The Season is On!

is

The Iris have started their season

The weather is great and the gardens are blooming. It is that part of the garden year when we plant and plant and dream of what we will reap No thoughts of the wild turkeys tearing up the greens nor raccoons eating the fruits of our labor, just visions of what will be on the table later. Such a lovely time of year.

While waiting for the weather to cooperate and let me into the garden I noted a few websites that might help anyone who is new to this gardening bit. In the Christian Science Monitor I found Eight Keys to Growing Great Vegetables, excellent advice for the novice as well as those of us who have been around a while.

Roaming around the electronic landscape I found another goody. Patricia Wells has a new book out. I have been a fan of hers since she published The Grand Diplome books. Sorry for the grief they caused her, but ever so grateful for the books. Should you run upon a used set, buy it! You will be ever thankful you did. But to her new book, Salad as a Meal. The recipes are great and as you may know she is a master at explaining things thoroughly and correctly. She is an excellent teacher.

Recipe

As I perused the recipes in Salad as a Meal, I got to thinking.....I have a great recipe to go with these great salads. I hadn't used it for some time so I got it out, made it and yes, this is the roll to go with salads. They are feathery light but there is enough "spunk" here to stand up to almost any dinner or luncheon salad.

Be sure to use good extra sharp Cheddar for this. The pepper should be ground as coarsely as your pepper grinder allows. As I said, this roll has spunk!

Peppery Cheddar Rolls

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

1 scant tablespoon instant dry yeast (1 package)

2 tablespoons potato buds (instant potatoes)
1 Tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

3/4 cups milk

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons oil

2 eggs, room temperature; one for the dough, one for the glaze

2/3 cup coarsely shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese

Sesame seeds, optional

Into a large bowl place half of the flour and all the yeast and pepper. Stir to mix. Warm the milk slightly (to about 90 degrees). Add the salt and sugar, stirring to dissolve. Pour this into the flour mix, add the egg and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and continue beating for four minutes.

Stir in the cheese. Add 1 cup flour and beat for another two minutes. Change to dough hook, or turn out on a floured board and beat in or knead in all or most of the remaining flour. The dough should clear the bowl but still be soft and sticky if using a mixer or should be soft, have the structure to form a ball and still be sticky if kneading.

Place the dough in a well oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 90 minutes. When well risen turn out on a flowered board, deflating the dough just enough to work with it. Cut into 12 pieces.

Roll each into a rope about 8 inches long.

Make a loop with this rope, placing right end over the left.

Continue with what was the right end and move it under the circle and up into the middle. Tuck in securely

Take the remaining end and pull it over and into the center of the bun, poking it in deeply. If it isn't  perfectly smooth, don't worry, it won't show in the end.

Set on parchment covered baking pan. Repeat with each rope. Quickly beat the remaining egg, just enough to mix well. Paint each roll with this egg glaze. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 375 and bake 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Serve warm with summer salad.

Enjoy