imadethatmyself.com

Tomato Sausage Tart

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:00:01 +0000

Ingredients
1 (9 inch) refrigerated pie crust
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 egg
1/2 cup light cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 pounds tomatoes, sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano, or to taste
1 teaspoon dried basil, or to taste
2 cups chopped fresh basil
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup vegetable oil
salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Press the pie crust into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate.

Cook the sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook stirring occasionally until sausage is browned, and onions are translucent. Drain and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, 1 egg and light cream until well blended. Stir into the sausage mixture.

Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese over the bottom of the pie crust. Place the sausage mixture over the cheese. Arrange tomato slices over the sausage layer, then top with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle dried basil and oregano over the cheese.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until heated through and bubbly. Let stand for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with Basil Mayonnaise.

To make Basil Mayonnaise, combine the fresh basil, 1 egg, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Blend to mix, then gradually drizzle in oil while blending. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

grow your own tomatoes

admin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:00:21 +0000

Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables – and that’s not surprising since the taste fresh from the vine is divine.

Though growing-bags are the favoured growing medium, they take a lot more careful looking after than those growing in pots or in the ground.

Outdoor tomatoes are well worth growing using cultivars that are more tolerant of outdoor conditions.

Sowing

Sow at 18C (65F). Sow in either seed trays or small pots. Transplant into 7.5-9cm (3-3.5in) pots when two true leaves have formed.

For greenhouse cultivation: sow from mid-January to early February (heated greenhouse) or late February to mid-March (unheated greenhouse).

For outdoor cultivation: sow in late March to early April.

Young plants are available from garden centres in spring

Growing

Transfer to 23cm (9in) pots, growing-bags or plant 45-60cm (18-24in) apart outside when the flowers of the first truss are beginning to open. Plants for growing outdoors should be hardened off first.

Tie the main stem to a vertical bamboo cane or wind it up a well-anchored but slack sturdy string. Those grown as bush or hanging basket types do not need support.

Remove sideshoots regularly when they are about 2.5cm (1in) long. Those grown as bush or hanging basket types will not need to have sideshoots removed.

Water regularly to keep the soil/compost evenly moist. Feed every 10-14 days with a balanced liquid fertiliser, changing to a high potash one once the first fruits start to set.

Remove yellowing leaves below developing fruit trusses.

Harvesting

Start picking when the fruit is ripe and fully coloured.

At the end of the growing season lift the plants with unripe fruit and either lay them on straw under cloches or hang them in a cool shed to aid ripening.

make your own white chocolate strawberry pie

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:25:20 +0000

Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on package
1 2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 (3-oz.) package vanilla pudding and pie filling (not instant)
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons white chocolate chips
1 cup whipping cream
4 cups fresh strawberries
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450°F. Make pie crust as directed on package for one crust baked shell using 9″ pie plate. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool.

In medium saucepan, combine milk and gelatin, making sure to mix well. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in pudding mix. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup white chocolate chips, stirring occasionally until melted. Place plastic wrap over surface of pudding.

Refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a small bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold a third of the whipped cream into cooled pudding mixture. Fold in remaining whipping cream. Spoon pudding mixture into cooled baked pie shell; spread evenly.

Twist stems of strawberries to remove or use tip of sharp knife, being careful not to cut berries. Place strawberries, pointed ends up, on filling, gently pressing about 1/4 of each berry into filling.
In a small saucepan, heat remaining 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips and oil over low heat until melted, stir until smooth. Drizzle over strawberries.

Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

grow your own sweetcorn

admin — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:38:41 +0000

Unfortunately, sweet corn is not the easiest crop to grow in the UK, but there are newer, more modern cultivars which are better suited to our climates.

Sweet corn should be grown in a sunny position that is protected from strong wind.

As the plants are wind pollinated they are grown in blocks rather than rows. Set the plants 45cm (18in) apart.
There are some mini sweet corn cultivars. Since mini corn is harvested before fertilisation, it doesn’t need to be grown in a block and can even be grown as a windbreak. Each plant will produce five or six cobs.

Sowing

Sow at 18-21C (65-70F) from late March to early May in peat pots or deep pots at a depth of 2.5cm (1in).

In mild areas you can sow seed directly outside from mid- to late May in soil pre-warmed for two weeks with cloches or clear plastic. Sow two seeds 2.5cm (1in) deep 45cm (18in) apart in rows 45cm (18in) apart. Leave the cloches or plastic over the plants until they’ve grown and touch the top.

Growing

Plant out indoor-raised plants at the end of May or early June depending on the weather.

When roots appear at the base of the stem cover them over with soil.

Water plants well in dry weather; this is vital when the plants are flowering. Liquid feed when the cobs begin to swell.
Tap the tops of the plants when the male flowers open to help pollination; poor pollination will result in poorly filled cobs.

Harvesting

Test for ripeness when the tassels have turned chocolate brown. Squeeze a grain between thumbnail and fingernail – if a watery liquid squirts out then it is unripe, if it is creamy the cob is ready. Twist the ripe cob from the stem.

make your own Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

admin — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:57:06 +0000

Make your own sweet potato pecan pie with those sweet sweet potatoes!

Ingredients
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 2/3 cups light cream
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup chopped pecans

Bake sweet potatoes until tender, peel and mash. Make sure all lumps are removed, straining if necessary.
Lightly beat the eggs. Then blend together eggs and sweet potatoes. Next, stir in sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Blend in the cream. When finished, pour into pie shell.
Bake in preheated oven at 400°F for 45-55 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge of pie comes out clean. Cool completely on rack.

To make Caramelized Pecan Topping: Combine butter or margarine, brown sugar, and pecans. Gently drop by spoonfuls over cooled pie to cover top. Broil 5 inches below heat until mixture begins to bubble, about 3 minutes. Watch carefully, if cooked too long, top will turn syrupy. Cool on rack.

grow your own sweet potatoes

admin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 07:00:28 +0000

Versatile and becoming increasingly popular, sweet potatoes are well worth trying outdoors in milder areas – or in a glasshouse or polytunnel elsewhere. Even in mild regions, indoor growing will produce more reliable crops.

Sowing

Sweet potatoes are best grown from cuttings or slips ordered from a mail order supplier.
You can try growing them from shop-bought tubers. Many shop-bought tubers are also treated with an anti-sprouting agent, so give them a good scrub to clean them first. Then place them in moist sand in a hot propagator or even in the airing cupboard. Once the sprouts/shoots are 5-7.5cm (2-3in) long, they can be removed as cuttings.

Growing

Plants ordered as cuttings or slips are delivered from late April onwards. Pot them immediately upon receipt into small individual pots with multipurpose compost. If the slips are not rooted, simply cover the pots with a clear plastic bag or place in an unheated propagator until roots appear.
Grow the plants on in a well- lit, frost-free, spot until early June. In mild regions, sweet potatoes can be planted outdoors after a period of hardening off. They require a highly fertile but light, preferably sandy, soil. If your soil is not naturally sandy or free-draining, plant into ridges 15-30cm (6-12in) high, spacing plants 30cm (12in) apart, with 75cm (2.5ft) between rows.
Sweet potatoes crop best at temperatures between 21-26°C (70-80°F). Keep well watered, feeding every other week with a high-potassium liquid feed.

Harvesting

Tubers take from four to five months to mature. They can be lifted from the end of August, but it is better to leave them until the leaves begin to yellow and die back.

grow your own strawberries

admin — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:00:15 +0000

The strawberry is an extremely popular fruit and they are very easy to grow. Grow your own with these simple instructions.

Site and soil

Strawberries are so versatile – they just need sun, shelter, and fertile, well-drained soil. Avoid areas prone to frost and soils that have previously grown potatoes, chrysanthemums, or tomatoes.
Windy places will keep pollinating insects from reaching the flowers. In poor soil, grow in raised beds, which will improve drainage and increase rooting depth. Another option is to grow in containers or growing bags.
To produce an earlier crop by seven to ten days, strawberry plants can be grown under a tunnel cloche. Place the cloche over the plants in early spring, but remove the sides when the plants are flowering in order to give pollinating insects access.

Buying and planting

Order plants in late summer so that they can be planted in early autumn.
Make planting holes 35cm (14in) apart. Trim the roots lightly to 10cm (4in) if necessary, then spread them out in the hole. Make sure that the base of the crown rests lightly on the surface. When the plant is at the right depth, backfill the soil, and keep it off the crown. Plant the next row 75cm (30in) away. Water the plants well.

Plant care

Be sure to water from the bottom as water from overhead can rot the crown and fruit.
During the growing season, give strawberry plants liquid potash feed every 7 to 14 days. In early spring, apply general fertiliser.
As fruits start to develop, tuck straw underneath them to prevent the strawberries from rotting on the soil.
After cropping has finished, remove the old leaves from strawberries, and remove the straw mulch.
Expect strawberry plants to crop successfully for three years before replacing them.

make your own spinach quiche

admin — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 07:00:21 +0000

Put that Spinach to good use! Make a creamy, creamy quiche to get stuck into!

What you’ll need:

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
8 ounces shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
10 ounces chopped spinach, (can also be made from frozen spinach, remove from package, then thaw and squeeze dry.)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and milk until smooth. Then whisk in eggs. Layer spinach, cheese, and onion in pie shell, making several layers of each. Pour in egg mixture. Place quiche on prepared cookie sheet. Cover quiche with foil.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove cover, and bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until top is golden brown and filling is set.

Eat!

grow your own spinach

admin — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:00:44 +0000

Spinach is able to produce a crop all year round, even when other greens may be in short supply. When prepared and cooked properly – use fresh spinach and steam it rather than boil it – spinach is tasty and versatile. It can even be used raw in salads.

Some cultivars can also be overwintered for an early spring harvest. Winter cultivars need a sunny position. Summer types will benefit from a little shade, so try growing between rows of taller crops

Sowing

Sow the seeds 2.5cm (1in) deep in rows 30cm (12in) apart.

For summer cultivars: sow every couple of weeks from mid-March until the end of May.

For winter cultivars: Sow first in August and again in September.

Growing

Thin the seedlings to 7.5cm (3in) apart once they are large enough to handle. A few weeks later harvest every other plant for use in the kitchen.

Keep well watered during the drier periods of summer.

Winter cultivars will need protection from frost. To protect them, cover with cloches. Or you can protect the crown with straw or similar material and cover with fleece.

To prevent the leaves from tasting bitter, make sure the soil is rich and contains plenty of organic matter.

Harvesting

For summer cultivars: pick between late May and the end of October.

For winter cultivars: pick between October and April.

Harvest the leaves continually once they are large enough to easily pick.

grow your own potatoes

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 07:00:17 +0000

Potatoes are hugely versatile and are a staple ingredient of many meals in one form or another.
There are three main types – first earlies, second earlies and maincrops depending on when they are planted and harvested.
Potatoes need a sunny site away from frost pockets – the newly emerging foliage is susceptible to frost damage.
It’s important to keep light away from the developing new potatoes as light turns them green and green potatoes are poisonous.
Seed tubers should be planted around late March for first earlies, early to mid-April for second earlies and mid- to late April for maincrops.

Growing

Tubers are ready to plant when the shoots are about 2.5cm (1in) long.
The traditional way is to dig a narrow trench 12.5cm (5in) deep. The seed tubers are spaced 30cm (12in) apart in rows 60cm (24in) for earlies and 37.5cm (15in) in rows 75cm (30in) apart for maincrop varieties.
When the stems are about 23cm (9in) carefully draw the soil up to the stems and cover them to produce a flat-topped ridge about 15cm (6in) high.
For growing in large containers, line the bottom 15cm (6in) of the container with potting compost and plant the seed tuber just below this. As the new stems start growing, continue adding compost until the container is full.
A liquid feed of a balanced general fertiliser every fortnight can help increase yields.

Harvesting

First earlies should be ready in June and July, second earlies in July and August, maincrops from late August through October.
With earlies, the tubers are ready to harvest when they are the size of hens’ eggs. With maincrops wait until the foliage turns yellow, then cut it and remove it. Leave for 10 days before harvesting the tubers.