Let's go Dutch

I have to admit that I'm kind of obsessed with recipes.  For over 40yrs., I have been clipping recipes out of magazines, books...and now, I can just download whatever I want.  Often in the past, I would see in the directions, "in a dutch oven...blah, blah, blah".  I have to say, I really didn't know exactly what a Dutch Oven was.  Until one day a few months back, Menard's....yes, Menard's, had a sale on Dutch Ovens.  Well, needless to say, I got myself over there, and for $20 I am now the proud owner of my David Burke Dutch Oven.  It sits prominently on my stove (mainly because I don't have anywhere else at the moment to store it).  Plus, it goes with the color scheme of my 'spice market' kitchen redo.  Also, it is handy, since I use it quite often.

I was surprised at first by it's weight.  Being cast iron, one gets a good workout heaving it in and out of the oven.  Thankfully, it has an enamel coating inside, so cleanup is super easy.  It does a wonderful job roasting chicken, making chili or soup, even Rice Crispy Treats.

So even this 60 yr. old grannie can learn new things, and I'm always on the lookout for "new" products, even if they have been around since the dawn of kitchens.

The Garden

Imperative to my cooking, is my veggie/herb garden.  Out of the almost 38 yrs. of marriage, I have had a garden for over 30 of those years.  My hubby just did an outstanding job of preparing our 30' X 20' plot, so today I will begin planting.  It will be a bit of a challenge, since it is windy today.  The soil is extremely dry, so there's a lot of dust in the air.  I'll start with onion plants & snow peas.  I picked several leeks that were left over from last fall.  My niece found a carrot in her garden...you just never know what you'll find!

Garlic Infused Olive Oil

A very simple recipe for a staple in my fridge

1 bulb garlic

1/2 to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt

 

Clean & mince garlic.  If you have one of those handy choppers...good for you...here's your chance to use it!

In a small fry/omelet pan,  start heating the oil on low.  Add the minced garlic. You can adjust the amounts of oil & garlic to your liking.  For @ 30 mins. on the LOWEST heat possible, heat the oil & garlic mixture.  The oil should NOT be bubbling. If the oil gets too hot, take it off the heat for a minute.  If oil gets too hot, it will scorch the garlic (gross!) and start a fire(dangerous!)  Add a pinch of salt (optional) at the end.  Turn the heat off.  At this point, I use a spatula and separate the garlic from the oil.  They both go into separate small containers in the fridge, where they will last for several weeks.  The minced garlic is now sweeter, and you can add it to any dish that you want.  The garlic infused oil is terrific for sauteing, salads, garlic bread, whatever.  The oil does solidify in the fridge, but at room temp. goes back to it's liquid form. 

Some like to oven roast whole bulbs of garlic.  This has a similar result, except that it lasts longer in the fridge, and you can use the oil separately.

Grannie Annie's Kitchen

The kitchen is the heartbeat of the home.  Over the past 3 weeks, my daughter (visiting from the UK) shared some new culinary delights with me.  Over the past few months, I have been incorporating new ingredients in my menu.  I hope to share some of these with you, along with recipes to add to your repertoire.