Holiday Tuxedo Bars

My friend Sunny used to make such good tuxedo brownies.  This is a variation on that old fashioned recipe, jazzed up for the holidays.

Click here for printable recipe through google docs.
Brownie base:
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon rum
2/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Melt chocolate chips and butter in microwave (remember not to fully melt, partially melt then stir until the rest melts). Cool slightly.
Beat eggs and sugar, and rum and gradually add chocolate mixture.
Add flour, baking powder and salt.  Beat well. Pour in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan.  If you want to remove these from the pan ensemble to cut on a board, you may line your pan with aluminum foil, leaving enough on the edges to lift the brownies out when they are finished.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. Do not underbake as the layers will fall apart.  Remove from oven and cool.
While brownies are cooling, make...
Rum/Eggnog filling
3 oz. softened cream cheese (not the whipped stuff)
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 Tablespoons eggnog
1 Tablespoon rum
4 cups confectioners sugar (more if needed)
Beat first 4 ingredients well, gradually add sugar until consistency is like super-thick and fluffy frosting.  Spread on cooled brownies.  Refrigerate while making...
Chocolate Glaze
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup eggnog
Gently heat eggnog in saucepan.  When it's hot enough to melt chocolate, remove from heat, add chips and stir vigorously, briefly returning to low heat if necessary.  Spread over chilled brownies and filling.
Chill for another hour, then slice. If you cut them sort of small (and you will want to, because they are rich), you can get 48 bars.

These are an all-afternoon sort of affair, so if you make them while you have other projects going (oh, say, wrapping packages or shopping online or entertaining your 5 year old grandson), it will make for a lovely afternoon of yumminess and joy.

Cranberry/Pistachio Cookies

Printable recipe click here.
Ingredients:
1 package Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix (in the cake mix aisle)
1 package (4 serving size) instant pistachio pudding mix
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries (sweetened)
1 cup vanilla baking chips
Oven 350 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients, beat in melted butter and eggs.  Stir in pistachios, cranberries and chips. Mix well.  Drop by teaspoon full onto pammed cookie sheet.  Bake 11 minutes.  Cool on rack or board.

This was a recipe my granddaughter and I found in a magazine.  It called for more cranberries and nuts, and no chips; since we are allergic to following recipes exactly, we decreased the cranberries and nuts and added the vanilla chips.  It suited our taste perfectly.  These really are very good cookies.

Spaghetti Sauce Recipe for Freezing

Click here for printable recipe!

We had a bunch more tomatoes ripen up so I needed to make something with them.  I decided I would make them into spaghetti sauce.  The recipe is not exact measurement but gives you a place to start.  Feel free to add or subtract your favorite spices.
2 tbsp Olive Oil
6-8 pounds of tomatoes (peeled) directions below.
6 garlic cloves minced
1 smallish onion minced
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp seasoned salt
1 tsp curry
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4- 1/2 cup minced bell pepper
1. To peel the tomatoes bring a pot of water to a boil. Wash tomatoes then cut the top out of each tomato including the stem area.  I skipped this step for the little roma tomatoes.
2. Put tomatoes in the boiling water 1-2 min then remove and put in a bowl of cold water.  I did a handful of tomatoes at a time because they blanched easier, if you put them all in the pot you might have to boil longer to loosen all the skin.
3. In a large pot add your olive oil and saute the garlic, onion and bell pepper.
4. Lower the heat, you want to slow simmer the sauce.
5. Peel and add your tomatoes to the pot, takes a while to peel and add them all, so make sure to stir every once in a while.
6.Add the rest of the seasoning and stir.
7. To get the most out of the flavor simmer on low heat about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Test the flavor and add spices as needed.
8. If you like a chunky sauce then use a potato masher and mash everything to the consistency you like.
9. For a smoother sauce, process everything in a blender or food processor.
10. Put in freezer safe jars or containers.
11. For use, thaw in the fridge overnight and use like any other pasta sauce.

The possibilities are endless for this sauce, add meat, add other veggies, it is all up to you.  This recipe suites my tastes.

"I'm Not Telling" Pie

Yesterday Hermity Christine posted that fabulous pie filling recipe...  not to be outdone, I went to work today to create something equally as impressive -- and I do believe I succeeded!
We told the Old Farmer that this is "Apple-Peach" pie, when in reality is it --- you guessed it --- ZUCCHINI!!  I used some of the remainder of our cue ball squashes for this, as they peel, core and slice and end up looking suspiciously like sliced apples or peaches...  *wink wink*

Ingredients:
Crust for a 9" single crust pie
Filling:
5 cups peeled, cored and sliced zucchini
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon cinnamon (yes, I said tablespoon, we are trying to create a diversion)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup lemon juice
Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Boil zucchini, just covered in water, in a saucepan over medium high heat for 15 minutes.  While this is boiling, mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl.  Drain zucchini (don't be too neurotic about this, you want it a little juicy).  Add zucchini and lemon juice to sugar mixture.  Toss to mix well. Pour into prepared pie crust.  For topping, in a small bowl, use a fork to cut butter into flour and brown sugar until crumbly.  Sprinkle over the top of the pie.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until topping and crust are golden-brown.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Click Here for Printable Recipe!
Woops, the photo is sideways.  Ah well, you get the idea.  We consumed half of it for lunch, and the Old Farmer (a zucchini despiser) a) loved it and b) did not know the difference.  And I'm not telling....

Canning Apple Pie Filling Recipe

Today I finally got around to making the apple pie filling and canning it.  I am quite excited about having it, but peeling all the little bitty apples that were given to me was a pain in the butt!  Or more like pain in the hands.  This recipe makes 5-6 quarts, it made 5 for me.

Apple Pie Filling for Canning
3 c. granulated sugar
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. cornstarch
4tbsp apple pie spice or (4 tsp. cinnamon,1/2 tsp nutmeg,1/4 tsp cloves,1/4 tsp allspice)
1/2 tsp cardamom (optional) I like this but not everyone does.
2 tsp salt
10 c. water divided
3 tbsp lemon juice
6 pounds of apples-give or take
quart size canning jars

In a large pan mix sugars, pie spice,cardamom, salt and 8 c. water. Mix well and set aside.
Mix 2c.  cold water, lemon juice, and cornstarch with a whisk and set aside.
Sterilize canning jars, lids and rings.
Peel, core and slice apples.
Pack the raw slices into hot canning jars, leaving 1" of headspace.
Bring sugar mixture to a boil, then stir in cornstarch mixture and whisk it quickly.  When the white of the cornstarch disappears ladle, the mixture over the apples leaving 1/2" of headspace.
Gently remove air bubbles and add lids and rings.
Process in waterbath for 20 min, +10 minutes if over 6000 ft in elevation.
Remove and let cool 24 hrs, then check for seal.  Any that do not seal need to be refrigerated and used right away.

Add 1 qt jar of filling to your favorite crust, bake and now you have apple pie.


Click here to go to google documents and print the recipe card.

Printable Recipe Cards

I am working on making it so you can click on a link to go and print the recipe through google documents.  It will take me a bit before I get the right template for easy printing of recipes but I wanted to let everyone know it is happening:)  Please be patient as we work through this process.  We are also going to be updating the look of both On the Table and the main Hermity Farmer-Women page soon as well.  I will try not to have any disruptions for everyone but as we all know computers are finicky creatures, lol.
~Christine~

Fry-Poached Eggs

I have recently started preparing our eggs in this old way that the Old Farmer's mother used to fix them.  She called it "fry-poaching" and I have never heard that term applied in the way she used it.  I think she made it up. To me it seems as if we are really steaming the eggs.
:-)
It works best if you use a lidded pan that is just big enough for the amount of eggs you will be cooking.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
salt & pepper to taste

Melt the butter in the frying pan over medium-high heat.  Crack the eggs into the pan when butter is hot and melted -- be careful not to burn the butter.   Sprinkle with salt and pepper.   Let them cook on the bottom for just a moment (about long enough to get your salt and pepper and sprinkle them -- not longer than a minute or so).  Pour the water around them in the pan and put the lid on tight.  Depending on the size of your eggs and the degree of doneness that you want, let them steam from 2-4 minutes (about the time it takes to butter a couple of pieces of toast).  If you are doing a larger pan full, you will have to steam them longer.  This takes a little guesstimation and trial by error, so try not to take the lid off  too much to look at them.  I use a small well-seasoned cast-iron skillet with an old enamelware lid that fits tightly down over the eggs.
To Print this recipe click here!
This will take you to google documents where you can easily print the recipe.

Zucchini Custard Pie

Oh my goddess, we have found the perfect way to use excess garden zucchini!  We are baking, pureeing and freezing it for pie filling (recipe below).
To prepare zucchini:
Take one large zucchini and prick it full of holes,
Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for an hour and a half.
Cool in refrigerator about an hour.
Slice zucchini lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out seeds.
Scoop flesh into a blender or food processor.  Add:
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Puree until very smooth.  I found that it works best to do about 1.5 cups at a time, perfect for the recipe.
At this point you can freeze your puree for later use, or move right on to pie making:
Zucchini Custard Pie 

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

1 1/2 cups zucchini, prepared as above

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 cups half & half

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Add melted butter to zucchini puree. Mix together sugar, flour and salt in small bowl; add to zucchini, along with eggs, half & half and vanilla. Beat well.

Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake 20 minutes at 425 degrees and 10 minutes longer at 350 degrees, test for doneness by inserting a knife -- if knife comes out clean, pie is done.  As with all custards, it might appear a little bit jiggly.  Let it set for 30 minutes to firm up before eating.


Click here to go to Google Documents for a printable recipe card.

Macaroni and Cheese Bliss

I just made this macaroni and cheese.  It is to die for -- and probably would kill you if you ate it every day.

Ingredients:
8 oz. dry elbow macaroni
2 quarts boiling water
1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese
pinch garlic powder
pinch cayenne (optional, don't overdo this or the grandchildren won't like it. haha)

Boil the macaroni in salted water until really tender -- none of this al dente B.S.  I am talking comfort food here.   Drain the macaroni.
Return pan to low heat (if you don't have a gas stovetop, it will behoove you to put this on a different burner turned to low).
Add the butter, and gently toss into macaroni until it melts (if you use a stick, cut it up first).
Add the flour, and gently toss until macaroni is coated.
Mix sour cream and cream, pour into macaroni.
Add cheese, garlic and the potential cayenne, stir gently until cheese melts.
That's it.  Easy.  And soooo creamy delicious.  And do you really need a photo?  It looks like macaroni and cheese, right?

Click here to go to google docs for the printable recipe card.

Green Tomato Salsa

The jury is still out on this one.  It's hard to get used to the look of it.  I think if I did it again, I would not leave it chunky, but would probably blend it to make more of an actual sauce.

10-12 medium green tomatoes (enough to make about 6 cups of chopped tomato)
6 onions (I used yellow)
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 red peppers
3 jalapenos, chopped (use gloves, I removed the seeds but if you want it hot, leave the seeds)
1 cup cilantro, chopped (I'm not a big cilantro fan, so I only used 1/2 cup)
1 cup lime juice
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons sugar

Boil a large kettle of water. Drop tomatoes into the water and let it return to a boil.  Immediately remove tomatoes and place in a large bowl of ice water for a few seconds until skins remove easily.
Chop tomatoes and remaining vegetables into the size you would like for salsa.
Combine with all other ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
To can:
Bring salsa back to a boil, then ladle into hot sterile jars (mine made about 7 pints).  Wipe jar edges clean, then finger tighten lids.
Process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes (that is for 5000 feet).
Remove carefully and let sit for 24 hours.  Check lids for seal and refrigerate any unsealed jars.

To print this recipe click here to go to our google documents recipe cards.

Fried Zucchini with Parmesan

One medium sized zucchini or summer squash (just right for 2 people).
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. butter
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (or just garlic and basil if you don't have the premixed kind)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
pinch salt (to taste)
1/4 C. freshly grated parmesan

Slice squash into manageable pieces that will fit well into your skillet.  If the squash isn't too seedy, you can leave the seeds. I like a few seeds, but if the squash is a big old thing, you can remove some of the seeds.  Heat butter and olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Place sliced squash in pan, sprinkle with seasonings.  Brown (and I mean brown, not tan mush, you know?) on one side, then flip.  Sprinkle with grated parmesan and finish browning.
Serve while hot.

Printable Recipe Card click here.

Breakup Letter

Dear Martha Stewart,


Why-oh-why would you call for 10 eggs and 4 cups of cream if you knew it was going to be twice the amount needed for the recipe?  I am breaking up with you and going back to Betty Crocker.  


Sincerely,


Hermity Katherine

Chocolate Zucchini Cake and Frosting Recipe

Thanks to the Mennonite Girls Can Cook and The Pioneer Woman we had the most fabulous cake after dinner tonight! No really, it is the best cake ever!
http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2011/08/chocolate-zucchini-cake.html
This cake has a fabulous consistency, to die for flavor and who would ever guess it was made from Zucchini!  Please check out their blog and the recipe!

I had to leave extra frosting for sampling:)

I didn't end up having chocolate chips so I decided to do a frosting instead.  I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's Website.  I didn't want a cream cheese or shortening based frosting so how about milk and flour! The result was terrific!
Printable Cake Recipe Click Here
http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2010/03/a-tasty-recipe-thats-the-best-frosting-ive-ever-had/
The combination between the cake and frosting was perfect.  I am not a huge cake fan but this was terrific!  Now go find some zucchini and make yourself some!
Printable Frosting Recipe Click Here.
~Christine~

Zucchini Fritters

I found this recipe on the internet someplace at one of those big recipe databases.  In our quest for repeatable zucchini recipes, this one hit the jackpot.  The kids even liked it.  They dipped theirs in ranch dressing.

Click here for printable Recipe!

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups shredded zucchini  (if they are large and coarse, partially peel them and cut out big seeds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk + 1 teaspoon vinegar)
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
2 thinly sliced tomatoes
Olive oil and vegetable oil, mixed in equal portions, as needed in a large skillet for frying.

Oven 300 degrees.  Prepare large cookie sheet with a layer of paper towel in bottom.

Put shredded zucchini in a colander and sprinkle it with 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Let drain 15 minutes, then press well to remove excess moisture.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs and buttermilk.  Add zucchini and stir well.  Add flour, baking soda, seasonings, and parmesan cheese.  Mix thoroughly.

Heat oil mixture over medium heat until oil is hot and shimmering.  Drop batter by 1/4 cups full into oil (an ice cream scoop works well).  Brown on one side, then turn to brown on other side. Make sure oil is not so hot that they burn on the outside without cooking through.  Place on paper toweled cookie sheet.  When all fritters are cooked and cookie sheet is full, cover each fritter with a correspondingly sized piece of sliced mozzarella. Place in oven for 10 minutes until cheese melts.
To serve, place a tomato slice on top of each fritter and give a pinch of coarse salt.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

This is my husbands favorite pie! It is how I stole his heart.

Click here for printable recipe!

3 c. strawberries {not heaping cups}
3 c. rhubarb {not heaping cups}
2/3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1TBSP butter or margarine

Place bottom pie crust in deep dish pie pan. This is important or your dish will be overflowing!
Mix all ingredients.
Place ingredients in pie pan.
Top with butter.
Place remaining crust over it all and seal.
Cut slits(or smiley face) to vent the pie.
Cover edges with aluminum foil strips.
Place on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 425 degrees for 45-55 minutes removing the foil strips the last 15 minutes so the edges can brown. The center will be brown and bubbling when it is done.

If using frozen ingredients make sure to thaw and drain before using to avoid a runny pie!

I must not have measured the rhubarb and berries well because it was overflowing my deep dish pie plate, made for an ugly pie, but it should taste good.  I am including my embarrassing looking pie in the photos, to show that even somebody who normally makes beautiful pies, has some oops's.

Beet Green and Apple Salad

Can you tell we have a surplus of beet greens in the garden right now?  We also have a lot of spinach, and the lettuce is starting to come along nicely.  This salad should be made right before sitting down to eat, that way the apples stay fresh and the dressing doesn't cause things to wilt.  

Printable Recipe Click Here!

Salad:
3 cups small beet greens, carefully washed, stems removed
1 cup spinach greens, ""
1 cup baby greens, ""
2 apples, cored and diced (skins on)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Tear greens into salad bowl, top with apples and almonds

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard (dijon or yellow)
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
(this dressing had me at the nutmeg)
Immediately before serving, whisk dressing and pour over salad.

Wilted Beet Greens in Bacon Vinaigrette

Not everyone in our family likes cooked greens.  For those of us who do, this was a good enough recipe that we ate it all up, so no photos; although wilted greens are really not that photogenic anyway.

Print Click Here

Ingredients:
3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 radishes, sliced
4 cups chopped beet greens, (rinse well and dry before chopping)
1 tablespoon sugar, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Cook bacon until bits are crispy.  Add onion, garlic and radishes, cook over medium heat just until tender.  Add beet greens, sugar water and vinegar.  Cook, slightly stirring, until greens are tender -- once the greens are added it will only take about 5 minutes for them to become tender enough.  Don't let them overcook and get mushy.  Serves 4.

Strawberry Lemonade Slushie Recipe

The kids wanted lemonade slushies with a picnic lunch today.  I didn't have any ice so I had to improvise. This is what I came up with and its YUMMY! This recipe is certainly not rocket science so feel free to improvise to meet your own tastes.

Printable Recipe

Recipe:
Pink lemonade powder to make 1.5 quarts (this is the size of my blender)
2c. frozen strawberries
Cold Water
1 tsp honey
*Put lemonade, strawberries and honey in the blender, fill the rest of the way with cold water.
*Blend until consistency resembles slushie. 
*Pour and enjoy!
** if you like your drinks more tart you can leave out the honey, but honey is great for helping out those seasonal allergies!

Peach Margarita Bread

Printable Recipe
In mixer bowl:

2  1/4 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix on "stir" speed a few seconds, then add:

2 tablespoons olive oil

12 oz. Mike's Peach Margarita alcoholic beverage (flavored beer, you know, like Mike's hard lemonade)

Beat on speed 2 for a couple of minutes until all ingredients are blended. 

Pour into an 8 inch loaf pan (it makes a small loaf, I doubled it and made two -- I don't think you would want to double it and put it in a larger loaf pan because it might not get done enough in the middle).  

Bake at 400 degrees, 45 minutes.  Cool well before serving and slice with a sharp bread knife.

  

Lemon Poppyseed Scones

These are my favorite and I always use the base recipe for other scone combinations.
Printable Recipe
With a mixer or pastry cutter or large forks, whatever suites your fancy;
Mix until it resembles small crumbs:
1/3 c. cold butter
2 c. flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP poppy seeds

In a 1 c. liquid measuring cup pour 3/4 c. milk or soymilk and to that add 2 TBSP of lemon juice.
Add to the crumb mixture and mix just until combined.

Pat into a 1 inch thick circle on a floured surface and then cut into slices. Pizza style, I usually get 8 slices.
Sprinkle with sugar if so desired.

Bake at 425 for roughly 12 minutes depending on your oven.  They will be golden brown on the outside.
We like to eat ours with butter but feel free to eat them however you please;)

I don't have the energy to go photograph them right now so use your imaginations!

~Christine~

Rhubarb Cake

This is my mother-in-law's recipe for rhubarb cake.  It is the only way the Old Farmer will eat rhubarb.  Lovely served with whipped cream, although my father-in-law always just poured fresh cream over it.  Interestingly, many years ago when I asked for the recipe, she handed me a "Paralyzed Veterans of America" notepad to jot it down.  I still have that same little hand written note on veteran notepaper. Seems appropriate to share it on Memorial Day.
Print Here!
Cake:
1  1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 cup sour milk (add a tablespoon of vinegar to whole milk)
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups chopped rhubarb
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping (mix together in small bowl):
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Mix all ingredients and beat together well.  Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle topping evenly over the top.  Bake at 350 degrees 40-45 min.

Honey Oat Bread and Beef & Rice Soup

In my Kitchenaid mixer book is a recipe for honey oat bread that has become the go-to favorite for perfectly delicious loaves every time.  Since we have a lot of honey (we get gallons of raw honey from the bee farmers who keep bees near our alfalfa fields) and oats (one of our main crops), it makes sense to use those fresh and local ingredients in our bread.  This recipe also works if you substitute granola cereals or other grains for the oats.
Print Here!
Heat in small saucepan or in measuring cup in microwave until butter and honey melt (but not so hot as to kill your yeast -- do not boil):
1 1/2 cups water
1/2  cup honey
1/3 cup butter

Place this in mixer bowl (with dough hook) and add:
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast (2 packets)
Stir until dissolved.

Stop mixer, add the following and mix on setting 2:
5 1/2 cups unbleached unbromated organic white flour
1 cup rolled oats (not quick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
Knead on setting 2 for 3 minutes.

Turn out and knead briefly on floured board until dough is smooth and elastic.  Place back in mixer bowl, lightly grease the top of the dough and let rise in a warm, humid place until doubled in size.  When doubled, punch down dough, turn out onto board, divide in half and roll into 2 rectangles, the length of your bread pan.  Roll up and place in 2 lightly greased bread pans seam-side down.  Raise again until doubled (I preheat the oven during this stage).  Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until loaves are dark-golden and sound hollow when tapped.  Makes two loaves.
On this rainy day we will enjoy a loaf of this bread fresh from the oven, served with homemade Beef & Rice soup.

Beef & Rice Soup~  Printable Version
In large soup pot over medium high heat for 1/2 hour, boil:
10 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
2 pounds beef stew meat (I cut it up into bite sized pieces)
1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Reduce heat to simmer and add:
3 red potatoes, diced
2 large carrots, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced (today I used a frozen pepper strip mix)
1 teaspoon better-than-bouillon (or a beef bouillon cube)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Pinch cayenne
Simmer, loosely lidded, 3 to 4 hours over low heat.  Stir occasionally.  Serve with hot bread.

Real Men Do Eat Quiche

I fixed Quiche Lorraine for dinner tonight.  This is the classic quiche with bacon, onion and swiss cheese.  In my mind, it is the only real quiche.  The Old Farmer actually had seconds.  Over the years, I have found the perfect recipe for it.  You have to follow the instructions exactly, even if you cannot possibly believe it will work.

Printable Version
Before you begin, Preheat Your Oven to 425 Degrees.
Crust:
Prepare a pie crust recipe of your choice.  You are going to be using a 10" pie plate.
Line the pie plate with your thinly rolled pie crust.

Layer in the crust:
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup (about 4 oz.) grated swiss cheese
12 slices crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled

Filling:
4 eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cayenne
Beat well together and then pour over ingredients in crust.

Now this is the important part.  Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  Turn oven down to 300 degrees and bake an additional 30 minutes.  Remove quiche from the oven.  Let it stand 15 minutes before serving.  When you take it out of the oven, it might seem a little jiggly.  Do not freak out.  It does not need to be baked longer unless a knife inserted comes out with runny egg on it.  Runny. Egg.  It is going to be soft and jiggly.  This is why you let it rest 15 minutes before serving, so that the custard can set (minimum, it's very good refrigerated and served later in the day as well).  Trust the recipe.  It is good.

 And yes, we did already eat half of it.

Potatoes

Yes.  We are of Irish descent.  Potatoes are big around here.  We live in a valley where seed potatoes are grown.  Today, we purchased seed potatoes from our neighbor, Art.  We have red norlands, German butterballs and a type of Yukon that is more disease resistant and easier to grow than regular Yukon golds.  We also have some red fingerlings that we bought at the farmer's market last week.   The Old Farmer had to move a big portion of the haystack (oh how sad, not), because our potato patch alone is going to be enormous.

The most delicious thing to make along about mid-summer is creamed potatoes and peas with new potatoes and garden peas.  Boil potatoes (skins on) and peas until just tender, then make a nice buttery classic white sauce to cover them.  White Sauce Recipe: Printable Version

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 cups milk
• 
  
• Directions
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir until the butter and flour are well combined. Pour in milk, stirring constantly as it thickens. 

Hamburger Tomato Soup Casserole

This is a plain sort of hamburger casserole dish that the Old Farmer's mother always made.  It is his favorite.  My daughters sort of groan about it, but when it is served, it is always heartily partaken of, despite its plebeian status.

To serve 6 hungry farmers: Printable Version

3 lbs. ground beef, uncooked
1 family-sized can condensed tomato soup
6 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix the beef, tomato soup and salt & pepper very well (if you don't, there will be meat lumps and your children will gag).  Layer meat/soup with sliced potatoes in a greased casserole dish with potatoes on top layer (leave room at the top because it WILL boil over).  Cover and bake 60-75 min.  Do not under cook, the edges should start to look a little crispy.

Good with spicy green beans or cheesy broccoli.

And yes, that is a  Campbell's Soup baking dish.  The inside of the dish bottom is inscribed with the recipe for Green Bean Casserole.  This dish alone perfectly describes our redneck farmer-woman status.

Two Recipes: Chicken Curry and Potato Soup

This recipe is a complete bastardization of a recipe at sweetannas.com  Please forgive me, Anna.  This is a really nice recipe for kids because it doesn't have chunks -- it was a stroke of brilliance on her part to puree the veggies in the blender.  Hers called for pineapple chunks, but the OF would not eat it if I put pineapple in it.  You may feel free to do so, however.  I also used more chicken and doubled the coconut milk as I had a large crew to feed who are suspicious of anything that is too spicy.  As I said, it was perfect for kids.
Chicken Curry~ Printable Version
Saute in large, deep skillet or dutch oven:
6 boneless skinless breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 T. canola oil
In Blender:
1/2 green bell pepper cut in large chunks
1/2 large yellow onion cut in large chunks
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 can coconut milk  (you will also need one more can for later)
2 T. sweet red chili sauce
1 T. ketchup
1.5 tsp. salt
1 T. garam masala (I made my own, recipe to follow)
1 T. curry powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (I truly only used a quarter teaspoon so the grandkids would not complain)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 T. basil (I used dried)
Blend on "liquify" speed until smooth.
After chicken is lightly browned, pour blended sauce plus one more can coconut milk into the pan w/ chicken.  Simmer on low about an hour.  A few minutes before serving, turn up the heat to medium and add:
2 T. corn starch dissolved in 1/4 C. water. 
Heat until thickened.
Serve over rice.
Here is the easy garam masala from allrecipes.com:
1 T. ground cumin
1.5 T. ground coriander
1.5 T. ground black pepper
1.5 T. ground cardamom
1 tsp.ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
Mix together (I used an empty spice bottle and just shook it up well). 

Potato Soup~Printable Version
On the way home from Bozeman yesterday, Christine and I were smelling the incredible aroma of the breads we had purchased at the farmer's market.  We decided a nice creamy soup would be perfect for supper, so we could have dipping material for the bread.  I put a pot of potatoes on to boil as soon as we got home; well, after I stopped in to play with the chicks and watch them chase the crickets we brought them.  And yes, I washed my hands.  ;P

Boil in large soup pot:
8 medium sized potatoes (I used a mix of golden and russet), peeled and quartered

In Blender (copying Anna's idea here):
1/2 C. diced onion
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped (fortunately I had the other half from the curry)
2 garlic cloves
1 T. chopped parsley
1.5 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 C. whipping cream
Puree until smooth.

When potatoes are cooked to fairly soft, remove from heat, drain off water and add:
 1/2 C. butter
 1/2 C. flour
Quickly mash this together (I used an immersion blender, but if you have a good potato masher, you can use that). 
Add:
1/2 tsp. better-than-bouillon beef flavor
2 C. milk
Blender liquid
Return to heat, bring almost to simmer, stirring constantly until thickened.  Right before serving, stir in 1/2 C. grated parmesan cheese.
Serve with good bread.

Frozen Waffle Icecream Sandwich Recipe

Sometimes I just have a craving for these delightful little treats!  Maybe not the healthiest lunch but the icecream does have calcium right?  I prefer the bryer natural icecream, and maybe once I have time I can use some of my homemade fruit icecreams.  Pretty simple recipe! ~Printable Version

2 frozen waffles
several spoonfuls of icecream
Toast the waffles, you want them nice and crispy. Stick as much or as little icecream as you want on the waffle and top it with the other waffle. TaDa!  These also make great after school treats.  You could use any combination of icecream and waffles you wanted.  If you have smaller children you could also cut these into fourths.  Eat right away, and have napkins ready!

Feeding the Branding Crew

Today Aiden and I prepared dinner for 11 -- the branding crew.  We baked a chocolate cake with white icing, baked honey-oat dinner rolls, made baked pork chops with whiskey barbeque sauce, heated some "cowboy" beans and made the infamous Hash Brown Casserole that everyone who has ever cooked for a church potluck knows the recipe for.  But just in case, here it is: ~Printable Version

2 lbs. frozen potatoes O'Brien, thawed (just a little jazzier than regular hash browns)
1/2 c. butter, melted
2 c. American cheese, grated, 1/2 C. reserved for topping (I used cheddar/jack today, but you end up with stringiness -- the American is better, but it's expensive to buy the big brick and then what do you do with it after you make the casserole).  
1/2 c. chopped onion (yes, more onion.  is there such thing as too much onion?)
1 tsp. salt
1/2  tsp. pepper
1 pt. sour cream

1/2 C. milk
1 small can cream of chicken soup (not the big giant can unless you double the recipe).

Mix all together (except for reserved cheese) and put in 9 x 13 inch pan. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 min.  Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 C. of cheese, and bake uncovered an additional 15-20 minutes.

We doubled the recipe for hungry college boys who had been chasing calves all morning.  

It did not occur to me to photograph it before the hungry crew demolished it, so here is a photo from Betty Crocker.  I'm pretty sure Betty herself took the picture (remember, we did not have ham, we had pork chops, so try to envision that -- and of course the cowboy beans instead of starfruit, 'cause, you know, cowboys).

A Sweet Anna's Dinner and Dessert

I came across Sweet Anna's on Facebook and decided I must try some of her recipes.  Here is the first meal that I made.  Slow Cooker Lemon-y Chicken Noodle Soup and Scrumdiddlyumptious bars!  I did make a couple revisions.  I didn't make the soup in the crock pot, just didn't have time. And I added a bit of curry to the soup as well.  Which as it turns out was too much, the kids thought it was way to spicy.  But I love love loved it!  Mom brought her homemade bread and the meal turned out fabulous!

I love my pampered chef tools too. The zester makes easy work of the lemons, and no the recipe didn't call for zest just the juice but I needed zest from 2 lemons for a later recipe so I just went ahead and zested them.  Then the juicer thingy majig, lol.  Makes it easy to core and squeeze the lemons.  We had mom and dad over for dinner tonight and it was a hit!  Thanks so much for sharing your recipes Anna. If you haven't already done so go check out her blog. www.sweetannas.com

Birthday Dinner for Hermity Farmer-Woman Christine!

On the menu:
Coke chicken (recipe follows) ~Printable Version
Steamed rice
Salad w/ balsamic vinaigrette
Brioche (from Julia Child's recipe, rising as we speak)
Lemon Meringue birthday cake (recipe follows) with sliced strawberries ~ Printable Version


Coke Chicken for 8-12 (depending on how many hungry farmers you are feeding)
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
2 T. canola oil
2 C. Coca Cola
2 C. ketchup
4 T. Worcestershire sauce
Brown chicken breasts lightly in oil in a dutch oven or very large saute/frying pan.  Mix remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, then pour over chicken and simmer over low heat about an hour.  Serve over steamed rice.

Lemon Meringue Cake (modified from a Taste of Home recipe -- I make my cake from scratch but you can use a lemon cake mix and purchased lemon curd if you want).
Cake:
2/3 C. butter, softened
1  3/4 C. sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 C. lemon juice
2  3/4 C. all purpose flour
2  1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 C. milk
Oven 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 2, 9x9 inch square pans.  In large bowl, beat first four ingredients until fluffy.  Add flour, baking powder, salt and milk.  Beat well until batter is smooth, scraping bowl occasionally.
Divide evenly between two pans and bake 30-35 minutes until golden and toothpick inserted comes clean.  Cool 5 minutes, then turn cakes out onto board to cool.  Cakes may be frozen at this point until ready to fill and frost.
Filling:
1 C. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. water
1/4 C. lemon juice
5 egg yolks, beaten
2 T. butter
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Stir in water and juice until smooth.  Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat.  Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to pan, stirring briskly and constantly.  Bring just to a boil, cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in butter and lemon peel.  Cool completely.
Meringue
5 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 C. sugar
In a clean, dry and preferably glass or metal mixing bowl, beat room temperature egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.  Gradually beat in sugar at high speed until stiff peaks form.
To Assemble:
Split each cake into two layers.  Place bottom layer on an oven proof serving plate; spread with a third of the filling.  Repeat layers twice.  Top with fourth cake layer.  Spread meringue over top and sides, swirling and fluffing to make it pretty.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned.  Serve or refrigerate.
This cake is best eaten right away.  It is so incredibly good, that you should not have a problem with that.  Especially if you are serving hungry farmers.  :-)
Food and birthday party photos forthcoming!  Stay tuned to On the Table! 

Clementine Upside Down Cake

We didn't have any pineapple, but wanted that brown sugar taste of upside down cake, so we got creative.  I did have a drawer full of clementines that needed to be used. ~Printable Recipe

In an 8x8 baking pan:
Grease pan well, then cut 4 tablespoons of stick butter and dot in bottom of pan.
Crumble 1 C. packed brown sugar over the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
Peel 3 clementines, section them and arrange evenly in pan on top of brown sugar.
Cake:
1  1/2 C. flour
1 C. sugar
1/3 C. butter, softened
1 egg
1  1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla (we used our homemade vanilla)
Mix all ingredients together; beat well.

Pour cake batter on top of sugar and clementines in pan.
Bake 25-30 min. @ 350 degrees.  Immediately turn out of pan.

Serve with whipped cream.
We didn't have any cream, but I had an old box of Dream Whip from an ice cream cake I made last fall.  Now, I am new to this mixer business, as you know....  I put the dream whip stuff in the mixing bowl and turned it on.  It needed to be scraped down on the sides, and I was pretty sure I was skilled enough to do it without turning off the mixer.  I stuck that rubber spatula in there and the wire whisk grabbed it.  The spatula had a metal handle.  This is important later in the story.... We had an Oprah and Paula Deen moment in the kitchen, but the Dream Whip got fluffy and everything seemed okay.  I was dishing it up and noticed a little spot of something -- the metal spatula handle had apparently shaved some steel off the whisk and just like little chocolate shavings, there was steel in the Dream Whip (never doubt the power of your KitchenAid mixer)-- I grabbed the dessert from the hands of my son-in-law and got rid of the deadly Dream Whip (and I had just been nagging them about getting the little pieces of scrap iron out of the goat pen before they came down with "hardware disease."  Talk about Karma.

Pasta Salad with Kidney Beans and Balsamic Vinaigrette

This might not sound very glamorous, but it tasted really good.  I was stuck with not much in the pantry and in need of a side dish for burgers yesterday, so I got inventive.  Here is the result:

Ingredients:
2 C. cooked Orechiette pasta, drained and cooled
1  15-oz. can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed very well
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
3 T. bottled balsamic vinaigrette dressing
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
Toss everything together in a big salad bowl.  We added extra balsamic vinegar -- you might decide you need more too.

I had some leftover and finished it today -- it is even better the second day.

Easy Peasy Irish Soda Bread~Yeast Variety

Well I am not one to steal and post recipes from other bloggers, however I will send you directly to the source.  The Backyard Farmwife posted this terrific recipe on her blog, you better check it out.  This will go with our Irish Stew. I do think that my yeast must be old, because the rising didn't go quite as planned but they still turned out ok.  I also did one loaf without raisins, since my silly children and dad don't like them. The photos are of my bread making process:)  Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!

Aiden gets ready to help

Everyone needs a mixer right?

Beautiful loaves

Irish Stew

I'm Irish, so my stew is Irish Stew, right?  Haha....  here is the recipe that our Irish (and Swedish and Danish) family will be having for dinner tonight.

In the morning, layer in order in a crockpot set on high:

2 lb. stew meat of choice.  Lamb is good (we had it that way in England); but for us tonight it's venison.
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
1 large onion, diced
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 C. frozen peas (or fresh if you have them)
1 T. garlic powder
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 C. beef broth, poured over top of all

Simmer on high 4 hours, then turn to low -- it can simmer along on low until dinnertime.  Do not open the cover - you do not want heat and juices to escape.
Right before serving time, it will probably need to be thickened (this will depend largely on the starchiness of the potatoes and how thick you like your stew).  Make a roux with 1/4 C. butter and 3 T. flour (melt butter in a small saucepan, then briskly stir in flour until well-incorporated), remove from heat, whisk in 1/2 C. of stew juices, then return to stew pot and stir well into stew.  Cover and let simmer a few minutes to thicken.
Serve with Irish Soda Bread and good beer. 
This is also good served with steamed cabbage that has been buttered and sprinkled with a pinch of nutmeg.
We're having green frosted cupcakes for dessert -- our one concession to the kitschy-ness of the holiday!

Grilled Asparagus

Sunday we had a beautiful day here, finally!  My husband had a friend coming over for lunch, so we decided on grilling elk cheddar dogs and asparagus.  Here is a simple recipe for the grilled asparagus.
Ingredients:
*1 bundle fresh asparagus
*Weber Grillmates Roasted garlic and Herb Seasoning or similar
*1/4 c butter,unsalted is best but all I had was salted
1. Wash your asparagus, then snap the ends off. This may seem like you waste a lot but you will get only the tender part of the asparagus and its much better, trust me!  Your asparagus ends can go into your compost bin if you have one.
2. Soften butter in a microwave safe bowl until its almost liquid, in my microwave this is about 20 seconds.
3. Mix in 1 TBSP of the seasoning mix to the butter.
4. Using a pastry brush (your fingers work fine too) spread the mixture over your asparagus evenly.
5. Cook over the grill on Med temp for 5-10 minutes depending on the heat your grill puts out.  You don't want them black;)
6. Enjoy!  I forgot to take a pic of the finished product, we were having too much fun enjoying the day.

~Christine~

Chocolate Cookie Cakes

These cookies have always been the "forgiveness" cookies. The Old Farmer loves them so much that he will overlook any number of bent fenders, broken garage doors, gates left open or holes in the plaster, as long as he can come home to a batch of these cookies and a good cup of coffee.  I am typing the original recipe, just as it is, from the 1973 edition of the Good Housekeeping Cookbook.  I do not use this particular cookbook for much more than this recipe.  Due to its "vintage" nature (the cookbook was a wedding present almost 34 years ago), I have made one concession to modern appliances -- I melt the chocolate in the microwave (always melt chocolate at a low "power", stirring frequently and removing before fully melted then stirring to finish the process) instead of a double-boiler.  Please note that the frosting requires additional ingredients to those listed for the cookies.

Ingredients:
3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine [ I always use butter ]
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Frosting (below)
1/2 C. chopped pistachio nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease cookie sheets.  Into large bowl, measure all ingredients except Chocolate Frosting and nuts.  With mixer at medium speed, beat until well mixed, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. [At this point I let the dough sit for about 10 minutes.  It drops and bakes better.]
Drop mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto cookie sheets.  Bake 10 minutes or until firm when lightly pressed with finger. With pancake turner, immediately remove cookies to wire racks.  Cool.
Meanwhile, prepare Chocolate Frosting. Generously frost each cookie; sprinkle with nuts.  Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Frosting:
In double boiler [see note about microwave above] over hot, not boiling water, melt 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate pieces with 1/3 cup milk and 3 tablespoons butter. Remove from heat and, with spoon, beat in 3 cups confectioners' sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; use immediately to frost cooled cookies.

Since the OF is not a big nut fan, I have never actually put the pistachios on the cookies -- but I think it sounds very good.

Mixing It Up

Since the early days of my marriage, I have viewed standing mixers (known in my day as Mixmasters, but now everyone has a Kitchenaid) as the ultimate symbol of domestic oppression.  They ranked right down there with mop buckets and ironing boards.  For years I have used my own two hands, occasionally augmented by an electric hand mixer, to do all the work. I scoffed at my mother-in-law and ultimately at my daughters for allowing this subjugation to be perpetrated upon them.  My mother, it must be noted, encouraged this belief.  She has never owned and will never own a mixer -- but then again she insists on brewing her coffee in an old percolator and making toast under the broiler.  *Lightbulb Moment* -- maybe Mom was not such a good role model in this respect. 

Lately, my hands have struggled to accomplish the heavy lifting of serious baking.  I have seen what my daughters can do with their Kitchenaids and how owning a mixer has somehow not transformed them into domestic slaves...  and I capitulate.  I still am unsure how using a mixer would be effective when baking enough bread to feed 7 people for a week.  But for pie crusts and cookie doughs and many other mixing duties, I can see how it might be nice to own one.  How I wish I had experienced this epiphany while I still had an income.  The Buttercup Yellow Kitchenaid that my heart now covets costs more than I spent last year on expensive shoes.  Does anyone want to trade a Buttercup Yellow Kitchenaid for a few of pair of high quality shoes?

Turkey Meatloaf

I have always shied away from ground turkey because I love beef so much.  However after a recent expedition to Sam's Club on an empty stomach and with money burning a hole in my pocket, all of a sudden I had 5 lbs of ground turkey on my hands that I needed to use.  What do you do with a lot of ground meat you need to get rid of?   Make meatloaf.  I found an Ina Garten recipe for turkey meatloaf that to my surprise ended up being just as tasty as the beef meatloaf that I'm accustomed to with the added bonus of having less saturated fat!  After a bit of tweaking things that didn't work for me I ended up with this.

Recipe below.

You will need:  ground turkey, onion, eggs, fresh breadcrumbs, hot sauce (optional), worcestershire sauce, ketchup, tomato paste (missing in this pic) olive oil, salt, thyme, and black pepper, water or chicken broth (also missing)

Chop onion.

Saute onion in olive oil until it starts to become translucent.

Add thyme, black pepper, salt, water or chicken broth, and worcestershire sauce

Cook mixture down until it looks like this.  Cool to room temperature (If you're in a hurry toss the pan outdoors for a few minutes if it's freezing outside like it is here right now)

Throw everything together in a mixing bowl.

Mix.  (I used an electric mixer because I'm lazy.  Feel free to use your hands...or whatever)

Form meat mixture into a ball and divide in half

Shape mixture into loaves.  (It helps to wet your hands first so that the meat doesn't stick to them).

Mix ketchup and 1 T worcestershire sauce (and hot sauce, if it suits you.  It suits me.)

Spread sauce evenly on meatloaves.  Bake at 325 degrees at normal altitude for 90 minutes or 325 degrees for 45 minutes then 350 degrees for the remaining 45 minutes if you live at high altitude like I do.

Internal temperature should hit 160 degrees.   I made a mistake and set the oven to 375 degrees, resulting in 180 degree, dry meatloaf after 90 minutes.  Oops!

Meatloaf:  the ultimate comfort food.  (It was still good, despite coming out drier than I would like.  In fact the higher heat added some nice caramelization to the sauce.  Still, next time I'll pay closer attention to the temperature and do it right).

Turkey Meatloaf

1 1/2 cups chopped onions (about 1 onion)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/4 teaspoon dried)
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup water or chicken stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
2 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs (for the love of God, make your own...canned breadcrumbs are horrid)
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

3/4 cup ketchup mixed with 1 T Worcestershire sauce (and a generous squirt of hot sauce, if you like spicy)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (raise temperature to 350 halfway through cooking if you are at high altitude).

In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and chicken stock or water, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into loaves on an ungreased pan. Spread the ketchup mixture evenly on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is at least 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through.

NOTE:  I live at 7,000 feet. Cooking times are approximate.  If you live at lower altitude, adjust accordingly.

Adapted from Ina Garten's Turkey Meatloaf recipe