Mint Pesto

As I've mentioned before, Mom's mint plants have taken over her garden. So, with the abundance of mint, I have been making this mint pesto. It is amazing how much mint it takes to make just a little bit of pesto. Rather than complaining about too much mint, I'll just keep making this pesto recipe to use up all the mint. This pesto is delicious on crackers, but I have been adding it to salads instead of salad dressing. However you serve it, you'll enjoy this pesto.

Although pesto is traditionally made with basil, you can just substitute mint for an excellent pesto. The name pesto originates from the Italian word that means to pound or crush. Back in the day, pesto was made using a mortal and pestle. Luckily for us, we have food processors that take so much of the work out of making pesto. Also, I substituted slivered almonds for pine nuts, which are more commonly used in pesto. The amounts listed below are approximate amounts; you may need to adjust to suit your preferences. The pesto will last about a week in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer.

Mint Pesto

• 2 cups mint leaves
• 1/2 cup nuts, such as almonds or pine nuts
• 1/8 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup olice oil
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• dash of salt

Add all the ingredients to a food processor. Blend until the ingredients are broken down and blended to your desired consistency. Enjoy!

Mint Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

This recipe is not a family recipe, although zucchini bread is a favorite especially when made by Jenny. But this recipe uses the fresh mint that is prolifically growing in Mom's garden, so I think it qualifies for sharing here. I wasn't sure that that mint chocolate chip would go with zucchini, but this recipe proves that it does.

The mint leaves blend in well with the zucchini in this bread, so you won't notice the actual mint leaves too much. But the mint flavor comes through nicely. The next time I make this recipe, I might use even more mint. I might also use fewer chocolate chips. As much as I love chocolate, I think I added too much, so I adjusted the recipe below.

 Mint Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread 

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup finely shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Blend in the sugar, zucchini, cooking oil, and egg until well mixed. Fold in the mint and chocolate chips. Pour batter into a greased 8x4 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool bread before slicing. Enjoy!

Lefse

I have strong childhood memories of Lefse, but Lefse is not one of my family's recipes. Lefse is a soft potato flat bread that can be made with leftover mashed potatoes. I first met Stephanie Schmidt in sixth grade at Hauser Junior High. Stef's family had a wonderful tradition of making Lefse in large batches, usually around the holidays. Lefse production was a family affair, and each person in the Schmidt Family was assigned to a specific task, such as rolling out the dough or manning the griddle. My specialty was eating the Lefse. Often, the Lefse is spread with butter, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and rolled up. But Lefse can be eaten with any sweet or savory filling, so its uses are endless. Lefse is especially delicious fresh off the griddle, but it can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or freezer for a few months, then just warmed up when you want to enjoy it.

Lefse is a Norwegian treat that is especially common in Minnesota. Earlier this year, I spent a week in Minnesota and was reminded of the deliciousness of Lefse. I knew I had try making it, even though I did not have some of the special equipment. Lefse is often made on a large circular griddle that results in a 16-inch round Lefse. I only had a small griddle, so I made about a 10-inch round Lefse. There is a traditional grooved rolling pin, but I just used my standard rolling pin. Finally, there is a Lefse stick that is used to flip the Lefse, a special skill. I just used a spatula. So even though my Lefse were not made under authentic circumstances, they were just as delicious as I remember.

Lefse

yields a dozen 10-inch Lefse

• 1 pound potatoes
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 to 2 cups flour, plus more for rolling

Peel and cut the potatoes into large chunks. Place in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft and easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and place in a mixing bowl. Mash the potatoes and eliminate any lumps. Cut the butter into and mix with the potatoes. Add the milk and salt. Thoroughly blend the potatoes. Refrigerate the potatoes overnight.

Prepare a flat surface for rolling out the Lefse. Mix the mashed potatoes with 1 to 2 cups of the flour. Initially, the dough will be crumbly, but the mixture will gradually start coming together. Turn the dough out on the floured surface and knead the dough to bring it together. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a flat and round shape. Dust with flour if the dough is too sticky.

Set a flat griddle over medium-high heat.  Cook each Lefse for 1-2 minutes on each side until speckled with golden-brown spots. Keep the Lefse under the towel to prevent them from drying out.

Enjoy the Lefse rolled up with the traditional butter and cinnamon or any topping you prefer. Enjoy!

Strawberry Cheese Pie

I found this recipe in Mom's recipe box. Like many other no-bake cheesecake recipes, it is a great option when the weather is hot. This recipe is so easy and delicious, there is no excuse not to make it yourself. I followed the recipe and used strawberries to top the pie, but any topping could be used, such as any fruit you prefer. The pie would also be excellent drizzled with melted chocolate.

Making a graham cracker crust is simple, so resist to the urge to buy a pre-made crust. Dream Whip is a powdered whipped topping that can be found near the powdered pudding mixes in some grocery stores. Or, substitute about one to two cups of cool whip for the prepared Dream Whip.

Strawberry Cheese Pie 

• 1 Graham Cracker Pie Shell
• 1 package Dream Whip (prepared as directed)
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Prepare the Dream Whip following the directions. Cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Beat in the Dream Whip. Pour into the pie shell and chill for several hours. When ready to serve, garnish with fresh strawberries. Enjoy!

Chocolate and Fresh Mint Cookies

Although this recipe is not actually a family recipe, it is made with lots of fresh mint from Mom's garden. Currently, the mint is growing out of control. Every time I visit Mom, I take home lots of mint and there is still so much mint growing. I've used the mint to flavor water and tea. I've made tabbouleh and added mint to various salads. Then, after reviewing recipes, I decided to try adding fresh mint to baked goods. This recipe is the delicious result.

With fresh mint, you can extract the mint flavoring by simmering the mint in another ingredient to be used, such as milk or butter. But, for this recipe, just add the mint leaves into the dough for a serious mint flavor. I was worried that the mint leaves would disrupt the texture of the cookie, but the leaves blend right in. It was hard to stop eating these delicious minty and chocolaty cookies. I bet that adding fresh mint to brownies or the standard chocolate chip cookie recipe would also be irresistible.

Chocolate and Fresh Mint Cookies 

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking sodas
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups chopped fresh mint

Preheat oven to 350. cream together the butter and both types of sugar. Add the vanilla and the eggs and beat until fluffy. Blend in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Roughly chop the mint leaves. Add the mint and chocolate chips. Spoon dough onto a cookie pan. Bake for about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Homemade Ricotta

Years ago, Aunt Paula told me that making ricotta is easy. I finally got around to trying it. I don't know what I was waiting for. Homemade ricotta is easy to make and so much more delicious than store-bought ricotta. This ricotta was creamy and rich. It is excellent spread on crackers with or without other flavorings. I enjoyed this batch with some peach jam, but it would also be great with pesto and nuts, or any other topping.

This recipe yields about two cups of ricotta. The nice thing about making it is that you can control how thick or thin the ricotta will be. The longer you drain the ricotta, the thicker it will be. Also, the ricotta will firm up somewhat in the refrigerator. The liquid that drains out is whey and can be used or saved for later. The whey can be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for a few months. The whey can be used instead of milk or water in a number of recipes, such as bread or oatmeal.

Homemade Ricotta 

• 4 cups whole milk 
• 2 cups heavy cream 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 3 tbsp white vinegar 

Set large sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen two layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with cheesecloth.  Pour the milk and cream into a heavy saucepan. Stir in the salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for one minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts and milky parts. Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20-25 minutes (or 10-20 minutes longer for firmer ricotta) occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl discarding the cheesecloth. The ricotta may be refrigerated for up to five days. Enjoy!

Basil Vinaigrette Dressing

Mom has always loved salads, so it is not surprising to see salad dressing recipes in her recipe box. Mom told me that her favorite is the French Village Inn Salad Dressing, which is delicious, but this dressing is good and worth trying too.

The ingredients for this salad dressing are simple and common to any vinaigrette dressing. The dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for some time, but the ingredients will separate, so you will need to allow it to sit out of the refrigerator for a few minutes before using it. I like to use a wide-mouth jar so I can either shake it or stir it with a spoon. If you have never tried making homemade salad dressing, this easy dressing is an easy way to start.

Basil Vinaigrette Dressing  

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves

Combine all ingredients. Beat until thoroughly blended. Enjoy on your salad!