A Place Like This......

Winter Re-visits

      

That's the thing about seasons, it isn't as cut and dry as we would like. There is a gentle back and forth until the new season decides it is time to stay.

       

       

     

Last week was so beautiful. We had 80 degree weather on Sunday. But then we started to hear rumblings that cold and bad weather was on the way. When I woke up Monday morning it was cold,much colder that the 80 degrees the day before.  Tuesday we woke up to sleet raining down on us, sideways and then it just snowed off and on all day long.  I really didn't mind. I quietly walked to the wood pile, started a fire, picked up my knitting and enjoyed snow on spring flowers.

I remembered that my sweet husband had bought the last two bags of clementines. Another sign that winter was over. How we love clementines. We call it winter's gift. So I made a little treat. We could eat one bag but then the second one I would preserve for that day when we missed winter. My mother-in-law's mother would always save some clemtines for a non-clementine day. Now you can too.

Recipe for a non-clementine Day

                          

These clementines are preserved in a simple syrup with lemon juice, rose water, and cinnamon sticks.

Simple Syrup

• 3 cups of sugar
• 3 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 3 cinnamon sticks

Combine sugar and water and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Once boiling turn the heat down to medium and let it boil for 15 minutes. At the end of the boiling process add the lemon juice and rose water. Take the syrup off the heat and let it sit to cool.

In clean jars place peeled clementines. Be sure to leave space at the top of the jar. Between clementine layers place cinnamon sticks. Once the syrup has cooled pour over the clementines. You can give these a water bath to can them or since I had only enough for one patch I just put them in the fridge. They will last for weeks in the fridge. 

                        

I Love Jars and my new found recipes!!!!

Aside from all the merriment, I've discovered the makings of some new and easy holiday food.

I woke up early on Dec 23rd....like really early, and couldn't get back to sleep. With my little kitten in my lap I sat on the floor thumbing through my cookbook collection.

My first great discovery of the day was that I found a recipe for creme fraich. Why is creme fraich important ? Well  we have Rebecca staying with us from Sweden. Creme fraich is used in so many Scandinavian and French recipes but not found in the foothills of Appalachia. It is so easy to make. all of this suffering for no reason.

                     

                                                     Creme Fraich

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, preferably not ultra-pasteurized. The ultra-pasteurized does work as well but you will need to add more buttermilk.
• 3 tablespoons of cultured buttermilk. 5 tablespoons if using ultra-pasteurized creme.

1. Whisk the cream and buttermilk together in a medium bowl. Cover with a cotton tea towel and let stand in a warm spot (on top of the refrigerator or furnace) until the cream thickens, 8 to 12 hours, depending on temperature.
2. cover the creme fraich and refrigerate it for several hours to further thicken it.  It will keep in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for 1 week.

         

This was taken from 'Cooking At Home, On Rue Tatin' By Susan Herrmann Loomis. I had the pleasure of taking a cooking course with her while I was home in Portland and couple of Christmas's ago.

 

In Nigella Lawson's 'Feast, Food to Celebrate Life',I discovered Cranberry Jam.  It is so easy to do. Most jams are a labor intensive affair but not this one.  cranberries contain their own pectin so the jam sets once the cranberries have burst.  Yea!!! who knew ?

                                             Cranberry Jam

                         

• 4 cups of cranberries
• 1 3/4 cups of superfine sugar

1. Put a film 1/4' thick on the bottom of a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil turn heat down to medium.
2. Add cranberries and sugar.
3. Stir patiently over a low heat to dissolve the sugar, this will take a little while.
4. Turn up the heat and boil the pan rapidly until setting point is reach, approximately 7 minutes.
5. Pour the jam into a sterilized 1 1/2 cup jar and seal immediately.

                      

                     

  My third discovery of the day was that I could create my own pickle recipe. My family loves sour pickles instead of sweet. So I took this old Gotland recipe (gotland is an island in Sweden where my family comes from ), and made it sour.

                        

                                   Spiced Pickles

• 4 carrots
• 3 parsnips
• 1/2 a head of cauliflower
• 1 yellow onion

                                  Marinade

• 2 1/2 cups of water
• 1 cup of white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons anise seed
• 1 tablespoon mild cinnamon
• 2 tsp sugar

1. Peel and slice the carrots and parsnips into 'coins'.
2. Separate the cauliflower into bouquets and cut the onion into wedges.
3. Place the carrots, parsnips, and onion into a saucepan covered with water, and add a generous amount of salt and pepper.
4. boil for 5 minutes and then add the cauliflower.
5. Let it cook until all the vegetables are soft. After vegetables are cooked strain from the cooking water.

                     

Marinade: Mix the ingredients for the marinade and bring them to a boil.  Pour the warm mixture over the vegetables, bring to a simmer and then let it cool. Place into a decorative jar.

                     

Recently I had been to IKEA and bought many glass jars. I found the occasion for them. My new found recipes. ~Enjoy !

                         

Mimi's in the Kitchen

There is much anticipation for Thanksgiving at my house. It is one of our favorite holidays. As a mom, one of my favorite things is watching my children love and embrace our traditions. I was extremely busy this Thanksgiving and announced that I didn't have time to make the spinach pies. This is my daughter Mimi's favorite food on the Thanksgiving table. Every year she would sit and watch me make every single pie with my friend Ruth. This year Ruth was out of town on the High School band trip to Philadelphia, which left me two hands helpless. Miriam stepped in and did the job. A great job I might add. So this year I sat and watched Mimi make the pies. I just caught it all from behind the camera. I did also mix the bread dough and the spinach mix. It's putting it all together that takes the time. We spent a wonderfu evening. Thanks Mimi....we all loved your pies.

        

        

        

     

      

      

      

      

   

Elderflower Sherbet Berry Sundae

                                                

For the last week everyone I know has been cutting and collecting elderflowers. There are the traditional elderflower saft, elderflower champagne, and of course elderflower cordial.  Today I’m going to share with you an elderflower unknown…….elderflower sherbet.  This light and refreshing sherbet gives a new spin to the elderflower. Top your sherbet with a special fresh berry mixture.  Enjoy!!!

Elderflower Sherbet

1 cup of sugar

½ cup water

2 cups of buttermilk

¼ cup of elderflower cordial

1.       Make an ice water bath. In a saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Boil until it is syrupy, 2 to 3 minutes.

2.       Mix buttermilk, milk, and cordial in a medium size bowl, whisking in the sugar syrup.  Place the bowl in an ice-water bath until it has cooled completely.

3.       Freeze the elderflower mixture in an ice-cream maker.  Follow your ice-cream maker’s directions.  Place the sherbet in a freezable container, and freeze until firm about  1 1/2 hours. Sherbet can be frozen only 5 days . So eat it up quickly !

Berry Mixture

Cut up strawberries and mix in with this red currants, black currents, and raspberries. Combine everything with ¾ cup of elderflower saft.

Place the berry mixture in a serving dish with one scoop of sherbet. Garnish with fresh elderflowers or mint.

Incredible Gourmet Cooking

In about the time it takes to make a cup of coffee you can have great gourmet meals thanks to legendary chef Jacques Pepin.  He has this fun website/blog with wonderful menu's and videos. I spent so much time in a mesmerize stupor just watching these videos and surfing the site.  I really couldn't have all of this fun by myself so I'm sharing it with all of you. Enjoy and Bon Appetit !!

Jacques Pepin's Fastfood my way

www.kqed.org/w/jpfastfood/home.html