Pass the Tzatziki, Dill Weed!

Back in the late 70's around Pomona, Kansas, "Dill Weed" was a popular insult to hurl at friends and enemies.  For example, it might be heard in the following context:  "Give me a bite of your Reggie Bar, Dill Weed!"

Because of the prevalence of this insult during my childhood, I laugh each time I reach for dill weed when I cook.

You would think at some point of my life I would outgrow juvenile inclinations, but you can't take the boy out of the man.  Lately, I've been chuckling a lot because I've been using dill weed to prepare tzatziki.  This summer we've been enjoying chicken that's marinated in a Greek vinaigrette that's served with homemade pita bread, tzatziki, and marinated onions/tomatoes. The combination of flavors satisfies the palette, and the tzatziki is the star.  It's provides a refreshing, creamy, and cool flavor that will be very satisfying when the July temperatures soar into the triple digits.  If you've never made tzatziki, you should.  It's so simple that even Dill Weeds can prepare it.

Tzatziki

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 1 cup Greek yogurt, strained
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh dill or dried.

Preparation:

Combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix until well combined. Using a whisk, blend the yogurt with the sour cream. Add the olive oil mixture to the yogurt mixture and mix well. Finally, add the cucumber and chopped fresh dill. Chill for at least two hours before serving.
Garnish with a sprig of fresh dill just before serving, Dill Weed.

See you later, Dill Weed!
muddywaters

Long as I Can See the Light

 

I'm back. There's no good reason for my absence. My absence can only be attributed to lack of discipline on my part. I'm returning because I need the blog in my life. For the past five months or so, I've let others dictate my mood, and I haven't been the person I want to be. Restarting this blog is my way of reclaiming myself. The blog allows me to create a culture that nurtures my soul. When I'm blogging I find that I have a heightened awareness and appreciation for the blessings that surround me. This might sound like hyperbolic mumbo jumbo, but I know it's true.

For now, I'm back. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm going to enjoy the journey. I do know that I would like to see the following changes in my blog:

• Shorter entries.
• Less polish.
• More focus on the great state of Kansas.
• More stories.
• More honesty.
• More fun.
• Less pictures of food.
• More rambling.
• More dirt roads.
• More writing about being a teacher.

Hopefully, I'll see you a couple days.

 

I hope all is well,

muddywaters

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Beer and Peaches Mingle

 

Last week while at the library I sat next to a man who wore fishing waders and laughed periodically as he read the latest issue of Scientific American. Also seated next to me was a man who was dressed like he was a Game of Thrones extra. Occurences like this are common in Lawrence, KS., and it's one of the many things I love about this town.

I've never told anyone this before, but I feel a certain kinship with such folk. I know I'm only a few steps away from being the guy in the library who wears a chef's apron while reading back issues of Bon Appetit and singing Woody Guthrie songs in a French accent. I'm a fragile soul whose mental health sometimes hangs by a thread. Fortunately, I have a lot of touchstones that keep me grounded and mentally healthy. Writing this blog is one of those touchstones. For the past six months or so, I've been debating whether writing a blog - especially a food blog - is worthwhile. I admit that writing a blog is a silly, ridiculous, frivolous, and a priviledged activity, but it keeps me from living inside my head too much and it's helped me find some kindred spirits. So I guess I'll just keep writing this blog.

 

This spring I loaned a copy Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams by Jeni Bauer to six people, and all six promptly ran out and purchased their own copies. This is the best cookbook I've purchased in two years, and you need to clear off a space on your cookbook shelf for your own copy. I've shared her recipe for Coffee Ice Cream on this blog, and the book's also contains some wonderful sorbet recipes, like the following that uses a lambic beer. I knew nothing about lambic beers before I encountered this recipe, and I still don't know a lot about these beers, but all you need to know is that it's a slightly fruity beer. I used a lambic brew my Lindeman's; however, I think, there are better lambics out there. I think New Belgium brews a lambic as part of their Lips of Faith series. I think it would be worth checking out. Anyway, here's the recipe:

 

Peach Lambic Sorbet

• 1 pound fresh peaches
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup lambic beer, chilled

1. Peel and pit peaches. Puree fruit in food processor until smooth.
2. Combine the pureed fruit, sugar, and corn syrup in a saucepan an bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and chill in the mixture in a refrigerator for two hours.
3. Add beer to fruit mixture. Pour the sorbet base into ice cream maker, and spin just until is is the consistency softly whipped cream.
4. Pack the sorbet into a storage container, Place airtight lid on it, and freeze for at least four hours.

I enjoyed this sorbet, but it's not my favorite in the cookbook. You need to buy the book and try the influenza sorbet, a soothing, healing mix of orange juice, whiskey, cayenne pepper, and other ingredients I can't recall at this time. Last winter anytime I felt puny, I ate a spoonful or two of this sorbet and it kept illness at bay. You should keep a quart of influenza sorbet in your freezer, and we can broaden our research of this sorbet's healing powers.

 

This land is your land,

muddywaters

 

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