Rhubarb Conserve

An old fashioned recipe well worth the time. 

A unique combination of flavors, to enjoy
one of spring's treats.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Cooking From Quilt Country by Marcia Adams

1 1/4 lbs. rhubarb chopped

1 large orange slice very thin

1/2 large lemon sliced very thin

4 cups sugar

1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

2 Tbs. golden raisins

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

 Place rhubarb in a large saucepan.  Cut each orange slice into 8 pie shape wedges, and each lemon slice into 14 pie shape wedges.  Add to the rhubarb along with the sugar, and mix well.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and cook 5 minutes longer.  Ladle into sterilized jars and process in a water-bath canner at a simmering temperature of 180-185 degrees, for 10 to 15 minutes.  This conserve also freezes very well.

Rack of Lamb with Walnut and Parsley Pesto, and Roasted Baby Potatoes

Lamb is one of my favorite meats. 

Serving it with roasted vegetables and this savory pesto

really enhances the whole meal.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source:  Rustic Joyful Food 

INGREDIENTS

2, 2-3 lb. racks of American lamb
2 tbsp. butter
½ cup Dijon mustard
2 heaping tbsp. rosemary
2 heaping tbsp. chopped parsley
4 garlic cloves crushed
salt & pepper to taste

WALNUT & PARSLEY PESTO

½ cup walnuts
1 bunch curly parsley
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
1 small clove garlic
½ cup parmesan cheese
½ cup olive oil
the juice of one lemon
salt and pepper to taste

ROASTED POTATOES & SHALLOTS

2-3 lbs. small or baby Yukon gold or red bliss potatoes halved
5-6 medium sized shallots peeled with the rood end intact, sliced in half
2 tbsp. olive oil suitable for high temp roasting
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

To Prepare the Lamb, pre-heat your oven to 475 degrees. Allow the lamb to sit on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to searing. While the lamb is coming to room temp prepare the herb paste for the racks. Mix the mustard, herbs and garlic, set aside. Melt butter over medium high heat in a large skillet suitable for searing, like cast iron. Season the lamb liberally with salt and pepper and sear on all sides starting with the fat cap first. Once the lamb is browned about 4-6 minutes, remove from the pan and generously rub the mustard and herb paste all over the lamb. Put the lamb back into the heat proof skillet fat cap facing up and roast in the oven for 18 minutes. Remove the lamb and allow to rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing into double chops.

WALNUT & PARSLEY PESTO

Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until combined but not a paste. A bit of texture is great in this pesto. Curly parsley has a milder flavor than flat leaf but feel free to substitute if you’d like. This pesto keep well for up to one week in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.

ROASTED POTATOES & SHALLOTS

Pre heat oven to 375 degree. Toss the potatoes with the oil, seasonings and shallots then pour out onto a baking sheet and roast for 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Allow to rest on the baking sheet while you prepare the lamb.

Almond Slice - Mr. Kipling's

This dessert goes perfect with a cup of tea!

I like to bake in parchment paper, when I need

to lift the dessert out of the pan to cut perfect slices.

While on vacation recently, every cafe I went into had some sort of slice!
So now that I am home, I need to try out some of these delectable
items in my own kitchen.

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Baking with Granny

BASE

1. 100g Butter
2. 225g Flour
3. 30g Sugar
4. 2-3 tbsp Cold Water

    

1. 190g Seedless Raspberry Jam
2. 
   
3. SPONGE 
4. 
   
5. 75g Butter
6. 75g Caster Sugar
7. 75g Ground Almonds
8. 75g Self-raising Flour
9. 1 Egg
10. 2 tbsp Milk
11. Handful of Flaked Almonds

1. (Make your pastry in advance.) Rub the butter and flour with your fingers in a large bowl. Once it resembles bread crumbs, add the sugar and mix until combined.
2. Gradually add the cold water a spoonful at a time, continuing to mix with your hands, bringing together to form a dough. You may not need all the water, or you may need a little extra.
3. Continue to mix the dough in your hands until well formed. Wrap in cling film and pop in the fridge for at least and hour to firm up before use.

1. Pre-heat your oven to 190°c (or 170° for a fan assisted oven) and grease a tray bake tin generously with some butter. A 20cmx20cm tin (or equivalent) is ideal.
2. Remove your pre-made pastry for the fridge and roll on a floured surface to around 5mm thick. Transfer to your pre-greased tin, pushing the pastry into the edges. Trim the excess and line the pastry with some greaseproof paper before filling with baking beans. Blind bake the pastry for 5 minutes to give the bottom a head start and avoid a soggy pastry.
3. Following the blind bake, remove the baking beans and top the pastry with the Raspberry Jam, evenly spreading over the pastry.
4. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Add the ground almonds, self-raising flour, egg and milk to the bowl and gently mix until combined into a batter.
6. Pour the batter on top of your jam-topped pastry and evenly spread. Top with a generous handful of flaked almonds.
7. Bake at 190°c (or 170°c for fan assisted ovens) for 20-25 minutes until golden and spongy in appearance.
8. Once completely cool, using a sharp knife, cut into individual slices.

Apple Pectin

This homemade pectin can be canned, 

frozen, or refrigerated. 

make a jelly bag to drain all the cooked apples.

Boil and reduce the drained pectin.

This is a great recipe if you are really into making jams and jellies,
preserves or compotes.
The next time you are going to make an apple pie with
Granny smith apples, just buy a few extra.
Save all the skin trimmings and cores(not the seeds),
put in a large pot and cook away.
Now you will have at the ready pectin for your jam making.
If not being used right away, put in the freezer.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source:  In A Jam by Kirsten Day

1Kg granny smith apples

4 cups water

     Bring  water and sliced apples plus any trimmings and cores up to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes and then put in sieve lined with muslin. Allow to drain for at least 4 hours. Put the apple juice back into a pot and boil until reduced by half. 

  Put liquid into canning jars and process or put in freezer for future use, if using immediately it can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

meusli clusters

Who needs a granola bar, when you have this 

for a breakfast choice!

While on vacation in New Zealand, I saw these at a cafe. 

Of course, I am always wanting to try and decipher items, 

and re-create the recipes.  Meusli is a big breakfast item in NZ, and

thus these clusters are meusli in hand and not in a bowl.

As Always,

ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS

Meusli

toasted nuts of choice

chopped dried fruit or raisins

shredded coconut

syrup of choice( maple, honey, corn syrup, agave.......)

     Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.  Drizzle with just enough sticky syrup, for ingredients to come together.  With damp hands, form meusli into small balls, pressing together tightly in your hands.  Place balls on parchment lined sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Buchwheat Cookies

Add stacks of these cookies to any tray,

and they will disappear quickly in a crowd!

Cocoa Nibs, is a fun new ingredient to add to your
baking items.  Trader Joe's sells a 4oz. pouch, that is
enough for a few different recipes. 
This was my first recipe I tried at
incorporating the nibs, and they really add
an interest to these simple shortbread like cookies.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Martha Stewart Baking

1 1/2 cups Flour

3/4 cups buckwheat flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 sticks butter softened

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup cocoa nibs

1 Tbsp. espresso powder

1. 1.Whisk together flours,espresso powder and salt in a bowl to combine. Beat together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add cacao nibs, and vanilla; beat until just combined.
2. 2. Transfer dough to a work surface and gently knead a few times to evenly distribute cacao nibs. Form dough into a log roughly 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Tightly wrap log in parchment or wax paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
3. 3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and set racks in upper and lower thirds. Unwrap dough and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake, rotating once halfway through, until lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes. (Cookies will become firm and crisp as they cool.) Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.