Wild Onions and Eggs

Ladies and gentlemen..... Spring has arrived on Beaty's Creek!! You know spring is really here when you cook up a bunch of wild onions and eggs. Nothing could be better, well maybe a few morels(more on that later). The Tulsa World featured me a few years ago in an article about spring greens in Oklahoma. I am not telling all of you to go in the woods and try to figure out what onions are so read this and enjoy the thought of a wild onion and egg dinner. If you live in NW Arkansas or NE Oklahoma I am sure you know where to dig onions, but if not leave me a comment and I will try to help you out.

Needed:

2 hand fulls of wild onions cleaned and chopped into bite size pieces
Salt to taste
Oil
3 cups of water
5 eggs-beaten

Coat the bottom of a skillet with oil and saute your wild onions until softened a bit, now add your water and cook over a slow boil for 20 minutes, let some of the water evaporate. Now add your beaten eggs and stir like crazy until eggs come together and are done. We love the broth that you get from the onions, so good with crispy cornbread. That is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Pico de Gallo

I think this is the Mexican form of Bruschetta, except you serve this as a side or with chips and not bread. I like it on eggs, baked potatoes, chips, crackers, and can eat it with just about anything. Give this a try the next time you have some fresh from the garden tomatoes. This is What's (not) Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
5 vine ripe tomatoes-chopped
3 homegrown jalapenos-diced
1 white onion- chopped

Mix all of the ingredients together and serve with tortilla chips or tacos.

Homegrown Goodness--Tomatoes

The best thing out of a garden in my opinion are tomatoes. I have several varieties growing with some old and some new to me. My grandparents raised Jet Star tomatoes and I can still taste those tomatoes warm from the garden. My husband's grandparents raised Arkansas Travelers, this tomato will bear until frost. In addition to the old favorites I also have a few heirloom varieties. One of the heirloom varieties are Big Zebra, a green tomato with darker green stripes that is great tasting. My husband has to close his eyes when eating them though. He likes a tomato to be red and that is all there is to it. The other heirloom I have in this picture is the Old German and it is yellow with pink spots throughout and tastes similar to the Arkansas Travelers. I have some Cherokee Purple growing too but they are not pictured because they aren't quite ready for picking. No matter what variety of tomato you raise, plant a tomato plant and you will be so pleased with yourself and the best tomatoes in the world.


I like tomatoes semi-pure, meaning salt and pepper only. This is What's Cookin (not) on Beaty's Creek today.

Poke Salad

Sounds odd but around here it says SPRING ALMOST SUMMER!! I have always wondered why "Poke Salad" is called "Poke Salad", one it is not a salad and two it is cooked. My dad said it is as close to a salad as the old timers got so who knows?? Poke is really the last of the “wild grown” edibles that we have around Beaty’s Creek until the fall and it is pretty much everywhere. My grandpa use to say Poke Salad was your spring tonic; it may not be tonic but is a spring favorite. We like our "poke salad" with eggs and of course crusty cornbread. My father likes his "poke salad" with vinegar on top and served like you would any cooked green. This is What's Cookin in my Beaty's Creek kitchen tonight. Hold your breath Sal.....

Needed:
1 paper grocery bag full of very young poke tips (I don’t like the stalks boiled, I have a recipe for those later on.)
Water
Salt
1/2 cup Oil
6 Eggs-beaten


Wash poke very good and place in a large pot, cover with water and boil for 3 minutes, now you will pour all of the water off of the poke. Why you may ask???? Well, poke will make you sick if you eat it after the first boiling. Boil again but this time boil it for only 1 minute and then pour off the water and add oil to poke. You will still have a little water in the bottom of the pot, this is fine, salt poke and sauté in oil for about 3 more minutes, now add your eggs. We don’t like ours real eggy but the amount of eggs is up to you. When you add your eggs you will need to stir and stir and stir again, this helps keep everything even and no big pieces of eggs. Cook until all the eggs are set.

Granny West’s Corn Casserole

I bet you have heard of corn casserole recipes before, most of them call for Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. There is nothing wrong with the mix but those usually turn out to be more like cornbread. This recipe is pure corn. This has a sweet but savory taste to it. My Granny West made this every year for Thanksgiving. I always wondered how she came up with it. My Granny West canned corn every year and I do too. Nothing like fresh corn canned at the peak of sweetness. It is very simple but very good. Two of my favorites at this time of year. You can put this casserole in the oven along with your other sides that bake at 325’. Most of my sides are baked at 325’. Makes life a little easier. I think we all need that sometimes. Give this a try.


Granny West’s Corn Casserole

4 cans cream style corn
4 beaten eggs
4 T All-purpose flour
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 stick of melted butter
¾ cup of sugar
9x13 baking pan

Heat oven to 325’. Place all of your ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir well. When mixed place into a greased 9x13 baking pan and cover with foil. Bake for 1-½ hours or until set in the middle. I uncover mine the last 30 minutes and let it brown up a little.


This is just as good cold as it is hot. I like to eat it the next day straight out of the fridge.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

My garden is putting out quite a few zucchini squash right now and I am so glad. See, I am not a person who raises a million squash and then tries to find a home for all of it. I raise a good share but not like people you hear about who raise truckloads. I freeze a good portion of mine but we also like to enjoy them while they are fresh. This cake is so moist and chocolaty that your kiddos will never know that there is anything "good" for them in it. You can ice the cake to make it even better but we like ours without icing. This is the only time I will ever type that, we like our icing around here... This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

4 eggs-I use free range
1 ½ cups oil
2 cups sugar
3 cups finely grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 ½ t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t salt
1 bag of milk chocolate chips-melted



In a bowl of mixer, beat eggs until creamy and light yellow on medium-high speed. Add oil and sugar and beat another minute. Add the zucchini, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nuts and melted chocolate. Beat on low speed for 1 minute or until combined. Bake in a 9x13 greased and floured pan for 1 hour at 350'.

Quinoa Salad

I am trying new ways to use quinoa in my everyday life. It is such a great replacement for rice in meals like stir fry and beans, give it a try. I will tell you to make sure and rinse your quinoa very well before cooking. If you don't it will have a bitter taste. Everyone really liked this salad but my husband thought the dressing was a little too sweet. It is like a sweet oil and vinegar dressing, if you don't like sweet you can leave the honey out. Everyone else loved it so there you go. I am still trying to get used to using quinoa, I just can't get out of my rice dependency, hee hee I am trying though. This is What's Cookin on this very windy Winter's day on Beaty's Creek.


Needed:


1 cup quinoa-rinsed and drained
1 t sea salt
1 garlic clove-minced
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup cherry tomatoes-cut in half
1 cup cabbage-finely shredded and chopped
1 cucumber-peeled and diced
Pepper to taste

Dressing

1/2 cup Canola oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 T local honey
2 T Dijon mustard
1 t cayenne pepper

To make Salad: Bring quinoa, salt, and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Set aside, covered, 10 minutes.

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in separate saucepan. Add corn and cook 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water, then drain again. Stir together corn, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumber, and quinoa in bowl.

Dressing: Mix all ingredients in a jar and shake until smooth. Stir into Salad.






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Mixed Vegetable Casserole

I ate this casserole a few years back and never even thought of it until the other day. I put it together and had my family taste test it, really just wanted to make sure it was as good as I remembered. This is a list of the final cut of ingredients. It is great alongside a meatloaf or roast chicken. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

1 can green beans-drained
1 can whole corn-drained
1 can Veg-All-drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese-shredded
1 stick butter-melted
1 sleeve Ritz crackers-crushed
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all canned veggies together with sour cream, soup, cheese, salt and pepper. Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan and top with Ritz crackers. I poured the butter over the crackers. Bake at 350' for 30 minutes.

Brussel Sprouts with White Truffle Oil

Doesn't this recipe sound fancy? I've never had truffle oil before, that is until Marx Foods sent me a bottle. Let me tell you, I will never be without it again! I can eat brussel sprouts raw, with bacon, with nothing and I still love them. We usually raise them in the garden but this year they just did not do what they are supposed to....GROW. Anyway to the grocery store I went. This is a super easy recipe that will be a pleasant surprise for your dinners. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

3 pounds fresh brussel sprouts
7 T white truffle Oil
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Peel outer leaves off of sprouts. Slice sprouts in half and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Coat with oil and salt and pepper liberally or to taste. Now place in a 450' oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, stir and place back in oven and continue to cook for 10 minutes. They should be slightly browned but still crisp. These make a great side dish.

Corn on the Cob

Okay, now you think I have lost my ever loving mind don't you?? I mean how hard is it to boil corn on the cob? Not hard but there is a secret. Want to know what it is? Read the "recipe" and you will have the secret to good corn on the cob, no matter if it is fresh from the plant or a few days old from the store. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today!

Needed:

10 ears of corn on the cob-cleaned
1 pot of boiling water
1 cup white sugar

When you fill your pot with water add your sugar. Now heat your water to boiling, now add in your corn. I boil mine for 20-30 minutes but that is up to you. You may wonder what sugar does for the corn, well I will tell you. It brings the natural sugar out in the corn. See the sugar goes to starch when corn is picked. It happens pretty fast too. I just always add sugar to my corn water. Once corn has boiled, pour off water and eat with loads of butter, salt, and pepper! Summer is almost here!!

Colcannon

This must be my Irish week. I love Colcannon and can eat it as a main dish or as a side. This is definitely a dish where simple ingredients combine to make something unique and tasty. It is easy to make but there are a few steps to get to the end product. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
4 pounds potatoes-peeled and quartered
1-2 pound head green cabbage
1 stick butter
1 cup cream
1 pound bacon-cooked until crisp

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender, as you would for mashed potatoes. Meanwhile, pour enough oil on a heavy bottom skillet to coat it. Cut up your cabbage and remove the core. I cut mine into 1 inch wide strips. Salt and pepper to taste and place into an oil coated skillet. Cook over medium heat until softened but not mushy. Now pour water off of potatoes and mash. While mashing add in your butter and salt and pepper to taste. Add in cream and whip up the potatoes until light. I love to use my Kitchen Aid for this. Now add in cabbage and bacon and stir well. That is it. You are good to go now and remember to share.

Mustard Greens

Mustard greens top my favorite list of Fall veggies. I love to eat these greens along with fried cornbread, nothing else is really needed. This year Ransome decided he likes them also and actually asked for seconds... He was sick earlier in the week, maybe still hallucinating, not sure. I will, however, need to pick lots more to meet our ever growing mustard green need. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

2 Walmart bags full of fresh cut mustard greens-cleaned
Water
Canola Oil
Salt to taste

I wash my greens 3 times. I fill my sink with greens and then cover them with water, dip and then remove from sink and repeat this process 2 more times. I hate grit in my greens so I wash them extremely well. I then cover them in a pot with water and cook them for 30 minutes. Next drain the greens of most of their water and add about 1/2 cup oil and salt to taste. Continue to cook for 30 minutes. I cut mine greens with a metal spatula as they soften. Eat with fried cornbread.

Fried Green Tomatoes

When the Summer's bounty of tomatoes starts to wain it is time for fried green tomatoes!! I like fried green tomatoes with just a hint of pink because they are not so tart and have a fuller flavor in my opinion. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

10 green tomatoes-sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 cup all purpose flour
2 cups white cornmeal
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 egg
1 cup milk
Oil for frying

Mix egg and milk together. Now sift flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper together. Dip tomatoes into milk mixture and then into cornmeal mixture. Pour a 1/4 inch of oil into a skillet and heat over medium heat until a bit of flour sizzles. Now place tomatoes in a single layer in your oil. Fry on each side for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain cooked tomatoes on paper towels. We like ours with ketchup (so wrong but taste so right) but plain they are great too!

3 Bean Salad

This is little Raine's favorite salad right now and it is super easy to throw together quickly. She ate it just about as fast as I could make it this weekend. It only takes a little planning to make sure it sits long enough for the flavors to mix well. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.


Needed:

1 can green beans-drained
1 can cannellini beans-drained
1 can kidney beans-drained
1 cup Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
1/2 cup sugar
1 clove of garlic-minced
4 basil leaves-sliced

Mix Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing, sugar, and garlic together until sugar dissolves. Place beans in a bowl and pour dressing over them and stir to mix. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Zucchini Bread-Paula Dean style

If you are anything like me, you can use as many zucchini recipes this time of year as you can get. This one is so moist and sweet that you will be glad you made it. I like this toasted with cream cheese and a hot cup of tea. I bake mine in loaf pans but you could just as easily bake this in a 9x13 pan. This is What’s Cookin on Beaty’s Creek today.

Needed:

3-¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ t salt
1 t nutmeg
2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1-cup vegetable oil
4 eggs-beaten
2/3-cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 t lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Mix dry ingredients (except for nuts) in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Fold into dry, and add nuts. Bake in 2 loaf pans at 350’ for 1 hour, or until done.

Canned Tomatoes

When tomatoes are coming out of your ears what do you do??? You can them. I can a ton of tomatoes each year and by winter's end, I'm out. Tomatoes are one of the easiest things to can and are the very first garden item that I ever canned. I use my canned tomatoes for chili, salsa, baked tomatoes, tomato dumplings and many other things. They are so good sprinkled with sugar and eaten right out of the jar too. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

20 pounds of tomatoes
10 t lemon juice
10 quart jars-sterilized


Place tomatoes in a large stock pot and cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes and then remove tomatoes from pot. I place mine in a large bowl to cool. Once cooled core and peel tomatoes, the skin will just slip off. Place 1 t of lemon juice in each jar and pack with tomatoes. When I say pack I mean PACK your tomatoes in. Now place your flats in a pan and pour water over them and bring to a low boil for 1 minute. Seal jars with flat and ring. Place in a water bath after canned and process for 12 minutes.

Crock Dill Pickles

This recipe comes from a friend that I went to middle school with. Hi Tammy! I changed a few things around to suit our tastes. It is so refreshing when you find out people share the same interests as you do. Tammy and I both are home canning moms and we also homeschool our children. This recipe is so much like those store bought refrigerator pickles that you will feel silly for not making them all along. I know I did. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.


10 lbs cucumbers(I quartered some of mine because of their size.)
4 T dill seed
4 T pepper flakes
1 1/2 c pickling or canning salt
2 c white vinegar
16 c water
12 garlic cloves

In a large clean crock or glass or food-grade plastic container place cucumbers, garlic, and spices. Now heat to a boil the vinegar, salt, and water. Once boiling remove from heat and let cool completely. Pour over cucumbers. I placed a plate on top of mine to weigh them down. Cover with plastic wrap to keep any air out. Let sit in brine for 2- 3 weeks at 70'-75'. Mine were done in 2 weeks but my friend Tammy, the one who gave me the original recipe for these pickles, is still waiting on hers after 3 weeks. Temperature really does make a difference on curing.

To can:

Strain brine. You will pack your cucumbers into sterilized jars and cover with strained brine. You need to heat your strained brine to a roiling boil and then pour over cucumbers and seal with your lids. I processed mine in a water bath for 15minutes.

Quick Pickles

This a favorite around here. I used all garden produce but this is just as good made with store bought produce. It is great to have with almost any meal and there is no canning involved!! This is What's Cookin (not cookin) on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:

6 Cucumbers-peeled and sliced
1 purple onion-peeled and sliced
3 tomatoes-did not have tomatoes this time but we usually add them in
3 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar

Mix sugar into vinegar until completely dissolved. Now pour over cucumbers and onion slices. Place in fridge for a couple of hours. Just as good the next day.

Garden Green Beans and New Potatoes

I love green beans with new potatoes and bacon. What combo is any better?? I cannot believe how many green beans my garden has put out this year. I canned like crazy at first and then I saved the last harvest to eat! Weird I know but that is what I do. We eat ours with crispy cornbread and that is it. Nothing else is needed, well maybe some cukes from the garden but that is it. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
3 pounds of green beans-cleaned and snapped into 1 inch pieces
2 pounds new potatoes-cleaned, but left whole
1 pound bacon-cut into 2 inch pieces
Water
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place green beans into a large pot and cover with water. Now add bacon and salt and pepper to your tastes. Cook over medium heat for 3 hours, now you will add your new potatoes and cook for another hour. We eat ours with crispy thin cornbread.

Fried Zucchini

I love Summer and all it has to offer in the garden. My MIL brought over zucchini squash this morning and the kids could not wait for lunch. My squash are about a week away from being ready to pick but my MIL's are going strong. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
4 zucchini squash-slice into 1/4 inch rounds
3 cups all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil

Place sliced squash in a bowl and salt, let sit until you see water form on slices. Now put flour, salt and pepper in bowl with squash and flip squash around in the bowl to coat evenly. Now heat oil over medium heat, when heated add squash so they do not touch in the pan. When browned on one side flip and cook until golden brown. The kids like to eat their pieces with ketchup.