Book Review: I'm a Hare So There!

 

 

Julie Rowan-Zoch has written and illustrated a delightful romp through a North American desert with her picture book, I’m a Hare So There! published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The bold title does not disappoint; the hare spiritedly discusses identifying names and characteristics with his desert friend. A predator stalks the friends to a climax. Ms. Rowan-Zoch includes a collection of facts and a find and seek game in the end papers. The illustrations and language are so colorful and fun that one might not even notice that one is learning.

Learn more about Julie Rowan-Zoch

Learn more about Colorado lagomorphs, rabbits and hares, here: Colorado's Small Mammals

Support your local bookstore The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop

If the seek and find proves illusive, please contact Ms. Rowan-Zoch.

Oatmeal Pear Scone

 

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

1 Tablespoon baking powder

3 Tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ cup of butter or 4 Tablespoons butter

4 pears, peeled and sliced

2 eggs

1/3 cup cream

Directions: Mix together all the dry ingredients, stirring to mix. Cut in butter. Cut pears into pieces and add to mixture, including any additional juice. Break eggs into a separate bowl. Add cream to eggs. Mix with a fork. Add the egg and cream mixture to the oatmeal pear mixture. Grease a 9.5-inch pie pan with butter and dust with flour. Pour mixture into the greased and floured pie pan. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes. Scone will be golden brown; let cool so that juices may be reabsorbed.

Serves 6-8 people.

Notes: This is a nice way to use late summer produce. 

Chunky Garden Tomato Soup

 

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic

5 medium slicing tomatoes

2 cherry tomatoes

4 inches dried baguette

4 Tablespoons grate mozzarella or Parmesan cheese

Directions: Pour olive oil into smaller sauce pan. Slice garlic and add to olive oil. Sauté until golden. Slice tomatoes into chunks and add to the olive oil and garlic. Stir and cook until hot or just boiling. Remove from heat. Add pepper. Tomatoes and cheese are naturally salty so it is fine to omit salt. Slice dried baguette into chunks and divide into bowls. Ladle soup over bread and then top with cheese.

Serves 2 people or 4 servings as a side or cup.

Notes: Thank you to the brother and sister-in-law for the garden tomatoes.

Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

2 medium slicing tomatoes, approximately 8 ounces

8 ounces of mozzarella, approximately

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Lavender Pepper

Directions: Slice the tomatoes into cubes. Slice the mozzarella into small cubes. Combine the tomatoes and mozzarella in a bowl. Toss. Add the olive oil and toss again. Both tomatoes and mozzarella are naturally salty so it is not necessary to salt the salad. A couple of grinds of lavender pepper, make the mixture delicious. The measures in this salad are estimates. The ratio of tomatoes to mozzarella is roughly 1 to 1.

Serves 4 people

Notes: Thank you to the brother-in-law for the gift of garden tomatoes.

Parsley Salad with Red Onion and Mandarin Dressing

 

1 bunch of Italian or flat leaf parsley

3 cherry tomatoes

1 small red onion

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 fresh sweet mandarin or tangerine

Salt and pepper

Directions: Wash parsley in cold water and pat dry. Using a sharp knife cut the leaves from the stems, until you have approximately 2 cups of parsley leaves. Reserve the stems for another use. It is not necessary to dice the leaves as they are in bite size portions. Wash cherry tomatoes and dry. Slice the tomatoes. Place parsley and tomatoes in a salad bowl and toss.

Red onion and mandarin dressing

If onion is recently from the ground wash and remove outer skin; otherwise simply remove the outer skin. Dice onion. Place olive oil and onion in small pan and sauté. Cut the mandarin in half. When onion is limp, squeeze the mandarin juice into the onion and olive oil. Stir and cook for a minute longer; cool slightly and pour on greens and tomatoes.

Serves 2 people.

Notes: This is a refreshing summer salad.