Garlic Scape Pesto and Asparagus Summer Spaetzle

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I've written before about my burgeoning love of German food, so it should be no surprise that Spätzle/Spaetzle was become a popular dinner in the Cleaver household. 

I'll admit that I've yet to find a way of making Spätzle that doesn't make a huge mess (the noodle dough is super sticky!), but I find the end result worth it. The recipe makes a generous amount of noodles (four adult-sized portions) and can be easily doubled. 

Not in garlic scape season? Try substituting in chives, wild garlic leaves, spring/baby garlic or basically anything in the edible allium family like scallions, shallots, or leeks. No fresh asparagus around? Substitute with frozen*, or try green beans, sugar or snow peas, broccoli stems - anything green with a snap. 

*Frozen veggies beat out of season veggies any day in my book. 

Garlic Scape Pesto and Asparagus Summer Spätzle

This bright and delicious combination of German-style spätzle noodles, asparagus, and fresh pesto stands as a light summer meal on its own, or pairs beautifully with sausage, chicken or pork (especially Schnitzel!) for a heartier meal.

Spätzle Dough

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • pinch of salt

Garlic Scape Pesto 

  • 6-8 garlic scapes
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus some for the pan
  • salt to taste

Note: The pesto can be made in advance, if desired.

Vegetables

  • 1 bunch fresh asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces, (about 2-2.5 cups)

Note: There are several methods to "pressing" Spätzle into it's shape. There's a Spätzle press if you have one (I don't). You can also use a potato ricer on the largest holes, "cutting" it from a board, squeezing it from a bag, or my most frequently used method, using a spatula to press it through a large-holed colander.

On/next to your stovetop, prepare the following: a large pot of water set to a rolling boil, a large frying pan oiled with approximately a 2 Tablespoons of olive oil (don't heat it yet), and a large bowl filled with ice water.

Make dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine dough ingredients and let sit for about 15 minutes.

Make pesto (can be done in advance and refrigerated): In food processor, combine scapes and walnuts, pulsing until finely chopped. Add cheese and pulse to mix. Slowly add olive oil until desired consistency is achieved. Add salt to taste.

Using the method of your choice, press dough into the pot of boiling water in batches. Once the noodles begin to float (about 2 minutes) removed with a slotted spoon and place in the ice water. Make the rest of the noodles in the same fashion. Drain the noodles. 

Heat frying pan. If using frozen vegetables, saute them lightly first, then add the drained noodles. If using fresh vegetables, add both noodles and vegetables to the frying pan at the same time. Fry the noodles until golden brown, adding extra oil if it starts sticking to pan. Add the pesto and mix until well distributed. Remove from heat and transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with additional shredded cheese.  

Enjoy!

Adapted from What's for Lunch, Honey? 

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Garlic Scape Pesto and Asparagus Summer Spatzle

Serves 4 Ingredients: 2 cups flour 4 eggs 1/2 cup milk salt to taste 6-8 garlic scapes 1/4 cup walnuts 1/4 cup parmesan cheese 1/4 cup olive oil 1 bunch asparagus
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Got Moxie?

While browsing at my local yarn shop earlier this year, I came upon three colors of Juniper Moon Farm's Zooey piled together in a cubby and thought- what perfect New England colors for summer! When I got it home and placed my purchase next to some Moxie packaging, I realized that it was the perfect Maine summer colors. And so, inspired by the colors of Moxie soda, the official soft drink of Maine, the Moxie shawl is the perfect knit to both make and wear at the beach – whether your beach is in Maine or lands beyond.

Moxie is a traditional top-down triangle shawl that uses a mosaic knitting technique for the colorwork bands. Mosaic knitting creates patterns by using slipped stitches that pull up a strand of color from the row below,  which means you're only dealing with one color in each row and getting a graphic "pop" with little complication. Worked in garter stitch, the shawl is a quick and cozy knit. 

The Moxie pattern can be found in GRAIN - the current issue of Taproot Magazine, available via subscription, their online shop, and at a variety of bookstores and stockists. 

A very special thanks to my testers and to Aimee Chapman for some short-notice modeling! 


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Cherries, Chickadees, and Ms. Billingsley

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We're already halfway through August, which means that I've already got holiday crafting on the brain (not that I'll start on it for months yet, but I'm thinking about it...). For those of you who are a bit more forward-planning, my 2018 holiday design, Chickadee and Pine is now available, along with all my other wintery-woodland designs, to get a kick-start on that crafting. 

I've also got something else new that I'm super excited to share with you - my first sewing pattern! The Ms. Billingsley Apron (named for June Cleaver herself, Barbara Billingsley) is the answer to the question "but what do I do with the embroidery after I've finished it?"

Designed to fit any of my 6" hoop designs, the easy-to-sew, but elegantly finished Ms. Billingsley apron can also be used to show off a single quilt block or panel of a favorite fabric. You can find the pattern as a downloadable PDF (complete with Bowl of Cherries template), or I've assembled some kits featuring the sample fabrics shown above paired with a Bowl of Cherries complete embroidery kit


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Introducing Nerio

Meet Nerio, my latest (and 21st*!) release with Quince & Co. yarns. These quick-knit socks feature a deceptively simple lace pattern reminiscent of dragon scales. Toe-up construction with an afterthought heel keep the knitting flowing so these little beauties will practically hop (or should I say fly?)  off your needles. 

Nerio can be purchased as an individual pattern ($5.50 USD ) or as part of the five-pattern Tern 2018 collection ($18.00) from the following sources:

Ravelry | Ms. Cleaver | Quince & Co.

*And the third to be styled with that skirt!


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Being Comfortable - Part II

Wherein I talk about body image, mental health and making your own clothes, one year later...

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Lazy River Embroidery Collection

Is it possible to be nostalgic for a life you've never lived?

My idea of the perfect summer, for better or worse seems to be heavily colored by Country Time Lemonade commercials and reruns of the Andy Griffith Show that both played in heavy rotation during summer mornings in the late 1980s - I think summer should be swimming holes and floating docks in lakes and, yes, inner-tubing (with real tire inner tubes) down a lazy river. 

I can only recall actually inner-tubing on a real river (instead of, say, at Raging Waters) once - but I wouldn't mind kicking off my sandals, and going for a long float down a shady river. Until that opportunity pops, up I'll content myself with this trio of stitched ladies acting as my proxy. 

Want to stitch up your own lazy summer? Pick your favorite floating beauty or stitch up all three for a summery triptych - each kit comes with a range of five hair tones (silver, blonde, red, light brown, and black) and three skins tones (light, medium, and dark) to personalize your hoop art. 

 

Lazy River - Complete Kits
from $9.00
Materials:
Design:
Quantity:
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Kohlrabi, Apple, and  Walnut Slaw

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This year I signed up for a farmshare (or Community Supported Agriculture) from Crystal Spring Farm, which means I get a box of farm fresh goodies once a week, which I cannot recommend highly enough. It's definitely upped my family's veggie intake and introduced us to some new flavors, as I've vowed to try everything that comes in the box, whether I recognize it or not.

My first new-to-me veggie was kohlrabi - an unusual-looking member of the broccoli family. There are a number of ways to try it ( I'll be trying roasted as fries with a future batch), but so far my family is loving this Kohlrabi, Apple and Walnut slaw, which is a sweet and crisp companion to your summer meals and is a great pairing with pork of all kinds.

Kohlrabi, Apple, and Walnut Slaw

serves 8 (can be easily halved)

Ingredients

  • 2 Kohrabi, greens removed 

  • 2 firm apples (here I used a Gala and a Golden Delicious)

  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped

  • 1 bunch (6-8) red spring onions/scallions (you can use green scallion, the red just adds an additional punch of color)

  • 1/2 cup sunflower or walnut oil

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup

Directions

Chop unpeeled kohlrabi and apples into matchsticks. With the apple, it helps to cut thin slices from the outside of the apple to the center, using the core as a handle. Finely mince scallions.

Set aside a small amount of walnuts and scallions. Combine remaining kohlrabi, apples, walnuts, scallions and fluids in a large mixing bowl and toss to coat. Put in fridge and let rest to deepen flavors. Sprinkle reserved nut and scallions on top before serving cold.

Adapted from Vicky at Things I Made Today on Food 52. 

To print, see button at bottom of post.

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Kohrabi, Apple, and Walnut Slaw

Serves 8 Ingredients: 2 kohlrabi 2 firm apples 1 cup walnuts 1/2 cup sunflower or walnut oil 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 bunch spring onions or scallions
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Knitting Colorwork: Tips & Tricks

I love knitting colorwork. But, for the uninitiated, colorwork can be quite intimidating. How you choose the right colors? Why does it make my gauge all weird and pucker-y??  What do I do with all these ends?!!

Today, I'll be sharing some tips and tricks for success with colorwork. This isn't a be-all, end-all guide, but it should help get you starting on or improving your colorwork skills.

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Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe

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In the past few years, I've had the good fortune to becoming friends with a handful of lovely German women (yay for the Internet!), and, as a result, have become increasingly interested German culture, politics and cuisine. I'm sure my family could do less with me talking about proportional representation in the Bundestag, but they put up with it if I make them Schnitzel, Spätzle, or the all-around favorite, Pretzels (or Brezeln).

Like most yeasted bread products, these need to be kneaded and have time to rise, but if you have the time (and aren't near a German bakery where you can just get them easy-peasy) they're totally worth it. Also, the boiling + bake method that gives pretzels their unique texture it quick and fun to do!

[NB: These are a little underdone in the photos. Proper pretzels should be a more uniform golden brown like the top one in the trio above, but I was in a hurry to get these on the table for supper.  Don't try to blog your dinner before you eat it folks. ] 

Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe

Dough

Makes 6 Pretzels (can be doubled) 

  • 1 cup warm (not hot) water
  • 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 packet quick-rise yeast (1/4 oz)
  • 3 1/4 cups bread flour
  • 1 Tablespoon kosher or sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold butter, diced into small pieces.

Cooking Water

  • 8 cups water
  • 1/2 cup baking soda
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup lager or pale ale 

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Let still until mixture becomes foamy. Using a dough whisk or sturdy wooden spoon, add the flour, salt and butter, stirring until the mixture becomes shaggy. It's okay if not all the butter is worked in yet, the kneading will take care of that.

Roll up your sleeves and turn out your dough onto a floured work surface. Vigorously knead your dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. Return the dough to a clean bowl and cover with a damp towel, letting it rise until doubled in size. (You can do this overnight in the fridge, or on a warm spot on your counter). 

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all cooking water ingredients in a large pot and set to boil. 

Roll out the dough into a long rectangle and cut it into 6 long strips, about an 1" wide each. 

Roll/stretch each strip until it forms a coil about 34" long (I measure them by the length between my fingertips and shoulder joint). Form each coil into a "U", twist the tops, and the press the ends down onto the bottom of the U. 

Line a large baking sheet with parchment and reduce cooking water to a simmer. Boil pretzels one at a time by lowering it gently into the water with a slotted spoon. Remove the spoon and let pretzel cook for about 30 seconds. The pretzel will float to the top as it cooks.  remove pretzel with spoon and place on prepared baking sheet. [NB: The cooking water will form a foam as you cook the pretzels, just scoop it off as needed.]

Sprinkle the pretzels with your salt of choice. 

Bake the pretzels for about 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Let them get nice and golden brown (see note in post).

Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool. Serve warm with mustard and enjoy with the rest of that beer!

Adapted from Olivia's Cuisine

To print, see button at bottom of post.

 

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Homemade Soft Pretzels

Serves 6 Ingredients: 1 cup warm (not hot) water 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar 1 packet quick-rise yeast (1/4 oz) 3 1/4 cups bread flour 1 Tablespoon kosher or sea salt, plus more for sprinkling 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold butter, diced into small pieces. 8 cups water 1/2 cup baking soda 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup lager or pale ale 
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FO Roundup - Spring 2018

One of the most fun parts of being a designer is seeing how others interpret your designs. Spring is in the air, which means there's a lot more linen and short sleeves popping up on the internet - here are a few of my favorite finished objects (FOs) of late. Click on any image to visit the maker's Instagram or Ravelry page!

Want to share your knits with me? Tag me @mscleaver on Instagram, or if it's on Ravelry, I'll see it. :) 

Ripley knit by SkinnyHookerCreations 

Ripley knit by SkinnyHookerCreations 

Reed knit by Chrisstrickt

Reed knit by Chrisstrickt

Atlee knit by Beeweefibers

Atlee knit by Beeweefibers

Atlee knit bu Todoknits

Atlee knit bu Todoknits

Dal knit by Decosphere and clevery adapted to a men's sweater

Dal knit by Decosphere and clevery adapted to a men's sweater

Summer Rain knit by Carie May

Summer Rain knit by Carie May

Summer Rain knit by Carie May

Summer Rain knit by Carie May


Toulouse knit by Bad Apple Betty

Toulouse knit by Bad Apple Betty


Want to make one of your own? Grab the patterns below!


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