Recipes

Mom and I would join grandma in yard under the shade tree and help with the husking.  Once we had about a half dozen 5 gallon buckets full of ears, dad would carry them into the kitchen and the process would begin.

It was a lot of work in which the task usually lasted into the evening hours and sometimes until after the sun had gone down. But the effort put forth was certainly worth it when looking at all the containers full of fresh sweet corn stacked high in the basement freezer. Even more so in the middle of January when we enjoyed the fresh taste of corn for dinner!

Soak 12 pieces of kitchen twine cut 20 inches long in water for 15-20 minutes

Mix the salt and butter together and set aside

4-5 leftover baked potatoes (or bake potatoes ahead and refrigerate till ready for use)
1 small yellow onion (sliced)
1 leek (sliced)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons butter
3-5 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

10 cups shredded zucchini (I use green and yellow)
4 cups chopped onions
5 T salt (I use kosher)
2 green peppers chopped
2 ¼ cups vinegar
5 cups sugar
1 t nutmeg
1 t dry mustard
½ t turmeric
3 t celery seed
1 t cracked black pepper
2 t red pepper flakes (optional) or add to half of mix
2 t cornstarch

Smashed Turnips and Red Skin Potatoes

Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook till tender, a knife should slide through easily. Drain and return to pan; add the milk or cream (adjust more or less if needed) and smash with a potatoes masher till creamy, leaving a few lumps.

Salt and pepper to taste

Great with Bacon Bits as a garnish

Serves 4-5

Vegetable Soup with Blackeye Peas and Sweet Potatoes

2-2 ½ lbs Stew Meat

1 15 oz can of blackeye peas                                                                           
1 can corn (or 2 ears of sweet corn blanched and cut off the cob)
1 small yellow zucchini
1 small green zucchini
1 qt tomato juice

ENJOY!

2-3 Tablespoons Olive oil
2 stalks celery + the light green leaves (chopped)
1 med size carrot (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 small onion (chopped)
2 small potatoes (diced)
2 bay leaves
1 Tablespoons dried parsley or 2-3 Tablespoons fresh
1- 14 oz can petite chopped tomatoes with garlic and olive oil
1 -14 oz can low salt chicken broth
1 ½ Tablespoon Basil Pesto
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Crushed black pepper and sea salt to taste
1-15 oz can pinto beans (kidney beans or any white bean will work)
2 Chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces or 3-4 chicken thighs will work for this recipe

Serve with some crusty bread for dipping

Serves 2-4
(Double if more is needed)

1 pound lean ground beef
½ pound ground pork
1 medium onion chopped
4 Tablespoons chili powder (divided)
½ Tablespoon smoked paprika
1 Tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 quart tomatoes juice
1 quart diced tomatoes
1 15.5 oz can kidney beans
1 15.5 oz can pinto beans

Seafood Chowder

1 leek chopped

½ lb tilapia cut into pieces or any white fish will work
1 lb crab meat picked from the shell or lobster
1 lb shrimp peeled and cut into chunks
1 ½ cups half and half or heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Look at all the meat I picked from 1 pound of crab legs

In a heavy stock pot on medium heat cook the bacon till lightly crisp; remove and reserve 4-5 tablespoon of the bacon for garnishing the chowder; add to the remaining bacon the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes to release the flavor; add the chopped onions, leek, potatoes, clam juice; chicken broth and bay leaves; simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes till all is tender.

Add the fresh seafood and continue to cook on medium heat till the seafood is done; 10-12 minutes; stir in half and half or heavy cream; add cornstarch mixture to thicken chowder and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes till thick and creamy.

Top with the bacon crumbles and chopped green onion (optional)

Serve with some crusty bread for dipping

ENJOY!

You will need 1 ½ – 2 ½ lb’s of good stew meat or cut up some of your own freezer beef. (Depends on how much meat you want in your soup) I use stew meat, the meat cutter has included (specified by me when the steer is butchered)  If I run out of stew meat, I will use some of the sirloin, round or a roast. Just make sure the meat you use has some marbling to it, this is the fat and believe me you want a little bit of fat for flavor. If there is too much fat attached, trim some of it off.

1 ½ -2 ½ lbs Stew Meat
3 t. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced or 1 t. garlic powder
1 t. dried basil
1 t. sea salt
2 T dried parsley or fresh chopped
½ t ground black peppercorns (or to taste)
3 beef bouillon cubes (optional)
4 14 oz cans beef broth
(Or you can boil down some soup bones that your meat cutter has included)
Recipe for broth to follow
1 medium onion
3 bay leaves
3 stalks celery and some of the light leaves
4 stalks carrots
4 medium potatoes
1 can corn (or 2 ears of sweet corn blanched and cut off the cob)
1 small yellow zucchini
1 small green zucchini
Greean green beans or 2 cups fresh picked beans form the garden snapped and chopped
1 qt tomato juice (or one from the pantry that you canned last summer)

Step One:
Brown the meat in the olive oil on med heat until it starts to turn brown
Add the garlic, basil, bay leave, salt, pepper, parsley, ½ of the onion and bouillon cubes to the meat and cook on medium heat till the moisture starts to reduce. (Do not let go dry) add the broth and let the meat and seasoning cook until tender 40-60 minutes
Could be less or more time  (You will need to taste test to see if the meat is getting tender)

As soon as it starts to tender: