Cold Cucumber Salad For a Hot Summer Day

We love chunky salads

Some months ago, the owner of the store where I buy my cheese and yoghurt cultures, gave me a small jar with some kefir grains. He knew I was looking for it, asked his customers, and one gentleman happened to have some extra to share. When Paul, the store owner, called me to come to pick up my grains, I was as happy as I could be: I was looking for live kefir grains for a long time. I took my little cooler, where I prepared an ice bed for my new "babies", got in the car and drove to the store. Another pleasant surprise was in the store: I wasn't charged for the kefir grains, it was donated to me by the gentleman. Thank you!
I drove back slower than usual: I didn't want to disturb my little grains. At home I placed the grains in a half gallon (2 liters)  jar with a whole milk and patiently waited util next morning. The reward was worth all the waiting and asking around: kefir was born, and is still alive (in 2-3 batches a week). 
I make the kefir from a whole cow and goat milk, last one being milder than forerun. Kefir can also be made from soy milk, and even a water. 
We drink kefir as is (raw kefir has an incredible qualities, responsible for health and longevity of people in Caucasian region in Easters Europe), use it in salads, soups, and cooking. However, temperature above the  40 °C / 104 °F would kill the culture, hence would reduce all health benefits. 

Variation with sweet onions

Cold cucumber salad with a kefir dressing

Both, cucumbers and kefir have to be chilled.


Cut the cucumbers to a desirable thickness, and set aside.


Mix 1/2 cup of kefir with a salt and dill, pour over the cucumbers and enjoy. 
Your can place covered bowl with the salad in the refrigerator for two hours for all flavors to blend. 


Easy, healthy, and refreshing. This salad would make you happy on a hot summer day! 

Do you drink  kefir or use it in any recipes?  

See you,
Marina

Give Yourself Permission to Relax

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it (Sydney J. Harris)




See you,
Marina

Breakfast: Polenta With Peaches

Our Farmer's Market smells like orchard lately: peaches are in it's season. Baskets filled with a velvety fruits and delicate aroma invite the visitors from many stands. We've been eating peaches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and in between for two weeks. Our home is perfumed with a lovely peach aroma. 
I am experimenting with peaches in unusual (for us) meals. For example: polenta for breakfast with peaches and agave nectar. Easy, but healthy and delicious start of the day. Why it is unusual? Because we eat polenta with cheeses, mushrooms, vegetables, in other words savory. 

Polenta with peaches and agave nectar

Cook polenta following the instruction on the package, and serve with peach slices and agave nectar. 

Dear friends, have you made an unusual meal with the peaches? 

See you,
Marina

Easy Berry Cake

Easy Berry Cake

This recipe I found in the recent edition of America's Test Kitchen called Best Summer Desserts, which came in full color this time. As you know, I don't bake that often, maybe 3-4 times a year for a very special occasions (bread and savory baking doesn't count). Also a high motivation is needed to put in in a baking mode. This time I had the occasion, all was needed was a motivation. That's where the magazine played it's role: I turned page by page until one photo struck me. It momentarily brought me back to my grandmother's country home: table under the cherry tree was covered with white airy tablecloth, a bawl of fresh summer berries, a clay pitcher with fresh milk, and a summer berries cake. Fresh breeze from the river would swing through the play area with an inviting smell of cake would gather us, kids, around the table for a snack. 
I lingered over that page for some time before I continued reading. And then I went back to that photo,  and idle in the moment before I put on an apron to carry on to baking.

Ingredients

Easy Berry Cake 

Ingredients:


1 1/2  cup (200 gram) all-purpose flour
1 1/2  teaspoon (8 gram) baking powder
1/2   teaspoon (3 gram) salt
8  tablespoon (120 gram) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (100 gram) sugar Agave nectar
2 large eggs plus one large white, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup (80 ml) whole milk, room temperature
2 cups (400 gram) fresh berries: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries

Smooth the batter evenly in the pan

For the topping:
1 cup (250 gram) sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoon (8 ml) Agave nectar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 
1 teaspoon lemon juice


1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175C). Oven rack is on the middle position.


2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in bowl.


3. In a stand mixer beat together butter and Agave nectar (or any other sweetener of your choice) until butter is pale and fluffy).


4. Add eggs and white, one at a time. Add vanilla and beat until well mixed. Scrape the bawl and a paddle, if needed.


5. Start adding flour in portions, alternating with milk. 


6. Stop the mixer, and give batter a good stir to make sure all ingredients are mixed well. 


7. Gently fold berried into the batter.


8. Transfer batter to a well greased 9 inch pan, even the top.


9. Bake 35-40 minutes, rotating pan in the oven half  way through. Set a kitchen timer for 20 minutes for this task.  When cake is done, toothpick, inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean.


10. Cool cake in the pan for 30-60 minutes. 

Topping: whisk together sour cream and Agave nectar. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Serve cake with a dollop of topping, sprinkled with a few dollops of lemon juice and lemon zest.

Sour cream topping

To make it diabetic friendly cake for my father, I didn't use any sugar in this cake. I also reduced the amount of sweetener in half in both cake and topping. The cake tasted great with all the fresh berries flavor combination. The original recipe uses whipped heavy cream for topping. I made topping my grandmother's way, with chilled sour cream. 
When teenager had his first slice, he said that he had a feeling that he had something like it before, but doesn't remember me making it. I told him that when he was little, we spend a few summers at grandma's summer cottage, and he did enjoy eating that cake. He doesn't remember anything but the taste. 

My friends, what triggers your good food  memories: 

a photo, a taste, a smell?

See you,

Marina

Happy Father's Day Cake, and a Basket

 Fresh berries cake with a lemon zest cream topping

Thinking of the Father's Day post, I asked myself a question: what my father would like? My first thought was a cake, but not just any cake, something my father would eat. Oh, no, he is not a picky one! He has a sweet tooth for our whole big family. However because of his diabetes, he can't eat sweets anymore.  I found a recipe, twisted it a little bit around, and made a diabetic-friendly cake. I know my dad would really enjoy it all to himself! (The recipe is coming in the next post).


Another thought I had was about my/partially dad's garden. Back in January, when my parents were visiting us, my dad started my little garden: he prepared garden beds, changed a soil in the boxes, walked me through on seed preparation  before planting, patiently answered a zillion gardening questions I asked him. Now they are back in Europe, but each time we Skype or talk on the phone, dad always asks me about the garden. And a big thanks to Skype and my blog, he can actually see it growing.  So as another gift from mother-nature and my labor is this basket of today's harvest. 

Today's harvest: tomatoes, basil, jalapeno and banana peppers

I know my dad would be happy seeing those gifts. 

Happy Father's Day! :)

See you, 

Marina

One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato: Gourmet Dinner

Boiled potatoes topped with sunflower oil, salt, minced garlic, dill, and black pepper

We have an all time favorite dinner: a bowl of boiled potatoes and a bowl of fresh garden salad. No matter what elaborate meals I make, once a week (or more) we need to have our favorite meal. And I have two men to watch me (I've tried to skip it for some time but was firmly reminded to add "our favorite potatoes" to the weekly menu). 
Our Farmer's Market has a variety of potatoes, hence we have a variety of potato meals. My latest favorite are fingerling potatoes that come in different colors:  yellow (Russian Banana), Purple Peruvian, and red (French Fingerlings), to name a few. 
I started with the yellow: when cooked they hold shape but it's creamy flesh melts in your mouth into the pleasing your taste texture.


There is no recipe how to make this potatoes, you just boil it, drain the water and top with a tablespoon of a oil of your choice, salt, minced garlic, chopped dill (mandatory in my family!), and freshly grind black pepper. Mix and serve with a side of meat, fish, or in our home with some garden salad. 


Easy, quick, delicious, and healthy too (potato is a good source of dietary fiber and vitamins and minerals). 
Out of curiosity I made boiled potatoes for dinner several days in a row, thinking that my men would notice and ask for something else. 
Silly me! they didn't get bored of potatoes at all, and even when I asked they said they would eat boiled potatoes every day! Message taken.

Garden fresh salad: tomatoes, basil and onions are home grown

Do you have an easy "go to" meal?

See you,
Marina

Tranquil Moment

Form a smile on your heart, and let it shine on your face...

See you,
Marina