Baking Fried Chicken Livers

Needed ingredients

·       1 lb chicken livers

·       1 lb bacon

·       1/4 teaspoon tarragon, finely ground

·       ~ 2 tablespoons salt

·       1/4 teaspoon black pepper

·       2 cups flour

·       1 cup corn meal

Preparing the livers:

·       1 lb chicken livers

·       mixture of 1/2 apple cider vinegar - 1/2 water to cover the livers

·       2 tablespoons salt

rinse the livers

remove the connective tissue between pieces

place in a container with all of these ingredients for 2 hours

drain and rinse with water

drain

(this process removes much of the harsh, bitter iron and mineral flavor and is better than the traditional approach of soaking in a calcium rich product, such as milk)

coating for livers in a ratio:

·       2 flour

·       1 corn meal

·       1/4 salt

·       1/4 black pepper

·       1/4 tarragon

cook bacon till crisp and reserve fat

pre heat oven  to 375 F with the baking pan coated with a thin coating of bacon fat

coat livers and place into hot pan

bake for 10 minutes and turn over

bake for an additional 10 minutes

serve with crumbled bacon on top

an ingredient does matter!~

i did not have it and tried to substitute with something else, the pepper cured, hardwood smoked, Virginia bacon.  I used regular bacon and it added nothing, but the salad itself is so outstanding that it did not matter!

Lobster salad:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon fennel bulb, diced

1 tablespoon celery stalk, diced

1 teaspoon minced tarragon (also in my garden)

1 1+ pound lobster, steam for 15 minutes and refrigerate till cold

Remove all the lobster meat (claws and tail and any juice)

cut lobster into 1/2 to 1 inch chunks.

mix well and salt to taste, keep cold

top with crisp pepper cured Virginia bacon bits

Pasta salad

it is summer and i am getting requests for my pasta salad which i served for our 4th of July picnic
(I also served the lobster salad).
This also celebrates the fresh herbs and vegetables i grow

Pasta Salad

·      1 lb elbow macaroni

·      1/2 cup fresh celery, diced

·      1/2 red onion, chopped fine and sautéed in olive oil

·      1/4 cup parsley, chopped fine

·      1/8 red pepper, diced

·      1/4 teaspoon black pepper

·      1/4 teaspoon dry hot pepper

·      1/2 cup mayonnaise

·      1/2 tablespoon deli mustard

·      salt to taste and for the pasta water

·      1 teaspoon fresh Thyme, minced

·      1 tablespoon olive oil

·      1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

                (this cuts the richness of the mayo)

·      1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

·      1/2 cup bacon, crisped and crumbled

cook the pasta to your desired tenderness in salted water (like the sea)

while cooking the pasta, mix all the other ingredients together

drain pasta and add, while hot, to the mixture and stir

refrigerate and serve cold with additional chopped parsley and/or chopped chives