Olivewood Kitchen

Potato Leek Soup

 

         March, in like lion and out like a lamb. This year, like many, has actually proved this to be true. Despite the recent multiple Nor’easters, I think winter has finally left.

      March is such a fickle month with its snow and ice, mud and rain. It just doesn’t know what it wants to be. Being my birth month, I feel a certain kinship towards it. Yes, March is the dregs of winter and most people would rather just skip it all together, but March can also bring the best of two seasons: The end of winter in all it’s glory and the very beginning of spring. You emerge at the end of the month in amazement. Is the winter actually ending? Did we make it?

        The other day I was thinking about what my favourite season is and I realized it was spring. I feel all seasons have something wonderful to offer, but if I were pressed on what my favourite was, I would have to say spring. The pure hope that spring gives, the hope after a long winter when essentially everything dies and comes back to life. Well, how can that not be hopeful… to anybody?

         This soup I feel is the perfect March soup. Potatoes are typically a symbol of winter and leeks a symbol of spring. A soup that can be served hot or cold, to match whatever the weather is doing. It is simple and cozy, perfect to make a batch of on a lazy afternoon.

        This recipe is actually for a classic vichyssoise. As far as i can gather, vichyssoise is just potoato leek soup with cream. (Some add milk, but cream is more traditional) Vichyssoise can be served hot some say, though I have never seen it hot. You want to serve it cold. Vichyssoise is cold, potato leek soup is hot.

        Leeks take a bit of care while prepping and cleaning. They tend to hold on to their grit and you must carefully wash them. The easiest way is to slice the leeks (just the white and light green part) and then put them in a large bowl full of cold water. Separate all the rings of leeks and let them soak after agitating the water a few times. Any sand or grit will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Once they have soaked, scoop up with a slotted spoon leaving the water in the bowl behind. Drain. Leeks are ready to be cooked! So let's get cooking.

         Happy Spring. Enjoy.

 

Potato Leek Soup

 

3 large cleaned leeks, 4 1/2 cups chopped (the light green and white parts)

4 cups sliced peeled Yukon gold potatoes (about 3 medium)

6 cups chicken broth

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ -1 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper

Crumbled cooked bacon or snipped chives (optional)

 

Clean leeks.

To clean: Chop leeks and add to a large bowl of cold water. Push leeks around and separate pieces. The dirt should fall to the bottom of the bowl. Scoop up leeks with your hands or a slotted spoon and drain in colander.

In a large saucepan or pot, sauté leeks on medium to medium-low heat until leeks are just getting tender. Try not to have the leeks pick up any colour.

Add the six cups of chicken broth and sliced potatoes.

Bring to a boil and simmer potatoes until tender.

The soup is ready to be blended.

The safest way to do this is with an immersion blender. Or you can cool the mixture and working in small batches, blend in a blender.

If you are blending in a blender you want to keep the hole in the blender top open. Place a clean dishtowel over the hole. This will allow the steam to escape and prevent the soup from blowing up in your face. (Seriously) If you are worried about this, let your soup mixture cool completely before blending.

Once blended, you have potato leek soup! (And it’s quite delicious at this point.)

You can stop here or add the blended soup to a clean pot and add ¾-1 cup of heavy cream. (You should definitely add the cream)

Oooh, that’s good.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat and serve or serve cold. If heated, serve with some crumbled bacon. If served cold, serve with snipped chives.

Enjoy!

Crepes

 

     Holy bomb cyclone! Welcome to 2018! Well, what doesn’t kill us apparently makes us stronger, so goodbye 2017, thank you for the strength you have given us to take into the new year. Hello 2018, you can’t scare us with your bombogenesis. (Bombogenesis is not a made up word by the weather channel by the way. I wrongly accused them and I stand corrected. It is actually a word used often by meteorologists. Clearly I haven’t been paying attention.) Ok, so bombogenesis is a real thing and you can’t make it out of your home due to either the negative wind chill or a snow drift is preventing your front door to open. What do you do now? You make a bunch of crepes to stuff your face with of course! Happy New Year!

    I have no idea why, but lately I have had a hankering for crepes. Odd, because I haven’t had a crepe in probably fifteen or twenty years, but maybe that’s why I want one. My father used to makes crepes in a proper crepe pan with orange sauce. Crepe suzette. I have never made them. They seemed… a bit daunting. I was happily surprised that they aren’t. (The crepe part, I don’t know about the suzette side of things.) After looking at some recipes, I mixed and matched what I thought was good. Some recipes called for butter, some called for oil. Some had water and milk, or just milk, a couple eggs or many. Some recipes call for the batter to rest, but I don’t see a need for it to rest, the crepes tasted perfect with no waiting.

    The batter I ended up creating produced a delicate yet firm crepe. Perfect for a little jam or a dusting of sugar. It is always good to have a little sweetness to usher in the New Year. Enjoy.

 

 

Crepes

Makes about 12 crepes

 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 ¼ cup whole milk

3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 eggs

pinch of salt

 

Melt the butter in the pan that you are planning on using.

I used a non-stick 10” skillet

Combine milk, flour, melted butter, salt and eggs. (in that order) In a blender.

Blend until smooth and all flour lumps are gone. About 30seconds to 1 minute.

Place a small pat of butter in pan set to medium heat.

Swirl butter around pan and let bubble.

Then pour a small amount of batter into the center of the pan and swirl pan to distribute batter.

This must be done immediately since the crepe will start to cook once the batter hits the pan.

It might take you a few tries, but after awhile you will know how much batter to pour in the pan. It’s ok if they aren’t perfect.

Cook the crepe for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown, then flip carefully and cook for a few more seconds (about 15) or until the bottom is just picking up colour.

Repeat until all batter is gone.

As you make a few, like pancakes, your pan will become hotter, so adjust heat if needed.

Place cooked crepes on a board covered with wax paper.

Serve immediately with smear of jam or you can freeze or refrigerate the crepes until you want to eat them .

Spice Gift Basket

 

        It is gift-giving time! You can’t show up to that holiday party empty handed! Give a present that says: I thoughtfully put this together for you. Happy (insert holiday here)! Joking aside, a nice basket of spices and herbs is a gift that many people would appreciate. You can also customize it to the person you are giving it to.

         The reason I thought of this gift is due to my spice shelf being a mess. I have very little room on the three shelves and bottles are constantly falling off. It doesn’t help that my toddler loves “re-arrange” the one shelf she can reach. Re-arranging happens every few days with another jar broken or spilled.

         The thought crossed my mind that I should start over and get new jars. New jars would fix everything! (It would be the catalyst for the organization my life needs!) So, I did some research and found some great spice jars that were inexpensive, sturdy, and looked nice. I had ordered some bulk spices in the fall and planned on just refilling the jars I had, but with new jars, they would all be the same size and would look a little more organized.

         While I was in the process of researching the jars, I realized what a nice present this would make. Perfect for a hostess gift. Enough with giving cookies! Give a gift that keeps on giving. (Not trying to be cheesy, I swear.)

         I bought the spiceluxe square 4oz bottles on Amazon. I liked them because they are square and fit more snugly than round ones. The jars come with silver stickers to write on, but if you didn’t want silver, you could buy the mudder fancy shape kraft paper stickers on Amazon.

         Bulk spices are getting easier to find. I’m sure your supermarket has some. I bought a variety from Thrive Market. They were inexpensive and also organic.

         To package your gift, I would find a nice basket and kitchen towel. Put a bow on it and enjoy! Happy gift-giving!

Pie Dough

           

         Never fear the pie dough! It can be mastered. Yes, pie dough can seem like a daunting task, but with enough preparation anyone can make it. The trick is not to panic! When I first started making pies, I stressed too much about it. My experience has lead me to stay calm and set up all the ingredients in advance. I also have stopped making pie dough by hand. It is a good skill to have, but cutting butter with either a pastry knife or two knives, isn’t the quickest way of making it. I now make the dough in a food processor and that takes a lot of stress and time away. It is necessary for the butter to stay cold and working as quickly as possible helps ensure the butter doesn’t have time to warm up. Using a food processor cuts the time down significantly.

         Once you get the hang of making this dough, you won’t ever need to look at the recipe. It will just be part of your repertoire. When people come over and eat your pies, they will remark on how flaky and wonderful the crust is. You will feel like a true baker. Have a fantastic Thanksgiving and enjoy!

 

 

Pie Dough

makes enough for a covered pie

 

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, retaining ¼ cup for adjustments

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, refrigerated and cubed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3- 4oz ice water

2 teaspoons sugar (optional)

 

 

Sift together 2 ¼ cups flour, salt and sugar. Keeping  the remaining ¼ cup of the flour on hand if you need to adjust the dough later. (The sugar is optional. Some people like a bit of sweetness in the crust. I usually leave the sugar out since the fillings are sweet enough for me.)

A note on measuring flour: The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup. (The handheld measuring cups not the glass pitcher types made for liquid) You spoon the flour into the measuring cup until it starts to overflow and then you level off the top with a knife. I almost never do this type of measuring because it takes too long for me. I scoop the measuring cup into the flour bag or flour container and make sure the flour is fluffed. Then I level it off with a knife. Essentially you don’t want to pack a measuring cup with flour because it will give you an incorrect measurement.

Once you have sifted the flour, salt and optional sugar, pour flour mixture into food processor.

Then, fill a small glass with two ice cubes and top with water.

Take butter out of the refrigerator and cut into small cubes. (If cutting the butter takes longer that expected, just pop the butter in the refrigerator for a few minutes to chill down.)

Place butter into food processor and pulse until the flour/butter mixture looks like coarse corn meal. There should be pea sized pieces of butter throughout.

Then start drizzling in the ice water while pulsing.

You have added enough water when the dough just starts to come together.

You should be able to squeeze some dough and have it stick together.

If you feel like you added too much water, add a tablespoon or two of flour.

Once you feel like you have the right consistency, spread a large piece of plastic wrap out on your counter or on a cutting board.

Pour out half of the dough in the middle of the plastic wrap.

Using the plastic wrap as an aid, smoosh the dough into a ball and then flatten into a disc.

Wrap the plastic around the disc.

Do the same with the other half of the dough.

Put both discs of flour in a freezer bag and put in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before rolling out.

You can make this several days ahead OR you can freeze it and defrost overnight.

If this dough is for Thanksgiving, I would make it at least two days in advance. Better to get it out of the way!

When you go to roll out the dough, don’t be worried that the dough is as hard as a rock. It will slowly warm up as you apply pressure and roll.

Roll out on a lightly dusted board.

When you have put the dough into the pie tin, pop the pie tin in the refrigerator before filling and baking. This will ensure the dough is nice and cold before baking.

Maple Sugar Cookies

       

          We still have leaves on the trees here. I find this amazing since it is almost the middle of November. But, I honestly can’t remember what the leaves did last year. Our region is past peak according to iloveny.com, but Long Island and NYC are just turning to peak, so get out there and enjoy!

         In honor of the falling leaves and the season, I wanted to make a seasonal cookie. I bought a nice copper maple leaf cookie cutter and if I’m not going to use it now, when am I going to use it? I thought just a regular sugar cookie would be best and then I could jazz it up with an icing or decoration. After realizing I have no patience, I knew I wouldn’t be using a pastry bag to decorate the cookies. In a perfect world I would spend all afternoon producing beautiful iced cookies, good enough to sell behind glass, but in reality that was never going to happen. (One has to know their limitations.) I did want the cookies to have a maple syrup icing. After playing around with a royal icing, I couldn’t get the consistency right with the amount of maple syrup flavour I wanted. I also didn’t want to use an extract of maple syrup because well, I didn’t have any on hand. So I ended up (maybe out of frustration) just spooning maple syrup on the cookies and to my surprise, it worked out wonderfully. The syrup dried and left a pretty glaze and subtle maple flavour. Sometimes being impatient works out! (There is hope for me!) The cookies are sweet but not overly sweet as some iced cookies can be. They are perfect for a chilly afternoon with tea or coffee. Enjoy.

 

 

 

Maple Sugar Cookies

(Adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

Makes about 30 cookies

 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup white sugar

1 large egg

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

maple syrup, the darker the better

 

 

 

You want the butter to be soft, so if you are making the cookies in the afternoon set your butter out in the morning. If I make cookies in the morning, I put the butter out at night. (Provided that your room temperature isn’t too hot.)

Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. You can do this by hand or in a stand mixer. (Or with a hand mixer)

Beat in egg and vanilla extract.

Sift together baking powder, salt and flour.

Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar.

Stir until all is combined.

Divide the dough into quarters.

Wrap each quarter in plastic wrap and mold into a disc. (This will help when you start rolling it out)

Refrigerate the dough until it’s firm.

Pre-heat oven to 350˚ F.

Line two cookie sheets with either parchment paper or a silpat or grease with butter.

Once dough is chilled, take out one disc at a time to roll out.

Roll cookie dough out to about ¼ inch thick.

Cut out cookies keeping scraps to re-roll.

Place on cookie sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes.

(Bake one sheet of cookies at a time. Depending on your cookie cutter this could take one or several portions of dough. Keep any dough you aren’t using in the fridge.)

The cookies are done baking when they are honey coloured with light toasted edges.

Let cool a bit and then spoon on maple syrup.

Let maple syrup dry.

Repeat with the rest of the cookie dough.

Succotash

        

 

        I have a lot of summer corn in my freezer. What can I make with it? Hmm….. maybe, succotash? The first thing that comes to my mind when I say that word is: “suffering succotash!”. Sylvester the cat would use this phrase when he couldn't  catch Tweety bird. But what is succotash and where did that phrase come from? Have I had succotash? Is it good?

         For starters, “suffering succotash”, is a euphemism for the vulgar expression: “suffering savior”. When was “suffering savior” used as a curse word? As far as I can gather, it was before the turn of the century. Succotash as a replacement for savior, like most euphemisms for curses, makes no sense and has nothing to do with actual succotash.

         The genesis of the word succotash is from the Native American Narragansett language and it's a Native American dish. Like most Native American dishes, the pilgrims were taught how to make succotash. It was a filling meal that no doubt helped the pilgrims and colonists get through rough winters.

         Over the years succotash took on many versions, some with milk and creams, others with meat. As it moved down south, different vegetables were used, but the basis has always been sweet corn and a bean. Lima beans seem to be the most traditional. (Lima beans!) Now, don’t freak out because it has lima beans. Have you had lima beans in awhile? You will like them. Especially when they are sautéed in butter.

         Succotash is a wonderful dish and I can’t believe I have never made it. It’s a lovely way to use corn and all the other end of summer vegetables. My toddler loved the lima beans. She loves corn, but she went crazy for the lima beans. (Who knew?)

         This dish is excellent along side poultry, meat or fish. It would be great as a side dish for your Thanksgiving meal. (And will be on our table this year.) Food historians agree that succotash was part of the first Thanksgiving in 1621. Original! You can’t beat that. Enjoy.

 

 

Succotash

serves 4 as a side dish

 

 

1 cup sweet corn kernels, frozen or fresh

1 cup lima beans, shelled, frozen or fresh

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

½ pint cherry tomatoes, cut into halves

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped or 1 cup mixed sweet small peppers, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

pinch dried oregano

salt and pepper

 

In a large skillet, cast iron preferable, melt the butter in the  oil on med-low heat.

Add the  onion and sauté until onions are softened.

Add the  garlic.

Sauté until garlic is fragrant and then add all the remaining vegetables.

Sauté vegetables until they are just tender.

Add oregano.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Mint Julep

        

        The summer season is upon us. And I know I always say this, but summertime = cocktail time! It’s time to relax, breathe in the sweet night air, watch the fireflies and the sun set against the hills.  It's time to tend the garden and find  some ingredients for our lovely cocktails. And I am happy to report that my garden is finally growing! Mostly growing unassisted, but growing nonetheless. I have many perennials that come up on their own and I am always thankful when they do. I appreciate anything that can self-manage.

         Mint is one of those plants that can grow with little to no help. It is always one of the first ones to push their eager leaves through the wet spring soil. And if you have ever planted mint, I am sure you know that mint likes to spread itself. It sends its runners (roots) through the ground causing the mint pop up in random places. I welcome this aggressive behavior because I have some spare spots in the garden to fill. The mint also has had a predator for many years: the four lined bug. It's a battle to eradicate the bug, so I let the mint have its way in the spring and early summer, because by late summer, when the mint gets leggy and less full by its nature, I tend to stop spraying my soap spray and the bugs end up doing a lot of damage. So mint-go forth! Spread your runners as far as they can run.

         Now that we have established I have a lot of mint (and mostly only mint), what cocktail can be made? A mint julep of course! Oh, mint julep, how I love thee… your simplicity, your minty loveliness.

         When I first made a mint julep, I thought something was missing. “That’s it?” I thought to myself. Followed by: “That’s essentially straight bourbon”… “They drink these during the day?”… “Maybe I should move to the south”. But all kidding aside, the drink only has five elements. 1) The Cup, 2) Bourbon, 3) Mint, 4) Ice and 5) Sugar. It doesn’t get any easier or fresher tasting. So grab a glass and mix up this classic for a sultry summer night. You won’t be disappointed. Enjoy.

A note on the cup:

The most traditional way to serve a mint julep is in a silver mint julep cup. Unless you have a set in your family, you will have to put up a small fortune to buy some. I looked in vain for some vintage silver cups and I did find some, but they were just too expensive. There are some nice pewter cups, but they were pricey too. And then I thought about the stainless steel cups we already have and figured those would work out just as well and they did! They look like a modern take on the classic mint julep cup. I bought mine on amazon- but you may find them being offered in other places.

 

MINT JULEP

makes 1 cocktail

2 oz bourbon

½ - 1 teaspoon sugar

sprigs of mint

crushed ice

 

Muddle mint and sugar on the bottom of a glass.

You want to crush the mint, but try not to break the mint.

Add bourbon and then crushed ice. (You can use regular ice, but crushed ice is the traditional way to serve a Mint Julep. If you can’t buy any, just put some ice in a ziplock bag and whack it with a rolling pin. In a minute you will have some crushed ice.)

Stir.

Add some mint as a garnish.

Enjoy under the cool shade of a tree.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

 

    Ahhh.. the start of the summer season. We made it! It actually came! I know I always wax poetic about this time of year, but it’s always with good reason. How can one smell the perfume of lilacs or lily of the valley and not feel some joy and hope? I could start blithering about renewal and rebirth, but before I get ahead of myself here, let’s talk about ice cream sandwiches!

         Maybe you haven’t had an ice cream sandwich in awhile? I remember them fondly... the dark chocolate cookie that was always a bit soft, giving way to icy ice cream and after a couple of bites, a few licks, it was gone too soon. I used to love them, but I always felt a tiny bit unsatisfied at the end. Was it over too quickly? Was the cookie too soft? Was it something else? Can I think philosophically about an ice cream sandwich?

         At any rate, I determined it would be nice to make my own. It’s just cookies and ice cream right? I think I can manage that!

         I did two combinations, but obviously make as many as you want. The combinations were: Chocolate chip cookies/vanilla ice cream and vanilla cookies/strawberry ice cream. The vanilla cookies are the same recipe as the chocolate chip cookies sans chocolate chips. (I have to keep it easy!)

         These sandwiches would be a fun activity for children. You can make them large or small. You could go crazy and roll the sides in sprinkles or nuts. The point is, they are easy to make and fun to make your own. Not to mention so good! Enjoy. Happy Memorial Day!

Ice Cream Sandwiches

You will need:

Chocolate Chip cookies

Vanilla Cookies

Vanilla Ice Cream

Strawberry Ice Cream

 

A note about the ice cream: please use a full fat ice cream like Haagen Dazs or Ben and Jerry’s. These ice creams are dense and can stand up to the robustness of the cookie. (Fun Fact!: Haagen Dazs is a name made up by the owner. It is essentially gibberish but is supposed to sound like Danish. )

Cookies

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 teaspoon instant espresso (optional, leave out if making vanilla cookies)

1 bag (12 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips

Take out eggs when you bring out your butter to soften.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt together into a bowl.

In a stand mixer (or by hand) beat butter and sugar together until creamy.

If using a stand mixer you may have to scrape down the sides to incorporate all the sugar and butter.

Once butter and sugar is creamed, add vanilla, espresso powder (if using) and eggs.

Add one egg at a time. It is helpful to crack the eggs into a small bowl before you add them incase you have to remove any broken shells from the egg.

Mix slowly until combined.

Then add flour mixture slowly.

Mix slowly until combined.

At this point if you wanted to make vanilla cookies, remove some dough to make the cookies.

Then add chocolate chips and mix.

To make the cookies the same size, roll dough in your hands like you would when making meatballs.

Drop those cookie dough balls onto a pan lined with a silpat or parchment paper.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Depending on the size of your cookies the baking time might be less or more.

Let cookies cool.

Construct!

When the cookies are cooling, bring out your ice cream to soften.

You want the ice cream to be soft enough to scoop, but not too soft that it will melt while you are making the sandwiches.

Put a layer on the cookie and then smoosh another cookie on top.

If you wanted, you could smooth out the edges of the ice cream, or just leave au natural.

Wrap cookies in parchment paper, place in a container and freeze.

I would make one at a time and then freeze. I tried to do several before placing them in the freezer and they started to melt.

Take out of the freezer right at serving time.

Enjoy!

Spinach, Tomato and Cheddar Frittata

         I love frittatas because, like most egg dishes, they are easy. They take a bit of forethought, but not much. Also, this dish, unlike basic egg dishes, can be served whenever you like. There is no hollering of: “Your eggs are almost done!”, “Your eggs are ready!” or “Your eggs are getting cold!”. Frittatas can sit and be patient for your sleepy guests to arrive to the table. Frittatas don’t mind waiting. They also can be reheated the next day and are very portable. Breakfast now can be lunch the next day. And wouldn’t be nice not to worry about lunch for once?

         Frittatas are also very flexible. They will just take whatever you give them. Like a good friend, they will stand by you when you decide to use up the broccoli from last night’s dinner and some sad scallions you just realized were in the fridge. They happily bake those items into their eggy beings and won’t give you any grief.

         I used a small cast iron pan for this, since it was just for me and my side-kick toddler. Cast iron skillets are key for frittatas. Here is a pan just like the one I used:  Cast Iron 8" Pan   If I haven’t gone on and on about cast iron yet, I will at some point. So right now I will be brief about it. Cast iron skillets are a necessity in the kitchen. They work tirelessly and take a lot of abuse for little upkeep. If you don’t have any, buy yourself some today. A small set will be less than $40. It’s worth it, believe me, and you will  have them forever.  Now, let's get cooking!  Enjoy!

Spinach, Tomato and Cheddar Frittata

serves 2 or 2 ½

 

6 eggs

1 cup  (packed) fresh spinach, chopped

5 grape tomatoes, chopped

½ small onion, diced

3oz cheddar, large dice

2 tablespoons olive oil

milk

salt and pepper

8” cast iron skillet

 

Preheat oven to 350*F

Add oil to pan and set on med-low heat.

Add onions and sauté until they are a bit soft.

Add the spinach and tomatoes to pan.

Sauté mixture until onions are soft and tomatoes and spinach are cooked down. (Most of the water has been taken away)

While the veggies are cooking down, beat eggs with a little milk.

Add a pinch of pepper and salt to the eggs.

Once the veggies are ready, pour the eggs into the hot pan and keep the pan on med/low heat. Give a light stir to incorporate the veggies and eggs.

Cook for several minutes to set the bottom. You don’t want the bottom to scorch, so keep the heat in check.

Once you feel the bottom is set, (top won’t be cooked at all) sprinkle the cheese evenly over the eggs and put the pan into the oven.

Cook until the eggs are set and don’t jiggle, about 20-25 minutes.

For a quick test, just pierce into the frittata with a knife to see if any eggs are still liquid.

Keep cooking until everything is cooked.

Serve immediately, or later, either warm or room temp.

Refrigerate any leftovers. They are great the next day!

French Onion Soup

        

            Winter in New England, it’s not over until it’s over. With spring less than a week away, a blizzard is upon us. Why couldn’t this have happened two months ago? Oh well… Let’s make the most of it shall we! French onion soup for everyone! Wheeee!

         My love for French onion soup runs deep. I feel romantic about this soup. There are just so many aspects to love, but basically it is simple and delicious. I always try to keep the ingredients on hand in-case we don’t have anything in the fridge for dinner. This isn’t hard since the ingredients are mostly pantry items and I must say that I make this soup often. (Essentially all the time)

         It is perfect for a cozy casual night or a special evening. It’s great for a crowd. It’s covered with bread and melted cheese. Do I really need to do a hard sell on this one? Ok: 1) It is snowing. 2) It’s cold. 3) You only have onions in the house. 4) You want to impress your date with little effort. 5) You love cheese. (Is this enough?) You will love it. Enjoy-

P.S. This is Julia Child’s recipe with some slight changes.

 

French Onion Soup

serves 6-8

 

1 ½ lbs or about 5 cups     yellow onions, sliced

3 Tablespoons   butter

1 Tablespoons   oil

¼ Teaspoons   sugar

3 Tablespoons flour

2 quarts   beef stock

½ cup   white wine (or dry vermouth)

rounds of toasted baguette or other dense bread

1 to 2 cups grated swiss

salt and pepper to taste

bay leaf (optional)

thyme (optional)

 

Slice bread or baguette. Make sure you use dense bread or the bread will fall apart too easily in the soup.

Dry the bread either by putting it on a baking sheet in a 325 degree oven for thirty minutes or just in a toaster oven. You want to dry the bread more than toast it.

Prep the bread while you are cooking the onions.

When the bread is done, you can rub some garlic on it. (If you feel like it)

Prep onions by cutting in half and peeling.

Thinly slice onions.

Add butter and oil to a heavy bottomed saucepan. (A Dutch oven is perfect.)

Add onions to butter and oil and stir.

Cover the pot and set heat to low.

Cook slowly for about 15 minutes.

Onions should start to give up some moisture now.

Uncover and raise heat to medium.

Stir in sugar.

Cook onions for 30-40 minutes stirring frequently.

Onions should take on a deep golden brown. Make sure you cook the onions so they all have a nice even colour.

Add flour and stir into onions.

Cook flour for about 3 minutes.

Add beef stock and wine.

(Add a bay leaf and some thyme if desired)

Simmer soup for about 30-40 minutes.

Skim off any fat that you want and adjust seasoning.

Set soup aside. When you are ready to fill the bowls, make sure soup is hot.

Turn on broiler.

Set bowls on baking sheet. (please make sure your bowls can go in the oven)

Ladle soup almost to brim.

Top soups with toast.

Then top toast with cheese. It is up to you how much cheese you want.

Put baking sheet under broiler and broil cheese until bubbly and brown.

Serve immediately and enjoy by crackling fire.