Pork Belly Confit with Pears (try apples) - Untested

https://www.elle.fr/Elle-a-Table/Recettes-de-cuisine/Porc-tres-confit-aux-poires-roties-2596845#xtor=CS5-90

1 - Since I don't currently have pears, I wonder if apple would do the trick. I suspect, since they require firm pears, that the apples we have would just turn to mush, that doesn't sound unappealing to me, therefore I shall attempt it this way.

1 kg de poitrine de porc fraîche

23 branches de thym

2 feuilles de laurier

4 petites poires fermes (or apples)

30 g de beurre

4 feuilles de sauge

1 cuillère(s) à soupe d'huile d'olive

1 cuillère(s) à soupe de miel de citronnier

poivre du moulin

1. Préchauffez le four sur th. 5/150°.
2. Placez la poitrine dans un plat allant au four, disposez par-dessus les branches de thym et les feuilles de laurier, donnez un tour de moulin à poivre et mettez au four pendant 1 h.
3. Au bout de ce temps, baissez la température du four à th. 4-5/130° et laissez confire pendant 2 h en arrosant de temps en temps.
4. 45 mn avant la fin de la cuisson de la poitrine de porc, lavez les poires et coupez-les en deux.
5. Faites fondre le beurre, l’huile et le miel dans une sauteuse puis ajoutez les demi-poires côté chair.
6. Parsemez de sauge et faites-les rôtir sur feu doux 30 à 40 mn en les retournant à mi-cuisson. Servez-les avec leur jus autour de la poitrine de porc confite.

L'ASTUCE

Prenez des petites poires bien fermes qui ne s'effondreront pas à la cuisson.

Grilled Zucchini Tomato Parmesan Pasta - Untested

https://www.laaloosh.com/2012/07/02/grilled-zucchini-tomato-parmesan-pasta-recipe/

8 ounces whole wheat pasta Ronzoni Smart Taste

4 small zucchini - cut into thin strips (about 2-3” long and 1“ wide)

4 garlic cloves - minced

3 Roma tomatoes - sliced

½ a small red onion - chopped

½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Juice from one lemon

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

 

1. Preheat grill to high heat.
2. Lightly mist tomato and zucchini slices with an olive oil mister, sprinkle with salt and pepper and brush with the minced garlic. Place veggies on the grill, and cook until grill lines form (about 2 minutes per side), and then set aside.
3. Prepare pasta according to package directions, and reserve some of the cooking water.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, Parmesan, onions, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
5. Transfer the pasta mixture to the yogurt mixture, and toss to combine.
6. Add the reserved pasta cooking water a tablespoon at a time, if necessary, to thin it. Gently toss in the grilled zucchini and tomatoes, and combine.
7. Divide evenly among four bowls and serve.

Knol Khol Poriyal (Kohlrabi Curry) - Untested

https://www.archanaskitchen.com/kohl-rabi-recipe-nol-khol-curry

3 cups Kohlrabi , peeled and sliced

1 Onion

1 Tomato , diced

1/2 cup crushed or diced tomato

1/4 cup fresh green peas (Matar)

2 Dry Red Chillies

1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)

1/2 teaspoon black Mustard seeds (Rai/ Kadugu)

1 teaspoon Black Urad Dal (Split) red lentils

Curry leaves , few

1 Bay leaf

? lime zest

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)

1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder

1 tablespoon Coriander Powder (Dhania)

2 tablespoons Dessicated Coconut

Salt , for taste

1. To begin making the Kohlrabi recipe, take kohlrabi and peel the outer fibrous part and cut into small squares.
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. When heated, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. When they splutter, add a teaspoon of black urad dal.
3. Saute until the dal tuurns brown. Now add in curry leaves, dry red chillies and turmeric powder. 
4. After 1 minute, add sliced onions and fry till the onion becomes soft.
5. Add tomato slices and cook till they become little soft. Add fresh peas followed by kohlrabi slices and mix everything.
6. Now close the lid and cook for some more time mixing at regular intervals
7. Add spices - coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt as per taste.
8. Add dry dessicated coconut, mix everything and cook for few minutes by closing lid.
9. Cook till kohlrabi slices become soft. Turn off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves. 

Split Pea Soup with Smoked Hock - Test 3

Adapted from the split pea soup with bacon, this one uses the pork hock instead of bacon.

1 - I added the hock while it was still a bit frozen and it was not cooked enough using the cooking time in the soup with bacon. Also, the hock is salty so I will reduce the quantity of salt. Otherwise, and excellent recipe.

2 - To make sure the hock is well cooked I decided to try the slow cooker, and have transformed the recipe to reflect this. If this works, I have a final test I'd like to do before calling it done - is it better to cook the oats in the last 20 minutes or can I mix them into the slow cooker? The changes I made were very good! It worked!

12 cups cold water

2 cups of yellow split peas

1 smoked pork hock (any size)

4 oz (about 1 generous cup) of quick cook oats

Optional: 1 sprig thyme, 1 bay leaf and/or 1 large carrot

1 Tbsp oil or lard

2 onions, chopped (12oz/340gr)

2 tsps of salt (to taste)

1 tsp of sugar

1⁄2 tsp of pepper

1. Put the peas, hock and any herbs in a slow cooker 8 or 9hrs before you desire to eat.
2. An hour before the slow cooker is done, add the oatmeal.
3. Then, heat the oil in your soup pot and cook the onion over medium heat until very tender (where you can easily cut it with a wooden spoon), about 10 minutes.
4. Season with the salt, sugar, and pepper. Cook a bit longer to allow the sugar to caramelize a bit. Remember, browning = more flavour!
5. Once the hock is very tender remove it from the slow cooker and set it on a cutting board.
6. Transfer the peas to your soup pot and bring to a simmer. 
7. Meanwhile, shred the hock, remove the bone, skin and fat and pop back in the good meaty bits.
8. Enjoy with fresh bread.

Blackberry Coulis - PUBLISHED

https://www.savorythoughts.com/blackberry-coulis/

NOTE: I wonder if this works for any kind of fruit or just berries or just blackberries? Also, consider the spice recommendations from Dorothy Hartley for the older blackberries.

1 - I made this just the once and the first go was very good, even with the reduced amount of sugar. I used frozen blackberries and simmered it for 10 minutes to good effect.

2 - This is just the right amount of sweetness. Someone had it for the first time and thought it was just really sweet blackberry.

10oz fresh blackberries

1/4 cup white sugar

juice from ½ lemon

1. Over medium-low heat, add the blackberries, lemon, and sugar to the saucepan. Stir to mix well.
2. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes (up to 10 minutes if using frozen fruit to help excess moisture to evaporate).
3. Either press through a sieve or use a blender to crush the fruit and strain out the juices. 

Plain old Tomato Spaghetti Sauce for - PUBLISHED

In my younger days I made this sauce countless times (pg 66, I still remember). Trying it again tonight for the first time in probably 20 years.

from Moosewood Cookbook, pg 66

1 - It's as good and easy to make as I remembered. I'm going to indicate that the fresh tomato is optional.

2 - Made it with fresh herbs and have added the quantities for this option. Uh, in re-reading this, I think I actually used 2 x 28oz cans of tomato! Woops, but the flavor was really nice. Now this was with fresh herbs, would that work with dry? I may have to halve the fresh herb quantity. To try next time, which means this remains at Test 1.

3 Tbsps. olive oil

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

OPTIONAL ½ lb. mushrooms AND/OR 1 chopped green pepper

2 tsps. dry basil OR 2 Tbsps. fresh basil, minced

1 tsp oregano OR 1 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced

2 bay leaves

2 tsps. salt

28oz canned tomato, diced or purée 

6oz tomato paste

2 Tbsps. red wine, to taste

¼ tsp black pepper

Optional - 1 medium tomato, chopped

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion to sauté. While the onions cook, chop and/or add the garlic, green pepper, optional mushrooms, basil, oregano, bay leaves and salt. Continue to cook until the onions transparent and very soft.
2. When the onions are cooked, add the tomato purée and paste, red wine, fresh tomato and pepper.
3. Cover and simmer on low to medium low (a very slow simmer) for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Before serving add the parsley.
5. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan

Cooking an old bird

https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/07/cook-old-chicken.html

https://morningchores.com/cooking-tough-chickens/

1 whole rooster or stewing hen, plucked & gutted

Water (to cover the bird; count the # of cups to know the amount of salt to add)

Herbs of your choice (sage, rosemary, thyme, etc) fresh or dried

2 bay leaves

Salt/pepper to taste (1 tsp salt per cup of water)

More herbs, seasonings, and your choice of veggies (onions, garlic, carrots, celery) to make stock (if desired)

1. Cover the bird loosely (I used wax paper to allow the carcass to breathe–avoid plastic wrap) and place in the fridge to age for 4-7 days [I am soaking mine in water which I will change every day before brining]. This is a crucial step for an old bird, as the extended aging process allows the muscle fibers to relax and tenderize. Don’t skip it!
2. After the aging process, place the bird in a large stock pot and cover it with water. Season if you like (I tossed in some salt, pepper, rosemary, parsley, and an onion for good measure) and cover. Simmer for 6-12 hours.
3. Remove the bird from the pot and allow it to cool so you can handle it comfortably. Remove all of the meat from the bones.
4. At this point, you can set the bones aside (we’ll be using them to make chicken stock), and toss the meat back into the broth to make chicken soup. (Just add the vegetables of your choice, noodles, and seasonings to taste, removing the bay leaves before you serve it. I don’t have an *exact* chicken soup recipe, since it’s different every time I serve it.