Making your own terrines

So I had some extra ground veal and ground pork in the fridge today. I decided I would make my own terrine. I mixed the pork and the veal together with some fresh thyme leaves, some Frangelico Liqueur, black pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, freshly ground juniper berries, some ground cloves, salt and some saltpetre. I cooked a bit for a test. It needed a bit more salt, so I added some. Then I started putting the terrine together.

In a loaf pan, I laid down a layer of the meat mixture, then I sprinkled some pine nuts and pommegranate seeds. Then I placed another layer of meat. Then I cut up a 1" piece of salt pork into 1/4" cubes and sprinkled that on the meat and covered with a final layer of meat. I topped the terrine with 3 bay leaves. I covered the pan with a sheet of alluminium paper. I cooked it in a bain-marie at 350F for 45 minutes, then I lowered the temperature to 300F for another hour and a half.

Then I placed another loaf pan filled with water over the alluminium paper to weigh down the loaf in the pan and I let it cool completely.

Serve with a simple tossed green salad and a sprinkling of pommegranate seeds and some nice crusty bread. YUM! :D

It's all about mise-en-place...

This morning I made a lovely split pea soup. With a smoked ham hock, some onions, celery, split peas, seasonings and chicken stock. I made it in my slow cooker. It would cook steadily all day, and I would arrive home tonight with a nice warm soup that would be ready for this cool autumn day.

This was the plan. I just forgot to start the slow cooker.

D'oh!

We're having make your own...

You know those nights where you're too beat to even look at the kitchen, much less go in and prepare supper for the kids... Those nights where the day has been so long, the kid so whinny, the work so strenuous, and where the only thing you want to do is crawl into your bed and sleep 'til next week? Those nights where just the thought of stepping into the kitchen has you wanting to curl up in the corner and sob... On those night we have what is known as "make your own". Supper is simple, a bowl of cereal or a pb & j sandwich, or a warmed up left over soup, or some of the kids get together and microwave some ramen noodles.

Whatever supper happens to be, it is make your own.

Some tasty side dishes

So I have some extra zucchini on hand, along with a bit of garlic and some scallion whites. Wash and slice the zuke's, mince the garlic and chop the scallions. Toss with some olive oil, salt and a bit of pepper. Place in a small pan, and roast in a hot oven (425F) for about 45 minutes. Serve hot. Yum.


I also have cornmeal, some parmesan, a bit of butter and some curry.... Hmmm.... I also still have some scallion whites. Chop the scallions and sauté for a few minutes in a bit of olive oil. Add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of cornmeal (sifting and stirring so that I avoid lumps) and cook on medium high heat for a few moments - until the water is all absorbed. Grate some fresh parmesan, add a pinch of curry, a pat of butter and some salt to taste. Mix it all in and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Serve hot. Double Yum!


Serve with a nice lemon rosemary roast chicken or a lovely roast beast.

So it's thanksgiving this weekend...

And the kids are with dad 400 km away... So do I cook a 10 lb turkey? With scalloped potatoes, and "mioche", and salad, and bread, and gravy and desserts?

Sure! My sister's coming for a visit, and it's what we do on the long weekend in October in Canada.

PS. Mioche (it's pronounced Me-aw-sh... say the aw like you have a few marbles in your mouth) = mashed carrots and turnip mixed together.... Yum!

The prodigious potato party...

Well today is the potato festival. What can I say about this popular tuber?

I could go into nutritional details about potatoes, but that would be about as dry as... sawdust. Just about as interesting too. So we'll just agree that potatoes are very nutritious.

I enjoyed going through the recipes that have been sent to me. Some of you sent me recipes from famous cooks, others sent me links to websites with hundreds of potato recipes. Some sent me family favourites, while others sent me Bubba-like lists of potato recipe titles...

Terry, a long time friend from Foodwine, a listserv e-mail group, sent a recipe from Ina Garten that calls for no water, and go figure the potatoes aren't fried either! Check this out...

Herbed New Potatoes

Serves 6
Recipe By: Ina Garten
Published in: Barefoot in Paris

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 1/2 pounds small white or Yukon gold potatoes -- scrubbed but not peeled
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh green herbs -- such as parsley, chives, and dill


Instructions


Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the whole potatoes, salt, and pepper and toss well. Cover the pot tightly and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender when tested with a small knife. From time to time, shake the pot without removing the lid to prevent the bottom potatoes from burning. Turn off the heat and allow the potatoes to steam for another 5 minutes. Don't overcook! Toss with the herbs, and serve hot.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

I guess that the residual water from the washed potatoes creates enough steam to cook the potatoes.

Iowagirl, a fellow BBS poster on a low-carb forum, laughed and sent me the following...

"Mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, au gratin potatoes, boiled potatoes, potato soup, potato pancakes, potato bread. How's that Forrest?" I should have known better than inviting a low-carber to a potato festival! lol ;) Instead of eating potatoes she recommended using potatoes to make fun art projects with kids. Leave it to a low-carbing mom to remind me that potatoes are not only important for nutrition, but also for family fun!

Ian on the other hand told me that his favourite potato recipes are Shepherd's Pie found here
http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/blrecipe_shepherd.htm and Tattie Hushie found here http://www.cookitsimply.com/recipe-0010-015y69.html and finally Corned Beef Hash and Picalilli.

I didn't know that the beef variation of Shepherd's Pie that I eat is actually called Cottage Pie... And who would have thought of adding tomato paste (AKA ketchup) and oatmeal to cream of leek soup? I'll have to try that.

Then Terry found another couple of recipes that were very tasty indeed...

One wasn't so much a recipe, but simply "a way to prepare potatoes"...

"I have a vegetable threader which turns vegetables into spaghetti like strands. I thread a russet potato and wrap a piece of salmon with the threads. Then I saute that in olive oil (lots of salt and pepper on the fish) until the potato is brown and crispy. When that happens the salmon is done. I place that on top of some fresh cooked spinach (sometimes plain and sometimes creamed. It's such a simple dish but very impressive and people love it.... it's sort of fried potatoes without the frying if you know what I mean. The hardest thing about the dish for most people is finding a vegetable threader." (To see what a vegetable threader is, go here. It makes long "potato spaghetti"... really kinda cool!)

Her next recipe was sent to her by another friend of ours, Phyllis (also a foodwine member).

Potato And Onion Cakes

Serves 4
Recipe Sent By: Phyllis Keating who found it on this other food related blog

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
coarse salt
1 teaspoons chopped rosemary -- plus 6 sprigs for ramekins
1 small red onion -- sliced into 6 1/4" rounds
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes -- grated
1 egg yolk -- slightly beaten



Instructions



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter ramekins, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegars. Place a rosemary sprig in the bottom of each ramekin, then lay one onion round over the rosemary. Toss potatoes with egg, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons coarse salt. Divide the potatoes into ramekins and dot with remaining butter. Bake for 30 minutes, until brown. To remove the cakes, slide a knife around the edge of the ramekin, then turn upside down.

Don't you just love reading the "extra notes" added those who've cooked a recipe? Well, Terry says:

" I tried it and it's very tasty and fun to do. Unusual in that you don't drain the moisture off. Anyway, it's just different enough that I thought I'd send it to you. It unmolds nicely. Oh I wouldn't use rosemary unless it's very tender new leaves. My friend made it on my recommendation and she used the rosemary you buy at the supermarket which is too coarse and strong. I believe I used fresh thyme leaves in mine."

The last recipe that I'll post comes from a dear friend who recently passed away. He loved life, and lived every second of life for all that it was worth. He laughed. He argued. And as much he loved and lived, he was loved and is missed. Thank you Bob for being a mentor to many of us. An inspiration to some of us. An exaspiration to others... but then those guys don't know how to keep their tongue firmly planted in their cheek! Most of all though, you were a very dear friend. We were very blessed for having known you. (Thanks Terry for sending me this recipe also.)

This is the most fun to make and serve. I've served it a several dinner parties. Everyone likes it and it's such a good story. I microwave the potatoes and rice them so they are *very* dry just like I do for gnocchi. I always do them as walnut size balls. Don't forget the egg wash, it's needed for that great little crust.



Wildly Inauthentic Crustless Potato Knishes - Pastorio


Serves 6
Recipe By: Bob Pastorio




Ingredients


2 large eggs; slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoons black pepper
3/8 cup matzo meal
3 cup mashed potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 medium onion; diced and sauteed (optional)
1 egg yolk; beaten with 1 tablespoon water
oil for baking sheet



Instructions


Heat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter or margarine, salt, pepper, and matzo meal. Stir in mashed potatoes and, optionally, a diced and sauteed onion. Form heaping tablespoons of the dough into walnut-sized balls or shape about 1/2 cup portions into the traditional square shape. Brush with egg. Place on a well- greased cookie sheet (non-stick is a good idea) and bake for 20 minutes or so, until well browned. Serve warm.



I split them horizontally and spread a little mustard around the inside. This recipe can be easily doubled. As an option you may also substitute up to 1/4 sweet potato for the white potato for a pleasantly different taste and texture. If you don't have matzo meal, virtually any cracker meal will work, although the taste and texture will vary from this.



Recipe Notes: Knishes are traditionally made with a crepe filled with mashed potatoes. These dispense with the wrapper and form a crust all their own. This makes a lot of little nibbles or maybe ten 3 X 3 inch knishes about an inch thick. Three cups of mashed potatoes is about 1 1/2 pounds. I've used Russets, Yukon Golds, and white-skins. Don't use light margarine or whipped butter because they're different than the real thing, mostly more water. - Bob


Yield: about 30 walnut-sized knishes or ten larger ones.



8/3/06
I baked them on a sheet pan with parchment paper which I sprayed with a bit of Pam. I made them walnut size. David loved them as did I. I think these will be a hit at a cocktail party.I microwaved two large russet baking potatoes until tender. That made my three cups of mashed potatoes. Peeled and riced them while still warm. I felt I needed to keep the potatoes as dry as possible so the knishes would be light. I added the diced sauteed onion which is optional but I felt it was needed for additional flavor. -Terry

Well with all of these recipes, should I really go into my potato recipes? I've grown up in potato country, and there are so many to choose from. Rösti's, Latke's, mashed, hashed, boiled and simply baked... The list goes on. My favourite way of eating potatoes though is when my father makes mashed potatoes. He makes the best mashed potatoes in the world. I could give you the recipe, but even I can't make it just right, and believe me, I've watched him do it and I've tried doing it... It's just not the same. I guess it needs a "father's touch".

His recipe starts simply enough.



Peel and boil 2 potatoes per person. Strain. Mash. Add some milk, a bit of butter, and a dash of salt and pepper. Mash again to mix the ingredients.

Simple right? Doesn't it beat all that after 25 years, I still can't figure how he does it? They are dry, but not too dry, creamy but not pasty, light but not unsubstantial... And just seasoned enough.

So... Do you have a favourite recipe to share?

Grocery shopping for under 100$

3 lbs carrots
3 lbs onions
1 bunch celery
1 green bell pepper
5 heads of garlic
1 ginger root
3 lb blade roast
3 lb chicken thighs
6 lbs shell noodles
5 lbs penne noodles
1 lb key limes
40 granola bars
2 pint sour cream
1 box graham cracker crumbs
1 bottle white wine
2 lbs bacon
1 green zucchini
1 yellow zucchini
1 lb ripe tomatoes
3 lbs marble cheese
4 lb squash
1 tube toothpaste
2 tourtière pies
1 instant camera with processing included (as a b-day gift for a 9yo boy... What do you buy for a boy's b-day?)
and finally, 1 reusable grocery bag

That's what 100$ gets you at the grocery store these days... About 10 meals worth of building materials.

Oh! I forgot to add the milk! Add milk to that list.

(Thank You God!)

What could be simpler?

1 cup of bread crumbs
.5 tsp onion salt
.5 tsp ground pepper
.5 tsp spanish paprika
6 chicken thighs

Mix the dry ingredients, add the chicken, mix to cover then cook at 450F for 45 minutes. Mmmmm....

That and a baked potato with sour cream and steamed veggies makes for a delicious supper. What are you having for supper?

The Nice Mother's Award

Well, it seems as if I've been nominated for the Nice Mother's Award. What an honour. On days where I have to run from work to school to home, make supper and do homework and then rush off to choir practice... I may not necessarily feel like a particularly nice mother. Rushing about always makes parenting more difficult. Then I remember the quiet things, the "mommy I have a booboo" that are really "momma I wanna kiss", the laughing together as we're going to the store, and the singing and dancing as we do household chores. Maybe I am a good mom after all!

Thank You Suzanne for the nomination. I now tag:

Rachel Mom to 5 boys! Wow! Snaps and snails and puppy dog tails...

Boothe A mom who, when given an impossible situation, remained open to life and graciously took us along so that we might also be blessed by Copeland - Heaven's newest angel.

Danielle A homeschooling mom to 8 children! An author and an inspiring blogger.

KristenA very nice mom indeed.

and finally Melanie A really nice homeschooling mom too! :D

Blog?... Meet Life! And my first Potato Festival

I came on the computer today and realized that I hadn't posted a blog in a while... What with a new job, kids going to visit with their dad, school and the change of seasons... And last night's stew was just sooo good.

A friend of mine works for the departement of agriculture, and over the last few days has brought me potatoes. They were testing potatoes and the ones that passed were good to use. Except, well, there is too much. So even after everyone takes a fair share, there is some left over that needs to be destroyed. I'm glad that my friend thought of us. I have over 20 lbs of Russet potatoes and 20 lbs of Chieftan potatoes. Thank you Daniel! I'll certainly share this bounty with others.

So over the next little while, I'll be working with potato recipes. Last night was the first... Chicken stew. Money has been tight around here for the last little while, what with school starting up and the kids hitting a growth spurt like I haven't seen in a while. I'll get paid soon, but in the meantime, my pantry is getting kinda bare. (The Lord does provide for us doesn't He? I mean I'm running out of food, then a friend comes along with over 40 lbs of potatoes! The Lord IS good - All the time! Praise God!!! :D )

So my stew was made with what was on hand. I started with an onion that I roughly chopped into 3/4 inch squares. I sautéed that for a few minutes in some butter. I pulled the skin of four chicken legs and threw that into the pot. I added two and a half liters of water, and started to let that simmer. Meanwhile I peeled some russet potatoes, probably enough to fill my litre measuring cup once diced, washed them and cut them into 3/4 inch cubes. I added that to the water. I asked my sous-chef, M., to get me some thyme from the garden to add to the stew. Then I added a bay leaf, about a half dozen peppercorns, three carrots that had been diced, and a bit of condensed vegetable broth. As the stew simmered, I skimmed the foam off of it - I wanted a clear and clean broth. A bit over an hour later... I had a wonderous stew. Now I had to pull the chicken meat off of the bones, add the meat to the stew and serve.

The kids ate it up. Here I thought I had made an industrial size stew for my family, and I barely made enough! The kids weren't hungry when we got up from the table... I just don't have my leftovers for lunch today.

I wonder what I'll do with potatoes for supper today. hmmm.... If you have any good potato recipes please forward them. I'll hold a potato festival on October 3rd. Please pass the word along, and we'll have lots of excellent potato recipes next week!