Okra with Tomatoes and Bacon (with or without Shrimp)

If you look closely, you will see the bits of bacon. They are not crisp and simply allowed
to render their fat.

Here in the South, okra is as much an essential kitchen ingredient as collards. Both are readily available in supermarkets and okra is almost always found in loose bulk at local farmers' markets during the summer months and early autumn.

Commonly, okra is simply "stewed" with tomatoes and onions on top of the stove and served over white or brown rice, usually accompanied by sausage or shrimp.

Here, I've added bacon, celery, green pepper, jalapeno and smoked paprika. A little bit of dried thyme goes a long way. Instead of using canned tomatoes, I used cherry tomatoes which impart a wonderful sweet taste that plays well with the spicier/smokier flavors. I then added tomato sauce.

While it is started on the range, it finishes in the oven at a low temperature. The baking times does great things to the okra. For one thing, it gives the stew time to marry all those great flavors. It also gets rid of any "slime" from the okra.

Some people enjoy their okra and tomatoes hot and spicy. While this recipe has a bit of heat, I prefer to let people add their own with a few shakes of Tabasco on top. Tabasco has that kind of nice vinegar base which goes well with this dish.

For this particular recipe, I used 1/2 cup diced, smoked hog jowl (readily available in the South). You may sub 2-3 slices of bacon, which will actually have more flavor (and it won't quite be as much as 1/2 cup).

I suggest grilling the shrimp for added flavor (no grills allowed where I live). Here I've simply sauteed it in a bit of olive oil, bacon grease, and Old Bay's. I finished it off with a bit of white wine and a squeeze of lemon. You can simply give it a quick boil, too, for convenience since the okra packs plenty of tastes to accompany a simply-done shrimp.

• 1 lb. fresh okra
• 8 oz. cherry tomatoes
• 2 cups diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/2 cup diced smoked hog jowl or 2-3 slices diced smoked bacon
• 1 large jalapeno, seeded and de-ribbed, and minced/diced
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh-grated black pepper (or more to taste)
• 1/2- 1 teaspoon Old Bay's
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed dry thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 T. tomato paste
• Water
• Olive oil

Look for fresh green okra pods such as these that have
no or few brown blemishes. If buying fresh packaged okra,
be sure to check for mold around the stems.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Wash okra and drain. Cut off ends and slice into 1/2-rounds. Set aside. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and set aside (you'll have about 2.5-3 cups.)

Put a bit of olive oil in a large stainless-steel pan and add the pork jowl or bacon. When it just begins to sizzle a bit, add the onion, celery, and green pepper. You do not want the bacon to brown but to cook with the vegetables. Saute until soft and most of the bacon has rendered its fat. Now add the garlic and jalapeno and stir for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes and stir. Stand back to admire the beautiful colors. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomato sauce. Mix the paste with 1/2 can of water from the empty sauce can and add to mixture. Stir in Okra. Stir in, Old Bay's, smoked paprika, and bay leaves. Cover. Lower heat and allow to simmer for five minutes or so.

Uncover. Taste for seasonings and re-season if necessary.

If your pan is oven safe and has a cover, transfer to oven. Or transfer contents to a lidded casserole dish of appropriate size. I used an earthenware casserole dish with a glazed interior. Avoid cast iron unless it is enameled. Bake for one hour, removing lid for the last 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Serve over rice. Pass the Tabasco sauce.

While it's anything but traditional, I sprinkled mine with a bit
of Parmesan cheese . . . (I'm such a Yankee!).

Buttermilk Peach Streusel Cake

Are you in a panic over peaches? In a few weeks they will be a summer memory as apples tumble in to take their place. The last few weeks I've been making all things peaches. I made a pie last week. And then jam. I did an interesting Amish buttermilk pie with the intent to add peaches, but I haven't gotten that far. Yet.

The trouble with peaches, if one could ever so sadly ascribe such a tawdry phrase as that to such a delicate fruit, is that peach recipes tend to be "stickly." Syrupy. Sugary. I wanted something with some teeth in it. So when I came across this buttermilk cake recipe by Lisa Boyle from her cookbook, The Cake Book, I knew it would great. What's not to like? A thick buttermilk batter, crunchy streusel on the inside AND the outside. And then those wonderful summertime peaches nestled in the middle.

If you make one thing to celebrate the end of summer, please make this. You won't be disappointed. It was a hit both at work and with my neighbors. And it's the kind of recipe  with which one can be creative. Next time I will tumble a few red raspberries on top of those peaches for a bit more flavor and color. 

For a great Christmas dessert, use frozen peach slices and dried, sweetened cranberries for a festive cake.

For the batter, I chose to swap out most of the white sugar for light brown sugar. I also added rum flavoring. In the future, I will just probably sprinkle a bit of rum over the peach slices. One could also certainly use a bit of bourbon.

Unlike the original recipe, I whipped the butter and then added the eggs, one by one, without adding any sugar. I mixed all the dry ingredients together and then added that to the wet mixture. When all was incorporated, I beat it for several minutes for a luxurious thick batter.

• Streusel Topping and Filling

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar (I used 1/4 c. light and 1/4 c. dark)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)
• 2/3 cups chopped pecans 
• 7 tablespoons  unsalted butter, melted

• Cake Batter

• 2 cups (242g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (I used 1/2 cup white granulated sugar and 3/4 cup packed, light brown sugar)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (I used 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, about 3/4 teaspoon rum extract, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract)
• 3/4 cup whole-fat buttermilk
• 2-3 peaches (one heaping cup) sliced a bit thicker than 1/4-inch.

• GLAZE
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. If desired, cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom.

Topping:

In a small bowl stir together the flour, sugar, spices, salt and pecans. Stir in butter and mix until moist and crumbly. I use my fingers. Set aside.

Batter:

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Set aside. (I also mixed in the sugars.)

In another medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and egg yolk one at a time beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. ( I beat the butter without the sugar and then added the eggs. At first, the eggs will seem to "curdle" and then suddenly they will "whip" beautifully into the egg mixture.)

Add the extracts to the buttermilk and stir. 

With mixture on low, begin adding flour to butter/egg mixture in three additions and the flavored buttermilk in two additions. (If adding the sugar now, continue to beat several minutes after all the dry ingredients have been added until batter is thick.)

Remove a little more than half the batter to spread on the bottom of your greased springform pan. Sprinkle half the streusel topping over the batter. Now concentrically place your sliced peaches around the pan and then in the center. Spoon remaining batter over peaches and then cover with remaining streusel mix. 

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 20 minutes before releasing from pan. Allow to cool completely before glazing.

Glaze:

Be sure to sift your cup of powdered sugar to remove any lumps. Add the cream and vanilla and mix until smooth. Drizzle over completey-cooled cake and allow to set.

Use a sharp, serrated knife to slice this cake. It's even better the next day, I think--moister.

This cake had a beautiful rise to it and took the full 60 minutes to bake.

Summer Jams: Peach and Rosemary, Strawberry-Kiwi-Ginger

Jams and jellies are easier to make than you think. And, in the dead of winter, they are incredibly wonderful to have on hand. They make wonderful Christmas gifts and, trust me, people will be grateful.

Canning really is not difficult. Be sure your kitchen is clean and have everything in order and ready to go. I always keep a sink of sudsy warm water with a cap or two of bleach added for wiping things up during the process.

I keep my jars in a warm water bath until ready to use. The same for the bands and lids. Have clean towels ready to place the filled jars on after they come out of the water bath. It pays to invest in a canning pot, funnel and tongs.

These are two of my favorite jams. So many store-bought jams are now made with corn syrup. It’s cheaper than sugar, but just not the same. Ironically, the sugar is healthier for you.

Peach and Rosemary Jam

My peach display at the grocery store.

One thing I miss about living in Michigan is the incredible fresh fruit and vegetables. People don't realize it, but southwest Michigan along the lakeshore produces some of the most sought-after peaches: Redhavens, which were developed by Michigan State University. Redhavens were the first red-skinned, commercial peach variety and it is now the most widely planted, freestone peach variety in the world!

Here at the grocery store, I often put out as many as seven boxes of yellow peaches in one day! And while I live in the South now, the California peaches we are getting are just incredible. 

When I first made this jam and gave it to friends, they all returned with "RECIPE, PLEASE!" 

The addition of lime (not lemon) and rosemary give a subtle balance to the peaches for a wonderfully nuanced jam. Try to use fresh rosemary as opposed to supermarket rosemary. The fresher it is, the less the needles will fall off during cooking. Also, fresh has more oil. Sometimes, I put the cut pieces of peaches in the fridge the night before with a sprig of rosemary that I have lightly crushed with a rolling pin before proceeding with the recipe.

Slathered over a fresh-buttered biscuit in the dead of winter? Oh, yea!

• At least six 1/2-pint jars ... depends on peaches
• 4 cups peeled and chopped fresh peaches
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 (1.75-ounce) package powdered fruit pectin
• 5 cups sugar

Bring first five ingredients to a full rolling boil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Boil one minute, stirring constantly. Add sugar to peach mixture and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Remove and discard rosemary sprigs. Skim off any foam.

Pour hot mixture immediately into hot, sterilized jars, fill to 1/4 inch from top. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe jar rims with clean cloth. Cover at once with metal lids and screw bands.

Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Strawberry-Kiwi-Ginger Jam

Strawberry-Kiwi-Ginger jam on toasted, homemade bread. Oh,
the joys of simple pleasures!

Strawberries are now available year round. Just amazing when you think about it. If I don't have peak-of-the-season fresh berries, I purchase organic strawberries--which are unusually incredible. Even the green ones are good!

• About six 1/2-pint jars
• 3 cups crushed strawberries
• 3 kiwi, peeled. Diced or smashed.
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or lime)
• 1 tablespoon minced crystallized ginger
• 1 (3 oz.) package pectin
• 5 cups sugar

Combine strawberries, kiwi, lemon juice, ginger and pectin in a large saucepan. Bring to a full boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar and return to a full rolling boil (one that can’t be stirred down), stirring constantly.

Boil hard for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Skim foam. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove. Place upside down on several thicknesses of dishtowels. When cool enough to handle, place right-side up.

Store in a cool, dry place.

This is unusually good spooned over sliced bananas!

When You Went Away - A Short Love Poem

My latest video poem. Please press "like" if you enjoyed.






▶ When You Went Away - A Short Love Poem - YouTube