Last fall in a close out sale I found a package of red tulip bulbs. I have quite a few yellow and pink tulips and thought these would be a nice addition. Was I surprised when they were the first to flower and so big but hardly looked like the usual bowl shape ones I was used to. Needless to say I hope they last a long time as they are so different. As I was visiting with a friend, she said her asparagus was up. Returning home I went to the garden and sure enough there were a few sprigs showing. Not enough to eat yet but with a couple of warm days perhaps a meal or two. Nothing like fresh from the garden. I noticed many of the recipes in the magazines are featuring asparagus this month. Garlic, cheese of all flavors, creamed, grilled or roasted and about any other way one could think about preparing it. I’ll probably stick to just butter and salt and pepper and enjoy the natural flavor. I missed the usual day to plant potatoes (Good Friday) and put them in a few days later. So far they haven’t come up although they appeared to be sprouted. The rhubarb is ready to used and a torte or a crisp sounds good one of these days.
The rain of the past week was welcome but did postpone field work for a while. On our visit to Orange City we only saw one field that was being worked. More rain predicted this week, however, it is still early and some warm sun would be most welcome.
A busy week with several meetings, prom and Liana’s dance recital. Good thing the events are spread out and don’t fall at the same time.
Brunch Enchiladas
2 cups diced ham
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 seven inch flour tortillas
4 eggs
2 cups light cream (or low fat milk)
1 tablespoon flour
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Dash of Hot sauce
Combine ham, green onion and green pepper. Place 1/3 cup and 3 tablespoons cheese in the center of each tortilla; roll and place seam side down in baking dish. In a separate bowl combine eggs, cream, four, salt, garlic powder and hot sauce. Pour over tortillas. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Bake uncovered at 350º for 45-50 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake until melted about 3 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8+ servings.
Strawberry Orange Muffins
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon orange zest, finely grated
1 cup strawberries, thinly sliced
1/2 cup strawberry jam
Preheat oven to 400º. Stir and toss together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Whisk together sugar, milk, sour cream, oil, egg and orange zest until mixed. Stir in the thinly sliced strawberries. Add to the combined dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Place a spoonful of batter in each muffin cup. Top each with a teaspoon of jam. Spoon the remaining batter over the jam, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Bake 15-18 minutes.
Banana Brunch Punch
6 medium ripe bananas
1 can (12 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup thawed lemonade concentrate
3 cups warm water, divided
2 cups sugar, divided
1 can (46 ounces) pineapple juice, chilled
3 bottles (2 liters each) lemon-lime soda, chilled
Orange slices, optional
In a blender, cover and process the bananas, orange juice and lemonade until smooth. Remove half of the mixture and set aside. Add 1 1/2 cup warm water and 1 cup sugar to blender; blend until smooth.
Place in a large freezer container. Repeat with remaining banana mixture, water and sugar; add to container. Cover and freeze until solid.
One hour before serving, remove punch in base from freezer. Just before serving, place in a large punch bowl. Add pineapple juice and soda; stir until well blended. Garnish with orange slices if desired. Yield: 60-70 servings (10 quarts).
