Next week we start harvesting apples. How the year zips right along, from planting to harvest to seed again. We haven’t quite finished dealing with the pears yet, but we are getting there. Many more jars of chutney, and maybe some cordial to warm us in the winter months. I wanted to try the pear chutney in my favorite hot ham and cheese sandwich, so I made up some bread dough, slathered in some of our homemade mustard and a good dollop of the pear chutney, baked it until the cheese was oozing out the sides and it was quite good! Served with a nice bowl of butternut squash soup, who could ask for more on these nippy fall days?
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Hot Ham and Cheese Pockets with Mustard and Chutney
When I got up this morning to go to Lauds, I thought I might need a jacket…wow, how things change. Last time I wrote we were in the middle of a humid heat wave. Last weekend was Transfiguration Sunday, a feast reflecting the name of our church. We always have a coffee hour after church to celebrate. I found a blueberry pie filling and wrapped that in the dough we had made the day before. They were really delicious, and moist! Of course the huge amount of frosting I drizzled on helped, but it was a very light moist cake and the filling was perfect. There were lots of compliments on this latest adventure.
This year Palm Sunday was a bright day, and even though it was cold, it felt like a promise of things to come. Everything about this week points to Easter. As I write this, we are beginning the Triduum, the three holy days before Resurrection Sunday, and some of the most special services of the year. Often we celebrate Maundy Thursday with a meal of lamb, pita bread, bitter herbs (endive). Good Friday we usually have hot cross buns together as a community after the Lauds service, and then later that night, the convent has a “Lenten meal”: home made bread, cheese, honey, eggs. It’s amazing how food is so integral to our holiday gatherings. I love Easter breakfast — with egg dishes, french toast, fruit, and everyone’s favorite — orange rolls. We began making these several years ago in an effort to use up a generous donation of candied orange rind, and they were a hit — the citrus taste makes me think of spring!
Years ago when I was younger and had more energy, I frequently made a marvelous chocolate cake. It was really superb, but very labor intensive and time consuming. For example, it had to be baked in a pan lined with a well buttered brown paper bag cut to the exact size of the pan. This was essential to its success.
It required sour cream, butter, lots of brown sugar and many squares of dark chocolate melted to a very specific temperature and then carefully beaten for just the right length of time into a rich velvety fudge frosting.
At the moment I am unable to locate this precious old recipe originally clipped from a worn yellowed newspaper. I am sure it will show up again someday. Until then I have put together a recipe I like making. It doesn’t begin to compare or compete with Miss Simpson’s authentic prize winner, but it is fast, easy, has ice cream baked into it and satisfies many chocolate lovers who have never tasted the old favorite one I used to make.
Suppose we just call it Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream Sunday Cake.
Remove from oven and while still hot cover top with at least 20 marshmallows sliced in half crosswise.
Let melt and cool.
Remove to serving plate and pour hot ganache over the top and down the sides.
Sprinkle with your favorite nuts.
Ganache
Heat half and half in top of double boiler to scalding point. Do not boil – add chocolate chips and stir until thoroughly melted.
Add flavoring and pour immediately on to cake.
Tip: If you melt the chocolate chips first and then add cold half and half the chocolate will seize up. The half and half needs to be the same temperature as the chips before heating or warmer.
It is a bright sunshine-y day — somewhat rare for March on Cape Cod. I can see the signs of spring — the few brave crocuses in a sunny corner, some stalks of green daffodils, and tulip leaves in another protected spot. We are near some wetlands, and the first peeper piped up just the other night — a little early. So with all of this spring awareness, one would think that I am in the kitchen making up all sorts of goodies with lemon and asparagus, some lamb…but no, I am actually still looking back over my shoulder at winter — my favorite time of year to cook. Comfort food: stews, soups, bread, roasted chickens and vegetables. So today, since I am preparing lunch for a group on a Lenten Quiet Day, I thought it would be a good time to post my favorite “Italian” bread recipe. (I’ve actually made it into bread bowls as well!) This is not a crispy crusted bread, but it’s a nice dense moist bread — perfect for pairing with soups, stews, spaghetti, or toasting up on a morning with your favorite homemade jam. It also can be frozen, and pulled out for later use, and works well as french toast or in bread pudding. My indulgence is to warm it slightly, spread on some butter and our Cran-Strawberry Jam. Add a cup of coffee and you have a great breakfast!
Put water, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a mixer, and let sit for about 10 minutes.
With a dough hook and at low speed, add olive oil, salt, and flour.
Mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, and is just tacky, not sticky. (You may need to add a bit more flour, you want a firm but not dry dough.)
Let rise in the same bowl until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 and a half hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Turn out onto floured surface.
Divide in half and form into 2 long thin loaves. (punch down into oval, fold the sides into the middle, and then roll tightly into a thin loaf, using your fingers to pull the dough into the middle.)
Let rise until almost doubled. Brush with olive oil.
With a sharp knife, make about 8 diagonal slashes along the top of the loaf.
Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, until golden and hollow sounding when tapped.
For Bread Bowls:
Divide dough into 5 equal pieces.
Form these into balls, brush with olive oil, slash 3 times on top, and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and hollow sounding when tapped.
To serve, cut off the top, scoop out the inside to within about 1/2 inch of outside crust, and ladle in your favorite soup or stew.
