This recipe can be added to my sheaf of successful * non recipes*, because it is supremely forgiving when it comes to preferred ingredients and technique.
It’s also very retro, comforting and perfect for this early Autumn moment. Who’s Mom or Grandma didn’t make these for a family dessert? Maybe we were just lucky, but then baked apples came into the dessert rotation in the Fall, we were always ready!
INGREDIENTS
6 Large apples suitable for baking , like Honeycrisp , Granny Smith, Pink Lady or Wolf River
1 cup Raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup lt brown sugar or could use maple syrup
Cinnamon to taste, pinch of sea salt.
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
2 tb soft butter
Combine all to create a crumble and set aside.
Carefully core the apples, taking care not to punch through the bottom the apple. The goal is to fit about 4 TB of filling into the apple. Any apple flesh you can dig out that is not core may be chopped and added backing the crumble.
Stuff the apples with the crumble, then bake on a buttered pan fitting the apples snugly together so they stay upright. Add a bit of water and cover tightly with foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for25 minutes, then remove the foil to add crispness to the top and bake until desired doneness. Test with a toothpick.
This is spectacular served with a vanilla ice cream or gelato.
This is a wonderful take on a Wild Blueberry Chutney.
Probably a little different from Molly’s, but hard to lose if you’re using fresh wild blueberries ,in season, from Maine!
This recipe doubles well or scale it up because it keeps well in the fridge. ALSO Makes a lovely hostess gift:
Photo Credit Laura Cabot
INGREDIENTS
4 cups of fresh wild Maine blueberries
1 minced, white onion or shallot
1/2 cup of cider vinegar, red wine vinegar also works well
1/2 cup, packed dark brown sugar
1 TB fresh grated ginger
1 tsp. yellow mustard seed
1/2 tsp. Ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. Fresh ground pink pepper
A pinch of salt
METHOD
Combine all ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
Bring this mixture to a gently boil. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.
True down the flame, let it simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes.
It’s done when the berries burst. And the mixture reduces into a glossy, jammy texture.
Let this cool and store in a glass jar, refrigerated.
Delicious with roasted meats, poultry or try it on a warmed wheel of brie with crackers!
If there’s a soup perfect for these ultra hot days, my Grandma Marad’s chilled and tart, creamy yet acidic Eastern European Schav soup. It fits the bill on many summer evenings.
Made of potato, lots of sorrel and good homemade stock, you’ll find it refreshing, filling and terribly “of the moment.”
Serve it ice cold on a hot summer day . We prefer it prepared with a strong chicken stock.
TRADITIONAL CHILLED SCHAV makes a pot full!
INGREDIENTS
SORREL, 1# WASHED AND TRIMMED OF ANY TOUGH STEMS.
APPROX. 6 CUPS SPRING WATER
A LARGE SWEET ONION, CHOPPED
ONE STALK OF LOVAGE, CHOPPED, optional , I have it in my garden…
3 TB UNSALTED BUTTER
2 TB SUGAR, OPTIONAL
JUICE OF ONE LEMON , SQUEEZED.
2 LARGE EGGS SEPERATED. WE’LL USE JUST THE YOLKS
METHOD
Choose a heavy Dutch oven and melt the butter. Add the onion, then after a quick sauté, add the roughly chopped sorrel. Salt and cover to wilt. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly, then use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.
Season with sugar, lemon juice, white pepper to taste.It really is individual.
Temper the egg yolks by beating them in a small bowl. Set aside 2 cups of cooled soup and whisk the yolks vigorously into the cooled soup, then back into the pot of cooled soup. This should thicken the soup and give it a silky texture.
Refrigerate once the soup is completely cool, chill for a day.
Garnish with sour cream or creme fraiche and fresh chopped dill.
Technically a vegetable, Rhubarb is most often used with sugar to make desserts. Classically, it is paired with strawberries. I am not a fan, and prefer the zing of lemon zest and candied ginger in mine. Vanilla too and lots of it! When adding the vanilla I always dab a little behind my ears like a real country gal.
INGREDIENTS AND TECHNIQUE FOR THE FILLING
Begin by gathering your rhubarb, disgard the leaves outside. They’re poisonous, so compost them. Wash the stalks, and then chop it into chunks, not too small or it disappears.I prefer texture. I generally do not peel mine as I enjoy the pink color.
Once chopped, place in a large bowl, mix with white sugar ( for 6 cups of fruit, use 1 cup of sugar. Then add 2 TB vanilla, a pinch of salt, 1/2 cup chopped candied ginger, a grate or nutmeg and the zest of one half lemon. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup of instant tapioca. Mix well and let this bloom for about an hour. Stir once or twice.
PREPARE THE BAKING DISH
Use a bit of butter to grease the dish and make sure it’s deep enough. PRO TIP: Place it on a parchment cover sheet pan to easily clean up spills. They are messy.
CRISPY CUMBLE
A streusel recipe is a personal thing. Mine has buttery chunks, rolled oats, pieces of walnuts, flour, cinnamon and brown sugar. I’ll bet you have a favorite. Use that recipe and put on as much as you like on the top.
BAKE
@350 degrees for an hour or until bubbly around the edges and golden brown.
SERVE
6-8 with vanilla ice cream…..unsweetened Greek yoghurt works well for those of us trying to eat lighter. Ideally served warm.
Enjoy the glorious month of June and see you in July!
Gochujang packs a funky, complex punch with salty, smoky and spicy notes. It is a red chili paste which is fermented. I don’t always have the time to make it traditionally, which may require a trip to a speciality grocer or natural foods store and a couple of months to ferment. The weather must not be too hot, which is one reason the making of traditional Gochujang is done in Springtime.
I’m including a short cut recipe here, dynamite on rice bowls and in stews. I’m also including an image of a store bought version that I consider VERY GOOD!
Using it requires you to mix it with vinegar, sugar or Maple, water and Tamari , which is the best way to add the right amount to your rice bowl.
Here’s how it’s done. This is a Vegan recipe and offers a few shortcuts, if you don’t have 2 months to wait for a true ferment:
INGREDIENTS:
MISO PASTE
MAPLE SYRUP
KOREAN CHILI FLAKES
TAMARI SOY SAUCE
A HEAD OF GARLIC, minced
Mix them all together and play with the ratio of sweet, salty, hot and garlicy.
Give it a try and you may be so impressed that you decide to try making it the old fashioned way!
So, it’s been a week since my heart attack. The heart attack that happened after I suggested to my doctor that I needed a baseline stress test. Actually happened right on the tread mill! My own suggestion and I pushed to move it forward at least 2 months. Now please I said, not scheduled for summer. It’s been a good thing.
This soup has been a comforting and nurturing presence for me as I rebuild my strenght. It’s also wonderfully appropriate for April’s cool and rainy days.
I call this AMERICA’S RAMEN BOWL! Classic chicken noodle .
I always start with a very good chicken, the size doesn’t matter, from the natural foods store, rinse it and cover it with spring water in a big pot.
Add fresh bay, garlic aplenty, a rough chopped onion, carrot and celery. Salt and pepper. Stew it slowly, letting the bird perfume the house. When it temps as done, let the pot cool, then lift the bird out to pick the poached meat off. Skim the fat off the top .I save all the bones but not skin.
Set aside the meat, you’ll likely have extra so made chicken salad or tetrazzini . I return the bones to the pot with the stock, you can roast them in the oven first, if you like a deeper flavor in the broth. Add additional stock if needed to cover the carcass. Add 2 tbs. of vinegar and let the pot come to a gentle boil. Let it cook for hours for a nourishing bone broth and to cook off the vinegar taste. Vinegar pulls lots of nutrients from the bones.
Once you strain off the stock, set it aside. Disgard the bones. Chop garlic, onion, celery and carrots to return to the pot. No oil is needed. Bring to a simmer while you chop the meat you’ll return to the soup pot. Add that in and season with salt and pepper. I like a bit of turmeric to make it golden.
I use broken linguini noodles for the soup and cook them separately, adding them back in as I reheat the soup. I put in some starchy water too to build the broth. This keeps the noodles from getting too soft.
To finish each serving, I have lots of freshly chopped parsley for the top, to boost the goodness.
So, eat well, listen to your doctor, but also, listen to yourself. You’re more tuned in than you may think! And you’re your own best advocate.
Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish, typically a supporting role for the traditional corned beef and cabbage meal often cooked at Saint Patrick’s Day.
It’s dish of creamy mashed potato and a cooked, chopped greens. My preference is kale. This dish can be elevated by the addition of extra cream and/or butter and sometimes bacon. To change it up, you can sub in some parsnip for part of the potatoes, adding sweetness. I like adding chives at the very end. If you look hard enough in your winter garden, you may actually see a few beginning to sprout, if your chives grow in a protected and sunny spot. Chives are dependably one the of the first things a spring garden can offer.
The recipe is forgiving, so here we go, serves six
INGREDIENTS
3 pounds russet potato, peeled, rough chop
3 packed cups of chopped kale
Salt and pepper , to taste
1 cup chopped scallion
2/3 stick of butter
1 1/2 cups of light cream
Chives, crispy bacon are optional garnishes
METHOD
Boil the potatoes, drain. Mash with cream and seasonings. Set aside.
Melt butter in a pan , add and cook the greens and scallion with a bit of salt, tossing until tender and bright.
Add the greens mixture to the mashed potato, stirring well. Adjust the seasonings and add a bit more cream for proper consistency.
Turn into a covered casserole and keep warm. Top with chopped chives at the last moment. You’ll feel the luck of the Irish after trying this dish!
The name means “re-boiled”, the flavor…out of this world. On the heartiness level, we give it a 10. It is essentially a country vegetable soup.
While preparing a pot of this luscious soup requires a bit of time ,gathering and chopping, the rewards are well worth it.
Nutritious, satisfying and flavorful, you can steer the result into the vegetarian sector or make it with a meaty beef soup bone.
Traditionally served over a slice of Tuscan bread, remember that this soup is largely vegetable so it doesn’t need to cook forever. If you choose to use a beef bone, cook that ahead to break it down and to make your bone broth so the rest of the ingredients don’t suffer. Did you know that boiling bones with a bit of vinegar draw out the bone essence? And the flavor cooks off, so no worries!
Here are my list of ingredient contenders : lots of garlic, minced, onion, celery, carrot chopped. Rutabega, cabbage and celeriac , medium dice. You’ll add a big can of chopped tomato and fresh herbs like basil and parsley just at the end. In the summer only I might add corn, okra and zucchini. A bit flourish of good olive oil in the bowl, just before serving and a smattering of herbs. That’s it. It’s not a recipe, but a creation, so feel unfettered! If you choose MISO, remember, we never cook it. Think of it like bouillon. It adds flavor and aminos, it’s a live food that gets diminished by heat , so swirl it in last, like salt.
POUR INGREDIENTS INTO A JAR AND MIX WELL. STIR A SECOND TIME.
COVER AND REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT
CHOOSE A SEASONAL TOPPING LIKE FRESH BERRIES IN THE SUMMER OR A FRUIT COMPOTE IN THE WINTER
TOP OFF YOUR PUDDING AND ENJOY IT COLD.
It’s a New Year! Try something new and maybe even plant based. Chia is loaded with fiber and smart fats, low in cholesterol . Your body will thank you after the holiday feasting!
If there’s a soup perfect for these ultra hot days, my Grandma Marad’s chilled and tart, creamy yet acidic Eastern European Schav soup. It fits the bill on many summer evenings.
INGREDIENTS AND TECHNIQUE FOR THE FILLING
Gochujang packs a funky, complex punch with salty, smoky and spicy notes. It is a red chili paste which is fermented. I don’t always have the time to make it traditionally, which may require a trip to a speciality grocer or natural foods store and a couple of months to ferment. The weather must not be too hot, which is one reason the making of traditional Gochujang is done in Springtime.
INGREDIENTS:
