Tag: food

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Add Pop to Your Corn

By Fran Hill

During the summer the farm demands long hours, and it is common for Hubs not to be home until 9 p.m. or later. A hot shower, dinner and snores in his chair are pretty much all that happens most nights. We don’t get to spend much quality time together. However, with the days getting shorter and harvest coming to a close, Hubs is finding his way home a little earlier. There will be some cooking together, a little yard work to prep for winter, a few walks before it gets too cold, some small home projects, and of course, time for movies.

With Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu, a flick is always just a few clicks away. Technology has ended the frustration with limited selections, last minute long drives to find a movie and late fees when we can’t get back to town to return the DVD on time. There is no hassle. Whenever we find time, our biggest concern can be who is hogging the blanket as we cuddle up to enjoy the movie.

But what would movie night be without popcorn? Just like pizza, popcorn is practically a food group for Hubs. His favorite popcorn is made on the stovetop in a Whirly Pop popcorn maker, but the microwave serves well for those got-to-have-it-now cravings. The Boy Scouts know to always knock on our door during their sales promotions. Extra Butter, Kettle Corn, or Caramel, the variety doesn’t matter as long as it is popcorn.

I have found a way to give our popcorn treat an antioxidant and flavor boost. Tangy pomegranate seeds are a great combination with slightly sweet, yet salty popcorn. I love adding the colorful seeds to guacamole, salads, chicken and beef dishes, and this great popcorn treat. Grab a movie, a blanket for cuddling and some popcorn … and don’t forget the pomegranate.

Pomegranate & Popcorn

1 bag microwave Kettle Corn popcorn
1 medium pomegranate
salt, to taste

Remove seeds from the pomegranate. (The best method I have found is to fill the sink with cool water and break the pomegranate apart under the water. The water absorbs spatters, the pith and bad seeds float to the top to easily be discarded, and you are left with beautifully juicy seeds and no bloody crime scene of pomegranate juice.)
Pop the popcorn according to package directions.
Salt the popcorn to taste.
Put about a cup of popcorn in a bowl.
Add a handful (about 1/4 cup) of pomegranate seeds.
Because the pomegranate sinks to the bottom, I suggest mixing this a single bowl full at a time.
Be sure to get some of both the pomegranate and popcorn in each bite to truly enjoy this snack.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

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The Colome Pancake Party

By Fran Hill

Our local school recently observed Homecoming, and as in most small towns, it was a community-wide event. Students celebrated all week with Super Hero and Duct Tape days, alumni returned from near and far for the weekend festivities, and there wasn’t a business window in town without slogans painted by the cheerleaders. Community spirit was high.

My husband’s graduation class was an honor year and 12 of his 19 classmates gathered for roll call at Coronation, the parade and football game on Friday, and a reunion banquet on Saturday. They greeted each other with warm hugs, and lively stories of days gone by flowed freely. After 30 years, they were still the group of close-knit kids that had terrorized the teachers and stuck up for each other through thick and thin. Past and present school staff, parents, and other alumni joined their group in reminiscing, and the tales only got better.

When the current CEO and principal sat down at our table, he didn’t talk about crazy hijinks. Instead, he told a tale that embodies what community is in a small town.

In the late ’70s, Mr. Armstrong was a teacher and coach and took on the challenge of wrangling the junior high boys’ basketball team. There was some discussion of a game during which one boy dribbled the wrong way down the court and scored the winning basket for the other team. Then my husband asked if anyone remembered going to the coach’s house for pancakes one night after a tournament.

Immediately, Mr. Armstrong asked if they knew why that happened. Nobody was aware of what led to that often remembered feast. It seems that when the team loaded back onto the bus after an out of town tournament, they were all hungry and wanted to stop to eat. Being a poor, young teacher with his own little family at home, the coach was broke. There wasn’t money in his wallet to feed a bus full of growing boys. Thinking quickly, he made a deal with the team. After they made the short drive back home, they could all come to his house for pancakes.

He assumed that most parents would be picking up the kids and very few, if any, team members would actually take him up on the offer. However, the entire team followed him home. The coach and his wife flipped pancakes for hours until everyone was stuffed. Thirty years later they can’t tell you who actually won the tournament, but they still fondly talk about that pancake feed.

It’s the little things — like unexpectedly flipping pancakes for the junior high basketball team — that are the beginnings of community spirit. Looking out for each other and doing what you can, however minimal it may seem, is the glue that holds our small towns together. We know what matters.

Those long ago pancakes were most likely a simple recipe of flour, milk, egg and sugar. However, just a few weekends ago, I broke out another old recipe for a puffy pancake that Hubs and I love. Baked in a cast iron skillet while warm caramel and banana sauce simmers on the stovetop, this breakfast treat may not feed an entire basketball team, but does easily serve four to six people, especially with a side of bacon.

Dutch Baby with Caramel Sauce and Bananas

(adapted from Rachael Ray)

1 stick unsalted butter

5 eggs

1/3 cup milk

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)

2 bananas, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Add 1/2 stick of butter to a 9-inch cast iron pan and melt in the oven, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and milk. Combine the flour and sugar and add to the egg mixture.

Pour batter into the prepared skillet; bake until the pancake begins to rise, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons water over medium heat, stirring until bubbly. Stir in the remaining 1/2 stick of butter and the sour cream until smooth. Add the bananas and the walnuts to the sauce.

Drizzle the pancake with half of the caramel sauce. Slice into wedges and serve with the remaining sauce on the side. (Serves 4-6)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

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What’s Pho Lunch?

By Fran Hill

Last week, Laura Johnson Andrews from South Dakota Magazine visited my neck of the woods. It was a trip we had spoken of since our first meeting, and finally the stars aligned properly to make it a reality. I was excited, to say the least, to share some regional highlights, a few of my favorite places and even explore new areas with a friend that is as enthusiastic as I am about the variety and uniqueness of South Dakota.

Small towns often get a bad rap for having little or nothing of interest, but it wasn’t difficult for me to put together an entertaining tour of my small portion of south central South Dakota. Taking tips from the Mayoral Likes feature in the July/August issue, throwing in a few other distinct spots, and counting on the unwavering hospitality of our population, it was a great day for a south central South Dakota adventure.

Among other stops, we toured The Sign Inn, an early hardware store repurposed into a hunting lodge and loaded with local history; the Gregory Buttes Observation Park for breathtaking views of the prairie; Craftsman Creek Furniture, where the owner, Travis, coaxes the beauty and nuances of the wood grain from every handmade piece of furniture he creates; the thousands of photos lining the walls of Frank Day’s Bar; and stood on the stars at Oscar Micheaux Park. Of course, we made it a point to snap photos with area water towers and share them on social media. (Have YOU posted a water tower selfie to South Dakota Magazine’s Facebook page?) At Dayspring Coffee, the barista chatted freely with us about her favorite locales, and after sampling the”Self Serve, Self Pay, Pop & Ice Cream” at the Carlock Ballroom we were treated to an exceptional private tour of the dance hall by the owner.

Early in the day, Laura asked if I was making lunch, but we had other plans for our adventuring tummies. Pho Quynh, in Sioux Falls, may be an old favorite of the South Dakota Magazine staff, but out here on the prairie, The Homesteader boasts its own Vietnamese soup. It isn’t on the menu and is only available at lunch time, but locals love these big, steaming bowls of flavorful broth, beef, seafood and rice noodles served beside plates of shaved cabbage, herbs and lime wedges. Squirt on some Sriracha, and dig in.

Pho, and all Vietnamese soups, vary from region to region. Traditionally, oxtails and other bones are slowly simmered to create a savory broth seasoned with cinnamon sticks and star anise. The marrow richens the soup deliciously. While I am not privy to either the recipes of Pho Quynh or The Homesteader, I suspect their versions benefit from this traditional method. At home, my version is a bit simpler, but still satisfies that pho-ish craving if I miss the uniquely local lunchtime offering of The Homesteader.

Simple Pho-ish Soup

(adapted from The Food Network)

8 ounces rice noodles

12 ounces lean beef sirloin, fat trimmed

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large onion, halved

1 4-inch piece fresh ginger, unpeeled, halved

3 cups beef broth

5 star anise pods (Hubs prefers when I cut back on the star anise to about 3 pods.)

1 cinnamon stick

4 green onions

2 jalapeno peppers

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

2 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Prepare the rice noodles as directed on package.

Meanwhile, heat a large stockpot. Tenderize the steak by piercing with a fork multiple times; season with salt and pepper. Sear the meat until charred but still VERY rare; transfer to a plate. Add onion and ginger to the pot; cook a few minutes to brown the edges. Add the broth, 3 cups water, star anise and cinnamon, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Thinly slice the green onions and jalapenos (remove seeds for less heat) and tear cilantro. Thinly slice the meat against the grain. Drain the noodles.

Add fish sauce to the broth and boil 5 minutes. Discard the ginger, star anise and cinnamon stick. Remove and slice the onion. Divide the noodles among 4 bowls; top with the broth, beef, scallions, cilantro, bean sprouts, jalapenos and onion. (Serves 4)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

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Dreaming Over Eggs

By Fran Hill

It seems like so much of my life is spent working to keep things the same. Every morning, I smear lotions and potions on my face to try to stay young. I tidy the kitchen, throw a load of laundry in the machine and run the Roomba around the house in an attempt to keep our home in a reasonable state of cleanliness. The yard is mowed and the flowers and garden tended to maintain a consistent state of orderliness. I make appointments with the furnace cleaner, my hairdresser, the chiropractor and the propane delivery guy. I could be described as the homestead maintenance man.

In the midst of all this maintaining, I attempt a few upgrades and updates. Renovations in our 100-year-old home could generously be described as slow and steady. Most improvements are DIY and are at the mercy of spare time and finances. With our main source of income being agriculture, both of those are often at a premium. We have big dreams for our home and are patiently working toward them while realizing that you have to start somewhere and maintenance is really just as important as upgrades.

It occurs to me that my home situation is much the same as the life of many small South Dakota towns. City councils and employees work hard to maintain a casual, friendly and comfortable environment while balancing the need for improvements. Time and money depend on limited tax revenue and must be managed creatively, but effectively. Simple maintenance projects can stretch the budgets to the brink of breaking, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t dreams.

Big dreams are, after all, what started every town in South Dakota. The beginnings were humble, and to those not accustomed to the hardworking but simple life of a small town, it can seem that many haven’t progressed. However, attend any Monday night city council meeting across the state and you will witness residents planning for improvements while working diligently to keep up with regular maintenance. Every small town is dreaming big, but facing the reality that they have to start somewhere.

Back at home, I think I will start with breakfast; scrambled eggs, to be specific. While I have a deep abiding love for the runny yolk of an over-easy egg, there is something classic and comforting about beaten eggs slowly stirred into fluffy scrambles. Serving them with sautÈed white beans and tomatoes and topping with pesto is an upgrade that takes this timeless meal into a powerhouse of protein and fiber to fuel all maintenance and dreams for the day.

Scrambled Eggs with Pesto and White Beans

(adapted from Real Simple)

4 eggs

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup canned white beans, rinsed

1/4 cup pesto

Toast

Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon water and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet; add the tomatoes and beans; cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.

Heat a little more oil in the skillet; add the eggs and cook, stirring until set but still soft.

Serve the eggs with the bean mixture and topped with pesto, toast on the side. (Serves 2)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

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I Want the Bleus

By Fran Hill

I big puffy heart love bleu cheese. Crumbled over a tossed salad, stuffed inside a roasted chicken breast, thinly sliced on a wedge of ripe, juicy pear — it doesn’t matter how you cut the (bleu) cheese, I am going to eat it. Devour it. Bathe in it, if I could.

My husband doesn’t feel the same. He thinks bleu cheese smells like old gym shoes and tastes even worse. He is repulsed. Sickened. Grossed out by the idea of this soft, ripened cheese. He won’t even kiss me after I have eaten bleu cheese, unless I first brush my teeth.

If you side with me, rather than Hubs, you will want to try this Bleu Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad. The crumbles of cheese are tossed with boiled potatoes in a creamy sauce. Bacon and chives bring the salad to the realm of a cool, summer version of a loaded baked potato, and who doesn’t love those? (Unless you don’t love tangy bleu cheese. *eyeroll*)

So, throw a couple thick, South Dakota raised rib eyes on the grill, roast a few ears of fresh from the field sweet corn, slice up a Forestburg melon, and whip up this salad for a great summer dinner on the patio … and I will keep my toothbrush handy so that I can get a little smooch for dessert.

Bleu Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 1/2 pounds small, red potatoes

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1 1/2 ounces bleu cheese, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced, plus more for garnish

8 bacon strips, cooked until crisp and crumbled

Depending on the size of the potatoes, cube or halve into a uniform size.

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender.

Drain and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, mix bleu cheese, buttermilk, cream, vinegar and mustard until well combined.

Toss potatoes with dressing, chives, and about half of the bacon.

Garnish with the remaining cheese, chives, and bacon. (Serves 4-6)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

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∆bleskiver for All

By John Andrews

South Dakotans can trace their heritage all over the world. During the Dakota Boom (1878-1887), European and Asian immigrants flooded Dakota Territory, creating a checkerboard of ethnic settlements. Danes homesteaded in Turner County, Germans in Hutchinson and McPherson counties, Finns in Hamlin County and Czechs in Bon Homme and Yankton counties.

Many small towns celebrate our state’s diverse heritage with annual festivals. Viborg’s Danes begin Danish Days (July 17-20) with a tractor pull Thursday night and a family fun night on Friday, but the traditional events start Saturday. Methodist church ladies rise early to make Êbleskiver for the town of 800. Legend credits Vikings with cooking the first batch of ball-shaped Danish pancakes. After a battle they noticed dents in their shields, so they filled them with batter and cooked them over a fire. In Viborg they’re eaten with powdered sugar or syrup.

With bellies full, people line Main Street for the parade and Danish dancing, performed by Sunday school children. Dancing has been a tradition in Viborg for decades. Youth practiced dancing once a month at the Lutheran parsonage during the Depression. Children also learned dances during summer Bible school, a tradition that continues today. They wear red, white and black Danish outfits that resemble those worn by Czech Beseda dancers at Tabor. Boys wear short pants, a white shirt and a tie, while girls don skirts, aprons, vests and caps.

There’s more food after the parade at the Taste of Denmark, a buffet of Danish dishes. A main course is open-faced sandwiches.”In Denmark, they always used a slice of bread, usually rye bread, with cheese or ham,” says Susan Edelman, a member of the Danish Days committee.”And then they decorated them with pickles, tomatoes and cucumbers. That’s what we do.” There are Danish puffs, sweet soup served with cream or heavy milk and Êblekage (apple cake).

If you’d like to try your hand at Êbleskiver, here’s a family recipe that’s been passed to our assistant marketing director Laura Andrews.

∆bleskiver

2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
2 teaspoons sugar

Beat egg yolks. Add sugar, salt and buttermilk, then flour and soda. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and baking powder. Place small amount of fat in a heated Êbleskiver pan. Fill indentations about 2/3 full. Turn the batter once or twice to create a more-or-less round ball, cooking until centers are done.

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Stressing the Spinach

By Fran Hill

This spring, as soon as Hubs helped me ready a new raised planting bed, I seeded rows of radishes, carrots, spinach and lettuce. Our newest gardening area had been filled with rich, composted soil from pens at the farm where the lambs are fed, and I was so anxious to see the results of the fertile soil.

Unfortunately, my spinach had other plans. It sprouted, formed a few skinny leaves and immediately bolted and flowered. There was nothing to harvest. I haven’t done a lot of research, but a horticulture source told me that spinach prefers a little stress and my soil might have been too rich for it to flourish.

I guess I might have something in common with spinach. We both work best under a little pressure. Deadlines and events mean that I will make lists, plan and prep, but chances are that things won’t really happen until the last minute. I need a little stress to flourish. Me + spinach = soul mates. Who knew?

I have since planted another row of spinach seeds in an older planting bed with less fertile soil. They have sprouted and are just beginning to leaf. I know that as temperatures rise in July, it isn’t the optimum time for growing cool weather favoring spinach, but hopefully I can get at least one harvest from this new seeding.

I hope to take a bunch of my spinach soul mate and toss it with another love — garlic. It’s a match made in heaven. Whisking tangy vinegar and mustard into a simple vinaigrette to complement the pungent garlic and earthy spinach finishes an uncomplicated salad that is manageable even in stressful times.

Spinach and Garlic Vinaigrette

(adapted from Cooking Light)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

freshly ground black pepper

kosher salt

2 garlic cloves, minced (I actually prefer to grate with a micro plane.)

6 cups baby spinach

1/4 cup sliced red onion

Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss spinach and red onion with vinaigrette. (Serves 4)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

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Local or Not

By Fran Hill

Eat local. Eat organic. Eat grass fed beef. Eat no beef. Avoid gluten. Cut dairy. Raw is best. There are so many food movements that my head spins trying to keep up with them all. Everywhere you turn you are hit with more conflicting and/or restricting advice. Most movements were originally rooted in legitimate concerns for food safety and healthy living, but I have lost patience with the militant agendas that have evolved from countless organizations.

As someone who relies on agriculture for a living, perhaps I am biased, but I truly believe that the United States has the safest food in the world. Are there occasional slip-ups? Of course. No system is perfect. But when you consider the magnitude and scale of the food that our nation’s farmers produce, we do a damn good job here in South Dakota and all across the country. It isn’t any easy job, but it is a job that most farmers value, respect, and wouldn’t trade for the world.

Recently I have seen a great deal of propaganda for the local food movement, which, in theory, is awesome. Quality is always better when less time is spent shipping produce. However many people don’t have easy access to local food sources. The angry tirades belittling those that don’t make all local choices are a snobbery that I detest.

As a consumer and food enthusiast, I can certainly understand the pursuit of searching out local sources for fresh foods. That tomato picked from my garden or purchased at my local farmer’s market has more flavor than the tomato harvested weeks ago in order to ship to the superstore. That is a no brainer. But if the only tomatoes available are those on the grocery shelves, should I shun them? Ridiculous. Likewise, I can appreciate that the beef my farm family consumes is raised by a neighbor and butchered at a local locker plant. If your resources differ and you do not know that your hamburger was once a cow named Gertrude, do I reject you? No.

Seasonal is a great way to eat in order to take advantage of the freshest ingredients. I anxiously await cantaloupes from an area Hutterite colony and sweet corn sold from the back of a pickup by enterprising farm kids. However, seasons and climates vary greatly across our large nation and affect what is locally grown and available. What if here on the plains of South Dakota I want an avocado, a pineapple, bananas, clementines, lemons and limes, almonds or even quinoa? There are a few lemon trees here and there, and I know a lot of people with an avocado pit suspended by toothpicks in a jar of water on their kitchen windowsill. I heard that Reptile Gardens has bananas in one of their displays that have been sourced by a Rapid City restaurant. (At 250ish miles away, does it fit the”local” guidelines for me?) What if I want something that doesn’t grow in our climate? Am I just out of luck if I am to adhere to a strictly local diet?

I can’t get behind any strict food movement that doesn’t believe in moderation and take into account that our nation’s populations have varying needs, tastes and desires. I am all about moderation and supporting the hard work of all farmers. I want to wake up on a summer morning, toast a slice of hearty, whole grain bread from an area bakery (or simply whatever commercial bread I find at the grocery store), smear it with smashed avocado (from California? Mexico? somewhere else in South America?), pull a few radishes from my garden, (sliced thinly and tossed with a light dressing) and top that avocado toast with a radish salad. A little local, a little not. A really good, simple breakfast, lunch or snack that is all about taking advantage of quality foods that many farmers produce and that I can get behind any time.

Avocado Toast with Radish Salad

(adapted from Martha Stewart Living)

whole grain bread (or whatever kind of bread you prefer)

avocado

radishes

olive oil

fresh lemon juice

coarse salt

freshly ground pepper

lemon zest

Toast bread. Mash avocado and spread over toast.

Thinly slice radishes and toss with olive oil, lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange on top of smashed avocado. Sprinkle with lemon zest and additional salt, if desired.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

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Goin’ Fishin’

By Fran Hill

At the farm, the guys rely heavily on working dogs to help with the sheep. From sorting for sheering, weighing or vaccinating to moving the lambs away from the feed bunks so the tractor and feed wagon can make their way for daily feedings, the herding instincts of our border collies are essential. However, with one of our loyal and hardworking pups no longer much of a pup, Hubs has felt the need to look around for a new generation of canine coworkers.

His search ended late last December when a cousin’s Australian shepherd had a litter of beautiful puppies. Immediately Hubs claimed a female, and in March Nilla came to live with us — in town. There were many sound reasons why we brought this puppy into our dachshund-ruled home flanked by city streets instead of immediately making her nest among the sheep at the farm. I won’t deny that a large factor might have been how my heartstrings were tugged as she slept in my lap during the 5 1/2-hour drive home from picking her up.

It has been an interesting few months as Nilla navigated the puppy door to the fenced backyard, mastered housebreaking, chewed a dining room chair, learned to sit for jelly beans, trampled my herb garden and the rhubarb (but hasn’t chased away the snakes), made some day trips to the farm to begin the transition to her working future, snuggled, wrestled and snoozed with our dachshunds, and dug holes in the backyard every time it rained. Every time it rained. And, if you weren’t aware, it has been a fairly wet spring and early summer.

Our smart, curious and friendly puppy doesn’t seem to have any interest in the dirt when it is dry, but a quick downpour and suddenly she is excavating a path to China. I blame the earthworms. Our soil is rich with night crawlers that become super active in the rain. If Nilla finds one squirming across our damp concrete patio after a rain shower, she dances with excitement. Maybe she just wants to go fishing.

I haven’t been fishing in a while, but Nilla has got me thinking about it. There is something about freshly caught walleye from the Missouri River that just can’t be beat. Maybe I shouldn’t be scolding Nilla for digging holes to find worms. Maybe I should be rewarding her with a taste of freshly pan-seared fish with a light lemon and butter sauce. Manicured lawn be damned; let’s go fishing.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

Lemon Butter Fish

(adapted from Cooking Light)

4 fish fillets (about 3/4 inch thick) — cod (which is what I had on hand), halibut, walleye or whatever

black pepper

kosher salt

1 teaspoon flour

2 tablespoons butter, divided

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

Pat fish dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add fish to the pan and cook until lightly browned. Carefully turn fish over; cook another 4-5 minutes (until fish flakes easily). Remove from pan and set aside to keep warm.

Add remaining tablespoon butter to pan and cook until lightly browned, swirling pan to melt butter evenly and prevent burning. Remove pan from heat, stir in lemon juice.

Drizzle sauce over fish. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately. (Serves 4)

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Friends or Foes?

By Fran Hill

When we purchased our home, there was an overgrown flowerbed at the back of the house full of old fashioned poppies, tulips, peonies, irises, a lilac bush and several garter snakes. Eventually, many of the flowers were transplanted and the lilac bush was pulled out in favor of a patio for summer lounging, dining and sunning. The snakes moved to other areas of the yard and, friend or foe, weren’t given much thought.

As I became more interested in gardening, we installed raised beds along the property line for my herbs, vegetables and a few flowers. Soaker hoses seemed to be the most effective watering method, and created a damp, cool oasis beneath the lush foliage of cilantro and tomatoes. The snakes were happy and came back. Again, aside from jumping a little when one would slither away as I harvested basil for pesto, I didn’t give them much thought. After all, garter snakes eat bugs, right? It was a natural ecosystem for my garden.

In time, the raised beds were expanded to include a double-tiered area for strawberries and rhubarb. Here was the perfect environment for the garter snakes. The shade of the broad strawberry and rhubarb leaves in combination with crevices between the railroad ties was their new home. My neighbors squeamishly kept their distance, but I would just brush the berry plants with my feet to warn random snakes to move before I reached in to pluck the ripe berries. I was one with nature. The snakes were my friends. Or, so I thought ….

Last weekend, Hubs and I were doing some spring gardening and chores to ready the yard for a Memorial Day cookout when I suddenly, and without a doubt, lost all love for the stealthy lurkers in my garden. As we passed the outside of the fence where the double-tiered beds are planted with strawberries and rhubarb, there, gloriously sunning themselves was a huge ball of snakes. Most were only about a foot long, but squirmed and twisted together in a mass of more than a dozen garter snakes. I was speechless. I was horrified. Instantly, those snakes that I have allowed to feast and flourish in my garden became my foes.

I don’t know exactly what we are going to do about these snakes, but my stomach is in knots just thinking about the den that must be living beneath my berries. They have to go. I can’t be raising garter snakes, no matter how harmless they may be, in my garden. A random snake here and there to rid us of slugs, crickets and ants is great. An undulating mass of snakes must go.

My strawberries aren’t yet flowering, and berry harvest is still a month or so away, but even with my nerves of steel, I might take volunteers for picking if the snakes aren’t eradicated. I can tell you that I don’t go out to cut rhubarb without a sharp butcher knife. I wouldn’t wish this predicament on my worst foe.

If I share strawberry rhubarb crumble bars with you this summer, you can count yourself among my friends. You will know the battle I have waged to harvest those sweet summer berries and tart rhubarb. You will know that the snakes have not won when you taste the buttery shortbread crust, and when crumbs of streusel fall into your lap with each bite you will know the garden is still mine.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars

(adapted from Everyday Food and A Farmgirl’s Dabbles)

streusel:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1-1/4 cup flour

bars:

1/2 pound rhubarb, chopped

1/2 pound strawberries, sliced

2 tablespoon brown sugar

1-1/2 cups flour, divided

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving 2-inch overhang. Butter and flour parchment paper and pan, tapping out the excess flour. Set aside.

Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar and salt. Add flour and mix with a fork until large crumbs form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of the flour. In another bowl, whisk the remaining 1 1/4 cup of flour, baking powder and salt. Using a mixer beat butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. With mixer on low, beat in vanilla, then flour mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan. Top with rhubarb and strawberry mixture, then top with prepared streusel.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a bit of moist crumbs attached, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and, using the parchment paper overhang, lift cake from pan. Cut into bars. (Yield: 16-20 bars.)