Nature's Flu Shot

If you want to give your immune system a "Shot" to help fight off colds and flu, you might want to give this natural mixture a try.  For almost 3 years now I have been drinking a few tablespoons of this "Flu Shot" every day.  I think it has helped me to stay cold-free throughout our long, freezing winters.  If you want to google this name, you will find other recipes that include raw garlic and other ingredients.

This simple recipe works for me!

Cut and juice 6 lemons.

Add 2 Tbsp Raw honey (like Manuka), 2 tsp. Ginger,

1/2 tsp. Turmeric, 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Add 1-2 cups orange (or other) juice and shake well.  Drink 1 "shot" a day and see if it doesn't bolster your immune system to fight off colds this winter!

Apple Cake

Don't tell my cousin Dorothy, but this recipe will always be my Mom's Apple Cake.  I have many memories of being in the kitchen with my mom, helping her slice the apples, watching her add ingredients to the batter in her stand mixer, and the best part, licking the beaters!  If you want to try a fairly simple, old-fashioned cake, try this one.  It has a velvety texture and is simply delicious.

Peel and slice 4 apples in a small bowl. Add 2 tsp. cinnamon and 3 Tbsp. sugar. Stir to coat.



Chop 1/3 cup walnuts.  Set aside.







In a large mixer bowl add:

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup orange (or apple) juice
3 tsp. vanilla

Beat slowly.  Then add:
3 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
Mix well.

Stir in walnuts.



In a greased and floured tube pan, alternately pour a layer of batter, then a layer of apples, ending with apples on the top layer.







Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 30 minutes.  Cool 20 minutes in the pan.

Bruschetta

Tony made a fantastic Bruschetta last week for a big dinner we cooked for some friends.

First he scooped out the seeds and pulpy center of meaty plum tomatoes.  Then he chopped the outer fleshy tomato edges. He added chopped scallions, feta cheese, fresh basil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, olive oil, and a little balsamic vinegar.  Chopped brined olives or capers are optional.

He sliced a baguette on the diagonal into lengthy pieces.  He browned them in the oven on a cookie sheet.  Then he rubbed a piece of cut garlic onto the bread for some flavor.

Look at this beautiful presentation!  We served these with some Italian Sausage Kale Soup.  It was a great first course.

Fall Cleanup Checklist

Here's a quick list of things I do before winter hits:

1.  Disconnect Garden Hoses - You don't want a freeze

to ruin your hose.

2.  Store Patio Furniture - Clear off your patio or porch and store summer furniture in the garage.

3.  Feed your lawn with a Winter Mix.

4.  Remove all dead annuals from your vegetable garden

and do a last weeding before the winter sets in.

5.  Put in Storm Windows and Check Window Locks.

6.  Uncover Heating Vents and Change your Furnace Filters.

Now you're ready for winter:)

Antipasto

Tony makes the best Antipasto.  It's Italian for

"before the meal."  Here's how Tony builds

a beautiful antipasto for a classic

Mediterranean meal.

He buys good quality Soppressata (an Italian salami) and Capicola (a hot Italian ham).  Tony rolls the slices individually and arranges them on a platter with thinly sliced carrots and celery.

He looks for a couple of good cheeses.  Some of our favorites are Soft Asiago, Fontinella, Havarti, and Provolone.

Tony adds the cheese slices to the platter.

We serve baguette pieces with the Antipasto, along with some sliced London Broil or Filet Mignon, 

roasted red pepper salad, chick pea salad, and some dipping sauces.

Here's the table with all the components of Tony's Antipasto.

 Here's another platter he creates, Caprese Salad made with fresh Mozzarella, sliced tomato, olive oil, fresh Basil, and Italian brined olives.

Blueberry Clafoutis

I served a nice lunch to some friends last month.  One of our desserts (!) was a Blueberry Clafoutis, a simple French flan.  It's not too sweet and is best served warm from the oven.  Leftovers are good for breakfast.

For 1-9 inch pie use a quart of fresh blueberries, cherries, or plums, or a combination.  Pour 1/3 cup of sugar and a tablespoon of rum over the fruit and let sit for 30 minutes.  Strain the fruit and keep the liquid.

Grease a pie dish or tart pan and arrange the strained fruit in the bottom.  In a blender mix the reserved fruit syrup, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 cup whole milk, 3 eggs, 1 Tbsp vanilla, and 1/2 cup flour on high speed for 1 minute.  Pour over the fruit and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and maybe 10-15 minutes more until nicely browned and the center tests done.

It will puff up around the edges and smell wonderful!  You can dust it with powdered sugar or serve with whipped cream, but it's great as is.

Cherry Tomatoes

I usually plant a couple of grape tomato plants every summer.  This year my "grape" tomato plants were cherry tomato plants, obviously mislabeled.  To my surprise, they were very sweet and flavorful.  The plant grew beautifully and I harvested hundreds of tomatoes. 

Here's what I did with most of them:

Cut them in half.

Arrange the pieces on my dehydrator trays.

Wait about 12 hours.

Now they are reduced in size, but doubled in sweetness.  I put these in a ziploc baggie, then into the freezer.  I use them all winter on white pizzas and sandwiches.

If you don't have a dehydrator you can get the same results by putting them on a baking sheet in a warm oven (200-250 degrees) for a few hours until they look done.

Here's a pesto pizza with dehydrated tomatoes and roasted red peppers:

Our friends always ask me if I added sugar to the tomatoes because they taste so sweet!