Summer treats

You know it is summertime when your kitchen is overflowing with fresh strawberries, rhubarb and hungry kids on summer day schedules. There never seems to be enough time to get everything done. I have put together some fun summer recipes to savor and relax with.

Ruth Olson’s strawberry pie filling is my go-to recipe with a counter full of fresh berries. It looks as beautiful as it is delicious, and it is so easy to make, too.

Libby has discovered rhubarb syrup. What a great way to stretch out the season by canning extra syrup for sweet drinks later. A quick tip: I use the leftover rhubarb pulp as a topping for oatmeal or jam on toast. I hate to throw it out. I have also tried using it in my rhubarb cake recipe. I am still working out the kinks, but there are opportunities to incorporate it into other recipes as well.

With the kids home for summer, why not have them help you make breakfast sandwiches? These also freeze well for a quick breakfast; they can heat up on the run out the door for summer fun.

My last recipe is one I found in my collection, along with my notes. I love the combination of chocolate and caramel, but this recipe apparently didn’t live up to all of my dreams. Here is the whole recipe with my sidebar comment. The cookie is great, but the messy hands and extra steps were not worth the effort. In the future, I will skip the caramel part and just make the delicious gooey chocolate cookie instead. Enjoy.

Strawberry pie filling: Ruth Olson, Raritan

1 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 quart strawberries, tipped and sliced

1 package strawberry gelatin

9-inch baked pie shell

Cook first three ingredients until thick and clear. Add gelatin; cook for 10 minutes. Pour over strawberries to mix. Put into a baked pie shell. (Ruth says you can use frozen strawberries in the filling, but I haven’t tried it yet. I only use fresh berries.)

Rhubarb syrup: Libby Schmitt

4 cups chopped rhubarb

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1-2 cups cranberries (optional if rhubarb isn’t very red)

Combine rhubarb, sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed pan; bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes, stirring every so often until fruit has softened and liquid thickens, about 20 minutes. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Pour rhubarb into strainer and press to release any juices. Carefully pour syrup into a clean jar. Can refrigerate for up to two weeks, if it lasts that long.

Libby and I make larger batches and process the syrup for a longer shelf life. We place the syrup in warm jars and top with a canning lid and ring. Process in hot water bath for 10-20 minutes. I add frozen cranberries with rhubarb. My rhubarb isn’t very red, and the cranberries give the syrup a deeper color and a great twangy taste.

Rhubarb lemonade

1 1/2-2 cups rhubarb syrup

1/2 cup lemon juice

6 cups water, cold

Ice cubes

Mix together and serve.

Fresh and frozen breakfast sandwiches

English muffins

Eggs

Pork patties

Cheese slices

Cook pork patties; cool. While patties are cooling, coat muffin tin with olive oil. Crack egg in each cup. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for 17 minutes. Cool slightly. Make sandwiches using English muffins, egg, pork and slice of cheese. Enjoy fresh for breakfast.

To freeze: with the extra eggs and pork patties, make breakfast sandwiches for later. Wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap. Place in zipper bags and store in freezer. To reheat: remove plastic wrap; place sandwich between paper towel and microwave for a minute and a half.

Tex-Mex egg hash brown cups: American Egg Board

2 cups shredded potatoes

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, divided

12 eggs

1 1/2 cups shredded Tex-Mex cheese, divided

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 cup corn

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1 cup salsa

1/4 cup chopped green onion

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine potatoes, flour, olive oil and half of the salt and pepper; press evenly into bottoms and up sides of greased 6-cup jumbo muffin pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set and light golden brown. Whisk together eggs, 1 cup cheese, chili powder, hot sauce and remaining salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, corn and cilantro. Divide mixture among hash brown cups. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Let cool for 10 minutes. Run knife around edges of muffin cups; carefully remove cups. Top with salsa and sprinkle with green onion.

Salted chocolate caramel cookies: Good Housekeeping, September 2021

2 cups flour

1 1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup butter, room temperature (2 sticks)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup buttermilk

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)

36 soft caramels

Flaky sea salt for topping

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; whisk to combine. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Reduce speed to low and mix in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Add flour mixture in two parts, alternating with buttermilk and beating just until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chunks by hand; refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Scoop dough into balls (2 tablespoons each) and place on prepared sheet; refrigerate while preparing caramels. With the back of a spoon, flatten each caramel into ¾-inch-wide disk. Flatten each ball of cookie dough into disk and wrap around flattened caramel; return to baking sheet and refrigerate. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment sheets and arrange chilled cookies on sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with flaky salt and bake until set around edges, 10-12 minutes. Let cool on sheets five minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark Schmitt started an adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.