Sass & Veracity

Old-Fashioned Peach Pandowdy

September 9, 2011

I love stone fruit, but haven’t taken advantage of it this season, waiting until now to wonder about new fangeled varieties of plums or pick up a few of the enormous peaches I’ve been seeing at the market. The last four beauties I purchased sat around until my husband asked about whether he could put one in a smoothie he was making for us to share. I couldn’t say no because if they sat on the counter any longer while providing me a visual reminder of what I was supposed to be planning to cook with them, they would be well past their prime– especially with the heat we’ve recently had.

And I was just waxing about Fall, wasn’t I?

You may not remember, but some time ago I promised a recipe for peach pandowdy and time has just slipped away while I’ve been cooking other things. But I remembered, and as much as I was planning on putting these peaches in the perfect salad, they had pandowdy written all over them.

What’s a pandowdy, you ask? It’s fruit tossed with sugar and whatever flavorings you’d like to add. It’s tucked nicely under a simple biscuit crust and baked until it’s hot, juicy, and full of the fruit flavor you’ve packed it with. But there are other versions of this old-fashioned dessert. I’ve heard that some may like baking the dough topper separately, then adding it while the fruit is baking. Although I haven’t tried that version, I will say I’d probably miss the doughy underside of that topping which only happens when it’s placed on the fruit from the start and baked with it.

You may also wonder how a pandowdy is different from a cobbler, crisp, crumble, buckle, Brown Betty, grunt, slump or sonker, but I’m not an expert. I grew up eating cobblers and crisps, and have heard of all but a sonker, which evidently, is taken quite seriously in some parts of North Carolina.

Have some fun with this simple recipe!

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Easy Breakfast Scramble Recipe

September 5, 2011

September is my favorite month.

I suppose many would say their birthday month was their favorite — that is if they’re the type who thinks about such things — but that’s not why I love September. Countless years of its signaling promise and the beginning of so much that is new has me thinking this way — even when leaves are just now only barely beginning to show signs of seasonal change. I’ve been a schoolie most of my life, so I can’t separate September from that. New schools, new friends, textbooks, notebooks, pencils…sack lunches packed with all the best things…

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Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs for BBQ Sliders

August 26, 2011

The last weekend of summer has finally arrived, finding us packed and ready for yet another road trip to San Francisco to drop our son off at school. The send-off is much more quiet this year since he’s beginning his second year and I guess that makes him experienced. No picnic time at the beach for those of us sporting muffin tops, and no barbeques at home planned for the event, but a few card games at home, movies, and some take out fit the bill. The road trip is a nice way to spend a bit of time together, with my husband and I hovering in the city a couple of days to make sure the man boy has everything he needs. While he’s settling in, we’ll be exploring neighborhoods we’ve never walked through, trying new restaurants, and getting much needed exercise. The one thing about San Francisco we can always count on is that there will be a lot of hills to climb.

For those of you looking forward to pre-season football and last gasp of summer get togethers — or perhaps being stuck in the house due to bad weather — this recipe is for you. Get out that slow cooker because that’s all you’ll need for these Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs. Shred the beef and pile it onto a bun. They’ll make you think you’re having a barbeque no matter what and they’re guaranteed to slide right down.

The good news is, they taste even better the next day, so make a double batch for leftovers.

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Blueberry Cheesecake Recipe from Simply Scandinavian

August 23, 2011

When I created sass & veracity more than four years ago, it was to give myself a space to write about my life as it relates to food — with just the hint of a smirk on my face. The chances of my being completely serious about it never occurred to me at the time even though I’ve always been someone who is passionate about food. I wanted to be light-hearted about it all, never expecting that I would be writing precise directions for recipes or searching for just the right light to shoot photos of the food we ate on a day-to-day basis.

What I did expect was stories — stories connected to life’s often pivotal moments and weaving it all together. Stories about pregnancy and Monday night post Lamaze class burritos. Sunday morning hamburgers and Charlie Chan. Or stories about why cold yams and spilled milk will always remind me of one of my grandmothers. Biscuits and old boyfriends, raw shrimp cocktails and romantic dinners at home, and an old, dear doggo who loved tortilla chips. Stories just like that. And in the process, I thought perhaps I’d keep myself (and my best friend) focused on a diet we’d promised ourselves we’d go on, thinking if it’s written down, then we’ll stick to it.

Right. When pigs fly.

I also thought that considering the number of cookbooks I own and food magazines subscribed to, trying new recipes and talking frankly about them would be a fun diversion. After all, it’s what I’d done for years minus a food blog. With my youngest son just beginning high school at the time, and mulling over a stay-at-home-mom status for the first time in my life, I knew I’d look forward to that diversion. There was no real hustle bustle in our small family of three, no school lunches for little kids to pack, and nary a picky eater in residence to cater to. Instead, my life-long affection for cooking would continue to grow, fueled by new found time to experiment with flavors I’d not tried before, and techniques I’d been too busy to find time to learn. So I rolled up my sleeves and got busy.

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Roasted Sweet Pepper Soup

August 19, 2011

The calendar asserts that summer is dwindling, but I know better.

Damp air, flat, steely skies until late in the morning and an urge to put on a sweater are only teasers of what will come much later here than most other places in the country. Usually, I allow myself to be lulled into remembering all that I love about Fall weather after having had weeks of heat and humidity, but not this year.

No, I’ve enjoyed the blue skies and temperate weather — pleasant breezes that keep the house cool and the pots on our patio from needing constant watering. I haven’t had my fill yet, but know by the time September has passed, I’ll be ready. It’s usually our warmest month, only once every blue moon or so bringing blustery showers and a thunderstorm. But it’s been years since we’ve seen that.

So for now, a bowl of soup is fine.

Something bright and full of flavor, but not packed with calories.

Take advantage of all the beautiful sweet peppers at the market right now — or if you’re lucky enough to grow them yourself – and try this roasted sweet pepper soup. If you’re thinking it’s still not quite soup weather yet, then freeze it. It’s worth waiting for.

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Spicy Red Amaranth Stir-Fry

August 15, 2011

I don’t go to our farmer’s markets as much as I’d like, but when I do, I always seem to find something new to try. I enjoy dark, green leafy veggies quite a bit, so I’m not a hard sell. One vendor recently noticed me admiring the beautiful magenta color at the center of the larger deep, green leaves lightly filling a bag. “It’s red amaranth,” the young man told me, reaching for the bag I was focused on. “Here, taste it.” And so I did.

Although somewhat like spinach in flavor, amaranth, or what some refer to as Chinese spinach, is more sturdy between my teeth as I chew on it, its flavor somewhat like fresh grass smells like if that makes any sense at all. It’s not sweet, but not pungent, either, and leaves a pleasant, unbitter taste in my mouth.

But I thought amaranth was a grain — isn’t it? And don’t I remember seeing annuals at the nursery with colorful plumes which also somehow reminded me of the tasty greens I was chewing on?

Evidently yes to all above — sort of. It isn’t a true grain, but is referred to as a pseudo-grain. Some varieties are cultivated for the leafy green vegetable, some for seeds to be used much like rice or corn are used. And although I did know that buckwheat and quinoa were very high plant protein sources, amaranth seeds are as well. And, they lack gluten, so that makes them quite beneficial to those who are gluten intolerant.

Historically, amaranth was a staple of ancient Mesoamericans and has been enjoyed in Asia for centuries. Why and how did our culture adapt to eating iceberg lettuce instead? Evidently, amaranth became associated with religious rituals involving human sacrifice, so it was banned by the invading Spaniards who then came to North America.

So that explains how we ended up with ice berg lettuce.

This recipe spices things up a bit, perfect for lunch by itself or a dinner side. Use spinach if you can’t find red amaranth. Your body will thank you.