Homemade Buttermilk

- Posted in Miscellaneous, Soup

You don’t have buttermilk, but you are desperate for homemade buttermilk pancakes or biscuits. What are you going to do? Here is a quick and easy solution!

1 Cup Whole Milk
Add one of the following ingredients:
1 3/4 Tablespoons cream of tarter
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Add one of the above acidic ingredients to the milk and stir. Let stand at room temperature for 25 minutes. The milk should start to curdle. Stir well before using. Also, a combination of plain yogurt (3/4 cup) and whole milk (1/4 cup) can also be used to replace a cup of buttermilk, in most recipes.

From www.mr.breakfast.com
Mooo News, August 2005

Lemony Pasta Spring Vegetable Salad

- Posted in Side Dish

Prepare this salad the night before the brunch.

1 (1 lb.) package medium pasta shells
1 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 2″ pieces
1 (16 oz.) package frozen baby peas
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (8 oz) container NOOSA Honey Yoghurt
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. dried dill (optional)
1/8 tsp. white pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta shells and cook according to package directions, adding asparagus pieces during the last 4 minutes of cooking time.

Meanwhile, place frozen peas in a colander in the sink. When pasta is tender and asparagus is crisp tender, drain into colander over peas. Drain well and add the chopped orange bell pepper.

In large bowl, combine mayonnaise, NOOSA honey yoghurt, lemon juice, milk, thyme, pepper, and salt and mix with wire whisk to blend. Add pasta mixture and stir gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Season with salt to taste, if desired. Serves 8-10

Adapted from busycooks.about.com
MOOO News, March 2013

Herbed Butters

- Posted in Miscellaneous, Side Dish

Make our Country Cream Butter even more delicious by adding these customized blends of spices to perk up every meal! It only takes a little bit of real butter to make a big difference!

For Beef:
4 oz. Country Cream Butter, softened
1 tbsp. Parsley, fresh, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Chives, fresh, finely chopped
1 tsp. Chervil, dried
1 tsp. Tarragon, dried
1 tbsp. Shallot or onion, grated
Dash Pepper

For Chicken:
4 oz. Country Cream Butter, softened
1 tbsp. Parsley, fresh, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Chives, fresh, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Thyme, fresh, finely chopped
1 tsp. Oregano, fresh, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Shallot or onion, grated
Dash Pepper

For Fish:
4 oz. Country Cream Butter, softened
1 tbsp. Parsley, fresh, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Chives, fresh, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Dill, fresh, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Lemon juice
1 tbsp. Shallot or onion, grated
Dash Pepper

For Pasta/Vegetables:
4 oz. Country Cream Butter, softened
1 tbsp. Parsley, fresh, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Chives, fresh, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Oregano, fresh, finely chopped
1 tsp. Basil, fresh, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Garlic
Dash Pepper

Blend all the ingredients together for best results, allow butter to set at room temperature for 30 minutes to one hour, stirring occasionally.

Spoon mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper and shape into a roll about ½” in diameter. Refrigerate until ready to use, storing in plastic zip lock bag. Cut into 4 thick slices before serving.

Used with permission from the newsletter: Farm Fresh, by Colorado Proud.
Recipes were created by Chef Bob Holloway

Fried Tomatoes With Sour Cream Sauce

- Posted in Side Dish

1/2 cups sour cream finely sifted bread crumbs
6 firm tomatoes
oil
1 egg
2 tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Wash the tomatoes. Remove a thin slice from the stem end and slice the rest of the tomatoes about 1/2 inch thick. Beat the egg slightly; add the water. Dip the tomatoes in the egg mixture and roll in the bread crumbs, which have been seasoned to taste with salt and pepper.

Place upon a paper towel, allowing the coated tomatoes to dry somewhat before frying. Heat oil in a frying pan. Place the tomatoes in the hot oil until brown on one side. Lift the pan onto a hot platter, stir in the cream, and cook slowly until thickened. Season, if necessary, then pour over tomatoes; sprinkle with parsley. Serve at once.

Delicious Potato Salad

- Posted in Side Dish

3 pounds potatoes (1/2 red and 1/2 white rose)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (amounts to taste, as listed below)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk*
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon celery seed
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion
4-6 hard-boiled eggs chopped (according to your personal taste)
1 lb. Tillamook cheddar cheese, chopped into small cubes.

Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon of salt (or 2 tablespoons of Kosher salt) in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender, but not soft.

It is best to remove potatoes from the water while they remain slightly firm, as they will continue cooking, even after being removed from the water. (Perfectly cooked potatoes should still be slightly firm and should hold their shape without being mushy.) Allow potatoes to rest, covered with a clean towel, while you prepare the other ingredients. Do not rinse under water to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk, mustards, mayonnaise, dill, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. When the potatoes are cool, cut into approximately 2-inch cubes or segments. Put the cut and cooled (but not cold) potatoes into a large bowl and pour enough dressing over them to moisten them. Since potatoes absorb moisture, more dressing may be added as desired.

Add the celery and red onion, hard-boiled eggs and cheese, adding salt and pepper to taste. Toss ingredients together well. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving. This salad is best if the flavors are allowed to blend together before serving.

*It is simple to make your own buttermilk from Longmont Dairy Milk. Add 1 tbsp. white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Then, add the amount indicated by your recipe.

MOOO News, July 2011

Cucumber Dill Fondue

- Posted in Side Dish

Experiment and use any of the Longmont Dairy Select cheese varieties in this recipe.

1 cup dry white wine
1 grated garlic clove (For a milder garlic flavor, omit the garlic from the mixture and rub the pan with a garlic clove instead.)
1/2 pound (1, 8 oz. package) shredded Longmont Dairy Select Cucumber Dill Cheese
1/2 pound shredded Tillamook Colby Jack Cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (this may be adjusted according to taste. Some prefer less nutmeg.)
1-lb. loaf of French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

Simmer grated garlic together with wine over a low flame in a saucepan on the stove. Toss the shredded cheese with the flour (this helps prevent flour lumps). Then, add Longmont Dairy Select Cucumber Dill Cheese and Tillamook Colby Jack Cheese, 1/4 pound at a time. Stir after each addition of cheese until melted.

When all the cheese has melted, stir in salt and nutmeg. Whisk to blend, if necessary. Transfer fondue into a fondue pot, and keep warm over a low flame. Serve immediately with cut-up French bread.

This fondue is also delicious served with a sliced vegetable platter. If the mixture gets too thick, add a couple of drops of lemon juice to keep the cheese mixture soft and smooth, if necessary. A small crock pot can be substituted for a fondue pot.

Inspired by a recipe on All Recipes.com
Adapted for Longmont Dairy Select Cheese

Crème Fraîche

- Posted in Miscellaneous, Side Dish

French for “fresh cream” this delicacy is a heavy cream that is slightly soured, but is not as thick as sour cream. And, unlike sour cream, it can be directly cooked without curdling. Use it on fresh berries, cobblers, and puddings. It can also be whipped, with a little sugar, and used in the place of whipped cream. Bon Appétit!

1 cup LDF whipping cream
2 1/2 teaspoons buttermilk

Combine the heavy cream and buttermilk in a jar. Cover the jar tightly and shake the mixture for at least one minute. Let the cream stand at room temperature for at least 8 hours, until thick.

Store in the refrigerator. Makes 1 cup. The cream will keep for 4-6 weeks.

Colorado Cache Cookbook
Mooo News, July 2007

Creamy White Chicken Chili

- Posted in Meat, Side Dish

1-1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 medium onion, small diced
1 Tbls. vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans cannellini beans (or any white beans, according to personal preference)
10-14.5 oz of chicken broth (depending on how thick you like your chili to be)
2 4-oz cans of chopped green chilies
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp cumin (add little extra, if you prefer)
1 tsp. oregano (add little extra, if you prefer)
1/4 tsp cayenne (add little extra, if you like spicier chili)
1/2 cup Longmont Dairy Half and Half
3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the chicken and chopped onion and sauté for about six minutes, or until the chicken is seared and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another three minutes.

Add the beans, spices, chicken broth, and green chilies and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the sour cream and half and half. Serve with cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream to top.
Serves 4

Modified from the blog: eatliverun.com/creamy-white-chicken-chili/
Mooo News, February 2013

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

- Posted in Side Dish, Soup

Try this recipe for success and make the one you love very happy.

4 tomatoes – peeled, seeded, and diced
4 cups tomato juice
14 leaves fresh basil
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter
sea salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch of sugar, to taste (removes any bitterness the tomatoes may have and enhances their flavor).
LDF Shredded Cheese, any variety

Place tomatoes and juice into a large pot and simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat. Transfer the tomato mixture into a blender (or use a hand-immersion blender), and mix together until smooth. Add the basil leaves and puree them into the tomato mixture, then return the blended mixture to the pot.

Place the pot over medium heat, and stir in the heavy cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat slowly, stirring to blend the mixture completely, as the butter melts. Do not boil. Garnish with shredded cheese and serve immediately. If desired, a teaspoon of heavy cream can be drizzled on the top of each bowl of soup.

If tomatoes are not in season, a large can of premium chopped tomatoes may be used instead. Decrease the tomato juice to accommodate for the liquid that is included in the can of tomatoes.

Adapted from one of Susan’s favorite soup recipes for MOOO News
MOOO News, February 2011

Coleslaw-Two Ways

- Posted in Side Dish

We taste-tested these two versions of Coleslaw at a recent BBQ. Our guests agreed that the Creamy Dressing was best, but the low-fat version had a good taste for the calories. You can use the same fresh vegetable base for each, and taste test them too.

Vegetable base:
1 medium head of green cabbage – cleaned, cored, and cut into slivers
1 large carrot – trimmed, pealed, and grated
1 medium-size green pepper – stemmed, seeded, and grated

Creamy Dressing:
1 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
1/2 cup corn oil
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
2 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Lite Dressing:
1/2 cup fat free milk
3 tablespoons sesame oil (or olive oil)
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Put cabbage slivers, grated carrot, and pepper together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine ingredients for either the creamy dressing or the lite dressing, adding salt and pepper to taste, and whisk together until well blended. Pour over cabbage mixture, stir, cover, and chill for at least four hours before serving. Bring to room temperature before serving.