Holiday traditions dinner

Kim hosted our last dinner of 2019.  The theme was Holiday Traditions.  Since our group includes people from all over the world, it was a fun mix of different traditions.

We started with Sourdough Popovers (made by Kim) to munch on while drinking Christiane's Rumtopf (sorry! no pic of the Rumtopf which we drank mixed with a little champagne). While the Rumtopf is a tradition in Germany, the popovers were just a convenient snack while other courses finished cooking.

Easy Dijon-Parsley Sourdough Popovers 

from Artisan Sourdough Made Simple by Emilie Raffa

Makes 6 large popovers (or 28 muffin cup sized popovers)

1 1/4 cups (300ml) milk, whole or 2%

2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, cubed

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup (120g) leftover starter

1 tablespoon (20g) Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon (4g) finely chopped parsley

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour

cooking spray, oil or melted butter for coating

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).  Place a large nonstick popover pan inside to heat up.

In a small saucepan, gently warm the milk and butter over low heat or in the microwave.  Allow to cool slightly before adding to the rest of the ingredients.

Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a large bowl.  Add the leftover starter, Dijon mustard, parsley, garlic powder, salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper.  Whisk well to combine.  Gradually pour in the warm milk mixture while continuing to whisk thoroughly.  Add the flour and whisk until the butter is thin, frothy, and lump-free.

Remove the hot pan from the oven and lightly coat with cooking spray.  Ladle a portion of the batter into the pan, about 2/3 full.  It will sizzle.  When finished, place the pan on the center rack and reduce the heat to 400°F (200°C).  Bake for 40 minutes.  The popovers will be beautifully risen and deep golden brown when ready.  Serve piping hot.  The popovers will begin to deflate as they cool.

Sara made passatelli

For Christmas Eve every year for the past 10 years or so, Kim's husband, Trevor, has made this chicken posole from Sunset magazine.  It has become a tradition that we look forward to each year.

Speedy Chicken Posole with Chicken and Lime

from Sunset Magazine

3 large poblano chiles (1 lb. total)

6 garlic cloves

1 large onion

2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) white hominy

1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned chicken thighs

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano*, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons ground red New Mexico chiles*

Garnishes: sliced avocado, lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, and sour cream

1. Preheat broiler. When hot, broil poblanos on a baking sheet until blackened, turning as needed, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, whirl garlic to mince. Cut onion in chunks and pulse with garlic until chopped; set aside. Drain hominy; set aside.

3. Cut chicken into 1- to 1 1/2-in. chunks and sprinkle with salt and 1 tsp. oregano. Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat. Brown half the chicken lightly, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

4. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add onion mixture and remaining 1 tsp. oregano to pan and sauté until onion is softened, 3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave broth until steaming, about 3 minutes. Add ground chiles to pan and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds.

5. Add broth, hominy, and chicken to pan. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer to blend flavors, 10 minutes.

6. Remove stems, skins, and seeds from poblanos and discard; chop poblanos.  Stir poblanos into posole and cook 1 minute. Ladle into bowls; top with garnishes.

*Find Mexican oregano at well-stocked grocery stores, along with ground red New Mexico chiles.

Kim's notes: I didn't need this posole to be quick, it just happens to have some shortcuts to make it that way, so I didn't warm the broth in the microwave and I allowed the stew to simmer on the stovetop for several hours.

Susanna brought her family's traditional oyster dressing

Anali shared tamales from her family's tradition

Lauren made a Moroccan spiced quinoa salad with cranberries. See (https://www.jessicagavin.com/cranberry-almond-quinoa/)

Quinoa with Cranberries

Cranberry almond quinoa is the perfect healthy side dish, that is quick and easy to prepare and packed with flavor!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time35 mins

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced (approximately 2 teaspoons)
• ▢ ½ cup onion, diced, cut into ⅛-inch dice (approximately ¼ of a large onion)
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 cup bell pepper, diced, cut into ⅛-inch dice (I recommend orange and yellow bell peppers)
• ▢ ½ cup dried cranberries, rough chopped
• ▢ ½ cup blanched slivered almonds
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• ▢ black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons mint, fresh, very thinly sliced

Instructions 

• Add quinoa to a fine-mesh strainer, rinse under running water, drain and set aside.
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a medium-size saucepan fitted with a lid. Heat oil over medium heat and then add minced garlic and onions. Continuously stir until onions are translucent, approximately 3 minutes.
• Add the washed quinoa to the saucepan. Add the water and salt. Bring quinoa to a boil, cover with the lid and reduce to a simmer until all of the water is absorbed, approximately 20 minutes.
• Check the quinoa, and allow to cook another 5 to 10 minutes longer if needed. The grain should look more translucent and the water absorbed. The quinoa should not look soggy.
• Turn off the heat and allow it to sit covered for 5 to 10 minutes to finish cooking.
• Taste and season with more salt and freshly cracked pepper to your liking.
• Add the bell pepper, cranberry, almonds, and cinnamon to the cooked quinoa, stir to combine.
• Add the mint, just before serving gentlly stir into the quinoa. Garnish with additional mint if desired.

• Serving Size: 3/4 cup

I (Katharina) made "Herrencreme", a pudding that my mother would often prepare for festive occasions:

1 package of Vanilla pudding powder (Dr. Oetker)
500 ml milk
4 tbsp sugar, divided
3 tbsp spiced rum
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 oz dark chocolate, chopped

Following the directions on the package, prepare the vanilla pudding using the milk and 3 tbsp sugar. When done cooking, stir in the rum. Allow to cool down for about half an hour, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin forming. Beat the cream with 1 Tbsp sugar until stiff. Fold the whipped cream and the chocolate pieces into the pudding. Chill for at least 4 hours.

For dessert, we enjoyed the holiday traditions of two of our members.  Christiane made Stollen Cookies and Katharina brought Herrencreme, a traditional pudding.

It was a wonderful dinner and a lovely way to close out another year for our Supper Club.  Looking forward to enjoying more meals together in 2020!

Mastering the Art of French Cooking - September 2019 Supper Club hosted by Katharina

We had a lovely evening with dishes prepared from Julia Child's classic "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and other works of hers. We enjoyed several bottles of delicious French wine - a Riesling from the Alsace, a Rosé, a Côtes du Rhône and a Pinot Noir. It was wonderful to welcome Susanna and Annali as guests to our Supper Club for the evening.

For starters, we had potato salad made by Susanna, "timbales de maïs" made by Lauren, and a salmon snack prepared by Katharina.

Timbale des Mais (Corn Timbale aka Savory Custard) from Julia Child (Julia's Kitchen Wisdom)

Softened Butter  - for the mold/ramekins
4 large eggs
2 Cups Corn (scraped from cod or frozen)
2 Tbs Grated Onion
.5 Cup fresh bread crumbs, white bread preferred
1 Tbs Chopped Parsley (I used Italian Parsley)
2 oz Grated Cheese: Swiss, Cheddar, and/or Mozzarella. (or you can pack down .5 cup measure with cheese)
.5 Cup Cream or Milk
.5 tsp Salt
Several grinds of pepper
Tabasco (optional)

1. Butter individual ramekins or 1 large one (4-5 cup capacity), making sure you get hte sides and bottom.

2. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees and move a rack to lower third of oven. Prepare a roasting pan to hold the ramekins and set up a kettle to make hot water.

3.Whisk the eggs together, then fold in corn, onion, bread crumbs, parsley, cheese, cream or milk, salt, and pepper. 

4.Ladle the mixture into the ramekins, so it is 2/3 of the way up the side. If you are using the single large ramekin, add all the mixture. Put the ramekin/ramekins in the roasting pan and  put the pan in the oven

5. Add the boiling water started in step 1 to the roasting pan until water is halfway up the sides of the ramekin/ramekins. Bake 5 minutes, then lower temperature to 325 degrees and bake 25 minutes more. If water is boiling and not bubbling lightly, adjust heat down.

6. Test the timbales by inserting a skewer in the center. When the skewer is clean, timbales are done.

7. To unmold the timbales, run a knife around the inside of the individual ramekin to release it, then turn the ramekin over on a plate. For the large ramekin, run the knife,but scoop out portions.

Our main course was "Rôti de porc aux navets", a pork roast with turnips, made by Katharina.

Christiane made Ratatouille as a side dish.

The desserts were a "Tarte Tatin" by Kim, and a "Gâteau Reine de Saba" by Annali.

Cooking with Herbs Dinner @ Christiane 's June 29, 2019

Our appetizer was a delicious salad with sorrel made by Kim.

Fried Lima Beans with feta, sorrel and sumac
from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
Serves 4

1 pound (450g) large dried white beans (I used Rancho Gordo Mayocoba beans)
optional: pinch of baking soda (not used)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 spring onions or scallions sliced lengthwise into 3-inch (7 cm) batons
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
7 ounces (200g) sorrel, cut into 1-inch (2 cm) ribbons, plus a little extra for garnish, cut in very thin strips
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
5 ounces (150g) feta cheese
2 teaspoons sumac
handful of fresh herbs such as chervil, dill, mint, or flat-leaf parsley

1. Rinse the beans and sort to remove any foreign objects.
2. Put in a large pot, cover with plenty of water, and let stand overnight.
3. The next day, add a pinch of baking soda to the water (if you live in a hard water area), and simmer the beans until just tender. The cooking time may be as little as 30 minutes, or over an hour, depending on the beans. Add additional water if necessary. (I cooked beans in a pressure cooker)
Once cooked, drain well and toss them in a bit of olive oil, which will prevent the skin of the beans from flaking, and bit of salt.
4. Next up is frying the beans: You’ll need to cook the beans in a single layer, so doing a rough calculation on depending on the size of your skillet, heat a portion of the butter and oil in the pan. Once hot, add enough beans so they’re spread out evenly in a single layer in the pan. Saute the beans and avoid stirring too much so they brown and blister on the bottom side. After a few minutes, stir them a bit to flip them around, and continue to cook a few more minutes until they’re all nicely seared.
5. Once finished, transfer the beans to a bowl and fry the remaining beans in a similar fashion.
When you get to the last batch, during the final minute of cooking, add the spring onions, garlic, and sorrel. Cook until the greens are just wilted, which will take another minute or so. Remove from heat, add the other beans to the pan, stir, then add the 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let cool to room temperature, or until slightly warm.
(If your pan isn’t large enough, you can mix everything together in a large bowl.)
6. Once cooled, stir the lemon juice and sumac, and then roughly chop the fresh herbs and mix them into the beans. Crumble the feta over the top and serve.

For our main course we combined Tarragon Chicken prepared by Christiane with Parsley Potatoes prepared by Katharina.

Soy-Tarragon Chicken with Green Onion and Shallots

Ingredients

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup shallots, minced
1/2 cup chopped green onion tops
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 cup chopped tarragon
plenty of coarsely ground black pepper
11/2 lb boneless chicken thighs, most fat removed
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400F. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a small nonstick skillet and saute the shallots and green onion tops for a few minutes. Transfer them to a blender, add another tbsp of the oil, the soy sauce, tarragon, and black pepper, and blend. If you need a little extra liquid to allow the blender to do its work, add a little more soy sauce of leftover stock.

Rinse and dry the chicken with paper towels. Cut away most of the excess fat/skin. Cut the thighs into medium-large pieces.

In a large pan or wok, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil on maximum heat, add the chicken pieces, and season liberally with salt and pepper. Shake the pan frequently to keep them from sticking, and cook about 5 minutes per side, until the chicken begins to brown. While it's cooking, line an oven pan with aluminum foil (to make cleanup easy), and coat the foil lightly with olive oil. When the chicken has browned, transfer it to the oven pan and add the contents of the blender. Mix thoroughly, making sure all the pieces are well coated. Pepper them a little more, and bake about 35 minutes, until very well done.

Source: Eric Gower, The Breakway Japanese Kitchen (New York, Kodansha America, Inc., 2003)


Lauren made rosemary shortbread cookies, which we paired with mint ice cream brought by Sara and strawberries Christiane happened to have.

The recipe is from a cookbook I have for recipes from a French Heb Garden>

BISCUITS AU ROMARIN
ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD COOKIES
My French friends are always intrigued and delighted by homemade English cookies and Dundee Cake. One year Madame Marquer asked me to show her haw to make them, whenever possible, I travel south carrying a supply of both these items plus a few bottles of‘le whisky'. These rosemary cookies can be eaten on their own and they also make excellent accompaniment to summer ices and fools.

MAKES ABOUT 30 BISCUITS

8 tablespoons butler
.25 cup superfine sugar
1.5 cup all-purpose flour
1-2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
a little extra sugar

1. Cream the butter with the sugar until smooth.

2. Work in the flour and the rosemary to make a soft dough then shape into a ball.

3. Roll out the dough on a floured board until .25 inch-thick and cut out rounds using a 2 inch fluted cutter.

4. Bake on a greased baking sheet in a warm oven 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until the shortbread is changing color.

5. Cool the cookies on a wire rack and then sprinkle with the extra sugar.

In honor of Notre Dame, a French themed dinner April 27, 2019

Hosted by Lauren

Aperitif: Sparkling Rose
With Dinner we also had a French Cider, some White Bordeaux, and San Pelligrino water.

Started with French onion Soup from Christiane

So delicious we ate it all before we took a picture!

I found a picture, though, of one portion I had prepared at home ;)

The recipe I used is from Epicurious. Copying it out here for easy access.

Ingredients
2 lb medium onions, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced lengthwise
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 Turkish bay leaves, or 1 California
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 tsp all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices of baguette
1 (1/2-lb) piece of Gruyere, Comte, or Emmental
2 tbsp finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Cook onions, thyme, bay leaves, and salt in butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, uncovered, stirring frequently, until onions are very soft and deep golden brown, about 45 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in wine and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in broth, water, and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.

While soup simmers, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Arrange bread in 1 layer on a large baking sheet and toast, turning over once, until completely dry, about 15 minutes. [I simply toasted the break in the toaster. It worked just fine.]

Remove croûtes from oven and preheat broiler. Put crocks in a shallow baking pan.

Discard bay leaves and thyme from soup and divide soup among crocks, then float a croûte in each. Slice enough Gruyère (about 6 ounces total) with cheese plane to cover tops of crocks, allowing ends of cheese to hang over rims of crocks, then sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until cheese is melted and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes.

For a main, Lauren made  crepes with Black Forest Ham and Gruyere Cheese.

Crêpes 

• 1&1/2 c. flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1&1/2 c. milk
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 stick butter (melted)
• 1 c. cold water

With a large whisk, mix flour, sugar, salt, eggs and about half the milk in a large bowl until blended. Add remaining ingredients, whisking vigorously until batter resembles a thin syrup. You can use the batter immediately or allow it to chill in the fridge for up to a day. Some argue that this allows an imperceptible fermentation to occur that improves the end product.

Pour about 3-4 tablespoons of batter into a hot, buttered pan. Lift and rotate pan until the batter coats the bottom. Cook over medium-high heat until the edges start to curl and brown. Flip the crêpe and cook the second side briefly. Place finished crêpes on a plate.

Put a crepe in a pan on medium  heat. Add thinly sliced ham and sliced Gruyere,  fold over and heat until cheese melts. 

Bechemal Sauce

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg (or more!)

In a saucepan over low heat. melt butter, add flour and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring with a whisk, do not brown. Add the milk and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, then simmer over low heat for 1 minute. Add the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.

Katherina made Haricot Vert al Provencale

This was from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I halved the recipe, and I used frozen green beans, as the introduction mentioned that this recipe is well suited to frozen beans.

1 cup thinly sliced onions
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large ripe firm tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Herb bouquet: 2 parsley sprigs, 1 small bay leav, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1 clove, tied in cheese cloth
1/2 cup liquid (squeezed from the tomatoes, with added water to make 1/2 cup)
1.5 pounds frozen green beans, de-frosted (at least partially)
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

To prepare the tomatoes: Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Drop in one tomato at a time, leave for 10 seconds, then remove and rinse under cold water. Cut out the stem end and peel the tomato. Halve the tomato horizontally, and squeeze out the juice and seeds over a strainer set over a bowl. Chop the tomato flesh. Use the juice in the recipe.

In a large pot, cook the onions slowly in the olive oile until translucent but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, herb bouquet, liquid, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove the herb bouquet.

Add the beans to the pot. Cover and simmer slowly for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they are tender. Most of the liquid should have evaporated by now. If not, uncover, raise heat and boil it off rapidly, tossing the beans. Correct seasoning, add parsley and serve



Kim made a Chocolate terrine with Ginger Creme Anglais.

Chocolate Terrine with Fresh Ginger Crème Anglaise
Terrine au Chocolat, Crème Anglaise au Gingembre

from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz
Serves 8

Terrine:
10 ounces (285g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 tablespoons (4oz/115g) unsalted butter, cubed
4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
4 tablespoons (50g) granulated sugar

Fresh Ginger Crème Anglaise:
2 ounces (60g) unpeeled fresh ginger, sliced
2 cups (500ml) whole milk
1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
pinch of sea salt or kosher salt 
5 large egg yolks

1. To make the terrine, melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Remove from the heat, and let stand until the outside of the bowl feels tepid.

2. Whisk the egg yolks into the melted chocolate mixture, one at a time, until well blended.

3. Line a 9-inch (23cm) loaf pan with a sheet of plastic wrap and smooth it to remove as many wrinkles as possible.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment, or by hand, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt on high speed, until they start to hold their shape.  Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue to whip until the egg whites are stiff and shiny, about 2 minutes more.  Fold one-third of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the rest, just until there are no streaks of egg white visible.

5. Scrape the chocolate mixture into the prepared loaf pan.  Rap the pan a few times on the counter to remove any air bubbles.  Smooth the top.  Refrigerate the terrine for at least 4 hours.  The terrine can be made ahead up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated.

6. To make the crème anglaise, combine the ginger slices with just enough water to cover them in a saucepan over medium heat, and simmer for 2 minutes.  Drain the ginger, discarding the liquid.  Put the blanched ginger slices back in the saucepan.  Pour in the milk, and then add the sugar and a pinch of salt.  Heat until the milk is steaming.  Remove from the heat, cover and steep for 1 hour.

7. Make an ice bath by nesting a metal bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice and a little cold water.  Set a mesh strainer over the top.

8. Rewarm the milk.  In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks.  Whisk in some of the warmed milk mixture, and then scrape the warmed yolks into the saucepan.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom, sides and corners of the pan, until the custard is thick enough to coat the spatula.  Don't let the mixture boil.

9. Immediately strain the custard through the mesh strainer into the chilled bowl.  Discard the ginger in the strainer, and stir the crème anglaise with a clean spatula to help it cool down.  Once cool, refrigerate until ready to serve.  The crème angalise can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

10. To serve, unmold the terrine onto a plate and remove the plastic wrap.  For best results, dip a sharp knife into very hot water before cutting each slice.  Serve with a pitcher of very cold crème anglaise.

Variation: add 2 tablespoons of espresso or a favorite liquor, such as dark rum, Cognac or Grande Marnier, to the chocolate once it's melted in step 1.



Christiane will host next.

January 2019 Dinner - Ottolenghi theme

In January we got together for our first dinner of 2019.  Our theme was Ottolenghi.  I chose this theme because I thought the fact that he has many interesting vegetable dishes would be a great challeng for the beginning of the new year.

We started with a Grilled Leeks with Spring Onions appetizer made by Christiane

I found the recipe online in The Guardian and just loved the colors. Copying it here so we do not lose it.

Grilled leeks and spring onions with dolcelatte and pickled onions

Ingredients

1½ tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tsp caster sugar
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
⅛ tsp black peppercorns, roughly crushed
¼ tsp pink peppercorns
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 leeks, trimmed, cut in half lengthways and then into 6cm-long pieces (450g net weight)
60ml olive oil
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed, cut in half lengthways and then into 6cm-long pieces (75g net weight)
60g mascarpone
30g dolcelatte
1½ tbsp double cream
5g chives, cut into 2cm lengths

½ red onion (about 60g), peeled and very finely sliced (use a mandoline if you have one)

Put the first eight ingredients in a small bowl with an eighth of a teaspoon of salt. Thoroughly massage the onions in the mixture, then leave to pickle for at least an hour.

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Lay the leeks cut side up on a 25cm x 35cm oven tray and season with a quarter-teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Drizzle over two and a half tablespoons each of the oil and of cold water, and roast for 15 minutes, until the leeks are beginning to soften and blacken around the edges. Scatter the spring onions over the leeks, add a pinch of salt and half a tablespoon of oil, and return to the oven for eight minutes. Turn the oven grill to its highest setting, then grill the vegetables for four minutes until they are charred and soft, but not burned. Leave to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk the mascarpone, dolcelatte, cream, a pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper until combined and smooth.

Once the leeks and spring onions are cool, use a fish slice to slide them on to a serving platter (so keeping the leeks cut side up). Drop dollops of the cheese-and-cream mixture haphazardly all over the vegetables.

Combine the chives with the remaining tablespoon of oil, then dribble all over the top of the vegetables and cheese. Spoon on the pickled onions (including their pickling liquid and aromatics), and serve at room temperature

Next we had Parsnip Dumplings in Broth made by Katharina

This was from an Ottolenghi vegetable cookbook that I borrowed from the library.

For the broth:

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

5 celery stickes, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, quartered

1/2 celeriac, peeled and chopped

7 garlic cloves, peeled

5 thyme sprigs

2 small bunches parsley

10 black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

8 prunes

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add all the vegetables and the garlic and saute for a few minutes until they colour lightly. Add herbs, spices and prunes and cover with cold water. Simmer for 1.5 hours, adding more water as needed, to have enough liquid for 4 portions at the end. Strain the broth through a sieve into a clean pan. Set aside.

For the dumplings:

1/2 pound russet potato (1 small), peeled and diced

1.5 cups parsnip, peeled and diced

1 garlic clove

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup self-rising flour

1/3 cup semolina

1 egg

salt and white pepper

Cook the potato, parsnip and garlic in plenty of boiling salted water until soft; drain well. Wipe dry the pan and put the vegetables back inside. Add the butter and saute on medium heat for a few minutes to get rid of the moisture. While hot, mash with a potato masher. Add flour, semolina, egg and salt and pepper and mix until incorporated. Chill for 30 to 60 minutes, covered with plastic wrap.

Reheat the broth and taste for seasoning. In another pan, bring some salted water to a light simmer. Dip a teaspoon into the water and use it to spoon out the dumpling mix into the water. Once the dumplings come up to the surface, leave to simmer for 30 seconds, then remove from the water with a slotted spoon. Ladle the hot broth into bowls. Place the dumplings in the broth, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

For the main course, I made Lamb Siniya, from Ottolenghi's newest cookbook, Simple

Lamb Siniyah

This is the Middle Eastern equivalent of shepherd's pie, with a tahini crust standing in for the layer of mashed potato.  It's a rich and comforting dish, making a star of both the tahini and the stewed lamb.

This stew can be made well in advance - a day or two ahead, if kept in the fridge or frozen - ready for the tahini sauce and baking.  Serve with bulghur or rice.

Serves 4-6

1/4 cup/60ml olive oil

2 small onions (1 3/4 cups/250g), finely chopped

6 medium celery stalks (2 cups/250g) thinly sliced

1 tsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. baharat spice mix (see below)

2 lb 2oz/1 kg stewing lamb (shoulder, leg, or neck), cut into 3/4"/2cm chunks

salt and black pepper

1 lb 2oz/500g plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 cup/40g parsley, chopped

Tahini sauce:

2/3 cup/200g tahini

1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 garlic clove, crushed

2/3 cup/160ml water

salt

1. Put 2 tbsp of the oil into a 8-inch/20cm casserole pan and place over medium heat.  Add the onions and celery and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring from time to time, until soft.  Add the tomato paste and baharat, cook for another 2 minutes, then tip into a large bowl.  Keep the pan as it is; you don't need to rinse or wipe it.

2. Season the lamb with 3/4 tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper.  Add 1 1/2 tsp of the oil to the same pan and place over medium-high heat.  Add 1/4 of the lamb and fry for 3 minutes, turning throughout so that all sides get browned.  Transfer to the bowl of onions and repeat with the remaining lamb, adding 1 1/2 tsp of oil to the pan with each batch.  Return all the lamb and vegetables to the pan and stir in two-thirds of the tomatoes, the paprika, 1/2 tsp salt and plenty of black pepper.  Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 70 minutes, covered, until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thick.  You might need to remove the lid for the last 5 or 10 minutes, for the sauce to thicken up.  (Kim's note: I used a 28oz can of Trader Joe's crushed tomatoes instead of the fresh tomatoes and I neglected to only add 2/3 of the can.  My meat was tender at 70 minutes and my sauce was already quite thick so no need to cook additional time).

Stir in the pine nuts, parsley, and remaining tomatoes and set aside.

3. About 10 minutes before the meat is ready, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  

4. To make the tahini sauce, whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, the water and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl.  The consistency should be pourable - thick like heavy cream - so add a bit more water if you need to.  Pour this evenly over the lamb and bake, covered, for 20 minutes, untl the tahini sauce has thickened.  Uncover the pan and bake for another 20 minutes, uncovered, for the tahini sauce to turn golden brown.

5. Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes, and then serve.

Baharat Seasoning 

from www.daringgourmet.com

Ingredients:

1 tbsp black peppercorns

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp whole cloves

1/2 tsp cardamom seeds

1 1/2 tablespoons paprika

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

(Kim's notes: I halved this recipe and it made a little more than I needed for the lamb dish)

Instructions:

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and dry roast the whole spices/seeds (set aside the paprika, cinnamon and nutmeg) until they become very fragrant, about 3-5 minutes, tossing regularly to prevent scorching. Transfer them to a bowl and allow them to cool completely before grinding them in a spice or coffee grinder along with the paprika, cinnamon and nutmeg. Keep stored in an airtight glass jar.

For dessert, Lauren made Rum and Raisin Cake with Rum Caramel Icing from Sweet.

Rum and raisin cake with rum caramel icing

The cookbook has the recipe in US measurements. a 23 cm Bundt is a 9 cup (9x3) in US measurements.

We make this in a 23cm bundt tin. If you don’t have one, use a 23cm round springform tin instead – it won’t look quite as pretty, but it will still work. The raisins need to be prepared a day ahead, so they’re nice and plump from soaking up all the booze. Iced or un-iced, this cake will keep for two to three days in an airtight container. Serves eight to 10.

200g raisins
120ml dark rum
300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
250g unsalted butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
250g light brown muscovado sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract 
2 large eggs
200g soured cream

For the rum caramel icing
60g unsalted butter
80g light brown muscovado sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp dark rum
100g icing sugar, sifted

And approx. US measurements instead of Metric:

Cake

• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 2 1/3 cups (300 g) flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups (240 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream

Rum Caramel Icing

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (80 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 1 cup (120 g) confectioners sugar

A day ahead, put the raisins and rum in a large jar or container for which you have a lid. Give it a good shake and leave to macerate for a day. Whenever you walk past the jar, give it another shake.

The next day, heat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5, and grease and flour a 23cm round bundt tin.

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb, cinnamon and salt into a medium bowl. Put the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment in place, and beat on a medium-high speed until smooth and light. Add the eggs one a time, beating well after each addition, then reduce the speed to low and, with the machine running, add the flour mix alternately with the soured cream, beginning and ending with the flour mix, to stabilise the mixture and prevent it from curdling. Finally, add the soaked raisins and rum, and mix on a low speed just to combine.

Scrape the mix into the tin, smooth the top, and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Take the cake from the oven, leave for 15 minutes, then invert on to a wire rack and leave to cool.

Make the icing only when you are ready to serve. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat, then add the sugar and cook for one minute, stirring continuously, until the mix comes together. Add the milk, increase the heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the rum, mix well and leave to cool to room temperature. Once cool, beat in half the icing sugar using a wooden spoon. Once incorporated, add the remaining icing sugar and beat until thick and smooth. Spread the icing all over the top of the cake, letting it run slowly down the sides, leave to set a little and serve.