My Kitchen Essentials, Within Reach

I love having these things on my kitchen counter in plain sight, within easy reach when I'm cooking or assembling my food. Left to right you will see: pepper grinder, balsamic vinegar, fine sea salt, himalayan pink salt, cinnamon in a salt shaker, seasoned salt next to that, red pepper flakes, and a sugar bowl filled with raw turbinado sugar. There's also a ginger grater and a milk glass container with my measuring spoons and a wooden honey dipper. Mixing bowls are underneath the splayed-leg stool in old red paint. I love my English china transferware sugar bowl covered with architectural engravings. I unearthed the massive pressed moulded glass shakers with pewter tops tucked in a corner of one of my kitchen cabinets recently. They are beyond fabulous with lots of trapped air bubbles. I had to soak the tops in a strong solution of Bragg's cider vinegar for days to get the corroded tops back to their original condition. I use the one for pepper for fine sea salt and the one with the larger holes for coarse pink salt. For me, things out of sight are also out of mind. I like to have my stuff where I can see it. So far this morning I have used the pink salt and ground pepper for my fried egg and a few shakes of ground cinnamon in my Greek yogurt. Enjoy your Sunday and the long Memorial Day weekend. See you later. xo

Sweet Potato Patties w/ Sour Cream and Chipotle Black Bean Salsa

Sweet Potato Cakes with Sour Cream and Chipotle Black Bean Salsa
via Lisa is Cooking
For the sweet potato patties: (Makes 34 small cakes)
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 green onions, both white and green parts, finely chopped
4-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4-6 tablespoons butter

-Steam the sweet potato chunks for 15-20 minutes until completely tender, and then transfer to a colander and allow to drain until dry.

- Once very dry, place sweet potato chunks in a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher to break up chunks. Add flour and finely chopped green onions, and mix with your hands to form a smooth batter. Using your hands here is best so that it doesn’t become over mixed. In a food processor, the sweet potato mixture could quickly become gummy. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Once the mixture is smooth, and the flour and green onions are mixed in, you’re ready to fry. Note: the mixture should be sticky but not wet, so more flour may be needed.

- In a non-stick skillet, heat two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and two tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Form round, flat cakes from about two tablespoons of batter per cake, and fry four or five at a time for three minutes per side until golden. Transfer finished cakes to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain and cool. Add more oil and butter to pan between batches as needed, and continue frying a few cakes at a time until all are ready for their toppings.

For the black bean salsa:
1 16 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped
1 small, yellow bell pepper, small diced
¼ cup finely minced red onion
¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
¼ teaspoon salt

-Combine all salsa ingredients, starting with one chipotle, in a small bowl and stir to combine. Taste for chipotle heat and add more if desired, and taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Salsa can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

To assemble for serving:
½ cup sour cream

- Place sweet potato cakes on a serving platter and add a small dollop of sour cream to each. Top sour cream with a small spoonful of black bean salsa, and enjoy.

I wish I had a plateful of these right now. Yum.

Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Recipe from chef, Scott Peacock (Watershed Restaurant in Decatur, Gaorgia) courtesy of The New York Times

Making your own baking powder by combining fresh cream of tartar and baking soda will produce biscuits with the most lift. Don’t be afraid of the hot oven temperature either as this will allow the heat to get on the biscuits quickly and sufficiently brown their tops. When forming the dough, mix in the buttermilk until the mixture just holds together. The last thing you want to do in this recipe is overwork the dough and ruin the biscuits' flaky, buttery texture.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
5 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed lard or unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
2 cups chilled cultured buttermilk, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

METHOD:

Place a rack in the upper-middle position of the oven and preheat to 500°.
Make your own baking powder by sifting together the cream of tartar and baking soda.
In a large bowl, whisk together the salt, baking powder and salt. Add the lard or butter and quickly work the pieces into the flour with a pastry cutter or the tips of your fingers. The pieces should be coarsely blended and resemble large peas.
Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the buttermilk. Quickly mix the ingredients until the mixture just comes together and forms a shaggy mass. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of buttermilk if the mixture seems dry.
Immediately turn the dough out onto to a generously floured surface and quickly knead the dough about ten times until a ball forms. Gently flatted the dough and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough out a thickness of 3/4 inch.
With a fork that has been dipped in flour, pierce the dough at half inch intervals before using a fluted, 2 1/2 or 3 inch biscuit cutter to stamp out the biscuits. When you have run out of room to stamp out more biscuits, carefully reform the dough and press out as many as you can.
Arrange the biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until golden, about 10-12 minutes.
Remove from the oven a brush the tops with the melted butter. Serve warm with butter, honey and/or jam.
Makes about 10-12 large biscuits

No matter what you like to put on your biscuits, rest assured that if you follow this recipe, you will be rewarded with outstanding results. Photo and original inspiration from here.

Where's the salt shaker? | Young Robin Up Close

I had a visit yesterday from an immature robin who stopped by to supervise my yard work. He could fly but not very well so he hopped around for a bit and let me get very close. I could have sprinkled salt on his tail if I'd had a salt shaker in my pocket instead of my iPhone. 

Crepe Squares with Ham and Egg Inside

Ham and Egg Crepe Squares

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups milk

4 large eggs

3 tablespoons melted butter

9 thin slices ham

9 eggs

Chopped fresh parsley

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, milk, four eggs and the melted butter in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Let rest for 15 minutes.

2. Heat a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with butter. Add 1/3 cup batter and swirl to completely cover skillet. Cook until underside of crepe is very lightly starting to brown, about 2 minutes.

3. Loosen edge of crepe with spatula and then either using large spatula or your fingers, lift it up and flip it over. Cook another minutes and then slide out of skillet onto wax paper. Repeat until all crepes are done. You should have about 9 when you are done.

4. Preheat oven to 350. Place crepes on a rimmed baking sheet (you can fit 3-4 per sheet). Place am slice in center of crepe and carefully crack egg onto ham. Fold edges of crepe toward center, using the egg white as a kind of glue. Season with salt and pepper and bake until egg white is set, about 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve at once.

Recipe and entertaining dialogue found here. I will omit the sugar if I ever make this recipe. Wouldn't it be a nice dish for a Sunday breakfast or brunch tomorrow? Why not plan on making this?

Chicken + Cheese Quesadella Pie

This looks like the perfect Saturday night supper or Sunday Brunch to me. Yum. I'm posting early so you can go to the store to buy anything you don't have on hand. 

This is genius -- the crust is one 10" flour tortilla, burrito size.

I would probably use several frozen chicken breasts from Costco, cooked and shredded, of course. I always have a bag in the freezer.

Ingredients

1 (10-inch) flour tortilla (burrito size)
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
(optional) 1/3 cup drained jarred pickled jalapeños, chopped
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Press tortilla into prepared pie plate and spray lightly with cooking spray. Toss chicken, cilantro, jalapeños (optional), 1 cup cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in large bowl until combined. Spread filling over tortilla.
Whisk eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt in bowl until smooth. Slowly pour over filling, then sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until surface is golden brown, about 16-20 minutes, and when knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.
via: the girl who ate everything

Salt or Unsalted?

Yesterday's snow looked exactly like rock salt.

This is actually an old concrete herb marker for "rosemary" -- if you look closely you can read the first four letters. The last four are very faint and have nearly worn away. In this photo, doesn't it look as if she's sprinkling salt on the ground?

How do you like your leaves, plain or salted?

Zucchini Fritters - Greek Style

Greek Style Zucchini Fritters
(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients:
2 cups zucchini (grated, and squeezed to drain)
1 handful fresh herbs (such as parsley, dill, mint; chopped)
2 green onions (chopped)
1/4 cup feta (crumbled)
1/2 cup flour (feel free to use whole wheat)
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons oil

Directions:
1. Mix the zucchini, herbs, green onion, feta, flour, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Spoon the zucchini mixture into the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with Greek cucumber salad alongside.

Tzatziki (Greek Cucumber Salad)
(makes 4 appetizer sized servings)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Greek yogurt or strained yogurt
1/2 cup cucumber (peeled, seeded, and shredded, squeezed and drained)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or mint (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 splash ouzo (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix everything and let chill in the fridge for an hour or more to let the flavours mingle.

Recipes found here. This is the perfect time of year for both.

Enjoy.

Homemade Bisquick Mix Recipe

I was so happy to find this recipe. I'm going to make some cheese biscuits to go with my turkey meatloaf tonight. FOLLOW UP: I made them (added grated cheddar cheese) and I declare them to be the best biscuits ever! I am so excited because I can have them 5 more times. Yippee.

You can make pancakes with this mix too. They are supposed to be delicious; sort of a cross between pancakes and French toast.

HOMEMADE BISQUICK MIX
5 cups flour
1/4 cup baking powder
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter or margarine
Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
Store in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks or in the freezer for longer storage.
Makes approximately 6 cups.

TO MAKE BISCUITS
Mix together 1/3 cup of milk for every 1 cup of mix. Drop onto un-greased cookie sheets and bake @ 450ºF for 10-12 min.

*Add any additional ingredients you wish such as grated cheese or herbs before adding the milk.
* 1 cup of mix will yield about 6 biscuits.

Read more Homemade Bisquick Mix (source of this recipe)

I found another site with some excellent coffee cake recipes using Bisquick. Scroll down when you enter the site.



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Classic Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Fall and Pumpkin Pie are perfect together. I love the oak leaf and acorn cutouts made from piecrust scraps on this one.

Photo and Recipe from Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 cups pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup milk
Pre-baked and cooled deep-dish piecrust (Click here for recipe.)

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 375ºF.

In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Add the pumpkin, eggs, cream and milk and whisk to combine.

Pour the filling into the pre-baked piecrust and bake until the center is set, 60 to 65 minutes, covering the edges of the crust with aluminum foil after 30 minutes if they brown too quickly.

Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool completely, at least 2 hours, before serving. Serves 10.

Williams-Sonoma Recipe Kitchen.

To add a fanciful finish to this pumpkin pie, use decorative cutters to create autumnal shapes from rolled-out pie dough. If desired, use the tip of a paring knife to create details on the cutouts, such as veins on the leaves. Then bake the cutouts and place them on the baked and cooled pie. When preparing this pie, be sure to use a deep-dish pie dish.

Green Cuisine with Carolyne Roehm

Green Cuisine Conversations with Carolyne Roehm on cooking and decorating with nature's most abundant color. Be sure to click on the green cuisine link to read the delightful article and see more beautiful photographs, each with a recipe. Nice!

SHALLOT-HERBED RISOTTO
Serves 4 to 6

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¾ cup shallots, peeled and diced

8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons fresh oregano

1 pound Arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup asparagus, only tips and tender part of spears

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

3tablespoons butter

½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

salt and pepper

In large saucepan, heat oil and sauté shallots until soft. Remove from heat.

In separate pan, heat chicken stock until warm. Combine 2 cups stock and herbs in blender. Process until smooth, then return to remaining stock over heat.

Return saucepan with shallots to heat, then add rice and toast 2 minutes. Add wine and stir until liquid is evaporated.

Add stock 1 cup at a time, stirring continually, about 13 minutes. Add asparagus and peas to remaining stock. Then continue to add stock and vegetables to risotto 1 cup at a time, stirring continually until rice is al dente, about 5 minutes. Strain any remaining vegetable from leftover stock and fold them into risotto.

Remove from heat, add butter and cheese and a little more stock if necessary. Stir well and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Image: Veranda Magazine

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Is it A Soup or Is it A Stew?

BLACK BEAN + BUTTERNUT SOUP // Serves 4-6

Original Blog Post/ Recipe HERE with more photos.

Some of the measurements are pretty vague, but in a stew-like soup, perfection is not necessary. Taste as you go, add more spice if necessary but beware that both chipotle and cayenne are SPICY, so start small. You can cook your beans from scratch or use canned for the sake of time.

1 Tbsp. coconut or extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 a small head of cabbage, chopped (heaping 2 cups)

3 cups cubed butternut squash (sweet potato would be good too)

3 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. cocoa powder

pinch of chipotle powder or cayenne pepper

2 cups cooked, black beans (about one can, rinsed and drained)

salt to taste

avocado, for garnish

cilantro, for garnish

// tortilla crispies //

3 corn tortillas

scant 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Old original Hershey's Fudge Recipe . . .

Yesterday I made fudge and it turned out exactly like the stuff I used to make when I was 12. My car is in the shop and I needed a recipe using ingredients in my pantry. After a lot of internet hunting I located the original recipe that used to be printed on the Hershey's cocoa box. It is great because it uses 1/3 less sugar than any other fudge recipe on the web. Here goes:

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey's)
2 cups white sugar (next time I will use even less)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light corn syrup (I used Maple Syrup)
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, stir together the cocoa powder, sugar and salt.
Mix in corn syrup and milk until well blended.
Add butter, and heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C) on candy thermometer, or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Stir occasionally.
Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick and loses its gloss. Stir in vanilla, and pour into a buttered 9x9 inch baking dish. Let cool until set. Cut into small squares to serve.

I beat it too long and it ended up in a mound but it was still delicious. Next time I am going to decrease the sugar to 1-3/4 cups or maybe even 1-1/2 cups. I didn't have any light corn syrup so I used real Maple syrup. Worked fine. I didn't even have any milk so I used powdered milk to make 1 cup. Worked fine. Next time I will use condensed milk. Next time I might add a glob of peanut butter at the end too. Yum!

Butterscotch Shortbread Cookies [Recipe]

Lee's Butterscotch Shortbread

Recipe adapted from Lee Schiring and an ancient Jane Austen Society of Puget Sound Newsletter

yields: 2-4 dozen, depending on size

keeps: 3 weeks or longer, in an airtight tin

The only slightly tricky bit to these is judging doneness, as the dough is already brown from the sugar. There's quite a time range given, below, as I'm terribly uneven in rolling my dough. A few tips, then, to aid: note the sight and scent cues below to determine doneness. Also, note that the oven temp is unusually low, giving you more wiggle room than most cookies—if in doubt, give them a few more minutes. Finally, these biscuits are best slightly overdone than underdone: the end result should be crisp, not yielding. And if, after cooling, they're still tender in the center, a return to the oven (5-10 minutes) will correct that, spit-spot.

1 cup salted butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 300°. Cream butter, both sugars and salt, then add vanilla to combine. Scrape sides, then add flour, mixing just to combine.

Dust a clean surface lightly with flour, and roll dough 1/4" thick. Cut with desired cutters, and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, 1/2" apart (these cookies spread very little).

Bake 20-30 minutes, until cookies are fragrant, edges and bottoms are slightly darkened, and tops have lost their glossy look and taken on a matte finish. Cool cookies on sheet 15-20 minutes, then remove to rack to finish cooling. Cookies will firm up while cooking, and not be fully crisp until an hour or so after baking.

Recipe found @ remedialeating with lots of photos of children rolling and cutting these delightful cookies.

My Favorite Seasoning in A Spray Bottle

I forgot to mention what I used to season my quick stovetop "stew" made from a small zucchini, an onion, and fresh tomatoes. I have eaten it 2 nights in a row. I pour some avocado oil in the bottom of my vintage cast iron skillet and add the unpeeled zucchini sliced longways into thirds and cover. While that's cooking I cut up an onion and add it to the pan and re-cover. Then I slice up a big tomato or two smaller ones and add to the pan. Flip the zucchini when it's brown on one side. Then I cut it into diagonal chunks in the pan and the tomatoes too. Stir to mix it all up and spray with Bragg Liquid Aminos. I have a glass cover for my cast iron pan. It should be ready to eat now. Spoon into a big shallow bowl and enjoy. It doesn't take long to cook and tastes SO fresh. I also have a large bottle of Liquid Aminos for refilling my spray bottle and for using in soups. It has much less salt than regular soy sauce and it's made by the same company that makes the Apple Cider Vinegar I use. I buy the spray in my grocery store. Try it instead of salt. I love it. xo

More information here. 

I haven't tried this but will look for it.

More information here.

Swedish Baked Potatoes

Baked Hasselback Potatoes

This Swedish dish takes its name from Hasselbacken, the Stockholm restaurant where it was first served. The seasoned fancy looking potatoes turn out crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. There's nothing too fancy about these Hasselback potatoes, they are just part-sliced baked potatoes garnished with Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic and some chives. Be careful when you’re cutting them not to go all the way through the potato or you’ll just end up with sliced potatoes!

Ingredients (serves 4)
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed (leave skin on)
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
3 tbsp of olive oil
salt
pinch of smoked paprika
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
chopped chives for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220ºC).
Slice each potato crosswise at 1/8-inch intervals, cutting to within 1/4 inch of the bottom.
Be careful not to slice all the way through. The potato will fan out a bit as it bakes.

Combine olive oil, garlic, salt, smoked paprika and parmesan cheese in a small bowl.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Carefully insert pinches of this mixture in between the slits of the potatoes. Rub the outsides of the potatoes with residual oil.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes. The inside should be cooked through and the outside of the potato should be a bit crispy.

Garnish with additional parmesan and chives!

I like this recipe because you can bake just one in a toaster oven with a much shorter cooking time. I like the use of olive oil instead of butter. I think I might make these tomorrow. I have all the ingredients on hand. Yum.

Recipe source.



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Flaxseed Muffins with Dried Cranberries

Cranberry Flaxseed Muffins

Recipe from Pastry Affair

Yields 1 dozen muffins.
My muffin pan only makes 11 and I ate 2.

3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (90 grams) whole wheat flour
1/2 cup (53 grams) flax meal
1/3 cup (66 grams) brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil (I used Olive Oil)
1 cup (235 ml) milk (I used unsweetened Soy Milk)
1 cup (120 grams) dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a muffin tin or line with baking cups.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, flax meal, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the egg, vegetable oil, and milk, mixing until the batter is evenly incorporated. Stir in the dried cranberries.

Divide batter evenly between baking cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Serve with a small pat of butter or spread of jam.

They were delicious. I cranked up my wonky gas oven to 400° and that was perfect. My enameled cast iron muffin pan gets nice and hot and holds the heat after you take them out of the oven. I cooked mine for 20 minutes and let them cool for 10 minutes and they were done in the middle. I ate the first one hot with butter and the second on later with a cup tea and a spread of strawberry jam. 

Sweet Potatoes in Muffin Tins

These look delicious and easy to make. I bought a huge box of sweet potatoes at my local supermarket and they have deep red skins. I think they are Garnets, according to this guide.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons organic butter, melted
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped, plus extra for garnish
Sea salt and pepper
5-6 large sweet potatoes or yams, thinly sliced
Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl whisk together butter, coconut oil, parmesan, chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Add sweet potatoes and toss to coat evenly.
Layer potatoes slices into muffin pan and fill to the top. They will shrink down once they are cooking.

Bake for about 45-50 minutes and edges and tops are golden brown and center in tender.

Let cool for about 5 minutes and carefully remove with a spoon. Place on serving tray and top with extra parmesan cheese and fresh chopped fresh rosemary. Serve immediately.
Recipe found here.

Zucchini Crescent Pie - Yum!

Is your garden overflowing with zucchini? Try this recipe and be glad.

This was a Pillsbury Bake Off winner in 1980 and the recipe is still going strong. One baker makes these changes: 

Try 1/2 teaspoon of herbs de Provence instead of the oregano and basil. It simplifies the recipe ever so slightly and adds a little flavor boost.

Substitute Parmesan for the mozzarella for a more savory pie.
Use whatever mustard you keep on hand - Dijon and even whole-ground mustard.
Feel free to make your own pie crust if you have a fail-proof recipe.

Original recipe:
2 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter
4 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
2 LAND O LAKES® Eggs, well beaten
2 cups shredded Muenster or mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2 teaspoons yellow mustard

Heat oven to 375°F. In 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and onions; cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in parsley flakes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and oregano.
In large bowl, mix eggs and cheese. Add cooked vegetable mixture; stir gently to mix.
Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 10-inch glass pie plate, 12x8-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish or 11-inch quiche pan; press over bottom and up sides to form crust. Firmly press perforations to seal. Spread crust with mustard. Pour egg mixture evenly into crust-lined pie plate.
Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edge of crust with strips of foil during last 10 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Pink Tea Cup: Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Liz Smith featured this recipe in the New York Social Diary:

PINK TEA CUP SWEET POTATO PIE

2 lbs. yams
½ cup of butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs, separated
½ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
½ cup of evaporated milk

Peel and boil yams until mashable. Add butter, spices, salt, sugar to hot yams. Beat until light and smooth.
Beat egg yolks until light and add to mixture.
Stir in orange juice, orange rind and milk. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold in.
Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell. Preheat oven to 350 and bake 35 minutes or until the pie puffs up and is firm in the middle. Cool on a rack.

Add whipped cream. Dig in Pilgrims!
Sounds good, doesn't it? Yum.