Children & Family – Page 3 – Backdoor Hospitality

The Family Meal (Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup)

There is so much research showing how important it is to eat together for meals. I understand that eating every meal together is not completely feasible, so maybe it’s making a goal for one meal a day. Granted, I don’t have teenagers or any after school sports during this stage of life. However, I think I hold it so dear, because growing up we didn’t have regular “check-in” time during a meal (meaning every member of the family sat together). I love how Ben regularly asks the girls, “Girls, I forgot to ask (insert enthusiasm), what was your favorite part of the day?” Tayers will routinely announce, “OH..HUCK! (as in a character from Strawberry Shortcake).” But you know, it’s not about dinner being intricate or fanciful; rather, it’s simply about being present to feed both the body & soul.

I wish you could come into our home to share a meal with us, because contrary to mislead beliefs, we rarely have exquisite platings. Typically, it’s fairly humble and sometimes a flop (with a very humble husband still eating it). If there’s something I want to impart to you in the kitchen is take risks, expand upon what you know, but do it with little steps. And if there’s another thing I want to impart is take advantage of what the farmers are growing, because it most likely tastes REALLY good.

Tomatoes. They’re still abounding here in western WA and you don’t want to pass them up. My girls love tomatoes, as do I, and we all love a good tomato soup. Growing up I hated tomato soup, because you only found in a white & red can labeled Campbell’s (Could it get any worse?). So in my infinite 8 year old wisdom, I deduced that all tomato soup was evil (as were those sad little Circus Peanut Candies). Then, I grew up and tried a different tomato soup, come to realize I had it partially wrong. Not all tomato soups are created equal (I was right about the Campbell’s brand). This tomato soup is fairly straightforward & easy. You won’t see if featured on 30 minute meals, due to the roasting time alone, but well worth it. You can choose to serve it a la rustic (less smooth & without pressing it through a sieve) or a bit more refined (pressing it through a sieve), but it’s entirely up to you. Whatever you do, I hope you sit down, give thanks for even the simplest of meals, breathe in deep for this moment you’re given, and do with those people you love most:)

One Year Ago: Day One & Two of Culinary Intensive Course

Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup (printable recipe)

Please don’t be afraid of salt here. Salt is like the focus button on a camera, it is there to enhance the flavor. A tomato in season is going to be great; however, when you add a bit of salt to it…it’s WOW factor increases exponentially. Use however, much water you think you need to create the consistency, which suits your fancy.

3 lbs heirloom tomatoes
Handful of sungold tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
sprinkle of unrefined granulated sugar
sprinkle of kosher salt

2 tsp unrefined sugar, evaporated cane juice
1 tsp kosher salt
1-1 1/2 cups water
freshly grated parmesan cheese
crack of fresh ground pepper
light drizzle of olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut heirlooms into quarter slices, while leaving the sungolds as is and put on tray. Quarter the red bell pepper & place on sheet as well. Drizzle the olive oil over the nightshades (tomato & peppers fall in the nightshade family), then sprinkle with salt & sugar. Roast for an hour.

Transfer everything, even the oil, to a food processor. Process until smooth (45 seconds to 1 minute). Taking a fine meshed sieve or food mill, pour some of the pureed mixture through to strain the seeds & skin pulp. Take the strained soup mixture and add 1/3 cup at a time to create the right consistency for you. I used 1 cup of water. Then, added a little bit more sugar & salt to make the tomato flavor pop. Heat on the stove top. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan, cracked pepper, & light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Cardamom Orange Cookies

The other day I heard these words from my very imaginative daughter’s mouth, “Put in some nutmeg, then cinnamon & CarDAmom in the crisp!” She was playing with her kitchen stuff, while replaying the time we made the P.A.C. Crisp together. It was a proud moment as a mama & lover of all things culinary…my almost three year old remembering the key ingredients to make a crisp “pop.”

Not only does she remember these sorts of things, but her delight in food is music to the ears. After baking the Cardamom Orange Cookies with her help, she eagerly awaited their arrival out of the oven (don’t you love how kids are really saying & doing what we as adults restrain). Once it was cool enough to handle, I put some of the citrus glaze on top and asked, “Is there any little girls who would like a Cardamom cookie?” She ran up & volunteered herself for the feat. Upon the cookie entering her mouth (as she is with most food she enjoys), the sounds of satisfaction like, “MMM…OH MY…(another)MMM, this is DElicious!” And so forth.

She has never been shy vocalizing her love for good food. When she nursed she let out big “MMM’s” and her first tastes of solids are equated with Bob Wiley eating Faye’s handschuked corn. I love this about her, which makes baking with her all the more enjoyable. I also love that she knows what cardamom is & how orange zest pairs well with it. So, in honor of cardamom and all things that go, “MMM,” I hope you’ll make these over the holidays to share (but don’t feel too bad if you eat more than you give away).

Cardamom Orange Cookies (printable version)

This recipe is adapted from Epicurious. I chose to take out the roll & cut method and simply rolled them into a log & cut slices from them instead. YUMMY!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom (I used a mortar & pestle to grind the cardamom from the pod)
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Citrus Glaze

juice of one orange
2 cups powdered sugar
splash of orange oil essence (or extract)
2 teaspoons orange zest

Make dough:
Whisk together flour, zest, cardamom, and salt.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in yolk and cream. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms. Put the dough on parchment paper.

Mound the dough together and roll into a log. Once you get a basic log shape, position the dough in the middle of the parchment. Then, take the parchment that’s north of the dough and cover it over the dough. Take a bench scraper and push the edge of it at the base of the parchment covered dough, trying to make a concentric log. Roll the log so the parchment covers the whole thing and twist the edges. Refrigerate for 3 hours to overnight.

Cut and bake cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Remove firm dough. Unroll the parchment so the dough is still sitting on top of the paper. Place on a cutting board. Cut the dough into 1/8 inch. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined large baking sheet, arranging them 1 inch apart.

Bake until edges are golden-brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then slide cookies, still on parchment, onto a rack to cool completely.

Make Icing:

Combine powdered sugar, juice orange, orange zest & splash of orange oil (or orange extract). Glaze atop cookies.

Thankfulness Squash Galette

It’s almost Thanksgiving and I really should be in bed. However, since I’m at my in-laws house, I know I get to sleep in. I’ve been extremely blessed with loving in-laws who are also amazing grandparents. They have a rule, which is one I affirm wholeheartedly, “Parents get to sleep in while they take care of the grandkids.” I am thankful.

And I know it’s Thanksgiving, to which we are to be grateful for all the many blessings we’ve been given; however, life happens at the most inopportune times and you’re not always handed something to be thankful about. I received some news which is discouraging and causes me to think with a fatalistic fear. I’m not gifted with optimism the majority of the time. And although I would say my glass is half full, this doesn’t equate with walking around thinking I can tackle anything and keep truckin’.

I’m at first glance an optimist fatalist, because I’m an extrovert who is over dramatic. I see the best in the outcome, but I get caught up in the path to get there at times. Ultimately, I need to remember that I am not savior and rely on one who is. Life is hard enough without having a savior complex. What…with being a mom, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a sister, etc., is enough in and of itself. I’m only required to live in this moment and do what I’m called to do. My job is not to be the perfect mom. Or to cook the perfect meals. Or to carry others burdens/issues. I don’t have to live up to expectations that others have set for me or even ones I’ve set for myself.

And in a world where we compare everything and everyone, it can be pretty damn hard. Where our children are compared to one another from day one based on their weight & length. Where mothers ask other mothers what “percentile” their child falls (maybe to feel good that their child is a bit bigger and doing “better”). Where smart is based on knowing your ABC’s, speaking in fluent tongue, or excelling in ‘quantifiable’ means. Where beauty is measured based on waist size & symmetrically aligned faces.

Yet, in the midst of all the reasons aforementioned (and then some), I can take solace in what the prophet Zephaniah spoke to Israel many, many moons ago:

Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!

The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.

The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;

never again will you fear any harm.

On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, O Zion;

do not let your hands hang limp.

The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”

I like knowing that I am to “shout…rejoice with all my heart,” because He “delights” in me, he “quiets” my whole being with “his love,” and he “rejoices over me with singing.” It gives me a picture of my daughter happily singing (in and out of tune) with complete abandon through the living room. It brings me joy & I fully delight, or enjoy her…for her. And when she’s upset, or hurt, or even quietly in my lap…I get to shower my songs upon her. And oh my, it brings her peace in the midst of a storm feeling. Thankfulness…it’s knowing that type of peace in eye of the storm, and choosing to see the good in the midst of it. So for that…I am thankful for this day the Lord has made.

If you’re wanting to add some tangible thankfulness to your day (or someone else), then this galette is definitely high on the list. Happy Thanksgiving!

Butternut Squash Galette & Delicata Squash Galette (printable recipe)

This pastry crust is courtesy of Epicurious. I needed to make two Galettes, so I doubled the pastry ingredients below. I also used 3/4 butternut squash for one galette and 1/4 for the other galette. The crust was flaky, savory & sublime. I love these for their versatility and improvisation.

For pastry:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon chopped sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 to 6 tablespoons ice-cold water
1 large egg, lightly beaten

For butternut squash filling:

1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2- by 1/4-inch slices (4 cups) **reserve about 1/4 of it for other galette if making it.
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium sized shallot
4 ounces soft mild goat cheese
4 ounces soft cream cheese
1 egg

Make dough:
Pulse flour, butter, sage, and sea salt in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle ice water evenly over mixture and pulse until it just forms a ball. (Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.) Gently press dough into a 5-inch disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make filling while dough chills:
Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.

Toss squash with sea salt and 1 Tbsp oil and arrange in 1 layer in a 17-by 12-inch shallow baking pan. Roast, stirring once halfway through roasting, until golden brown on edges and undersides, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove squash from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375°F.

Meanwhile, saute shallots in 1 tablespoons oil with a pinch of sea salt in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, until tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool slightly. Combine goat cheese, cream cheese & egg in a small bowl. Mix to combine.

Make galette:
Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Transfer to a baking sheet. Spread out cheese filling in center of dough. Dump about 3/4 of butternut squash on top, along with shallots, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border. Fold dough in on itself to cover outer rim of filling, pleating dough as necessary. Put a few sage leaves on top, drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle with sea salt. Brush pastry with beaten egg and bake galette until crust is cooked through and golden on edges, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes before serving.

Delicata-Butternut Squash with Kale Galette: there’s no need to peel the delicata, because it’s skin is tender upon roasting and is easily eaten.

1 delicata squash
olive oil for drizzling delicata
sea salt for sprinkling delicata
1/4 of above cooked butternut squash
1 medium shallot (I cooked 2 shallots and divided them between the two recipes)
3 kale leaves, vein removed & chopped into bite sized pieces
1 Tablespoon olive oil
5 ounces goat cheese

Cut ends off of delicata. Scoop out seeds & pulp. Cut into 1/4 inch rings, then cut into half moons. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle with sea salt. Roast at 450 for roughly 15 minutes. They don’t take that long. Cool.

Meanwhile, saute kale in 1 tablespoon of olive oil till tender. You may need to add more oil or even some water. Remove to a small bowl and set aside. Saute chopped up half moon shallots in 2 teaspoons olive oil for 1 minute or so. Remove to small bowl.

Combine the delicata squash, 1/4 leftover of cooked butternut squash, cooked shallot, & kale together. Roll out your dough following instructions above, drop goat cheese throughout the center of the rolled out galette. Arrange the vegetables on top of the goat cheese lined crust. Fold dough in on itself to cover outer rim of filling, pleating dough as necessary. Brush pastry with beaten egg and bake galette until crust is cooked through and golden on edges, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes before serving.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Sea Salted Caramel Frosting

My youngest daughter turned one on Saturday. We had two different celebrations for her to avoid having our house feel like a zoo (small quarters make for a claustrophobic mama). I made some yummy food, because…well, that’s what I do. And since she is only one and cannot talk, I got to pick the menu (that’s both good and bad). It’s good, because it’s pulling out the creative card in the kitchen. It’s bad, because when it comes to picking out a recipe for dessert the sky is literally the limits.

Ben laughs at me saying it takes me three hours to decide what I want to make and then leaving me only an hour to get it all done (too many options isn’t always the best thing in life). I made an apple cake with a cream cheese drizzle frosting for our family gathering. Then, on Sunday I envisioned making a caramel cake with sauteed apples and a salty caramel cream cheese drizzle icing. However, as the clock continued to tick on while I was no where near my kitchen post…I came upon a brown sugar cupcake recipe and then mixed it with an easy breezy Salted Caramel Frosting.

This was our Tayers (not her name) first taste of cake, which she thoroughly enjoyed. And I have to say how much I love this little girl. As I was approaching this weekend (she was born on the 14th), I began reflecting on the 12th (because that’s when my water broke) of what I had been doing a year ago before she graced us with her presence…41 hours later. She fills the house with laughter, cuddles, and squeals of delight when she should be going to bed. Let’s face it…to her life is a party, which is to be enjoyed to the fullest.

I remember thinking after she was born, “what did we do? We had it perfectly with our family of three and now we have this little one who’s going to change everything!” (postpartum moms are allowed to say just about anything, especially when they go through 41 hours of waiting for the baby to be born without drugs, I’m just saying 🙂 ) However, a year later…everything DID change, but it was a good change and she is well worth it.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Sea Salted Caramel Frosting

(printable recipe)

The cupcake recipe is from Chockylit, which is a fantastic & inspiring cupcake blog. The frosting recipe is adapted from here.

Brown Sugar Butter Cupcakes

24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cup light brown sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds after each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
5. Measure out milk and vanilla together.
6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat until combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full.
10. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Sea Salted Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup (one stick) butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4-1/3 cup milk

additional sea salt for sprinkling

Melt butter in saucepan and continue over heat until the butter is brown, but not black.

Remove pan from heat and add lemon juice and brown sugar–stir until smooth.

Return pan to a med-low heat and bring to boil while constantly stirring. Boil mixture for one minute and remove from heat. Then add cream, stir until cream is incorporated.

Return pan to heat and stir until just boiling. Then remove from heat, add salt and let mixture cool to room temperature. When you taste the mixture at this point is may taste very strong and a bit too salty–that’s what you want.

Transfer caramel mixture to mixing bowl and slowly beat in sugar and vanilla until smooth. **my notes: I beat mine in my kitchen aid stand mixer, which mixed it up into a blob similar to playdoh. I then added milk & mixed it again, in order to make it spreadable, which worked. It may have been better if it was mixed by hand.

Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with sea salt. Tastes even better the day after.

Juxtaposition

My mom is a woman who’s been through a lot of trials in her 53 years of life. We’ve bumped heads as we are similar in many ways, but we have also laughed, cried & encouraged one another through some pretty hard patches. And through our similarities there are of course the differences we hold. I (as you know) love love love to bake and love love to cook (bake is higher on the list), but my mom not so much. My mom love love loves to talk on the phone, and actually I’m not the biggest fan. I know she would say how I raise my girls, love my husband and tend to household duties is completely opposite to how she did those things when she was my age.

And although she didn’t necessarily teach me how to organize like Martha Stewart would have to her daughter (thank God), I would say my mom gave me gifts through her actions (those that surpass magazine covers or tangible sensibilities in Better Home & Garden magazines). Instead, she taught me what hospitality looked like (even though I didn’t know it was called that). Because my mom wasn’t the (and isn’t) type to say, “see, what I’m doing is called this…(fill in the blank).” She was simplistic in her love and grace to others (she’d probably disagree being hard on herself and call herself judgmental, but she always asked us kids for forgiveness when she was in the wrong).

I can recall my mom being the only parent who welcomed in kids to our home who were unwelcome in other “church” families’ homes. She had/has the knack of befriending just about anyone and “the least of these” are drawn to my mother. She loves without pretense and gives the benefit of the doubt. It’s the people who most of society, if they were honest with themselves, wouldn’t really want to hang out with or associate with. It’s what some might call ‘white trash, Walmart shopping, trailer park residing, welfare living, food stamp eating’ sort of people. I’m thankful for her goodness as she loves like Jesus, while providing me an example of how to love. She is so good about this and I find it to be a virtuous trait.

Christine Pohl, author of Making Room wrote:

Followers of Christ should offer a generous welcome to “the least of these,” without concern for advantage or benefit to the host. Because hospitality is a way of life, it must be cultivated over a lifetime. We do not become good at hospitality in an instant; we learn it in small increments of daily faithfulness. Hospitality is difficult because it involves hard work. People wear out and struggle with limits. Our society places a high value on control, planning, and efficiency, but hospitality is unpredictable and often inefficient. We insist on measurable results and completed tasks, but the results of hospitality are impossible to quantify and the work of hospitality is rarely finished.

One thing I think Pohl left out was, “Hospitality is messy.” It’s untamable, much like Aslan being described in the Chronicles of Narnia (who is the Christ figure in the series). We cannot guarantee that we will love every minute. We cannot control who it is that we are being called to show hospitality to in reality. And this is why hospitality is not entertainment. It’s not about having matching silverware and placemats, a fancy meal, or the best home to showcase it all in. That’s what Fine Living would tell you, but it’s the picture Jesus painted in his parable of having a fine feast inviting all the finest people in the land. However, none of them came. So the host went out & invited the ‘least of these’ from the streets to wine & dine at his feast (juxtaposition). He took any focus off himself to lavish it upon his guests. Making them the star.

So I ask myself (and my family), ‘how do we live in juxtaposition?’ I choose messy & unfinished, much like parenting right:) What do you do to live in juxtaposition? live in the messy & unfinished (‘rarely finished’)?

Pull out the recipe box

As I mentioned a couple posts back about my cooking class and all the wonderful food I enjoyed, but didn’t have the recipes quite yet. Well, I do now and I would love to share some of them with you. But before I do that…I have to tell you a rather sweet & lovely morning I woke up to.

First off, I had a date with Ben last night and dominated the conversation (thanks for listening). I dumped on him about how I’ve been feeling as a stay at home mom (ie trying to feed the kids in a fashionable time frame, wanting to enjoy a hot cup of coffee for once, trying really hard to run the inner workings of our house while spending quality time with my girls, etc etc etc). As he was listening, he asked, “what would your ideal day look like with the girls?” I think I repeated about three times, “well it would look like, no but that would be unrealistic,” while he would continue to say, “I didn’t ask what’s realistic, but idealistic” (here my realistic hubby telling his idealistic wife to stop being realistic–gotta love it).

So one of my answers was being able to enjoy a hot cup of coffee, sit down for breakfast all together and come home from Thursday playgroup with lunch already made to serve when we walk in the door (and a little bit more I’m leaving out, maybe it was a massage?). Well, listen he did. He took care of the oldest breakfast, had an americano for me and when I thought it couldn’t get any better…”here,” he said diverting my attention to a clear rubbermaid container, “a grilled cheese sandwich that just needs to be heated up and apple slices for the girl’s lunch.”

This is what hospitality looks like to a mother with two young children, who just the day before wanted to drive far, far away by herself. I’m blessed to have such a guy and I try really hard to not take it for granted. And as you read this and maybe make one of the recipes, I hope you will find someone you can bless through the simple act of hospitality, in the form of a meal.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

adapted from Thomas Keller, Ad Hoc

I personally am not a big fan of fried chicken, but I do believe some of you are…specifically Liz S.

Ingredients:

1 gallon cold water

1 cup plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey

12 bay leaves

1 head of garlic, smashed but not peeled

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

3 large rosemary sprigs

1 small bunch of thyme

1 small bunch of parsley

Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

Two 3-pound chickens

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 cups buttermilk

Vegetable oil, for frying

Rosemary and thyme sprigs, for garnish

In a very large pot, combine 1 quart of the water with 1 cup of the salt and the honey, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and parsley. Add the lemon zest and juice and the lemon halves and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Let cool completely, then stir in the remaining 3 quarts of cold water. Add the chickens, being sure they’re completely submerged, and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the chickens and pat dry. Scrape off any herbs or peppercorns stuck to the skin and cut each bird into 8 pieces, keeping the breast meat on the bone.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Put the buttermilk in a large, shallow bowl. Working with a few pieces at a time, dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the flour mixture, pressing so it adheres all over. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

In a very large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 330°. Fry the chicken in 2 or 3 batches over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and crunchy and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of each piece registers 160°, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain, and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the remaining chicken pieces. Transfer the fried chicken to a platter, garnish with the herb sprigs and serve hot or at room temperature.

Mile High Buttermilk Biscuits

adapted Cooks Illustrated

These are truly a phenomenal buttermilk biscuit, which are super quick & easy.

Ingredients:

2 C flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2 C buttermilk

Additional flour

2 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 500ºF. Spray a 9 in springform or cake pan with some nonstick spray.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt to a bowl and mix the ingredients together evenly. Using a fork or pastry blender, cut in the butter until the pieces are no bigger than a small pea. Fold in the buttermilk until everything is just blended, and there are no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix, the mixture should still be lumpy.

Line a plate or tray with some flour and using a 1/4 C measuring cup or 1/4 C ice cream/cookie scoop or eyeball it & use your hands, scoop out balls of the dough onto the tray of flour. Flour your hands and roll each ball around in the flour to evenly coat them in a layer of flour. The dough is very wet and very sticky. Place the dough balls into the prepared pan. Place 9 balls around in a ring and 3 balls in the center of the pan. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter.

Bake for 5 minutes at 500ºF (middle rack) and then lower the temperature to 450ºF and bake for another 15 minutes.

Apple Tarte Tatin

Pate Brisee

12 oz flour, sifted

1 tsp salt

8 oz unsalted butter, diced

1/4 C club soda (more or less)

Put flour, salt, and butter in food processor. Mix until it looks like grated parmesan. Add club soda a little at a time until pastry forms a ball and does not stick to sides. Dump dough onto a flat surface and push it away from you using the ball of your hand. Do this two or three times. Combine into a disc using your hands (don’t worry it will look pretty crumbly, which is normal). Put dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Let it rest on countertop for 10-15 minutes, till a bit pliable. Then roll for your pie pan.

Ingredients for Apple Tarte Tatin

8 tart (granny smith) apples

3/4 C sugar

1/2 stick unsalted butter

creme fraiche to serve

You need an oven proof frying pan – cast-iron ovenproof frying pan is fine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Peel, halve, and core apples. Melt butter in pan on stove. Add sugar (just sprinkle it on top of the butter) and place the apples decoratively on top (cut side down). Cook slowly until caramelized. This can take up to one hour. Do not stir! (Clearly, low heat here.)

When cooked (check by lifting an apple and seeing what’s going on), remove from heat.

Roll the pastry, put it on top of the apples. Tuck the sides in. Cook in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove, take a flat dish and turn the tarte upsidedown. Serve warm with creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream. You can also scrape a vanilla bean into the apples at the beginning of the caramelization and let the pod sit in there with them, too, but it’s not totally necessary.

Poached Pears

Ingredients

2 cups Orange Muscat
1 medium red beet (1/4 pound), peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
7-8 small firm-ripe pears (3/4 to 1 pound total), peeled, halved lengthwise, and cored

Bring wine, beet, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and bay leaves to a boil in a 1 1/2- to 2-quarts saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

Add pears and cover with a round of parchment paper. Simmer, turning occasionally, until pears are tender and liquid is syrupy, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pears to a bowl. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaves and pour syrup over pears. Cool completely in syrup, about 30 minutes.

Poached pears can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.

My Soul Finds Rest

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Have you ever walked through a trial wondering if you could make it through to the other side? It feels as though you’re swimming in the ocean sea and you’re barely able to keep your head a float. It’s the feeling of pure hopelessness. Your heart is wretched right from you. You can barely breath. When you finally muster some words up, all that comes out are tears. Or when there aren’t tears, there is anguish, anger & pain.

Recently my family has gone through this sort of wretched pain. The kind that makes you wallow with those deep guteral sobs of relentless agony type of pain. And then the things in which normally give me solace, like cooking, talking, coffee, reading, or writing, barely scratch the surface of healing the wound.

Then, I think about hospitality and I think of all the four letter curse words I want to yell out at people who complain about how their technology isn’t serving them well, or how they’re uncomfortable in the heat, or some other half-assed reason to moan about how their lives aren’t exactly perfect. I don’t want to serve these people. I don’t even want to serve my own family, because my soul feels as though it has been ripped from me and then smashed down with a sledgehammer. Even trying to make dinner last night was impossible, as I stared aimlessly into the fridge then sat on the floor and started to sob.

And without going into details about the nightmare my family is going through (specifically my brother & sister-in-law), I began to realize a lot as I sat there crying with my fridge door wide open. I was carrying this burden of disaster upon myself and it was way too huge. I was listening to my mother grieve, listening to my sister-in-law grieve, and trying to help my mom make sense of it as well. The reality of this nightmare finally hit me a couple days later as I sat with the cool air rushing out of the fridge hitting against me. I couldn’t listen to another ounce of troubles, or I would explode. I needed to let it out, and the best seat in the house was my kitchen floor.

I realized that hospitality is about giving a voice to people, through listening to them when no one else will, but there are times when it’s good to stop listening. I found myself hearing this song, “My soul finds rest in God alone, My Rock & My Salvation.” What I realized is I kept trying to listen and help, while bearing the brunt of the burden on my shoulders. Finally, my shoulders gave way and the floodgate of tears began to pour, along with my heart. I kept singing this one line from the song (because that’s really all I knew) and understood that God was calling me to rest in Him. Well, what does that look like–right?

It dawned on me that I needed to take a Sabbath from listening and dealing with the pain. I could take a day to rest in God alone and not deal with being a hospitable daughter, sister, and friend. I can take a day, in order to be a host who guides my guest to the cross. So today as I rest in God alone and in my Sabbath of rest, I can walk confidently in knowing that there is hope for the future. I can sit and cry on my kitchen floor, but it won’t always be a puddle of tears, but a puddle of spilled milk will come in the future. I don’t think it will necessarily be tomorrow, or maybe it will be a mixture of spilled tears and milk (because I do have a 2 1/2 year old running around) for a while. But for the current moment I have to rest in knowing that my soul finds rest in God alone, in order to stay a float.

Heirloom Tomato & Watermelon Salad

There is so much going on around our house, well actually not really right now. It’s more like there’s so much going to happen within our family. My little nephew Lucas will be going in tomorrow to have an MRI to check the growth of his brain. At his six-month check-up the doctor was concerned about the growth of his head, because it was on the small side. She reassured my sister-in-law that it was either because he simply has a small head or his skull is already fusing together. If it was the later, then they would do surgery to ensure proper growth.

Well, he went in for a cat scan last week where the news wasn’t either of the possibilities. The technician reported that the scan showed there was some sort of pressure (I hate the ambiguity from doctor reports), which means he has to be sedated to have an MRI. Not as if that’s not enough stress, anxiety, & fear to put on a mama, but his appointment isn’t until 2pm. If you’ve never experienced an MRI than you might be a little lost as to why the appointment time is a big deal…bear with me. Our oldest had an MRI when she was 14 months, but it was first thing in the morning. They make you fast, but not just an hour beforehand–it’s much longer. So for dear Lucas, he won’t be able to eat anything after 7 am and then only clear liquids from that point until 11 am. After 11 am he isn’t allowed to eat or drink anything! I thought it was hard for my 14 month old, but for a 6 month old this really is difficult.

The good news is my brother, sister-in-law and nephew will be flying from AZ to see us on Wednesday. I get so giddy when family, friends, or guests come to stay with us, especially if they’ve never (or hardly) been to our neck of the woods. I think of all the food I get to make, the lazy morning Americanos or lattes to drink, walks by the water, and evenings on the deck while the kids go to sleep.

Even though I’m super excited to see them, I’m wearing a heavy heart for Adrienne as a mama who’s going through this with her little boy. I know the heart strings that get pulled when it comes to your child–it’s personal and we mothers can’t think logically. Our minds wander into that pit of fear and “what if’s?” Plus, they’ll be here when they get the results back from the MRI. If it’s good news than we get to rejoice and celebrate. But what if it’s bad news? We’ll embrace one another and cry, question God and ask him why is this happening to this young life?

The thing about it is I’m remaining hopeful for dear, sweet Lucas. I truly believe the MRI will come back as nothing. That the doctors will call on Thursday with positive news. That the only thing they found is that Lucas simply has a small head and the CAT scan was incorrect. It’s like the ultrasound at 19 weeks with my first and the doctor reported that there was a shadow under the left ventricle of the heart, which meant a possibility of Down’s Syndrome. I knew that everything was fine with my baby–I had a peace like on a warm summer day when there’s a gentle breeze ushering in from the water as the sun kisses your skin. There’s no threat of rain clouds or fear of a storm approaching. And I see Lucas sitting between his daddy & mama right next to me on the grass in that peace.

Heirloom Tomato & Watermelon Salad (printable recipe)

So come Thursday, I hope to make this wonderful salad again in celebration of good news!

Ingredients:

3 lbs variety of heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges (try the Green Zebra)
1 small watermelon, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 red onion, cut into 1-in slices
1 or 2 avocados, cut into chunks
2 sprigs tarragon, take off stem (you can also add chopped basil)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Kosher Salt & Ground Pepper

Combine tomatoes, watermelon, avocado, & red onions in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and mix with hands. In a measuring cup or large cup combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Dump onto fruit. Mix it up. Grab a bowl and fork and dive in.