Magic Blue Cheese Pecan Dip

Over Christmas, we were back in North Dakota. Staying at my dad's and Pam's house was great--no cleaning to do, no one showing our house, and very little cooking, save for the day when Pam was having major dental work done. (It worked, thank goodness! She had been in agony.) We also did some shopping, and realized living in the middle of nowhere North Dakota does sometimes have distinct advantages compared to the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. I guess being close to Philly, Pitt, Baltimore, DC and NYC means we don't need diddly here. Grumble grumble grumble.

Anyway. We'd go into the local liquor store and marvel at the cheap cheap cheap prices (PA residents will understand--our local laws make our beverages about twice the price). A trip to the mall was mind-boggling at the quantity of stuff available. Unfortunately, we couldn't take too much advantage of the after-holiday pricing, as we had to pay to get it home on the plane, but I did find some jeans and boots and got some dresses for Rowan (much needed--she's a dress girl, every day.)

But my favorite discovery was something Pam brought out when we finally made it, after 13 hours in the planes and airports waiting for the blizzard to let us through on our final leg of the journey. Spread on crackers (crispy rice ones were perfect), it was a fantastic hors d'oeuvre. Slathered on a bun, it topped my burger. Had we run out of crackers, I would have eaten it with a spoon. We went back for more at the local grocery store deli, and looked at the ingredients. However, I'm pretty sure they lied so you couldn't duplicate it, because they listed "blue cheese, pecans" as the only ingredients, and I know of no blue cheese like that.

BUT! I looked on the trusty internet and found some other versions. It's really simple, so you can do with it what you like. On Tuesday, I threw together a hasty bowl and brought half to my ladies at my women's choir rehearsal. They loved it. So much, Marita took the bowl home with her. (Luckily, the other half was waiting in our fridge.) I even used a bit of it thinned with milk as an impromptu salad dressing. I didn't put specific amounts, because it's just a thrown together thing.

So here you go. Try it. Change it. Do what you like. But make lots, because it will go. Promise. And? I think it's magic, because I lost 2 pounds over the break. Woo hoo!!!


Magic Blue Cheese Pecan Dip

*1 tub whipped cream cheese (8 oz. I think? Regular works, too, but whipped made it easy to blend.)
*crumbled blue cheese (anwhere from 2T.- the entire chunk. I did the whole chunk. I'm a hedonist.)
*chopped pecans (I put in 1/2 cup)
*seasoning (I did a shake or two of Creole because I pretty much put it in everything I eat except dessert, but anything would work, as long as it's not too salty. Chives or fresh parsley would be great. Or you could do nothing and just let the other flavors shine through, which is probably what the deli did, and definitely what the internet did. Whatever you like.)

Toast pecans in a dry pan for a few minutes over medium heat until they start to smell good. Don't let them burn. Meanwhile, blend cream cheese and blue cheese. Flavors will blend while chilling, so you don't need a lot of blue cheese, but you can if you like. Add hot pecans and mix them in. (Hot helps to blend them, but if you don't have time to toast your pecans or if they cooled it's not a big deal.) Add your chosen herbs or seasoning. Chill in the fridge for a few hours to blend flavors. If it's too thick, you can thin it with a little milk.

Serve with crackers, as a bread spread, on burgers, thinned as a salad dressing, or just a spoon. Mmmmmm.

Holy Summer Squash, Batman!

We joined a CSA recently--got lucky. They didn't have a space until about 3 weeks ago, but now we are getting weekly deliveries right to our door, and we didn't have to pony up ahead. We pay each week, and can cancel, postpone, etc. at our will. It's the perfect solution for non-committal types like us. This CSA, the Fallywalker Farm, is known for the unusual varieties they grow, like black zucchini, blue potatoes, rat-tailed radishes, snake beans, flying saucer squash (patty pan), pink carrots, lemon cucumbers, Transylvanian Brain Tomatoes, etc. Everything has been fresh, delicious, and wonderful, and we've even received fresh flowers in each delivery. Awesome. As a result, Rowan's new favorite food is tomatoes, and we're eating more veggies than ever. Plus, I'm cooking a lot--when it's there and would spoil, you gotta use it up!

So, we're stuffing a lot of squash, making a lot of ratatouille, and eating loads of cucumber salad. But a woman cannot live by stuffed zucchini alone.

So I've been trying to come up with new ideas, and the other day I came up with one that was a hit. Full of zucchini or patty pan squash, but even a purist (I'm hoping) would appreciate it. Rowan, Dr. B and I sure did. Oh, and Lucy was way ticked off that she couldn't have any (dogs can't have onions or garlic.)

Shrimp Creole with Summer Squash
(amounts are approximate)

*1 medium onion, chopped
*3 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
*1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped (ours was black, but whatever.)
*2 cups chopped tomatoes (or 1 can diced)
*1-2 cups of sliced (bite sized pieces) zucchini or patty pan squash. Peel if the skin is bitter, leave on if it's not (FWF squash skin has not been bitter at all)
*1 small can tomato paste
*2 cups water
*1 TB flour (I use Wondra. It mixes great, and the can is handy dandy. But regular is fine.)
*2 TB butter (or more, depends)
*14-16 oz. shrimp (fresh, shelled and deveined or frozen--doesn't matter. I used a bag of frozen.)
*Creole Seasoning, to taste. (I use this one--it is non-negotiable in my house. I even brought it to France and got more sent when I ran out.)
*Hot cooked rice to serve (we used brown, but it doesn't matter. You could even serve it over barley, I have and it's great.)

Heat butter and add onions and peppers. Cook until fragrant, add garlic. Cook another minute or so, then push the veggies to the side and add the flour in the hole in the middle. If it doesn't completely mix in with the liquid, (partially dry and powdery) add a bit more butter. Cook a minute or two until it smells toasty. It will begin to coat the veggies, that's fine--it will blend in and thicken the sauce later. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, tomato paste, water, and season well with Tony's Creole seasoning. Simmer until veggies are cooked, about 20 minutes or so. Add shrimp, and let cook just until shrimp are thawed or turn pink, a couple of minutes. If they get overcooked, they'll curl tight and be tough, so less is best.

Serve over fluffy rice and say "Y'all" and "Chère" a lot while you eat it.