Pimento Cheese Spread -- so versatile

Pimento Cheese Spread is so versatile. Spread the creamy, flavor-packed mixture on bread — trim the edges and cut them into smaller pieces for fancy tea sandwiches,  or leave them whole for casual lunches. Use it to fill or “stuff” celery. Serve with crackers for an appetizer or snack. 

 

Pimento Cheese Spread  Yield: About 3 cups 

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 tablespoons finely chopped pimentos, drained

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 to 2 teaspoons Ranch dressing mix

Dash of kosher salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Dash of hot sauce 

1. Mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Ranch dressing mix (start with 1 teaspoon and add more later if desired) salt, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.
2. Add cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and pimentos. Stir until well combined. Add a touch more mayonnaise if the mixture seems too stiff. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. 
3. Refrigerate over night to let the flavors meld together.

 

Tiered tray (center) holds tea sandwiches served for a  teatime luncheon.

Lemon Vinaigrette

Summertime is salad time, and this is an lemon-based and herb infused  we will keep on hand to add even more freshness to garden greens.

Lemon Vinaigrette 

1/2 cup lemon juice, about 2 large lemons fresh squeezed

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried  

1/2 teaspoon fresh basil or 1/4 teaspoon dried

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons water

1. In a jar with a tight fitting lid — add lemon juice, and olive oil. 
2. Shake well.
3. Add all remaining ingredients except water, and shake until well combined.                      
4. Store in the refrigerator. Since olive oil tends to partially solidify when refrigerated, set out at room temp about 20 minutes before using so it is pourable

Stewed Plums/Prunes

Although both of my grandmothers made them, stewed prunes seem to have faded out of everyday usage. However, they were an integral part of the Viking cruise ship’s breakfast bar and so I decided to cook up a batch.

These days prunes are often referred to as dried plums Stewing softens them and they end up swimming in the a delicious syrup that can be eaten plain, with yogurt or as a  them as a topping over cereal, or even as a dessert. Eat them warm or cold.

They keep well in the fridge for several days, so you can make a batch and enjoy a few of them daily. 

Stewed Prunes/Plums

20 pitted prunes 

1 ½ cups water  (could use part orange juice) 

½ teaspoon vanilla 

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Place the prunes in a small saucepan.
2. Add the water, vanilla, and cinnamon. Gently stir. 
3. Bring to a boil (this will likely take about 5 minutes). Gently stir again, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the prunes are soft and swimming in syrup.
4. Transfer the stewed prunes to a heat-proof glass storage container. Cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

Eck Roast — “Not Your Grandma’s Pot Roast” as featured in KANSAS! magazine

 An article about Eck Agriculture appears in the lastest (2024, vol. 80, issue 3) of KANSAS! magazine — A Reimagined Roast, Straight from the Ranch (pp. 26-29).

This assemble-and-forget recipe, an Eck family favorite, goes in the slow cooker early in the morning and is ready to eat in the evening. Instead of serving pot roast with potatoes and carrots, the way Grandma used to do it, they use it for roast beef sandwiches, burritos, quesadillas, Shepard's Pie and beef and noodles. 

Many of the flavor additions help tenderize the roast that is considered a less-tender cut of beef. Slow cooking also helps in the tenderization process, helping to create flavor-packed morsels of beef. 

Darrin thinks the only thing that would make this roast any better is if they could package the rub and bottle the sauce so he could quickly throw the recipe together early in the morning. 

Barry and I first tasted this roast at a farm expo where Darrin and Beth offered samples. It was a great marketing technique as we bought a roast and have been making Beth Covington’s recipe every since.

Enjoying an Eco roast beef dinner with the Brown family. 

Eck Roast — “Not Your Grandma’s Pot Roast”    Yield:  Bone-in beef chuck pot roasts will yield 2 to 2-1/2 three-ounce servings of cooked, trimmed beef per pound

 

INGREDIENTS
3 to 3 ½  pounds Eck Beef Roast (Pike’s Peak or heel of the round, chuck, rump, etc.)

2 teaspoons kosher salt (approx..)

1 teaspoon (approx.) black pepper

2 tablespoons (approx..) seasoning of choice as needed to liberally rub roast (Trager’s Beef Rub, Kinder’s Steak Blend, or Daddy Hinkle’s)

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, or enough to coat the bottom of pan

1 medium sweet onion, sliced into wedges

1 tablespoon minced garlic 

1 1/2 cups boiling water 

1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon’s Roasted Beef Bouillon

1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup Hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water

DIRECTIONS

1.   Liberally cover both sides of roast with salt, pepper, and your favorite seasonings.

2.   Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Add roast and sear until browned on all sides, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. This adds a nice bark to your roast and really imparts a rich flavor into the meat.

3.   Place roast in slow cooker. Add one medium sweet onion, sliced into wedges, and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic.

4.   Mix boiling water, beef base, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, hoisin sauce. Pour over the roast. 

5.   Cook on low for 6- 8 hours.

6.   Remove meat from crockpot, trim fat, and shred. Reserve cooking liquid. 

7.   Make thickening sauce: Combine 1 T cornstarch into 1 T cold water. Mix into 1 cup of reserved cooking liquid (For thicker sauce, use 2 tablespoon corn starch) Add any desired additional seasonings.

8.   Return shredded meat and sauce to crockpot. Let sauce thicken (use low or warm setting) for 30 to 45 minutes.

 Article appears in the 2024, vol. 80, issue 3 of KANSAS! magazine — A Reimagined Roast, Straight from the Ranch (pp. 26-29)

Original Eck recipe provided at the Farm Expo.

Recipe without photos . . . Eck Roast — “Not Your Grandma’s Pot Roast”    Yield:  Bone-in beef chuck pot roasts will yield 2 to 2-1/2 three-ounce servings of cooked, trimmed beef per pound

INGREDIENTS
3 to 3 ½  pounds Eck Beef Roast (Pike’s Peak or heel of the round, chuck, rump, etc.)

2 teaspoons kosher salt (approx..)

1 teaspoon (approx.) black pepper

2 tablespoons (approx..) seasoning of choice as needed to liberally rub roast (Trager’s Beef Rub, Kinder’s Steak Blend, or Daddy Hinkle’s)

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, or enough to coat the bottom of pan

1 medium sweet onion, sliced into wedges

1 tablespoon minced garlic 

1 1/2 cups boiling water 

1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon’s Roasted Beef Bouillon

1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup Hoisin sauce

1 tabespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water

 

DIRECTIONS

1.   Liberally cover both sides of roast with salt, pepper, and your favorite seasonings.

2.   Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Add roast and sear until browned on all sides, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. This adds a nice bark to your roast and really imparts a rich flavor into the meat.

3.   Place roast in slow cooker. Add one medium sweet onion, sliced into wedges, and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic.

4.   Mix boiling water, beef base, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, hoisin sauce. Pour over the roast. 

5.   Cook on low for 6- 8 hours.

6.   Remove meat from crockpot, trim fat, and shred. Reserve cooking liquid. 

7.   Make thickening sauce: Combine 1 T cornstarch into 1 T cold water. Mix into 1 cup of reserved cooking liquid (For thicker sauce, use 2 tablespoon corn starch) Add any desired additional seasonings.

8.   Return shredded meat and sauce to crockpot. Let sauce thicken (use low or warm setting) for 30 to 45 minutes.

Muesli . . . a favorite on our Viking British Isles cruise

I’ve made Muesli off and on over the years but Barry has never been much interested. Attributed to a Swiss doctor, it is a mixture of rolled oats, nuts, seeds, and fresh or dried fruit that have been soaked in milk, yogurt, or juice.  On our recent British Isles cruise, he tried it and liked it. Since then I have been making a version similar to the one on the ship. 

Above: A bowl of ready-to-eat Muesli topped with fresh fruits, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

Below: Prepare Muesli, ready to be refrigerated overnight. 

Muesli 
1 cup rolled oats 

1/3 cup chopped pecans (or other nuts of choice)

1/3 cup craisins, raisins or dried cherries

1/3 cup  flaked coconut

3 tablespoons ground flaxseed

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Pinch of kosher salt

1 apple, cored & grated

Milk – begin with 1/2 cup and add more to created a creamy mixture (about 1 ½ cups+) - I used whole

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon lemon or orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Toppings: Seeds, additional nuts, granola, dried or fresh fruits, etc; additional milk if desired

1. Stir together the oats, pecans, dried fruit, coconut, flax, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. 
2. Stir in the grated apple. 
3. In a smaller bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the milk, yogurt, juice and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add additional milk to create a creamy texture. (I like it creamy so add lots of extra milk as it absorbs the liquid as it sets.) Cover and place in the fridge overnight. (It keeps several days.)
4. In the morning, stir and top with your desired toppings. 

Irish Soda Bread Scones

Irish Soda Bread Scones seemed fitting for this year’s St. Pat’s dinner. I actually added the fluffy, lightly sweetened scones to a tray along with butter, honey and jelly for an after-dinner sweet treat. We'll have the rest tomorrow morning. The recipe (with adjustments) is from A Beautiful Plate blog. See my Make-Ahead Tip in step #11. Instead of regular raisins, use the golden variety, or try raisins or currants. 

Irish Soda Bread Scones  Make about 7-8 (2-inch in diameter) scones 

Scones:

2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting

1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar 

1 tablespoon  baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons (2 oz; 60 g) very cold unsalted butter cut into ½-inch cubes

3/4cup (180 mL) cold buttermilk, cut into small cubes

1 large egg

1/3 packed cup plump raisins

Egg Wash—whisk together:

1 large egg

1 teaspoon milk

-----

Coarse sugar for sprinkling on top

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the center position. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat). Set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
3. Add the cold butter and toss in the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal. 
4. Place the bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes to chill. 
5. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the cold buttermilk and egg.
6. Remove the flour mixture from the freezer. Stir in the raisins. 
   
7. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk mixture. 
   
8. Using a Danish whisk or wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until just absorbed. The dough will seem shaggy and slightly dry. 
9. Transfer the dough and any dry remaining bits to a lightly-floured countertop. Knead the dough gently 4 to 5 times until it comes together, dusting the dough lightly with flour as necessary to prevent it from sticking to the countertop.

   

   Above: Dough when it was first dumped out.
   Below: Dough after it has been gently kneaded.

   
10. Pat the dough gently with your hands into a disc that is roughly 3/4-inch thick. Fold the dough over itself 2 to 3 times, this will help create layers. Dip a 2-inch-diameter biscuit cutter in flour and cut out the scones. Do not twist the biscuit cutter as you cut the dough, this will prevent the scones from rising evenly. Gently press and knead any remaining scone dough and repeat to make 7 to 8 scones total.
11. Distribute the scones evenly on the lined sheet pan, setting them apart by several inches. (Make- Ahead Tip: At this point I covered the scones with plastic wrap and set them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours so I could serve them warm from the oven.) 
    
12. Lightly brush the tops of the scones with egg wash and generously sprinkle with coarse sugar.
    
    
    
    
13. Place the scones in the oven and immediately increase the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C).
14. Bake until golden in color, about 10 to 12 minutes. 
15. Transfer the scones to a wire rack.  

Note: Scones can be reheated in a 325ºF oven (160ºC) for about 10 minutes, or warmed briefly in the microwave.

Above: Becki & Kevn joined us for dinner.
Below: The rest of the meal: corned beef & cabbage,
mashed potatoes & cucumber salad.

 

Recipe without photos . . . Irish Soda Bread Scones  Make about 7-8 (2-inch in diameter) scones 

Scones:

2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting

1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar 

1 tablespoon  baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons (2 oz; 60 g) very cold unsalted butter cut into ½-inch cubes

3/4 cup (180 mL) cold buttermilk, cut into small cubes

1 large egg

1/3 packed cup plump raisins

Egg Wash—whisk together:

1 large egg

1 teaspoon milk

-----

Coarse sugar for sprinkling on top

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the center position. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat). Set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
3. Add the cold butter and toss in the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal. 
4. Place the bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes to chill. 
5. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the cold buttermilk and egg.
6. Remove the flour mixture from the freezer. Stir in the raisins. 
7. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk mixture. 
8. Using a Danish whisk or wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until just absorbed. The dough will seem shaggy and slightly dry. 
9. Transfer the dough and any dry remaining bits to a lightly-floured countertop. Knead the dough gently 4 to 5 times until it comes together, dusting the dough lightly with flour as necessary to prevent it from sticking to the countertop.
10. Pat the dough gently with your hands into a disc that is roughly 3/4-inch thick. Fold the dough over itself 2 to 3 times, this will help create layers. Dip a 2-inch-diameter biscuit cutter in flour and cut out the scones. Do not twist the biscuit cutter as you cut the dough, this will prevent the scones from rising evenly. Gently press and knead any remaining scone dough and repeat to make 7 to 8 scones total.
11. Distribute the scones evenly on the lined sheet pan, setting them apart by several inches. (Make- Ahead Tip: At this point I covered the scones with plastic wrap and set them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours so I could serve them warm from the oven.) 
12. Lightly brush the tops of the scones with egg wash and generously sprinkle with coarse sugar.
13. Place the scones in the oven and immediately increase the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C).
14. Bake until golden in color, about 10 to 12 minutes. 
15. Transfer the scones to a wire rack.  

Note: Scones can be reheated in a 325ºF oven (160ºC) for about 10 minutes, or warmed briefly in the microwave

Classic Snickerdoodles

Straight from the pages of my vintage copy of Betty Crocker Cookbook, this is another recipe that was requested for the Women of Excellence reception. The current day Betty Crocker website also includes this recipe and they explain, "What sets Snickerdoodles apart is that they are rolled in a mix of cinnamon and sugar. They also include cream of tartar, which gives the cookie its signature texture and flavor."

Snickerdoodles were one of the cookies served at the
Democratic Women of Excellence awards ceremony. 

Classic Snickerdoodles   Makes 46  to 48 cookiesHide

1 1/2

 cups granulated sugar 
 

1/2 

cup (1 stick) butter, softened 

1/2 

cup shortening 
(Crisco)

2

 eggs 


2 3/4

 cups all purpose flour 


2

 teaspoons cream of tartar 


1 

teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

----

1/4 

cup granulated sugar 


2 

teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 

2. Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs in large bowl. 

3. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. 

4. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. 

5. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. 
6. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. 
7. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. 

8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. 
9. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.