What's Cooking?

[Johnsfolly]

7 hours ago, rps said:

Since the cantaloupe was ripe and tasty, I did not mess with it. I added a bit of cucumber for texture and basil because we have too much in our deck pots, plus salt and cracked pepper.

Sounds good. May try that ourselves.

[rps]

Has anyone noticed that the colors of pictures on posts is duller than the picture on your computer?

[MOPanfisher]

Can't wait until my canteloupes make.  The thought of some med rare to rare steak and fresh, dead ripe canteloupe, sounds amazing.  I like mine with maybe a dash of salt and then plenty more slices of loupe.

[ness]

Came up with is dish tonight: two slices of bread, lightly buttered on one side. Put some sliced Muenster cheese and deli ham between the slices of bread with the buttered side out. Then, toast  in a skillet on low heat until the bread is golden brown on each side and the cheese is melted. Cut on a 22-1/2 degree angle. 

If that’s not crazy enough, I added a skim coat of blackberry jam on one side. Need a name for this. Thinking ‘Grilled Monte Cheeseco’

[MOPanfisher]

Sans the blackberry jam we have this about once a week.  Turns an ordinary grilled cheese into a meal.

[BilletHead]

        What's this got to do with what's cooking?,

    Maybe more like what will be cooking? So this cold winter when this hot oppressive weather is out of our thoughts there will be a taste of summer . Dehydrated some tomatoes in the past and found a recipe to use them in. it was a tomato bisque soup. I had not done that many and we only got to try it once. That will not happen again. The dehydrator is up and running. Every extra tomato not eaten fresh or given away will be shrunk to a miniature of what it once was. When dried it is like eating tomato candy. As they shrink and dry it is hard not to pluck one out and eat it. I am getting the perfect slice by using the slicer I use when making jerky. A hard maple board with maple runners on the sides. Then using a super sharp big dexter carving knife it is like cutting butter,

  The trays are loaded up and then a few salt crystals on each slice. Use some Elcheapo Italian seasoning too on them,

   All five trays going. When you walk by the dehydrator it smells so good,

  BilletHead

[tho1mas]

BH - How long does the drying usually take? How do you store them?

[BilletHead]

        Tho1mas,

 8 to 12 hours depending on the humidity in your house. I have mine going and will rotate trays this afternoon and this evening and check for doneness in the morning. I put mine in zip locks and pitched in the back of the fridge. They say in jars or whatever you want to use. If not putting into fridge or freezer whatever you use make sure it seals so they wont pull moisture from the house. I think since I will have a goodly amount I will vac seal in bags. Maybe use something to measure exact amounts like one to four cups per bag. Try it friend I bet you will like the results. Only think that the tomato looses is water content and all is left is concentrated tomato flavor,

    BilletHead

[ness]

Well, I’ve got a loaf of bread and some Muenster cheese to use up. Picked up some deli beef and Anaheim chiles. Dang.

And, I love a vodka tonic this time of year...

...or two. ness is o-fishully on vacation!

[joeD]

It’s all good. Especially the subliminal homosexual undercurrent of old cartoons. Capn Crunch isn’t far “behind.” 

Yes, homegrown and natural as Mother Nature. 

Except for starburst jellybeans. They are natural in a different way. We made them right?