Serve with warm naan bread, salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Mix vinegar with water and bring to a boil. Wash peppers, cutting tops of the stem off. Make a smal slit in the bottom and top of each pepper (to allow air to escape). Pack quart jars with peppers, place 1 - 3 cloves of garlic per jar, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pickling spice per jar. Ladle vinegar/water over, leaving a 1/4" headspace (allow time for air to escape insides of peppers, add more vinegar/water as required). Fasten caps securely. Process in water bath for 10 minutes.
Passed an enjoyable Sunday afternoon mixing and matching canning recipes to come up with this one. This makes a salsa with medium heat.
Servings: 5 to 6 pints
Ingredients:
Core tomatoes. Drop tomatoes in boiling water briefly until skins split or pucker around the cored area. Let cool off till you can handle them. Slip the skins off and set aside 4 or 5 tomatoes. Process the rest in an 8 cup measuring bowl using an immersion blender until mostly uniform consistency. Coarsely chop remainder of tomatoes and combine. Cook in large saucepan till foam rises to top. Scoop off foam and any watery juice laying on the surface.
Add all remaining ingredients. Cook for several hours on low heat. Taste occasionally and add more of any ingredient to your taste.
After preparing canning jars, ladle hot salsa into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Follow standard canning procedures.
Serves 4
3- to 5-lb. roasting chicken
3 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
Finely chopped zest of 1 lemon (reserve the lemon itself)
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup mix of chopped fresh basil, thyme and oregano
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 whole lemon
2 heads garlic, cut in half crosswise
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
For the sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
About 3 1/2 cups homemade or low-salt chicken stock
2 Tbs. heavy cream (optional)
If you don't have an open bottle of white wine to use for deglazing the pan, just use some of the lemon juice that gets squeezed over the chicken. This was the main course in a meal with Easy Salad and Best Potatos with Sticky Parsnips - and what a meal it was.
Method
Heat the oven to 450°F. Remove the packet of giblets from the cavity of the chicken (and save for use in a stock if you like -- but don't include the liver, which will make the stock bitter). Pull any loose fat from around the opening. Rinse the chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the outside of the chicken with about 1 Tbs. of the softened butter. Mix the remaining 2 Tbs. butter with the chopped lemon zest and herbs. Rub the butter on the inside of the cavity and under the skin of the breast and thighs. Sprinkle the inside and outside of the bird with the salt and pepper. Brush the garlic halves liberally with the olive oil and reserve.
Put the chicken, breast side up, on a V-shaped rack (or a flat rack) and set the rack in a roasting pan just larger than the rack. Cut the zested lemon in half and partially squeeze both halves over the chicken. Put the lemon halves into the cavity of the chicken. Roast for 15 to 20 min., reduce the heat to 375°F, set the garlic halves in the pan near the chicken, and continue roasting for about 45 min. more for a total of about 1 hour for a 3-lb. chicken. For larger birds, add another 10 min. for each additional pound. The chicken is done when the leg wiggles freely in its joint and when the juices run clear from the thigh when you prick it and from the cavity when you tilt the bird. A thermometer inserted into the lower meaty part of the thigh should register 170°F. Set the chicken on a warm platter, breast side down, and tent with foil to keep it warm while you make the sauce. Remove the rack from the pan.
Make the sauce from the pan drippings. Carve the chicken and serve the meat drizzled with some sauce and with the roasted garlic on the side.
Serves 8
2kg of roasting potatoes
8 medium parsnips
1 bulb of garlic
Small handful of rosemary
Small handful of thyme
Honey
Extra virgin olive oil
These potatoes worked great with a lemon-herb roast chicken and Easy Salad.
Method
Preheat your oven to 200oC/fan 180oC/gas 6.
Peel your potatoes and parsnips. Cut your parsnips in half and put to one side. Chop the potatoes up into kinda squash-ball-sized pieces. Place into a pot of cold, seasoned water, and bring to the boil. As soon as it begins to simmer, add your parsnips and par-cook for 5 minutes, then drain well. When they've steamed dry, put them into a large roasting tray and push the potatoes to one side and the parsnips to the other.
Bash your bulb of garlic and, leaving the skins on, sprinkle over the veg. Then, sprinkle the potatoes with the rosemary and the parsnips with the thyme and some honey. Then drizzle enough olive oil over to coat the veg lightly. Then, with your fingers, almost dress the parsnips in all the lovely flavour and keep to one side, and do the same for the potatoes.
Season well to taste, and place in the oven for around 30-40 minutes or until golden and crisp. Feel free to cook earlier and reheat later; they'll still taste fantastic.
A simple but tasty recipe for dressing courtesy of Jamie Oliver.
A lemon
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the halves into a glass bowl. Pick out any pips and then cover with three times as much olive oil as there is lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and whisk or stir well before using.
Fresh Figs
Prosciutto Ham
Buffalo Mozzarella
Purple or Green Basil leaves
Honey & Lemon Juice Dressing
The constant success of this recipe is due to the common-sense marriage of salty Prosciutto ham, milky buffalo mozzarella and sweet figs, which obviously need to be of a good quality. The best figs to use are Italian and the best time to buy them is June to August when they are in season. Greek figs are a good second-best and are in season from September to November. The best figs always seem to be those that are about to split their skins. Use green or black figs - it doesn't really matter.
Method
One thing I do is to criss-cross the figs but not quite to the bottom - 1 fig per person is always a good start. Then, using your thumbs and forefingers, squeeze the base of the fig to expose the inside. At this point you'll think, 'Oooh, that looks nice, I think I'm quite clever ...' or at least I do. More importantly, it allows your dressing to get right into the middle of the fig. All these little things really help to make a salad special. Simply place the figs in a dish, weave around 1 slice of Parma ham or prosciutto per fig, throw in some slices of buffalo mozzarella, rip over some green or purple basil and drizzle everything with the honey and lemon juice dressing. As far as salads go, it's pretty damn sexy.
PS It's a good idea to have some spare bread on the table to mop up the juices - always a treat!!
I made this last night in mid-March, which is not peak season for fresh figs. Instead, I substituted for dried figs sliced in half, and some Bosc pair chunks that had been steamed in a dry Riesling - works just the same!!
This completed our 1st anniversary meal nicely. Essentially this is a recipe for creme brulee without the brulee. Best presented in a rustic coffee cup.
Yield: 6
Large, ovenproof pan, at least 1 inch deep that will hold all 6 cups without touching each other or the pan sides
Large heatproof jug of at least 3 cup capacity
Hot water, just at a simmer
6 ramekins or custard cups
Heavy saucepan
Fine-meshed strainer or sieve
3 cups (750ml) light cream
2 whole eggs & 4 yolks
1/3 cup (85ml) coffee beans
1/3 cup (85ml) well-packed Muscovado
pinch of salt
whipping cream
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325?F (160?C) with rack in center position.
Step 2
Place 6 ramekins or ovenproof cups in baking pan and set aside.
Step 3
In a heavy saucepan, bring cream just to the boil. Remove from heat, add coffee beans, cover and steep for 15 minutes.
Step 4
In a large bowl, gently combine eggs, Muscovado, and salt until the sugar is dampened and there are no sugar lumps left.
Step 5
Suspend the fine-meshed strainer or sieve over the jug. To remove beans, strain the cream through the sieve into the jug.
Step 6
Slowly pour the cream into the egg mixture while stirring. Strain the entire mixture back into the jug to remove any foam.
Step 7
Fill ramekins each two-thirds full. Add hot water to pan until half way up the ramekins. Cover pan lightly with aluminum foil.
Step 8
Bake 30 minutes until cr?me is almost done. Your pots de cr?me is almost done when the center of the custard is just set and gives a little wiggle when shaken and the tops appear dark and shiny.
Step 9
Remove from oven and remove foil. Let cool in water bath then chill cups in refrigerator overnight to complete setting. Allowing the pots to remain in the water for approximately 30 minutes after cooking assures the pots de cr?me continue to cook subtly while retaining their moist, soft texture.
Before serving, garnish with whipped cream, a coffee bean and a sprinkling of Muscovado. Enjoy!
Continue reading "Muscovado Pots de Creme"
The main course for our dinner au deux. Very sumptuous, very fun, but also very messy!
Yield: 4
Ingredients:
* 2 x 1 lb. live lobster
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* Light Lemon Chive Dipping sauce (optional)
Directions:
1. Fill large deep pot with enough salted water (1 tbsp/15 mL salt per 4 cups/1 L water) to completely cover lobsters; bring to full rolling boil over high heat.
2. Grasp back of each lobster; plunge headfirst into water.
3. Cover and return to boil.
4. Start cooking time when water boils; reduce to bubbly simmer.
5. Cook each lobster for 10 minutes for first pound (500 g) and 1 minute for each additional 4 ounces (125 g) or until lobster is bright red and small leg comes away easily when twisted and pulled.
6. Remove meat from lobster, discarding shells and setting meat aside or dipping into butter to eat as you proceed.
7. First, twist off claws at joint at body; separate into claw and arm sections.
8. Break off smaller part of claw and remove meat with lobster pick or nut pick.
9. Using lobster cracker or nutcracker, crack larger part of claw at widest part; lift out meat.
10. Crack arm; pick out meat.
11. Separate tail piece from body by twisting apart.
12. Bend tail backward and break off flippers; pick out meat from flippers.
13. Using kitchen shears or steak knife, cut through shell along underside of tail to expose meat.
14. With fingers or fork, pry meat from shell.
15. Remove and discard intestinal vein (if any).
16. Holding legs and inner section of body pull off back shell.
17. Remove and eat red coral (if any) and green tomalley (liver).
18. Insert thumbs in inner body and pry apart to separate half lengthwise; extract any meat.
19. Break off legs; suck out juice and meat.
Continue reading "Classic Lobster"
This recipe was adapted from Christine Cushing's recipe. This was our appetizer for our anniversary. I substituted spinach leaves for a julienned green mango and added a few items.
Yield: 4
Ingredients:
Dressing
baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup lime juice (60 ml)
1/4 tsp cumin (1 ml)
2 tbsp vegetable oil (30 ml)
2 tbsp rice vinegar (30 ml)
salt to taste
1 to 2 tsp. honey (5 ml to 10 ml)
Salad
1 ripe mango, cubed
1/4 cup brazil nuts (unsalted and unshelled), chopped coarsley (60 ml)
1/4 cup broccoli sprouts
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, cubed
2 scallions, green only, sliced
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh mint (7 ml)
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (30 ml)
Seed Crusted Shrimp
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (unsalted and unshelled), chopped coarsley (60 ml)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard (30 ml)
salt and pepper, to taste
12 medium shrimp, peeled
Directions:
Dressing
Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Salad
Combine the mango, brazil nuts, carrot, red onion, apple, scallions, mint and coriander in a large bowl and toss with dressing. Add sprouts. Serve with Seed Crusted Shrimp.
Seed Crusted Shrimp
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Butterfly the shrimp by cutting down the centre back of the shrimp being careful to not cut all of the way through. Open the shrimp and flatten the two halves so that is resembles a butterfly. Remove the vein.
Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Brush just the tops of the shrimp with Dijon (the part of the shrimp just butterflied). Then dredge in coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds to create a coating on one side. Transfer shrimp, coating side up, to prepared baking sheet. Bake in oven until shrimp are just cooked through, about 10 to 13 minutes. Serve with Mango Salad.
Had these at the farm over Thanksgiving. Very tasty! Courtesy of MarthaStewart.com
Makes 1 cup
Pumpkin seeds must be completely dried out in the oven before combining with spices. Whether for cooking or carving, choose an unblemished pumpkin that feels heavy for its size; it will store well, uncarved, at room temperature, for up to a month.
1 medium pumpkin
5 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch cayenne pepperto taste
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1. Preheat oven to 250?. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut pumpkin open from the bottom, removing seeds with a long-handled spoon. Separate flesh from seeds, and reserve the flesh for another use (see Pumpkin Pie). Pumpkin should yield 1 cup seeds. Spread seeds on parchment in an even layer. Bake until dry, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Let cool.
2. In a medium bowl combine 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook until sugar melts and the pumpkin seeds begin to caramelize, about 45 to 60 seconds. Transfer to bowl with spices, and stir well to coat. Let cool. These may be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
2 to 3 tablespoons coarsely crushed black pepper
8 small loin lamb chops (or 2 large chops)
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves
Place pepper on plate and press each chop firmly into pepper and press in with your hands. In a heavy frying pan (I use my cast-iron frying pan) over medium-high heat, add olive oil and heat. Add peppered lamb chops and sear on both sides. Sprinkle lamb chops with salt. Reduce heat to medium (do not degrease the pan). Add beef stock and lemon juice; continue to cook until the chops reach the desired doneness, approximately 2 to 3 minutes for medium rare and an internal thermometer registers 125?F. (use a meat thermometer to test for doneness).
Remove lamb chops to an oven-safe platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in a 200?F oven until ready to serve (needs to let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving). NOTE: During this time the meat continues to cook (meat temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees after it is removed from the heat source) and the juices redistribute.
Continue to cook the sauce, scraping any pieces of meat off the bottom of the pan and stirring them into the sauce. Let the liquid boil until liquid is reduced to a shiny glaze. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and fresh rosemary.
Remove lamb chops from the oven. Add any lamb juices to the sauce. Spoon sauce over chops and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
