Foodie Penpals June Reveal ~ Taste of Kentucky

I'm sitting here writing this post enjoying a delicious cup of Maker's Mark Bourbon Flavored Gourmet Coffee, thanks to my Foodie PenPal, Barb, from Kentucky!

This is my first month as a Foodie PenPal, after hearing about it from my friend Heather of GirliChef .  I loved the idea of receiving a box of goodies from a foodie in another state and having the fun of doing the same for someone else!  

Barb was so very, very generous with the box of locally sourced treats from Kentucky!  She sent more than enough to make a whole day's worth of meals and entertain some guests too!  See for yourself...

1)  Whole Wheat Biscuit Mix, Lemon Poppyseed Muffin Mix and Spoon Bread Mix from Weisenberger's historic water powered flour mill (the oldest commercial mill in Kentucky).

2)  Kentucky Gourmet Black Bean Soup Mix from Flag Fork Farms.

3)  Moonshine Marinade (love the cute bottle) from Hillbilly Specialties.

4) Yoder's Homestyle Strawberry Jam

5) Kenny's Cajun Gourmet Popcorn (I'll be hoarding this all to myself)

6)  Zippy Beer Cheese Mix from Flag Fork Farms.  Barb told me that this is a local favorite and that in Winchester, they have an annual Beer Cheese Festival.  I can't wait to try it!

7)  Creamy Dill Tarragon Dressing from Flag Fork Farms.

8)  Cheese'n Season from Herb'n Renewal (love the name) for making a boursin-type cheese spread.

9)  Two bars of Jamieson's chocolate bars -- the Mt. Sterling chocolate company sources all of their cocoa from Ghana and contributes a portion of all of their sales to support Ghanaian education.

10)  The Maker's Mark coffee that I'm enjoying right now!

 

This morning I prepared the Lemon Popyseed Muffin batter, but poured it in our Belgian waffle maker rather than in a muffin tin.  Delicious!

 

 

Tonight we enjoyed the black bean soup, Creamy Dill Tarragon salad dressing, and barbecued tri-tip marinated in the Moonshine!  Everything was fantastic!  

Thank you Barb!

 

So, if you're interested in becoming a Foodie PenPal, here's the rundown from the amazing gal behind all the fun -- Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.

-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 

 
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!

 
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)

 
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. 

 
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

If you’re interested in participating for July, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.

You must submit your information by July 4th as pairings will be emailed on July 5th!

*If you're from somewhere besides the US, Canada or Europe and want to participate, send Lindsay an email and she'll see if there's enough interest this month!

*If you'd like to browse all of the other Foodie PenPal reveal posts for June, click here.

 

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My Favorite Summer Pie ~ Deep Dish Blackberry Peach Pie Recipe

Enjoy a slice of pure heaven -- the sweetness of summer peaches balanced by the tartness of blackberries, snuggled in the warm embrace of a buttery cornmeal crust. It's a beautiful thing!

  

On Fathers Day weekend we went berry picking.  With our bounty, I created this dessert in honor of my sweet,  pie-lovin' husband.  

The buttery, flaky crust is made with a touch of cornmeal which gives it a nutty, toasted flavor that perfectly compliments the sweet/tart filling.  You can use fresh or frozen peaches and  berries, so you can enjoy this pie any time of the year!  

Deep Dish Blackberry Peach Pie

(Makes 1 9-inch deep dish pie)

Crust*

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 cup butter, cold, cut into small pieces

4-7 Tablespoons ice water

Filling

7 cups sliced ripe peaches (skin removed), fresh or frozen (must be completely thawed)

3 cups blackberries, boysenberries, olallieberries or loganberries, fresh or frozen (must be completely thawed)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 pinch of cinnamon

1/4 cup tapioca

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1 Tablespoon large grain sugar such as turbinado

Step 1:  Combine flour, cornmeal, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add the butter and pulse until it looks like a very coarse meal, taking care not to over-pulse.  With the machine running, add the water, one tablespoon at a time just until the mixture starts to come together (no more than 15-20 seconds).  Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide in half.  Put each half into a one-inch thick circle and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Step 2:   Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the middle rack of oven.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  The preheated pan is the trick to avoiding a soggy, uncooked bottom crust.  

Step 3:  On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one of the crusts to a 14" round.  Transfer the round to the bottom a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.  Place in refrigerator.

Step 4:  Combine the peaches, berries, sugar, cinnamon and tapioca in a large bowl and mix until well combined.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Note:  It is important that if using frozen fruit, it be completely thawed and at room temperature before baking.  Otherwise, the filling will not come up to temperature and the tapioca will not set.

Step 5:  Roll out the second pie crust.  Transfer the filling to the crust-lined pie plate.  Place second crust on top of the filling.  Trim edges to 1" overhang, then turn under.  Use two fingers to crimp the edges.  Cut 6 slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.  Brush top crust with cream and sprinkle with the large grain sugar.  

Step 6:  Place on the preheated baking sheet in the oven and bake until golden brown, and juices bubble thickly through the slits.  Check the pie periodically to check for browning around the edges.  If crust is browning to quickly, cover the edges with foil.  Bake for a total of 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before serving.

Enjoy! 

*credit for this marvelous crust goes to The District Domestic.

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GIVEAWAY ~ Hodgson Mill Pasta

What's important to you as a consumer?

Healthy, Whole Grain, or Gluten Free Foods?

Affordable products?

Great taste?

Supporting family-owned enterprises?

Sustainable practices?

Hodgson Mill is Family Owned -- Meet the Goldstein Family.

If, like me, you answered "Yes" to any of the above, Hodgson Mill is a company you're going to want to know, follow, and make a staple in your pantry!

What's your opinion of whole wheat pasta?

In the past, my experiences left much to be desired.

That all changed with Hodgson Mill!

Hodgson Mill pastas are delicious.  My whole family loves them.  Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they've been stone-grinding grains in Missouri since 1882.  

 

When it comes to grain and naturally wholesome foods, they've perfected the art!

All of these recipes can be found on the Hodgson Mill Blog!

  

Their pasta line includes Gluten Free, Organic, Whole Wheat and Vegetable Pastas.   What's more, Hodgson Mill makes a full line of flours and meals, mixes, baking aids and cereals.  Hodgson Mill whole wheat flour is the only whole wheat flour I use in my baking because of its superior texture and taste!

My Cranberry Upside-down Babycakes made with Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour

Recently I had the opportunity to sample several products from the Hodgson Mill pasta line (courtesy of Hodgson Mill) and experiment in my kitchen coming up with an original recipe for their Summer Pastabilities contest.

Take a bite out of New Orleans with my recipe for Muffuletta Pasta Salad (featuring  Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Bow Tie Pasta).

I'd be honored if you'd VOTE for my recipe by clicking "LIKE" on my entry posted HERE.

GIVEAWAY!

Hodgson Mill has generously offered to give one lucky Rook No. 17 reader a package filled with $25 worth of Hodgson Mill Pasta products -- That's a lot of healthy, delicious pasta!  Entering is easy with the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Muffuletta Pasta Salad ~ Take a Bite out of New Orleans with Hodgson Mill!

I sure do love to travel, but this summer a big trip is simply not in the cards.  How about you?  Cooking up some regional cuisine can be a wonderful way to experience another place without leaving your home.  The idea of taking a “culinary vacation” is what inspired this incredibly delicious Muffuletta Pasta Salad, based on the legendary sandwich – It’s a taste of New Orleans so authentic and evocative that you’ll swear you hear jazz music playing and can smell beignets frying off in the distance!.  

When it comes to whole wheat pasta, Hodgson Mill is the only brand I truly love!  I don't miss pasta made with white flour for a single second when I cook with Hodgson Mill!

I created this recipe for the Hodgson Mill Summer Pastabilities Contest.  The Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Bow Tie Pasta is the perfect size, shape and flavor to bring this memorable dish to life!  It's perfect for parties, picnics and potlucks.  With the whole grain pasta, cheeses, meats and vegetables, it's an entire meal in one bowl.

The traditional New Orleans style olive salad you'll make for this dish is easy to throw together and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.  It only gets better as it ages.  It’s great to keep a jar on hand and a box of Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Bow Tie Pasta in the pantry, so that you can whip up a “trip” to the Big Easy in minutes any time the craving strikes.

Muffuletta Pasta Salad

An Antipasti Pasta Salad

Featuring Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Bow Tie Pasta

Makes 10 1-cup servings

1 10 oz. package Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Bow Tie Pasta, cooked

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Olive salad

¾ cup small Manzanilla olives (green) with pimentos, drained

½ cup Kalamata olives, drained

8 oz. jar of ready-made Giardiniera, drained

1 Tablespoon Capers, drained

2 cloves garlic, crushed with the blunt edge of a knife

1 Tablespoon Italian parsley, roughly chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

¼ cup red onion, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Antipasti

6 oz. baby Swiss, cut into ¼” cubes

6 oz. Provolone, cut into 1”x1/4” strips

3 oz. hard salami, cut into 1”x1/4” strips

2 oz. capocolla, cut into 1”x1/4” strips

4 oz. lean ham, cut into 1”x1/4” strips

Step 1:  Boil 4 quarts of water with 1 Tablespoon kosher salt.  Add pasta to boiling water and stir vigorously until water boils again.  Cook 7 minutes.  Drain and transfer pasta to a large bowl.  Toss with 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.  Set aside to cool.

Step 2:  Prepare the olive salad by placing all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulsing till it looks like a chunky salsa.  Olive salad can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a month.

Step 3:  Stir olive salad into the cooled pasta.

Step 4:  Stir the antipasti (cheeses and meats)  into the pasta.

Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to a week.  The flavor gets better and more developed with each day!

I like to serve my Muffuletta Pasta salad with grilled focaccia.

Disclaimer:  I was given several complimentary boxes of Hodgson Mill whole wheat pasta in order to develop this recipe.  The recipe is original and the opinions are my own.  I've never been a big fan of whole wheat pasta, but Hodgson Mill changed that.

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Baking with Seasonal Fruit ~ A Little Birdie Told Me...No. 77

Image adapted from The Graphics Fairy

Strawberries, Cherries, Peaches, Plums

Ripe and sweet when summer comes!

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Welcome to 

"A Little Birdie Told Me..." Tuesday No. 77!

If you're here to share a craft, recipe or project post,

you'll find the linky and the specifics on how to 

join the party after the features below.

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Summer is my favorite season for fresh fruit! For Father's Day we visited a local farm and picked blackberries to make this lovely Blackberry Peach Deep Dish Pie:

 

 Oh Sweet Mother of Pearl!

I'm excited to share the recipe on Friday!

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I cherry-picked last week's party to find you recipes featuring fresh seasonal fruit!

Cherry Marzipan Ice Cream
from Fudge Ripple

Sweet Strawberry Puffed Pancake
from Yesterday on Tuesday

Apricot Meringue Pie
(with tears of gold)
from Something Sweet

 --------------------------------- 
If you've been featured 

(here or on Facebook)
feel free to grab a "featured on" button
from the sidebar.

---------------------------------

Now it's time to link-up and share your creativity!

Party Etiquette

FOLLOW ROOK NO. 17

POST THE BUTTON OR A LINK ON YOUR SITE

 SAY HELLO TO YOUR "NEIGHBORS"

 LEAVE A COMMENT (IF YOU'D LIKE A COMMENT BACK) 

 NO SHOPS, STORES, OR GIVEAWAYS PLEASE

<a href="http://www.rookno17.com"><img altsrc="<a href="http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f335/sarahjmorriss/clipartgraphics5-1-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f335/sarahjmorriss/clipartgraphics5-1-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>

The links are featured from newest to oldest,

so everyone gets a chance to go "first".

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The Perfect Margarita

Perhaps you already have a favorite Margarita recipe, but if not, allow me to introduce you to my all-time favorite.

Bright with fresh citrus, balanced with just the right amount of sweetness and tang, this Margarita offers a taste of summertime any time of year.

 

The Perfect Margarita

1.5 ounces of your favorite tequila

4.5 ounces of your favorite Margarita mix (mine is Dr. Swami & Bone Daddy's)

1/2 ounce Triple Sec or Grand Marnier

a handful of ice

Juice of 1 whole lime

Juice of 1 whole lemon

Juice of 1 whole orange

Place ingredients into a cocktail shaker or blender.  Shake vigorously for 10 seconds or blend until smooth.  Pour into a salt-rimmed glass and enjoy!

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Quesadilla Teepees ~ Play With Your Food!

I'm a rebel.  What can I say?  I LOVE to play with  my food!  And I'm passing my renegade ways on to my girls.

This summer, the girls and I came up with a fun twist on the plain old flat-on-your-plate Quesadilla -- Quesadilla Teepees -- coming at you in 3D!  

 

It's fun, easy, and healthy too!  The best part is, there's a surprise inside!  Fill a mushroom cap with your kids' favorite dip to use with the carrot sticks or celery that form the frame of the teepee!

Quesadilla Teepees

Tortillas (any type or size)

Cheese (any type)

Fillings (optional)

Carrot and/or Celery sticks

A toothpick or bamboo skewer

Mushroom cap

Dressing or dip (any type)

Step 1:  Using two tortillas and cheese, make a quesadilla in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop.  Slice in half. 

 

Step 2:  Wrap each quesadilla half around itself to form a cone shape.  Fix in place with a toothpick or piece of a bamboo skewer.  This become the "back" of the teepee.

 

Step 3:  Run a toothpick or skewer all the way through the front right of the teepee to form a hole for the carrot or celery stick to go through.

 

Step 4:  Insert a carrot or celery stick through the hole and up through the top of the teepee.  The carrot and celery sticks should be cut to size so that they are approx. 1" taller than a tortilla half.

 

Step 5:  Repeat on the front left.

Step 6:  Remove the toothpick from the back of the teepee and insert a final carrot or celery stick.

 

Step 7:  Place an inverted mushroom cap on the serving plate and fill with dressing or dip.   Place the teepee over the mushroom and serve.

If the celery and carrot sticks are eaten first, the quesadillas can get a little cold, so just pop them back in the pan or microwave for a few moments to reheat.

Have Fun!

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GIVEAWAY ~ Win a Copy of Mod Podge Rocks! PLUS a Loaded Mod Podge Goodie Bag

I'm so happy to be sharing and giving away a copy of the new book Mod Podge Rocks! Decoupage Your World and a bag loaded with Mod Podge goodies, that I wrote a little ditty...

 Stuck on Mod Podge

If you craft

or decorate

This book is cause to celebrate

  Scrapbook divas

 Fashionistas

  DIYers

 

Chic artistas

 

Crafters

 Makers

 

Young and Old

Revere the Podge

as liquid gold 

 Mod Podge Amy has 40 plus

 inspired crafts to share with us

You don't need to be a pro

Just grab the book

and off you go...

Win a copy of

Mod Podge Rocks! Decoupage Your World
AND
A Mod Podge Goodie Bag containing:
A Mod Podge T-shirt, Podgeable Papers, Podgeable Shapes, a Brayer, Squeegee, and lots o' Podge! 

photo courtesy of The Country Chic Cottage

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Disclaimer:  I was provided with a free review copy of the book and was given an additional copy, courtesy of Lark Crafts, to give away. 

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