Kids' Picks

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Mulberry pie

This is a fresh taste of summer that surprised me.

I had only known mulberries as the dare-you-to-eat-one mushy fruit that grew on scruffy shrubs, staining suburban sidewalks and children’s feet. When our generous neighbors stopped by to invite us to pick as many mulberries as we wanted, it took me a moment to realize that they were serious. They, in fact, had plans for baking a mulberry pie. When my husband told me the joy of his childhood adventures climbing mulberry trees, picking and eating berries until his fingers were purple and his stomach was full, I sent him out to the neighbor’s with a cute little plastic bucket along with our son Joe, to reclaim his youth.

Mostly Mulberry Pie

Prepare a 2-crust pie dough, roll out the bottom crust and fill with a mixture of:

  • 4 c. mulberries
  • 1 c. sliced strawberries (or skip the strawberries and use 5 c. mulberries)
  • 3/4-1 c. sugar
  • 2 Tbs. flour
  • zest from 1 lemon

Top with lattice crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 35-45 minutes or until the crust is brown and the fruit is bubbly.

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Quiet house, gentle rain, baking muffins at 5am

These are moist and fruity with a mixture of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.

I woke up at 4:30 with strawberries on my mind, consumed with thoughts of fresh muffins for breakfast. With a large pot of espresso-made iced coffee to sustain me, I gathered up the little bags of frozen berries left from last summer’s crops, and baked a double recipe of these 3-berry muffins. The house is peaceful, with a gentle rain falling, and everyone still asleep. When the family wakes up there will be a basket of fresh muffins on the table, and then, hopefully, I’ll sneak upstairs and take a nap.

3-Berry Muffins

Combine the wet ingredients:

  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1-1/4 c. milk, warmed
  • 1 c. melted butter

Add the wet ingredients to the combined dry ingredients:

  • 3 c. flour (I use part whole wheat pastry flour)
  • 1-1/2 c. sugar
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 4 tsp. cinnamon

Stir in the berries:

  • 2 c. mix of blueberries, raspberries and chopped strawberries

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen muffins.

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Enjoy pancakes during the week: Make your own pancake mix

Our home in New Mexico sat at the top of a ridge, giving us an unobstructed view to watch things rise over the horizon: the sun in the morning, the moon in the evening, and the school bus in the afternoon. Max went to afternoon kindergarten and the bus would come right after lunch, which allowed us the luxury of a relaxed morning at home. Breakfast was an event, not just something on our checklist. No hurry-up bowls of cereal, or quick scrambled eggs on toast to eat in the car (as we often do these days) but it was a time for lovingly prepared, home-cooked breakfasts which were as much about the experience as they were the calories. Back then, nearly 100% of the time the answer to “What would you like for breakfast?” was “Pancakes.” Most often Joe, who was all of 18 months old, shouted this out. I always acted like this was new information, something special, and would set about preparing the batter. When the pancakes were ready we would sometimes take breakfast out to our front porch to “watch the world go by.” The three little kids would sit at their tiny little table on the deck, and I’d pull up the fourth teeny-tiny chair and join them.

Eventually, the excitement over mixing up pancake batter every morning grew tiresome. It was then that I decided to make up my own pancake mix.  My mother-in-law had given me the idea—it was something she had done when her three kids were little. It’s been many years since I got out my recipe, but this summer, now that Joe is 11-1/2 and capable of cooking, I made the pancake mix so he can enjoy fresh pancakes himself every morning, sitting on the front porch, watching the world go by.

Whole Wheat Pancake Mix

Blend together the following, using your hands to break up any clumps of brown sugar, so that everything is mixed together evenly:

  • 6 cups whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 c.  dried buttermilk
  • 8 Tbs. brown sugar
  • 8 tsp. baking powder
  • 4 tsp. baking soda
  • 4 tsp. salt

To make the batter, blend together the following (makes 6 pancakes):

  • 1 c. mix
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbs. oil
  • 3/4 c. water

Store the mix in an air-tight container, with the mixing instructions taped to the lid.

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Pink Slaw (the secret is beets)

I can’t decide if I like the flavor or the color more in this vibrant slaw made with raw, grated beets. Make your favorite coleslaw recipe, and add in a grated beet—it’s just that simple. Here’s how I make mine:

Beet Slaw

  • 4 cups grated or thinly sliced green cabbage (about 1/2 of a small to medium-sized cabbage)
  • 1 medium grated beet
  • 3/4 c. mayonnaise
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 Tbs. sugar
  • 2 green onions, sliced thin

Mix it all together, chill and serve.

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Garlic Oven Fries

Try these the next time you’re grilling hamburgers.

Garlic Oven Fries

  • 4 large russet potatoes
  • 2 Tbs. crushed garlic
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the garlic and oil into a 1-gallon zip lock bag, or into a large bowl.  Let the garlic visit happily with the oil while you cut the potatoes into fry-shaped slices. Toss the potatoes with the garlic oil, spread on a pan and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until browned. If you want a little extra browning, turn on the broiler for a minute or two.

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Three summer salads: Chicken salad, Fish salad, Egg salad

Trying something new with traditional favorites such as egg salad, chicken salad and tuna salad takes a little courage; a willingness to experiment with spices, herbs and textures. Wanting to please all the palates in our family, Molly and I concocted these tonight:

Curried Egg Salad

Mix together chopped hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise, chopped parsley and curry powder. Use more or less mayo and curry, plus salt, to taste.

Chicken Salad

Combine shredded chicken with mayonnaise, cilantro, toasted pecans or almonds, sliced tart apple, and sliced celery. Season with seasoned salt, to taste.

Fish Salad

Combine equal parts canned or fresh flaked salmon with canned tuna. Add in mayonnaise, chopped green onions or a small quantity of chopped sweet onion, dill weed, and salt, to taste.

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Welcome potluck season with Lemon-Ginger Coleslaw

Tonight is the first of the summer potluck picnics. Joe’s class is having a hot dog barbecue and the parents are bringing side dishes. With an international group of families there is always a terrific showing of dishes at these gatherings, so I decided to liven up an American classic with my version of coleslaw.

Lemon-Ginger Coleslaw

  • 1 medium head green cabbage
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 4 green onions
  • 3 carrots
  • 1-1/4 c. mayonaise
  • the juice of 1-1/2 lemons
  • 1 2″ piece of fresh ginger, grated
  • 3 Tbs. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
  • 2 navel oranges, cut into chunks
  • 1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
  • 3/4 c. raisins
  • 3/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted

Slice cabbage, celery and green onions very thin and grate the carrots. Mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, ginger, sugar and salt, then combine everything together. Serve very cold.

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Welcoming summer weather with a platter full of Chef’s Salad

Ninety degree weather descended upon us today, forcing me to quickly dust off our favorite hot weather, no-cook supper ideas. A chef’s salad, served up beautifully on our Thanksgiving turkey platter, made a great presentation and a fun dinner with something for everyone. Start with a bed of mixed organic greens and top with your family’s favorite deli meats, cheeses, hard boiled eggs, cold cooked shrimp, and plenty of raw vegetables. (Sorry, but this is so not Kosher.)

We had ours with Macey’s favorite Thousand Island dressing, and a bowl of fresh, sliced cantaloupe.