Recipes

 

 

 

 

HARVEST FOCCACIA

2 envelopes dry active yeast

2 cups whole milk (2% works fine), lukewarm

1 TBLSP + 1 tsp sugar

5 c. flour

1/3 c. rosemary olive oil

1 TBLSP finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp lemon zest

1 c red grapes, halved lengthwise

1 c. golden raisins

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1 egg, beaten

1/2 tsp coarse salt

Heat oven to 400. Combine yeast, milk, 1 TBLSP sugar, I cup clour in large bowl. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat 1/4 c. oil, rosemary and zest in small saucepan. Stir in grapes and raisins.

Combine half of grape mixture and 1 c. flour with yeast mixture. Mix in sea salt & remaining flour, a cup at a time, until a dough forms.

Knead for 5 minutes, shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl and cover with a towel to rise until doubled–about 45 minutes.

Punch down, lightly knead, shape into a disk or rectangle on oiled baking sheet, brush with remaining oil and let rest for 30 minutes.

Dimple loaf with fingers and bake for 15 minutes.

Brush on egg, sprinkle with coarse salt, press in remaining grape mixture and bake until golden brown–about 10 minutes. YUMMY!!

“Lamb”burger Soup

20 years ago I found this recipe for hamburger soup in a Sunset Cookbook when I needed a good quick homemade soup. We’ve continued to enjoy it in a wide variety of permutations, usually using ground turkey these days. Even though it uses dried onion soup mix, it still is really good. The original recipe called for ground beef and pasta, but here I’m using lamb and white beans.

1 pound ground meat (today it’s lamb)
Chopped carrots and celery (2 cups or more)

1 envelope dried onion soup mix (today I’m using Knorr’s)

1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce

6 cups boiling water

1/3 cup dried split peas

a tablespoon or two of soy sauce

oregano and basil

white beans (or pasta)

Cook meat in olive oil til browned, with oregano, basil or whatever you please.

While meat is cooking, clean and prepare vegetables.

Add onion soup mix to meat, then add boiling water and tomato sauce, soy sauce.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add split peas and vegetables. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

You can simmer a little more or turn it off until dinner time.

If adding white beans, add just before serving when the soup is hot. The soup will heat the beans.

If adding pasta I like to cook al dente and drain the pasta. Put a bit of pasta in each soup bowl and then the soup on top. Soup will heat pasta.

Romano is good sprinkled on top.