Cheapskate Rural Dweller

Super Sides: Creamed Corn

While corn on the cob is good, I have to admit I don't like eating with my hands like that.

Instead, I'll make a fresh corn dish that I can eat with utensils. You know...like a civilized person.

INGREDIENTS
3 cobs of fresh, sweet corn (1 for each person)
1 1/2 cups low fat milk
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup half and half

Remove the kernels from the cob into the bowl. Don't know how? Click here.

Boil the corn for 10 minutes.

Strain and put into a bowl for later.

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan.

Stir in the flour thoroughly.

Add the milk, about a half cup at a time.

After it thickens a bit, add the pepper, sugar, then the corn. Stir it in.

Turn off the heat, stir in the corn and the half and half.

Darryl
Copyright 2015 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

This Week's Sunday Menu: Maui Jim Pancakes and Pasta Parma Verde

It's a bit cool this week in Southern California so we're cooking indoors for this week's menu. Some nice, light pancakes from Maui Jim to a pasta dish I came up with after a visit for inspiration to our local Italian deli.

Click on the links below for the recipes.

Breakfast - Maui Jim Pancakes

Using cottage cheese and no baking powder, these pancakes are light, fluffy, and delicious.

Dinner - Pasta Parma Verde

A mental block haunted me when trying to come up for something for dinner. A trip to Claro's, a local Italian deli, and their helpful and friendly counter people, convinced me to buy some Parma ham to come up with this tasty and satisfying pasta dish.

Darryl
Copyright 2015 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Falling Through the Changes

With the summer growing season behind us, we look to the future of the garden.

My son and I headed to the garden center to pick up some seeds for next year, wondering what Mother Nature has in store for us.

A large El Nino is headed our way, will that cure the drought? Will water rationing end next year? What should we plan on?

While we ponder those questions, we still have a fall and winter garden season ahead of us, which we think about as we do a sprinkler line inspection.

The roses aren't looking good but that's because we let them go over the fall to build their strength for next season.

It's the season of citrus and soon we'll be harvesting our citrus.

After that, it'll be time to prune the roses and till the ground for next year's food.

Stay tuned!

Darryl
Copyright 2015 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Pasta Parma Verde

You know the dilemma...what'll we have for dinner? That one question causes so much stress for a family cook. What will I do for my family for dinner?

We all want to cook a great meal and not just serve the same thing, time after time...no matter how good it is.

That was my quandary this Sunday morning as I perused the freezer for something to thaw for dinner. At first, I pulled out a smoked ham hock but I just wasn't feeling it.

Before I resigned myself to ordering a pizza or going out for burgers, I went to Claros', our local Italian deli, to see if I could get some inspiration.

Claro's never lets me down, and today is no exception.

With a package of some super premium Parma ham in my hand, I headed home to make the following dish for dinner.

INGREDIENTS

4 oz. egg noodles

4 oz. casarecce noodles

1/2 pound Parma ham, thinly sliced

half a bunch of spinach leaves

2 stalks of broccolini finely chopped

4 small,green onions finely chopped

1/4 cup quattro formagio or parmesan

1 ounce (quarter stick) butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup half and half

2 tablespoons soft goat cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Put water in a large pot (5 quarts or so) and start heating towards a boil.

Put a sheet of wax paper over a plate. Hand-tear the Parma ham into small pieces and place on the was paper.

Spread the ham out evenly. Save this for later.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan on high heat. When hot, add the spinach.

Put the pasta into the boiling water. Cook until al dente (about 9 minutes)

Add the green onions and broccolini. Cook until the broccolini softens.

Turn the heat down to low/medium and add the garlic and quattro formagio. Mix in thoroughly.

Add the goat cheese.

When the goat cheese is melted, add the ham and mix in very thoroughly.

Turn off the heat, wait two minutes. Add the cream and stir in.

When the pasta is done, drain and mix into the sauce.

Darryl
Copyright - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Maui Jim Pancakes

Wanting to make a treat for my family but never having made pancakes from scratch before, an early morning Internet search came up with this recipe.

It's very easy, very quick, and very delicious.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup cottage cheese
4 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Clarified butter (ghee)

Mix the eggs, cottage cheese, flour, lemon juice, and butter into a mixing bowl.

Heat up a griddle very hot, brush on ghee.

Use a ladle to pour four pancakes on the griddle. Cook for 3 minutes and flip. Cook minutes and put on a wax paper covered plate and cover with a lid until all the mix is cooked.

Darryl
Copyright 2015 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

The Hanging Judge

I've got a line of annuals in baskets hanging outside of our laundry room. There's also a dendrobium orchid but the rest have died off.

The green you see is weeds of oxalys growing in their place. The metal frames have also rusted through, so it's time to toss 'em.

Since each basket also has a dripper on our drip irrigation system, I need to plug them so the water isn't wasted just flowing onto the patio.

It can be hard work pulling the crusted up drippers off of the hose but I finally get them.

Intercontinental Egg Scramble

I had a late lunch with an old high school friend recently. A very good dish of chilaquiles and eggs overlooking a harbor a bit north of Los Angeles.

The next morning, the mix of the eggs and tortilla chips stayed with me and helped inspire this dish, which pulls a bit from Mexico, France, and the good 'ol USA.

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs
1 merguez sausage
1/4 cup bacon bits (leftover from another breakfast)
6 leaves of spinach
1 teaspoon half and half.
1 stalk of broccolini or broccoli
2 tablespoons soft goat cheese
2 cloves fresh garlic
pinch of salt
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 corn tortillas

Cut the tortillas into small triangles. Heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan on high heat. When very hot, cook the tortilla triangles until crispy. Remove and set on a plate with paper towels to drain and save for later.

Chop up the merguez sausage into small bits. Add another 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.

Cook the sausage and spinach together until the spinach is well wilted.

Chop the garlic finely. Do the same with the broccolini.

Add to the pan and stir until the broccolini begins to soften.

Add the bacon and goat cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.

Put the eggs into a bowl. Add the half and half plus a pinch of salt and stir until well combined.