipe is easy.  I did make a few changes.  I added both marjoram and oregano (more than the recipe called for) and I added 5 cloves of garlic.  I should have added a little more because I ended up sprinkling a little bit of garlic powder in at the end.  Oh, and I added a Tablespoon of brown sugar to even out the bitterness in the canned tomatoes. I used 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes and 8 ounces of diced.

Tonight I used the sauce to do a baked ziti.  I boiled the pasta, added some of the sauce, placed it in a 9 x 13 inch pan, topped it with a lot of shredded mozzarella and baked it at 400 until the cheese browned around the edges of the dish.  I brought it to a potluck and by the time my husband arrived there was one serving left.

Chicken Chili with Navy Beans

Val got me in the mood for soup after reading her review of the Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Chowder, so I made this chili recipe tonight. It was a hit -- very, very flavorful. It was a tad on the spicy side, which we liked. I used my favorite red chili powder from Chimayo, NM, which probably upped the heat a bit.

I wouldn't call this a chili, though; it's much lighter, more like tortilla soup, if you've ever had that. So it wasn't too heavy, even for a dinner in July, at least on a cool evening.

There was one odd thing about the recipe. You can use either dried beans or canned beans. I used canned. The recipe tells you to simmer for 1.5 hours if using dried beans, but it's unclear on what to do if using canned beans. It says to "add them at this point and cook about 30 minutes" but it's not clear what "this point" is -- after 1.5 hours of simmering? Or do you skip the 1.5 hours of simmering and just cook for 30 minutes? I took the middle road and simmered for 45 minutes, then added the beans and simmered for another 30 minutes. It was great, so it probably didn't matter much. I guess when you're using canned beans you just want to make sure that you don't simmer it so long that the beans fall apart and become mush.

I made the Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits to go with it, after reading the previous review (I think it was Sharalyn's?). Wow, those were good. They're very buttery yet light and flaky. Mmmmm. Thankfully there are 4 leftover -- hoping to snag at least one at breakfast tomorrow to have with jam. I already like this cookbook, particularly the little side notes throughout.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Tomatoes, Spinach and Dijon Vinaigrette

I served this as a main course as a beach picnic and it was a hit. I did make quite a few changes.

First, I have grill fear because that is my husband's domain. If I were to show I could use it, he might never use it again. As a result, it's his. The chicken breast were cooked in my oven using the broiler.

Next, I completely forgot to buy celery, so it was missing that element.

When I made the vinaigrette, it tasted to acidic for my liking so I added about 2 tsp of honey to the dressing and YUM-O. It was tasty.

I made the chicken and veggie part of the salad ahead and served it on spinach at the beach. It was great. The one thing that I would add, and this could be the pregnant woman in my speaking, but I would add some of those chinese crunchy noodles on top. That would have made me eat this salad until I burst. I know, pretty picture. Speaking of pictures, I didn't have my camera or my cell phone with me at the beach, WHAT?!?! Next time, I promise. :)

Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Chowder

This is some seriously tasty soup. However, there are some glitches in the recipe. First, the first ingredient is for 2 tbsp of olive oil, which I am assuming is for roasting the peppers, but is never mentioned within the recipe. As a result, when I started out, I threw the olive oil in the pot. Duh. Do over.

I also was stingy with the salt. Don't be. I forgot how much salt potatoes suck up in a soup. Use the full amount of salt, if not a little bit more or it will fall flat.

Also, if you are a kitchen gadget person, you should own one of these. The OXO Good Grips Corn Stripper (American Test Kitchen's Top Choice and I want one!) Click here and you too can own one!

The cool thing is that it collects the corn kernels so they don't end up all over the counter. Excellent.

I made this soup and took it to Music on the Lawn. We shared 3 cups and Cole, Neil and I each had 2 along with a loaf of homemade Gruyere bread (The Bread Bible). All we had left was enough for Neil to take to work the next day for lunch. That's a good sign!

Crispy Gingersnaps

I am not a big ginger snap person.  I made these for Adam.  He LOVES them.  Before he left for the labs tonight he said they were awesome.  So, I suppose they are.  They were easy.  It seems I like most recipes I put together.  Perhaps I am so thrilled I can cook I am easily pleased or I just love to eat.  Who knows :).

Chicken Pot Pie with Foster's Herb Biscuits

This was delicious, although it did take most of the afternoon.  I think next time it will be not quite so labor intensive.  I will know what to make when.  That was not clear in the recipe.  For instance, the first step was to preheat the oven to 375.  If I did that the oven would have been on for 1/2 the afternoon.   One can cook the chicken and make the first part of the biscuits in the morning.  It is possible to make the pot pie filling earlier in the day and put it all together 30 minutes before sitting down to eat.  Again, that was not clear in the recipe.  I was not sure if the pot pie filling could sit.  It can.

I did add potatoes to the veggie medley.  I like potatoes in my pot pies (and we had just harvested some from the garden).  They seemed a good addition.  I cooked the potatoes some before putting them into the vegetable mixture.  They cooked the rest of the way in the oven with the biscuits.  It is a beautiful dish (and I do love homemade biscuits) so I will make this again.  Adam loved it and Ellie loved helping make the biscuits (not to mention she ate 1/2 cup of peas during the prep).

Oh, the herb biscuits.  I used mostly parsley and a little bit of sage.

German Chocolate Cake

It was a friend's birthday so it seemed a great time to try a cake recipe.  I love chocolate cake and it seems my birthday friend does too so I thought a german chocolate cake was the way to go.  I used four of our duck eggs (which are smaller than "normal" duck eggs).  I think they make the cake pretty light and fluffy.  A plus.  The cake was so high I could not cover it on the cake stand.  The recipe calls for Coconut-Pecan Caramel frosting.  Since I know coconut can be a questionable thing for some, I decided to try the mocha frosting instead.  It was yummy!  I was happy with the cake and the frosting.  The people easting it seemed to like it too.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Tonight my family and I attended the Roche Harbor BBQ.  I made and brought the buttermilk biscuits.  Adam, my husband, ate 9 so it seems they are a hit in this household.  I had one and found them light and fluffy.  They were easy and quick.  For some reason biscuits always seem a treat, especially with butter and honey.  I will make this again for sure.

"Nutty Buddy" Shortbread

This is a "dressed up" shortbread . . . especially good for dipping in coffee or a hot beverage of your choice. An attractive cookie for a tea party.

The recipe was pretty straightforward. I needed to use a bit more than 1/4 cup of coffee to get the dough to stick together. I also ended up sort of brushing the chocolate on the ends rather than dipping. (My husband wondered why I didn't just dip the whole thing in chocolate!)

I shared them at a teacher's meeting and with Val and Neal when they came for a visit. Everyone said they were good, but they didn't elicit the yummy noises that come from an exceptionally good cookie. Good and attractive, but not exceptional.

Go Suzanne Go!

Last night I sampled the "Sour Cherry Tart" ...is that what it is called Suzanne? She didn't take a picture. Let's just say I was filled to the gills from a wonderful meal and then  I ate 1 1/2 pieces of this mouth-watering deliciousness. The lemon curd is what really sold me, but the entire thing was an absolute treat to the taste buds. Thank you for treating us to a wonderful dessert AGAIN!

Panama Buttermilk Pancakes!

Eliza woke up this morning and wanted pankackes. I was about to pull out her old favorite recipe when Suzanne reminded me that the Foster's Market book had a pancake recipe as well.

The description of the recipe is mostly about the strawberry, banana, and coconut topping that you put on top, but the meat of the recipe is the actual cakes. I cut the recipe down by 1/2, since it seemed like a lot for the girls. I used Sharalyn-fresh eggs; fortunately, there were 2 small ones, which seemed like a decent way to split 3 large eggs.

I generally dislike simple recipes like this that call for separating eggs and whipping the whites, but the cakes were pretty darn good, no doubt about it. I opted against the dark rum option, going for vanilla extract instead. The vanilla flavor was pretty pronounced, which I saw as a feature.

In sum: delicious. I'd make them again when I was feeling up to the egg separating task.

moose

Cajun Cut Rib Eye Steak and Potato Gratin with Tomatoes, Chevre, and Thyme

I made the steak recipe using the last t-bones of our island cow, and this was a worthy recipe for them. Roasting the peppers in the oven was so easy -- I can't believe I've never done it like that before. I even threw in a bonus green pepper because Tessa demanded it. I was a little skeptical of the combination of ingredients in the marinade, but the flavor was great and complemented the sweet-spicy peppers well.

I also loved the Potato Gratin. I halved the recipe and made it in a pie dish. Five medium-smallish Yukon golds, one large tomato, and half of the other ingredients filled the pie dish perfectly. I think I will use less butter next time; I'm not one to skimp on butter, but when you can see pools of butter in the finished dish, it might be going a bit too far.

While I loved both of the dishes, I don't think I would prepare them together again. The steak was spicy and flavorful, which overpowered the delicate flavors in the gratin.

Chicken Chili with Navy Beans

I had a ton of leftover chicken breasts, so I decided to try one of the many recipes in Foster's Market that calls for shredded chicken. I was in a hurry to make it, so I used canned beans instead of dried. I followed the recipe very closely, with the exception of adding extra beans. After I added one can, it didn't really look like chili to me, so I added another can. It still didn't look like chili, so I added one more. I guess I could have kept on going, but decided I could live with it as more of a soup than a chili. It tasted great, especially sprinkled with cilantro, scallions, and grated cheddar cheese.

Buttermilk Cake with Fresh Strawberries and Cream

We have strawberries coming out our ears (NOT complaining), and today I made my 5th strawberry pie in less than a week, so this cake was a nice change of pace and a great way to use up more of our berries. This cake is really a glorified strawberry shortcake, but it looks a lot fancier and would be great for a large summer dinner party.

I cut the recipe in half because I knew if there were leftovers, I wouldn't make it past midnight before I was in the kitchen, fork in hand. I used a single 9" square pan. The cake baked perfectly. It was so flat on top that I didn't have to level it at all. It was a little tricky keeping the two layers from breaking after slicing the cake in half horizontally, but I managed. Since I only used two cake layers, I had leftover cream, even after halving the recipe, (I realized too late that half the recipe would mean spreading cream on one and a half cake layers instead of three, which would look pretty ridiculous), so I opted to spread cream on the top cake layer, too. I also loaded on top more strawberries than the recipe called for to use up as many as possible.

This half a cake still served 8 and we like our desserts big. So when they say the full recipe serves 12-16, you can believe it. It's a lot of cake.

One final note: with only cream holding the layers together, I was worried that the layers would shift with the cake sitting in the frig for 3 hours, but the recipe says it can be made a day ahead. Not to worry -- the cake layers didn't budge a bit. It looked just like it did when I finished it. I sifted confectioner's sugar on top before serving. We all loved it.

Fresh Strawberry Shortcake

I usually make a strawberry shortcake recipe from Epicurious, but I decided to give the one in Foster's Market a try. Eliza helped me out by measuring all the dry ingredients in the food processor. We added the butter and whirled it around, leaving some pretty good sized chunks of butter intact. We moved the mixture to a different bowl to mix in the cream before rolling out the dough. Eliza would have just eaten all the dough before we baked it if I hadn't stopped her. I have to admit, as dough goes, it tasted pretty good. Even with all the nibbling, we were able to get seven large shortcakes and one smaller one (sized perfectly for two-year-old Tessa) from the recipe.

We liked the shortbread portion of the Foster's Market recipe much more than the Buttermilk Biscuits suggested by Epicurious for its recipe. Foster's recipe includes 1/4 cup sugar, much more than the 1 tablespoon included in the Epicurious recipe. The extra sweetness, as well as the richness of cream instead of buttermilk, make the shortbread a tasty vehicle for strawberries and cream, but, really, you could almost eat them on their own. In addition to the flavor, they had an awesome texture; while forming the short breads, I resisted the temptation to really work the dough together, which resulted in super tender-flaky cakes.

Mike and I ate one strawberry shortcake each and split another one. The next day, finding ourselves strawberry-less, we served the remaining shortcakes with some nectarines. We didn't love them quite as much, but the nectarines weren't particularly sweet.

This recipe came together fast and made for an awesome dessert. Eliza apparently talked it up at school today; when I picked her up, her teacher asked me for the recipe.