I love apples an especially apple cakes

Groovy apple cake

We have several apple trees in our garden and especially one has given us lots of apples this year.

It is a Belle de Boskoop – a very good cooking apple.

To day I made an everyday cake with lots of apples in it.

For 1 big cake:

4 eggs

3/4 Cup (150 g) sugar – I used cane sugar

1 tsp. vanilla powder

1/3 Cup (75 g) melted butter

3/4 Cup (100 g) flour

4 TBSP (50 g) potato starch

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup (50-75 g) shredded marzipan (almond paste)

2 pounds apples (peeled, cored and cut in thick wedges)

A little sugar and cinnamon for topping

Preheat the oven to 320 degrees F (160 degrees C).

Beat the eggs and sugar thick and creamy and add the melted (not hot) butter.

Sift the flour, potato starch and baking powder together and fold it into the eggs together with the marzipan.

Pour the batter into a prepared 9 inch cake tin and stick the apples in. Sprinkle a little sugar mixed with a little cinnamon on top and pop the cake into the oven for about 1 hour. Check with a toothpick if it is done and let it rest in the tin 15 minutes before unmolding.

Serve warm or cold as it is or with whipped cream or sour cream (crème fraiche) on the side.

Happy November!

Lamb stew with celeriac

Lamb stew with celeriac

Danish comfort food.

(Serves 4)

11/2-2 pounds lamb stew meat (cut in cubes)

8-10 black peppercorns

2-3 bay leafs

2 onions (chopped)

2 pounds potatoes (peeled and cut in cubes)

1 pound celeriac (peeled and cut in cubes)

1 big bunch of parsley

Salt and pepper

To serve: rye bread and preserved red beets

Cover the lamb with water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove any froth and add 1 tsp. salt, peppercorns and bay leaves. Add the onions and let the meat simmer with a lid on for about 25 minutes.

Add potatoes and celeriac and let it simmer with the lid on for about 25 minutes.

Remove the lid and let the stock reduce if necessary. Stir the stew with a wooden spoon so the potatoes and celeriac thicken the stew. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir in the freshly chopped parsley.

Serve with rye bread and preserved beets.

Late summer berries

September, the best month of the year - perfect blue sky with beautiful fluffy white clouds
- and lots of wonderful raspberries in my garden for breakfast, snacks, pie and jam:)

Weekend snack

Cornbread with avocado topping

I served this for a snack with our Friday evening mojito's

Cornbread
(1 loaf)
1,6 cup (200 g) corn flour
1,6 cup (200 g) wheat flour
1 TBSP baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 TBSP brown sugar
0,8 cup (2 dl) buttermilk
0,5 cup (100 g) melted butter
5 oz (150 g) fresh corn kernels (from 1 ear or  frozen)

Preheat the oven to 390 degrees F (200 C.).
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Beat the eggs together with the sugar and buttermilk and mix it in the flour bowl.
Add melted butter and corn and fill the batter in a buttered loaf pan.
Bake for 45-55 minutes – until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the bread rest in the pan 10-15 minutes before removing to a rack.
Serve warm – or toast cold slices in toaster or on a grill.
Tip: you can add grated cheese, minced jalapeno, grated lemon or lime rind or fresh chopped herbs to the batter before baking.

Avocado topping
2 tomatoes (diced without the seeds)
1 avocado (diced)
2 TBSP lime- or lemon juice
1/2 fresh chili (chopped finely)
1/2 garlic clove (minced)
2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper

Mix the avocado topping together and arrange on the toasted cornbread.

Split pea soup with chanterelle topping

I had some left over split pea soup and served it with a good seasonal topping – I just love chanterelles.

Split pea soup with chanterelle topping

Serves 4

Soup:

2 large onions, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1-2 leeks, chopped

1/4 celeriac, diced

2 cups dried yellow split green peas, picked over and rinsed

4 cups chicken stock

Fresh thyme

10 whole black peppercorns (in a tea bag)

1/2 lemon or 1-2 TBSP cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

Topping:

1/3-1/2 pound (150-250 g) fresh chanterelles

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1-2 garlic gloves, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely diced

1 red pepper, finely diced

Salt and pepper

Fresh basil

Sauté the onions and garlic in big pot with olive oil until soft.

Add leeks and celeriac and cook a couple of minutes.

Add the drained peas, stock, thyme and pepper and bring to a boil.

Let the soup simmer loosely covered, until the split peas are very tender (about 1 hour).

Make the topping: clean the chanterelles and cut them in bite size pieces.

Stir-fry the chanterelles in a very hot pan with the oil. Add onion and garlic and stir fry a couple of minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables, turn the heat down to medium and stir fry 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add shredded basil.

Remove thyme and pepper and puree the soup with a blender until smooth.

Add lemon juice (or vinegar), salt and pepper to taste and adjust the thickness with more stock or water if needed.

Ladle into bowls or cups and serve with the chanterelle topping.

  

Salad with blackberries and feta

1 red onion

3 TBSP red wine or sherry vinegar

1 TBSP sugar

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp salt

Black pepper

500 g/2 cups blackberries

2 TBSP sugar

1 organic lemon (grated zest)

Green lettuce

100 g/4 ounces feta cheese

Fresh mint leaves, shredded

3 TBSP olive oil

(Salt and) pepper

Peel the red onion and cut it in half. Cut the onion in very thin slices and toss them in a bowl with vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover the bowl and let it rest 1 hour.

Clean the berries and toss them in a bowl with sugar and lemon zest. Let it sit on the kitchen table 1 hour.

Wash and spin lettuce and arrange it in a big bowl. Mix red onions and berries with juices and arrange on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle with feta and shredded mint and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Squash pizza

Squash pizza

Dough:

10 g/2 tsp yeast

3 1/2 dl/1 1/2 cup tepid water

250 g/1 3/4 cup coarse semolina flour

250 g/1 3/4 cup strong wheat flour

2 TBSP olive oil

2 tsp salt

Topping:

1-2 large squash (green and yellow)

1 tsp salt

3 TBSP olive oil

1-2 garlic cloves (optional)

black pepper

100 g/ 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

50-100 g/ 2-4 ounces chorizo (optional)

Prepare the dough: Mix everything together and knead the dough in a machine or by hand for about 5 minutes. Add more flour if needed. Put the dough in a bowl brushed with olive oil, cover it and let it sit on the kitchen table for 1-2 hours.

Wash the squash, split them in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and soft flesh. Grate the squash coarsely and toss with salt in a large bowl. Let it sit on the kitchen table for 1 hour.

Put the grated squash in a colander and press/squeeze excess water of.

Toss the grated squash with olive oil, minced garlic (if using), about half of the cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

Place a baking stone or baking sheet in the oven and heat it to 250 degrees C (485 degrees F).

Divide the dough in two and roll them to the thickness you like. Put the pizzas on two sheets of baking paper. Spread the squash mixture evenly on the two pizzas. Sprinkle with shredded chorizo if using and the rest of the parmesan cheese.

Place the pizzas on the hot baking stone/baking sheet and let them bake for about 12-15 minutes.