Whiteley Creek Homestead

Our grandson was visiting this week from New Jersey, so I was so hoping that our hens would begin laying eggs. Perfect timing… we discovered our first egg yesterday underneath a truck in our yard. That is good, but not the proper place to be laying it. I instructed our grandson to place it in a nesting box in the chicken coop so that the hens would see where they should lay their eggs.  

This morning, we discovered two eggs in addition to the one we had placed in the nest as a teaching tool.

Look at the perfectly domed, amazingly dark orange yolk that is produced from hens allowed to roam freely eating grass, seeds, bugs, and fruit and veggie kitchen scraps. The thick gel-like egg white holds its shape instead of spreading out as nonfresh eggs do. A thing of beauty…

I can't remember which blog I read recently where I ran across a simple dish to utilize some bok choy that I had plucked directly from my garden and freshly-laid eggs gathered this morning. It is super simple. So I chopped…

The colors on my plate were amazing and glistened in the sunlight. Such enjoyment before I had even dug in!

Just saute the bok choy stems and leaves in a little oil or butter. I used clarfied butter because of its high smoke point. After a few minutes, I slid the bok choy over to one side of the pan to finish sauteing while frying the eggs. Serve the egg on top of a mound of bok choy. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

This morning, we had a huge downpour coupled with thunder and lightning… a cookie baking day by all obvious indicators. The forecast predicted continued unseasonably hot temps with extremely high humidity, so I dug out the ice cream maker that my daughters gave me for Mother's Day and chose to make gelato instead.    

I made Red Raspberry Gelato, a recipe from the booklet included with my Cuisinart ICE-30BC Series Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, and Sorbet Maker. It's a little more time-consuming than other recipes that do not require a custard, but so very worth it. Since I had never eaten gelato before, I researched what sets it apart from ice cream. I learned that most gelato recipes have more egg yolks, more milk, and less cream than ice cream recipes. Commercially-sold ice cream has air mixed in during the manufacturing process to keep it from freezing too solidly. Some ice cream brands consist of more than 50% air in each carton. Gelato has less air mixed in, usually less than 15%, making it smoother and denser than ice cream.

Red Raspberry Gelato

Makes about fourteen ½-cup servings

4 cups red raspberries (thawed if frozen) I used fresh.

1 cup granulated sugar

2 ¼ cups half-and-half, divided

6 large egg yolks

¼ cup powdered milk

1 cup heavy cream

2 tsp vanilla

1-2 drops red food coloring to enhance color, optional (omit)

Place raspberries in a food processor fitted with the metal “s” blade or in a blender. If using a blender, do 2 cups at a time for best results. Process until completely puréed and smooth. Press raspberry purée through a fine mesh sieve with a wooden spoon or spatula. Discard seeds – you will have approximately 2 cups red raspberry purée; reserve. Place the sugar and 1 ¼ cups of the half-and-half in a 2 ½-quart saucepan with a heavy bottom. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Keep warm over low heat. Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until thickened, about 2 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a hand or stand mixer fitted with the whip on low speed. While whisking, add ½ cup of the hot half-and-half/sugar mixture and whisk until blended. Stir the egg mixture back into the saucepan; increase heat to medium. Stir the mixture constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thickened like a custard sauce and registers 180°F when checked with an instant-read thermometer. Stir in remaining half-and-half, powdered milk, and heavy cream. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer; stir in reserved raspberry puree and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours before continuing. Follow directions for your particular ice cream machine. For my Cuisinart: Turn the machine on; pour mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. The gelato will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the gelato to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

This simple recipe for dee-lish chocolate pudding came from Ellie Krieger who never disappoints me. She titled it Grandma's Chocolate Pudding. However, since it didn't come from my grandma, I renamed it Velvety Smooth Lowfat Chocolate Pudding because it is all that… lusciously velvety smooth with a reduced fat content compared to traditional pudding recipes that call for egg yolks and butter. Additionally, it is less sweet than other versions… just right.   

Velvety Smooth Lowfat Chocolate Pudding

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tbsp cornstarch

2 cups 1% lowfat milk (I used whole milk.)

1 ounce dark (60-70%) chocolate, finely chopped

whipped cream, optional

In a medium saucepan or double boiler, whisk sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch. Gradually add the milk, whisking until smooth. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 6 minutes. Boil for 1 minute. Add the chopped chocolate stirring until melted and smooth. Serve topped with whipped cream, if desired. Makes four ¾-cup servings.