Muddling Through

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When I woke up this morning, it was actually 28. Mind you, the date on the calendar is April 2, and yet the temp has barely topped 43 degrees for months. This is the life of someone living on the Great Plains of the upper midwest. It is a life of extremes that most cannot quite understand unless they have lived it.

I have many friends who are natives, and love it here. My daughters, who have basically been raised here, love it here. I however, was raised and lived all my life on the west coast of the country, am not a fan. I mean, in all my years on the west coast, I can honestly say I never heard nor saw someone doing this as April approached:

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Yes, that is grilling in the snow. This is a more positive view compared to a couple weeks ago, since we had one of our ‘balmy’ days and the snow had melted enough for us to actually GET to the grill! We decided it was cause for celebration, it was above 32 degrees and so the meat would actually cook!

Yes, Minnesota is land of extremes. Summers are beautiful I won’t lie. They are green, lush and by August, dry. This is the land of lakes, and we have plenty. Ironically, I’m not really a lake person, but I do love the river. While the lakes are silty, murky and have lots of vegetation, the St. Croix is beautiful. By late summer it’s warm, clean and slow running. No slimy weeds in your toes or little fishes like Sunnies to bite at your moles. My girls love to take a gaggle of girls, head to the beach to hang out and tan. One of my favorite family summer traditions is to pack a picnic lunch, and paddle the canoes from Taylors Falls down the river a few miles, ending up where shuttle bus takes us back to the car. It’s a lovely way to spend 4-5 hours on a hot and steamy June day off.

The heat here starts in June and doesn’t really let up until mid-September. While we have -20 in the deepest part of winter (Just for reference, that is cold enough to freeze the snot in your nose. Cold enough to vaporize a cup of hot water thrown in the air) , we reach nearly 100 at times in the summer. It’s a steamy heat due to all the water we have, so with heat index, it is over 100 at times. So, come August, another favorite family summertime tradition is to go up to the North Shore of Lake Superior. It allows us to escape the heat for a brief week. Not only is is cooler up there, but the scenery is breathtaking. Being that far north, you cannot see to the other side of the lake. It reminds this coastal girl of the ocean. It is my guaranteed once a year sanity break from being land bound. That far north, you sit on the slopes of the Iron Range. Tall pines, birch, elevation that produces rivers, streams and fun climbing trails all remind me of my beloved Central Oregon and the high desert around the Three Sisters Mountains. Staring out my window and looking at this:

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makes me pine for summer up north (Grand Marais) where we enjoy this:

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Sigh. When spring consists of snow, snow and more snow, it’s hard to envision and recall the warmth and green of summer. Right now, the forecast is for yet another couple days of cold, with the hope of warming by weekend. Sadly, all that warmth will bring is mud. Lots and lots of mucky, muddy, soggy ground that will result in lots of work to keep clean. Spring brings rain, which on the still frozen ground, results in flooding. Spring water and warmth, brings the mosquitoes, which are big enough to be semi-laughingly be referred to as the state bird. Spring brings the humidity. But at least with the arrival of spring, I know that summer is not far behind.

We had our first snowfall here mid-October. It’s now April 2. I won’t lie, my patience for winter to be over is waning. My fingers itch to be out in the garden. My body is restless to be in something other than turtlenecks and sweaters. My dog yearns to be taken for long walks in the farm fields. It’s a feel of expectation and anticipation. It’s a sense of impatience that grows stronger with each passing day. I know that once the thermometer hits 50, I will go from impatient toe tapping to frenzied activity, so I guess during this transition, I’ll have to settle for muddling through.

Lamb kebabs with Gluten Free Pita

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Oh, it truly is the little things that make my daughter happy. I’m glad for it, but as it’s something as simple as a flatbread it makes me sad, just a little. Nowadays with her gluten intolerance, many of her favorite foods are tough to come by or not available, unless mom gets creative and does her homework. 

One of our favorite dinner meals are lamb kebabs done Moroccan style with tzatziki sauce (i was inspired by alton browns version, using greek FAGE yogurt), tomatoes, cucumber, white onions and grilled peppers. It hits all the main food groups so it’s a variation of a ‘one pot’ meal for sure. Perfect for a sunday sabbath day, cold outside but sunny and cheery. Not a bad day to experiment.  

The current dilemma has been a homemade gluten free pita bread that doesn’t take all day or a lot of special ingredients. Over at Gluten-Free on a Shoestring they came up with a recipe I felt fit those constraints and worthy of giving a try.  (here is the link. ) Sunday is as good a day as any to get creative, so I headed down to my freezer and pulled out the last of my ground lamb from my farmer. (see Todd & a well stocked freezer) While it defrosted, I started the bread, mixing and putting in a warmed oven to rise. (My house is kept too cool for normal bread rising. I turn my gas pro-range on just long enough to warm the oven cavity, then turn it off and put my dough in, covering with a tea towel)

Meanwhile I got the meat ready, prepped the veggies and cracked open a lovely bottle of pinot noir to sip while cooking. For the meat I made a puree of cilantro, parsley and onion, then adding cumin, paprika and cayenne, salt and pepper. I gave the meat, all the spices along with the puree a quick whiz in the food processor, then formed in to patties and grilled along with an orange bell pepper. I sliced the bell pepper to serve with the other veggies on the wraps. (grilling mellows the flavor and adds another texture as well as contrast to the dish) 

While the grill was heating, I formed and baked up the pita. This time I used Pamela’s Bread Mix and Flour Blend and holy cow, did they turn out awesome. I think the photos will testify they certainly look the part. Here is a picture of them prior to baking. (sorry for the shadows, I have a pot rack that hangs below my light!) :

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My only modification was to brush the top with some extra virgin olive oil and turn the convection fan on. I also flipped them at the 6 minute mark and let them go another 2 minutes. VOILA. AWESOME-Y GOODNESS! 

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This pita recipe is designed to make pita pocket bread. That was not my goal, so I was not disappointed at all when only one puffed as it should. In our family, we don’t care for the pita pockets, as they always seem tough. No, we prefer the ‘flatbread’ style of pita, which this recipe produces wonderfully. I can already envision my famous hummus with fresh baked gluten free pita. My daughter will be in heaven! 

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Gluten Free Cream of Tomato Soup

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As I’ve said in a previous blog, I am going to feature other bloggers once in awhile. This time its my  dear friend Laurie over at The Frugal Farmer . I am posting the recipe for  a soup I made for her, which she recently requested. It honestly is one of the best tomato soups I’ve ever made, and the only recipe I now use.

Yes, it is a little putzy, but it is well worth the effort. I double the recipe and freeze half before adding the cream. It’s then easy to defrost, reheat and add the cream and brandy. (I use brandy, but you can use sherry if you prefer)

The original recipe is not gluten free, but I have modified it to be gluten free by using my gluten free Artisan Flour Blend by Pamela’s. If you are not gluten intolerant, just use all-purpose flour.

Cream of Tomato Soup- Gluten Free.

2 (28oz) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice, drained reserving 3 cups of the liquid. Put a strainer over a bowl to catch the seeds and keep the juice, and carefully open the tomatoes, pushing out the seeds and juice.

1.5 tbsp dark brown sugar

4 tbsp unsalted butter

4 shallots, minced

1 tbsp tomato paste

pinch of allspice

2 tbsp gluten free all-purpose flour

1.75 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp brandy or sherry

salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

Preheat your oven to 425deg, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place the seeded tomatoes in a single layer on it, sprinkle with the brown sugar and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until they are beginning to color and the juices have evaporated. Peel the tomatoes off the foil and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the shallots, tomato paste and allspice. Lower the heat to low, and cook, stirring often, until the shallots soften (about 5-10 min). Add the flour and stir to combine, cook about 30 sec. Whisking constantly, add the chicken broth, reserved tomato juice and the roasted tomatoes. Cover the pot, increase the heat to medium and simmer until the flavors marry, about 10 minutes.

Strain the soup in to a bowl. Place the solids in a blender, add about a cup of the liquid and puree until smooth. Add this back to the rest of the liquid, and put back in the sauce pan. (Rinse or wipe out to ensure no chunky bits are left behind)

[soup can be frozen at this point]

Add the cream and brandy, season to taste and enjoy! (do not boil the soup once you have added the cream. To reheat, bring to a simmer, then serve)

Below is a photo of the leftovers from a reunion Christmas cookie decorating party for my oldest and her high school friends. I have not made this soup in awhile, so I don’t have a current photo. My apologies.

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