Brand New Pair of Roller Skates

Presenting Roxie's, CH Deep Acres Apple of My Eye, new pups. Almost 4 weeks old. Papa is ICH Alilah Jackanory bred by prominent UK fanciers.

Grilled Bread and Marinated Tomato Salad

Enjoying all the local foods this summer and this recipe is a perfect summer meal.

Grilling the bread for this panzanella (bread salad) adds a slight smokiness and crunch. Marinate the tomatoes ahead of time so all you have to do is grill the bread and assemble the salad to serve.



Grilled Bread and Marinated Tomato Salad

1 (or 2 or 3) garlic clove(s), smashed
Salt
2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Freshly ground pepper
1 loaf country bread (12 ounces), sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 bunches arugula (6 ounces each), stems discarded
5 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled (1 1/4 cups)

On a cutting board, using the flat side of a chef's knife, mash the garlic clove to a paste with a pinch of salt; transfer to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, onion, vinegar and the 3/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture stand at room temperature, stirring a few times, for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.

Light a grill. Brush the bread with olive oil and grill over high heat until toasted and lightly charred in spots, 1 minute per side. Let cool slightly, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Add the bread and arugula to the tomatoes along with the ricotta salata and toss to combine. Serve right away.

Beautiful Mushrooms and Tibetan Terriers

Sherpa, CH Deep Acres Autumn Splendor

Were you wondering at all what we did with those beautiful morel mushrooms?

Well, before I tell you I just have to share these beautiful pics of my boy Sherpa, CH Deep Acres Autumn Splendor, in the the ring at the 2011 national specialty show.

Sherpa strutting his stuff

Now as for those mushrooms, we made fresh pasta. It was delish! A beautiful-hearty stew-like pasta.

Homemade Pasta with Morel Sauce

Pasta:
2 cups AP flour
Dash salt
6 Tblsp. water
1.5 Tblsp. Olive Oil
5 large egg yolks
water for boiling (6 quarts)

Sauce:
Olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 shallot, sliced thin (we used wild ramps!)
3 cloves garlic, minced
large handful fresh morel mushrooms (about 1.5 cups) cleaned and halved
1 tsp. dried thyme
pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
salt & pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups vegetable stock
toasted pine nuts and parmesan for serving



combine flour and dash of salt in food processor (we used the KitchenAid mixer with dough hook and finished combining with our hands/paws). combine water, olive oil and egg yolks and stir well with a whisk. with processor running, pour egg mixture in through the chute, processing just until dough forms a ball. turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knead 5 ties. shape into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

pat dough into a rectangle approx. 8" x 3", 1 " thick. Divide into 8 equal portions. working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), divide dough into 14 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms to form a 2 inch strand. put strands on a well floured pan. repeat with remaining dough.

boil 6 quarts of water. Shake excess flour off pasta and add to boiling water, cooking until done, about 1.5-2 minutes. Drain.

heat olive oil in large skillet over med. high heat. Add onion, sautee for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. make a clear spot in pan, add garlic and thyme, cook for about a minute, then add salt & pepper. Add morel mushrooms, reduce heat, cover and cook for about 4 minutes. remove cover, and cook about 2 minutes until liquid almost evaporates. clear a spot in the pan, add tomato paste, cook about a minute, then stir tomato paste in with mushroom mixture. Stir in 1 cup of veggie broth. cook for 8 minutes until very thick. add rest of veggie broth, cook for 4 minutes more until slightly thick. Turn off heat and toss sauce with cooked pasta. serve topped with toasted pine nuts and grated parmesan.

Enjoy!

What It Feels Like For a Puli

My new look for summer

Their Place in the Country

Eliot and Alexandra Angle, interior designers from Los Angeles, built a wood-shingled house inspired by local barns in a remote corner of Nova Scotia. The share the cottage with their daughter, Elefe, now 3, and their Tibetan terriers, Sturtevant and Augustus.

Michigan Morels and Ramps

Morels to make Martha Stewart proud

Ramp tops

Alert: Please Leave Pets At Home In Hot Weather, Not in Your Car

Overheating Kills

With summer upon us, temperatures around the nation have been rising and nothing makes me more mad me than discovering a helpless pet locked in a hot car on a warm day - even if the windows are open. WHAT IN THE HECK are these people thinking!?!

Point Number One: Even on a relatively milld 85 degree day, it only takes 10 minutes for the inside of your car to reach 102 degrees - even when the windows have been left open an inch or two. Within 30 minutes a car's interior can actually reach a staggering 120 degrees. Your car is now an oven.

Point Number Two: Even if the temperature outside is a pleasant 70 degrees, the inside of your car may be as much as 20 degrees hotter. Parking your car in shade does not offer protection on a hot day because the sun moves.

Point Number Three: While humans have sweat glands all over our bodies that help regulate our body heat, dogs cool down mostly by panting, which is much less efficient than sweating. In only a short amount of time, a dog with a high body temperature can suffer critical damage to his nervous system, heart, liver and brain.