• Red Sangria
• White Pizza Sauce
• Blueberry Pie
• Super SimpleBlueberry Tart
• Mixed Berry Jam

To get the most juice out of your lemon, microwave it for 30 seconds to 1 minute (depending on how firm it is). Allow to cool and roll on the counter or cutting board. Then cut and juice.

Also, if the recipe doesn’t call for the zest, zest before juicing anyway. Save it in small baggie in the freezer for when you do need fresh lemon zest.

In Jennie’s Kitchen

Check out what Jennie's cooking this week!
Ham and Sweet Potato Kebabs

Faith in Red, White & Blue

Local farmers and the volunteers at “Extreme Makeover” remind me of the bounty of faith in this region.

How do I tie the two together?

This spring I had the great fortune to meet Wajeeh Rahal and his wife, Tammy, at Rahal Farms on Bort Road in North East. Rahal left his native Lebanon for a U.S. education, settled in Florida and was flooded out by a hurricane. He moved to North East, where other family members had settled, and slowly built a 125-acre farm planted with pretty much anything that will grow here. Rahal farms offers herbs, fruits, nuts and a variety of vegetables. The farm allows you to pick your own and Rahal reports that Erie area residents picked his cherry trees clean last year. You can read more about him in the July issue of Lake Erie LifeStyle.

Rahal shows me his faith in the area by moving to a new country and planting roots here, literally and figuratively. When we talked, he was optimistic his crop would be bountiful this year.

Then this week I had the opportunity to volunteer on side projects for “Extreme Makeover,” while the regular crew was making over a home on East 21st Street for Erie resident Clara Ward.

I was on a crew with members of several different churches and colleges. We weren’t in front of the cameras. We were pulling weeds, lots of them. And pruning, and sweeping and replacing bricks in a sidewalk. Not very glamorous work. And for strangers.

Yet it was important work.

While our makeovers aren’t as extreme as Ward’s home is, pulling weeds, planting flowers (other volunteers did this), pruning and fixing walkways did transform these homes. And it gave both the neighborhood and the volunteers faith that Erie cares.

The red, white and blue recipe theme for this week is designed to reflect that faith, faith in a new country, a country that cares for its neighbors.

Recipes
Red Sangria
White Pizza Sauce
Blueberry Pie
Super Simple Blueberry Tart
Mixed Berry Jam

Red Sangria

1 peach, pitted and sliced into eighths
1 lemon, sliced thinly
1 small, seedless, orange, sliced thinly
½ cup grapes, halved
1 bottle locally produced red wine
Seltzer or ginger ale
Ice (optional)

Add fruit to pitcher. Pour in wine. Add ginger ale or seltzter to top. Allow fruits to mingle at least an hour. Mix and serve over a chilled glass.

White Pizza

Pizza dough
White sauce
Toppings, such as: artichoke hearts, asparagus, arugula, olives, onions, pepper strips, zucchini (sautéed), chicken, shrimp, basil, pesto, mushrooms, lemon zest
Cheeses, such as: mozzarella, Fontina, ricotta, goat cheese, shredded mild cheddar

Spread white sauce on top of dough. Add topping choices and cheese and bake at 400 degrees until crust is lightly brown, about 20 minutes.

Topping combination suggestions: Red and green peppers, onions and a mild shredded cheddar; arugula, artichoke hearts and fontina; asparagus, lemon zest and goat cheese; basil pesto, ricotta and mozzarella.  

White Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter over low heat in a sauce pan large enough to hold the other ingredients. Add garlic and sauté until just fragrant.

Slowly add the flour, whisk until the butter and flour are combined. Continue to whisk, cooking the flour for 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to burn the mixture.

Raise heat to medium, slowly adding a little milk at a time and thoroughly whisk mixture until creamy. When mixture has thickened, add seasonings, cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Cool to room temperature before saucing your pizza.

Makes enough for 2 12 to 14-inch pizzas

-- Adapted from pizzaware.com

Blueberry Pie

Crust
1 9-inch already prepared crust or one made from your favorite recipe

Roll out pie crust disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameterglass pie dish. Turn crust edges under and crimp decoratively, forming crust edge 1/4 inch above sides of pie dish. Refrigerate while preparing filling and topping.

Filling
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (or more) sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch or tapioca flour
7 cups fresh wild or regular blueberries (32 ounces) or 32 ounces frozen wild or regular blueberries (do not thaw)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch of grated nutmeg

Whisk 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch in heavy large saucepan to blend. Stir in blueberries, lemon juice and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles and thickens, frequently stirring gently, about 13 minutes. Chill filling until cool, about 1 hour. If more sweetness is desired, stir in sugar by tablespoonfuls.

Topping
2/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
4 ounces marzipan or almond paste, broken into 1/3-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup loosely packed)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine first 4 ingredients in processor; blend until mixture begins to clump together. Transfer to bowl; chill 30 minutes. Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Spread blueberry filling evenly in unbaked crust. Sprinkle topping evenly over. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust and topping are golden and filling bubbles thickly, about 50 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.

Serves 8

Nutritional information: Calories, 448; calories from fat, 141;  total fat, 15.7 grams; cholesterol, 15mg; sodium, 359mg; total carbohydrates, 76.1g; dietary fiber, 3.6g; sugars,
41.6g; protein, 4.0g

- From epicurious.com

Super Simple Blueberry Tart

Crust
10 graham crackers, broken
¼ cup crystallized ginger
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 egg white

In a food processor, pulse together the graham crackers, ginger, sugar and a pinch of salt. Add butter and egg white and pulse until all the crumbs are coated. Press into the bottom of a tart pan with a removable bottom.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

Filling
2 cups vanilla yogurt, drained in a strainer overnight in the refrigerator
1 ½ cups blueberries

Spread strained yogurt on bottom of crust. Top with blueberries.

Optional: Melt ¼ cup of apricot preserves or red currant jelly or even grape jelly in a small saucepan. Brush on top of blueberries to add shine.

Serves 8.

-- Adapted from foodandwine.com

Mixed Berry Jam

3 cups crushed blueberries (about 2 pints)
3 cups crushed strawberries (about 3 pints)
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1/3 cup lemon juice

In 6 quart saucepot mix all ingredients, stirring constantly. Bring to a full boil over high heat. Boil rapidly 40 to 50 minutes or until small amount cooled in freezer for 5 minutes gels. Remove from heat; skim. Ladle into clean hot 1/2 pint jars, leaving 1/8 inch headspace. Seal. Process in boiling bath 5 minutes. Makes 6 jars.

- From blueberryrecipe.com