Mustard BBQ Sauce

This is a very simple recipe from my mother. She made it for us the last time my father smoked ribs and it was awesome.

1 cup chicken or beef broth
1 cup regular mustard (I like French's)
1/2 cup red wine or cider vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp butter or margarine
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce (I've also substituted Soy or Dale's sauce)
2 tbsp tomatoe paste
2 tbsp molasses (optional, I don't usually keep this in the pantry)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, depending on how much heat you like in your sauce)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for at least 15 to 20 minutes. We usually let it simmer for an hour or so for a thicker sauce.

Pickled Okra

This is a quick and simple recipe from the Victory Garden Cookbook. Okra has been so plentiful this summer, I thought this would be a great one to share.

1 1/2 lb freshly picked, small, young okra
3 cloves garlic
3 small hot peppers
1 1/2 tsp dill seeds or 3 good sized sprigs of fresh dill
3 tsp mustard seeds
2 cups vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
3 tbsp pickling salt or kosher salt

Wash okra well, removing fuzz and stems. Leave the caps one; do not cut into the pods. In each of 3 pint jars, place 1 garlic clove, 1 hot pepper, 1/2 tsp dill seed (or 1 sprig fresh dill), and 1 tsp mustard seeds. Pack okra evenly into the jars, alternating tips and caps up and down so they fit in snugly. Bring vinegar, water, and salt to a boil and pour over okra up to within 1/2 inch of the jar rim. Fasten lids and process in a hot water bath for 5 minutes, no longer. Remove jars and cool. Let sit for 4 weeks before using and enjoy!

Water Bath: Put jars on a rack in a kettle: cover with boiling water, topping by 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil, cover kettle and boil for 5 minutes. I found out the hard way, that if you process for more than 5 minutes, the pods will begin to split open.

Side Note: If the spines on the okra feel soft and tender when pressed by your fingernail, they are perfect for pickling. If the spines feel firm or tough, the okra is too mature for pickling.

Garden Tomato Sauce

I think this recipe actually came from one of our books for babyfood, but it has become one of our favorites. We've used it for pizza sauce and quesadillas. It has a great, fresh flavor.

1 lb vine ripened tomatoes, pureed
1 tbsp evoo
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2/3 cup diced sweet bell peppers
1 cup diced mushrooms
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp honey

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and peppers and saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, 3 herbs, salt, broth, tomato paste and pureed tomatoes to skillet and stir. Simmer mixture, uncovered, over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Add honey and cook for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Note: If using fresh tomatoes, preheat oven to broil. Pierce each tomato with a small knife and place tomatoes in a baking pan. Broil tomatoes until skins split and begin to turn brown, about 15 minutes. Once cooled, skins should peel off easily and quickly. Puree peeled tomatoes in food processor.

Pecan Pie Cupcakes

I came across this recipe by accident and I am so glad I did. This is a very quick and simple recipe. They are a delightful little snack that actually tastes like pecan pie! Unfortunately, one is never enough!

1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup flour (all purpose)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Divide mixture into greased mini muffin tins (should make 24). Bake for 18 minutes at 350. Enjoy!

Mary Lynn's Pumpkin Bread

This is a masterpiece from my Mother-in-law, Mary Lynn. She is very creative with her breads and this is one to keep on hand. It is light and moist and filled with lots of good stuff. Thanks Mary Lynn!


2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp baking soda
2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup olive oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 cup nuts (optional)
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup honey


Sift together the flours, salt, sugar and baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix pumpkin, oil, eggs, water and spices together. Stir in apple sauce and honey. Combine wet ingredients with dry mixture. Stir in nuts. Pour into two greased 9x5x3 loaf pans and bake at 325 for 50 to 60 minutes. Enjoy!


Notes:
The recipe is also great with other squash. My wife loves to make this with butternut squash throughout the summer. She roasts the squash and doesn't need to puree it becuase it isn't a stringy squash like pumpkin.
You can also try this with zuchini. We bought a golden variety at the local farmers market this morning and tried this recipe. She grated the large zuchini and substituted it for the pumpkin. One large zuchini equaled about 2 1/2 cups. It was heavenly!

Fresh Fig Newtons

This is a great summer treat! My wife's grandmother got this recipe a long time ago from her friend, Phillis. It is a great addition to our cookbook. Even if you don't like figs or those thin, dry newtons from the grocery store, I have no doubt you will love these. They are moist and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:
2 lbs fresh figs
2 cups sugar - divided
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 tblsp cream or milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cup flour

Dice figs and soak in water for an hour. Add 1 cup sugar and cook on medium heat until mixture is like a thin jam consistency. Set aside.
Beat remaining sugar with butter, egg, milk & vanilla until well blended. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Place half of dough on well floured dough cloth and knead about 6 times. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick and line the bottom of a 9x13 glass dish. Cover bottom layer of dough with fig mixture. Knead and roll out remaining dough to cover fig mixture. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Let cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!

Sidenote: Fresh figs can be hard to find. Most grocery stores don't carry them because they ripen so quickly. Check your local farmer's market in late summer. We bought some this morning at the market and I'm very eager to make these.
(You can also substitute 1 lb of dried figs instead of fresh and double the water.)

Tomato Pie

I've never been a big fan of tomatos. I love the smell of the tomato plant, but have always been slightly nauseated by the smell of the actual tomato. However, I do love salsa. My wife has slowly found more and more meals with tomatos that I will eat. They are actually starting to grow on me, but just a little! A friend passed along this recipe and I admit I was hesitant to try it, but I'm glad I did. It is incredible and too good not to share. Thanks Fiona!

We planted a lot of tomatos in the garden this year and have been enjoying this fantastic dish with fresh picked tomatos. I hope you will enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

1 frozen pie crust

3 - 5 medium sized tomatos, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup mayo (my wife swears by kraft)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

3 tbsp fresh basil (we just diced up a small handful)

1 cup chopped green onions (can use red or sweet)

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Bake pie crust at 425 for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Spread sliced tomatos on bottom of baked crust. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over tomatos. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes. Enjoy!