GeekOrchard

When we visited Texas this year, a friend of Robin’s from college took us to a great BBQ place, The Salt Lick, they do real Texas BBQ, but with a sauce on the side like North Carolina BBQ….so you can be pure or get saucy.

I’ve never had barbecue sauce like it before and started a new quest. I must make this BBQ sauce as part of my canning for friends, family, and our own attempts to ‘think globally and eat locally‘- it was a vinegar and mustard sauce- no tomatoes.

My first searches started by looking at Texas recipes for BBQ sauces, then I learned was schooled by a another friend that real Texas barbecue has no sauce.

He explained, using a documentary, since he’s a teacher. Aparently this wasn’t a simple topic at all.

I need a smoker, and this wasn’t going to get me the same outcome I hoped for. For now I’m considering one of these. Until I can afford a contraption like that. I’ll still cooking it then serving with sauce. And thanks to all the teaching, I finally found a recipe for the North Carolina style sauce I fell in love with at the Salt Lick.

These or variations on them will be tested in my kitchen very soon:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Eastern-North-Carolina-BBQ-Sauce/Detail.aspx

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Eastern-North-Carolina-Barbeque-Sauce/Detail.aspx

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/East-Carolina-Barbeque-Sauce/Detail.aspx

And I will be cheating will my crock pot until futher notice.

Happy Easter!

I made a Meyer Lemon Curd. I think my lemons are so sweet I should have dropped a tablespoon of the sugar from the recipe…but otherwise it turned out perfect, smooth, and creamy, and it only used two eggs (whole). I cheated and used the blender to mix the sugar, juice, and zest. I also beat the eggs before adding them to the double-boiler with the juice-sugar mixture and butter in pieces.

I’m making Chicken’n'Dumplings, Beef stroganoff, and biscuits (to go with the curd). The Chicken and beef were leftovers from my mom, so I turned them into dinner for us.

Now it’s time to try a marmalade though, and I’m having a hard time deciding, and since I made so many other things, and I’ve got a sore throat or something.

I think I will make this Marmalade recipe that allows the cut citrus to soak in water overnight. I’m goping to adjust it though and do six Meyer and three navel, with added sugar. I hope it turns out.

It’s a lot like my Thanksgiving soup, minus the kilbasa…

Wild Rice Cream Soup
8 ounces wild rice
8 ounces baby carrots
1 or 2 stalk celery
1 large or 2 small onions
I tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt - I use about a dash
2 quarts or more chicken broth
1-2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2? pound fresh mushrooms sliced
1/2 to one quart heavy cream

Cut carrots and celery into one inch pieces. Chop onions. Saute carrots, celery onions, salt and pepper in olive oil for about 10 minutes. Combine sauted vegetables, wild rice and chicken broth in large pot. Simmer for about two hours, until rice is tender. You may need to add more broth or water, do not make too thin since cream will be added before serving. Add mushrooms and simmer about twenty more minutes. You can make soup up to this point a few days ahead. Bring soup to a simmer just before serving then take off the burner and add heavy cream to your taste. Sprinkle nutmeg on top to serve.

This makes about four quarts of very rich soup. You can double for a crowd. If you don’t like your soup this chunky cut the vegetables a little smaller.

Enjoy…I can’t wait to try this myself.