Whole Cherry Pie

don’t hold the pie responsible for an idiotic hair metal song

This is a perfect pie to use up a load of fresh cherries that may be a hair under ripe.

Whole Cherry Pie

• 1 double pie crust
• 5 cups whole pitted cherries
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425. Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Add cherries, lemon juice, mint and vanilla, stir well and let stand 30 minutes. Make pie dough. Grease a pie dish, place bottom sheet of pastry in, then cherries, then top sheet. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes then turn heat down to 375 and bake until done, about another hour. Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Asian Slaw

it knows kung fu

This is a good coleslaw for fish or any grilling with a tropical/Asian twist.

Asian Slaw

• 1 bok choy sliced into thin ribbons
• 1/2 head red kale sliced into thin ribbons
• 1 lrg green onion halved and sliced thin
• 1/2 bunch cilantro diced fine
• 3 garlic scapes diced fine
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 1 tangerine juiced
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 2-4 tbsp sunflower seeds

Toss bok choy, kale, onion, sunflower seeds and half the cilantro in a large bowl and set aside. Combine everything else and whip until smooth adding more rice vinegar by taste. Pour dressing over greens and mix well. Let set for 30 minutes before serving.

Pasta Salad with Kale and Red Beans

It’s a party when you wear a bow tie

When we lived in the South, every potluck had about four plates of deviled eggs and at least two banana puddings. Here in the Northwest, whenever we go to a barbecue where people bring sides there are about 15 kale salads. We’re not complaining. Kale is  a super food, right? (Although, we miss all those deviled eggs.)

We plan to bring this to a future potluck to keep up with the Joneses.

Pasta Salad with Kale and Red Beans

• 1 lb cooked farfelle
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• juice from one lemon
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup green onion, diced
• 1 can kidney or red beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup kale, chopped fine
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta
• 2 tsp parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil or dried

Cook pasta al dente, drain and cool. Mix oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. If tomatoes are dried, let steep in boiling water for about 10 minutes, drain, rinse and dice. Mix pasta, oil and lemon juice mixture and remaining ingredients in large bowl. refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

 

Roast Parsnip Soup

The giant scoop is loose again run for your lives

Here is an easy first course. Or double everything for a main.

Roast Parsnip Soup

• 3/4 lb parsnip peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1/2 lb carrots peeled and cut into large chunks
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 leak chopped small
• 1/2 lb potato peeled and cut into small dice
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 8 cups chicken stock
• Fresh parsley
• Salt/pepper

Mix parsnips and carrots with olive oil, spices. salt and pepper and mix well. Place on roasting sheet and roast at 400 degrees until browned, about 30 minutes. In a large pot heat 2 tbsp olive oil and saute leeks until tender over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant then add potatoes. Turn heat to low cover and sweat for five minutes. Stir and sweat five minutes more. add roast vegetables, mix well, then add stock and deglaze pan. Bring to a boil then simmer until all vegetables are soft. Puree and add more stock to thin to desired thickness. Serve with fresh bread and sprinkled with parsley.

Irish Lemon Pudding

Where is my ice cream

This is a fantastic dessert that separates into a fluffy cake on top and a dense pudding on bottom.

Irish Lemon Pudding

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 eggs separated
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 4 large lemons zested and juiced, about 1 1/4 cups liquid
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9″ spring form pan. In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until very smooth. Add the egg yolks one by one, mix well. Sift the flour and beat into butter mixture. Add the lemon zest and juice, followed by the milk, and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into the lemon mixture until incorporated. Bake for 50-70 minutes, or until very lightly browned and set on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm with freshly whipped cream or ice cream.

Irish Brown Bread

Hearty and dense

This is a dense wheat bread fantastic for soaking up broth from corned beef and cabbage.

Or other meat stews.

This is not Boston brown bread which is sweeter and steamed.

Irish Brown Bread

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
• 1 egg

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bread pan. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Create well in center and add egg and buttermilk. Beat egg till smooth then mix into flours. Knead dough on counter until smooth. Dough may seem to dry when starting but wait for 3-4 minutes before adding more liquid. Shape into a loaf and press into pan. Bake until risen 1/2″ above pan and done, about 50 minutes.

Bearnaise Sauce

By Katherine

So much lovely butter

I typically make Greg steak and potatoes each year for his birthday and try to do something slightly different each time.  It can be a challenge to come up with new ideas since we met in 1999. Surf and turf. Done. Steak and frites. Done. Balsamic reduction. Coffee rub. Peppercorn rub. Grilled. Broiled. Seared. Done and done and done…

This year I was inspired by this recipe which called for topping pan-seared steaks with bearnaise sauce and serving them with shoestring fries. I didn’t want to make shoestring fries because we don’t have a fryer and I find frying messy and a bit tricky to time. So I went with twice-baked potatoes. Instead of pan-searing, Greg grilled an aged rib eye and a New York strip. The original recipe called for tarragon, but I wanted something milder. Also, I didn’t have tarragon. It also called for less lemon juice, so adjust to your taste.

Béarnaise Sauce

• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sliced shallots (I used a mandolin)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 tablespoons
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon
• Salt/pepper to taste

Boil wine, vinegar, shallots, and a tablespoon of the thyme in a small heavy saucepan until liquid is reduced to two tablespoons. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve set into a medium metal bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Whisk yolks into vinegar mixture, then set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until yolks have thickened slightly (do not scramble). Whisk in butter one tablespoon at a time, adding each piece before previous one has melted completely. Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Serve steaks with sauce. Dust with remaining thyme.