Hot Chicken Sandwich - Testing

 https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/diner-style-hot-turkey-sandwiches-recipe-2043446

1 - I did not trust the process and forgot about the egg yolk. I couldn't understand why the roux wasn't thickening, so I added enough butter and flour to make it 1/4 cup butter and 1/3 cup flour. The sauce thickened immediately. That's when I realized that the egg yolk was supposed to finish the thickening. While the heavier roux did the job, I'd still like to try it with the egg yolk as there might be a difference if flavour; adding the taste of eggs and reducing the taste of flour, and possibly creating a silkier sauce. The flavor profile however was met with great approval.

3 Tbsps butter
Coarse black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, sage and parsley

About 3 1 Tbsps Worcestershire sauce
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt
A couple cups stock, to reheat sliced chicken
Sliced peasant loaf-style bread
Chopped fresh parsley, garnish

OPTIONAL : mashed potatoes or stuffing

1. For the gravy, melt the butter in a large skillet and season liberally with black pepper. 
2. Whisk in the flour until light golden in color. 
3. Then whisk in the stock and then add the herbs.
4. Stir in the Worcestershire and simmer slowly to thicken. 
5. IF you have a roast chicken and have any pan drippings, add the drippings now. 
6. Once the gravy lightly coats the back of a spoon, add a ladle of it to the egg yolk while beating with fork. Then add the yolk back to gravy to gloss it up, stir in. 
7. Add the mustard. Add salt to taste. 
8. While the gravy is simmering, heat up an additional couple cups of plain stock in a high-sided skillet. Thinly slice the chicken and add to the stock and leave only long enough to hot up.
9. Thinly slice the chicken and add to the finished sauce, heating it up only long enough to bring it up to the same temperature as the sauce.
10. For each sandwich, very lightly toast a slice of bread and place on a dinner plate. 
11. IF using mashed potato or stuffing, layer it on before the next step. 
12. Arrange the chicken over the bread and liberally ladle the gravy over the top of the sandwich and garnish with chopped parsley. 

Apple Crumble - PUBLISHED

https://www.recipetineats.com/apple-crumble/

1. I've made this twice, now, and both times it was good, but I've tweaked it both times. I've used this version altered from the web site indicated.
2. The balance of sweet is right. Awesome. The Testing phase is over, now onto the 3 levels of approval. And I have quite a few of our fall apples left from our volunteer tree. 
3. Diced the apples and quite liked it. I feel like it gave everything more loft.

2 lb apples, diced (weight before peeling and coring)
1 Tbsp flour

1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup water
--
1 1/4 cup quick cook rolled oats 
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large bowl toss the cut apples with the flour, sugar and cinnamon, then pour over the water. Toss again before spreading out evenly in a 2 quart baking dish. 
3. Mix together all the dry ingredients for the topping, then pour in the melted butter and mix until it takes on an evenly crumbly consistency.
4. Spread this over the apples, but don't pack down. Try to maintain the crumbly texture.
5. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and some of the filling is bubbling around the edges. Remove, cover loosely with foil to keep warm and let stand for 10 minutes before serving (let's the apple filling come together). Just as good at room temperature.
6. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Blackberry Liqueur - Test 2

1 - I made for jars of half-recipes with end-of-season berries on our first summer at Highgrove Farm. It's odd, reading other fall-related recipes I developed in the last few years, on the other farms we've been on, especially the first, where we thought we would grow old. If we are graced with the opportunity to stay on this property indefinitely, I hope to build more recipes with the food we grow here.

I made one jar with two cinnamon sticks in, another with bay leaves, and a third with fresh sage leaves, and the fourth is pure blackberry.

 - These were all very good.

2 - How interesting to read last years' sentiments. Since, I have come to understand that life is groundless, that we think we can find some sort of stability when this is all illusion. We're constantly in a state of free fall. Or 'falling' is the way we understand it, because if there is no ground, can we really say we're falling? If there is no ground, are we falling or flying or something in between, and the terror we feel is made-up, a story, because if there is no ground, there is no splat, so what is there to be afraid of?

24 oz OR 680 gr blackberries, fresh or frozen
16 oz OR 230 gr sugar

24 fl oz OR 750 ml vodka

OPTIONAL : Either 2 Tbsps mint, 1/4 cup basil, 1 Tbsp oregano, rosemary, sage, or thyme, 1 tsp tarragon, OR Bay leaves. 

1. In a large jar with a lid place the blackberries and then the sugar. Pour in the vodka and close the lid.
2. Shake several times the first few days until all the sugar has dissolved, then store in a cool, dark place for a minimum of one month (the longer it sits the more it mellows and improves). 
3. Shake every day or two. Keep for two weeks to two months.
4. When the liqueur is ready to be bottled, line a strainer with a couple of layers of cheesecloth, preferably butter muslin (finer than cheesecloth) and place it over a large pot or bowl. Pour the liquor over the cheesecloth slowly letting the liquid drain while the strainer catches the solids. Repeat if necessary, but do not press the fruit to try and get more juice! It will cloud your finished product and leave sediment to collect at the bottom. (The fruit can be used in baking, er, adult baking, as there will always be a trace of the liquor in the baked fruit).
5. When ready, store in bottles. 

Chilli-spiced oven-baked potatoes - Untested

https://www.isabeleats.com/mexican-crispy-roasted-potatoes/
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/mexican-potatoes

1 1/2 pounds petite red potatoes, washed and quartered
1 onion , finely chopped
1 garlic clove , finely chopped
1 1/2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 Tbsps finely chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, add the olive oil, salt, chili powder, oregano, coriander, black pepper and cayenne. Toss together until potatoes, onions and garlic are fully coated with spices. Transfer to baking sheet.
3. Be careful not to overcrowd the potatoes. They should have plenty of room to breathe. If they don't, divide them onto two baking sheets.
4. Sprinkle potatoes with Parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, flip over the potatoes and bake for another 20 minutes, until crispy.
5. Sprinkle potatoes with cilantro, more salt if desired and serve.