Turkey Soup

What a great way to use up leftovers! And just the job on a winter's night!

Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

This tropical dipping sauce is super tasty with a combination of pineapple and coconut flavors. It's a little too sweet for me though, so I probably won't be making it again soon. 

1 C pina colada mix

5 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp drained crushed pineapple, chopped finely 

2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water (lump free)

1 Tbsp unsweetened coconut, toasted (for garnish)

Heat the pina colada mix, water, pineapple and coconut over a medium heat for about 5 minutes. 

Gently add the cornstarch mixture and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so, until the sauce begins to thicken. 

Allow to cool for a few minutes. 

Serve with cooked shrimp as a light appetizer. 

Pineapple Upside Cake

This recipe has that retro feeling that takes you back to childhood. My mother's pineapple upside cake was just the best, with a scrumptious caramelized brown sugar glaze that oozed over the top. Just perfect. This cake is lovely too, but not quite like my mum's!

Butter for greasing the pan

1/4 C brown sugar

7 slices of canned pineapple (in juice)

1/3 to 1/2 C glacé cherries 

2/3 C flour

1 stick (4oz) butter

1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda 

2 Tbsp Malibu rum (optional)

1/2 C pineapple juice (divided)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Lightly butter a Pyrex baking dish, and then sprinkle with the brown sugar. 

Layer the pineapple rings in the dish and place half a cherry in the middle of each pineapple slice and in between. 

Pulse the flour, butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder and baking soda in a food processor until the mixture is smooth. Then add 1/4 C of the pineapple juice and Malibu rum, and pulse briefly until the liquids are incorporated. 

Gently spoon the mixture over the pineapple rings, and then tap the baking dish on the counter a couple of times, to help the mixture fill the nooks and crannies. 

Bake for 30 minutes, then run a spatula around the outside to loosen the cake. Invert a serving dish or a larger dinner plate over the top, and flip the cake out. 

Carefully pour the remaining pineapple juice over the top to help make the cake nice and moist. 

This cake is particularly tasty served with a generous portion of whipped cream. 

 

Caribbean Dreams

This recipe is based on one from Nigella. It's super easy and packs a wallop!

• 1 1/2 C Greek yogurt, coconut flavor

1 1/2 C heavy cream

• 2 Tbsp Malibu (coconut rum)
• 2 bananas
• 5 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 7 oz canister of whipped cream
• 1/3 C unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted
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Gently stir together the yogurt and heavy cream with the Malibu, and whisk for a minute or so until slightly thickened, and set aside. 
Slice the bananas and layer them evenly on the bottom of a trifle dish or glass bowl.
Pour the yogurt and cream mixture over the bananas, and then sprinkle the brown sugar over the top.

Chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
Just before serving decorate the top with some whipped cream and sprinkle on the toasted coconut.

Cardamom Pudding

This is a super quick recipe which is absolutely delicious eaten warm with some whipped cream. It's especially perfect after a spicy meal!
Cardamom is such a beautifully fragrant spice, it just seems to leave you craving more!

Cowboy Pie

This is one of those old fashioned recipes, very reminiscent of the Betty Crocker recipes from the 1970s. It is just perfect on a frosty evening! 

1 roasted chicken (store-bought), with the meat flaked into chunks

3/4 lb spaghetti, snapped into bite size pieces

1 C chicken stock

2 C Cheddar, extra sharp, grated (divided)

2 onions, chopped

1 C green peppers, chopped

1 small jar (5 1/2 oz) roasted red peppers or pimientos, drained and chopped coarsely

1 tsp seasoned salt

generous pinch of cayenne

2 small cans mushroom soup

1 C mozzarella, shredded

black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Cook the spaghetti as directed. Drain, and pour into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the chicken stock, one cup of the Cheddar cheese, the onion, green pepper, roasted red peppers, seasoned salt and mushroom soup. Stir well.

Pour the mixture into a casserole dish, sprinkle the remaining Cheddar cheese and mozzarella over the top. Bake for about 40 minutes until nice and hot and the top begins to bubble.

This supper is just perfect served with a big helping of green beans and a side salad.

Atlas Farm, Deerfield, Massachusetts

It's pumpkin time again here in New England! All the farm stands are laden with gorgeous pumpkins and gourds. Just an absolute feast for the eyes!

Atlas Farms

218 Greenfield Road

South Deerfield, MA 01373

413.397.3587

Beetroot Soup

3 large or 5 medium-sized beetroot, boiled or roasted (preferred method)

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 medium-sized potatoes, chopped into chunks
6 rashers of bacon, fried, cooled and cut up roughly
salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 C chicken or vegetable stock (or more to achieve the desired texture)
1/2 C light cream (optional)

To serve:

6 Tbsp sour cream or crème fraîche 

2 Tbsp chives, chopped

Option 1 (roasted beets)
Blended Soup
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Wash the beetroot, but don't peel them! Wrap them in foil, and roast them in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours until they are cooked and the skin begins to loosen up. When they're ready let them to cool in the foil packets for about 30 minutes, and then chop them roughly and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large Dutch over a medium-low heat. When it begins to foam, add the olive oil and add the chopped onion. Season and cook gently for about 10 minutes before adding the cooked bacon.
Add the chopped roasted beets, chopped potatoes and chicken stock, and cook for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.
Blend the soup in batches so that it has a smooth, velvety texture. 
Reheat slowly, adding a little more stock if you like. Check the seasoning, and with the heat down low drizzle in some cream. 
Serve with a little dollop of sour cream and chopped chives.

Option 2 (boiled beets)
Chunky Soup
Chop the beets and boil them for about 30 minutes until cooked through. Remember to reserve the cooking water!
Melt the butter in a large Dutch over a medium-low heat. When it begins to foam, add the olive oil and add the chopped onion. Season and cook gently for about 10 minutes before adding the cooked bacon, chopped potatoes, boiled beets, and the water you cooked them in. Let the soup cook gently for about 30 minutes. 
Check the seasoning, and drizzle in a splash of cream if you like.
Serve with a little dollop of sour cream.

Both versions of this soup are super scrumptious. Beets are so sweet and have that lovely earthy flavor. Be sure to wear an apron though!

Cider Festival, Shelburne, Massachusetts

What a wonderful day for a cider festival, on a hillside in Shelburne. Everyone seemed to stop by to sample the different varieties, and to listen to the live music. It was a timeless kind of day.
The cider offered at the festival is made by West County Cider and Artifact Cider, so definitely check it out when you fancy trying some artisanal ciders.

Summer Pickings

We've had a bumper crop of vegetables this summer, and things are still growing wildly! Lots of green beans, runner beans, yellow wax beans, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, asparagus....Just wonderful. Of course my freezer is getting rather full now, so it might be time to invest in a larger one!

 

Pickled Cucumbers

This is one of those super quick summer recipes which transforms your regular cucumbers into a a fabulous crunchy snack. 

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C water, boiling

1/2 C white vinegar 

1/2 tsp thyme, dried

I tsp pickling spice

24 baby cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

Thoroughly dissolve the sugar in the boiling water and then stir in the white vinegar. Stir in the herbs and pickling spices and set aside for a few minutes when you slice the cucumbers.

Put the cucumbers in a medium sized bowl, and pour over the vinegar and herb mixture. Leave the cucumbers to chill in the fridge for several hours before eating. Just perfect on a hot summer's day!

Cherry Picking

What a wonderful cherry crop we had this summer. It took quite a while to pick them, and of course it takes time to wash and pit them too. I think I need to bake a cherry pie soon, but in the meantime I can relish the wonderful intense colors of these amazing cherries, glowing from within like rubies on fire, dripping down from every branch. Heavenly.

Scones

June 26th was National Cream Tea day, so in honour of all things British and my fondness for baked goods, I tried Paul Hollywood’s scone recipe.  I loved it! It was super quick to make and fortunately I had some white bread flour in stock to use. The clotted cream is a must with these, and nothing else will suffice I’m sorry to say.

15 ½ oz strong white flour (white bread flour)

3oz butter, softened

3oz sugar

2 eggs

5 tsp baking powder

½ C milk (divided)

1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt

unsalted butter

raspberry preserves
Devon clotted cream

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Rub the flour and butter together into a large bowl until you get a texture that feels like breadcrumbs.

Add the sugar, eggs and baking powder and gently mix. 

Add ¼ cup of milk and continue to fold in the ingredients until everything is combined. Gradually drizzle in the rest of the milk to form a soft, wet dough. It should be on the sticky side.

Put the dough ball onto a floured table top and dust a little flour on top.

Begin to roll the dough by hand, folding it over in half and turning it 90 degrees.

Do this several times until you’ve formed a smooth dough. 

With a rolling pin roll the dough from the middle away from you, and then from the middle towards you. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll again until the dough is about 1 inch thick.

Cut out the scones using a round pastry cutter and place them onto a silicone mat on top of a cookie sheet. 

Brush only the tops with the egg mixture and bake for 15 minutes, or until the scones have risen and have a delicious golden color.
Let them cool for a little while, then cut in half, butter, and serve with preserves and a generous dollop of clotted cream.
I think a little high tea is just the thing to have this week, considering Wimbledon has just started!

Fresh from the Garden

There's nothing like picking your own fruit and vegetables. This morning we had a bumper crop of radish, rhubarb, lettuce and asparagus. I've been trying out different asparagus recipes. This asparagus soup was lovely, although I think next time instead of using a stick blender in the cooking pot, I'll blend the soup thoroughly so that it has a gorgeous velvety smooth texture.
I'm looking forward to making another strawberry and rhubarb pie later, and perhaps tomorrow I'll make a rhubarb fool.