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I love cranberry sauce with turkey and chicken throughout the year, so when cranberries come into season in the fall, I buy several bag fulls and preserve enough for the year. It's easy to do and the result tastes so much better, in my opinion, than anything commercial.
Cranberry Sauce
4 cups fresh cranberries, washed and drained
2 cups water
1 stick of cinnamon, 3-4 inches
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
Bring the cranberries, water, and cinnamon stick to boil in a large pot over high heat. When boiling, reduce to medium low and simmer 20 minutes. You will hear the cranberries go pop, pop, pop - a lovely sound.
Add the sugar and simmer another 5 minutes. Stir in the orange zest for the last minute or so.
Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal with lids that have been boiled for 5 minutes. Screw on the lids finger tight and leave the jars to cool. You'll hear the lids pop as they seal.
Yields about 4 half-pints of cranberry sauce.
The cinnamon stick and orange zest could certainly be left out if you prefer a sauce with pure cranberry flavour.
Cooler nights mean cooler days which means soup is so appealing. I could eat soup every day. This is almost a non-recipe, consisting of just 5 ingredients (plus seasoning.) It's similar to the Ginger-Warmed Butternut Squash Soup recipe posted in January, but without the ginger and pear. It's filling, homey, and warming - and with some grilled cheese sandwiches - makes a lovely supper.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 cups chicken broth
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss the squash cubes and onion quarters with the olive oil. Spread on rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes, or until tender and browning.
Place the vegetables in a large pot, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Cool slightly, then puree. Add more broth or water if the mixture is too thick. Adjust seasonings, Just before serving stir in the cream.
For a fun presentation, drizzle a bit of cream on top of each soup bowl and sprinkle with a few sunflower seeds.
Red bell peppers were plentiful at the market one day in the spring and I bought a lot of them. Then comes the question of how to serve them - one can only eat so many red peppers raw. I often make a mixture of roasted vegetables - zucchini, onions, peppers, mushrooms - and decided to try just the peppers. Roasting them at a high temperature makes them soft, juicy and caramelized on the edges. The leftovers are good cold, in a salad.
Roasted Red Peppers with Olives and Parsley
Red bell peppers, at least one per person (for the two of us I did 4, so as to have leftovers)
olive oil
coarse kosher salt
2 Tablespoons sliced olives (Kalamata or olive-cured)
2 Tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
1/4 cup soft goat cheese (chèvre)
Seed the peppers and cut into long strips, about 1/2 - 3/4 inch wide. Toss on a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil, just enough to coat each strip. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast at 425 degrees for 40-50 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the peppers are soft and beginning to brown on the edges. Place on a serving plate, sprinkle with the olives and goat cheese. Toss the parsley on top just before serving.
Adding a sliced onion to the peppers before roasting is also delicious. Substitute whatever type of fresh cheese you like - I've used a sheep's milk feta for friends with dairy allergies.
The weather cleared up after a week of dullness and I've been inspired to cook on the grill again. Earlier this week I made Grilled Rosemary Steak which we enjoyed out on the deck as the sun slanted in the west. This is as easy a recipe as you can get. We enjoyed it with Potato Splats, Roasted Peppers with Olives and Parsley, and some sauteed patty pan squash.
Grilled Rosemary Steak
2 strip loin steaks (or however many you need)
olive oil
finely chopped fresh rosemary
freshly ground black pepper
salt
Several hours before grilling the steaks, coat them on both sides with a little olive oil, rub in some rosemary and pepper and let marinate in the refrigerator. About 20 minutes before grilling, take the steaks out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature.
Preheat the grill to medium or medium high and grill until done as desired, preferably a bit underdone as the meat will continue cooking as it rests. Sprinkle with salt, remove from the heat and let rest on a covered dish while you eat your salad or first course. Serve and enjoy.
These are addictive little morsels of buttery, lemony, cheese and herb-flavoured goodness. I like to keep a couple of rolls of the dough in the freezer to have on hand and bake fresh for guests. Or me. They are delicious as a pre-dinner snack.
Rosemary Parmesan Coins
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup lightly packed grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, chilled
1 large egg yolk
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Stir together the egg yolk and lemon juice. Drizzle over the flour mixture. Pulse until small moist crumbs begin to form.
Turn the mixture out onto an unfloured work surface. Work the dough (it will look like a pile of crumbs), smearing onto the counter and mashing it together until it forms a cohesive dough. Shape into a 1 to 1 1/2 inch diameter log. Wrap in plastic. Chill for an hour or more. Slice 1/4 inch thick and place on parchment lined baking sheets.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Watch carefully for the last few minutes as they can burn quickly.
After wrapping in plastic, the dough can be frozen. Thaw slightly at room temperature to slice and bake.
Pecans, almonds, peanuts, cashews - I love them all. A nut mix is a great thing to serve with drinks before dinner, or, if you must, instead of dinner. Any combination of nuts and seeds can be used, here I've used almonds, pecans, peanuts and pumpkin seeds. Faintly sweet, gently spicy, and fragrant with sage and ginger. Mmmm.
Sage and Ginger Mixed Nuts
2 1/2 cup nuts (can be all of one kind or a mixture to your liking)
1 egg white
1 Tablespoon water
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
dash or two of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Mix the egg white and water lightly with a fork. Add the nuts and stir to cover. Combine the brown sugar, sage, ginger, pepper and salt and then add it to the nuts, stirring well to coat. Spread on a parchment lined large baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the nuts are golden brown and the sugar has lightly caramelized. Be careful towards the end as it takes no time at all for the nuts to go from golden brown to burnt.
Cool, break apart and store in a covered container. Can be frozen.
My garden is bursting with green beans these days. I'm freezing a lot of them for soups and stews in the winter, and we're looking for new ways to eat them fresh, too. Bacon is always good with green beans, and I wondered about trying sage with them, since my sage bush is enormous. I think they marry well - the brightness of crisp tender beans plus salty bacon plus earthy sage - with a little onion added in.
Green Beans with Sage and Bacon
Green beans, tailed and tipped - about 3 cups
4 slices bacon
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced (about 1/4 cup or less)
1 Tablespoon minced fresh sage
salt and pepper to taste
Place the beans in a saucepan and cover with a little water. Salt and bring to a boil, covered. Simmer until barely tender and still bright green. The younger the beans, the less time it will take.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon slices until crisp. Remove from the pan and let drain on paper towel.
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Saute until softened. Add the sage and saute for a few minutes until the mixture is fragrant.
Combine all ingredients and season to taste.
