New Spring Recipes- Chilled Melon Soup and Blackberry Fennel Pizza

This week I have tried a couple of new recipes out on friends that I have found on different blogs. I wanted something that was pretty and colorful and looked like Spring time  to serve at a couple of  upcoming dinner parties. 

 

 I have to say that the Blackberry Fennel and Goat Cheese pizza was the hit of the week! You can read more about this great appetizer at

http://looksolovely.blogspot.com/2012/06/lsl-foodie-friday-blackberry-fennel.html.

 

I was lazy and purchased ready made pizza dough from DiGiorno and it was so easy to handle and roll out.  I sliced the fennel extremely thin on the mandolin and chopped the hazelnuts before my guests arrived. They helped to assemble the pizzas by rolling out the dough and layering on the ingredients- sliced fennel, fresh blackberries,  chopped hazelnuts, fresh minced thyme leaves, and finally  goat, brie or Gorgonzola cheese.  Bake the pizzas, then drizzle with honey when they come out of the oven.  My personal favorite was the one with the  creamy Gorgonzola cheese, but the vote was split between my friends.

 picture from looksolovely.blogspot

 

 

 

Our assembled pizza before it was baked- couldn't get a picture of the baked one because we ate it too fast!   Delicious flavors with combined together  with the warm gooey cheeses.  I will definitely make this again.   It's a very pretty and unexpected appetizer!!

Store bought pizza dough!  ( for the  original  version, go to the web address above)

For the topping:

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

1 small bulb fennel thinly sliced (reserve the fronds for garnish)

8 ounces fresh goat cheese, brie or Gorgonzola

1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

salt and pepper

1 -2 tablespoons honey

 

Bake at temperature suggested on the dough package.  When crust is crispy  and hot,  drizzle honey lightly all over the pizza.

Serve immediately.

Another recipe that I made  for a dinner party on Friday night was a version of Prosciutto and Melon- and was very easy to eat -versus picking up melon and prosciutto slices with fingers . http://food52.com/recipes/258-chilled-cantaloupe-soup

A very ripe cantaloupe is pureed into a soup consistency  in a food processor and  sweetened with honey, orange juice and brightened with fresh lime and lemon juice. Add a little cinnamon .  I sprinkled sea salt  lightly on top before I served it in a martini glass with a prosciutto "flower" skewer garnish.

 

Note:  I used a prosciutto garnish instead of the mint in the recipe below- but the soup is the same.

 

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup

 Serves 6

 

 

6cups chopped cantaloupe, about 1 (4 pound) melon

1 1/2cup orange juice

1/4cup fresh lemon juice

1/4cup fresh lime juice

2tablespoons honey

1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4teaspoon salt

1sprig fresh mint

1. Place all ingredients, except for the mint, in a large bowl and stir.

2. Place half the mixture in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour soup into a pitcher, and repeat with remaining mixture.

3. Taste and whisk in more cinnamon, honey or even lemon juice if desired. It should taste sweet and tart, with only a hint of cinnamon. Chill the soup until ready to serve.

4. Remove the mint leaves from the stem (discard) and stack the leaves on top of each other. Roll lengthwise into a tight "cigar." Slice crosswise into thin strips.

5. Pour the chilled soup into six soup bowls. Garnish each with a sprinkle of shredded mint and serve.

Snow Dusted Cake Using Granny's Lace

I found this idea on pinterest and could not wait to try it. 

 

Inspirational image from pinterest

 http://www.paintedbycakes.com/2012/06/mutakakku.html

 

 On a cooled sheet of baked brownies, I placed a piece of lace and sprinkled powdered sugar over it.

Section of vintage lace that was used

 

Carefully remove the lace once you have sprinkled the sugar on top.

 

Garnished with rose petals and strawberries, it makes a pretty dessert.

This gives me thoughts about a use for all those old doilies that my grandmother made! I have tried this technique using plastic stencils, but the lace worked better. 

I can see using smaller pieces of lace on individual brownies- kind of jazzes them up a bit.

 

 



Kitchen Accessories Really Do Make a Difference

It's that  time of year- you take all your Christmas decorations down and your house looks like it's missing something.  Know what I mean?  So I am in the mood to re-do all the kitchen accessories and create a little change in my kitchen.  When Angela, the Parisienne Farmgirl, was  here last spring, we played around with a few new ideas. I was just reviewing those photos and decided I liked the little pops of color- especially for this deary time of year. 

I love the pop of green on the neutral tiles by the range.

And the pop of a little red in the flowers on the old tray placed behind the stove is good too!

The French pastry stand on the island is fun to change with the seasons and it seems to need a spot of color right now!

Todays view from the kitchen through the stone arch into the servery.
It does seem like it needs a little color??
 



While not practical for the normal home cook- I do love the way this looks.
An old silver tray is gathering a collection of vinegars in antique carafes, celery vases with old horn flatware,
silver plate sherbets filled with sea salt, and an Old Paris porcelain tureen. 
Maybe I'll re- create a version of this vignette in another spot!

Close up of the pastry stand- think I need to add a little Valentine's decor today to it!

Aged mirror refrigerator- will probably do this again in my next house.
It always reflects what is going on in the kitchen and makes the small space seem bigger.

another little spot of red on the kitchen table.
I found this old silver plate decanter holder that was missing its bottles.
 It is perfect for wine, candles and flowers
on the kitchen table.


So in the next few days, I am going to re-do my kitchen accessories. Let's see what I'll come up with.
 Yes, It is that time of year again-  time to "nest" and move things around!  Stay tuned!

Lemon Chess Pie

it all starts with a bowl of lemons- actully it only takes a couple of them!

puffed and just out of the oven

cooled and ready to eat-

a candied lemon slice with fresh thyme for garnish

flaky thick pie crust - read below for the the easy secret!

warm custardy lemon pie- deelish!

Lemon Chess Pie - no one knows where it got it's name- but it's a staple for most  Southern cooks.  One story says that when the pie was pulled from the oven, someone asked - "what kind of pie is that?' And the cook replied " it's jes pie" and that's how it got its name!   This recipe is my aunts - but all of my aunts made chess pies - plain, chocolate, orange, coconut, you name it - it was made.  My momma made mini ones with chopped nuts on top ( she was ahead of her time on the "one bite" - dessert trend! But it didn't  really make any difference- we just ate 3 instead of one!)  It is an easily adaptable recipe and is in our cookbook - Romancing the Home Entertains" in several versions.  I love to make an orange chess pie or chocolate mint, but this weekend I had a bowl of lemons that need to be used. Besides, lemon is Mr. RTH's - our maintenance man's - favorite flavor.  It is a simple recipe, using ingredients that you probably have in your pantry.   For this pie, I added a little fresh lemon thyme to add a different flavor profile and it was great. And I cheated on the crust - I learned this trick from a Paula Deen show years ago and have done it ever since -  buy two ready made pie crusts. Bring them to room temperature.  Lay one over the other with a few drops of water in the middle and roll both of  them together with a rolling pin. Place in the baking dish.  The double layer pie crust  really mimics a home-made crust and is much more flaky.  Try it and see  what you think!

Lemon Chess Pie

 

 

prepared pie crust

2 c. sugar

1 T. flour

1 T. cornmeal

4 eggs

1/4 c. melted butter

1/4 c. milk

3 T. grated lemon rind

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

 

Combine sugar, flour and cornmeal in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into the prepared crust.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until slightly  set in the middle. It will firm as it cools.

 

Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Great served with whipped cream!



The Inn at Little Washington

the Inn at Little Washington - formerly a garage- the large front windows were once the garage doors.



the draped entrance to the inn- a charming touch

entrance lobby

bales of hay, zinnias, and gourds make a festive floral display

the inn is a member of the Relais and Chateaux family of properties. Relais and Chateaux was established in France over 50 years ago and is a collection of excellent inns and restaurants throughout the world. All of the properties in the Relais and Chateaux group were chosen for their superb food and the unique and  distinctive beauty that their property offers its guests. 

main dining room with tables spaced far enough apart to have a private conversation

another dining area facing the patio

a sweet spot for breakfast

the lounge  for after dinner drinks and conversation

crisp potatoes stuffed with a "french onion dip cheese" filling and finished with fresh herbs and caviar
to start the meal

" a touch of autumn " soup and cheese puffs  as the next course.  Soup is made of apples, butternut squash, rutabaga, onions, carrots and cream and finished with a touch of maple syrup- divine!

 

pappardelle with chanterelle mushrooms, blenheim apricots and ribbons of country ham

ice cream sandwich - oh help me- please!
Southern Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwich with Bittersweet Chocolate and Hot Caramel Sauce

freshly made breads and pastries for breakfast with  homemade jams

a plastic cow rescued from the county fair and repurposed as a rolling cheese cart!  too cute for words!
When the waiter brings him out , they wave an antique toy that makes the sound of a cow moo-ing!

A recent addition to the inn-  a new state of the art kitchen.

pot rack is fashioned over a huge window that lights the room with sunlight during the day's prep time

notice the grooves at the bottom of the buffet to hold the room service trays upright.

the cute bar - where you are first taken when you arrive at the inn and presented with  a signature cocktail to welcome you.
There is no formal checking in at this establishment - no asking for your credit card,etc.  It is like you are arriving at
your best friends home for the weekend.

the well stocked bar

hand painted monkeys in the bar area

the garden off the dining spaces

koi fish in the patio water feature

patio entrance to the dining room

the cutting garden - there is a florist on premises to keep the exquisite arrangements in the inn perfect.

by the cutting garden

the vegetable garden - still producing this late in the season

eggplant ready for the chef

lots of greens

grazing sheep

fresh eggs everyday

a house available to rent through the inn

another cottage for rent

garden in the back of a cute little cottage

perfection!

Opening in  the seventies in the small little bucolic town of Washington, Virginia - less than 2 hours west of Washington, D.C., the Inn at Little Washington is a true gem.  It has consistently received 5 star ratings and has been said to be one of the top 10 restaurants in the world.  And with all of these accolades and numerous prestigious awards, the chef proprietor, Patrick O'Connell is a self taught chef!  How cool is that!  Once you arrive, your luggage is grabbed from you and immediately taken to your room, while you are given a welcome tour and a cocktail in the bar.  It is like they know who you are - no asking for a credit card - just "it's good to have you here - let us show you around"! The decor is whimsical, a little bit Ralph Lauren, a little bit baroque, but very cool. Antiques abound and are upholstered in rich jewel tone colors.  The gardens in and around the property are inspiring and well cared for.  The gift shop was tasty; full of home accessories and books that you wanted-needed to buy. But the highlight of the stay was the food- oh my my!  When first sitting down, you are presented with a specially prepared menu just for you. Surprised with amuse bouches throughout the dinner service, it was a meal to remember forever.  Purchasing Patrick O'Connell's cookbook was a must as it is filled with unique recipes - most simple enough that a home cook could attempt them. Staying at the Inn at Little Washington was a treat beyond words- the staff so nice and down to earth.

If there was such a thing as a "6 Star" rating, the Inn at Little Washington would receive it! If ever in the area, this is a must do!