Morning Glory Muffins

with Blackberries

Makes 15 muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

2 cups coarsely grated carrot

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 tart apple, peeled, cored and grated

3 large eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

3/4 cup applesauce, plain, unsweetened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup frozen blackberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line muffin tins. Measure flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into large bowl. Stir in carrots, coconut and apple. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla and pour into flour mixture, mixing well. Gently stir in berries.

Fill muffin cups to top and bake for 25 minutes or until a cake-tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let muffins cool for five minutes, then turn out onto a rack.

from "The Berry Bible"

Cathy Holton's
LUNCH BY THE POOL:
Miss Emmy Lou’s Chicken & Rice Salad
and Frosted Bellinis

Miss Emmy Lou’s Chicken & Rice Salad

Note: I like to use romaine leaves because they look pretty but you can also use an organic spring mix and mound the salad on top.

1 6-ounce box long grain and wild rice mix
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 red pepper, chopped
3//4 cup chopped arugula
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Lettuce leaves (see note)

1. Prepare the rice according to directions on the package, substituting 1 cup chicken broth for 1 cup of water.
   
   
2. Toast the chopped pecans in a shallow pan in a 350 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
   
3. In a large bowl, combine rice, chicken, pecans, red pepper, arugula and green onion.
   
   
4. Whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Pour over chicken mixture, tossing lightly. Line individual plates with lettuce and serve salad on top.

Yield: 4 servings

Frosted Bellinis

1 (750 milliliter) bottle of champagne
2 (11.5 ounce) cans peach nectar
1/2 cup peach schnapps

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher, stirring until well mixed. Serve immediately in chilled glasses over crushed ice.

Yield: 6 servings

I never knew the charm of spring

I never met it face to face
I never knew my heart could sing
I never missed a warm embrace

Till April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom
Holiday tables under the trees
April in Paris, this is a feeling
That no one can ever reprise

Risotto with lettuce and spring onion

This is known as Risotto con le Cipolline e la Lattuga in Italy

8 spring onions, chopped finely
3 tbsp unsalted butter
340g/12oz arborio rice
1 small glass white wine
up to 2 litres/3½ pints chicken or vegetable stock, kept hot
1 head round lettuce, washed and dried, then shredded coarsely
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp freshly grated parmigiano reggiano

1. Fry the spring onions very gently and slowly with half the butter. When they are soft, add the rice and quickly toast the grains thoroughly all over.
2. When the rice is crackling dry, add the wine and stir, evaporating the fumes. Then start to add the stock, beginning with 3 ladles so as to completely submerge the rice.
3. Stir thoroughly, and allow the liquid to be absorbed, then lower the heat and continue to add stock in quantities of 1-2 ladles at a time and stir constantly between each addition.
4. The rice itself will let you know when it needs more liquid by allowing a clear wake to open up behind the spoon as you draw it across the pan.
5. After about 20 minutes, the rice should have swelled and become creamy, but the grains should still be chewy, but not chalky. In no way should there be any hint of rice pudding about it.
6. Take it off the heat, stir in the lettuce and stir it around to wilt the leaves, then add the remaining butter, adjust the seasoning and stir in the parmigiano. Cover and leave to rest for about 4 minutes, then transfer on to a warmed serving dish or individual plates and eat at once.

Claudia's Penne with pesto, new potatoes, and pine nuts

1/2	cup pine nuts
2	cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
2	cloves garlic
1/4	teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2	cup olive oil
1/4	cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4	cup freshly grated pecorino cheese
1/2	pound slender green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
5	tiny red or yellow new potatoes, halved if large
1	pound penne
	Pepper, to taste

1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Spread the pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast them for 7 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Remove them from the oven and set aside to cool.

2. In a food processor, combine the basil leaves, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pine nuts. Pulse the mixture until it is finely chopped. With the machine running, add the olive oil through the feed tube in a thin steady stream until the mixture forms a paste. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the pesto to a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan and pecorino cheeses.

3. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook them for 3 minutes or until they are bright green and tender but crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beans from the water.

4. Add potatoes to the same water and simmer for 5 minutes or until they are tender when pierced with a skewer. Use the slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the liquid. Leave to cool slightly, then slice the potatoes thickly.

5. Bring the vegetable cooking water back to a boil. Add the penne and cook over high heat for 12 minutes or until tender.

6. Before draining the pasta, remove 2 tablespoons cooking water.

7. Drain the pasta into a colander. Shake the colander to remove the excess moisture and tip the penne into a bowl. Add the pasta cooking water and the pesto. Toss the mixture gently to coat the pasta all over.

8. Add the green beans, potatoes, and pepper. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like.

Easter spells out beauty,

the rare beauty of new life.

~S.D. Gordon

Chive Bread with Smoked Salmon

Ingredients

1 free-range egg
50g/1¾oz fresh chives
4 thin, square slices pumpernickel or rye bread
50g/1¾oz cream cheese
300g/10½oz smoked or cured salmon, finely sliced
50g/1¾oz salmon roe (optional)
1 lemon, quartered, to serve

Method

1. Boil the egg in simmering water in a pan for eight minutes, drain and cool under cold running water.
2. Reserve four whole chives for decoration and, with a pair of scissors, finely snip the chives and arrange on a flat plate.
3. Spread the bread with the cream cheese, right to the edges.
4. Lay the bread cheese-side down on the chives, pressing lightly, until each slice is completely covered with a fine layer of chives. It should look like a green carpet.
5. Peel the egg and finely slice in an egg-slicer or a sharp knife.
6. Top the slices of bread with a fold of salmon, a slice of egg, and a teaspoonful of salmon roe, if using.
7. Decorate with a whole chive, and serve with a wedge of lemon.

“Wine is bottled poetry.”

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

Six years ago a small group of wineries in Chester County, PA, joined forces to create the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail in southeastern Pennsylvania. Today the region continues to grow in both acres of vineyards and numbers of wineries. Each winery has its own distinct personality for you to discover as you tour vineyards, taste in cellars, and picnic on grounds.

Black Walnut Winery
Fri 2-8, Sat & Sun 12-6, and by appt.
Chaddsford Winery
Daily 12-6

Kreutz Creek Vineyards
Sat & Sun 11-6

Patone Cellars
Anticipated Opening Fall 2010

Paradocx Vineyard
Su-Th 11-7, Fr-Sa 11-8

Penns Woods Winery
M-Tu by appointment
W-Th 12-6, Fr-Su 11-6
Stargazers Vineyard
Sa & Su 12-5 or by appointment
Twin Brook Winery
M-Sa 10-6 Su 12-6

Brandywine Valley Wine Trail

March

The cock is crowing,

The stream is flowing,

The small birds twitter,

The lake doth glitter

The green field sleeps in the sun;

The oldest and youngest

Are at work with the strongest;

The cattle are grazing,

Their heads never raising;

There are forty feeding like one!

Like an army defeated

The snow hath retreated,

And now doth fare ill

On the top of the bare hill;

The plowboy is whooping—anon-anon:

There's joy in the mountains;

There's life in the fountains;

Small clouds are sailing,

Blue sky prevailing;

The rain is over and gone!

~William Wordsworth

Truffled Deviled Eggs

12 eggs
6 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp white truffle oil
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt + freshly ground pepper
black truffles (optional)
Hard-boil eggs, cool, peel, halve, and carefully remove the yolks; reserve the whites. Combine egg yolks, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white truffle oil, and lemon juice in a medium nonreactive bowl. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well until yolks are broken up and ingredients are evenly incorporated. Evenly pipe or spoon yolk mixture into reserved egg white halves. As desired, top with thinly chopped black truffle.

Beannachd Dia dhuit

(blessings of God be with you - ScotsGaelic)

Panzanella

• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 14 oz can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
• 3 oz. Mortadella (Italian bologna), cubed
• 3 oz. Italian salami, cubed
• 1/2 cup diced Parrano or Parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
• kosher salt, to taste
• 5 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 6 slices Italian bread, toasted

Toss first eight ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt, olive oil and vinegar. Toss. Tear bread into bite-sized pieces, and stir into salad until bread pieces are well-coated. Allow flavors to marinate 15-30 minutes before serving.

Yogurt Honey Health Muffins

Makes 24 mini muffins

This recipe comes to us courtesy of the Renegade Lunch Lady Chef Ann Cooperand her book Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed our Children. The addition of yogurt not only makes these muffins moist, but helps them stay fresh in an airtight container for up to three days and still taste wonderful. If cake flour is not readily available, all-purpose flour can be substituted. The muffins will be slightly denser, but will taste just as good.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 1/2 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons rolled oats

1 tablespoon diced dried cranberries

1 tablespoon diced dried apricots

1 tablespoon unsalted sunflower seeds

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 tablespoon toasted bran

1/2 cup nonfat yogurt

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

2 eggs

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a mini muffin pan.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Add the oats, cranberries, apricots, sunflower seeds, orange zest and bran and mix to combine.

In another bowl combine the yogurt, honey, vanilla, butter and eggs and stir until the ingredients are well blended. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to mix, just until all ingredients are incorporated. Take care not to overmix.

Fill muffin cups two-thirds of the way with batter. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Mother Teresa

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is bliss, taste it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious,

do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.

Quote from Mother Teresa

Women's History Month (Library of Congress)

MARCH

by Emily Dickinson

Dear March, come in!

How glad I am!

I looked for you before.

Put down your hat-

You must have walked-

How out of breath you are!

Dear March, how are you?

And the rest?

Did you leave Nature well?

Oh, March, come right upstairs with me,

I have so much to tell.

Ladybug! Ladybug!
Fly away home.
Your house is on fire.
And your children all gone.

All except one,
And that's little Ann,
For she crept under
The frying pan.

Delaware State Bug

The lady bug was adopted as the official state bug of Delaware in 1974 thanks to an intensive effort made by Mrs. Mollie Brown-Rust and her 2nd grade students of the Lulu M. Ross Elementary School in Milford, Delaware. Also called lady beetle, ladybird, or ladyfly, lady bugs help gardeners and farmers by eating tiny insect pests that damage plants. A ladybug can consume up to 60 aphids per day, but will also eat a variety of other insects and larvae (including scales, mealy bugs, leaf hoppers, mites, and other types of soft-bodied insects), and also pollen and nectar.

~ The spring's already at the gate

With looks my care beguiling;

The country round appeareth straight

A flower-garden smiling. ~

Heinrich Heine

HEIRLOOM SEEDS - over 1300 varieties of non-hybrid seeds including ...

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Burpee Seeds and Plants for home gardens. Vegetables, flowers ...

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Territorial Garden Seed

All through the long winter, I dream of my garden.

On the first day of spring, I dig my fingers

deep into the soft earth. I can feel its energy, and my

spirits soar.

Spiced Mixed Nuts

1 pound mixed unsalted nuts (do not use Brazil nuts, coating will not stick to them)

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more to taste

Position rack in center of oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Scatter nuts on rimmed baking sheet and bake, shaking sheet a couple of times during baking, until nuts are nicely toasted, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, set small heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in coriander and cumin and toast until aromatic, about 30 seconds.

Remove pan from heat and add butter, brown sugar, rosemary, and cayenne. Return skillet to low heat and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves, two to two and a half minutes. Keep warm.

Tip nuts into large warmed bowl, pour warm spiced butter over nuts, and add 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt. Stir until nuts are well-coated. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Let cool completely.

Will keep in an airtight container as long as one week.