Thayer in the Kitchen

Looking at the recipe I posted last time it appears that I'm on a bacon kick.  This recipe is for some delicious and very unusual pancakes.  I borrowed the recipe from the Recipe Girl website.  Check it out she has lovely pictures of the pancakes.  http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/02/16/bacon-and-corn-griddle-cakes/ 6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2/3 cup milk 1 large egg, beaten 1 tablespoon sunflower oil (Driftless Organics) or other vegetable oil 1 cup frozen or fresh corn 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese  maple syrup and/or sour cream for serving In a medium skillet, cook the bacon pieces until they begin to brown. Add the onion and continue to cook until the bacon is crisp and the onion is softened. While the bacon is cooking, combine the flour, chi...

We have been getting quite a bit of red cabbage from our CSA farm.  I find it a bit more challenging to decide what to do with red cabbage than green.  This was a recipe that I found that sounded promising. It was a success and got Arthur's vote of, "put it on your blog."  This is easily adjusted for more or less cabbage. 1 small head of cabbage 3 slices  (or more) bacon cut into thin slices 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar 1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 cup chicken broth Salt & pepper to taste Slice the cabbage into quarters, remove the core and slice into 1/4" strips.  This can be done quickly with a food processor. Cook bacon until browned and remove from pan.  Cook onion in the bacon fat until it is tender and slightly brown.  Season with a bit of salt.  Add cabbage, stir to coat with the bacon fat.  Cook until it begins to wilt.  Sti...

In my previous post I mentioned the cookbook, Fresh Food Nation.   This is a another recipe that I tried and liked.  It called for preserved lemons which I just happened to have in my refrigerator.  I think you could substitute a little grated lemon peel.  6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 8 oz. mild fresh chilies, such as Anaheim, banana or Poblano peppers, cored, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise. You could also add jalapeno for a bit more heat or just use sweet peppers if you prefer.  1-2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped 6 cloves of garlic, chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons turmeric 1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron (not essential) Kosher salt to taste 1 medium chopped 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons preserved lemon, chopped 1/2 cup stuffed green olives 1 1/2-2# potatoes cut into chunks, only peel if necessary.  You can use less potatoes if you prefer. In a large deep skillet, lightly brown the chicken in the olive oil...

This is a recipe that I adapted from the cookbook, Fresh Food Nation: Simple, Seasonal Recipes from America's Farmers , by Martha Holmberg in 2013.  " Fresh Food Nation is at the intersection of a big need and a big trend. The need is for recipes, techniques, and inspiration for fresh produce, especially vegetables. The trend is the growing desire to eat local and connect with the source of our food--not just because locally grown food is fresher and tastier, but because it offers emotional, environmental, and food safety benefits. CSAs (community-supported agriculture organizations)are the latest wave in the rising tide of eating local."  I borrowed the book from our public library because I'm always on the lookout for good recipes to use the vegetables from our CSA share.  I've liked most of the recipes that I've tried.  I particularly liked this recipe because it combines a couple of my favorites: cornbread and pecans.  Plus it was a good way to use s...

This is a recipe for some wonderful cornmeal pancakes that I saw made on a Cook's Country TV show.  I love cornmeal in anything but they commented that some people don't like it because of the grittiness.  Arthur has some of those feelings, but he loved these pancakes.  I also wanted to post the recipe because usually after the season is over the recipes are no longer available.  I know because I've tried saving them before without success. Ingredients 1 3/4 cups buttermilk 1 1/4 cups cornmeal 2 tablespoons butter 3/4 cups flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs   Directions 1. Whisk together 1 1/4 cups buttermilk and cornmeal. Stir in butter and microwave for 90 seconds stirring once during the cooking.  Stir, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. 2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Beat eggs and remain...

This is the first of a couple of sweet potato recipes that I want to post.  We've been getting some great sweet potatoes in our winter CSA share.  This recipe is from our CSA website (Driftless Organics) and is excellent because it makes a great complete meal with some good cornbread. 2 Tbsp. oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 red pepper, chopped (can be frozen) 1 green pepper, chopped (can be frozen) 1 tsp. each cumin & coriander seed 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. chipotle powder (optional, but good) ¼ tsp. each mace and cinnamon 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed 1 can (15 oz.) black beans with liquid 1 can (15 oz.) red, kidney, or pinto beans 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced or crushed tomatoes with liquid OR 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes 1 cup water, tomato juice, or chicken broth Sour cream and cilantro for garnish In soup pot, heat oil and add onions. Sauté until golden; add ja...

This is a copycat recipe for the soup served at Olive Garden where it is described as a soup of spicy sausage, fresh kale and russet potatoes in a creamy broth.  I made a few adaptations to the many recipes that I found online.  It is a delicious soup which could probably be made a bit more healthy but that's up to you if you decide to try it. Ingredients 1# bulk Italian sausage 2 slices bacon 1 cup yellow onions, diced 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 (32 oz.) container chicken broth (4 cups) 4 cups potatoes (no need to peel) cut into large cubes 4 cups chopped kale 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 1/2 cup heavy cream (or substitute 1/2 and 1/2--it just won't be quite as rich) Garnish: shredded Parmesan cheese Directions Roughly chop the kale.  First remove the stems which are very tough and don't get tender.  I know because I tried cooking kale one time without doing this.  I have not repeated that exp...