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I love this time of year. Cool weather, citrus is in season, and my favorite crop is ready, Florida strawberries. Sweet, juicy, and abundant, these delectable treats are  available everywhere. Every trip to the farmers market, produce stand, or even grocery store means a couple of quarts coming home with me. It's a good thing my wife enjoys them as much as I do, otherwise I wouldn't be able to eat everything that will be made in the kitchen during the next few months. Ingredients: 1 cup flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup oil 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup half and half 1/4 cup milk 1 cup coarse chopped Florida strawberries Place a cast iron wedge pan into the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Allow 20 minutes to stabilize. Mix all in ingredients. in a large bowl. Batter will be slightly thick and sticky. Carefully  remove pan from oven, it will be

Meatballs are great side items that are very versatile: spaghetti, quick sandwich, even as a main course. They are great. This recipe will even help you get rid of some leftover items in the pantry. Instead of bread crumbs, I used finely chopped french fried onions, left over from the green bean casserole from the holidays. Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef 1/2 pound ground pork 2 cloves garlic minced 1 egg 1/2 cup finely diced  crispy fried onions 1/4 cup half and half 1 teaspoon chopped parsley 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls. Saute in a large skillet to brown the meatballs on all sides. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Serve over spaghetti with some garlic toast. Enjoy! .

As a child growing up, I was a very picky eater. Butter, cheese, and a host of other delicious morsels were off limits to my palate. The only way mom could get me to eat mac and cheese was topping it with ketchup. However, with maturity, I am making up for lost tastes. This dish is a nod to the past with a tasty twist. Ingredients; 12 slices of thick sliced bacon 1 stick unsalted butter 2 cups heavy cream 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese 2 cups mild cheddar cheese 2 cups Mexican cheese blend 1/4 cup good quality Parmesan cheese 1 chunk  Parmesan rind 1/2 cup diced green pepper 1/2 cup diced red pepper 1/2 cup diced mild Hatch chilies 1 jalapeno diced with seeds removed 1/2 cup sweet onion 3 thin sliced scallions (for topping) 2 tablespoons sun dried tomato paste 1 1/2 pounds of elbow macaroni Start by boiling macaroni in a large stock pot of water with the parmesan rind added. No salt is needed, the rind provides enough. Cook until al dente, drain, then sent aside.

To me, nothing says comfort food like turkey. Turkey with potatoes, cold turkey sandwiches, hot turkey sandwiches, you get the point. Normally, I roast a turkey breast with a bacon weave. This self-basts the bird and makes it very moist. The downside is you are left with more bacon grease than turkey drippings, which doesn't make the best gravy.  For sandwiches, I go a more traditional route. Begin by chopping vegetables for the gravy base. I use three sticks of celery, two large carrots, a small sweet onion, a clove of garlic, and a teaspoon of parsley. Add the veggies to the bottom of a roasting pan, then add two cups of chicken broth. Now to prepare the turkey breast. Rinse the breast well and pat dry. Place on a roasting rack and brush with melted butter. Lightly season with herbs de provence. Use the spices sparingly, they can be quite strong. Bast the turkey about every 30 to 45 minutes with melted butter. After about two hours, check for brownin

Here in Florida, we are just one day away from the official start of summer. It has been a rainy couple of weeks, so a lot of time has been spent indoors. A few days ago, we came home with a large supply of tomatoes. I checked the wild tomato plant we have growing out back and found a another dozen ripe on the vine. What to do? Homemade soup came to mind. Start by roasting several different tomatoes in one tablespoon Tuscan herb infused olive oil. Place the fruit in a cast iron pan and place on a hot charcoal grill with a few chunks of hickory. Roast for about 10 minutes until the skins start to peel. Remove from heat and let cool. Remove all the skins from the tomatoes. Put back on the grill, add a roasted red pepper and grill for five more minutes.  Remove and let cool for ten minutes.  Seed tomatoes and put them in a food chopper. Process until a fine paste forms. Add roasted pepper and process again until smooth. Strain toma

My brother lived in Lompoc, CA years ago. Whenever we discussed grilling, he would always talk about tri-tip. Here in sunny Florida, I had no idea what he was talking about. I would ask at the local grocery meat department and they didn't carry it. Finally I went to visit his family and he grilled his famous tri-tip. I was hooked. I'm glad he grilled two because I think I ate a whole one. Finally, in the last few years I have been able to find it at my local grocery store and have been trying to perfect my grilling of this tasty treat. Fast forward to last Valentine's Day, when my wife and I happened to walk into 4 Rivers Smokehouse. Tri-tip was on the menu, so I had to order it. It was unbelievable. After talking with the staff, and purchasing John River's book, I found we had a similar grilling style, the difference was his Coffee Rub. I won't even try to duplicate it; I just buy it from them. Start by covering the steak with a light coating of the 4 R

Sometimes I just want comfort food. Country fried steak takes me back to my grandma's kitchen. This is a great recipe with the unexpected twist of sun dried tomatoes in the gravy and marinade. Start by making the marinade. In a zip top bag add: 1/2 cup beef broth 1 teaspoon sun dried tomato spread 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Shake bag to mix well. Add cube steak and let rest for 30 minutes. While meat is marinating, start making the gravy. In a skillet, add 2 tablespoons​ butter and two tablespoons flour. Heat over a low heat until the butter melts, making a thick roux. Add: 2 cups beef broth 2 tablespoons sun dried tomato spread 1 finely diced roasted red pepper 2 packets no-salt added beef bouillon  Heat and stir until gravy thickens. In  two bowls, add  half a cup of flour in one and two beaten eggs in the other. Remove steaks from bag and lightly pat