Update on the July 24th Grape Balls of Fire event-we will be indoors, it’s too hot to be outside in our garden and reservation deadline has been extended to Sunday, July 22,2018.
https://dallasgardenbuzz.com/2018/07/16/whats-happening-at-raincatchers/
And now here are the recipes:
Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
½ cup cream cheese
½ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
12 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds and membranes removed
12 slices bacon
Directions
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Mix cream cheese and Cheddar cheese together in a bowl until evenly blended. Fill each jalapeño half with the cheese mixture. Put halves back together and wrap each stuffed pepper with a slice of bacon. Arrange bacon-wrapped peppers on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until bacon is crispy, about 15 minutes.
Tomato & Basil Soup
adapted from Cold Soups, by Linda Ziedrich
volume = 1.75 c
1 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 med onion, chopped
1 pound tomatoes, cut into chunks
1/2 cup basil leaves, packed loosely
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1.5 tsp balsamic vinegar
Heat 1 Tbsp oil, add the onion, and sauté over medium heat until soft.
Add the tomatoes, and cook until the tomatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.
Put the remaining 2 Tbsp oil, basil, garlic and vinegar in blender and blend. Add the tomato mixture to the mixture in the blender. Blend until smooth.
Chill and serve.
*For a fun presentation, cut off the tops of a Campari tomato and scoop out the insides. Fill with soup and garnish with a basil leaf.
Strawberry Balsamic Popsicles
adapted from Perfect Pops by Charity Ferreira
volume 1 cup
1/2 pound diced strawberries (1/2” dice) – about 1.5 c after hulling
2 T sugar (white, granulated)
1 t balsamic vinegar
black pepper
Pulse the strawberries and sugar in a food processor to get a fine chop – juicy, but chunky
Add the vinegar and a few grinds of pepper (a coarser grind gives you a more pronounced bite)
Let the mixture sit out a bit, say 30 minutes, to allow strawberry juice to accumulate
Stir, pour into molds and freeze
*Using the mini-ice cube molds (they hold 2 tsp each), the above recipe will make 24 popsicles.
Cinnamon Basil Polenta Cookies
Ingredients
½ cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
¾ cup bleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of coarse salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons (packed) whole cinnamon basil leaves
½ cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons half-and-half or cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar to garnish (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350˚F.
Whisk together cornmeal, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; set aside. In a food processor or blender, whiz cinnamon basil leaves and sugar until leaves are finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl; add butter and vegetable shortening. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides with a spatula and add egg yolk, half-and-half and vanilla; beat until combined well. With mixer running, slowly add flour mixture until combined.
Scoop out heaping teaspoons of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, placing them 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Remove to racks and let cool; dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving or storing, if desired. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: 3 Dozen Cookies
DALLAS GARDEN BUZZ 