Double Cherry Upside-Down Cake

I found a recipe for Double Cherry Upside Down Cake in the July Issue of Cooking light. You will need: 2 Tbsp Butter 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 cups pitted fresh cherries (Rainier was recommended, I used Royal Anne) 2 cups pitted fresh cherries Bing 1.5 cups of all purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 3/4 cups granulated sugar 6 Tbsp butter, softened 3 Tbsp canola oil 1.5 tsp vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1 cup fat-free buttermilk 1. preheat Oven to 350 degrees 2.Coat a 9-inch spring form pan or cake pan with 3-inch sides with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper. If using a spring form cake pan, wrap the outside of the pan with tightly with a double layer of heavy duty foil. 3. Drizzle the melted butter over parchment in bottom of pan; sprinkle with brown sugar. Arrange cherries in a single layer over brown sugar. Place pan on a baking sheet lined with foil. 4. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda, stirring with a whisk; set aside. Place granulated sugar, softened butter, and oil in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Beat in Vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to oil mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture (batter will be thick). Spread batter evenly over cherries in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 5.Reduce heat to 325 degrees (do not remove cake from oven). Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a wooed pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen cake from edges of pan with a knife; invert onto a platter. By the way, the recipe gave instructions for extra wrapping of foil on the cake pan and the sheet. My cake only had a small amount of oil that made its way out of the pan. This was for our Father's day celebration. That is why I didn't have a photo of our cake. It had already been half eaten when I realized the I didn't get it.

We are growing Japanese Greens in our garden again this year. We have used a net cover to keep out the bugs that like to lay their eggs on the under side of the leaves.

Besides the Japanese mix we are growing baby bok choy and Swiss Chard in the same box.

I found this recipe in the magazine, cooking light. I am sharing part of a recipe, the cooked greens with coconut-curry vinaigrette. 8 ounces Soba Noodles 4 cups coarsely chopped greens, including bok choy, spinach, chinese mustard, or what ever you like. 1/2 cup coconut milk 2 Tbsp lime juice 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce 1 Tbsp rice vinegar 1 tsp honey 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 2 Tbsp peanut oil 1 Tbsp chopped ginger 1 1/2 tsp Madras curry powder (We don't use curry because my husband doesn't like it) Combine coconut milk, juice, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cook noodles according to package direction.

Cook chopped greens in boiling water for 1 minute, to wilt greens. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again.

Heat the peanut oil in a small skillet. Heat ginger stirring quickly. Put the noodles in a serving bowl, top with wilted greens, and sauce, toss until mixed. Add the Ginger. Enjoy with your main dish.

Potato and Root Vegetable Mashers

There is a chef in Boise who does a short spot on the radio every week. One week, Chef Doughty stated that we tend to only eat 15 or so vegetables regularly, but there are actually 4 times that amount (I'm writing this from memory, it is the principle that is important!). I have been trying to increase the variety of veggies in my diet.
This recipe is one I found in Cooking Light magazine, March 2012. I have put potatoes and sweet potatoes together before, but this recipe called for turnips as well. We grew turnips in our garden last year, and liked them. They are kind of sweet or mild tasting.

This recipe serves six by their measurements, so I tailored the quantities a bit.
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes
1 sweet potato (I had a nice fat one)
2 turnips (I think they were large about 3-4 inches diameter)
2 Tbsp Butter (yes I used it)
1/3 cup sour cream (I opted for plain yogart)
1/4 cup 1% low fat milk (funny since they used butter and sour cream!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Peel and dice the vegetables and put in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil.

Cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain the water into another pan and cool.
My mom always saves the potato water and uses the broth for gravy or soup stock.

Add the remaining ingredients. I served the sour cream (yogart) on the side since Ed doesn't like sour cream on potatoes. You don't have to mash the veggies very much, they are already soft.

This recipe was tasty, fast and easy to make, and you will have leftovers for another night.