Blue Stripes For Summer & Some Cooking

I've got a really interesting customer who designs her own quilts.  Medallion quilts are a challenge at the best of times, so I was VERY impressed by this one.

The quilting was kept simple (by that I mean visually, not technically - anyone who's done stitch-in-the-ditch on a longarm will understand what I'm saying).

Oh, I just LOVE pieced backs.

You can see most of the quilting designs in this pic.

OK, here's my "brag" shot.  That clematis was so gorgeous this year.  Likely because of the cool and rainy spring.  People didn't like that, but the perennials were sure happy.

My beautiful peonies, too!

SOME COOKING

I've had asparagus coming out my ying yang, and I'm still picking - not as much as in June but enough for a side dish once or twice a week.  Peas are getting added to the mix now too.  Yum.

• Easiest asparagus cooking ever:  peel those stringy stalks, then chop into two inch-ish pieces.  Throw them in an olive-oiled saute pan with some chopped garlic and chopped ginger.  Cook for 5 - 10 minutes, depending on how soft you want the veggies.  One minute before you're done, add one teaspoon of honey and one teaspoon of sesame oil.  That one minute will melt the honey and blend the sesame oil.  Done.

STRAWBERRIES:

This is a delicious cake.  Because I make my own yogurt and I save the whey, I use whey as a substitute for the buttermilk.  Found on  Sweet Cayenne .  When the raspberries start producing I will try this recipe with raspberries, too.

Strawberry Buttermilk Cake from Back in the Day Bakery

This Strawberry Buttermilk Cake recipe is an easy cake you can whip up in no time on a nice spring day. It's perfect to make when you're expecting last minute company to enjoy with a cup of coffee! Adapted from the Back In The Day Bakery Cookbook by Cheryl and Griffith Day

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• ½ cup buttermilk I used lowfat
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pound strawberries hulled and halved
• Optional: confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and make sure you have a rack in the center. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep dish pie pan. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if you plan to use a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed. This should take 2-3 minutes.
• Add the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla, mixing until just blended, about 1 minute.
• Gradually add the flour to the butter mixer with the mixer on low speed until just combined.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and use a rubber spatula to fold in any flour residue into the batter.
• Add the batter to your prepared pie pan and use the rubber spatula to smooth out the top. Tap the pan firmly on the counter to remove any air bubbles and ensure the batter is evenly distributed. Arrange the strawberries on top of the batter, cut side down, into a design of your choice.
• Bake the cake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees F and bake for 45-55 minutes more until the cake is set, the edges are golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack.
• Dust the cake in the pan with powdered sugar before serving. You can slice it straight out of the pie pan.
• Store the cake in a airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s wonderful chilled or warmed!

OK, I'm going back out to the garden to weed now.  Still.  Again.  Whatever...