When Hubby Gives You Trout....

Uhh...cook it within three days! No, really if you've read any of my previous posts, you'd know my husband loves to fish. I can't imagine the fascination, but whatever makes him happy!! Anyway, last week he came home with a lot of trout, and a lot more smoked trout. Now, the fresh trout I know how to fix, but what to do with all this smoked trout? I asked him what he wanted me to do with the smoked trout, and he said, "Feed it to me". Brilliant, isn't he? ;)

After a little thought, I decided to make a Smoked Trout Frittata. I've seen recipes for a Smoked Salmon Frittata, so I figured I'd just substitute the fish. After a little more rooting around in the refrigerator, I ended up substituting out most ingredients (except the eggs, of course!). I really think that's the beauty of a frittata - kinda rustic and use what you've got on hand! Heaven knows, with this egg CSA I've gotten myself into, I sure have enough eggs!! So, here's a photo of my Smoked Trout Frittata with the recipe:

Smoked Trout Frittata

3 T vegetable oil

Flaked trout from 1 -2 smoked trout fillets (1 if large, 2 if smaller)

6 green onions (1 bunch) chopped, both white and green parts

1 small container of mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

8 eggs

2 T milk

2 T heavy cream

1/2 (8 oz) package cream cheese, cubed

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Heat oil in a large, oven proof skillet (I used a 10" cast iron skillet). Add green onions and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring until onions are soft. Add the smoked trout , cook briefly to release flavors.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together with milk and cream. Pour over the trout and vegetables and stir gently. Scatter cubes of cream cheese over the top. Cook over medium heat without stirring, until the edges appear firm.

Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and puffed. If you prefer, slide onto a serving platter. I just serve straight from the cast iron pan.

Just in case you've never cooked trout before, here's my favorite recipe (or really method) for serving it. Trout is excellent served with homemade coleslaw and cornbread, but last weekend we grilled a thick steak and had a "surf and turf" meal.

Pan Fried Trout

In a small dish, pour some milk (I like to use buttermilk). In another dish, pour some cornmeal. Season the cornmeal lightly with a dash of cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt. Dip cleaned trout in milk, then roll in cornmeal. Collect all your trout fillets and fry in about a 1/4" vegetable oil (again, a cast iron skillet is excellent for this). Fry about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel lined dish and serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Garden Update

Wow, my garden is really taking off!! I've come to realize my tomato cages aren't big enough!! Uh-Oh! :) Anyway, here are a couple of fun update photos - hope you enjoy!!

My first zucchini (the part just behind the flower). I've learned alot about zucchini this year. The plant has both "male" and "female" flowers that need to be pollinated. Usually bees do this, but with the shortage of bees anymore, it may be necessary to hand pollinate them yourself (this is true of all the squashes). So each morning out I go with little cotton swabs. This is the first one I got to pollinate (I feel like a fertility doctor!! LOL!!)

Here's the beginning of my first cucumber. Isn't it adorable? (I'm such a proud parent!!). I didn't have to pollinate them - they know what to do!! I can't wait until I can make some bread and butter pickles!

Tomorrow I'm going to post my menu/recipes for the upcoming 4th of July. I don't have photos of all the recipes, but I don't think you'll be disappointed!!

Garden Update

Sorry this photo is so small and blurry - it's a picture of the cabins (called Ka-bens) at Camp Fitch, where my older sons are this week. They're really cool - open during the day and in the evening they have these flaps that come down and tie!!

Wow, it's been a busy week around our neck of the woods. From checking in to some of my friend's posts on My Girl Paula, looks like we're all pretty busy. Poor Alwayz Bakin' is studying anatomy - you go girl!! I just don't have it in me any more for that!!

My two older sons are off at camp! Praise God!! :) It was a long drive (3 1/2 hours each way!!), but the camp is incredible. On the shores of Lake Erie (really, right on the shore!!), and they are learning computer programming, web design, horseback riding, archery, you-name-it!! I sure wish I was a kid again!!

Our little guy is going to a local daycare this week. This week is "Bug Camp" and he's just loving it! He squeals when he sees the building and starts clapping his hands - he's just so cute!! Plus, it wears him out and he goes to bed early - yippee!!

So that leaves me - lonely? NO WAY!! I'm decluttering and organizing. I have my oldest son's room finished and today I begin my middle son's room. I'm about halfway done with the kitchen (and I'm amazed at the stuff I have that I'd completely forgotten about!!). I wish it went faster, but at least it's getting done. I'm not cooking a whole lot this week (well, maybe tonight - I want to try a crab meat lasagna), so I'll leave you with some pictures of my garden. I'm truly amazed at how well everything is growing in my boxes - just take a look:

These are my potted tuberous begonias with the herbs tucked in between. It's an early morning picture when the sun is the brightest in that area.

Here's a photo of my first pumpkin blossom. I think I'll have pumpkins in August!! Looks like there are a lot more coming just behind this blossom.

Here are some cucumber blossoms. I'm hoping to get a lot of cucumbers so I can make Bread and Butter pickles!

Here's an early morning photo of my first eggplant blossom.

Here's a zucchini blossom. Honestly, I had no idea zucchini leaves got so big!!

I just love this little orchid. I got it at our local Home Depot. It's a miniature orchid. I love this photo too - it's early morning, but it looks so soft. That's my composting bin behind the orchid. I'm composting almost everything!!

You know it's summer around here when the pansies begin to get spindly. I hate to see them go, but they just didn't look so good.

Here's their replacement - two varieties of coleus. This area doesn't get any direct sun, and these leaves give the front of my home a nice, neat look.

Hope you enjoyed the photos. I'll update on my progress a little later in the week!

My Girl Paula Apple Crisp

Well, things are really busy around here. It's the end of the school year, and with it comes all kinds of activities. One of my sons has a Scholastic Bookfair going on at his school, and I've been "asked" to help. I honestly don't know how to say "no" to those things, but I've got to figure it out!!

I'm a little late on this post, but I got the apple crisp made from My Girl Paula. I followed the instructions from Mommy's Kitchen and made it in a cast iron skillet. It took about 80 minutes to get good and bubbly, and the oatmeal topping to set, but Oh My Gosh - it was good!! Everyone loved it. I made mine with five Granny Smith apples. The apples with the lemon were tart, and the topping was sweet and crunchy - but not burned or dried out. Very, very good. I think we all had seconds.

I noticed the recipe for Paula's apple crisp on the Food Network site is a little different than the one in her book. On Food Network it's a recipe for a campfire, and the proportions are a little different. The one in the book says to make it in an 8 x 8 pan, and I just can't figure out how you'd get all the filling and topping into such a small pan. I used a 10 inch cast iron skillet and it was full. If anyone reads this and wants the recipe, leave a comment and I'll get it to you. Since I haven't seen this recipe posted yet from Paula Deen, I'm going to hold off.

My garden is growing - even with all the rain and cool temperatures we've had around here lately. I've got to get out there today and start digging around. I'm excited to get some green beans, beets and carrots that I planted from seed. I'm going to plant some lettuce in a new, clean cat litter box and place it in some dappled sun to see how it does. From what I've read I should be able to get it to grow over the summer. My herbs and container flowers are doing great too - the flowers are really blooming. I've got three strawberry planters and I'm getting some red strawberries on them. I doubt if I'll get enough for my own strawberry shortcake, but maybe a few for our cereal!

This weekend is my father-in-laws birthday/father's day party. We're celebrating them all together since my older sons will be at camp over Father's Day. I'm preparing to make a cherry pie for him tomorrow. He said he can't seem to get a good cherry pie when he goes out to eat. I did a little research, and discovered you need to use a tart cherry. I ordered some from King Orchard in Michigan, and they just came yesterday. I'm excited to make it - and to make a lattice top!! I'll post when I get it made.

What I've Been Up To

Well, as you can tell, trying to post an entire week's menu with recipes just isn't going to happen for me! So, I'll go to the more traditional posts and try for one a day about a recipe or special ingredient. All I can say is the last few weeks were hectic! We had Teacher Appreciation Week for both my sons' schools, and I decided to make the gifts (what was I thinking?????). Two weeks straight I cut and sewed coffee cup sleeves, made lemon-blueberry muffins, and bagged up gift bags for the teachers. Oh, yea, then I decided to help with the luncheon and made a vegetable lasagna! Ugh, I'm glad that's all done.

I'm trying hard to get my garden and containers planted this week. We are expected to have beautiful weather, so I should be able to finish. I've posted a photo of some of my containers. I love to plant tuberous begonias with herbs tucked in between. These pots are not quite finished - I'm still on the look-out for some yellow tuberous begonias to add. I've got some oregano, rosemary, parsley, and thyme planted in with the flowers.

This year I'm also trying some square foot garden beds. I'm excited to get some tomatoes, peppers, and maybe even a watermelon planted this week - I'll keep you posted!

Caroline