Foodie Friday -- September 27, 2013



 Welcome to Foodie Friday, where great food is always on the menu.

 

Today, we're on the porch, enjoying pomegranate juice and sausage stuffed dates.

 



Chorizo-Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates

adapted from a recipe in Taste of the South magazine

Yield: 12

 

1 T olive oil

4 oz chorizo sausage

1 shallot, chopped** (I added this, along with onion salt, garlic salt, and dash of Tabasco)

4 T cream cheese

1 T chopped parsley

1/4 t. crushed red pepper

6 slices bacon

12 large dates, pitted

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove casings from chorizo and chop sausage into fine bits. Pour olive oil into a large frying

pan and heat. Add sausage and shallots; cook until browned. This combo cooks fast, so watch it carefully. Drain sausage and set aside. (Reserve pan.)

 Place sausage/shallots in a small bowl. Add cream cheese, parsley, and pepper. Mix well.

Set aside.

 

Add bacon to the skillet and cook gently--don't brown.

Remove bacon, drain, and cut in half crosswise (I used scissors).

Sort through dates, selecting the softest ones. Don't use any date that's hardened.**

Stuff each date with the sausage mixture, about 1/2 teaspoon.

Wrap bacon strip around the date and spear with toothpick.

 

Place dates on a Pam-sprayed baking sheet.

Cook 5 minutes. Turn dates. Cook 5 more minutes or until bacon has browned.

Remove pan from oven and place dates on paper towels.

 

The dates are quite sweet and chewy, so be sure to use the softest ones.

Shallots are highly recommended.

Idea: try sausage in stuffed mushrooms.

 

I used the leftover chorizo mixture to make terrific meatballs. My family snapped them up before I could get a picture. You can make the meatballs by following the

above recipe, skipping the dates and bacon and adding 1 beaten egg and breadcrumbs.  Roll into balls and bake, turning the balls halfway through the 12 minute cooking period.

 

 

The other day, I received a box that was filled with live citronella plants. You can see them in the above photo. I hadn't ordered them, and the sweet person did not put a card or return address.

 

I removed the plastic casing and planted them right away. Citronella smells so fragrant,
and I haven't seen a single mosquito on my porch.

 

Whoever you are, thank you for the citronella plants!

I've almost finished decorating the porch for fall. Come take a look. 

 

 



 

 

 

 

If you are participating in Foodie Friday, please take a moment to read the guidelines.

To add a link to your post, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x"
beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error;
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For a complete guide to this linky party, click HERE. If you have still have questions, click HERE
for a detailed Foodie Friday tutorial. Rattlebridge Farm reserves the right to delete any entry
that is inappropriate or violates the guidelines.

** By adding your link to Foodie Friday, you are granting us permission to include a photo of your FF recipe in a feature story. Submissions that lack a backlink will not be promoted on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or "Picks of the Week."

**No linky parties or promotion of linky parties.

**If you are visiting from Pinterest, please do not pin the thumbnails in the linky area from my blog. These images belong to other bloggers. Visit the participating blogs for pinning inspiration.

**It's okay to promote a giveaway or an Etsy project if it's food-related (aprons, dinnerware, tabletop items, cupcake boxes, goodie bags, etc.)


** Would you like to add your recipes to the "Consuming Passions" group board at Pinterest?
It can be found HERE. We're a small, sociable group; Foodie Friday folks are always welcome to "pin" with us and chat about food. Just leave a comment on one of my recent"pins," so I'll be sure to see it, and I will send you an invitation. Or you can email me.

 Thanks for visitin'!

 

 



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Foodie Friday -- September 20, 2013



 

Welcome to Foodie Friday, where good food is always on the menu.

Come on, let's see what Bandwidth is cooking tonight.

 

Just follow Mister--he'll lead you to the kitchen.

 

 Bandy has been taking an online cooking class with Chef Gordon Ramsay (it's perfectly free on YouTube). Tonight we're making Chef Gordon's steak and gnocchi.

Are you ready, Bandy?

The steaks have been seasoned, just waiting for the grill.

And the gnocchi is almost ready to cook.

 

 

The kitchen smells of hickory and thyme, hearty and curative aromas.

Bandy and Gordon make it look easy.

 

Dimpled and stuffed with ricotta, these little dumplings are a welcome change from baked potatoes and fries.

 



 

 

You've got to try one! 

 

 So glad you could join us tonight.

 

Happy Autumn!

 

  

 

If you are participating in Foodie Friday, please take a moment to read the guidelines.

To add a link to your post, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x"
beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only.

For a complete guide to this linky party, click HERE. If you have still have questions, click HERE
for a detailed Foodie Friday tutorial. Rattlebridge Farm reserves the right to delete any entry
that is inappropriate or violates the guidelines.

** By adding your link to Foodie Friday, you are granting us permission to include a photo of your FF recipe in a feature story. Submissions that lack a backlink will not be promoted on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or "Picks of the Week."

**No linky parties or promotion of linky parties.

**If you are visiting from Pinterest, please do not pin the thumbnails in the linky area from my blog. These images belong to other bloggers. Visit the participating blogs for pinning inspiration.

**It's okay to promote a giveaway or an Etsy project if it's food-related (aprons, dinnerware, tabletop items, cupcake boxes, goodie bags, etc.)


** Would you like to add your recipes to the "Consuming Passions" group board at Pinterest?
It can be found HERE. We're a small, sociable group; Foodie Friday folks are always welcome to "pin" with us and chat about food. Just leave a comment on one of my recent"pins," so I'll be sure to see it, and I will send you an invitation. Or you can email me.

 Thanks for visitin'!

 

 

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Foodie Friday--September 12, 2013



Welcome to Foodie Friday, where great food is always on the menu.

I've been battling tick bites and West Nile Virus, and Dr. House has put me on bed rest. Hopefully I'll

be on my feet soon. Until then, I'm sharing an old-but-cheerful tablescape.

Menu

Orange-Roasted Chicken (cooked over a mirepoix)

Asparagus Tart

Sliced Tomatoes drizzled with low-carb honey dijon dressing

Low-Carb Finger sandwiches

Guilt-free angel food cake

Orange slices

coffee ~ sugar free iced tea

 

 

Rattlebridge Farm Asparagus Tart

                                              serves 4 to 6

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1 c grated cheese

1 bunch asparagus, washed and trimmed

egg wash

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle flour over a sheet of waxed paper. Place thawed pastry onto the sheet and gently roll the pastry into a square. Pierce the bottom with a fork and place into a tart pan or baking dish. Brush egg wash over edge of pastry. Spread cheese over bottom of dough. Arrange asparagus spears over the cheese in a wagon wheel pattern (or place them in a linear shape--cut the asparagus to fit the shape of your pan). Bake 18 to 20 minutes.

Rattlebridge Farm's Guilt-Free Cake
                                                                     serves 6

1 "no sugar added" angle food cake (grocery store)

1 carton sugar free cool whip

fruit

"Ice" the cake with Cool Whip and garnish.

Yep, it's that easy. I used oranges because my husband was craving them. In the past, I've garnished angel food and pound cakes with fresh flowers HERE and HERE. Just place a small juice glass in the center of the cake. Add water and a bouquet. I've also cut the cakes in half and spread the surface with sugar-free pudding and sliced fruit.

 



Resources:

Hand-painted Italian pottery salad plates

Flatware and chargers: Horchow

Organdy napkin liners, tablecloth, and white pottery: Amazon

Note:

White, mismatched dishes can be bought all at once (see the Gollum Dishes,) or collected over time. Many dishaholics like myself do both! You can buy one large set of dishes and add pieces that you find at tag sales, etc. I found an inexpensive, gorgeous set of white Clairmont dishes in 2009 at Big Lots. They may still be available at Amazon.

For another look at mixing and matching dishes, check out "Dinner for Eight," or What to Do When Nothing Matches.

 



 

If you are participating in Foodie Friday, please take a moment to read the guidelines.

To add a link to your post, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x"

beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only.

For a complete guide to this linky party, click HERE. If you have still have questions, click HERE

for a detailed Foodie Friday tutorial. Rattlebridge Farm reserves the right to delete any entry

that is inappropriate or violates the guidelines.

** By adding your link to Foodie Friday, you are granting us permission to include a photo of your FF recipe in a feature story. Submissions that lack a backlink will not be promoted on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or "Picks of the Week."

**No linky parties or promotion of linky parties.

**If you are visiting from Pinterest, please do not pin the thumbnails in the linky area from my blog. These images belong to other bloggers. Visit the participating blogs for pinning inspiration.

**It's okay to promote a giveaway or an Etsy project if it's food-related (aprons, dinnerware, tabletop items, cupcake boxes, goodie bags, etc.)

** Would you like to add your recipes to the "Consuming Passions" group board at Pinterest?

It can be found HERE. We're a small, sociable group; Foodie Friday folks are always welcome to "pin" with us and chat about food. Just leave a comment on one of my recent"pins," so I'll be sure to see it, and I will send you an invitation. Or you can email me.

 Thanks for visitin'!

 

Here's the Inlinkz link:

Foodie Friday: Day 3 of Gathering in the Garden

 

 Welcome to Foodie Friday

and

Day 3 of the Novel Bakers' Garden Party Week.

 

Jain, Mari, Mary, and I have been blending books and food again. This week, we've presented a darling book, Gathering in the Garden by Shelley Snow and Elaine Husband, two Nashville artists and authors.

Their recipes and party ideas have enchanted the four of us, and we hope you will enjoy

our interpretation of this charmer. It's 139 pages, small enough to tuck into your pocketbook when you dash off to the market or the beach. The pages are crammed with idea after idea. Many are illustrated, making your imagination soar.

 

For our third and final post, I made up my own party: Moving-Into-Autumn picnic

celebrating the color purple.

 

Our special guests include the Fabulous Ducks of Rattlebridge . . .

 

 

 . . . and the fashion forward scarecrow, Minnie Pause.

Today, Minnie just stepped off the runway, sporting a Kravet boucle jacket, Burberry dress with a ruched bodice, and tartan Wellingtons.

Her hair was styled at the Farm Fresh Salon.

I just finished photographing a little while ago--I've been running behind all summer!

I've been under the weather with tick bites and West Nile, so Bandwidth pitched in and helped

lift the heavy furniture--he also made biscuits and did a little Duck Whispering.
Thank you, Bandy!

 

On the menu:

Fried Chicken (from the Publix deli--we love it)

Ham and Creamy Biscuits (Bandwidth's recipe)

Green Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing (from the book)

Oatmeal Cookies (Slice 'n Bake)

 

 

 

Bandwidth's Buttermilk Biscuits

 

2 cups self-rising flour, sifted

1/4 cup unsalted butter (chilled)

1 tablespoon shortening (Crisco)

2/3 cups buttermilk

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Sift flour. Cut butter and shortening into the flour with a pastry cutter.

Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead pastry three times.

Roll out (gently) and cut out biscuits.

Spray PAM  on a cookie sheet.

Now place biscuits on the sheet.

Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and add slices of fried country ham.

 

 

Green Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

 

For each individual salad you need:
1 salad plate

1 curly lettuce leaf

3 slices kiwi, peeled

1 cluster green grapes

5 scoops honeydew

4 slices green pear

4 slices green apple

fresh mint
green cherries (optional)

 

I added culinary lavender and chopped pecans.
Arrange the fruit on a lettuce leaf. In addition to using a melon baller on the honeydew, I used leaf cookie cutters to hopefully evoke the changing season.

 

Drizzle fruit with:

 

Honey Lime Dressing

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup lime juice

Whisk honey and juice. Drizzle over salad.

 

This is ambrosial, sweet and fresh, perfectly balanced. I added green

coconut on one salad, and it looked strange, so I ate it. (Of course!)

Even with the green coconut, this dressing is sublime.

I hope you'll try this salad!

 

 

 

Thank goodness we have a Publix grocery.

 

 

 

 

Slice 'n Bake Oatmeal Raisin cookies were cooled and slipped into purple organza pouches.

 

 

The Rattlebridge Duck gang stayed with us the whole afternoon,

drinking water, eating bread, and grooming.

 

We made spice cookies, too. They're in the kitchen...come on inside and let's visit.

 

Three days this week, the Novel Bakers have cooked their way through the delightful book,

Gathering in the Garden.

 

Monday, September 2nd

Today, Wednesday, September 4th

Foodie Friday, September 6th
 

 Catch up with the marvelous Mari, Mary, and Jain:

 Once Upon a Plate

Home Is Where the Boat Is

a quiet life

 

Resources: 

Gathering in the Garden



 

 

If you are participating in Foodie Friday, please take a moment to read the guidelines.

To add a link to your post, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x"
beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only.

For a complete guide to this linky party, click HERE. If you have still have questions, click HERE
for a detailed Foodie Friday tutorial. Rattlebridge Farm reserves the right to delete any entry
that is inappropriate or violates the guidelines.

** By adding your link to Foodie Friday, you are granting us permission to include a photo of your FF recipe in a feature story. Submissions that lack a backlink will not be promoted on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or "Picks of the Week."

**No linky parties or promotion of linky parties.

**If you are visiting from Pinterest, please do not pin the thumbnails in the linky area from my blog. These images belong to other bloggers. Visit the participating blogs for pinning inspiration.

**It's okay to promote a giveaway or an Etsy project if it's food-related (aprons, dinnerware, tabletop items, cupcake boxes, goodie bags, etc.)


** Would you like to add your recipes to the "Consuming Passions" group board at Pinterest?
It can be found HERE. We're a small, sociable group; Foodie Friday folks are always welcome to "pin" with us and chat about food. Just leave a comment on one of my recent"pins," so I'll be sure to see it, and I will send you an invitation. Or you can email me.

 Thanks for visitin'!

 

Now tell us all about your recipe.

 

 



 



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