French Onion Soup

French Onion soup always evokes a mental picture of a Parisian bistro with vintage tile floors and a carafe of wine for me. As Spring has been so, so, so slow to arrive we thought a steaming bowl filled with gruyere cheese would be the perfect end to the chilly, snowy day. I personally prefer a few different techniques than you usually see in common recipes. Years ago, Fine Cooking magazine, had me cooking my onions with a layer of tin foil sitting on top of the onions and WOW, it created onion ribbons that just melt in your mouth, so try this if you'd like or just go ahead and caramelize in the pan over low heat. The other thing I really love is when you pour the broth and onions over the toasted baguette slices and then top with cheese and throw under the broiler. The bread itself is tender and filling and I'm not stuck having to add flour to thicken the broth. I prefer the little heartier bites of soup, but it's personal preference!

FRENCH ONION SOUP

4 Tablespoons butter
2 large onions, sliced into ribbons
1 teaspoon sugar
5 cups beef stock
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
10 slices of baguette
1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, grated

In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter and begin cooking onions. Cook on medium about 5 minutes then cut a piece of tin foil to pit the inside of the pan. Place tin foil directly on top of onions and turn heat to low. Continue cooking about 45 minutes.

Slice baguette into 1/3 inch thick slices and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven about 20 minutes, turning once. They should be deep golden brown on both sides.

Remove tin foil and add salt, pepper and sugar to onions. Cook about 5 minutes until golden browned. Add stock, bay leaf and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprig.

In a soup bowl, lay 2 slices of baguette and pour broth and onions over bread. Top wit a generous amount of gruyere cheese and place 6 inches under the broiler. Broil until cheese is melted and turning golden brown. Bon Apetit!

Brioche; Step 1

I mixed up my Brioche dough according to directions and her is my dough in action:

The dough is now wrapped snug in the refrigerator in it's buttered bowl with a tight wrap of plastic!  looking forward to letting it rise in the morning and baking!  Looking forward to seeing your brioche too!  

Rose Petal Jam

Rose Petal Jam...it sounds so romantic, so European and so quaint.

For 2 years I've held onto this recipe and finally took the time to make it!  I feel like this is an autumn recipe with the apple jelly being the base of the jam, but all of my reddest roses are blooming now!  I only have some pale roses that bloom through the fall and I really wanted this jam to be red in color. 

I used an English rose which is quite fragrant and prolific, just what the recipe called for.  I didn't spray them this Spring, for this recipe and the fact that it has been too rainy or cold to spray effectively.  In fact, I hand picked worms off of my David Austin...how repulsive is that?! (I wore gloves!)  According to the recipe, I chose fresh blooms that were fully open and nearly ready to fall.

When removing the tough white ends, I found it easiest to grip and pull off the entire blossom and use a very sharp knife to slice off the ends.  I then but the petals into a colander and shook it a bit to remove any bits of icky. 

ROSE PETAL JAM
{Gelee de Pommes et Petales de Rose; recipe from Anne Willan}

Apple Jelly
3 lbs very tart apples, I used granny smith 
1 1/2 cups sugar


Scrub apples and quarter, only removing the stems.  Put in large, heavy pot, just cover with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook an hour or so until apples are very soft and falling apart.  Let cool about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a cheesecloth lined mesh sieve or colander set over a bowl.  Let drain without pressing on fruit or jelly will be cloudy.  Leave undisturbed about an hour.

Rose Petals


6 cups rose petals, with white tips removed
3 cups water, boiling
1 cup sugar
juice of  1 lemon


Put the petal in a large bowl and cover with boiling water just to cover.  Cover and let steep until cool.

Measure out 2 cups of the apple juice and add 1 1/2 cups sugar in large pot.  Bring the juice to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.  Boil over high heat until jelly reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Should take about 20 minutes.  Skim any foam off as you go.  Let cool about 5 minutes then add the rose petals and their liquid aslong with 1 cup sugar and the lemon juice.  


Heat mixture to boiling over high heat and boil until reaching 220 degrees on candy thermometer.  Let cool about 5 minutes and fill sterilized jars and seal.  Can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

 Yes, this was a bit of work.  I let my apples drain and rose petals steep and cool overnight, since I did not have a full day to put this together directly.  Yes, it is fabulous and tasty, beautiful and delicate!  SO worth the time and energy!  I love it paired with Four Corners Creamery Fresh Chevre!

Pommes Dauphinoise

Cantal cheese

I am in the charming French midst of "A Table in the Tarn" written by Orlando Murrin.  The food, the ambiance, the decor, the countryside....it's all here in detail!  It's been my private escape this week!  I may just need to take a jaunt to visit "Le Manoir de Raynaudes" in the future, business research for our Inn On Evans of course!  (As long as my CPA doesn't read this blog!)

Pommes Dauphinoise is a dish that I've had on my to do list for some time and tonight was perfect.  I had all the ingredients and the appetite!  It was totally worth waiting for...rich cheese sauce, potatoes cooked through, but with a firm bite, a tiny bit if garlic goodness and crispy "crust" on top!!  Thank you Orlando Murrin for making my Tuesday night!  I'm topping the evening off with a decaf Cafe au Lait (even though no self respecting European would ever drink one past 10am!) and finishing the rest of the book.

POMMES DAUPHINOISE
recipe by Orlando Murrin

1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon salt
plenty of freshly ground pepper, grated nutmeg & pinch of cayenne
2 pounds potatoes, sliced super thin
1 cup Cantal cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large saucepan combine garlic, milk, cream, potatoes and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, simmer for a minute or 2 until mixture is noticably thicker then remove from heat and add 1/2 of the cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted, pour into a well buttered quiche pan, making sure all potatoes are covered with liquid and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  I baked about 40 minutes but depending on the depth of your dish you may need to add a few more minutes.  The cheese should be a deep golden brown and a bit bubbly.

I served with a lovely green salad lightly dressed with vinaigrette and some baked chicken. 

Bon Appetite!

PS  I googled Le Manoir de Raynaudes and it's FOR SALE!!!   

French Cooking with Sophie

For the month of July we have been hosting a young woman from Paris by the name of Sophie. We have had a wonderful time! We have stayed here in Michigan, and found new joy in some of the everyday things we do!

Last night, Sophie and I baked for The Boulevard Market's first-ever "French Social"! The French Social was created as a way to get friends and neighbors together, that have a common love of France, French cooking, travel and wine! Each guest is invited to share photos, food and memories of their time in France or their dreams of going to France. Who has the best advice, but the ones who have done it?!

I put together a small basket of treasures that I purchased in France just for this occasion, to have a prize giveaway and Sophie and I tied up bouquet garni with Le Monde newsprint as a small gift for each attendee, herbs courtesy of Prochaska Farms!

Gerard Bertrand Pinot Noir is on the menu and of course a bevy of beautiful french cheeses, Cantal, Roquefort, Morbier, Camembert and Baguettes!

Sophie and I went over a few recipes and decided on a few easy appetizers to share, that she loves and misses! Cheese Straws, Gougeres and Meringues!

We had a great time baking together and sampling our efforts! These are fairly simple recipes with a bit of technique involved, but no one will criticize that...they will be too busy eating! I will post some photos of the event tomorrow...berets included!


Gougeres

1 cup milk
1 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large saucepan , over medium heat, combine milk, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg until scalded. (Scalded is just below boiling point) Add flour all at once and stir until smooth dough is formed. Turn heat to low and continue cooking about 2 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat eggs & cheeses until smooth. Dump hot mixture into eggs and whisk until smooth and eggs are incorporated.

Spoon mixture into a pastry bag and pipe out into approx. 2 inch balls. You may need to press lightly after piping to form a nice little ball. Bake 13-15 minutes until golden brown.

Serve immediately, or if making ahead, warm in a 425 oven for 5 minutes.




MERINGUES

6 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a whisk attachment on an electric mixer, beat egg whites & cream of tartar on medium speed until frothy. Add 1 cup of the sugar, raise speed to high and beat until whites form very stiff peaks. Whisk in the vanilla. Fold in remaining 1/2 cup of sugar carefully.

Fill a pastry bag with meringue and pipe onto parchment paper into desired shapes. You can make a style, or try making small bowls to hold fruit and whipped cream!

Bake for 2 hours or until meringues are dry but not browned. Turn off heat and allow meringues to sit in oven 4 hours or overnight.

Store in airtight container!

Pots de Creme au Chocolat

Three days of beautiful sunshine has gotten me moving! On the "list" this month has been getting the deck in shape. In previous years, a transparent stain has been great...this year we have moved to "full coverage". (I understand this feeling all too well. I, too, am at a full coverage stage!) "Patina" does not describe the condition of my old friend, the potting bench...it too needed attention. So a lovely coat of chocolate brown, semi-transparent stain got me aching for real chocolate! The deck is finished, the potting bench ready to bring forth many containers of happy plants and I have Pots de Creme au Chocolate to eat and enjoy the fruit of my labors!

While in France, we could not believe the yogurt containers! Terracotta, glazed and glass pots full of fabulous full cream yogurt studded with vanilla beans or fruits. We ate them as late night snacks, dessert and breakfast! John thought I was a teeny bit crazy for bringing home all of the containers...until he ate these pots full of deliciousness!

You can make Pots de Creme without chocolate by adding vanilla beans or extracts (like lemon or orange) or even instant espresso powder! I used Callebaut bittersweet chocolate, that we sell at The Boulevard Market by the pound. It was the perfect balance of rich chocolate to sweetness.

I love individual desserts, it creates the feel of something special and restaurant like! Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh blackberries and demitasse spoons for a French cafe ambiance!


POTS DE CREME AU CHOCOLATE

2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 pound best quality Bittersweet Chocolate (chopped)
8 egg yolks
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large saucepan, bring milk and sugar to a boil, add chocolate pieces and return to boil, stirring constantly until chocolate has melted.
In an extra large measuring cup (easier for pouring in next step) whisk egg yolks and eggs together and gradually add hot chocolate mixture.
Pour into 8- 1/2 cup ramekins and place in a larger pan filled with enough hot water to come halfway up the ramekins. (I used a 9X13 pan)

Bake for 20-30 minutes until chocolate is set.

Cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish as desired!

French dish a la Erika!

At my birthday supper, in Paris, Gina and Jamie ordered a dish something like this for their appetizer (entree, I know, very confusing!). Theirs was made with St Marceillin cheese, but I chose Reblochon cheese for this dish!

It was delivered in beautiful little terracotta crocks, steamy, creamy and rich! You can alter any vegetable for the mushrooms and play around using whatever ravioli and herbs you have on hand. Feel free to put it in a medium casserole dish, or individuals!

1 1/2 cups Dry cheese filled Ravioli (in the pasta section)

3 Tablespoons butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms

3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 pound Reblochon Cheese (remove rind)
1 Tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Cook ravioli according to package directions.
Saute mushrooms in butter until lightly browned.
In a medium saucepan, melt 3 T of butter, add flour and brown. Slowly add cream, bring to a boil and boil until sauce has thickened slightly. Add cheese and stir until melted.

Pour into a casserole dish, or individual casseroles, bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.

I served ours with grilled chicken drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Lemon and minced Chervil and a green salad.