Grandma Marge's Apple Bread

We have two apple trees on our property that we planted 17 years ago and this year we had a bumper crop. We were bringing buckets of apples to our friends who have horses so the apples would not go to waste. Towards the end of summer when the zucchinis are plentiful, we have zucchini bread as a constant in our household. I have tried making apple bread but I have never really found a recipe I really liked. That is until now. Terri took Emily and our visiting German student, Karen, to visit Grandma Marge in southern Minnesota. While they were visiting Grandma Marge made this Apple Bread and was willing to share the recipe. The Apple Bread has a nice apple flavor and is similar to our Zucchini Bread in texture. Try this delicious recipe.

GRANDMA MARGE'S APPLE BREAD

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups finely grated apples

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the first 8 ingredients.
3. Fold in the apples and mix until incorporated.
4 Bake for 1 hour in loaf pans or bundt cake pan.

You can add nuts and/or raisins if you desire. ENJOY!

Oven Puffed Pancakes

Saturday morning breakfasts are great times for our family to have a chance to relax and start the weekend off right. When I was younger my brother, John, would make these Oven Puffed Pancakes. I was always amazed watching them rise while baking and then fall when you take them out of the oven. I was excited when I found  this recipe because the pancakes brought back those memories. Enjoy the pancakes with powdered sugar, syrup or fruit. It's a great way to start off the day.

OVEN PUFFED PANCAKES

1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine first five ingredients, stir until moist.
3. Melt butter in a 10" skillet over medium heat. Pour batter into the pan and place into the oven.
4. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Sprinkle with powder sugar if desired, cut into quarters and serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Potato Leek Soup

This week we recieved a number of beautiful leeks from our CSA. So, last night I made a pot of Potato Leek Soup. Fall time is the perfect time for warm soups. I can always tell if a recipe is a winner, if my wife takes some for her lunch the next day. Evidently this recipe is a winner.

POTATO LEEK SOUP

6 potatoes, peeled and diced
8 leeks, whites only, throughly washed and sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 bay leaf
2 quarts vegetable stock
1/2 cup flour
8 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup half & half

1. In a large pot, lightly saute the leeks, onion, celery and butter. Add flour and stir until incorporated.
2. Add the potatoes, stock, bay leaf and other seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cokk until the potatoes are tender.
3. Remove the bay leaf and blend in a blender until smooth. Return to the pot and add the half & half.

Enjoy!

Midwest Corn Chowder Soup

The days are growing cooler and the nights are chilly. It's the time of year for soups to warm your soul. This recipe is a quick and delicious corn chowder that is a winner anytime.

MIDWEST CORN CHOWDER SOUP

10 ounces whole kernel corn
1/2 cup potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/3 cup vegetable broth
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons dry milk powder
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup milk

1. Cook vegetables in the vegetable broth and pepper. When until tender, add the 1 1/2 cups milk.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the 1/4 cup milk, dry milk powder and flour. Add mixture to the sauce pan and cook until the soup thickens. Serve with chopped chives or scallions on top.

ENJOY!

Baba Ganoush (Roasted Eggplant Dip)

Baba Ganoush is one of our family's favorite dips. Traditionally this recipe has tahini in it. We substitute mayonnaise for the tahini, since I usually do not have tahini and when we do it is never used up. This dip is great with pitas or dipping vegetables. Give it a try.

BAB GANOUSH (ROASTED EGGPLANT DIP)

1 pound of eggplant
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Slice the eggplant in half and roast in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
2. Remove the flesh of the eggplant from the skin and place in a food processor. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until well blended. You can add red pepper flakes or powder if you would like it spicy.

ENJOY!

Spaghetti Alla Norma

We belong to a CSA which provides our family a basket of vegetables every other week. It's a great way to get different vegetables besides what we grow in our own garden. We love when we get eggplants. This recipe is a classic Sicilian dish. Give it a try and you may have a new family favorite.

SPAGHETTI ALLA NORMA

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds Roma tomatoes peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound eggplant, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 pound spaghetti pasta
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed 1/4"

1. Place oil and garlic in a large skillet; cook over medium high heat for 30 seconds until the garlic begins to sizzle.Add tomatoes and salt and cook for 15 minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Add the eggplant, cover, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Stir in basil and set aside.
2. Cook pasta in boiling water until done. Drain and toss with sauce and cheese. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

David's Ranger Cookies

Every year our community has a city wide garage sale the first weekend in May. Needless to say, we get a lot of traffic coming through and it's a great way to get rid of a lot of junk. My son, David, is an entrepreneur at heart and at age 10 decided to sell cookies to make a little cash. So whenever I make these cookies I think of how excited David was when his cookies sold out and he counted his profits.

DAVID"S RANGER COOKIES

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup rice crispies
1/2 cup coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and shortening. Combine the egg and vanilla in to the creamed sugar.
3. Sift together the dry ingredient together and combine with creamed mixture.
4. Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 -12 minutes.

ENJOY!