Perfect Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies

These are really easy, yummy, and fool proof! Adapted from this post from the blog Food Loves Writing.

1/2 cup of margarine/butter/oil (or some combination - I used half butter and half oil, Food Loves Writing recommends margarine)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 c old fashioned oats (I used quick oats and it turned out fine!)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the oatmeal and chocolate chips. After well-mixed, add the oatmeal and stir together. Then add the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto greased or Silpat cookie sheets. Bake for ~12 minutes. Cool and eat!

Zucchini & Corn Pancakes

This recipe comes from Verrill Farm in Concord.

2 cups roasted corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 1/4 cups grated zucchini (1 med.)
1 cup chopped, washed, leeks
1 TB chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
2 eggs
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup corn oil (in 3 stages)

Cut kernels off the cobs and toss with 2 TB corn oil. Spread in a shallow baking pan and roast at 400 degrees for 12 min. Sauté chopped leeks, thyme, and salt in 2 TB corn oil for 3-4 min. Combine corn with leeks and remaining ingredients in large bowl. Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in skillet over med. heat and drop in heaping TBS. of batter. Cook 2-3 min. on each side and drain on paper towels. Keep warm while finishing batter. Can be served with sour cream and chopped chives or applesauce. Makes approx. 20 pancakes.

Fresh Peach Coffee Cake

This is really more like a big muffin cake - light, fluffy, and not too sweet. Adapted from Susan Purdy's book, Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too.

1 egg
1/2 c skim milk
1/2 c nonfat plain yogurt
3 T butter or canola oil
3/4 c sugar (more if needed)
2 c all-purpose flour
4 t baking powder
1/8 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t almond extract
1 1/2 - 2 cups fresh peaches, peeled and cut into small pieces
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 t cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400. Coat an 11x7 (or similar) pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl or cuisinart, whisk together the egg, milk, yogurt, butter/oil, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Set a strainer over the bowl and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir and sift the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, then stir to just blend. Don't overbeat. Fold in the peaches.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle on top. Bake for about 30 minutes (check after 25), until the top is well risen and golden brown, and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool for about 5 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

NOTE: To make these as muffins, cook for 15-20 minutes. This recipe will make about 12 muffins.

a really good VANILLA ICE CREAM recipe

Here's a really good, very rich, kind of expensive ingredient purchase, but well worth it ice-cream recipe, from Crooks Corner.

Whisk 3/4 C sugar with 8 egg yolks.

Scald 1 3/4 C half-and-half with 1 split vanilla bean.  When hot, not boiling, whisk slowly into eggs.  Put mixture on top of a double boiler and stir to thicken.  Custard should coat back of a spoon.  Lower heat and add 2 T butter.  Turn off heat and add 2 more T butter.  Add 1 1/2 C cream, mix and strain.  Chill and churn in ice-cream maker.  

Pud Makua Yow (basil eggplant)

Pud Makua Yow (basil eggplant)

From: thaitable.com
Prep time: 15
Cook time: 15
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
10 big basil leaves (or equivalent smaller ones)
1 T sugar
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped (optional)
2 T fish sauce (substitute soy sauce for vegetarian dish)
4 c cut up eggplant (see below)
2 small chili peppers

Notes on eggplants:
1) Any kind of eggplant can be used, long green Thai eggplants, small white ones, or the more common large purple (aka Japanese) ones.
2) Cut the eggplant into irregular shapes for easy turning in the pan. If sliced into small disk, it tends to stick to the bottom of the pan and makes it difficult to flip.
3) don't cut eggplant until just before it goes into the pan, else it will turn brown.

Method:
Chop garlic, slice chili peppers, and mix
Pick leaves from stem of basil, if needed
Chop onions, if needed but don't mix with garlic
Heat wok over medium high heat
When hot, add oil, chili peppers and garlic
Stir until the garlic turn golden brown
Add onions
When onions are translucent, add eggplant, stir, and add 1 cup of water immediately (or else the eggplant will turn brown)
Cover wok until eggplant is cooked, which should take 5-7 minutes. It will turn from white to translucent, and most of the water should have been absorbed or evaporated. If eggplant is still not cooked, add a little bit more water and close lid again.
Add fish sauce and sugar and stir
Turn off heat
Add basil and quickly stir to heat the basil but not cook it (so it retains color)
Serve hot with rice

Tomato Watermelon Salad

Delicious and refreshing salad from Crooks Corner in Chapel Hill

5 C watermelon, seeded and cubed

1 1/2 lbs very ripe tomatoes, chopped

3 t sugar

1/2 t salt

1 small red onion

1/2 C red wine vinegar

1/4 C good quality olive oil

Combine first 4 ingredients and let sit for 15 minutes.  Then add the rest of the ingredients.  Good immediately eaten or the next day. Serve cold.  

Olive Oil Granola

Adapted from Wednesday's New York Times recipe: Olive Oil Granola with Dried Apricots and Pistachios. This recipe is addictive!

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped (or another nut such as pistachios, or a mixture of nuts)
1 cup raw sunflower or pumpkin seeds, hulled
3/4 cup pure maple syrup (I like to use a mixture of maple and agave syrups - you could also use some honey)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 - 3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots or golden raisins

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, seeds, maple syrup, olive oil, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown and well toasted.

2. Transfer granola to a large bowl and add fruit, tossing to combine. Store in a ziploc bag or other airtight container.