rss feedI am fortunate to have a great family.
I talk about family quite a bit here at TVT—they are all such an important part of my life. This is the youngest member of the family—Jackson. Neal (my younger brother) and Ann (one of my wonderful sister-in-laws) live in Montana with Foz (that is Jackson’s nickname) and Sage (a loving, relaxed pup). This posting is all about sharing some new, wonderful photos with the rest of the family—Neal got a new camera—nice shooting Neal.
So—enjoy and laugh. Foz looks to be quite happy—and will sooner or later be getting into some fabulous food with those little teeth he has coming in. Catch you soon with some tasty bits. Cheers, R.
Not a recipe, just a simple suggestion.
OK—so I’ve been a bit wrapped up in work lately and have not posted. Not because I haven’t had some tasty meals—but, I always feel as though I want to share something fabulous—something extraordinary. I guess that’s just part of opening yourself up online—you just want to share the exciting—not necessarily the normal. I am a bit of a people pleaser so that’s just how my brain works sometimes.
So—this time I decided to break it down and keep it simple. I started to remember the easy, effortless meals and snacks that my grandmother Hattie use to pull together. She was all about making some grand dishes and meals. Believe me, the spreads that she use to grace the table with were nothing short of spectacular. But, she was also one to keep things easy, taste-full and accessible. Mmmm—cheese grits, crumble bacon and a few grapes for breakfast—crunchy toast, chicken salad and an apple for lunch—then dinner was usually a bit more involved, but could have been simple just the same.
So—that’s what I wanted to share today. Kristy and I were both a bit worn out from a big day working in the yard yesterday so I decided to just make a tasty grilled sandwich and have some sliced tomato—mine topped with a bit of chow chow that I picked up at a small farmers market in Banner Elk, NC. You all know as well as I that fresh and tasty ingredients are the key. A crusty italian loaf, some provolone, a slice or two of horseradish and fontina cheese—oh, and don’t forget a piece or two of prosciutto. Drizzle a little olive on the bread and grill til nice and crispy. This will always be satisfying with a slice of fresh tomato or apple—it just depends on what you’re feeling.
Just roll with it—keep it simple—and enjoy. Not everything has to break new culinary ground.
Cheers, R.
Peach Melba: a wonderful summery dessert
As I recently mentioned in a previous post—I have a dessert to share and it’s simple and wonderful. If you like peaches, vanilla ice cream and raspberries you are in for a treat. I was watching Nigella Lawson on food network the other day and she was poaching peaches for what she referred to as peach melba. She always makes every dish seem so wonderful—I truly feel like she loves food. So—here is the recipe—I hope you enjoy as much as we did. Cheers, R.
Peaches:
3 cups water
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
8 peaches
Raspberry sauce:
3 cups raspberries
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
To serve:
1 large tub vanilla ice
Put the water, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla pod into a wide saucepan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Bring the pan to the boil and let it bubble away for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to a fast simmer.
Cut the peaches in half, and if the stones come out easily then remove them, if not then you can get them out later. Poach the peach halves in the sugar syrup for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Test the cut side with the sharp point of a knife to see if they are soft, and then remove them to a plate with a slotted spoon.
When all the peaches are poached, peel off their skins and let them cool (then you can remove any remaining stones). If you are making them a day in advance then let the poaching syrup cool and then pour into a dish with the peaches. Otherwise just bag up the syrup and freeze it for the next time you poach peaches.
To make the raspberry sauce, liquidize the raspberries, confectioners’ sugar, and lemon juice in a blender or a food processor. Sieve to remove the pits and pour the puree into a jug.
To assemble the Peach Melba, allow 2 peach halves per person and sit them on each plate alongside a scoop or 2 of ice cream. Spoon the raspberry sauce over each.