Veggie Shish Kebabs with Garlicy Marinade

On August 4, 2022November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, grilledLeave a comment

We give the grill a workout every summer, often with small items that want to fall through the grate no matter how carefully they’re arranged on the open surface. I have two grill trays that work well when smoking cherries or cheese or charring large batches of thin asparagus spears. I also have a pair of copper grill mats ideal for sourdough pizza and other soft ingredients—we even grilled scrambled eggs and potatoes on one when I forgot to put a skillet on the sailboat. But for grilled meals with more emphasis on variety than quantity, I reach for skewers.

As I share this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, you can spear so many foods on a stick and cook them over an open flame. A simple marinade can tie the ingredients together, playing well with flavors that range from sweet tomatillos, to mild potatoes, to spicy peppers. Skewers are also ideal for grilling shrimp, scallops, meaty fish, and cubed meats.
Learn to make Veggie Shish Kebabs with Garlicy Marinade

Sour Cream and Cherry Scones

On July 28, 2022November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, quick breads2 Comments

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’re well aware of my love to tart fruits, including cherries. I share some of my childhood cherry memories this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon—and more importantly, an easy scone recipe that combines the tang of sour cream and sour cherries. If you prefer sweeter cherry varieties, they work well in the scones, and you can use the same recipe but swap in fruits ranging from apricots to huckleberries to peaches in keeping with the summer harvest cycle.

The sour cream doesn’t just add flavor: it keeps the scones moist, in the same way it does for Savory Herb and Sour Cream Scones and Sour Cream–Applesauce Coffee Cake or Muffins. For the ultimate Twice as Tasty flavor, you can make the sour cream from scratch.
Learn to make Sour Cream and Cherry Scones

Rhubarb–Rosemary Sorbet

On July 21, 2022November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, frozen2 Comments

For my money, the best way to beat the heat is sorbet. And I do mean money: homemade sorbet can be made with affordable ingredients like in-season fruit, herbs, honey or sugar, and water. You can also make it with tools you likely already have in your kitchen, as I explain this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon.

A few tricks help you smooth out sorbet and counteract the ice crystals that can form so quickly when you try to make frozen, nondairy desserts. Ice cream makers and gelato machines may speed up the process, so you can use one if you already own one, but there’s no need to buy a new appliance if you want to enjoy dairy-free sorbets.
Learn to make Rhubarb–Rosemary Sorbet and other flavors

Garlic Scape Aioli

On July 14, 2022November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, sauces1 Comment

Homemade mayonnaise—and my preferred version, garlicy aioli—is a different critter from Miracle Whip. It’s simply an emulsified sauce, combining egg and oil into a smooth, stable blend. Once you master the technique, seemingly complex, challenging sauces like hollandaise and beurre blanc become easy to whip up.

At its most basic, aioli pairs the rich flavor of olive oil and eggs and the pucker of minced garlic and lemon juice. Leave out the garlic and lemon, and you have a subtle yet creamy homemade mayonnaise. Herbs and other aromatics bump the blend in an even more flavorful direction.

In my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, I share one of my favorite summertime aioli blends, with garlic scapes and lemon. An easy spin on that taste is to grill the lemon first, as I do alongside Grilled Asparagus, or roast or grill whole garlic cloves. Mince in a tablespoon of fresh dill, and you get one of my preferred garnishes for sushi. Homemade mustard or spice blends quickly change the profile. You can even use the aioli as the base for a scratch-made ranch dressing.
Learn to make Garlic Scape Aioli

Gearing Up to Preserve

On July 7, 2022July 7, 2022 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Canning, Column, Dehydrating, Dry storage, Fermenting, Freezing, Refrigerating, TopicLeave a comment

My fridge is currently full of macerating rhubarb and recently picked homegrown strawberries, ready to be turned today into jams and shrubs. I’m not the only one gearing up to preserve, as I share this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon. A local farmer told me last week that her crew has made 50 pounds of Rhubarb Kimchi, building on my recipe in The Complete Guide to Pickling. Tangy Radish Rounds and Spring Asparagus Pickles are also currently popular recipes from the book.

I’ll eventually be turning rhubarb into kimchi and fermented pickles, but today’s projects are on the sweeter side. Our strawberry crop has hit its peak, so I’ll be developing some jam recipes to share down the road, featuring the sweet fruit and pairing it with rhubarb. I’ll also be canning up one of my seasonal favorites: Rhubarb–Earl Grey Jam.
Learn how to gear up for preserving

Orange-Kissed Grilled Broccoli

On June 30, 2022November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, grilled2 Comments

Since I live in the woods under shade-throwing conifers, surrounded by dense clay soil and frequently visited by deer and other grazing wildlife, I grow most of my vegetables on a friend’s sunny property. When one of us has a favorite crop, we can risk growing a little extra, knowing that if we’re overly zealous and successful the bounty will be divided between two kitchens. This year, broccoli is on the favorite-crop list, so in May we planted 18 starts, and we’re already harvesting our first heads.

As I share this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, the first stalks were sweet and tender, so I simply sliced them into a salad. But I’m now laying them on the grill alongside asparagus and other vegetables. Slicing broccoli down its length, from crown to stalk, creates pieces less likely to fall through the grill. When cooked over an open flame, the pieces stay crisp and crunchy inside while roasting to perfection on the exterior.
Learn to make Orange-Kissed Grilled Broccoli

Garden-Fresh Basil Pesto and Homemade Pasta

On June 23, 2022November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, sauces4 Comments

When I started this blog 6 years ago, one of the first recipes I shared was Basil Pesto Base, which I make in large batches in my food processor every time our basil plants threaten to flower and then freeze to use all winter. But recently, I had the chance to test mortars and pestles for The Spruce Eats and became hooked on the creamy texture of freshly pounded basil pesto. My reviews haven’t gone live yet on that website, but I couldn’t resist sharing the recipe and technique I developed during testing in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon.

Once I had several batches of freshly pounded pesto, I also couldn’t resist trying my hand at scratch-made pasta. With some tips and tricks—and a hand-cranked, countertop pasta maker—homemade pasta turned out to be far less messy and far less difficult than I had anticipated, with tasty results that paired perfectly with creamy, mortar-pounded pesto.
Learn to make Garden-Fresh Basil Pesto and Homemade Pasta

Mega-Mint Mojito

On June 16, 2022December 28, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn beverages, ColumnLeave a comment

In my Twice as Tasty blog post and column for the Flathead Beacon last week, I shared Strawberry Shortcake with Lilac Cream, one of my favorite treats for early-summer celebrations (like Twice as Tasty’s 6th birthday!). But I must admit that I tend to drink my desserts rather than eat them. So I would include this week’s recipe on the celebration menu too. It’s sweet enough to count as dessert in my book but simple enough to mix up for a spontaneous party—especially if you have a bottle of mint simple syrup stashed in your fridge.

As I note in this week’s Twice as Tasty column, you don’t really need a recipe to make simple syrup. But if you’re a by-the-book kind of person, I break down the steps here, along with tips and tricks for keeping it light and fresh.
Learn to make Mega-Mint Mojito and simple syrups

Strawberry Shortcake with Lilac Cream

On June 9, 2022November 19, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, quick breads5 Comments

It’s hard to believe: Twice as Tasty turns 6 this month! If you’ve been following the blog from the beginning, you’ll know that every year I celebrate by sharing a birthday dessert recipe. In past years, I’ve shared highlights and recipes from the most recent year and plans for the future. This year, it’s just about the cake—shortcake, to be exact.

I’ve gone back to a favorite, and the blog’s first, birthday dessert and shared a streamlined version this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon. The delicious scratch-made strawberry shortcake can be ready in less than an hour. Alternatively, you can go big on flavor the way I did in the original recipe by topping the dessert with lilac-infused cream, using the techniques I share in this post.
Learn to make Strawberry Shortcake with Lilac Cream

Creamy Balsamic Salad Dressing

On June 4, 2022November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, saladsLeave a comment

If you want to look pro in the kitchen with minimal effort and little expense, a smart move is to make your own salad dressings. As I explain this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, store-bought dressings are expensive and loaded with additives easily avoided in homemade blends. I eat salads almost daily in summer, but I never buy dressings and am convinced you don’t need to either.

Among the first recipes I ever published on this blog are my base blends for vinaigrette and creamy salad dressing. For one of my more popular workshops, I bring more than 30 ingredients to blend into personalized dressings. This week, I share one of my go-to combinations that builds on those basic ratios.
Learn to make Creamy Balsamic Salad Dressing and other vinaigrettes