Fourth of July is a fabulous time to celebrate our great country and  all who have who so selflessly served.   What better way to celebrate than with great American food such as chili and barbecue?  Since I ran our 50% off red chile powder special  and our 25% off Blue corn Muffin and Pancake mixes special over the weekend, I feel maybe not enough of you saw it--so I am extending the special until July 5, midnight...so all of you who want our great organic and pure products on sale may have them.

Parades are so much fun on fourth of July--seeing all manner of bands, pets, antique cars and whatever local collectors, issues and  teams are wanting to show "their stuff" or win you over.  Here in Corrales where we live and work, they have a fabulous parade of all of the above.  The Parade started as a pet parade and to a certain extent still is--however it has grown far beyond that.

Having friends and family over is a great tradition.  When I grew up on a Kansas farm, we almost always had a house full of relatives who brought all manner of fireworks--nothing elaborate, but great fun.  The only downer or hassle  was wheat harvest, which was a major crop and almost always wheat harvest was in full swing.  If it was sunny, they harvested wheat until the dew got moist on the wheat--so the fireworks  were delayed-sometimes it seemed like forever...but we always got them off.   Of course, dinner then was sort of a patch work.  As kids, my brother and I always had mixed feelings--if it was sunny and great for fireworks--it was great for harvesting.  If it was rainy, it was impossible for wheat harvest and lousy for fireworks.  Still, I have great memories.

Some of the favorite foods we always had were homemade ice cream, which my Mother always aced!  She made it with rennet and fresh cream, milk and eggs from the farm.   We always had outrageous potato salad my Mother made the best by infusing butter into the freshly cooked and drained potatoes.  Deviled Eggs were almost always a staple and the rest varied.  

I am sharing  my Mother's all time best vanilla ice cream recipe and a fun Deviled Egg recipe using chipotle.

We still have space in most all of our classes--though some are starting to get quite a few registered.  We have a new, very special Cooking with Lavender class a week from today (Tuesday, July 9) at 5 PM where you will get some great goodies to take home, a Grilling class, August 15 and 3 weekend classes--August  9-11, September 13-15 (dates changed a week earlier), November 8-10.   And now 3 week long classes--July 15-19, July 29-August  2 and  September 23 - 27, 2019.  And our next tour is Oaxaca next year June 9-15. 2020.  I would love to have you join us!

MY MOTHER’S BEST VANILLA ICE CREAM

This was my Mother’s yummy, best vanilla ice cream , which she made nearly every Sunday while on the farm when I was growing up.  She doubled it for a gallon of ice cream.  As an aspiring actress, I frequently churned the ice cream while practicing roles. 

Yield:1/2 gallon 

1 “Junket” rennet tablet

1 Tablespoon cold water

1 ½ cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 ¼ teaspoons Mexican vanilla

1 egg beaten until fluffy

Dash salt 

1. Dissolve and crush junket tablet in cold water. Mix milk, cream, sugar and vanilla and warm slowly using low heat of electric surface until lukewarm, stirring constantly. When milk is comfortably warm (110F)—not hot—remove at once from heat. (The correct temperature is very important)

    2.     Quickly stir in dissolved tablet, egg and salt. Pour at once, while still liquid, into freezer can.              Do not  disturb for about 10 minutes while cream sets. 

    3.     Pour mixture into ice cream can of freezer and cool. Place the can in place in the ice cream                 f reezer.   Surround with layers of coarse salt and cracked ice, using eight parts ice to one                     part salt.

     4.   After ice cream  is of desired firmness, pack it down and cover with the corked lid (cork                        keeps salt  out of ice cream). Repack freezer, using four parts ice to one part salt—then                        cover with a heavy  paper or cloth allowing to set two to three hours.

DOUBLE CHILE DEVILED EGGS

The old fashioned goodness of Deviled Eggs takes really terrifically to spiciness—maybe that is what the deviled meant anyhow! Be extra careful when you are cooking the eggs, so as to not cook them too long, as that is what causes the grey coating around the yolk. Follow the cooking instructions I have given you in step 1. of the recipe for always perfect results.

Yield: 12 servings

12 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1 ½ Tablespoons white or cider vinegar, divided

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon chipotle powder

1 teaspoon pure mild ground red chile

1 Tablespoon sweet pickle, minced or to taste

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon Italian flat leaf parsley, minced

1. To cook the eggs, place gently in a large saucepan. Cover with water, then add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 Tablespoon vinegar and stir slightly. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to simmer and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. When done, drain and immediately place in cold water.

2. In the meantime, prepare the other filling ingredients, placing them in a small bowl. When the eggs are cool to touch, peel and slice lengthwise gently placing the cooked whites on a platter. Add the yolks to the filling ingredients and mix well, using a fork to break up the hard cooked yolks. Taste and adjust seasonings.

3. Spoon egg mixture into hard cooked whites or use a pastry bag with the star tip and squirt the filling into the whites. Garnish tops with finely minced parsley.