Welcome to My Kitchen

Peach season is fading into pumpkin season. Before fresh local peaches disappear from markets, Peach Buckle is a recipe to try. I was recently gifted some locally grown peaches and I used some to try this recipe. In this recipe, the peaches are set to juice while preparing the batter, I believe thawing frozen peaches would work well in this recipe. A Buckle is one of several cobbler styles. The batter surface buckles under the weight of the fruit as it bakes.

Peach Buckle

1/2 cup butter

3 large peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp almond extract

Place peach slices in a bowl and sprinkle with the granulated sugar and let stand while you prepare batter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish or a deep 10 inch cast iron skillet.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Make sure to break up any lumps in the brown sugar.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg, then add to the flour mixture along with the melted butter. Whisk just until combined.

Pour the batter into the pan or skillet, spreading evenly. Top with the peach slices and juice.

Bake for 50 minutes until golden and set. Cover with foil the last 5 minutes if browning too quickly. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out with crumbs, keeping in mind a buckle should be soft inside, not overbaked. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. Yield: 8-12 servings.

Note: if using frozen peaches, partial thawing for about 30 minutes is advised. Add the sugar just before spooning onto the batter.

Summery fall days have kept many area gardens producing abundant tomato crops. Fall tomatoes tend to be firmer than summer tomatoes, perfect for sauces and soups. Cream of Tomato Soup is easy to prepare and you can double the batch easily for a crowd or freezing for later use. Made with almond milk it is gluten and dairy free.

Cream of Tomato Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 red or yellow onion, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

2 carrots, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

5 large vine ripened tomatoes, diced (4 to 4 1/2 cups)

1 Tbsp tomato paste

8 large fresh basil leaves or 1 tsp dry, crushed

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 Tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or 1 can evaporated milk

Heat the olive oil in a large kettle over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and sauté 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, chicken broth, salt and pepper and stir well.

Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender. Using a blender, working in batches, food processor or an immersion blender, blend until a smooth puree.

Return mixture to the kettle, add the milk and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed and heat until hot. Serve with assorted crackers , crusty rolls or traditional grilled cheese sandwiches. Yield: 4 servings.

Tomatoes may be frozen whole to use in winter recipes. Wash well and dry. Place in pint or gallon zip closure freezer bags and freeze. Remove to thaw just what you need for your recipe. Skins remove easily when the tomatoes are partially thawed.

I recently tried a recipe for No-Bake 5 Ingredient Protein Bars. These are great for a grab and go meal or to refuel after a workout. They freeze well or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

No-Bake 5 Ingredient Protein Bars

1/2 cup milk

1 cup chunky peanut butter, other nut butters or sunflower butter

1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey

1 cup unflavored whey protein powder

2 cups rolled oats, uncooked

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional add-ins, 1 cup: chocolate chips, raisins, craisins, dried blueberries, chopped dates, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds

In a medium heavy saucepan, combine, milk, peanut butter and maple syrup. Place over low heat. Stir just until all ingredients are well combined and warmed through. Remove from heat.

Add protein powder, oats, cinnamons and selected add-ins. Stir to combine well. If mixture is too thick to spread, add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time just until mixture is stir-able. Mixture should still be thick and moldable.

Lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch square pan. Press mixture evenly into pan, using firm pressure to compress mixture into the pan. Use a spatula or lightly greased hands. Yield: 12 bars.

Not all recipes are for food. Spray Power Wash is a new on the market, spray dish soap designed to deliver just a squirt when you are doing up single dishes and prep bowls and utensils. A very handy invention, but the refill bottles can get expensive. Cari at Everything Pretty shared DIY Dawn Powerwash Refill Hack. Easy to make, you will get dozens of uses from the pumping mechanize while saving money on the soap mixture.

DIY Dawn Powerwash Refill Hack

13 ounces water

2 ounces Dawn dish soap

1 ounce rubbing alcohol

Pour the water into the empty powerwash container. Add the soap and the rubbing alcohol. Stir gently and let stand several hours Cap with the spray pump and it is ready to use.