Spinach Dip

Catching up on recipe posts again (or trying to!). We made this for our Anti-Superbowl Party way back in February using this recipe as the inspiration.

Pear Butter

A coworker brought in some pears to share, so I came home with half a dozen pears and a desire to make something tasty. Some searching brought me to pear butter and considering my fascination with apple butter, I decided to give it a try.

Cherry Jam

Making jam is one of those things that always seemed Big. Intimidating. Hard. Only it's not (really!). And it's ridiculously tasty. Besides, once you have tasted homemade jam, you won't ever want to eat the store bought stuff again. Make a big batch so you won't ever have to. : )

I was lucky enough to be gift a gallon bag of sour cherries from a coworker with a cherry tree. A friend of mine gave me the idea to make the jam and she generously pointed me in the direction of a recipe. Or rather, a loose guide with no measurements or times or temperatures. It's good to fly by the seat of your pants sometimes. Builds character.

Want to see how we did it? Click here!

Cheese Dip

Since we made Soft Pretzels, I was on the hunt for a cheese dip to go with. This one is delicious--cheesy and mustardy and perfect for pretzels.

I adapted this recipe from this one, which I found on All Recipes.

Radish Butter

One of the great joys of a CSA is the sense of adventure it brings to cooking. It's like Iron Chef for the home crowd. I'm a pretty happy vegetable eater, but when it comes to shopping, I tend to stick to the tried and true. So when we found ourselves with radishes, I had no idea what to do with them. Happily, our CSA's website has a recipe section. Which included radish butter. Given that I already wanted to make butter this was a no brainer.

Homemade Butter

When I think of making butter, I think of big wooden barrels and paddles and head scarves. Clearly I read one too many Little House on the Prarie type books as a kid. I had never given much thought to how butter is made today. It's just one of those things that Happens. The way things like hot dogs happen, you don't have any idea what all is required to create a hot dog (and you're probably happier that way) you just eat them.

And then I saw this post and I about fainted. Ten minutes of mixing, a little kneading, and homemade butter? Melt in your mouth, make flavored butters, butter? I was all over that.

Homemade Guacamole

This is the guacamole that I grew up on. My mom says she got it from a coworker and friend who was raised in Mexico. I just know that it is darn tasty and easy.