grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Strawberry Goat Cheese Thai Basil Crostini

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Foodie Friday

made with Strawberry Fruit Spread from Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum
This is a great brunch appetizer, snack or dessert. 
Toasted Sourdough
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Berry Jam
Goat Cheese Crumbles
Thai Basil
Thai basil is a peppery, anaise-flavored version of basil with smaller, deep green leaves and purple-hued stems. The flowers make a nice garnish and are edible as well. 
strawberry goat cheese thai basil crostini
Thai Basil
For this recipe, regular basil or fresh sage works great too.


talya
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life

It is very hot and dry here…We have had an abundance of fine fruit so far this season. Cherries, berries, plums and early peaches but the dryness is affecting the apples and everyone’s disposition.—Mary Pfeiffer, July 1933 (in a letter to her daughter Pauline and son-in-law Ernest Hemingway in Key West…)

Stir-fried Kale and Rice

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rice and kale, grace grits and gardening

Did  you know Arkansas is the nation’s NUMBER ONE rice producer and processor?

Numero Uno.

Impressive.

September is National Rice Month.

grace grits and gardening
Arkansas Rice, Riceland Foods, Stuttgart, Ar

The USA Rice Federation is promoting National Rice Month by sponsoring a rice recipe and photo contest. Here’s my contribution!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/2 lb kale
1 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
3 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup diced orange bell pepper (or yellow or red)

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

Method

Chop the kale and steam for 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Be careful not to brown the garlic.

Raise heat to medium.

Add steamed kale, bell pepper, scallions and ginger. Cook for two minutes stirring continuously.

Add soy and cook 30 seconds more.  Mix with rice.

Delicious and oh so healthy. Kale is a superfood you know!

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

State Fair of Texas – New Fried Foods

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Only ten days until the beginning of the State Fair of Texas!

Only ten days and we can begin grazing through the 2013 lineup of new fried foods.

grace grits and gardening State Fair food
fried cinnamon roll with bacon (2012)

Here we go—a few of the newest, deepest fried concoctions…

1. Deep Fried Cuban Roll—involves slow-cooked pork roast, chopped ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and secret sauce rolled into pastry dough and fried like an eggroll. This one sounds edible and won “best taste” in the 2013 Big Tex Awards. 
2. Deed Fried King Ranch Casserole—Texas-shaped cheese dipped in southwestern egg wash and coated in bread crumbs. This fried cheese sounds yummy, but I thought King Ranch Casserole included chicken?  
3. Fried Thanksgiving Dinner—Really? Yes, really. Turkey and dressing dipped in creamed corn, rolled in meal and deep fried like a hush puppy. Served with cranberry sauce and giblet gravy. This one won “most creative” in the fair food contest. Creative, maybe. I say the only giblets at the fair should be in the livestock buildings.
4. Chicken-Fried Meatloaf—Just like it sounds. A slice of meatloaf fried up like chicken fried steak. Served with garlic mashed potatoes and cream gravy. Save it for Sunday lunch.
5. Spinach Dip Bites—Spinach Artichoke dip bites coated in tortilla chips and fried. I suppose this counts as a veggie serving?
6. Texas Fried Fireball—Pimento cheese, pickles, cayenne and bacon rolled into a ball, dipped in buttermilk and jalapeño-infused batter then deep-fried. I’ll be trying this one. I love pimento cheese…
Is it any wonder Big-Tex went up in flames last year? 
State Fair of Texas
If you fry it, we will come.

a State Fair regular…
talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

P.S. Only ten days and the new and improved Big Tex will return, bigger and Texier than ever.

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!