Country Life: Off we go.....into the wild blue yonder.......

Here is another post from the 2014 tourism series. It's a nice look into my region of Iowa.

Lots of interesting things to see here.....

Aviation is fascinating to me. From the silly commercials on tv showing the earliest attempts at flight to modern military aircraft, I have always had a love for flying. Even as a little girl when we first moved to Des Moines from Minnesota, we lived near the airport and I loved watching the planes fly over our house. I don't get to fly very much but just getting to see planes in museums and airshows makes me happy. So I was so excited to discover that right here, in Adair County, we have the Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame.

It was a baking hot day when I made my way around Adair County checking out the interesting places to visit. The aviation museum was one of the first stops early in the day, but an airplane hangar is not a cool place by any means, and bless his heart, the kind gentleman who gave the tour that day was a real trooper. I was ready to DIE and he was ready to talk all day !

The tour started off by me just standing in awe of the A7 Corsair mounted outside the building. Growing up in Des Moines the Air National Guard stations and the "Blue Lights" viewing area in a huge part of my childhood. So to get to see this wonderful piece of Iowa military history and actually lay my hands on it......well, it was quite an experience.

Entering the museum, where it was nice and cool, there were loads and loads of interesting items on display. Flight suits, news clippings, photographs, articles in frames. Military and civilian planes and stories and articles of all kinds. Even the newspaper articles about the plane crash that took the life of Buddy Holly and several other musicians was there. 

After looking at many displays in the museum building I was taken on a tour of the hangar. Wow, just wow. So many amazing planes, gliders, engines, engine parts- I don't even think I can list everything I saw. You really need to experience this amazing place yourself to appreciate the pristine quality of the planes, all of which actually flew into the airport and drove into the hangar and very likely can still fly.

There is no way I can remember everything he had to say about each plane- there was just so much information. I just enjoyed story after story and admired the aircraft of days gone by. 

They have a full listing of all the aircraft in the hangar on their website, http://www.flyingmuseum.com/Aircraft.aspx, some of which are the last or one of the last two in existence. 

We posed for pictures with different equipment. My friend Sarah took the seat at the controls of a DC10. 

We both decided to have a silly pic taken with a cartoon character. It was great fun.

On the north end of the hangar is the Hall of Fame. In this room you will find framed photos of the various flying pioneers with an Iowa connection, from the earliest years of flight to astronauts. 

The USAF SR71 Blackbird- my favorite of all military aircraft, and they were based
at the air force base we lived nearby in England years ago. I got to see them fly everyday.

Display cabinets line the walls with donated collections of memorabilia, and a wall of glass blocks is etched with the names of the many donors that helped make this unique attraction possible.

The Iowa Aviation Museum is really a true treasure to have here in our area. It's a quick drive from Des Moines, and the city of Greenfield offers lots of options for a lunch or dinner to go along with your road trip. This truly is a must-see destination.

Reflections of winter and a warm mug of potato soup

Winter is hanging on in Iowa. Gray skies, cold nights, snow and wind alternating with hints of the spring to come. Shoveling and snow plowing. Browsing through garden and seed catalogs. Time to grab an afghan, a warm kitty for my lap and a good book. Hoping......

The view outside is pretty....well, grim. Barren trees, a frozen lake, brown grass where there is no snow. Not a very pretty spot this time of year. The wildlife, however, can be quite amazing. We have lots of regulars around here, deer, geese, foxes. It's not unusual to find a raccoon grubbing in the trash for a snack.

This year the lake has seen a lot more American Bald Eagles than I can remember in a long long time. They are majestic birds, so strong and graceful. Some days we had so many eagles fishing for lunch it looked like an eagle refuge. It would be wonderful if they would settle here and build a nest.

This is one of those times of year that I really appreciate a few instant things in the cupboard. Instant cocoa. Instant cappuccino. Instant soups. There is something so comforting about sitting down to a big mug of hot soup, or filling a thermos with piping hot soup for lunch later. We don't buy many pre-made mixes at the store and most of them have way too much salt and preservatives for my taste anyway, so making my own instant mixes is the way I prefer to go. 

This instant potato soup is my favorite. I use a dehydrator so when I make it I like to use my own dehydrated scallions (green onions) that have been pulsed in the food processor to make a powder, my own dehydrated herbs from my garden and if I have it around, dehydrated cooked potatoes instead of store-bought dried mashed potatoes, but those work just perfectly and don't cost much at all. When choosing a chicken bouillon to use, I prefer the dry powder type. Granules tend to settle at the bottom of the jar and of course the moister types won't work at all in a dried mix. This is also a great idea to keep in your desk drawer in the office for a quick and easy lunch, and makes a great homemade gift too. Just write the instructions on a cute card and add a cute soup mug and you've got a thoughtful homemade gift.

Instant Potato Soup

2 cups dry instant mashed potato flakes

1 1/2 cups dry milk powder

1 1/2 tablespoons instant chicken bouillon (I like the powder best)

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

pinch ground white pepper

1 tablespoon dried chopped chives

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Scoop into 1 quart jar or container. To make a serving of soup, place 1/2 cup mix in bowl or mug and add 1 cup boiling water.

NOTE: If you are a dehydrating person like I am, you can make your own instant mashed potatoes too, by cooking potatoes til tender, then flaking or ricing onto waxed paper of fruit roll up trays and running in the dehydrator until completely dry. A quick buzz in the food processor and you're all set.

My Backyard Chicken Dreams- Roasted with Lemon and Thyme

As much as we love living at the lake, there is one thing missing from the perfect country life. Chickens. I have always wanted chickens. Not a huge mega factory farm barn full. Beautiful, colorful chickens, that roam freely around the yard, eating whatever chickens eat, loving the sunshine and fresh air, and if I am really lucky, rewarding me with a few eggs.

photo by Tracy Carlson

Darn rules! We have rules here, and the meanest one is No Chickens. Talk about crushing a girl's dreams! Instead I have to live vicariously through my friends' chickens, buy eggs from a local farmer- whose chickens roam around freely just like mine would do if I had any- and oooh and awww over pictures of beautiful chickens on Facebook. It's been a tough thing to accept, especially since even in the city people are allowed to keep chickens and the one thing I REALLY really wanted in the country wash a happy flock of lovely chickens. Surely a couple happy hens wouldn't be a bother the neighbors, right? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want a rooster hanging around waking me up everyday. Visiting the county fairs last summer I got to see some of the show chickens, and they are absolutely beautiful birds. It would make my heart happy for have a few girls milling about the yard, pecking around on the deck, rooting through the potted plants, chomping on the marigolds, chatting up a storm with us. 

photo by Kristi Worthington

Years ago I lived in England. Everyone had chickens. Seriously- everyone. Every yard in the town I lived in was fenced and in the backyard people had long dog run type enclosures for their chickens with the cutest chicken houses. They looked like great big dollhouses- fancy Victorians, castles, mansions- just for the chickens. The hens roamed all over the yard during the day and were tucked safely into their enclosures for the overnights. Why? Apparently the British family appreciated having fresh eggs every day. Unlike here in the U.S., there we did not keep dozens of eggs on hand in the fridge. Eggs are purchased in packs of 6 and kept at room temperature in a bowl of water. They don't spoil, so the British housewife knows something we don't here in Iowa. But I just really wanted some beautiful chickens with that adorable chicken house.

Suzanne Ledford's chickens
provide plenty of eggs

In spite of all this chicken love and longing, I do enjoy eating chicken. Roast chicken, in particular, and I have found that roasting pieces is much quicker than waiting on a whole bird, and just as delicious, and possibly juicier too. I have found that the trick to perfectly moist roast chicken is to choose pieces instead of the whole bird, place them in a baking dish, dot with butter and add a little wine, fruit juice or chicken stock to the pan- cover loosely with foil for part of the roasting time, and don't be stingy with the herbs. Thyme is a natural with chicken, but sage and rosemary also are delicious.

This chicken is roasted with loads of chunks of fresh lemon- and believe me, the lemon flavor you get is amazing. The lemon chunks break down during roasting and baste the chicken with delicious juice, enhanced by the thyme, and leaves you with plenty of pan drippings for a fabulous gravy or jus for drizzling. Serve with roasted potatoes, carrots and lots of crusty bread for sopping up the sauce.

Roasted Lemon Chicken

about 2 lbs chicken pieces
2 lemons, cut in chunks
several sprigs fresh thyme
garlic cloves (whole)
3/4 cup Sauvignon Blanc
drizzle with olive oil

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chicken pieces in a roasting pan or casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper.

Note- I also used a little Feiny's Citrus Barbeque Rub.

Scrub the lemons well and cut into quarters lengthwise; thence crosswise into chunks. Sprinkle the lemon chunks over the chicken pieces in the roasting pan. Strip the leaves off the thyme sprigs and sprinkle over the chicken pieces.

Peel and lightly smash about 10 or 15 cloves garlic. Sprinkle them over the chicken. Pour the wine in the roasting pan. Drizzle with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Cover loosely with foil and roast for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue roasting the chicken for about 45 minutes, until nicely browned.

Remove chicken pieces to serving plate. Strain juices in the pan; serve with the chicken. If you like more of a gravy rather than jus, pour the drippings into a saucepan, add a cup or two of chicken broth and thicken with roux or a cornstarch slurry.

Sherri Williams' Avocado Ranch Dressing

Nobody cooks like Sherri!!!  With her incredible resume of culinary victories and visits to the World Food Championships and now television, she has become a force to reckon with in the food world for sure. 

Last summer Sherri kicked some culinary butt on the Travel Channel show American Grilled. On the episode titled Pensacola Beach Brawl, Sherri beat out her three competitors to take home the win. I think the whole country was cheering her on, as she has friends literally everywhere and a very supporting family!

photo from The Travel Channel

Sherri shared this recipe with her friends on Facebook for Valentine's Day with her beautiful Pan Seared Sirloin, Butter Poached Lobster and Mixed Green Salad with Pork Chop Croutons and Avocado Ranch Dressing. That expertly seared steak would have been plenty to make this girl happy, but Sherri brings the flavor big time with the butter poached lobster and that salad.

photo by Sherri Williams

Yes, yes I did say Pork Chop Croutons. How did she make them? Cubes of leftover breaded and fried pork chop rind, recrisped in a little olive oil. Amazing!!! How does she think of this stuff? 

The salad dressing though, really really sounded delicious. I have never been a fan of store bought salad dressings. I don't like foods that have ingredients with half the alphabet in their names. Sherri's dressing started with a perfectly ripe Hass avocado and creamy mayo, sour cream, herbs and spices. Nothing chemical or artificial, just fresh, handmade and delicious. Not sure what a Hass avocado is? It's the typical dark green bumpy-skinned avocado most often seen in the grocery stores.

Here is what you need for Sherri Williams' Avocado Ranch Dressing:

1 Hass avocado

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

juice and zest of a lemon

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/4 teaspoon granulated onion

1/8 teaspoon dill

salt and pepper

Combine everything in a food processor- pulse/process until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Sherri mashed the avocado first so I did as well- makes it quicker to get that great smoothness.

Use on beautiful salad greens and if you have a leftover chop- make Sherri's Pork Chop Croutons too!

Sherri's domination of the cooking scene is still going strong. As a competitor on Food Network's new show, All Star Academy, the lucky duck gets to meet and work with some true giants in the food world- Alex Guarnaschelli, Michael Symon, Bobby Flay, Curtis Stone and Ted Allen along with several other very talented home cooks! I'm still star struck just thinking about Alex Guarnaschelli!

photo by Sherri Williams

Anyway, All Star Academy starts on Sunday, March 1 at 9/8 central time on Food Network. Set your DVRs people! #TEAMSHERRI !!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Canning Cookbook- Spiced Kumquat Jam

Lots of ladies in a canning group I am in have been talking about kumquats lately. Some people like to can them whole in a light syrup. I thought they would be better in a jam, which is how I'd be more likely to eat them. If you haven't seen them before, kumquats are teeny tiny citrus fruits, about the size of grape tomatoes.

Because kumquats are relatively expensive here in the frozen Midwest, I didn't have pounds of fruit to work with. I had to buy a package and work with that. I wanted something not too similar to a marmalade, as the kumquats have very tender peels, and wanted to use as much of the pulp as possible. I also supplemented the pulp with a couple of oranges, cheating, I know, but I didn't want to shell out $10-15 in fruit for a single jar of jam. 

Spiced Kumquat Jam

1/2 lb kumquats
2 oranges
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 cups water
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
1 stick cinnamon
4 whole cloves

Cut the kumquats into quarters. Scrape the pulp into a bowl and set the peel aside. 

Remove any seeds from the pulp and any large pieces of membrane. I was glad I bought the oranges because the inside of the kumquats were not juicy at all. 

Finely chop the peel. Zest both oranges and add to the kumquat peel. Cut the orange into pieces and cut out as much pulp as possible, leaving the peel and membrane behind. It's easier if you cut the orange into supremes first, but you don't have to go to so much trouble. Be sure to do so over a bowl to catch all the juice.

Combine everything in a saucepan and bring to boil. Adjust the sugar according to the tartness of the fruits. Simmer until you reach the jelling point. If you use a thermometer, it's 220 degrees.

Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves and ladle the jam into a jar. Cover and store in the fridge.

I ended up with about a half pint of jam, so it wasn't something I would process for shelf storage. Now if I lived in a warm climate and had access to several pounds of kumquats I sure would, and follow the processing time for orange marmalade.

The spice flavor was very subtle in this jam, and the kumquat peels are so delicate they really softened up during cooking. I like marmalade but the peel in marmalade has a definite "bite" to it- not the case here. This is something I'd definitely make again but heat not quite to the jelling point and use it as pancake syrup. This jam is going to be perfect with freshly baked biscuits!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with an Iowa Twist

Nothing says winter food quite like winter squash. From pumpkins to acorn squash, I love them all. One of the most popular winter squash is the butternut. It's a firm squash and holds it's shape well, making it a great squash for roasting. I love tossing some cubed butternut squash and potatoes and roasting them alongside a pork loin or turkey breast. Butternut squash lends itself well to both savory and sweet preparations and makes a great "pumpkin" pie.

Butternut squash also makes a very wonderful soup! Roasting first brings out it's sweetness and sauteed onions and herbs combine to make a delicious and filling fall soup. This soup is a little lighter than some recipes, with no added heavy cream, and gets a little Iowa personalization with the flavor boost from bacon. Iowa pork farmers are proud producers of some of the best bacon in the world. This soup makes a great first course, a light lunch or a great dinner by the fireplace with a thick and gooey grilled cheese on hearty artisan bread.

Let's make our Iowa Butternut Squash Soup! You will need-

• 8 cups cubed butternut squash
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• salt and pepper
• 1 medium onion
• olive oil
• several sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 6 slices bacon

Melt the butter in a shallow roasting pan. Add the cubed squash, toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 375 degree oven until tender but don't let the squash brown. Remove from the oven and set aside. I am using butter-
nut squash that I had canned previously, so I can skip the roasting step. I still want to season with salt and pepper though.

In a large stockpot heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion, season again with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until translucent and tender. Add the thyme sprigs, the cubed squash and chicken stock and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

While the soup simmers, prepare the bacon. Cut the bacon slices into lardons. Cook in a skillet until crisp and browned. Remove to a paper towel and let drain. Add a teaspoon of bacon drippings to soup.

Remove the thyme sprigs from the soup. Using a food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Return to stockpot. Reheat over low heat.

To serve, ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the crumbled bacon and additional thyme leaves or chopped chives. 

This soup just screams comfort to me. I have loads of quarts of butternut squash canned in the pantry so it's super easy to get dinner on the table- just drain, drizzle with butter and give it a quick roast and you're ready to go. With all this bread-baking I've been doing, this soup is going to be a mainstay for the winter. I'm going to switch it up and use Hubbard squash, Delicata and some of the other squash I have stored away too!

My mom's Mushroom Steak- a 70s classic

It's the stuff 1970s era casseroles were made of. Good old cream of something soup. 

Maybe your mom or grandmother made tuna and noodles back in the day. In the upper Midwest our mothers often made something called "hotdish" and every mom had a different recipe. Some moms made tator tot casserole. Whatever she made with it, most of the time these familiar dishes started with the same basic food- canned cream of something soup. Whoever invented this stuff surely didn't intend that people actually eat them as is. Yuck. Cream of celery soup in a big bowl? No thanks. But add some cheese, chopped veggies, some noodles and a can of tuna and we're in business!

Cream of chicken and some rice made a great base for some pork chops or chicken pieces- baked until the edges of the rice were crispy and browned. Cream of celery and tuna and those crunchy chow mein noodles made a great quick dinner that I used to love. Cream of mushroom went with everything- meatballs, chunks of stew meat, chicken, pork, and of course.....tator tot casserole.

My mom was the Queen of Round Steak. Oh how she loved the stuff. She made everything beef with round steak. Pepper steak. Stroganoff. My favorite- smothered steak. She would cut up some round steak (back then it was common to find big round steak cuts as big as serving trays with the bone in the middle), pound it with her meat mallet, dredge in some flour and sear, and pour over a couple cans of cream of whatever- usually mushroom or celery- pop it in the oven for a couple hours, and that cheapo cut of meat would be as delicious and tender as any good roast. She often added a can of mushrooms (she was a steadfast supporter of the Richelieu Stems and Pieces in a can) and an onion sliced into rings spread out on the bottom of the pan and a little sprinkle of parsley on top. 

My tastes have changed significantly over the years and I rarely buy food items like canned soup these days, preferring to make my own from homemade. But every once in a while I just get a craving for some of those wonderful food memories and I grab some cream of something soup.

Erika's Mushroom Steak, Lakehouse Style

minute/cubed steaks- enough for 4 portions

1 small onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 bay leaves

2 cups beef stock

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

flour, salt and pepper

cooking oil

In a Dutch oven, heat a couple tablespoons of oil.  Season the steak pieces with salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Brown in the hot oil until nicely browned on both sides. Remove from pan. If needed, add another tablespoon or so of oil. Add the onions, garlic and dried seasonings, stir well.

Deglaze the pot with the beef stock. Whisk in the cream of mushroom soup. Return the steaks to the sauce and cover. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Gravy will be nicely thickened and steak will be tender and delicious.

**Note- You can slice up half a package of mushrooms, saute them, and add to the sauce with the steak before popping in the oven, if you like. I didn't have any or I would have.

This dinner is nothing even remotely gourmet. It's not something a talented chef would create. It's not something you would order in a restaurant. What it is, is a memory on a plate for me, like a visit my mom again. Laughing over her hilarious stories and funny broken English. Teasing her about the rolls she burned in the oven. Remembering a time in my life when Mom was just a phone call away. Those were the best times.