Ham with Honey Mustard Glaze

Ingredients
–   1 cup honey
–   1/3 cup butter
–   3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
–   3/4 teaspoon dry mustard (high quality)
–   2 tablespoons orange juice
–   1/4 cup whole garlic cloves
–   1 ham of choice 

Directions
Preheat oven to 325° F.
Place ham in roasting pan fat side up; the melting fat will baste your ham. Turn ham over half way through baking to avoid uneven salting from the brine in the meat. If roasting a ham that is not precooked, bake for approximately 20-30 minutes per pound. If the ham is precooked, follow the label directions for cooking times.

While ham is roasting, combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium heat and bring to a full boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and cook one minute.

Remove ham from oven prior to the last 30 minutes of baking. Cover ham with glaze. Glaze ham every 10 minutes during last 30 minutes of baking. Serve remaining glaze with ham.  
Serves about 10 depending on size of ham.
 

Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

Directions
Wash and snap the ends off the asparagus. Steam asparagus for approximately 4-5 minutes, or just until tender crisp. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a blender, combine egg yolks, seasonings, and lemon juice. While machine is on, drizzle in melted butter. Mixture will thicken. Add additional seasonings to reach desired taste.
Pour on asparagus and serve immediately.

 

Country Potato Salad

Ingredients
–   6 russet potatoes, large – cooked, peeled, and diced
–   4 eggs – hardboiled, peeled, and chopped
–   2 onions, medium – peeled and grated
–   1 cup celery – diced
–   1 cup salad dressing
–   2 tablespoons cider vinegar
–   1/4 cup pickle relish (sweet)
–   1/4 cup pimento – diced
–   1 tablespoon prepared mustard
–   1 teaspoon celery salt
–   2 teaspoons sugar
–   1/3 cup stuffed green olives – chopped (optional)
  fresh parsley sprigs (optional)
 

Directions
Cook the potatoes; then cool, peel, and dice.
Hard boil the eggs; then cool, peel, and chop.
Peel the onions and grate or chop fine.
Dice the celery fine.
Add the chopped potatoes, eggs, onions, and celery to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the ingredients for the dressing.
Blend together the salad dressing, vinegar, pickle relish, pimento, mustard, celery salt, and sugar; then pour this sauce over the potato mixture and toss.
Cover the salad and refrigerate it for at least 1-2 hours for the flavors to blend properly. You may garnish the potato salad with olives and fresh sprigs of parsley for added flavor and color.

 

Spinach-Strawberries Salad

 

This salad has the fresh flavors of spring with the contrasted toasted crunch of almonds.

8 cups fresh spinach leaves, stems removed, washed
1 pint of fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
4 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
Dash nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Dry spinach leaves and tear into bite-size pieces; place in serving bowl and toss with strawberries and almonds.

Combine remaining ingredients in small dish, whisk thoroughly.

Toss salad with salad with dressing and serve immediately.

Servings: 8
 
 
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

 

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9×4-inch loaf pan. Place the butter in a bowl and  beat on medium speed until creamy, 2-3 minutes.

Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is very pale–almost white–and has doubled in volume, 4-5 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together the flour and salt into a bowl, then sift together again into another bowl. Add the poppy seeds.

Gradually add the sifted mixture to the butter mixture, beating until smooth. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto a rack, lift off the pan and let cool completely. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the top.

Serves 8