Jalapeno Cheese Stuffed Hamburgers

It is the season for grilling! During the summer we love to cook outside. Tonight was a lovely evening and so we planned Jalapeno Cheese Stuffed Hamburgers with all the trimmings. The pictures really don't them justice...they were wonderful!
Jalapeno Cheese Stuffed Hamburgers

1 large jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

2 lbs. ground beef

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

1 t. soy sauce

1t. worcestershire sauce

Mix jalapeno and cream cheese, set aside. Mix all other ingredients and form meat into patties. Place one teaspoon full of cheese mixture into the center of meat patty, fold patty over to enclose the cheese. Press flat making sure all edges are sealed to that the cheese mixture cannot escape. Grill until desired wellness is achieved. Serve with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and all condiments. We love to toast the buns on the grill, it gives a little added flavor. Happy grilling and happy summer!

Apricots

Yesterday was all about the APRICOT here in my kitchen. The Farmer planted two acres of APRICOTS a few years ago and we have had a few to eat....but now we are begining production and crates arrived on my porch ready to be attended to. Of course we ate all we could...and that was alot. Then the question became, what would the best use of the APRICOTS be? I decided jam (for sure) and also frozen in bags would be the answer. When The Farmer was a boy, his mom made an APRICOT pudding type cobbler, which I have come to find out, was something he really loved. Thus the frozen APRICOTS. I will post that recipe in the next few days.
Six batches and 32 pints later, we are done with the APRICOT jam. I ended up making a batch of CHERRY jam this morning and it was wonderful! Back to the APRICOTS.....the jam is really yummy. Sweet and tart and beautiful. I just used the recipe on the Sure Jell box and it was perfect.

Yummmmmm, very tasty, and very rewarding to have homemade jam on the shelf.

I Love "Cherry Garcia" Ice Cream

I can most certainly remember the first time I tasted "Cherry Garcia" Ice Cream by Ben and Jerry's. I loved it the moment I tasted it. I was in Chicago, at the Navy Pier, walking through the shops on a very hot day enjoying a scoop of the wonderful, cooling treat. So when cherry harvest began in my little town....that was the first thing that came to mind, "Cherry Garcia" Ice Cream. It took making it 3 times to get the recipe just right. A little cood coloring makes it pretty, but the real deal is almost white..you decide. 2 c. heavy cream

1 c. milk

1 c. c. white sugar

1 T. vanilla

1 T. cherry extract

1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped

2 c. fresh cherries, pits removed and cut into half

5 drops red food coloring (optional)

Combine cream, milk and sugar. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Stir in vanilla, cherry extract and cherries.

Chill for one hour before freezing in ice cream freezer. Pour into ice cream freezer and churn according to freezer directions.

*I have a counter top ice cream freezer that I love and it works great with this recipe.

Just another yummy use for the farm version of "Cherry Garcia." Chocolate Chip Cherry Garcia Ice Cream Sandwich. Wow! Indulge and Enjoy!

A Simple Breakfast

I created this for breakfast yesterday, it was wonderful!

Light and good for you.

Asparagus Omelet

1/2 cup purple onion, finely diced

2 Tbsp. butter

2 cups sliced mushrooms

3 asparagus stalks, chopped

2 egg white, lightly beaten

salt & pepper to taste

fresh, grated parmesan cheese

corn tortillas

In medium pan sautee' onion in butter until softened,

add mushrooms, cook for 2-3 minutes

add asparagus cook an additional 2-3 minutes

pour beaten egg whites over vegetable mixture

season with salt and pepper and cook until

eggs are cooked throughly.

Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese.

Serve in toasted corn tortillas, taco style

(we toast our tortillas in the toaster, it works great!)

Here Comes The Fun!

ARTICHOKES are ready to harvest! Can't wait for lunch today, with the Farmer and a little melted butter and lemon.
ASPARAGUS , another year into the process! Next year is the year for harvest. You need to wait three years before harvest. It has been fun to grow, it is beautiful but it is also a great temptation!

ZUCCHINI, there are flowers on the plants, about another week and we will be enjoying the first harvest. Yummy! We have several plant and will have enough to share. I will plant more seeds this week so that we can enjoy squash late into the season!

Stages of Summer

I came accross this book yesterday, and became quite intrigued by it. It is the journey of a family who moved from a large city, to a small community in an effort to become more connected to the earth. To eat what they grew, within the seasons of the plants and animals. It is basically how we live. We live out of our garden in the months we are able to and bottle the surlpus for use in winter months. It is an amazing way to live. There is comfort in being somewhat self sufficient or atleast knowing that if we had to be more so, we could.
Our community shares it harvest. One may have a surplus of sweet corn, another tomatoes, or another squash. All together we help to sustain one another. It is more than the food, it is unity of a community. This book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" will make you think and quite possibly, it may make you want to change your way of living.