[Jamestown1630]

Enjoy!

(If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread, please send me a private message.)

-JT

[NorthstarMom]

I like grilling honey coated plum halves to serve with pork chops. It will probably be the meal that kicks off grilling season this year.

[greeneyes]

I’m mostly a comfort food person too. Sometimes I take a pork roast and spice rub with a touch of brown sugar in the crock pot. Sometimes use some jelly-whatever I happen to have on hand and opened.

I saw a quick and easy recipe on the TV this week, that I am going to fix for my daughter’s birthday next week.

STRAWBERRY SPARKLE CAKE

Take an angel food cake(buy it or make it), and slice off the top about 1 inch down(horizontal slice).

Then make two parallelvertical cuts in middle of the cake, and pull out pieces of cake to hollow out a trench all the way around the cake so that there is a trench to spoon the filling in.

The filling is a packet of Strawberry Jello dissolved in hot water according to packet directions. Then add a bag of frozen sliced strawberries to the mix.

When this has thickened a bit and no longer hot, spoon it into the trench encircling the middle of the cake.

Put the 1 inch layer back on top of the cake so that the filling is hidden. Then cover the entire cake with whipped cream (or cool whip).

Put into the refrigerator till ready to serve.

[pugmama]

Here are 2 other favorites.I love to add fruit to sandwiches. The chef also makes the teleggio cheese one with shredded braised short ribs. To die for! "The Champ", a Grilled Taleggio Sandwich With Apricots and Capers from chef Eric Greenspan. Serves 4. Ingredients: 15 dried apricots 1 tablespoon nonpareil capers 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 8 slices dark raisin bread 5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 4 small handfuls arugula 8 ounces taleggio cheese, rind removed, at room temperature 4 pinches fleur de sel 1. Place apricots in small saucepan and add water just to cover. Bring to full boil and immediately remove from heat. Mix in capers, mustard and olive oil. Pulse in blender to chunky consistency; set aside. 2. Spread one side of each bread slice evenly (to the edges) with 1/2 tablespoon butter. With buttered sides down, top four slices with 2 tablespoons of apricot mixture, handful of arugula and equal portions of cheese. Top with remaining slices, buttered side up. 3. Place large skillet over high heat, and melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Reduce heat to low and add sandwiches. Cook until browned and crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes a side. Transfer to a platter lined with paper towels, and sprinkle each with a pinch of fleur de sel. Cut in half and serve. Grilled cheese sandwich recipes from chef Eric Greenspan "Johnny Apple Cheese, a.k.a. Johnny Pastrami
. Serves 4. Ingredients:
 1/2 pound butter
 1/2 cup mustard seeds
 5 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced thin 
1 medium onion, sliced thin
 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
 2 tablespoons honey
 1/2 cup apple cider 1/2 cup cider vinegar
 8 slices of extra sour sourdough bread
 16 slices aged white Cheddar
1 pound pastrami, sliced thin 1. For the apple mustard chutney: In a pan over medium heat, heat two tablespoons of butter until it foams. Add the mustard seeds and toast in the pan for 1 minute, and then add most of the apples (reserve 8 slices) and onions and cook until tender. Add honey, cider, vinegar and Dijon mustard, and reduce until the liquid is absorbed. Take off heat and puree in a blender until mostly smooth. 2. In a large pan (cast iron is best) or griddle, melt half of the remaining butter and 4 slices of bread. Top each slice of bread with 2 slices of cheddar cheese and toast until golden brown. When the cheese is melted, add 1/4 of the pastrami to each slice, a dollop of chutney, and two thin slices of raw green apple. Cover with remaining bread. Add remaining butter, flip sandwich and grill until other side is equally golden brown. Cut each sandwich in half and serve hot, preferably with a frilly toothpick.

[pugmama]

Here are 2 other favorites.I love to add fruit to sandwiches. The chef also makes the teleggio cheese one with shredded braised short ribs. To die for! "The Champ", a Grilled Taleggio Sandwich With Apricots and Capers from chef Eric Greenspan. Serves 4. Ingredients: 15 dried apricots 1 tablespoon nonpareil capers 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 8 slices dark raisin bread 5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 4 small handfuls arugula 8 ounces taleggio cheese, rind removed, at room temperature 4 pinches fleur de sel 1. Place apricots in small saucepan and add water just to cover. Bring to full boil and immediately remove from heat. Mix in capers, mustard and olive oil. Pulse in blender to chunky consistency; set aside. 2. Spread one side of each bread slice evenly (to the edges) with 1/2 tablespoon butter. With buttered sides down, top four slices with 2 tablespoons of apricot mixture, handful of arugula and equal portions of cheese. Top with remaining slices, buttered side up. 3. Place large skillet over high heat, and melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Reduce heat to low and add sandwiches. Cook until browned and crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes a side. Transfer to a platter lined with paper towels, and sprinkle each with a pinch of fleur de sel. Cut in half and serve. Grilled cheese sandwich recipes from chef Eric Greenspan "Johnny Apple Cheese, a.k.a. Johnny Pastrami
. Serves 4. Ingredients:
 1/2 pound butter
 1/2 cup mustard seeds
 5 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced thin 
1 medium onion, sliced thin
 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
 2 tablespoons honey
 1/2 cup apple cider 1/2 cup cider vinegar
 8 slices of extra sour sourdough bread
 16 slices aged white Cheddar
1 pound pastrami, sliced thin 1. For the apple mustard chutney: In a pan over medium heat, heat two tablespoons of butter until it foams. Add the mustard seeds and toast in the pan for 1 minute, and then add most of the apples (reserve 8 slices) and onions and cook until tender. Add honey, cider, vinegar and Dijon mustard, and reduce until the liquid is absorbed. Take off heat and puree in a blender until mostly smooth. 2. In a large pan (cast iron is best) or griddle, melt half of the remaining butter and 4 slices of bread. Top each slice of bread with 2 slices of cheddar cheese and toast until golden brown. When the cheese is melted, add 1/4 of the pastrami to each slice, a dollop of chutney, and two thin slices of raw green apple. Cover with remaining bread. Add remaining butter, flip sandwich and grill until other side is equally golden brown. Cut each sandwich in half and serve hot, preferably with a frilly toothpick.