Cooking class! We’re making sourdough. The old-fashioned type. That means no commericial yeast and a whole lot more time.

Each of the children will be interested in different aspects of sourdough making. Jack and Cate will be interested in the chemistry of sourdough, Carrie and Will will be interested in the art of forming loaves, Sophie will be interested in mixing the starter, and Louis will be singing over all. I’m sure we’ll be poring over all the possibilities for the use of our sourdough and dreaming of what we’ll try first. Brian will be thinking about sampling the fruits of our labour, perhaps with a nice bowl of soup…

We do eat lots of bread here. It’s great with salad, soup, and toasted with jam. A slice of home-baked bread makes a lovely snack when you’re feeling a bit peckish and is especially satisfying when spread with a soft cheese like brie.

And NOTHING compares to the smell of fresh bread baking in the kitchen. I can remember what Nana’s house smelled like when she’d been baking. I couldn’t wait to get a slice! So, we’re making a starter this morning. It should be ready for using next week. A nice way to start our new year - with a good sourdough starter that could last a generation - and a tradition of baking breads the old fashioned way.

There is a bakery in a neighbouring town that makes wild yeast breads. That doesn’t mean that they go out foraging for yeast, it means that they have let it grow in their bakery and use their sourdough to make all kinds of delicious breads.

If you’re interested in starting a sourdough, visit this site. It’s excellent.

For Thanksgiving Dinner. An international flavour this year.

For Starters:
Souffle au Fromage (sounds so much prettier than “cheese souffle”)
Homemade Tomato Soup in a Cup
************
For Mains:
Turkey with Chilis
Clapshot
Cabbage and Onion Pierogis
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Maple Glazed Winter Squash
Green Salad

************
And afters:
Cherry Upside Down Cake with Double Cream
Custard Pie

************
Hot Mulled Cider
Egg Nog

All the receipts are available here. And they’ll all be in the cookbook as well!

I’m off to the market… Enjoy!

For Thanksgiving!

A friend made this beautiful Cherry Upside Down Cake for our church’s annual Thanksgiving dinner. It is going to be on our dessert table later this week. It’s scrumptious when served still warm with double cream (whipping cream) or vanilla bean ice cream and a cup of coffee.

Cherry Upside-Down Cake

¼ c. butter
¾ c. light brown sugar, packed
1 lb. sour cherries, halved, pitted
1 ½ c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
½ c. butter,
2 large eggs, separated
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
½ c. milk
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 8” square cake pan. In a medium saucepan, melt ¼ c. butter over low heat. Add brown sugar; Stir until blended. Remove from heat. Spread mixture over bottom of cake pan. Arrange cherries, cut side down, in single layer in bottom of pan. Set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. In separate large bowl, cream 1 cup sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with milk.
In a large bowl (preferably a copper bowl), beat egg whites with a balloon whisk, adding up to ¼ tsp cream of tartar if needed, until stiff but not dry. Lighten cake batter with spoonful of whites. Gently fold remaining whites into batter. Spoon batter over cherries in pan. Bake cake until wooden skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes.
Loosen sides with knife and invert onto serving plate. Serve with whipped cream.

So pretty! It looks just like little rubies atop a golden pillow. This recipe will surely be included in the Simple Gifts Cookbook!

Mmmmm!

Today is the Feast of St. Martin of Tours. St. Martin is known best for his great act of charity, when he tore his cloak in half to give to a beggar.

Traditionally, swine were slaughtered to be eaten on Martinmas, and lanterns were made from turnips and carried in procession after dark, led by a man on horseback (who represents St. Martin).

Our celebration will begin by gathering outgrown coats, hats, and mittens which will be delivered to our church. This afternoon, we will settle down to a meal of ham (a rare treat in our home!), applesauce, turnips, and green beans (recipes follow). After luncheon, we will welcome Grandma and carve out lanterns from pumpkins, while enjoying hot cider, coffee, and horseshoe cookies. Later this evening, we will attend Sunday night Mass at our church and thank God for all the blessings we have been given, praying especially for those who are cold, hungry, homeless, lonely, and grieving.

Mustard Glazed Ham
For this recipe, I recommend good English marmalade and mustard. You can find Dundee and Chivers marmalades in many grocery stores. You’re after that large chunk and dark colour. What you do not want is the pale, shreddy, over sweetened stuff. As for mustard, you’ll want strong English pub mustard. That can be a little more difficult to find, so a good spicy brown one should do.

1 fully cooked organic ham, 5-6 lb
1 jar orange marmalade
2 T. dry mustard
½ c. English mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp ground ginger

Place ham in roasting pan. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until well blended. Brush ham with half of the glaze, reserving the other half for basting. Cover the roasting pan with its lid, or use heavy duty foil. Bake ham at 400° for about 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer registers 140° F. Pour remaining glaze over the ham, leave the cover off, and roast for 5-10 minutes more, until the glaze is bubbly.

Applesauce

Cortland apples are my favourite for applesauce. When we lived in England, we were fortunate to have a local supply of Bramleys, big as footballs! Those were lovely things to hollow out, stuff and bake. And it only took two r three to make enough sauce for our small (at that time) family.

½ Peck apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
½ c. brown sugar, packed
1 T. fresh lemon juice

Place all in a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat, with a closely-fitting lid. Cook for at least 10 minutes, until apples have gone soft. Mash with a potato masher and serve.

French Turnips

This is an adaptation of my mother-in-law’s receipt. She makes these lovely turnips at Christmas and Easter. When we moved away, I missed them at our special meals. Because Brian wasn’t fond of turnips, I tried something just a bit different with his mother’s receipt and it was a hit! Now he looks forward to them, too.

2-3 lb turnips, peeled and cut into cubes
¼ c. butter
¼ c. brown sugar
1 tsp. dill weed
¼ c. crisp bacon, crumbled

Bring turnips to the boil in a large pot of salted water. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain, return to pan. Add butter, sugar, and dill and stir until sugar is dissolved. Place in serving bowl and top with bacon crumbles.

Creamed Green Beans

This is a delicious, creamy compliment to the sweet, acid flavours of the rest of the meal. The cream sauce can also be used on corn, which is a favourite with our extended family at autumn and winter pot-luck dinners.

2 lb. green beans, tipped and tailed
¾ c. pearl onions, peeled
¼ c. butter
¼ c. flour
2 c. whole milk, scalded
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
Salt and pepper to taste

Place beans and onions in a pot of salted water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until vegetables are fork-tender. Drain and set aside. In the same pot, melt butter, add flour and stir. Cook roux for about 2 minutes and slowly add hot milk, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and add cheese, stirring constantly until melted. Season sauce to taste. Return vegetables to the sauce and serve in a pretty oval bowl with a sprig of parsley.

Horseshoe Cookies

These are delicious shortbread biscuits which have been shaped like horseshoes. The horseshoes remind us of St. Martin’s trusty steed.

2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
4 ½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Cream butter and brown sugar. Add 3 to 3 ¾ cups flour. Mix well.
Sprinkle board with the remaining flour. Knead for 5 minutes, adding enough flour to make a soft dough. Roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 6 inch strips, 1” wide. Keeping the strip flat on the board, bend it into the shape of a horseshoe. Using a drinking straw, make the nail holes of the horseshoe. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until just golden.

**These recipes will also be available in the Simple Gifts Cookbook

I hope you have a blessed day!

For the birthday boy (whose birthday was on the 25th!). Another one from the cookbook!

Apple Cake

This is an easy autumn cake that can be served alone, or frosted with maple frosting, like my grandmother used to do. It does not call for milk, which makes it a perfect dessert in a pinch. It’s so lovely with a cup of coffee or tea.

4 c. apples, grated
½ c. vegetable oil
2 c. organic sugar
¾ c. walnuts, chopped
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tsp. pure vanilla
1 c. unbleached flour
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp. salt

In a large bowl, combine apples and sugar.. Add eggs, oil, nuts, and vanilla.. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients, being sure to thoroughly incorporate baking soda. Add to apple mixture, and fold together. Pour into greased and floured pan or pans and bake at 350F – 30-35 minutes for 8” layers, 50-60 minutes for 9×13” rectangle.

Maple Frosting

¼ c. butter, or coconut oil
½ tsp. salt
¼ c. pure maple syrup
2 tsp. pure vanilla
3 c. confectioners’ sugar
¼ c. cream (or milk)

In a large bowl combine butter, salt, syrup, vanilla and half of sugar. Add cream and remaining sugar alternately. Mix until smooth. Frosts 8”-9” layer cake or 9”x13” rectangle

My family waits all year for butternut squash to be ready. We eat it all sorts of ways - even baked in a pie like pumpkin. Butternut squash is loaded with vitamin A. This soup is a great way to warm your family and fill them up. Served by the cup-ful, it’s a nice introduction to the cranberry chicken that follows.

Butternut Squash Bisque

This soup would be beautiful garnished with halved cranberries and a sprig of parsley!

1 butternut squash, halved and cleaned
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
¼ tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1 qt. chicken stock
½ c. heavy cream

Bake squash in 400F oven for 45 minutes or until soft. Scoop flesh from the shell and pass through a food mill. In large soup pot, sauté onion in oil until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add spices, squash, stock, and cream. Gently heat through. Serve.

I’ve seen recipes for cranberry chicken all over the web. Unfortunately, the ingredients are laden with corn syrup - a no-no on our list. I have nothing against corn syrup on it’s own. It’s just that it lurks in all sorts of places like salad dressings, sodas, and condiments. There are also all sorts of hidden nasties like preservatives and lots of sodium.

So I offer you what I think is a much better recipe.

Cranberry Chicken

Whole chicken, giblets removed
2 c. homemade cranberry sauce** see recipe below
1 c. homemade French dressing ** see recipe below
1 med onion, sliced thinly
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T. parsley
1 tsp. thyme
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Saute onions and garlic in oil, over medium heat until caramelized. Combine with remaining ingredients, and pour over top of the chicken.

Roast at 400F in a covered Dutch oven or roaster for approximately 60 minutes. This roasting method should take 10-12 minutes per pound. Check with a meat thermometer – it should register 165-170F.

Cranberry Sauce

12 oz. fresh cranberries
¾ c. organic sugar
1 c. water
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves

Combine all ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, or until all berries have popped. Pass sauce through a sieve to remove spices, skins and pips.

French Dressing

¼ c. Dijon mustard
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tsp. tarragon or marjoram
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine mustard and lemon juice in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil to emulsify. Season with herbs, salt and pepper. You can also use a blender or food processor, or you can shake ingredients together in a glass jar with tight-fitting lid.

These recipes will also be in the upcoming Simple Gifts Cookbook!

Just what the doctor ordered…

Hot Homemade Chicken Soup:

Hot Biscuits, fresh from the oven:

Served with this beautiful jam, made by our friends, the monks at St. Joseph’s Abbey:

From the upcoming Simple Gifts Cookbook:

Gingerbread Pancakes

4 c. flour
1T baking powder
Dash salt
¼ c. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
¼ tsp. nutmeg
Pinch cloves
Pinch allspice
2 c. whole milk
4 eggs
¼ c. molasses
¼ cooking oil

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl, set aside. Mix wet ingredients in a medium sized bowl until eggs are well beaten. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients to make a batter. Drop by the ladleful onto a hot, oiled griddle. Brown each side. Serve with plenty of maple syrup, stewed apples, bacon and home fries.

Delicious!

P.S. I’d have taken a photograph, but they were gone in a wink!

Today is the Queenship of Mary.

In celebration, we’ll be reciting the Crown of Twelve Stars, making crowns, having Queen’s Pudding with afternoon tea.

The Crown of Twelve Stars Prayer (to be said for the Holy Catholic Church, for the propagation of the Faith, for peace among Christian peoples,and the extirpation of heresy).

Let us offer praise and thanksgiving
to the Most Holy Trinity,
Who has shown us the Virgin Mary,
clothed with the sun,
the moon under her feet,
and on her head a mystic crown of twelve stars.
Forever and ever.

Amen

Let us give praise and thanks to the Eternal Father,
Who chose her for His daughter.

Amen

Pray the Our Father…

First Star

Praised be the Eternal Father,
Who predestined her to be the Mother of His Divine Son.
Amen

Hail Mary…

Second Star

Praised be the Eternal Father,
Who preserved her from all stain of sin in her conception.

Amen

Hail Mary…

Third Star

Praised be the Eternal Father,
Who adorned her at her birth
with His most excellent gifts.

Amen

Hail Mary…

Fourth Star

V. Praised be the Eternal Father,
Who gave her Saint Joseph to be her companion
and most pure spouse.

Amen.

Hail Mary…

Glory Be To The Father…

V. Let us give praise and thanks to the Divine Son,
Who chose her for His Mother.
R. Amen.

Pray the Our Father…

Fifth Star

V. Praised be the Divine Son,
Who became incarnate in her womb
and there abode for nine months.
R. Amen.

Hail Mary…

Sixth Star

V. Praised be the Divine Son,
Who was born of her and was nourished at her breast.
R. Amen.

Hail Mary…

Seventh Star

V. Praised be the Divine Son,
Who in His childhood willed to be taught by her.
R. Amen.

Hail Mary…

Eighth Star

V. Praised be the Divine Son,
Who revealed to her the mystery of the Redemption of the world.
R. Amen.

Glory Be To The Father…

V. Let us give praise and thanks to the Holy Spirit,
Who took her for His spouse.
R. Amen.

Pray the Our Father…

Ninth Star

V. Praised be the Holy Spirit,
Who revealed first to her His Name of Holy Spirit.

R. Amen

Hail Mary…

Tenth Star

V. Praised be the Holy Spirit,
by Whose operation she was at once Virgin and Mother.

R. Amen

Hail Mary…

Eleventh Star

V. Praised be the Holy Spirit,
by Whose power she was the living temple of the ever-blessed Trinity.

R. Amen

Hail Mary…

Twelfth Star

Praised be the Holy Spirit,
by Whom she was exalted in Heaven above every living creature.

R. Amen

Hail Mary…

Glory Be To The Father…

Antiphon:

Let us praise Mary, who hath done so much for our good,
and let us say to her:
God hail thee, Mary,
Mother of Clemency,
Comfortress of the Afflicted,
Redemptress of Captives.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,
thou art the joy of Israel,
thou art the honour of our people.

V. Remember thy congregation *, O Mary.
R. Which belongs to thee from the beginning.

Let Us Pray

O God, Who by means of the Most Glorious Mother of Thy Divine Son,
didst enrich the Church with a new religious family
for the redemption of the faithful of Christ
from pagan oppression, grant, we beseech Thee,
that we may be freed from our sins
and from the bondage of the devil
by the merits and intercession of her
whom we devoutly venerate as the foundress
of so great a work.

R. Amen

Hail, Holy Queen…

* (The congregation referred to in this prayer is the Order of Our Lady of Ransom
[the Mercedarians], now called the Order of Our Lady of Mercy. The Order of Our
Lady of Ransom was founded by St. Peter Nolasco [c. 1189-1258] to ransom Christian
slaves from the Moors. In addition to the usual three vows, the Mercedarians took
a fourth vow: to give themselves up, if necessary, in exchange for a slave.) Can be substituted with “Children”

Queen’s Pudding
2.5 c crumb (stale pound cake or lady finger biscuits)
5 c. milk
1.5 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated
4 T butter, melted and cooled
Jam (quince, apple, raspberry), loosened
1 lemon
1.5 cup sugar

Combine crumbs through butter, mix well. Pour into a pudding bowl or baking dish. Place bowl into a bain marie (or a larger baking dish filled halfway with water). Bake at 350F, until custard is set, about 35-40 minutes, checking often after 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 20 minutes on a rack. Spread with jam (and whole berries if desired). Beat egg whites, lemon juice and remaining sugar until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spread merengue over the top of the pudding and place under the broiler or into a hot oven until lightly browned.

“Let the entire body of the faithful pour forth persevering prayer to the Mother of God and Mother of men. Let them implore that she who aided the beginnings of the Church by her prayers may now, exalted as she is in heaven above all the saints and angels, intercede with her Son in the fellowship of all the saints. May she do so until all the peoples of the human family, whether they are honored with the name of Christian or whether they still do not know their Savior, are happily gathered together in peace and harmony into the one People of God, for the glory of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity”

Brian has often recalled to me childhood memories of family clambakes over the Independence Day holiday. The men would return triumphant the day before the celebration from the fishmonger – laden with clams. The shellfish was taken by tractor and wagon to the stream that borders the family homestead, where it would be kept cold until the next day. A large pit would be dug up by the farmhouse, and a fire would be lit in it, and allowed to burn down to coals in preparation of steaming the clams, potatoes and, corn. His aunts would make clam fritters and chowder and I’m very certain that there were also lots of sweet treats for afters. Dozens of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, neighbors and friends all would gather at the homestead to enjoy a long day of cooking, eating, laughter – and fireworks.

I remember long weekends in Rockport Massachusetts with my parents, the smell of baked scrod emanating from the seaside restaurants - and the sublime taste of saltwater taffy while walking Bearskin Neck. Those were wonderful days!

But you needn’t have a hundred-acre farm, nor 100 guests. And you needn’t travel all the way to Cape Ann. Your own kitchen and your family will do very nicely. The receipts that follow include hearty as well as lighter fare. Many of the receipts have been halved from what I normally prepare. They should serve 4 adults. The exception is the fritter receipt – invite friends. They’re delish and make a nice nibble with a tall glass of lemonade or tea, eaten on the front porch swing, or anywhere else

Steamed Clams

2 dozen little neck clams
1 bottle good beer (Uncle Mike’s note – don’t use Corona. It’s great to drink, but imparts a strange flavour to the clams)
1 stick butter
Handful fresh, chopped parsley
Head garlic

Note: make sure your clams are live – the shells should be able to close when touched. This tells you that the clam is still alive. Scrub your clams with a vegetable brush under cold water.

Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring up to simmer. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until shells open. Discard any clams whose shells have stayed shut.

Clam Chowder

1 large onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
Butter
Potatoes, cubed (1-1.5 lb)
1 lb clams with broth
Handful chopped fresh parsley
1-1.5 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
Water
1 pt. heavy cream
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Saute onion and garlic in butter over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add potato cubes and herbs and sauté 5 minutes more. Add water to cover, simmer 7 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. Add clams and heat through, finish with heavy cream and season with salt and fresh pepper to taste. Serve with oyster crackers or cornbread!

Aunt Claire’s Clam Fritters
I use the batter reciept to coat haddock for fish fry and also for onion rings.

3 c. self rising flour
2 c. milk
1 tsp. cider vinegar
Salt
2 sm. tins clams, with broth.
Oil for frying

Combine flour salt, milk and vinegar to make a batter. Add clams and broth, blending well. Drop by the tablespoon into hot oil (350F) and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 5-7 minutes. Drain on paper toweling and sprinkle with salt.

Fish en Papillotte
I love this light fish recipe – it’s quick and easy and equally lovely served with salad, rice or pasta – or just a good crusty bread.

1 lb fish steak (salmon, tuna or swordfish)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. capers
Sliced lemons

Preheat oven to 400F, or heat up the grill. Lay out a large piece of foil and turn up the edges. Place the fish on half the sheet and cover with remaining ingredients. Fold up the foil, taking care to seal all the edges. Cook for 20 minutes and serve.

Tartar Sauce

This is a simple recipe for tartar sauce, which I truly love. It’s a step up from the mayo/pickle relish variety.

1 c. mayonnaise
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. capers
1 tsp. dill
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash paprika

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate. Delish!

Salmon en Croute

Another wonderful receipt for cooler summer evenings. It is lovely served with fresh melons and a rice salad.

Puff pastry, thawed
Pesto (homemade or from a jar)
1 – 1.5 lb. salmon fillet

Roll out puff pastry on a board. Spread pesto over the meat side of the salmon, then turn over onto the pastry. Fold pastry over the fish, trimming excess. Place the wrapped fish on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brush with butter or egg wash. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Salade Nicoise

I adore this receipt. I hits the spot for a summer Friday tea, right before rosary. It is best served with a crusty loaf and vast quantities of pink tea (iced tea with grenadine).

Salad greens (I like a good dark mix)
Boiled potatoes, cubed
Steamed green beans, cut
Chunked tuna (preferably home steamed, not from a can)
Black olives, pitted (whole or sliced)
Hard boiled eggs (sliced)
Anchovies
Grape tomatoes

Toss the greens with a small amount of Dijon Vinaigrette. Arrange the greens on a platter and layer on remaining ingredients. Serve remaining vinaigrette in a pitcher to dress salads as desired.

Dijon Vinaigrette
This is the REAL French dressing – not that frightening orange stuff in the grocery store.

2 T. Dijon mustard (go on, get the best stuff you can find)
½ c. fresh lemon juice
½ c. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. fresh tarragon, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine mustard and lemon juice in a bowl (or in a blender or jar), slowly whisk in oil until fully incorporated and emulsified. Add tarragon, salt and pepper.

I hope you’ve been inspired to get into the kitchen and create a simply lovely seafood dish this evening! Come on back in two weeks for a sweet lemony menu! Please send me your receipts using lemons for inclusion, but be sure your receipt is not copyrighted, please.