FROMONLINE | 2014-04-02

  • By Daphne Ross
  • April 2, 2014
  • 390
                        
Sweet song of spring, I hear Column Summary The sounds of spring are a song we celebrate, it isn’t until the end of summer we may call it noise. All better than the silence of winter. The early birds are finally singing a joyful chorus. Perched in the highest branches, their happy songs echo through-out the tree tops. Our fine feathered friends who ventured north before Ohio weather was truly welcoming to their kind, now hum a sigh of relief. Daylight hours are longer and unlike the winter-long busy body squirrels all about our tree lined yard, we acreage care takers are just beginning our busy season. A long farm lane requires a first step snow plow scraping, a good first try to get good gravel back into the travel path. Next comes a dump truck, or two, or three, filled high with the right size base stone enough to fill the uneven spots, otherwise known as car rocking pot holes. And then a top coat of gravel would be nice. Gravel is one investment that is okay to drive all over it, a welcomed abuse. The snow shovel can retire to its hook in the barn, leaf and garden rakes can spring break on a nail in the shed next to the house, until called into service on nice sunny days. First duty is to clear the widespread and truly scattered straw bale leading up to the front porch. We chose to track in straw, not mud into the house, and now it needs raked up so new grass can grow good and green. It’s my guess many newly constructed nests will have quite a bit yellow straw in their weave and tuck homes. As I drove home yesterday evening, I witnessed joggers, walkers, and simple sidewalk strollers of multiple kinds, and they were all smiling. Swift or slow movement, each outdoor mover proceeded without the extra caution of ice and snow on their foot path. People were chatting as they walked along, and others wore no head phones, they were truly listening to the song of spring. Winter has a hush about it, and a groan not only the northern winds make. Spring on the other hand has a musical tone to the season. Besides the grand welcoming we give spring when it finally arrives, all teasing and tests aside, there is a happy tune we all hear, and our hearts give great applause. I can step outside and stand in one place, and without even opening my eyes, the show goes on, no curtain rises before the spring song begins; children laughing, birds tenor and bass, honking at neighbors, hollering across the fence, calling kids in for dinner, wagons hitting bumps in the side walk, basketballs bouncing, and when the curtain of night begins to fall, spring peepers bring it home. Welcome to Spring everyone! Easter is just around the corner, send your recipes before that Sunday dinner bell rings; Country Cupboard, 5973 Blachleyville Rd., Wooster, OH, 44691. Emails are always welcome: thewritecook@sssnet.com Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Baked Ham 1 (20 pound) smoked ham, water added, ham hock removed 1 (16 ounce) box brown sugar 1 cup honey Rinse ham in cold water. Place on rack in large roasting pan. Cover pan; bake at 350 degrees for half the cooking time. Total cooking time is approximately 20 minutes per pound. Add sugar and honey to saucepan, cook over medium until smooth and sugar dissolves. Pour mixture over ham and continue baking, baste occasionally with the drippings in the roaster. At the end of cooking check for doneness by using a meat thermometer inserted into meaty point. It should read160 degrees. Let ham stand for 15 minutes before slicing, allowing juices to set. Honey-Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes 4 peeled sweet potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes 1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra 1/4 cup honey 2 teaspoons cinnamon Salt and pepper Place cubed sweet potatoes in single layer on roasting tray or cookie sheet. Drizzle oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over potatoes. Roast at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender. Transfer sweet potatoes to a serving dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Sweet Orange Baked Easter Ham 1 (16 pound) fully cooked, spiral-cut smoked ham on the bone 6 garlic cloves 8 1/2 ounces orange marmalade 1/2 cup Dijon mustard 1 cup brown sugar, packed Zest of 1 orange 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice Place the ham in a heavy roasting pan. Mince the garlic in a food processor; add marmalade, mustard, brown sugar, zest, and juice. Process glaze until smooth; pour over ham, bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, until the ham is heated and glaze is browned. Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes 6 sweet potatoes 4 tablespoons brown sugar 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ginger Salt and pepper Directions Place sweet potatoes on cookie sheet tray; bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle. Split potatoes and remove flesh to a bowl, save the skins. In another bowl, add brown sugar, butter and cream cheese and all of spices; hand mash. Add butter and cream cheese mixture to the sweet potato flesh and fold in. Add filling back into saved skins; place on cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Sweet & Spicy Cherry Glazed Ham 1 (5 pound) boneless ready-eat ham 1/2 cup water 1 cup cherry preserves 1 tablespoon creamy horseradish 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/4 teaspoon cardamom 1/4 teaspoon salt Zest and juice of 1 lemon Line a roaster with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Score top and sides in crisscross pattern. Place ham in pan; pour 1/2 cup water into bottom and bake at 350 degrees, covered loosely with foil tent, for 50 to 60 minutes. To make glaze, combine preserves, horseradish, brown sugar, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, salt, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Transfer the cherry mixture to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 2 to 3 minutes until glaze is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in the zest. Remove ham from oven; brush top with 1/4 cup of the glaze. Bake uncovered, until ham is hot and meat thermometer inserted into the center reads 140 degrees, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the reserved glaze. Easter Sweet Potato Hash 3 pieces bacon, chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 (8 ounce) sweet potatoes, peeled and 1/4-inch diced 1/2 cup chopped red onion 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapenos 1/2 teaspoon cumin Salt and pepper Sauté bacon and olive oil in pan. When oil heats and the bacon begins to sizzle, add sweet potatoes and spread potatoes into 1 layer. Cook until brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Continue browning until potatoes are golden and bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes longer. Add onions, garlic, jalapenos, cumin and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes. Maple-Mustard Baked Ham 1 (8-pound) fully cooked bone-in ham Cloves 1 cup Dijon mustard 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons maple syrup Maple mustard sauce, recipe follows Maple Mustard Sauce ingredients: 1/2 cup Dijon mustard 1/4 cup pure maple syrup Score top of ham into diamonds and stud center of each diamond with a clove. On rack in a roasting pan bake ham at 350 degrees in middle of oven for 1 1/2 hours. In a bowl combine, mustard, brown sugar and maple syrup. Remove pan from oven. Spread mustard mixture over top and sides of ham. Return to oven and continue baking until mustard coating is golden, approximately 30 minutes. Let ham sit 15 minutes on serving platter before serving. Serve with maple mustard sauce on the side. Maple Mustard Sauce directions: Stir together mustard and syrup until combined well. Sauce can be prepared and refrigerate 2 days prior to baking ham. Hash Browns Sweet Potato Style 1/2 pound diced bacon 1 cup chopped onions Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and grated In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy, about 8 minutes. Add onions. Season with salt and pepper; sauté onions until soft. Add garlic and sweet potatoes. Season again. Sauté for about 15 minutes.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load