BLUEBERRY LEMON BREAD WITH LEMON GLAZE

Blueberry Lemon Bread

We are on fruits and veggies overload (’tis the season).

So in thinking of fresh new things to make with fresh veggies and fruits before they rot in my awesome Bolga Baskets, I went to consult the greats on my kitchen bookshelf; My crush, Tom Douglas, my beloved, Martha Stewart, The Old Farmer’s Almanac and Country Living Magazine.

So which recipe did I use? A compilation or messy mess that turned out to be my very own creation, purely out of necessity.  Quick tip and note to self: Read recipes, do inventory, go shopping and be ready. I neither had buttermilk nor enough butter, lemons, etc. etc. and etc.

Here’s my version which (if I do say so myself) turned out amazing!

To make four small loaves or 2 8 x4 loaf pans I did this.

BLUEBERRY LEMON BREAD WITH LEMON GLAZE

INGREDIENTS:

1 !!!ENTIRE!!!! stick of butter melted and let it cool.

1/3 cup of cream cheese room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs room temperature

2 lemons juiced (not like MLB players… har har!)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 Tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup coconut milk or use regular milk or that dreaded buttermilk

4 tablespoons lemon zest and I saved some for the glaze

2 cups super fresh farmers market blueberries. I’m sure this recipe will work with any berry.

GLAZE:

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 tequila shot of lemon juice (I used Italian Volcano 100% Organic Lemon Juice from a bottle! but you can use anything I’m sure)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 350 degree F (175 C ) Prepare loaf pans with butter and flour or line or spray with cooking spray. It all works.
2. Zest two lemons into a small bowl. Slice naked lemons and juice into a strainer to avoid the pesky seeds. Set aside.
3. In medium bowl mix all dry ingredients; Flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside ……Save a tablespoon of dry mixture and shake it into the blueberries until coated.
4. So now you have a medium bowl with flour mixture, a small bowl of washed and towel padded blueberries that have been coated with flour mixture, zest bowl and juice bowl.
5. In a large bowl (KitchenAid or hand mixers work too), cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Add eggs one by one and beat well then mix in lemon juice beating for another 2 minutes.
7. Add the flour mixture alternating with the milk on slower speed. Once it is all wet run it on a higher speed for about 2 minutes to fluff it up a bit.
8. Add lemon zest on low speed for a bit, just to mix.
9. Remove bowl from mixer and with a spoon gently fold in blueberries.
10. Pour evenly into prepared pans. ((((NOTE: if you don’t want to use glaze this is the moment to sprinkle with hard raw sugar I use Torbinado (my fav)…))))
11. Put in oven and bake for 1 hour for the large loaves and 45 minutes for the small loaves. Check with the baking stick if it comes out clean ..yaddy yadda… it’s done.
12. Turn over on a cooling rack and cool for about five minutes and then drizzle glaze and let cool for 30 minutes before wrapping with pretty paper or just eat it!

Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich

• Sweet Perrin Bread from Essential Bakery 
• Ham or turkey sliced thin
• Goat Cheddar Cheese or any cheese you like.
• Mustard with a kick
• apple or pear or any fruit butter ..I used the one pictured

Heat panini pan or  oven ready skillet to a med heat. While it’s heating construct your sandwich.
Rub the outside of the bread lightly with butter or mayo (good quality)

• set on pan until slightly golden brown on each side of sandwich.
• if you need to heat a bit more stick sandwich for a few minutes in the oven

• 

Easy Guac Dip

Cut up 1 avocado, 3 tbsp of plain yogurt, 1/4 cup ready made salsa and salt & pepper. then mix well with fork add 1/4 c shredded Mex Cheese on top and a spoonful of salsa. Put in Microwave for 1 minute or until cheese is well melted. (You can also use an oven safe dish and bake for 12 minutes at 400 degrees).   Serve with chips and enjoy.

Fresh Picked Zuchini Tacos

It’s Zucchini time and if you have a garden you are probably running out of ways to use it.  Still you want to make the best of what your bountiful garden has to offer and offer and offer. How much bread can you make?

I searched the web for newer fresher ideas and I came up with nothing. So I decided to experiment by using most of the veggies from my garden and came up with one delicious discovery.

This recipe was inspired by my mom’s Calabacitas Recipe. And by that I mean I have never been able to make hers so I invented mine.  It has everything you need or can use from your garden and it made  for some great tacos without meat.

You will need:

3 tsps High heat  oil

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 large onion finely chopped

4 large zucchinis cut in quarters or squares.

3 peppers any kind (I used jalapenos from my garden) finely chopped.

Fresh cut Cilantro, thyme and basil  chopped and minced. Use to taste.

1 can of organic sweet corn (I used corn from 4 ears)

1 can of organic pinto beans ( I made my own)

10 grape tomatoes cut in half or 2 regular tomatoes cut in small pieces

Salt and pepper to taste.

For garnish you will need:

Goat cheese crumbled

thinly sliced purple cabbage (from my neighbor’s garden)

1  Sliced and Roasted Avocado

fresh salsa is optional

Corn tortillas or tostadas

I chop up all my ingredients first and set them aside ( Like Martha). This way you can just add as you go without having to stop to chop.

Heat oil in a large skillet, saute garlic and onions until almost soft, add peppers and zucchini and toss around until starting to soften. Add corn toss for a couple of minutes, add beans and toss for another four minutes.  Add tomatoes for two or three minutes until they are just about done. Don’t over cook these. Transfer to a large plate.

Rub a small pan with oil and place the sliced avocado. Fry until crusty on each side and transfer to small bowl.

Heat tortillas and set in a heat preserving dish.

If making tostadas it is best to heat them a bit in the oven first then set on table.

Best to let everyone make their own tacos or tostadas.  

Using fresh organic ingredients is what makes this recipe so delicious.