Summer Fare

Yes, 'fare' not 'fair' - I had to share our dinners the last couple nights. I love summer!

Last night's menu included a few left over scallops along with some montster shrimp, sauteed in butter and Old Bay seasoning. Candy onions, sauteed in butter and chicken base. Brie with orange-juice-soaked craisins and dried cherries, heated in the microwave (it was just too hot to turn on the oven). Sweet corn was the denouement - but I'm afraid I really didn't have room after everything else.

I think I've shared all of the above recipes in previous posts. Let me tell you, it was yummy, though as I told Russ, dinner was a little rich but boy was it good!

Tonight, we had Cashel Irish Bleu Cheese Stuffed hamburgers, with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pancetta to dress the burgers (I had mine with a little Thousand Island dressing). We also had salad and corn on the cob (yes, we eat sweet corn just about every night while it's in season). Another gourmet meal - better than anything you can get at a restaurant, I'd wager!

Who can afford a dinner including pancetta and Cashel Irish Bleu Cheese, or an appetizer of brie with drunken fruit? Well, think about it this way. We're all cutting back, eating in to save money - but it doesn't mean you have to give up the good stuff. Once a week, instead of ordering out pizza, for the same amount of money you can splurge and spend an evening cooking a wonderful gourmet meal with your family. Become a frugal gourmet!

Summer Is Finally Here - Or Is It?

I hear this everywhere I go on a nice day: Summer is finally here! On the cooler, raineir days, the refrain changes to: Is summer ever going to come? Yep, folks, it has been a cool, rainy year; and that is causing some problems with crops. You may have noticed, corn was slow to come in this year.

Sweet corn like hot, humid days, and those have been few and far between this summer. Other crops have been similarly affected. Rain makes tender berries like raspberries tough, because when picked wet, they tend to mold even faster than usual. Blueberries seem to be doing pretty well (and boy are they yummy!), but there is no doubt that the screwey weather has affected the harvest season.

And fungi, yuck! You home gardeners out there that are battling the dreaded late blight on your tomato and potato plants know what I'm talking about. Conditions have been ideal for fungus-related diseases. Luckily, most commercial growers (yes, even organic growers often use fungicide - there are certified organic fungicides available, just as there are other pest deterrants) dust for these types of things to avoid crop problems.

So, it's been a weird growing season. But still, our growers are outdoing themselves. We have been making ourselves sick on sweet corn (I even have a package or two in the freezer ;). And the salads have been out of this world! So, I thought I'd share one of our family favorite summer salads.

Veggies & Feta with Balsamic Vinagrette

Adjust amounts to creat the size salad you need. This should feed ~6 people as a side. All amounts are approximate.

2 large tomatoes, wedged
2 avacadoes, cubed
1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, and 1 green pepper, seeded & cut into bite-size pieces
1-2 Candy onions, trimmed and wedged, with the leaves seperated
1 C crumbled Feta cheese (try the bulk from the Market - I will reserve just a tablespoon or two of the brine and add that to the dressing in leiu of some of the salt)
2-3 T olive oil (try the flavored olive oils from the Market - my fav is the garlic)
4-5 T balsamic vinegar
1-2 T lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste (you must TASTE, particularly for salt, you won't need much, especially if you use the feta brine in your dressing)

Now, I'm a one bowl kind of cook, so I prep all the veggies, and add the dressing ingredients right to the bowl, then toss all together to combine. It is a refreshing salad, and so easy to put together.

Hope you enjoy, and may summer come soon ;)

Finally . . . Ohio Sweet Corn

Ok, so maybe I jumped the gun just a little. The weather was kind of cold and wet, and we didn't get the local sweet corn in this past weekend. But . . . it'll be at the Market on Wednesday!!! I CANNOT WAIT!

There is just nothing like Ohio sweet corn. We've even had folks from the west coast, in town visiting relatives, stop in and ask if they could ship some home. They just don't grow sweet corn out there like we do here - at least that's what we hear. And I tend to believe it. My mouth is watering just thinking of my first bite of that crunchy, delicious sweetness ;)

So, in honor of the beginning of the sweet corn season here in Ohio, let's hear what your favorite ways to prepare and eat sweet corn are. Russ will just shuck it and eat it raw - which with fresh sweet corn is actually quite good (try it, really!). Personally, I like it boiled in hot water until it's crunchy tender (10 minutes, tops in already boiling water).

If I only have a couple ears left (definitely not enough for a package of frozen corn for my clan :) I'll cut it off the cob and add it to the endless container of salsa I keep in my fridge. I just love a good corn salsa. And if I'm feeling like I need a quick summer meal, add a can of drained/rinsed black beans. Healthy and yummy!

Anybody else like to share their favorite ideas for Ohio sweet corn? Please, share by leaving a comment!

Where is the Summer Going?

Well, the start of summer kind of passed me by. Spring was a-poppin' at the Market, and it's been a good year for gardening with the mild weather and intermittent rain (ok, maybe a little too much rain for my taste, but you haven't had to water, have you?). Now the local produce has started coming in, and we are eating GOOD!

Strawberries are over now, folks. Sorry if you missed 'em. They were wonderful as always, but I didn't get nearly as many put up as I would have liked, and only one batch of jam made - pitiful. The kids are going to be complaining this winter, so I'll probably end up taking some of the frozen strawberries and making jam later on.

Sweet corn - honest to God, Ohio sweet corn should be in this coming weekend - YEAH! Now I have to be better about getting the sweet corn done. We're out in the freezer, and that just has to change. Here's a tip, when you are making sweet corn for supper, cook twice as many ears as you think you'll eat. After supper, cut the corn off the cob, put it in a freezer bag and throw it into the freezer. If you eat corn as often as we do, this is a great way to restore you stock before corn season is over. Though I have to admit, we have a good time, and make it a family affair, when we do a big batch of sweet corn on Mom & Dad's back deck, where the mess doesn't matter. Nothing like being productive as a family!!

Other local produce that's in includes tomatoes, zucchini, candy onions . . . I'm sure I'm forgetting some, and more will be coming in as summer progresses. Stop by and check out the selection, and see what Darlene's been up to rearranging the store. Hopefully, you'll like what you see!

Finally, I'm going to share a really yummy recipe with you that is great for those hot summer days when you don't really want to turn on the oven or stove. If you're an avacado fan, you'll love it! If you're not, at least give it a try - like I tell my kids, you can't say you don't like a dish, it you don't at least taste it!

Chilled Avacado Soup

2 Avacados
1-2 T lemon juice (or more, to taste - Russ really likes more!)
2 cups (scant) chilled chicken stock (or 1 T chicken boulloin and 2 scant cups water)
dash of Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Toss the above ingredients into a food processor and combine until creamy. If you like a thicker soup, you can add less chicken stock. If you want a vegetarian soup, try it with a vegetable stock. If you want it decadent, you can add light cream (which also makes a cool garnish swirled into the surface of a bown of the soup - if you like that Martha Stewart-style touch.). Chives and parsley also make a nice garnish, and can be added into the soup for an extra touch of flavor if you so desire.

Happy eating!!

Caleb's Carnival - THANK YOU!

Caleb’s Carnival was a huge success, and there are so many people who made it possible. We wanted thank all of the volunteers who donated their time before and during the event to keep things running smoothly. We also wanted to thank the following organizations for their generosity:
Anthony's
Applebees
Army Navy Store
Auto Zone
Biscotti's Family Winery
Buffalo Wild Wings
Cable Suite 541/Pat Williams Show - Coverage
Carnivals 4 a Cause
Charisma Brands ( Marie Osmand Doll Collection)
Chop's
City Center Garden Market
Clear Channel Radio - Coverage
Cleveland Cavaliers
Community Auto Center
Conneaut Fire Station #1
Conneaut High School Music Booster Club
Crows Nest
Dairy Queen
Danielle Nicolet-From the Starter Wife Television Show
Darden North, MD
El Puente Mexican Grill
Family Dollar
First American Cash Advance
Fun Time-Mentor
John & Sue Chapin
Lake Erie Auto
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Marcy's Funeral Home
Marty Landon -DJ
Max Wasa
McDonalds
Optomist Club
Orlando Brothers
Patricia K. Batta
Port Conneaut Federal Credit Union
Praxiar
Pro-Sales Solutions

Roberta Gellis
Sanford Sandwichs
Save A Lot
Schwebels Bread
Shefields Tents
Smokin' T's
Splash Lagoon
State Farm
Tanning 54
Time Warner Cable
Water World
The Hair Shack
Starlite Video
Film Fest Video
Quiznos
Port Conneaut Florists
Conneaut Theatre
Conneaut FOP
And finally, a huge THANKS to everyone who attended. With your help, we were able to raise over $2,400 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – and have a great time doing it!
Can’t wait for next year!

Russ & Kenna Coltman

Ben, Zana, Ethan, Quin, and of course, Caleb!

CALEB'S CARNIVAL - May 23, 11am-5pm, by CCGM

Well, it’s spring at the Market, and besides veggies, flowers, and hanging baskets, it is time for our annual fund raiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Caleb’s Carnival.

First, I thought it might be good to provide an abbreviated history of Caleb’s Carnival. It is named for a remarkable little boy from Conneaut, Ohio who has a disease called Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia or CML for short. He was diagnosed two years ago, in July 2007. He spent 5 days in the Pediatric ICU, followed by 10 days in the Immunodeficiency Ward, and during that entire time, he was unflagging in his cheerfulness, even given the poking, prodding and general discomfort of what he was going through.

Now, two years later, Caleb is in remission. All he has to do is take three little pills a day, and the leukemia that had distended his spleen to the point that it took up nearly his entire abdomen, is held at bay. It is a miracle; and would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the researchers at Novartis, and the funding from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

So when Aunt Babe decided to become a very active participant in the LLS Light the Night Walk, we joined her whole-heartedly in forming Caleb’s Walkers. Brainstorming ways to raise money for this worthwhile and now very personal cause, Caleb’s Carnival was born. We held the first annual Carnival on Caleb’s birthday in 2008, and the event was a wonderful success. We think this year will be even better.

Heather Lindberg and Carnival’s for a Cause have put together a wonderful lineup of family fun for the day, including tug of war, egg toss and a sack race, as well as other games for the kids, with some great door prizes generously donated by local businesses and friends (I’ll get a list posted soon, thanking everyone – I’m constantly blown away by everyone’s generosity).

In addition, there will be food provided by Sav-a-Lot and the Conneaut High School Music Boosters, as well as barbecue from Smokin’ T’s. Brad’s Bouncy House in Erie will be providing a space for kids to work out some of their energy. There will be musical entertainment provided by the Erie Traveler’s and friends. And we are very excited to have two of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Cheerleaders coming to sign autographs and join in some of the fun activities.

We hope you’ll be able to join us on May 23, 2009 between 11am and 5pm in Chapin’s lot, next to the City Center Garden Market. The Market will be donating 5% of the sales from that day to the LLS in honor of Caleb, and is accepting cash donations ahead of the Carnival as well. Or, you can donate online at our donations page.

But we really hope you’ll be there to wish Caleb a happy birthday and join in the festivities!

Baked Brie with Drunken Fruit

Ingredients:
Sheet of Puff Pastry (I know, I usually don't recommend buying prepared foods, but for this I'll make an exception - if you have a recipe for puff pastry from scratch you'd be willing to share - please do!)

Round of Brie (CCGM carries Joan of Arc, which is excellent in this recipe)

1/4-1/2 cup Dried fruit (we really like craisins and/or dried tart cherries as a counter to the creamy cheese, but you can use any dried fruit you like)

1/4 cup Almonds (slivered or chopped)

Drambuie

2-3 T Brown Sugar

Instructions:
Soak the dried fruit in the Drambuie (enough to cover the fruit - you can substitute part of all of the Drambuie with orange juice if you want) - if you don't have time to wait for the fruit to plump, throw it in the microwave (30 seconds, tops), as this helps the plumping process along.

Put the Brie in the center of the puff pastry sheet. Sprinkle fruit, brown sugar, and almonds over the cheese and drizzle on some of the Drambuie for good measure (you don't want it too juicy). Wrap it up like a little present, and bake in the oven according to the puff pastry directions (usually 20-30 minutes at 350F).

Allow to cool for a few minutes - if you can stand it. Cut into servings (Russ and I can eat half of one of these each, but we're kind of piggish;). ENJOY!