From Scratch With Love

Chicken and waffles....chicken schwarma on falafel waffles with cucumber tomato salsa and tzatziki.

Salsa:
Tomato, cucumber, onion, mint, parsley, garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper

Easter tradition

Celebration for Sema and Alex Costa who will be welcoming a baby boy in the next few weeks! A selection of casual treats - strawberry lemon cupcakes, Brownies, shortbread, sesame cookies, biscotti

Coq Au Vin

Although we are animal-lovers, the main purpose behind us having chickens, is so we can grow our own food. I feel it is important I don’t shy away from being able to grow and process that meat ourselves. Recently our Rooster had been very aggressive not only with us but also our hens. It was time to give him a new purpose.

Julia Child’s Coq au Vin
For the Coq au Vin
85g bacon
1kg diced chicken
56g soft butter
70ml cognac
700ml red wine (I used Bordeaux)
235ml chicken stock (homemade bone broth)
1/2 Tb spoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
Sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
28g flour

Remove the rind from the bacon and cut into lardons. Fry the bacon in 28g of the butter until brown.

Remove the bacon and add the portioned chicken to the bacon grease. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and fry until brown.

Return the bacon to the pan with the chicken, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the cognac and, if you like, set it on fire. Good luck.

Add the wine, chicken stock, garlic, tomato paste, bay leaf and sprig of thyme and cover and cook until your chicken is tender. If using a rooster that's older than 3 mi the, you may want to pop him in the oven and braise low and slow for 90 min at 300F.

Begin on the beurre manié. Mix the flour and remaining 28g of butter together to form a paste.

Remove the chicken from the liquid and place on a serving bowl. Continue cooking the liquid until it has reduced to about a pint’s worth of liquid.

Whisk the beurre manié into the liquid until it thickens enough to coat a spoon.
Pour the thickened liquid over the chicken and serve with either noodles or parsley potatoes.

Been forever, but wanted to share a bit about a Christmas brunch!Brunch! Oooo brunch...
Homemade bagels with schmear and lox, tons of fruit, Christmas cookies (including cake balls, gingersnap, sugar cookies and fudge), red velvet cake, ham, 40 deviled eggs (all gone in a blink of an eye) an egg casserole, Mushroom puff pastry, Nutella puffpastry...a d Homemade eggnog!

Cold New England morning = big hearty breakfast!
Seriously homemade... cinnamon pumpkin yeast bread with applebutter, wild boar breakfast sausage, Jacob's cattle oven baked beans, eggs and a BIG cup of coffee. Not going to eat again for about 2 days.

Something quick the hits the chocolate craving? No-bake cookies! And they're GF with out any substitutions!

Rainy cool day and the oven goes on! I've had a great tomato harvest this year and decided to make some roasted fresh tomato bisque and grilled cheese on hommade sourdough bread for lunch today! Recipe from: https://thehungrybluebird.com/roasted-fresh-tomato-bisque/

Avocado toast on homemade sourdough

GREEN TOMATO SALSA VERDE

YOU WILL NEED:
7 cups chopped cored peeled green tomatoes (about 12 medium)
5 to10 jalapeno, habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 cups chopped red onion (about 2 large)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup loosely packed finely chopped cilantro
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
DIRECTIONS:
PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
COMBINE tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic and lime juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir in cilantro, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
LADLE hot salsa into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
PROCESS filled jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Thanks to Sarah for sharing her sourdough starter with me!!

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/rustic-sourdough-bread-recipe

What's for dinner?