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.

Preparing af feast

The great feast

I am preparing for the great event this weekend; we are having a 2 day party at a vacation home in Rørvig, by the beach. We are going to be about 40 familymenbers and friends celebrating Mathildes first 15 years on the planet earth and we are going to have some good food and drinks to celebrate with.

So I have prepared a big batch of elderflower syrup to use for lemonade and drinks:

Elderflowersyrup

40 heads of elderflower

4 organic lemons in thin slices

3 TBSP cream of tatar

2 pounds sugar

2 pounds dark cane sugar

2 quart water

Layer the cleaned flowers with lemon slices and cream of tatar in a big jar or bowl.

Boil sugar, cane sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved.

Pour it over the flowers and lemon and put a plate or something on top to keep the flowers under the surface.

Cover the jar/bowl and put it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Pour it through a sieve and into clean bottles.

Keep in the fridge and serve in cold water or wine.

I also made some jam for the big breakfast on the second day:

Rhubarb and elderflower jam

1 vanilla bean

2 pounds fresh rhubarb in 1 inch pieces

1/3 cup water

2 pounds sugar

10-15 heads of elderflower

Slice the vanilla bean open lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Put the bean and seeds in a large pan together with the rhubarb and water.  Cook it while stirring about 5 minutes and add the sugar. Cook it rapidly while stirring about 5 minutes. Add the elder flowers and cook a couple of minutes. Ladle the jam into clean jam jars and seal them immediately.

I am also adding to my sourdough, so it will be big enough to produce fresh bread both days. I am feeding it with organic flour and water; rye flower every other day and wheat flour every other day.

I will be deboning some fresh lamb legs to marinate for the barbecue, preparing pie crust for 5 strawberry pies (the strawberries are ordered at our neighbor at the summerhouse – he is also going to deliver fresh potatoes for a salad). And of course I will be making a batch of RØDGRØD with rhubarb, strawberries and red currants (hope they will be ripe).

We are going to have some fish; I am planning on making some fish terrines – I might post them here, if I get the time – along with more salads, some smoked LAX and some good Italian prosciutto – all Mathildes favorites.

Chicken Ras-el-hanout

Comfort dining in April

Spicy chicken with oven roasted new potatoes, purple carrots and red peppers and ramson aioli

Serves 4

1 fresh chicken

1 TBSP Ras-el-hanout

Salt

11/2 pound potatoes

11/2 (purple) carrots

2-3 snack peppers

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Ramsons Aioli:

1 clove garlic

1 pinch salt

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 TBSP Dijon mustard

1 organic lemon

1 little handful Ramsons

Salt and pepper

Cut the chicken in to desired pieces – I just cut the legs of and split the breast in two pieces.

Season the chicken pieces with Ras-el-hanout and salt and place them in a roasting pan. Place in the oven, turn in on to about 390 degrees F (200 degrees C) and let it roast for about 1 hour.

Scrub the potatoes and mix them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray with baking paper. Scrub or peel the carrots. Wash the peppers and slice them. Mix carrots and peppers with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and place on baking paper on the baking sheet. Pop in the oven the last 25 minutes.

Put the garlic in a mortar and pestle with the salt and grind it into a paste. Whisk mayonnaise and sour cream together and add garlic, mustard, 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon rind, 1-2 tsp lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Wash the Ramsons leaves thoroughly and remove any tough stalks (the tender ones are fine).  Chop them finely with a sharp knife and toss them in the aioli. Season with more lemon, salt and pepper if needed.

Serve and enjoy!

Ras-el-hanout is a Moroccan spice blend which can contain up to 50 different spices or more. You can buy Ras-el-hanout in specialty shops or make your own:

Ras-el-hanout:

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 stick cinnamon

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp cardamom seeds

1/2 tsp whole cloves

1/2 tsp whole black pepper

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground cayenne

1/4 tsp ground mace

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Roast the whole spices in a frying pan until aromatic – a couple of minutes.

Put them in a mortar and pound away at them with the pestle. Add the ground spices and your ready to go. Keep in a jar.

Ramsons, buckrams or bear's garlic (Allium ursinum) is a wild relative of chives. Tastes a little garlickyJ

Mathildes Birthday Party

We celebrated Mathilde s 15 year birthday in advance with a family dinner Sunday evening.
As Mathilde s wildest dream is to have a Mac Book Pro, I made a Mac Cake with slots and everything.
I know the cake is too high to be a real Mac book – because I made two layers instead of one!
It tasted real good and came with a promise to be converted to a real Mac Book next summer when Mathilde graduates from the 10. Grade.

Cake
(2 layers)
300 g (11 oz) dark chocolate
300 g (21/2 stick) butter

225 g (13/4 cup) flour
75 g (1/2-3/4 cup) cocoa
11/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

6 eggs
475 g (21/2 cup) sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Caramel filling:
100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
85 g (3/4 stick) soft butter
11/2 dl (1/2 cup + 2 TBSP) whipping cream

Butter cream icing:
200 g (13/4 stick) butter
400 g (21/2 cup) icing sugar
1-2 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP milk

Decoration:
680 g (24 oz) rolled fondant (sugar paste)
Edible silver powder
1 TBSP vodka
Black food color

Make the cake:
Melt chocolate and butter together.
Whisk all the dry ingredients together.
Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla together.
Add chocolate/butter mixture to the eggs and fold in the dry ingredients.
Fill the batter in 2 prepared pans (Mac book size) and bake them for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees F (180 C). Turn them out on a wired rack and let them cool.

Make the Filling:
Melt the sugar in a pot until golden. Remove from the heat and add 1 TBSP butter. Add the cream and put the pot back on the heat. Boil to 108C/225 F.
Pour the caramel in to a bowl, cover and let it cool to room temperature.
Beat the butter into the caramel cream.

Finish the cake:
Spread the caramel cream onto one cake layer and place the other on top. Beat the butter cream icing together and spread in all over the cake; top and sides.
Roll out the fondant to fit the cake and position on the cake. Smooth and shape the fondant on the top and sides of the cake and trim of excess fondant at the base.
Cut an apple in paper, brush it with a little water and place on cake.
Dissolve the silver powder in the vodka and paint it on the fondant icing with a brush. Remove paper-apple.
Color excess fondant with black color and make slots for the Mac. Brush with a little water and place on cake.

Herb garden

I finally got my Christmas present filled with fresh herbs.

They are pretty and convenient. I now have my favorite fresh herbs at hand, without occupying the sparse table space in my little kitchen.

The upside down flowerpots are called Boskke Sky Planter and are designed in New Zealand. They come in 3 sizes – mine are small.

Christmas Candy 2010

As usual I have cooked up som Christmas gifts for the lucky ones.
This year I dropped some licorice in everything
- because I just bought some licorice syrup from Johan Bulow (http://lakrids.nu/) the other day and had to try it out.

The fruit bars are almost guilt-free - no fat added!

Fruit bars with a hint of licorice
100 g walnuts (31/2 oz)
100 g almonds (31/2 oz)
100 g dried dates (3 1/2 oz)
100 g dried apricots
75 g prunes (2 1/2 oz)
75 g dried cranberries (2 1/2 oz)
1 dl dark brown sugar (6 TBSP)
1 dl flour (6 TBSP)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 tsp licorice syrup or Anise extract

Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with baking paper and preheat the oven to 160 C (325 F).
Chop the nuts and fruit (except cranberries) coarsely and toss everything together with flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk the egg together with the licorice syrup and mix it thoroughly into the fruit and nut mixture.
Press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake it for about 35 minutes.
Let it cool 20 minutes in the pan and then lift it out onto a cutting board.
Cut in desired bar-size and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Sesame candy
(80 candies)

250 g sesame seeds (9 oz/11/2 cup)
400 g cane sugar (2 cups)
150 g honey (1/2 cup)
100 g brown sugar (1/2 cup)
2 tsp licorice syrup or Anise extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger

Brush two large sheets of baking paper with oil or use silicone mats.
Toast the sesame seeds in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they are golden (5-8 minutes). Pour them into a bowl.
Melt the cane sugar, honey and brown sugar in the pan. Add the licorice syrup, cinnamon and ginger and stir well.
Turn the heat off and stir the seeds into the caramel with a wooden spoon.
Scrape the mixture onto one paper sheet (oil-side up) and place the remaining sheet (oil-side down) on top. Roll the mixture with a roller pin into a square about 1/4 inch thick.
Remove the top sheet of paper and cut the candy into 1-inch squares or diamonds with a sharp knife.
Let the candy cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.