Tomato and Sweet Peppers Gazebo Room Bites

I've shared my love for Gazebo Room Dressing before.  If you missed it, check it out...here, http://jillievee.blogspot.com/2012/06/gazebo-room-dressing.html

There's more.  I neglected to mention the obsession I eat several times per week.  All. Summer. Long.

These little beauties are grape tomatoes.  Halved and seeded, just because I'm 12 years old and don't like seeds.  Keep them if you're a grownup!  They're just not my thing.  Actually scooping them out with a strawberry huller makes a yummy little cavern for the Gazebo Room Dressing to nestle into.  See?

Give the Gazebo Room a good shake, all the happy bits sink to the bottom when you're not looking!  You can use Balsamic or Greek, both are wonderful.  Squirt a little all over your tomato caverns. 

Grab a few basil leaves out of your garden.  Please tell me you have basil in your garden!  Rinse the leaves and stack them.  Slice into thin ribbons and sprinkle them about so there's a ribbon or two on each tomato!

Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper if you like.  I like!

  

Bake at 350* until the cheese is melted!

Since we have been very successful in our sweet pepper production these last few years, I've adapted this snack to include peppers!  Same deal, halved (or quartered) and seeded.  We pick them young so they'll cook quickly.  Then a squirt of Gazebo Room and some basil ribbons.  The only difference is the cheese.  I prefer a yellow cheese.  Mozzarella just doesn't seem to "go".  I use Monterey Jack.  For some reason I don't use shredded cheese on these, just tear the sliced cheese into small pieces.  I have never claimed to make sense!

p.s. if you're grilling, just toss them on some aluminum foil a few minutes before the rest of your food is ready.  If they're melty, they're ready!

German Potato Soup w/ Homemade Noodles

I know I've said this before, repeatedly, but I created this recipe based on several I found online.  Then toss in a pinch of family history!  Speaking of family history, I fully intend to do some new Hengst family recipes soon.  It's pumpkin time so I foresee pumpkin roll and pumpkin whoopie pies in our future!

My co-workers are often my motivation (guinea pigs) for new recipes.  We celebrate birthdays with themes.  One such theme was German food!  It's a creamy potato soup with lots of bacon and homemade spaetzle noodles.  This was a hit and has made many recurrences!

1 Pound Bacon, chopped
2 or 3 Large Potatoes, diced (some finely diced)
1 Large Sweet Onion, diced
1 Carton Swanson Unsalted Chicken Stock

4 Cups Milk
2 cups Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions
Chop the bacon into 1/2" pieces, I use kitchen shears because cutting bacon is nearly impossible!  Fry the bacon pieces until browned. You may have to do this in batches if you double the recipe.  Stir in the potatoes and onion. Cook 10 minutes stirring often, until onions are tender. Add chicken stock and continue 10 minutes.
Add milk, cream and salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes, without boiling until potatoes are tender. Soup will be runny until you add the noodles.  I've tried skipping the noodles, because honestly they are the hardest part of the recipe.  I abandoned that idea quickly.  This soup needs the noodles!  And no, you can't just buy them.  There's a secret ingredient!













Noodles
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Eggs
1 Cup Water
1 Pinch Salt
1 Pinch All Spice

Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. I use a small sized saucepan because it's easier to corral the little noodles and scoop them out!  Combine all ingredients together.  Drop by 1/4 cup into a potato ricer or spaetzle maker and squeeze pasta strands into boiling water. Stir to break up the little guys.  When they float to the top, scoop them out with a holey spoon...did I just say holey?  I think the rest of the world calls it a slotted spoon.  I can't be sure.  I've even found myself asking for a "getter" when what I really need is a serving spoon.  I am my mother, and I wouldn't change that for the world!
Tangent, I'm back!  Dump batch by batch into the potato soup. Continue until all dough is used!  This is super good warmed up the next day.  The All Spice is good stuff!  It's used in good spaetzle recipes and is the reason you MUST make your own noodles!  Salt and pepper to taste.  I feel strongly that potatoes need lots of salt, but salt at your own discretion!

I suppose you could skip the noodles and do like my Gramma did.  She would fry the bacon and then sprinkle in some flour.  She would stir it until all of the flour was dissolved.  If she wanted a white potato soup she would add the milk pretty soon after.  Sometimes she would make a brown potato soup and let the flour brown a bit before adding milk.  Some of my best inventions happen by mistake.  I wonder if that's where the brown potato soup comes from!  No matter how you make it, enjoy!