Apple Cake

A favorite through the Fall Festivals, because Festivals are about the only time I bake and apples are in season . . .

Apple CakeIt seems I only make this cake in the fall, although I’m sure it’s delicious year round. It’s our traditional dessert for Feast of Trumpets. I make it again through the week of Feast of Tabernacles.

1 ½ C Sugar                                                 1 tsp. Baking Soda
½ C Butter                                                   1 tsp. Cream of Tartar
2 Eggs                                                          Pinch of Salt
5-6 Apples, peeled and diced                      1 tsp. Gr. Allspice
1 ½ C Flour                                                 ½ tsp. Cinnamon
                                                                     1 C English Walnuts

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat. Mix in diced apples. Combine all dry ingredients and spices and sift into batter. Add nuts, mix well.

Bake in greased and floured 9” X 13” pan @ 350 for about an hour. Best when served warm.

Top this treat with cream cheese icing.

Gilbert

                              Gilbert Starter

This is something that I happened upon, totally inadvertently.  One of my reflexology clients was talking about making bread from a refrigerated starter.  She said she made it for years, then something happened . . . I offered to Google Search and see what I could come up with.  I found a ton of different bread starters and sour dough recipes.  It seemed that most of the starters I came across still either required yeast to use in recipes or needed to be “fed” with something I didn’t have around the house.  After a few tries and many errors, I decided to come up with one I liked on my own.
If you live close by or are planning to visit our area, I’d be glad to just give you a start, but here’s the recipe to start and feed a Gilbert of your own.  Gilbert Starter must be kept in glass, covered, and not exposed to metal, so I cover with cling wrap.

In half gallon jar or bowl mix 2 C Warm Water, 2 C Flour, and 1 pkg. Yeast.  Leave covered loosely, on the counter overnight.  The next day you should be able to see bubbles and yeast activity.  If not, throw out and try again.  If so, add 1 C *Potato Water, 1 C Flour and ½ C Sugar, and stir.  Let set out for a few hours until yeast activity is visible.  Refrigerate.  Stir daily and on 5th day, take out of refrigerator and let stand to room temperature.  Add 1 C *Potato Water, 1 C Flour and ½ C Sugar, and stir.  Allow activation time and return to refrigerator.  Gilbert will be ready to use in baking in 5 days.

Weekly Gilbert Food:
                      1 C *Potato Water         3 Tbsp. Flour
                       ¾  C Sugar
* Potato Water consists of the water in the pan that you would normally drain, after potatoes are boiled + about 1/3 of a small boiled potato mashed or minced.
Gilbert Starter should be used and fed weekly, and starts can be given to friends.  Always make sure to keep 2 C. of Gilbert Starter to feed.
Remove Gilbert Starter from refrigerator.  Measure out the amount of Gilbert Starter needed for recipe.  Let Gilbert Starter stand to room temperature.  Feed Gilbert Starter and stir.   Allow for activation time, return to refrigerator til next week.
Gilbert Starter does not work like a fast acting yeast, so all recipes containing Gilbert will require about 8 hours for first rising.

I use Gilbert Starter in all of my bread and roll recipes now.  I replace the water and yeast measurement with Gilbert.  Since I bake all of our breads and pastries, using Gilbert Starter in the place of yeast packets, offers a substantial savings.  And it seems Gilbert Starter increases the number and size of loaves in my standard recipes.  With the price of flour, that’s nice too.  The loaves freeze well.
For example in the Challeh recipe, I use 1 1/3 C of Gilbert Starter

Chickpea and Black Bean Salad

 Thanks to Beth Rank

Chickpea and Black Bean Salad
1 can chickpeas
1 can black beans
1 small onion
2 tomatoes
1/2 can black olives sliced in half
Cilantro (handful, chopped)
Avocado

Dressing:
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
Juice of one lime (if your lime is dry, use 2)
Heaping Tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
1 or 2 cloves of grated garlic
Kosher salt to taste (I used about a teaspoon)
Cumin (scant teaspoon)

Directions:
Make dressing by adding ingredients together in a mason jar. Cover the jar and shake until well mixed or whisk ingredients together in a bowl.

Drain and rinse beans, then put in a bowl.
Add dressing to the beans and stir until coated.
Chop onion and tomato and slice olives. Fold these into bean mixture.
Add cilantro and put into fridge for 2 hours to chill.

Add chopped avocado and more cilantro just before serving

Makes 4 servings

Okra Fritters

I will admit, this is a lazy recipe, so lazy, I didn't even take a picture.

Get out your favorite cornbread recipe and cut it in half.

Heat vegetable oil in iron skillet, covering the bottom, about a 1/4 of an inch deep.

Cut okra pods in pieces as for frying.
 About 2 cups of okra pieces, but stir them into the cornbread batter.

Spoon about 1 Tbs. of okra batter, into hot grease.  Fill the skillet with "fritters."  Turn when it's obvious they are browned, about like cooking French toast.

Serve hot with fresh tomatoes, or as a side for tomato sandwiches.

Everything this summer is served with tomatoes.  LOL

    

Glazed Chicken

I'm in canning mode, so everything is getting made by the pot full!  I've been craving an old recipe that my Grandma used to make and I still prepare and preserve, today.  She called it "Chili Sauce," but it doesn't taste like any chili I've ever eaten.  Anyway, I had been canning all week and had a pepper with a couple of spots that needed to be cut out.  I never use questionable produce in canning, as it can break down even after the canning process.  I posted to social media that I needed an idea for chicken with a pepper.  My friend, Gerry, from "Cooking with Gerry" fame, suggested I add onion and whatever else was around the kitchen.  That's when it occurred to me!  I had just a few fresh ripe roma tomatoes left from the last canning round.  So, I did the unprecedented.  I made a partial recipe of Grandma's Chili Sauce and made a glaze for a baked chicken.

 1 cup Roma tomatoes, scalded and peeled
1/2 green pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Simmer all ingredients for about an hour.  Bake chicken @ 325° for 1 hour.
Pour sauce over chicken and continue baking @ 300° for 30-45 minutes.  Tangy, fresh, and delicious!

Chartilini

We are pleased to present, "Cooking With Gerry"

Spaghetti Squash Salad

I saw a picture and recipe of a Pasta Salad recently, that I thought would be delicious to make using spaghetti squash in the place of the pasta.  Well, when my first squash ripened, I couldn't find the recipe, so I winged it and, if I do say so myself, it was pretty delicious.  The avocado was not raised here on the place, but I do have three trees growing.

Ingredients:
1 medium Spaghetti squash
3 medium Tomatoes diced or a pint of cherry tomatoes halved.  I used a combination.
1 small Zucchini chopped
1 clove of Garlic minced
1/2 Green Pepper diced
1/4 cup Celery leaves
1/8 cup fresh Basil
4 TBS Olive Oil
2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
4 oz. Parmesan or Feta cheese

Cut spaghetti squash, in half remove seeds and bake @ 350° for 45 minutes.
I put the halves open side down in a baking dish with about 1/2" water, baked uncovered.
When cool enough to handle, remove squash flesh  with a fork in quick shredding motion.  Place in bowl, fluff to separate into spaghetti type pieces and refrigerate to cool.
Blend tomato juice, olive oil, and vinegar for dressing, set aside.
When squash is cool, add all the ingredients except the dressing and cheese.  Toss lightly.  Add dressing and cheese.  Serve with bread sticks or crackers.  Makes a meal or at least a delightful and colorful side dish.