Fresh Corn Soup
I am certainly enjoying the corn harvest and have been making all sorts of corn dishes like corn salad, corn salsa, corn chowder, corn cakes and corn bread. Try making my corn soup with freshly picked corn. Make sure to use the fresh picked corn right away as it does have a tendency to lose some of its sweetness.
INGREDIENTS
1 Diced Onion
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
4 1/2 Cups Water
1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
5 Ears Freshly Picked Corn
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Carefully cut the kernels off the ears of corn. To do this, stand each ear of corn upright on its wide end, then use a serrated knife to carefully saw down the length of the cob, rotating and repeating until all of the kernels are removed. Set the kernels aside. Melt the butter in a large heavy soup pot. Add the diced onion, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the water and bring to a boil. Add the corn kernels and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes. In batches puree in a blender or food processor. Pour the pureed soup through a mesh strainer back into the cooking pot. Add the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Stir and heat for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with the remaining freshly ground pepper. Serves 4
Apple Dumplings
It’s apple season so let’s make Apple Dumplings.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Water
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Butter (Cut Up)
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2/3 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Half & Half
2 Tablespoons Chopped Raisins
2 Tablespoons Chopped Walnuts
1 Tablespoon Honey
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
6 Green Apples
2 Tablespoons Butter
Preheat your oven to 350° F. You will want to make the sauce first. In a medium size pan combine the water, the 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Finally add the 1/2 cup butter, stir, remove from the heat and set aside. Next you will want to make the pastry. In a medium size bowl combine the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening until the pieces are pea size. Do this using either a fork or a pastry blender. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the half & half over part of the flour mixture. Gently toss with a fork. You will now push the moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening the dough with another tablespoon of half & half. Repeat until all of the dough is moistened. You may not need to use the entire 1/2 cup of half & half. Form the dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to an 18×12 inch rectangle. Cut into six 6 inch squares. In a small bowl combine the raisins, walnuts and honey. In a separate bowl stir together 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of the ground cinnamon and set aside. Core and peel the apples. Place an apple on each pastry square. Fill the apples with the raisin mixture. Sprinkle with the sugar & cinnamon mixture. Dot each with a 1 teaspoon of butter. Moisten the edges of pastry squares with water. Gather the corners around the apples. Pinch to seal. Place the dumpling in a 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Heat the sauce, again, to boiling and then pour over the dumplings. Bake (uncovered) for 1 hour. You will want the apples to be tender and the pastry to be golden. Spoon the sauce over the warm dumplings and serve. Serves 6
Brussels Sprouts With Bacon
I sure do love Brussels Sprouts and what could be better than pairing these little babies with bacon! This is such a simple recipe with a big return.
INGREDIENTS
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
2 Thick Slices Bacon
4 Cups Trimmed & Halved Brussels Sprouts
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Finely Chopped Medium Shallot
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
½ Cup Chicken Broth
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
In a large skillet heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain and let cool. Crumble the bacon and set aside. While the bacon is cooling add the Brussels Sprouts to the bacon drippings in the skillet. Add the salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until well browned in spots and beginning to soften. Stir often. Reduce the heat to low and add the shallot and butter. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan while cooking. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 2 minutes until the broth has cooked out. Stir in the vinegar and crumbled bacon. Cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Serves 4
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
5 Medium Potatoes (Peeled & Cut Into Eighths)
1 Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Warm Milk
8 Tablespoons Softened Butter
1 Teaspoon Roasted Garlic
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
To roast the garlic preheat your oven to 350° F. Cut ¼ to ½ inch from the top of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves. Remove most of the outer skin from the bulb, leaving the bulb intact and the cloves unpeeled. Place the bulb, cut-side up, on an 8 inch piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. Wrap in the foil and bake for 50 minutes until softened. Cool slightly. Separate the cloves and press the cloves slightly to squeeze out the softened garlic.
Place the potatoes in a 4 quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over a high heat and cook for 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk, butter and garlic. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 6
Sourdough Rolls
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Cup Sourdough Starter
¼ Cup Melted Butter
Combine the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. Mix well and make a hole in the center and pour in the starter. Knead the dough in the bowl for 3 minutes. Pinch off golf ball size pieces and shape them into biscuits. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the rolls on the baking sheet and brush the tops with the melted butter. Put in a warm place to rise for 1 ½ hours. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° F for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven sand serve warm. Makes 12 rolls.
Perfect Pecan Pie
INGREDIENTS
9 Inch Pie Shell
3 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
1 Cup Light Corn Syrup
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 ½ Tablespoons Melted & Cooled Unsalted Butter
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Pecan Halves
1 Cup Chilled Heavy Whipped Cream (Optional)
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line the pie pan with the pastry and crimp the edges and store in the refrigerator while preparing the filling. In a large bowl beat the eggs until blended, but not too much. You don’t want the eggs to be frothy. Stir in the corn syrup and the vanilla. In a separate small bowl mix together the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Make sure there are no lumps. Add the sugars, the melted butter and salt into the egg mixture. Spread 1 cup of the pecans on the bottom of the pastry shell. Pour the filling mixture over the pecans. Pour the remaining 1 cup of pecan over the top of the mixture and even them out. Bake the pie for 60 minutes until the filling is slightly puffed and the inserted knife comes out clean. Allow the pie to cool to room temperature. If you would like to serve whip cream then whip the cream and serve it on the side. Serves 8
Cotswold Potatoes
These mashed potatoes are made with Cotswold cheese. If you don’t have Cotswold cheese then cheddar will do fine.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 Cup Heavy Cream
5 Tablespoons Butter (Room Temperature)
1 ½ Cups Shredded Cotswold Cheese
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Paprika
Boil the potatoes, in a medium size saucepan, for 20 minutes until tender. Drain well. Put the potatoes back in the saucepan and stir over a low heat for 2 minutes until dry. Remove from the heat and add ½ cup of the cream and butter. Mash well. Add the grated cheese and seasonings. Combine with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining cream and serve. Serves 4
Spiced Apple Cider
INGREDIENTS
8 Cups Apple Cider or Apple Juice
1 Medium Sliced Apple
1 Vanilla Bean Split Lengthwise
¼ Cup Honey
¼ Cup Maple Syrup
3 Whole Allspice Berries
3 Whole Cloves
2 Cinnamon Sticks
1 Star Anise
Peel of 1 Orange
Peel of 1 Lemon
In a sachet bag or piece of cheesecloth, combine the allspice, cloves, cinnamon sticks, anise, lemon & orange peels. Tie the cheesecloth with kitchen twine. In a large cooking pot combine the apple cider, apple slices, vanilla bean, honey and maple syrup. Add the spice bag. Cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes. Make sure not to boil. Remove from the heat and throw away the spice bag. Serve immediately. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. Serves 6
Butterscotch Pie
INGREDIENTS
¾ Cup Brown Sugar
¼ Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Scalding Milk
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
3 Eggs Separated
1 ½ Tablespoons Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Baked Pastry Shell
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Combine the brown sugar and white sugar with the flour. Gradually add the hot milk. Stir constantly to make a smooth mixture. Add the salt and cook in the top of a double boiler for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally until thickened. Pour part of the hot mixture slowly onto the well beaten egg yolks. Stir constantly. Pour back into the double boiler. Mix well and cook not more than 3 minutes. Stir constantly. Add the butter and stir until melted. Cool. Add the vanilla and stir. Pour into the baked pastry shell. Make the meringue by beating the egg whites until they are stiff. Add the sugar and beat. Gradually add the vanilla and beat until well blended. Cover with the meringue using the remaining egg whites. Brown in the preheated 300° F oven for 20 minutes. Makes 1 pie.
Cauliflower With Bread Crumbs
I absolutely LOVE this cauliflower side dish. Lots of butter and bread crumbs makes it so delicious! When I have leftovers I puree it in the food processor and spread it on sandwiches.
INGREDIENTS
1 Head Cauliflower
½ Cup Butter
½ Teaspoon Coarse Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Cup Bread Crumbs
Remove the outer green leaves from the cauliflower and wash. Break apart into flowerets and cook uncovered, in a medium sized pot, in salted boiling water until tender but not mushy. Drain in a colander and set aside. Heat the pot over a medium heat and add the butter. Cook the butter until almost melted and then add the salt, pepper and bread crumbs. Stir until combined. Add the cauliflower and stir into the butter and bread crumbs. Cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and place in a serving dish. Serve warm. Serves 4
