It’s Mulberry Picking Time!

As the song goes, “Here we go round the mulberry bush.” It’s summer and our mulberries are ready to be harvested. Did you know that mulberries contain high amounts of both iron and vitamin C, as well as potassium and vitamins E and K? Mulberries contain several antioxidants and plant compounds, such as anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and myricetin. Deep-colored and mature berries are richer in these compounds than lighter-colored or colorless berries. They taste great on their own, even better in a bowl with plain Greek yogurt and extraordinary when paired with blackberries in a homemade fruit cobbler. So that’s what we did. We picked some mulberries and blackberries from our yard and decided to make a berry cobbler. It was delicious and super easy.  Prep time was around 15 minutes. As always, I adapted the recipe to our personal preferences by using half of the butter and half of the sugar the recipe ask for. Even though baking is not my forte, it turned out great!

Roy, my little helper, picks the ripe fruit.

“If I can reach just a little higher.”

A beautiful bowl of ripe mulberries. Ready to eat. 

 

It’s Mulberry Picking Time!2023-07-09T21:35:19-05:00

Farro Salad Recipe

The first time I recall eating farro I was grocery shopping at Willy Street Co-op. Next to the produce section they were offering samples of farro with goat cheese in little white paper cups. It had a wonderful chew to it. Nutty. Filling. I was hooked. Since then, it has found its way into our pantry along with quinoa, bulgur, lentils, chickpeas, split peas and several different types of rice.

At a recent potluck a friend brought a homemade Farro Salad. It was so delicious that her serving bowl was empty in under an hour. Below is the recipe which she got from Food52.com. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups uncooked farro (or substitute barley)
  • 1 medium red onion, cut in half
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 handful fresh parsley plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (add more if needed)
  • 1 cup diced (about 1/4″ cubes) fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 2 teaspoons minced pitted kalamata olives
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
  • 1 pinch freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey

Directions

  1. Add the farro, one onion half, garlic, handful of parsley and salt along with 2 3/4 cups water to a 2 quart pot. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off burner and let sit, covered, for 5 more minutes. Discard the onion, garlic and large pieces of parsley. Spread out on a rimmed sheet pan and let cool completely (do not skip this step or the mozzarella will melt into the finished dish).
  2. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegars and honey to prepare the dressing. Chop the remaining onion half finely. Add onion, cooled farro, mozzarella, kalamata olives, tomatoes, remaining tablespoon of parsley and basil to a deep bowl. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and stir well to combine, using a long wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Season with salt and pepper. The salad is ready to serve, but can also be made and stored in the fridge, covered, one day ahead.

Parsley and basil straight from the garden.

Here is the onion half, garlic and handful of parsley that we removed from the farro. We saved it for another dish.

Cooked Farro looks lonely without the other ingredients.

Chopped tomatoes, olives and red onion.

Olive oil, vinegars and honey. 

Everybody in the pool. Ready to serve and eat.

Farro Salad Recipe2022-10-26T09:49:44-05:00

Go Take a Hike: Our Trail Adventure at Spring Green Prairie

Did you know that we have a desert here in Wisconsin? With cacti and lizards, sand dunes and dry grasses? And that it’s just 45 minutes west of Madison? Yup. It’s the Spring Green Preserve and harbors some of Wisconsin’s rarest plant communities. Known as the “Wisconsin Desert”, the preserve is a place where forest meets bluff, and bluff levels off into plains and dunes. A client of mine mentioned how he went on a wonderful hike there a few months back and thought that Heather and I would enjoy it too. This past weekend we put on our hiking shoes and went on an adventure. The views and scenery did not disappoint. We walked on some of the finest sand I’ve ever felt and were surrounded by oak barrens, sumac, blue stem grass and wildflowers. With camera in hand, Heather identified and snapped pictures of prairie plants and the landscape. At one point, she stopped walking, took a deep breath, looked around and said how much she enjoyed being there. 

There is something both energizing and peaceful about going on a hike. Nature, fresh air, scenic views. For me, my mind relaxes. My eyes relax. My muscles relax. We didn’t have a specific time to return to the car or mileage we wanted to accomplish or particular views that we had to see. Just enjoying. Being in the moment. Step after step. Breathing. What’s around the next bend?  We took a break every now and then to observe and to listen to the birds and grasshoppers. So if you want to get off of the beaten path, check out the Spring Green Prairie. 

Starting out on our hike with the bluffs as a beautiful backdrop.

Prickly pear cactus.

Sumac turns red this time of year.

 

 

Go Take a Hike: Our Trail Adventure at Spring Green Prairie2022-10-03T13:01:38-05:00

Broccoli-and-Chickpea Parmesan

This one-pan dinner brings together chickpeas, marinara sauce, broccoli and mozzarella in a single skillet. A crunchy Parmesan and bread crumb blend is the final touch to this comforting, easy, and nutritious meal.  Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.com. 

Ingredients

1/3 cup breadcrumbs (*recipe called for Panko and I used Italian bread crumbs.)

 

Directions

Preheat over to 450°F, with a large cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet on middle rack. (*The original recipe asks that you cut the broccoli lengthwise and then cut larger pieces in half again (also lengthwise) to create long florets. Instead I used the entire head of broccoli including the stalk. No waste here.) Remove skillet from oven; swirl in 2 tablespoons oil. Add broccoli and turn to coat, then arrange so a flat side of each piece faces down; season with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes. 

Stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan, garlic, thyme, and oregano. Transfer broccoli to a plate. Add marinara to skillet; top with mozzarella and chickpeas. Return broccoli to skillet, browned-sides up. Sprinkle evenly with bread crumb mixture. Roast until bread crumbs are golden, mozzarella is melted, and sauce is bubbling, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Serve. (*Because my cast iron skillet wasn’t large enough to hold all of the contents, I used a bigger skillet [not oven-proof], added the ingredients and finished the dish off on the stove top instead of the oven. The Parmesan cheese did melt but the bread crumbs did not get golden. No biggie.) 

Broccoli-and-Chickpea Parmesan2021-10-25T15:52:33-05:00

Hi Protein Blintzes Recipe

When you think of a stack of breakfast pancakes, what do you picture? Thin and round steaming cakes with a tab of butter on top? A light and fluffy flapjack covered with maple syrup and other delicious toppings? Did you know that pancakes are basically flour, butter or oil, eggs, baking powder and salt?  

Have you ever tried blintzes? A friend of mine calls them lumpy pancakes and loves them. My blintz recipe is high in protein and is more substantial than traditional rolled or filled blintzes. Plus this recipe does not use sour cream, ricotta cheese or cream cheese. My middle son, Bruce, says that he likes them “much more than boring pancakes.” 

I have made blintzes for over twenty years and have experimented by adding baking powder, fresh fruit, frozen fruit, nuts, flavored yogurt, large curd cottage cheese, etc. The combinations are endless. See which one you like best! Enjoy!

 

Ingredients

1 cup unsifted flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)

1 cup yogurt (flavored, non-fat, low-fat or Greek)

1 cup cottage cheese (non or low fat)

4 eggs, beaten

 

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, yogurt, cottage cheese and eggs. Mix well. If consistency of batter is too thick then add a little milk. 

Heat nonstick griddle to 325-350 degrees F.

Using a large mixing spoon or a 1/3 cup measuring cup, pour batter onto hot griddle. Each blintze will be about 4 inches in diameter. On our 22 inch griddle, we cook 2 rows of 4  blintzes: 8 total. It’s important to leave enough space between blintzes and room for flipping.

Cook for about 5 minutes. Then flip. You can tell when the blintz is ready to flip when: 1) The edges of the blintz are slightly pulling away from the griddle. So it is easy to get the spatula underneath and it doesn’t stick.   2) When you see the top of the blintz bubbling slightly. Cook approximately 5 minutes until done.

Serve with fresh blueberries, sliced bananas or your favorite fruit. Of course, drizzle a little Wisconsin maple syrup on top.  

Hi Protein Blintzes Recipe2021-08-10T08:26:50-05:00
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