Garden Update

 

 

This photo dates back to the middle of March, when we had 2 very warm days that melted what had been a good foot of snow over the garden before reverting to more seasonal temperatures. Immediately, the leeks looked amazingly good, which is what we are looking for with this particular strain of leeks. Of course, the past winter was a good one for plants coming through it in good condition, being consistently cold but not intensely cold, and with persistent snow-cover. April has been up and down (mostly up, but with a down that killed the apricot blossoms, as usual). At any rate, we've been digging out the ones we think a little too small to let them go to seed, and they have been entirely respectable in size. Very, very happy with the leeks this year. 

It turned out that the rabbit fence Mr. Ferdzy put up 2 years ago had some problems. The main one was that weeds could not be trimmed around the base with a weed-whacker; it actually destroyed the chicken wire. Also, it did not keep out deer which continued to be a problem. So this year, he is re-building it. It will now sit in a base of gravel, and be 2 rows of chicken wire high. This will make for a stressful spring; I help him with the building a little bit but most of it is his work. However, that will leave pretty much all the planting and weeding to me. 

We made a good start on getting this project going, but recently the weather has been slowing us down; either too cold or too wet. Hopefully that will change soon.

Haskap shrubs are already in bloom! Strawberries are only just starting to think about it, so it looks like the haskaps will be even earlier than the strawberries this year. 

Garlic is another one that doesn't mind the mostly fairly chilly (after the early warm spell) spring that we've been having. We're down to growing 4 varieties, from left to right: Tibetan, a local foundling, Bogatyr, and Azores (Portuguese). Tibetan looks thin and weedy compared to the others, and it is a smaller garlic. We continue to grow it because it is the last to sprout - last to come up in the garden which at first we interpreted as a bad thing, but then we realized it's also the last to sprout in storage, so we save it for use in the spring and early summer when the other varieties have all sprouted.

Here is how the leeks looks now. We harvested all the "losers" and they were of really very good quality for the most part; substantial and tender. I only had to peel off one or two outer layers which is not that much worse than what must be done with fall harvested leeks. The best have been left in the bed, which will contain tomatoes. We've been leaving more and more overwintered veggies in place to go to seed wherever possible, and plant the new crop around them. It's mostly been working quite well.

We've left a few Turkish celeriac in the tomato bed to go to seed in addition to the leeks, and I've replanted carrots for seed as well. The closer bed contains a few cabbages for seed and replanted onions for seed. This too will be a tomato bed this year. Beyond the third bed, which contains some overwintered spinach (much damaged by mice, but recovering) there are some stubs of Brussels sprouts. I am not sure enough of them will resprout and go to seed, but if they do we will pull the cabbages so they don't cross. We have lots of cabbage seed; the Brussels sprouts are a higher priority.

Sorrel has been early and prolific this year. I'm in the process of moving it out of this bed, which is really for peonies, but it's going into a bed with a long side against the new fence and until that fence is built it's a bad idea to move them there. Which means it may be the fall or next spring before that happens. In the mean time, lots of sorrel dishes are happening.

I didn't take a picture of all the pots of tomatoes, peppers, etc that we are hauling in and out as we usually do. They look like they usually do too. However, here are some of our potatoes, almost all (but the 3 on the tablecloth) grown from seeds. These are the survivors out of dozens, if not hundreds, of potato seeds planted over the last few years. I am particularly happy with the ones in the top left bowl. They have lovely pink skin, excellent flavour, decent productivity, and it looks like they keep better than most too. 

 

In general, I'm not impressed by how much these have sprouted, but I also realized they sprout worse than our eating potatoes because the spot where we've been storing them is next to an outside wall and temperatures fluctuate more than in the spot where we've been keeping the eating potatoes. Next winter I'm going to find a different spot and see if they don't do better. 

Once the fence is up along their bed - and it's the one being worked on now - these can be planted. Dandelions are in bloom, even if we are supposed to get sleet in the next couple of days. I really hope that's the last of it and we are on to another season in the garden.

Vietnamese Style Noodle Salad

It's not necessary to serve this with Nem Nuong, but we did, and together they made a complete and excellent meal. 

 

Bean thread noodles are also known as cellophane noodles, or glass noodles. You can now get them at the local grocery store, amazingly enough. They are a resistant starch so have a low glycemic load. I've always felt serene and happy after eating them, partly because I love them but partly because I think they don't mess with my blood sugar. 

 

4 servings

30 minutes prep time

 

Make the Dressing:

2 tablespoons fish sauce

the juice of 1 large lime

1 or 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 clove of garlic

1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

 

Whisk or shake all the ingredients together is a small bowl or jam jar. 

 

Make the Salad:

2 rolls (100 grams) mung bean noodles

1 cup finely shredded cabbage

1 cup grated carrot

2 or 3 green onions

2 small greenhouse cucumbers

1/4 of a large red or yellow greenhouse pepper

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup chopped mint leaves

 

Bring a pot of water to a boil, then drop in the noodles and let them soak for 8 minutes. (If your package has other directions to prepare them, follow those directions.) Rinse them in cold water and drain them well. Snip them into shorter lengths and put them in a mixing bowl. 

Meanwhile, wash, trim, and shred the carrot. Peel and grate the carrot. Wash, trim, and finely chop the green onions. Wash, trim, and grate or finely chop the cucumbers. Wash, core, and finely chop the pepper. Wash, dry, and mince the cilantro and mint leaves. All of these go in with the noodles. 

Toss the salad, then add the dressing and toss again. Serve as-is, or with Nem Nuong; both can be wrapped in rice wrappers as spring rolls if you like. 

Last year at this time I made Gone-to-Seed Carrots.

Nem Nuong - Vietnamese Pork Loaf

Rice flour is the traditional ingredient for these, not too surprisingly, so I used the barley flour with a little trepidation. How much like actual Nem Nuong this actually is I can't say, but we thought it was delicious. Well - all that garlic; how not? The rice flour wasn't the only liberty I took. This usually has some meat curing salts in it, which I can't get and don't particularly want or need, so I just left them out. 

We ate it all quickly enough that I didn't freeze any, but I would think that you could.

 

4 servings

40 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

 

 

1 head garlic

2 tablespoons rice or barley flour

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

450 grams (1 pound) ground pork, not lean

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons water

 

Peel the garlic, and pound it to a paste. (Grating it finely words well too.) Toast the flour in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring as needed, until toasted to a paper-bag brown. Turn it into a mixing bowl with the garlic. 

 

Add the remaining ingredients up to the pork and mix well by hand. Dissolve the baking powder in the water and mix it into the meat. Put the seasoned meat into a seal-able container and refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight. 

 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 15 minutes, then put it under the broiler and let it broil for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned in spots. 

 

Let it cool for 15 or 20 minutes or until completely cool, then slice and use to top salads or noodles, or as a component in spring rolls or banh mi. Obviously, keep leftovers well-wrapped and refrigerated. 

Last year at this time I made Crisp Fried Pork with Parsley Sauce.

Creamed Carrots & Belgian Endive

Slightly sweet carrots and slightly bitter Belgian endive team up here to make an elegant and well-balanced vegetable dish; quite French in style, not surprisingly. I didn't mean to present it as a disheveled Canadian flag on psychedelics, but the green beans and parsley accompaniments took it there.

 

4 servings

30 minutes prep time

300 grams (10 ounces) thin carrots

200 grams (7 ounces; 1 or 2 heads) Belgian endive

1 small onion

1 clove of garlic

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 to 1/3 cup water

1/4 cup sour cream, yogurt, OR 10% cream

chervil, chives, or parsley to garnish, if possible

 

Wash, peel, and slice the carrots fairly thin. Trim the endive and cut in 1/4" slices across. Peel and chop the onion finely, and peel and mince the garlic. 

 

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots and turn them to coat in the butter. They should be just steadily sizzling. Add the onions, and mix them in. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the Belgian endive, and mix in well; cook until just wilted. Add the garlic and mix it in. Season with salt and pepper. Add the water, and cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring regularly, until the water is evaporated and the vegetables are cooked. (Add a little more water if you want them cooked more.) 

Mix in the cream and heat through, but do not let it simmer again. Serve at once, garnished with a sprinkle of chervil if you can get it, or chives, or parsley. 

Last year at this time I made Kaygana (Turkish Omelette).

Carrot, Halloumi & Dill Fritters with Garlic Yogurt

Vegetable fritters or patties are now a staple of my diet; they are quick and easy to make, and I usually use chick pea flour in them so they provide only a moderate amount of carbs of good quality. Other people can put them in a bun and eat them that way; I would if I could. But they are also excellent just eaten with a side dish of salad. 

I liked these Turkish style fritters, but I have to say I would have preferred the cheese to be a bit more prominent. With all the other ingredients bringing some lively flavours it faded into the background a bit, and at the price of cheese that's vexing. Maybe next time I will chop it roughly rather than grating it.

The batter for these was a bit crumbly, but once they were in the pan and cooking, they consolidated nicely. 

4 or 16 servings

45 minutes prep time

Make the Yogurt:

1 clove of garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup thick yogurt

Peel the garlic and mince it with the salt, then mix it into the yogurt. Use a coffee filter to line a strainer, and turn the yogurt into it to drain while you make the fritters.

Make the Fritters:

1 1/2 cups (2 medium) carrots, grated

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill leaves

2 or 3 finely chopped green onions

2/3 cup chick pea flour

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 to 1 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper (to taste)

2 large eggs

250 grams halloumi cheese

about 3 tablespoons oil to fry

 

Peel and grate the carrots, and put them in a mixing bowl. Wash, dry, and mince the dill. Trim and finely chop the green onions and add them to the carrots. 

Put the chick pea flour into a mixing bowl. Grind the cumin and coriander seeds with the salt, and add them to the flour. Add the other spices. Break in the eggs, and beat to a smooth batter. Grate or chop the halloumi and mix it in. The batter should rest for at least 20 minutes before being fried, and can be made (kept in the fridge) up to a day in advance. 

Heat the oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, on a griddle or large skillet over medium heat - it should be just a little lower in temperature than you would cook eggs or pancakes. Drop the batter by large spoonfuls to form small patties. Press them to about 1/2" thick. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes per side until lightly browned and firm. Remove to a serving platter - they can be kept warm in a 200°F oven while you make the rest, adding a bit more oil to the pan as needed with each subsequent batch. 

Last year at this time I made Potato & Bacon Pie with Cheese & Green Onions.

Coconut Beef & Cabbage Curry

Not a particularly authentic curry from anywhere except my pantry, which still contains a decent amount of cabbage, carrots, and onions, and it made use of can of coconut milk that had been hanging around for far too long and needed to go.  

I'm a bit impressed at how brown and meaty it looks, since it actually contains quite a lot of vegetable. Cabbage and onions do tend to cook down and fade, and since I grated the carrot they're not terribly prominent either. Still, they are definitely there, and all you need is some rice or naan to finish the meal.

 

4 servings

1 hour 30 minutes - 30 minutes prep time

 

 

Make the Sauce:

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons Madras OR Malaysian curry powder

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

the juice of 1/2 a large lemon OR 1 large lime

2 tablespoons barley or other flour

1 400 ml can coconut milk

 

Start this after the meat has been prepared and is simmering. 

 

Peel and grate the ginger, and mix it in a small mixing bowl with the curry powder, sugar, fish sauce, and lemon or lime juice. Mix in the flour to make a smooth paste, then stir in the coconut milk, a little at a time. Set aside. 

 

Make the Curry:

500 grams (1 pound) beef steak (round or similar)

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

2 cups beef OR chicken broth

3 cups finely shredded green or Savoy cabbage

1 1/2 cups (1 large carrot) grated carrot

1 large onion

 

Cut the steak into thin, bite-sized slices, and pat it dry with a bit of paper towel. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or heavy bottomed soup pot, and cook the steak pieces until browned on both sides. Add the broth, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, until tender. You can add more stock or water if the meat gets too dry, but it is okay if it reduces down in volume some. This can be done up to a day in advance.

Prepare the sauce while the meat simmers. Also wash, trim, and shred the cabbage, and peel and grate the carrots. Peel and sliver the onion. 

 

Once the meat is tender, add the vegetables to the meat and cook, stirring regularly, until they are also tender and slightly browned in spots. Stir up the sauce and add it, and simmer for a further 15 minutes or so, until thickened. Stir regularly. Serve with Naan or steamed rice.

Last year at this time I made Strawberry Whip with Custard.

Spinach Tortilla Wraps

I'm always lured in by attractive photos of things, in this case bright green spinach wraps. Unfortunately, to achieve a bright green wrap, you need to use white flours and much less spinach, and not let them get browned at all, so mine came out a quite dark khaki colour. Still, very tasty! They are modeled on these Buckwheat & Flax Meal Tortilla Wraps I made a while back. I have to say, I'm happy to have tried these, and they were good, but I'm much more likely to make the plain ones in the future; in fact I have been making them regularly already. They are extremely useful and one of them has about 2/3 the net carbs of a slice of the best bread that I can get. (Not talking about super low-carb "breads", which are pretty much unspeakable.)

We had these for breakfast, wrapped around a cheesy omelette, which went very well with the spinach. You can make these all year round with frozen spinach, and in fact I would recommend it over fresh.

 

4 to 6 tortilla wraps

40 minutes prep time

1 cup finely re-ground flax seed meal

1/2 cup potato starch

2/3 cup buckwheat flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

120 grams (4 ounces) cooked chopped spinach

1 cup boiling water

about 1/4 cup buckwheat flour to roll

Regrind the flax seed meal in a blender until very fine. Put it in a mixing bowl with the potato starch, buckwheat flour, and salt. Mix well. 

Put the spinach in a blender and chop extremely finely. It will be necessary to stop and scrape down the sides several times. Add the flour mixture, about 1/3 at a time and process it in until you have a very fine, sandy mixture. Turn this back into the mixing bowl. 

Bring some water to a boil and immediately measure out 1 cup of it and stir it in quickly, until it forms a ball. Let the dough rest for a minute or two until you can handle it, then divide it into 4, 5, or 6 equal pieces. Set them on a plate. 

Heat a griddle over medium-low heat. Using a sheet of parchment paper or very clean countertop, roll each piece of dough into a very thin circle. It's easiest to flatten it into a hockey puck-shaped disc to start. Dust with plenty of buckwheat flour to prevent it from sticking. As you roll each wrap, stack them on another plate. When the griddle is warm and you have rolled about 3 of them, begin cooking them, for 2 minutes on the first side and about a minute on the second side. Stack them on another plate as you work... if you are speedy enough, you can transfer the last couple of balls of dough to the edge of the parchment and use that plate rather than dirty another. Continue until all the balls of dough are rolled and cooked. The dough gets harder to work with the longer it sits, so it needs to be rolled promptly. 

Last year at this time I made Barley & Spelt Scones, and updated Sweet Potato Waffles. Apparently this time of the year involves a few last kicks at the baking can...

Onion, Mustard & Red Pepper Bulgur

For me, when I think of mustard I think of sausages, but this could go with chicken, beef, fish... lots of things, really. The mustard gets quite mild, and the onions and peppers cook into the background, and the whole thing is just very tasty without being as assertive as you might suppose from the ingredients. 

 

4 servings

45 minutes - 30 minutes prep time 

 

1 large onion

1/2 red greenhouse pepper

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup bulgur

2 cups water, plus

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, plus

 

Peel the onion and cut it in half lengthwise. Cut each half lenthwise again, then slice thinly the other way to create quarter slices. Wash, trim, deseed, and slice the pepper into thin slivers. 

 

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook them slowly, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper; keep in mind that the mustard brings a certain amount of salt and don't over-do it. 

Add the bulgur and mix in well. Add the water and mustard. Cover and simmer steadily for 10 minutes. Then, remove the cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is chewy but tender. Stir regularly. 

When the bulgur is ready, turn off the heat and cover the pan again. Let it rest 5 minutes before serving. The cooked mustard gets quite mild so you may wish to swirl another spoonful through it once it's in the serving dish.

Last year at this time I made Chicken & Mushroom Stroganoff.

Pulled Pork Caribbean Style

This is not quite any particular Caribbean style pork recipe, but pulled out elements from Cochinito Pibil, and Puerto Rican and Cuban Pernil (or Lechon) Asado. As usual with pork shoulder, a long slow cooking time is key. 

If you can't get achiote, replace it with 1 teaspoon ground turmeric. Orange - particularly sour (Seville) oranges are traditional in this, but a mix of lemon and orange juice works well, as do Meyer's lemons since they are a natural cross between a lemon and an orange. I've also made it with regular lemons only, and thought that was delicious. I have yet to make it with limes, but I certainly expect to at some point, and I suspect that will also be terrific.

 

10 to 12 servings

20 minutes prep time

12 to 24 hours to marinate

3.5 to 6 hours to cook 

 

Make the Marinade:
1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon allspice berries

4 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 tablespoon achiote seeds

1 tablespoon rubbed oregano

1 teaspoon rubbed thyme

4 bay leaves

the finely grated zest of 1orange OR 2 Meyer's lemons

1 large head of garlic

2 pieces ginger root, 1" x 1" x 2" each

1/4 cup soy sauce

2/3 cup mixed lemon and orange OR Meyer's lemon juice

Grind the pepper, allspice, cumin, and achiote together. Mix them with the oregano and thyme. Put them in a container which can be covered and which will hold the pork roast fairly snugly. You could use a large zip-lock bag.

Grate the zest from the orange or lemon. Peel and finely mince or grate the garlic. Peel and finely mince or grate the ginger. Add these to the spices, along with the soy sauce and lemon or orange juice.

Marinate & Braise the Pork:
1.5 to 2.5 kilos (3 to 5 pounds) pork shoulder roast

Put the pork roast into the marinade, and turn it so that it is as evenly covered in it as you can manage. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 18 hours; if it can be turned once or twice during the process, so much the better.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

 

Transfer the roast with the marinade to a roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 225°F and roast for 1 hour per pound of meat, or a little longer, until very tender and falling apart. Add a little broth or water to the pan if it appears to be drying out at any point. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

If you like - and I recommend it - strain the cooking liquid while the roast rests, and serve some of it over the roast once it has been sliced (or pulled apart).

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Rutabaga & Apple Soup.

Barley with Vegetables

Well, here it is - about 1/4 of our entire barley harvest from last year. I have to say it tastes like barley, but it took longer to cook. I've given times for the more usual purchased barley, but I was caught a bit unawares by how long ours took. However, the great thing  about barley is you can just add more water and carry on, so I did. 

 

This is still a bit slow to make, but none of it is hard; you just need to keep an eye on things, especially as the liquids cook away. And while this is not a one-pot meal, it only needs some simply-cooked protein to finish the menu. 

 

If you have any leftovers, treat them as instant soup - add a sufficient quantity of chicken or other stock, and bring it to a simmer. 

 

4 to 6 servings

1 hour to cook the barley

45 minutes other prep time

 

 

Cook the Barley:

1 cup barley

1 teaspoon salt

3 or 4 cups water

 

As ever, put it all into the rice cooker and cook. It can be done on the stove-top as well, over medium-low heat to keep it at a slow simmer, but you will need to keep a watchful eye on it. It should take about 45 minutes to an hour. 

 

Cook the Barley & Vegetables:

4 cups very finely chopped Savoy cabbage

1 large carrot

1 large onion, red if possible

2 tablespoons finely minced fresh dill 

  OR 2 teaspoons dry dill weed

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 to 2 cup chicken or vegetable broth, OR barley cooking water

 

Wash, trim, and chop the cabbage finely. Peel and grate the carrot. Peel and finely chop the onion. Wash, dry, and mince the dill, if you have fresh dill to use. 

 

Once the barley is cooked, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrot and onion, and cook, stirring regularly, for several minutes until wilted and reduced in volume, but don't let it brown. Add the cabbage and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring regularly until it too is wilted and reduced in volume. 

 

Add the dill and other seasonings, and mix in the hot barley. Mix in the broth or cooking water, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer until the broth is absorbed or evaporated; about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally, more towards the end. Serve at once, garnished with a little more chopped dill if you like. 

Strawberry Sponge Pudding

This is the time of year when I generally make a dessert with frozen strawberries, often modeled on some other dessert that doesn't have strawberries. This one is based on Lemon Sponge Pudding. 

There was just one problem: I couldn't get it to work. It just would not separate into layers. I tried multiple times, but no dice. However, I have to say that all the failures were hoovered up, because this is some delicious stuff regardless, so eventually I gave up on trying to have that magical separation happen during baking and just cheated. Put some strawberries in the bottom of the dish(es), ladle on the foam, and bake. Looks like strawberry sponge pudding. Tastes like strawberry sponge pudding. I hereby declare it strawberry sponge pudding, and it is good. 

Note that having done that, I have listed the strawberries in 2 lines, as they go into it. You will need a total of 2 1/4 cups once puréed, so a bit more than that as frozen lumps.

 

4 servings

40 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

 

 

3/4 cup mashed thawed from frozen strawberries

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons barley flour

a pinch of salt

2 large egg yolks

2 large egg whites

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 cup puréed thawed from frozen strawberries

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out 4 1-cup custard cups on a baking tray. Divide the first quantity of mashed strawberries evenly amongst them.

 

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, and when light and fluffy work in the flour and salt. Break in the egg yolks, putting the egg whites into another mixing bowl, and beat them in well. 

 

Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat them with an electric mixer until stiff.  

Fold the puréed strawberries into the sugar and egg yolk mixture. Fold in the beaten egg whites very carefully, keeping it all as light and fluffy as possible. The batter will be quite soupy. Ladle it evenly amongst the waiting custard cups and bake at 350°F for 24 to 27 minutes.

Yellow Split Peas Loaf

I'm always very interested in the history of food, and seeing how dishes have evolved over time. I found this recipe here, and realized it was a modern take on the ancient British pease pudding, also long popular in Newfoundland. A number of old boiled or steamed dishes have made the transition to the oven, as it became more common for people to have an oven at home (this has by no means been a typical feature of life, until the last hundred to hundred and fifty years). 

We liked this quite a lot. It's fairly plain (do be sure to put in enough salt - like a lot of pea and bean dishes, it soaks it up and it disappears) but it would certainly lend itself to a variety of seasonings. We started off by eating it cold, as suggested at Stuffed at the Gills, and pan sautéed  the leftovers and had them hot. Nice both ways. 

As usual, I have made a few changes; mostly to omit sugar and replace carbs (I used oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs, which worked very well.)

 

6 servings

1 hour 20 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

NOT including cooking the peas

 

 

Cook the Peas:

1 cup yellow split peas

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups water

I cooked mine in the Instant Pot for 7 minutes, letting them decompress naturally. You could also cook them on the stove in the pot, in which case you will need more water. Stir regularly and cook them down to thick sludge over medium-low heat.

 

Make the Loaf:

1 medium onion 

1 1/2 cup bread crumbs OR 1 cup quick-cook oatmeal

2 teaspoons rubbed savory

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup tomato sauce, ketchup, or a mixture 

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a 9" x 4" baking pan, or line it with parchment paper. 

 

Peel and chop the onion. Put it in a mixing bowl with the cooked peas, the bread crumbs or oatmeal, and the seasonings. Mix well and adjust the seasoning as required. Mix in the eggs and the tomato sauce. 

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth it out flat. Top it with the remaining tomato sauce or ketchup, spread to evenly cover it. Bake for 1 hour and 5 or 10 minutes until firm. Let cool and serve at room temperature. It is also nice pan sautéed until hot through.

Celeriac & Mushroom Soup

Feeling a little more wintery with this recipe; but that's spring for you - up and down it goes like a yo-yo. Also, this one wins popularity more through its delicious personality than through good looks, it has to be admitted. 

 

There's a certain amount of peeling, grating, and chopping but once that's done this is a quick and simple soup.

 

4 to 6 servings

1 hour - 30 minutes prep time

 

1 medium (450 grams; 1 pound) celeriac

1 medium carrot

450 grams (1 pound) button mushrooms

2 large shallots

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed thyme OR savory

a good grating of nutmeg

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons barley or other flour

3 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock

1/2 cup cream

1 tablespoon sherry

Wash, peel, and grate the celeriac. Peel and grate the carrot. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Peel and mince the shallots and garlic. 

Heat the butter over medium-low heat in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the celeriac, carrot, mushrooms, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until well cooked down and softened. Add the seasonings, the garlic, and the flour, and cook for another few minutes. 

Add the chicken stock and mix it in well. Simmer very gently for another 20 to 30 minutes. 

Allow the soup to cool enough to work with, then run it through a food processor or blender until it has a relatively smooth texture. Return it to the pot, and add the cream and sherry. Heat through, but do not allow it to simmer. Serve at once. 

Last year at this time I made Clapshot Roasties.