JUNE GIVEAWAY

day 149.

It's time for a new giveaway, one of our favorite times of the month! We are ready to say goodbye to May and greet June with arms open wide. This month's book, Jamie at Home, was inspired by Oliver's garden. We just planted ours last week, which got us perusing this book again. It is not a new one, it was published in 2007, but it is one that inspires us, like most of Oliver's books.

We love the way he writes and the beautiful photography in his books. We want the hatchpress book to have the same feel one day. Oliver, inspired by his veg patch, says...

"I came to realize last year that it's not always 

about looking out at the wider world for inspiration. 

Being at home, feeling relaxed and open, can also 

offer this." 

We relate to this ideology. Some of our best experiences in the kitchen are those times we find ourselves cooking and creating with a leisurely satisfaction. The book is organized by seasons with the bonus of gardening tips and knowhow.

How the Giveaway Works 

In order to be considered for the giveaway, please do ONE of the following:

• Comment HERE on this post 
• Comment on the hatchpress facebook page 
• Tweet using a link back to this post AND be sure to include the hashtag #hatchpress

Congratulations to last month's winner, Mairin O'Guinn. We will choose a winner this Sunday at noon (Oregon time). Good luck!

COULDS vs. SHOULDS

day 148.

Sometimes we just have an off week or month.
Not in a bad way, necessarily.
More like... no matter how much we get done, there's still more to do.
Like, we can't afford the time to sit quietly with a cup of coffee on the porch.
Like, hanging out for a day with a loved one with nothing to do but go where the day takes us, feels like pure indulgence.
Like, no one we love is truly getting our very best.
Like, work has that feeling of being "in the weeds" constantly.
Like, daily blogging is a bit of a chore and thank goodness there are two of us committed to the project.
Like, the nagging sense that we've forgotten something is constant.

Do you ever feel that way?

Here's the thing.
We all know that taking time for the important things is best.
We know that it's the big things that matter.
We realize that this too shall pass
... that laughter is essential, especially amidst the busiest moments.

But, sometimes our hearts don't want to hear that. Sometimes in our hearts, we still believe we can do it all... and do it all well. Silly, because we've learned this lesson over and over and still, here we are learning again.

Occasionally, we're just plain tired and weary. We focus on putting one foot in front of the other ... getting thru the day and ticking items off the never ending list, faces stuck in a scowl and not even realizing it. Barking orders then apologizing. We go to bed less sure of our focus, knowing the right thing but feeling stuck...so many things we COULD do, but only a few things we SHOULD.

That's how the month of May has been for us.
We've been coulding more than shoulding.
We've been busy with all good things... but too many good things to be good.

Maybe that's how May is for you, too.
The school year comes to a close.
We wrap up volunteer jobs.
Rush through the last of Spring cleaning.
Hurry to put in the garden.
Worry about finding money for summer activities and kids camps.
Take on an extra job or two.
All the while, keeping family life afloat.

We're more than a bit giddy to say goodbye to May and joyfully welcome June.
June is all warm weather welcomes.
Pack up school uniforms.
No more homework.
Sleeping in.
Family fun.
Swimming.
Laughter.

Yes, we still work, plan, organize, volunteer, coordinate, cook, and write.
But, it just feels more manageable in flip flops and a summer dress.
June brings a breezy calendar that's easier to manage.
Less of the COULDS and to do's and more of the SHOULDS without any guilt.
May is all questions and challenges.
June is all opportunity.

And, in spite of May, we've continued to hatch. We've been building and blogging, writing and taking pictures, planning and creating. We have tens of thousands of readers and half of our hits continue to be new people who have just found us. We're chatting and planning with renowned bloggers and respected authors. It's exciting. Last week someone called us a "kick-ass kitchen blog" as they tweeted our link to their 50k followers. It made us proud.

Our goal or rather "opportunity" for June is to engage in more conversations with readers. Create more of a community. Find out what you guys are cooking in your kitchens. How are you tasting the flavors of Summer? Rebuild our comment area to be more user friendly. We're looking forward to chatting with you.

So, tell us... How was your May?

We couldn't resist! 

GINGER BEER

day 147.

Ginger Beer

A while back we saw this recipe for Jamie Oliver's Easy Peasy Ginger Beer. We had to try it immediately! Our recipe is adapted from Jamie's, we like it a touch sweeter, and find the agave syrup a good alternative to simple syrup if you want to make up a quick batch.

• 4 ounces fresh ginger
• 4 Tablespoons muscovado sugar
• 2-3 lemons
• 1 ¾ pints (1 liter) soda water or sparkling mineral water
• ¼ cup agave syrup
• fresh mint sprigs for garnish

GRATE the ginger on a coarse grater with the skin on. Put the ginger with its pulpy juice in to a bowl and sprinkle in the muscovado sugar. Remove the rind from 2 lemons with a vegetable peeler and add to the bowl. Bash for 10 seconds with the end of a rolling pin or a pestle to release the oils and mix up the flavors.

SQUEEZE the juice from all 3 lemons and add most of it to the bowl. Pour in the mineral water. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes. 

POUR the ginger beer through a coarse sieve in to a large jug or divide between 4 glasses filled with ice. Add the agave syrup and stir well. Taste and if too sweet add a little more lemon juice.  Garnish with sprigs of mint and serve.

If you would like to fortify your drink, you can make a Moscow Mule with a few additions. To be authentic, find yourself a copper mug. If you don't have one, just mix and pour over ice in your favorite glass.

• 1 ounce vodka
• squeeze of fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup ginger beer
• 1 sprig fresh mint
• 1 slice of lime

Fill a copper mug with ice. Pour over the vodka. Add sugar syrup and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with mint sprig and lime slice.

VANILLA MASCARPONE CREAM

day 146.

mascarpone |ˌmäskärˈpōn(e) |

a soft, mild Italian cream cheese

We love the combination of vanilla and sugar and cream...

Sweetened Créme Fraîche 

Classic Whipped Cream 

Vanilla Mascarpone Cream

You most likely have the ingredients on hand to make one of these, and all three of them are delicious served in a bowl with fresh summer berries for dipping. You can add cinnamon or citrus zest to liven add another layer of flavor.

Mascarpone cream and vanilla sugar make an exquisite pair!

• 8-ounces mascarpone cheese
• 2-4 tablespoons vanilla sugar

Depending on how sweet you want it, just mix the two ingredients together and enjoy. This combination also makes the perfect base for fruit tarts or any type of fruit filled crostata. 

BLUEBERRY CROSTATAS

day 145.



We have mentioned before we like making individual dishes. Making personal blueberry crostatas is as easy as making one large dessert. With the base of vanilla mascarpone cream, these little pastries are sweet bites of perfection!

For the Pastry

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced
• 2 tablespoons ice water

For the Crostatas
• 4 ounces mascarpone cream
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla sugar
• 2 pints blueberries
• grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 egg 
• splash of heavy cream

For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12-15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, mix the mascarpone cream and vanilla sugar together and set aside. 

In a separate bowl combine the blueberries, orange zest, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 450°. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Flour a rolling pin and roll each pastry into a disc, about a 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. 

Place a tablespoon of the vanilla mascarpone cream in the center of each round of dough. Spoon some of the blueberry mixture on top of the mascarpone.

   

Fold the edges up of each mini crostata, leaving the center exposed. Beat the egg and cream together and brush the edges of each pastry. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crostatas are bubbling in the center and the pastry is golden brown. Let cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.

AN EXCELLENTIST

day 144.

Can we just say that we ADORE this quote?

Because sometimes we're perfectionists. We readily admit our guilt. On occasion we become hyper focused on the task at hand rather than the big picture. Tolerating failure and seeing the valuable lessons failure it brings is a worthy aspiration. 

Especially in the kitchen. 

In the kitchen, things go wrong. 

Mistakes are made.
You will fail.
And, you will be wildly successful.
Nothing we tell you will teach you more than your own "hands on" experience in your kitchen.

These wise words were written by Charlie Trotter, world renowned chef and restauranteur made famous for creating the Perfect dining experience for every patron. If he in his professional kitchen can embrace failures as an opportunity to learn and pursue excellence with great zeal, then so can we in our home kitchens... have an appetite for excellence while gladly exchanging our perfectionistic tendencies for:

interesting

sincerity

that certain quirkiness  

These qualities are much the better than perfect. 

RESEARCH

day 143.

Sometimes, we just write.

The thing about writing recipes and cooking...

you really need to know your stuff. 

What works in our kitchen/s needs to also work in yours.

So, mostly we  RESEARCH. 

We read, measure, cook, & photograph. 

It's time consuming and we love it. 

Let's take  party nuts for example.

First, we have our own "go to" recipes. The ones we've used for so many years that we don't need a recipe and have no idea where we got the original recipe. Often our methods and recipes are nearly identical. This is due in part to the fact that we're best friends. We have similar habits in the kitchen. We're drawn to the same ideas. And, also we both grew from girls to women in the age of Martha Stewart.

We check in with the experts. 

We compare our method/s with those of our favorite food bloggers and chefs. Who has recently written about nuts? What did they have to say?

Then, we recipe test, making our recipe and several other recipes. Small batches of nuts with recipes and notes.

At the end of the day, we've usually learned something. And, many times, we find that our "go to" recipe is perfect as is. That's the beauty of years in the kitchen. We've made the mistakes, fleshed out the process, and in the end have created something that can be easily recreated in any kitchen.

Cooking is not just an art. Nuts aren't art in and of themselves. But we can create an artfully presented, delectable treat that makes you crave these salty, sweet, crunchy bits.

Creating art in the kitchen comes from... 

the foundation of all our kitchen knowledge,

the basic skills... what we do,

the science... how the food responds to what we do, 

resulting in the craft of cooking. 

This is the heart of a great cook versus a good cook. 

All the research and time... it's worth it. 

 We love what we do.  

And, we hope we're inspiring you!