Category: Recipes

Food, Recipes

Rustic Cornmeal Loaf Cake 

lauraleeimhoff

I’ve always claimed that I’m not much of a baker. I still stand by this statement, but I admit I’ve been doing far more baking since I moved into this little cabin. I’m not sure if it’s all the hard work that we’re putting into building a homestead or if it’s stress baking from coronavirus. Either way, y’all benefit with some delicious recipes!

I’ve been making variations of this cornmeal loaf for a few weeks now just to have as a snack for my hard-working farming man. The great thing about this loaf is I’ve tried it was several types of fruit, so far my favorite has been the combination of blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries, but I’ve got the recipe shown below with rhubarb which makes for a unique and tart treat.

Rustic Cornmeal Loaf CakeIMG_4599

  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup milk (regular or non-dairy)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 cups of fruit
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Grease pie pan (or baking pan) with butter
  3. Line fruit at the bottom of the baking dish
  4. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix making sure to add fruit last after all other ingredients are mixed well
  5. Add to the baking dish
  6. Bake for one hour or until inserted knife comes out clean. Make sure to rotate halfway through.
  7. Remove, let cool… if you can, slice and enjoy!

 

 

Food, Recipes

Green Gazpacho with Envy

lauraleeimhoff

reka-biro-horvath-WRIQE3VHD-c-unsplashThe Texas heat has been creeping higher and higher. The humidity has been no joke either. Sometimes when I come in from working out in the gardens spreading mulch and weeding, I admit, sometimes it’s too hot to cook an extravagant meal over the stovetop. This gazpacho is delicious, refreshing, and easy!

I stumbled across green gazpacho at a local juice bar.  It was most refreshing on a hundred and three-degree day.  While it was like a glorified smoothie and slightly on the sweet side, I went home to try and replicate a slightly more savory version.  Perfect for a summer day!

Green GazpachoIMG_0038

  • 1 pound grapes (removed from stem)
  • 1 English cucumber, peeled and chopped
  • 2 small Avocados, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of mint, minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon of basil, minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon of cilantro, minced
  • 1 tablespoon of Chardonnay
  • Salt pepper to taste
  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
  2. Chill before serving
  3. Garnish with olive oil and cracked pepper
  4. Enjoy!

If you like a little more bite you can add jalapeño or a dash of cider vinegar, lemon, or lime.

*This recipe is grom laura lee’s kitchen. You can purchase a digital copy here.

Canning, DIY, Recipes

Turn Up The Heat

lauraleeimhoff

IMG_4267My favorite jelly that my grandmother used to make was jalapeno jelly. She would dollop it on top of cream cheese and crackers. To this day, I remember it being her go-to appetizer for family gatherings and our little afternoon treat on hot summer days. I think it was then that my love of the sweet and spicy combo began. I thought I’d share with you the recipe that she used to use. Admittedly, I may have wanted to share it with you just so I could whip up some crackers with cream cheese. Either way, I hope you enjoy it!

Jalapeno Jelly

  • 2 green bell peppers
  • 14 jalapeno peppers
  • 1 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 5 cups of sugar
  • 1 packet of liquid pectin
  • 3-4 jalapenos, seeded and minced
  1. Coarse chop bell peppers and 14 jalapenos in a blender, pulse smooth
  2. Pour in a saucepan with the vinegar and bring to a boil for 20 minutes
  3.  Remove from heat and strain through cheesecloth or fine sieve
  4. Return pepper juice back to the saucepan and combine with salt and sugar
  5. Bring mixture to a rolling boil and stir in pectin
  6. Then add minced jalapenos and ladle the mixture into jars.

 

 

Canning, DIY, Recipes

Things Are Just Peachy

lauraleeimhoff

IMG_4183I hope that everyone had a happy and safe Fourth of July! Here at the homestead, we had a quiet and relaxing day. No farm work, picking out new chickens to add to our flock, feet up, delicious summer mocktails, and, ok, finally at 2 pm I had to do something and made some peach jam!

Texas peaches are here. They are big, juicy, and absolutely perfect. We snacked on them, grilled them (served with ice cream), and still had plenty to whip up some jam. We even fed a few to the chickens! I don’t share jam recipes as often as I should, but here is a great recipe for peach jam!

Peach Jam

  • 4 pounds of peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 1/4 cup of lemon juice
  1. Place chopped peaches into a pot and bring to a boil
  2. Use a potato masher periodicaly to mash peaches into smaller pieces
  3. Stir often so that the peaches do not burn on the bottom of the pot
  4. After 30 minutes or so add the sugar and lemon juice
  5. Return to a boil for about ten minutes or until the jam begins to gel
  6. Remove from heat and transfer the jam to jars

If you do not want to cook the jam for what seems like forever, you can add pectin to speed up the gel process. You can store this jam in the fridge in Tupperware, or use the traditional water bath canning method and store it in the cupboard up to a year. IMG_4261

 

Food, Recipes

Let Them Eat Cake…. and Fruit

lauraleeimhoff

I’ve never been much of a baker. I’m more of a fly by the seat of my pants, a little of this, a little of that… little more this kind of gal. This makes baking more of an experiment most of the time. Well, during my time at home the last few months I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting and picking up a cardio routine.

I’ve created this dense, spongey cake that is a delightful dessert or afternoon snack with a cup of coffee. I’ve made it with various different fruit: peaches, blueberries, strawberries, mango… you name it, they all work.

Tooty Fruity CakeIMG_3576

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup of melted butter
  • 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 cup milk (regular or non-dairy)
  • 1 to 2 cups of fruit
  • Brown sugar (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Grease pie pan (or baking pan) with butter
  3. Line fruit at the bottom of the baking dish
  4. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, eggs, vanilla, butter, flour, baking powder, and milk then add to the baking dish
  5. If using brown sugar, sprinkle on top. It caramelizes and makes a nice crust
  6. Bake for one hour, rotating halfway through.
  7. Remove, let cool… if you can, slice and enjoy!
DIY, Fermenting, Food, Recipes, Updates

Fermentation Friday

lauraleeimhoff

I think it’s been a whirlwind of a week, just the last few days even. As you may have read on my last blog post or the made by laura lee newsletter, I am suspending food production for the next few weeks.  For the time being, I will not be experimenting with fermented foods either.

It breaks my heart.  Really.  Why am I not experimenting as well as not selling?

I feel like holding off is the best-case scenario on selling jams, jellies, and sauerkrauts are the safest thing possible.  Despite being clean and sanitary beyond normal expectations, I’m a small business and I want to do what’s best for my customers, my own health, and the bigger picture. As far as playing with fermented foods, it’s too dang hard to get my hands on large amounts of produce to ferment.  The stores have been baren and farmers’ markets canceled.

So, let’s take a moment to celebrate all the beautiful and delicious veggies that I have been able to transform into probiotic filled food! Sauerkrauts, kimchis, and ginger, oh my! Below is the list with links you can revisit.  Thank you so much for your interest in this and I’m looking forward to when I can get back to it!  Until then… what should the next Friday blog be? I like this whole themed thing!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

DIY, Fermenting, Food, Recipes

Fermentation Friday

lauraleeimhoff

It’s my favorite day of the week, Fermentation Friday. Seriously, I can’t tell you how much I look forward to sharing the most recent fermented creation I’ve made. Seeing as I love kimchi, I decided to go with a green bean kimchi.  The recipe is based on Kirsten Shockey’s from her Fiery Ferments book.  I’ve altered it slightly, and think I will continue to do so as I tweak the recipe to my liking. Mainly, concentrating on making it spicier as this was particularly mild.

Green Bean Kimchi

  • 1 pound green beans, chopped into 1″ sections
  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 7 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 4 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 TBSP fish sauce (or soy sauce for vegan/vegetarian)
  • 1 pound red jalapenos, coarsely chopped and deseeded
  • 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1/2 TBSP red chili flakes (optional)
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine green beans, green onions, garlic, garlic, and salt
  2. Place jalapenos in a blender, blend until a puree or paste
  3. Add pepper mash to green bean mixture
  4. Add in fish sauce to the pepper green bean mixture and mix well
  5. Transfer all items to a quart-sized mason jar.  Pack contents down to be submerged in the brine
  6. Let sit in a cool, dark place for 10-14 days. Check daily to make sure there are no air bubbles and resubmerge green beans in the brine, as necessary.

Note: if you’re wary of anything spicy, do not fear.  The brilliant red is deceiving.  This is mild in flavor. In fact, it tastes like a sour pickle. 

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

DIY, Fermenting, Food, Recipes

Fermentation Friday

lauraleeimhoff

Good morning, my apologies for posting a little later than normal, I’ve been pretty busy this morning trying to raise money for ATX Kids Club, a local nonprofit that promotes education through adventure-based learning. Today is the I Live Here I Give Here Amplify Austin Day, which is the largest day of giving here in Austin, TX.  If you’re feeling so inclined, by all means, feel free to donate here.  No amount is too small.

Now, let’s get down to fermented business…

The day has finally come and I am over the moon to share with you that my first batch of kimchi was a success! Not only a success but the best batch of fermented goodness I’ve made thus far.  In fact, I think I’ve eaten a third of it already, with a little help of course.  I will most definitely be making another batch of this soon in a matter of days.

Kimchi

  • 2 heads of Napa Cabbage, quartered and chopped in 2″ pieces
  • 2 bunches green onions/scallions, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
  • 1-2 daikon radish, shredded
  • 5 tablespoons ginger, minced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons of sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons fish sauce (if vegan or vegetarian, just use water and replace with an extra tablespoon of sea salt)
  • 10 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
  1. After chopping cabbage, mix with sea salt to let sweat while prepping all other ingredients.
  2. In a large bowl, then mix all other ingredients and transfer to fermentation crock.
  3. Press mixture down and place weights on top.
  4. Set in a cool, dark place for 1-5 days.  (I did the full 5 days)
  5. Make sure to check and turn the kimchi daily with clean hands or utensils.

Note: if you’re wary of anything spicy, do not fear.  The brilliant red is deceiving.  This is mild in flavor with no zing at all. 

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

DIY, Fermenting, Food, Recipes

Fermentation Friday

lauraleeimhoff

I’ve been on a ginger kick lately.  It could be the cold weather and fighting this cold. Personally, I think it’s the awesome flavor.  You can’t beat the sweet, earthy, and spicy flavor of ginger. While slightly labor intensive, this recipe for fermented ginger is super easy.  Peeling and slicing the ginger is the hardest part. Once it’s ready, this fermented ginger is great in stir-fries or steamed rice, and definitely perfect for sushi.

Fermented Ginger

  • 1 pound of ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  1. Slice ginger as thin as thin possible.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the sliced ginger and salt, tossing to make sure every piece is covered.
  3. Transfer salt ginger mixture to jar.
  4. Use a ziplock bag filled with water to weigh down and cover ginger salt mixture.
  5. Set in a cool, dark place for 7-14 days.  (I always go with ten).
  6. Make sure to check on ginger and make sure that it stays submerged in brine.  You may have to push down.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

 

 

DIY, Fermenting, Food, Recipes

Fermentation Friday

lauraleeimhoff

Well, I’ve admittedly been a little quiet here on the blog front.  My apologies.  I had a jammed pack week of a grant writing class the week before, followed by the Mother Earth News Fair over the weekend, and this week I have been knocked down by some sort of chest cold.  I’m on the mend despite sounding like a barking seal, but I’m excited to share with you my latest fermentation creation.

Note: I made and handled this batch prior to being sick.

This sauerkraut is pretty mild as far as flavor but is great in sandwiches or with fish.

Turmeric Carrot Kraut

  • 1 head of green cabbage, cored & thinly sliced
  • 2 pounds of carrots, shredded
  • 4-6 pieces of turmeric roughly 2-3 inches long, grated
  • 3 TBSP sea salt
Note: make sure the combined weight of the veggies is about 5-6 pounds and make sure EVERYTHING is clean
  1. Slice cabbage in thin chunks.
  2. In small batches, mix salt and cabbage and let salt begin to draw the water out of the cabbage and transfer to the fermentation crock. Then continue to massage and mix the salt/cabbage. Juices will begin to release.
  3. If you have whey from your previous sauerkraut mixture, go ahead and add a tablespoon.  If you don’t… don’t worry!
  4. Mix in shredded carrots and turmeric making sure to massage all items together.
  5. Use weight to make sure the cabbage mix is condensed and covered fully by liquid.
  6. Cover your container and set in a cool, dark place for 7-14 days.  (I always go with ten).

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.