Greek Yogurt Souffle - Untested

https://julesfood.blogspot.com/2012/10/greek-yogurt-souffle.html

GREEK YOGURT SOUFFLE

many thanks for the original found at Baking Bites...

1 cup plain greek yogurt...i use 0% Fage

3 large egg yolks

3 large egg whites

3 Tbsp AP flour

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract...(per Grandma...i always spill a little extra in the mix) or a 1/2 vanilla pod would look nice with the black specks.

1/8 tsp cream of tarter

1/4 cup sugar

butter and "real" sugar for ramekins

get creative with your accessories... fresh berries, a blueberry coulis,  ginger syrup, or warm and syrupy homemade jam

preheat oven to 375 F degrees, non convection...bottom heating element only if possible.  i read this somewhere and it seems to work well with any souffle.

butter six 6oz ramekins.  coat inside ramekin with sugar and knock out excess.  set on baking sheet.

in a large mixing bowl whisk together yogurt, egg yolks, flour, salt and vanilla.  in a medium bowl or in your stand mixture, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy...then gradually pour in the sugar and whisk until firm, but soft peaks form...just don't whip so hard you break the whites.

add 1/3 of egg white mixture to the yogurt mixture and incorporate well.  then carefully fold in another 1/3...then the remaining.  you want to keep as much volume as possible, of course.

divide evenly into ramekins...i think i filled mine to the line just below the rim because when they fall you still want to have volume in the ramekin.

bake on tray for about 15 minutes, until evenly risen and lightly browned around the edges.

DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR TO PEEK.

serve IMMEDIATELY for the full effect.

BUT...these are still fabulous after they fall  as you can see in some of the photos.

they are also delicious the next day.  they retain their fluff and they taste like a very delicate cheesecake.  i'd have this for breakfast every morning if i could...full of protein, calcium and quite a healthy start for the day. 

Steak Soup - Untested

https://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/steak-soup/

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 lbs top sirloin steak cut into cubes

1/2 cup onion chopped

3 Tbsp flour

1/2 Tbsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp parsley

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp marjoram

4 cups beef broth

2 cups water

2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes

3 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 15 ounce can corn drained

1 1/2 cups carrots diced

1 cup celery diced

1 1/2 cups yukon potatoes diced I left the peel on

1. Melt butter in pan and add oil. Heat over medium heat. Add in steak. Cook until meat is browned. About 10 minutes.
2. Mix together flour, paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Sprinkle over browned meat and stir to coat.
4. In a pot add together steak, beef broth, water, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes,onions and seasonings.
5. Bring to a boil and then simmer until meat is tender. About 30-45 minutes
6. Add in potatoes, carrots, corn, celery and tomato paste and brown sugar.
7. Cook uncovered until vegetables are fork tender. About 15-20 minutes

Tips & Notes:

You can use precut stew meat or you can cut up a sirloin or round steak even sized pieces.

If you don’t have the parsley, oregano and marjoram, substitute them with  two teaspoons of Italian seasoning,

Use a waxy potato such as a red or Yukon Gold. A russett potato will disintegrate after simmering for any length of time. Cut potatoes into even bite size pieces.

Be sure your vegetables are cut into even size pieces so they cook evenly.

Gouère — Bourbonnaise Cheese Tart - Untested

https://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_gouere-la-tarte-au-fromage-bourbonnaise_166396.aspx

**The pastry**

250g (2 cups) flour

100g (7 Tbsps) neutral oil (vegetable or sunflower)

100g (7 Tbsps) hot water

**The filling**

500g potatoes, peeled and cut for boiling

500g fromage blanc, well drained (or drained full-fat yogurt or quark)

4 eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

1. The pastry: Put the flour, oil and hot water together in a bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Close the lid and shake vigorously until the dough comes together. That's it.
2. Peel the potatoes and boil them until completely tender, as you would for mashed potatoes. Drain well and mash thoroughly.
3. Mix the warm mashed potato into the fromage blanc until well combined, then add the beaten eggs. Season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Roll out the pastry and line a deep tart tin.
5. Pour the filling over the pastry and bake in a hot oven *(375F/190C)* for 50 minutes, or until the filling is set and holds together.
6. Serve warm with a green salad. Any leftovers are excellent cold, cut into cubes and served as an appetizer.

Tomato Zucchini Goat Cheese Clafoutis - Untested

https://www.canadianliving.com/food/recipe/tomato-zucchini-and-goat-cheese-clafoutis

Tomato , Zucchini and Goat Cheese Clafoutis

Portion size

4 servings

2 tsps. butter softened

1 cup grated zucchini

2 green onions minced

3 Tbsps. chopped fresh basil

3 eggs

1/2 cup whipping cream (35%)

3 Tbsps. flour

1 tsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

1 pinch nutmeg

1 pkg (140 g) soft goat cheese crumbled

12 cherry tomatoes halved

Brush four 1-cup (250 mL) ramekins with butter; set aside.

Wrap zucchini in clean tea towel; twist and squeeze to release excess liquid. Transfer to bowl. Stir in green onions and basil; set aside.

In separate bowl, beat together eggs, whipping cream, flour, maple syrup, salt, hot pepper sauce and nutmeg.

Divide goat cheese evenly among ramekins; top each with one-quarter of the zucchini mixture and one-quarter of the egg mixture. Top each with 6 cherry tomato halves.

Arrange ramekins on baking sheet; bake in 325ºF (160ºC) oven until puffed and eggs are set, 18 to 20 minutes. Broil until tops are bubbly and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

Cheesecake de Francine - Untested

Base :

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup ground almonds (almond meal)

1/4 cup caster sugar

90 g of butter, chopped up

1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl. 
2. Rub it through with your fingers so butter it is not melted. 
3. When done it should look like fine bread crumbs.
4. Line the bottom of a 20cm spring form pan with parchment paper. 
5. Level the mixture in the bottom and press down with a soup spoon until it is even and flat.  
6. Heat the oven to 150C/300F and cook for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Mixture : 

475g fresh ricotta 

355g cream cheese, cubed 

1 and 1/3 cups caster sugar

4 eggs

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp of finely grated lemon rind

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 Tbsp water mixed with 1 and 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F.
2. Process everything together.  It should be the consistency of thick cream. A food processor is good for this. 
3. After it has cooled, lightly butter the sides of the spring form pan.  
4. Pour the mixture into the pan.  
5. Lightly tap pan on counter to remove bubbles.  Remove remaining bubbles by gently rubbing spoon over top of mixture.  
6. Bake for 1 hour.  Turn oven off and leave the cake in for another hour.
7. Put in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before removing from the pan.
8. You can serve with berries on the side or make a coulis to sprinkle around or over fruits on top.

Quick Fresh Mozzarella - Untested

Inspired by: https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/30-minute-mozzarella/#axzz34XH3s2OW

NOTE that this is not a cultured mozzarella, which is more authentic and flavorful, but is a good place to start. A cultured mozzarella does not use citric acid but a thermophilic culture instead and is a longer process.

1 US gallon (3.8 L) whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized)

1½ tsp citric acid, dissolved in ¼ cup (60 mL) cool water

¼ tsp liquid rennet, dissolved in ¼ cup (60 mL) cool, non-chlorinated water

1–2 tsp cheese salt

Making the curds

1. Pour the milk into a large pot and stir in the dissolved citric acid.
2. Slowly heat to 32°C (90°F), stirring gently.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the dissolved rennet using an up-and-down motion for about 30 seconds.
4. Stop stirring and let the milk sit undisturbed for 5–10 minutes, until you have a clean break.
5. Cut the curd into roughly 2 cm (¾") cubes.
6. Slowly heat the curds and whey to 40°C (105°F), stirring very gently.
7. Remove from the heat and let the curds rest for about 5 minutes.
8. Scoop the curds into a colander and allow them to drain.

Stretching

1. Heat a separate pot of water (or, even better, the strained whey) to about 77–82°C (170–180°F).
2. Place the drained curds in a bowl and:
3. Pour enough hot whey over them to cover.
4. Let them sit for 20–30 seconds.
5. Lift the curd with a spoon or your hands (wear gloves if needed—it will be hot).
6. Fold and stretch it gently.
7. If it begins to stiffen, dip it back into the hot whey for another 20–30 seconds.
8. Repeat until the curd becomes smooth, glossy, and stretches into long ribbons.
9. Knead in the salt during the last stretch.
10. Form into balls and cool in cold water for 10–15 minutes.

Slow Cooker Bone Broth - Untested

https://grassfedgirl.com/easy-crock-pot-bone-broth-2/

1 lb-2 lbs bones (chicken feet/necks or beef bones knuckles, bones with a lot of cartilage)

4 cloves garlic

32 cups water (or just enough to cover the bones)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

other of choice vegetables (optional, can make it bitter )

other herbs (optional)

1. Put all the ingredients in a slow cooker overnight or longer and set to low (8-24 hours).
2. In the morning, strain the broth and refrigerate in separate containers.
3. Once it's chilled remove the fat and save it for other uses.

Notes:

• If the broth doesn’t gel or come out to your liking, try again. It usually doesn’t gel due to too much water in proportion to bones. Best to just use enough water to just cover the bones. 
• You can use bones saved from making wings, steaks on the bone, and whole chickens. There's a lot of variance depending on type of animal and type of bone. 
• Best to use bones with a lot of cartilage, like any bones with lots of joints. Chicken feet, chicken wings, chicken drumsticks, chicken backs, beef knuckles are great bone options.
• Bone broth from chicken bones is easiest as bone broth from beef and pork broth are very pungent when cooking, so for the comfort of others in your home, chicken may be the best option.

Potage Choisy 3 - Untested

https://fr.frije.com/recipes/140752

Serves 4 — Prep: 15 minutes — Cook: 14 minutes

110g onion, peeled and thinly sliced

400g zucchini, ends trimmed, unpeeled, cut into cubes

300g green lettuce leaves, sorted, rinsed, dried and roughly cut with scissors

5g butter

1g fresh mint

600g vegetable broth

100g milk

1g fresh mint, reserved for serving

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat and wilt the lettuce, stirring. 
2. Add the onion, zucchini cubes and the first portion of mint. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes, then pour in the broth.
3. Bring to a boil, and cook until the zucchini is perfectly soft.
4. Blend the soup, add the milk and scatter over the remaining mint. 
5. Stir, adjust seasoning with salt and a turn of the pepper mill.
6. Serve hot or cold.

Potage Choisy 2 (velouté de laitue) - Untested

https://www.zeste.ca/recettes/potage-choisy-veloute-de-laitue

Potage Choisy (velouté de laitue)

Quantité : 2 litres (8 tasses)

14g sunflower oil

1 small onion (110g), thinly sliced

60g garlic scapes, roughly chopped *(or 2 cloves garlic, minced)*

150g cucumber, peeled or unpeeled, cut into cubes

300g potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

Salt to taste

1500g chicken broth

350g green lettuce leaves, washed and dried *(see notes)*

30g fresh coriander, roughly chopped

15g fresh dill, roughly chopped

8g fresh mint, roughly chopped

**Notes**

1. The recipe works with any lettuce, but if you use red-leaf varieties the vibrant green colour of the soup may not come through.

2. Replace some of the lettuce with spinach or tender vegetable tops (beet greens, radish tops, etc.). Fennel can also be used in place of the cucumber — in that case, use fennel fronds instead of the dill.

**Instructions**

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion for 2 to 3 minutes without letting it brown.

2. Add the garlic scapes and cucumber and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring.

3. Add the potatoes, salt and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Add the lettuce leaves a little at a time — they will quickly lose volume in the hot broth. Once all the lettuce is in the pot, continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

5. Remove from heat and blend the soup using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender.

6. Add the fresh herbs and blend again until the soup is as smooth as possible.

7. Freeze whatever isn't consumed right away — to reheat, add cream to return it to a smooth, velvety texture.

Potage Choisy 1 (de Maman) - Untested

Une recette que Maman a partagée avec moi, je ne sais pas d'ou. J'ai fait un peu de recherche et j'ai trouvé pas juste d'autre versions, mais aussi des alternatives intéressantes, que je sauvegarde séparément puisqu'elles sont assez différentes que je voudrai les essayer afin de déterminer laquelle que je préfère ou comment je veux les combiner.

POTAGE CHOISY (Avec laitue un peu amère)

1 oignon moyen haché

3 tasses de pommes de terres coupés en dés

2 c. à soupe de beurre

2 tasses de lait (je prend du 2%)

3 tasses de bouillon de poulet (je le fais à partir de la poudre Loney’s sans gras)

Sel et poivre, au goût

6 tasses de morceaux de laitues diverses – c’est à peu près une pomme de salade frisée + 150 gr de laitue printanière (n’importe quelle sorte mais ne pas prendre une laitue amère comme la roquette ou le cresson) – vous pressez la salade pour la mesurer

Garniture par portion – 2 versions: 

version Ricardo: 5-6 quartiers de tomates cerises mises au centre avec 1 c. à thé de crème sûre

version Kim: 2 branches de ciboulettes coupées au ciseau (2 à 3 pouces de long), disposées en quadrillage + 1/2 c. à thé de crème sûre.

1. Cuire à feu moyen-doux les oignons avec le beurre dans un grand chaudron afin d’amollir les oignons 
2. Ajouter le lait, le bouillon de poulet et les pommes de terre 
3. Amener à ébullition. Couvrir et cuire doucement à feu doux pendant 20 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que les pommes de terre soient tendres 
4. Broyer moyennement du sel de mer et de poivre 
5. Ajouter la laitue et continuer de cuire pendant 3 à 4 minutes en remuant de temps en temps -  ne vous en faites pas, le volume de laitue diminuera considérablement 
6. Verser la soupe dans un mélangeur pour obtenir une belle purée (c-à-d. environ 4-5 minutes) 
7. Passer au tamis 
8. Rectifier l’assaisonnement 
9. Verser dans 4 ou 5 bols et garnir 
10. Déguster immédiatement.
11. Vous pouvez préparer le potage la veille – ce qui parfait lorsque vous recevez.

Brown Butter Sage Pasta - Untested

https://www.joyousapron.com/brown-butter-sage-pasta/

1 lb spaghetti pasta

½ cup unsalted butter

6-9 cloves garlic minced

1 tsp salt or more to taste

½ tsp black pepper

¼ cup reserved pasta water

20-25 leaves fresh sage julienned, plus more for garnish

½ cup parmesan cheese shredded, plus more to taste as needed

1. Bring water to boil in a pot and add pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions. Be sure to reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water for the sauce. Drain pasta and set aside.
2. Brown the butter. Cut the stick of butter into small, equal portions.
3. Place the pats of butter into the bottom of a deep skillet. Melt the butter over medium heat.
4. Once the butter melts, foam will form on top. Keep cooking the butter. As it cooks, brown bits will begin to appear.
5. As soon as you smell a toasted, nutty scent, add the minced garlic. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, but avoid burning or browning it too much.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta water and julienned sage leaves.
7. Add pasta to the skillet. Toss to coat
8. Add parmesan cheese. Toss to coat again.
9. Garnish with more sage leaves. Serve and enjoy!

Lilac Wine - Untested

https://leslieland.com/2009/05/lilac-wine/ 

https://brightonforager.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/lilac-wine-hypnotised-by-a-strange-delight/ (contains the recipe above)

When newly made, it will taste and smell bad. Leave it for 3-6 months, at least, for the lilac flavour to mature.

Velouté de chanterelles - Untested

https://www.cuisineaz.com/recettes/veloute-de-champignons-10456.aspx

1 leek

500ml water

1 vegetable bouillon cube

200ml dry white wine

200g chanterelles

100ml skim milk

100ml crème fraîche

½ tablespoon flour

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Salt and pepper

1. Wash the chanterelles and prepare the leek: wash it and slice into rounds.

2. Pour the water into a large pot. Crumble in the bouillon cube and bring to a boil.

3. Add the leek, wine and parsley. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.

4. Add the chanterelles and cook for another 5 minutes.

5. Whisk the flour into a little of the milk until smooth, then pour into the soup to thicken it. Add the remaining milk and the crème fraîche.

6. Simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Season to taste.

Truffade à la Canadienne - Untested

https://www.recoin.fr/recette/truffade.html

Substitute the tome fraiche with half and half regular dry mozzarella and havarti cheeses.

Zuppa di pasta e fagioli, Slow version

I make this soup a lot and because of my planning challenge I often just use pre cooked beans instead of dry beans. In part because it seems like such a big use of energy to cook beans on the stovetop. So I adapted the favorite to the slow cooker to infuse the beans with the flavouring and deepen the umami. 

1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus 2 Tbsps. more, plus extra for drizzling

2–3 slices bacon (35–50g), cut into lardons

1 small onion (4oz/114g), roughly chopped

5 cloves garlic, smashed

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, or more to taste

½ tsp. fennel seeds

5 fresh plum tomatoes (10oz/285g) or ½ can (14oz/398mL) diced tomatoes

1 lb. dry beans (or 2 lb. 5oz/1kg cooked)

  - preferably cranberry/borlotti, pinto or romano beans

5 cups water, plus more boiling water if needed

5 cups light beef broth (1 Tbsp. Better Than Bouillon)

2 bay leaves

30g Parmesan rind

Mustard green (or kale/chard) stems, sliced thin

8oz/230g small pasta such as shells, ditalini or orzo

Mustard green leaves (4–8oz), chopped (or kale/chard leaves)

1 tsp. salt, to taste

1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped

⅓ cup (43g) grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

1–2 tsps. white wine vinegar, optional

1. Render the lardons until lightly browned and crisp. Remove all but 1 Tbsp. of the fat and add the olive oil. 
2. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften. 
3. Stir in the garlic, the red pepper flakes and the fennel seeds. Cook for a minute to toast the spices then add the tomatoes; cook until the tomatoes begin to break down.
4. Transfer everything to the slow cooker. Add the dry beans, water, broth, bay leaves, Parmesan rind and the stems from the mustard greens (or kale/chard). Cook on High for 5–6 hours (or Low for 8–10 hours), until the beans are completely tender.
5. When the beans are tender, remove about 2 ladles of the beans and broth, favouring the beans, and blend until smooth before returning everything to the soup pot and the stovetop. 
6. Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer. Add the greens and the pasta and cook another 15–20 minutes. The body of the soup comes in part from the pasta, so al dente isn't required or even desired here. 
7. The soup should be thick and creamy; if too thick, thin with a little more boiling water until you get the consistency you want.
8. Take off the heat and remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rind. Stir in the rosemary, salt, grated Parmesan, parsley and the remaining 2 Tbsps. olive oil. Let stand 2–3 minutes to allow the rosemary to perfume the soup before serving.
9. Serve with more Parmesan, olive oil, plenty of freshly ground black pepper and, if desired, a drizzle of white wine vinegar.

Pecan Pie - Testing

1 - I lost the original, which came from a botched pecan toffee bar recipe which I transformed into a delicious pie. This is my approximation, and from tasting it, it's very good but needs more work. I used the conventional method of making the pie and I think I need to use the Pecan Toffee Bar cooking method, which gets the mix hotter and browner. I think the ingredients are all ok, I just need to redo the cooking of the custard part.

1 unbaked sweet pie crust

½ cup butter (4oz/114gr)

1 cup brown sugar (7.1oz/200 g)

¼ cup honey or golden syrup or maple syrup (3oz/85g)

¾ cup evaporated milk

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

(optional) 1 Tbsp bourbon or rum

½ tsp salt

2½ cups pecans (10oz/285g)

1. Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a deep pot, melt the butter and add the sugars and the honey.
3. Heat gently until everything dissolves, then increase the temperature to medium and cook until the mixture reaches about 240°F, then continue boiling while stirring constantly for 7 minutes.
4. Stir in the evaporated milk. Careful, it will bubble and spit a lot at first before subsiding. Return to a brief boil again before removing from the heat.
5. Allow the mixture to cool to around 120°F.
6. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs. Use a bit of the whisked eggs to brush the bottom of the pie crust
7. Once the sugar mixture is cool enough to avoid curdling the eggs, beat the whisked eggs into the sweet mixture (if using the optional bourbon or rum, add that now). 
8. Stir in the pecans.
9. Pour into the prepared pie crust.
10. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the centre reaches about 195–200°F or wobbles like gelatin, not liquid.

Penne Mac&Beans (Spring Pea & Fava Bean Gratin) - Testing

https://www.latartemaison.it/2024/05/pasta-di-farro-con-crema-di-piselli-e-fave/

1 - First try with older peas and favas and mixed feelings. It smells and tastes good, but the sauce ends up being pasty. Oh, and the garnish is not very pleasant because the peas and fava are older. So, things to try? Omit the garnish except for the mint (which is good) and add a drizzle of olive oil. Pulse the pulses in a food processor to get a rough grind, not a smooth sauce - since the peas and fava are older their sugars are turning to starch, and apparently running them in a blender to achieve a smooth sauce releases more of the starch which makes it pasty. Either alternatively or additionally, add more pasta water, up to 3 cups (probably won't use it all). The sauce should look too loose before adding the pasta, I wonder if that's only if I try to get a smooth sauce again?

1.1 - I had the leftovers. I ended up baking it to warm it up, and it was amazing! So fragrant and delicious and the pastiness was not an issue at all. So I'm turning this into a gratin dish. If I need to refer to the original, there's always the Web Link above and Google Translate.

Serves 4

2 (1oz/28gr) Tbsps butter

¾ cups (75g) panko breadcrumbs

1lb/454g penne rigate

300 g shelled fresh peas (older peas are good)

150 g shelled fresh broad (fava) beans (older are ok)

2–3 fresh spring onions (about 75g) or 75–100g shallots (Griselle preferred)

Zest of 1 lemon (about 7g) reserving a pinch for the topping

4–5 Tbsp. (40 to 50 grams) extra virgin olive oil, divided

1½ tsp. salt, plus more for the pasta water

100 g + 20 g grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves (or about 2–3 Tbsp. finely chopped)

1. In a hot pan, melt 2 Tbsps of butter and mix in the breadcrumbs, stirring until evenly combined, and set aside.
2. Blanch the peas and broad beans for 5 minutes and peel the broad beans if they're older.
3. Bring the same water up to a boil and start the pasta and when it's almost done, reserve about 3 cups of the pasta water before draining. It'll cook more in the baking so it should be before al dente.
4. Sauté the spring onions in olive oil, or slowly sauté the shallots in the olive oil until lightly golden to enhance their sweetness.
5. Add the peas and beans.
6. Blend the pulses with the lemon zest, salt and enough starchy pasta water to make a smooth, creamy sauce (don't overprocess because it'll make it pasty).
7. Toss the pasta with the sauce, Parmesan and a pinch of the fresh mint, adding more pasta water as needed to achieve the desired consistency. The sauce should look a little too loose.
8. Combine the buttered breadcrumbs with the 20g of Parmesan, the fresh mint and the leftover pinch of lemon zest.
9. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the surface.
10. Bake in the oven at 350°F for 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the top is toasted and golden. If you want the top to brown a bit more, put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes.

Pasta, ceci e verza (Pasta, chickpeas and cabbage) - Testing

https://www.latartemaison.it/2026/01/pasta-ceci-e-verza-la-cucina-di-casa/

4 servings

1 - A very interesting dish. I added what to look for from the cabbage (browning). It smelled really good toasting all those initial ingredients. I think 700mL is pretty conservative. It may be that my pots let more steam out than the author's; I've had to add water but haven't really measured how much. I've made some substantial changes.

2 - Better and yet inconclusive. I am truly Canadian. I had the recipe all in metric, and got totally confused because I don't have an ingrained understanding of this measurement, so I made all sorts of little mistakes. And I converted most into my native country's mishmash of measurements to make it easier for myself, next time. There is also the issue of mixing everything together and the chickpeas falling to the bottom. I wonder, if I instead blendered more of the chickpeas, then combined this sauce to the pasta on its own, adding cooking water to get the right consistency, plated the pasta then spooned the unprocessed cooked cabbage and chickpeas on top, what would that do? Oh, and I increased the pasta from 8oz to 12oz.

1L/4cups lightly salted water

2 cloves garlic, whole

1/4 cup olive oil

10 to 12 cabbage leaves (preferably the outer ones) (approx. 1lb/450g)

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup white wine

Parmesan rind

500 g cooked chickpeas

2 sprig of rosemary, minced

12oz/340 g dry spaghetti or linguini

Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a slow boil.
2. Remove the central ribs from the cabbage and then cut them into strips.
3. In a sauté pan heat the oil to sauté the whole garlic cloves for a couple of minutes, just until they start to soften. 
4. Add the cabbage, season with the salt, and cook until the cabbage softens, starts to brown, and develops a fond at the bottom of your pot. You can let the cabbage continue to brown until caramelization just starts to happen to bring out extra sweetness and flavour.
5. When the cabbage has browned to your liking, add the wine and scrape up all that browned goodness from the bottom. Let it cook off until it's almost all gone.
6. With the back of your spoon crush the garlic.
7. Add the chickpeas and the rosemary. Stir and cook for a minute, to let the flavours blend, then pour in about 600mL of the boiling water and add the Parmesan rind. Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, covered.
8. Remove two ladles full to a blender, favouring the chickpeas, and blend it until smooth. 
9. Keep the rest of the cabbage and chickpeas warm.
10. Pour processed sauce into a large pot and add the dry pasta. Add more of the boiling water to keep the pasta just covered while it cooks. 
11. Stir the pasta frequently to prevent sticking of the bean starches and add more water to keep it all moving in the pan, like a sauce. It's done when the pasta is al dente.
12. When the pasta is done, pour into a large presentation bowl and top with the unprocessed cabbage and chickpeas.
13. Finish with a drizzle of good oil and serve.

Fresh Mint Tea - Testing

1 - I made this and it was great, then I lost the recipe and I'm trying to recreate it. ADDENDUM I found the recipe: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/fresh-mint-tea/#recipe

1 ounce fresh mint leaves

4 cups boiling water

2 Tbsps. honey or other sweetener, to taste 

fresh lemon or lime wedges (optional)

1. Boil some water and remove from heat.
2. Bundle and roll up the mint leaves with your fingers and give them a brief twist to release their oils. I'll roll/rub them in my hands once or twice just to bruise them. Add them to the hot water.
3. Let it steep for 5 minutes, or until the tea reaches your desired strength.
4. Strain the tea into its final container: mugs, cups, glasses, a carafe or a tea pot).
5. Dilute the honey (or other sweetener) and add the citrus. 
6. Serve hot or iced. 
7. Optional garnish with extra mint and lemon/lime wedges.

Orzotto with rocket and broad beans - Testing

https://www.latartemaison.it/2013/06/orzotto-con-rucola-e-fave/

1 - I don't know. It was ok, I think I haven't worked out how to pick fava beans, they are a bit starchy.

Serves 2

1 small bunch of arugula (50g) trimmed and chopped

10 broad bean pods (half cup or 85 grams of actual beans)

10 g of butter

140 g pearl barley

20 g of goat cheese

curry to taste

1. You will be busy, so prepare what you need first.
2. Prepare the arugula.
3. Meanwhile, bring lightly salted water to a boil and blanch the shelled fava beans. 
4. Melt the butter in a risotto pan and toast the barley for a few minutes.
5. Drain the fava beans, keeping the cooking water aside and warm. You will use it to cook the barley, adding a little at a time. 
6. Continue cooking and halfway through, add the previously washed and chopped arugula. 
7. Remove the skin covering the fava beans and add them, reserving a few for garnish. 
8. Once cooked (about 30 minutes), add a teaspoon of curry powder and turn off the heat. 
9. Stir in the goat cheese and let rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

Asparagus Soup (creme d'asperges) - Untested

https://thelemonapron.com/farmers-market-garlic-scape-soup/

Serves 4

2 potatoes (7oz/400 grams) peeled and diced

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 Tbsps. olive oil

30-40 asparagus (about 1lb) rough chop

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp chilli flakes

2 tbsp fresh herbs, chopped (basil, dill, chives, etc)

¼ cup plain yogurt, creme fraiche or sour cream

1. In a saucepan, bring the stock to a gentle simmer and add the potatoes. Let simmer while you cook the scapes.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy sauce pan over medium heat and saute the scapes until they soften (10-15 minutes). 
3. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and chili flakes and cook for a minute or two.
4. Pour the hot stock and potatoes over the asparagus and cook with the lid askew (I use a clothespin to prevent the lid from falling into place) for 15 to 20 minutes or until the asparagus are fully cooked and losing their bright green colour. 
5. Remove from the heat and add the chopped fresh herbs and stir through.
6. In a standard blender, working in batches, purée the soup until smooth. 
7. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed. 
8. Keep the soup warm over low heat until you're ready to serve. Don't cover with the lid totally to avoid the soup turning grey.
9. Stir in the yogurt (or other dairy) and keep warm but not simmering until ready to serve.

Garlic Scape Soup (crème de fleur d'ail) - Untested

https://thelemonapron.com/farmers-market-garlic-scape-soup/

https://itsavegworldafterall.com/potato-garlic-scape-soup/#recipe

Serves 4

2 potatoes (7oz/400 grams) peeled and diced

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 Tbsps. olive oil

30-40 garlic scapes (about 1lb) rough chop (you can reserve the flower tops for garnish)

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp chilli flakes

2 tbsp fresh herbs, chopped (basil, dill, chives, etc)

¼ cup plain yogurt, crème fraîche or sour cream

1. In a saucepan, bring the stock to a gentle simmer and add the potatoes. Let simmer while you cook the scapes.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy sauce pan over medium heat and saute the scapes until they soften (10-15 minutes). 
3. Add the salt, pepper and chili flakes and cook for a minute or two.
4. Pour the hot stock and potatoes over the scapes and cook with the lid askew (I use a clothespin to prevent the lid from falling into place) for 15 to 20 minutes or until the scapes are fully cooked and losing their bright green colour. NOTE, if left too long they will turn grey. 
5. Remove from the heat and add the chopped fresh herbs and stir through.
6. In a standard blender, working in batches, purée the soup until smooth. Scapes can be a bit pulpy, so purée the soup well. 
7. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed. 
8. Keep the soup warm over low heat until you're ready to serve. Don't cover with the lid totally to avoid the soup turning grey.
9. Stir in the yogurt (or other dairy) and keep warm but not simmering.
10. OPTIONAL
11. Place the reserved tops in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and more chili flakes.
12. Heat a saute pan or grill pan over medium high heat.
13. When hot, grill the flowers on both sides until softened and just starting to char, about 4 minutes a side. Set aside.
14. Ladle the soup into bowls and, if using, garnish with some of the scape flower tops.

Orzotto with Greens and Smoked Bacon - Testing

https://blog.giallozafferano.it/lacucinadihanneke/orzotto-con-spinaci/

1 - Good, but very green tasting, to the point where the bacon is a bit lost!

Serves 4

100g (3.5oz) smoked bacon ends, chopped 
1 onion (6oz/170g) finely chopped 
1 Tbsp (14g) butter 

350g (12oz) dry pearl barley 

½ cup dry white wine 

approx. 1.5 litres / 6 cups meat or vegetable broth, kept hot, as needed 

350g (12oz) fresh greens — spinach, swiss chard, arugula, and/or nasturtium leaves, washed, thick stems removed, roughly chopped 

4 Tbsps grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving 

1 tsp salt 

1/4tsp black pepper, to taste

1. Sauté the onion and bacon in the butter over medium heat for a few minutes until the onion is softened and the bacon has rendered some of its fat.
2. Add the dry barley and stir to coat and toast briefly, about 1 minute.
3. Pour in the white wine and let it absorb, then begin adding the hot broth a ladleful at a time, stirring occasionally and adding more as each addition is absorbed. Continue for 35-40 minutes until the barley is tender but still has some bite.
4. About 5 minutes before the barley is done, stir in the greens. (Nasturtium leaves, being more delicate, should go in at the very end — just 1-2 minutes before serving.) Continue cooking until wilted and tender, adding a final ladleful of broth if needed to keep things loose.
5. Stir in the Parmigiano. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
6. Serve immediately with additional grated cheese on the side.

Orzotto with peas and bacon - Untested

https://www.fattoincasadabenedetta.it/ricetta/orzotto/

For the broth

3 Tbsps. extra virgin olive oil

½ onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 l water

salt

For the barley

300g pearl barley

1 shallot, minced

50g bacon ends, rind trimmed, sliced thin into strips

150g fresh garden peas

100 ml white wine

50g grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

1 Tbsp. parsley or 1 tsp thyme or lovage

extra virgin olive oil

black pepper

1. First, prepare the broth. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the chopped celery, carrot, and onion, until they are just starting to brown.
2. Add the water and salt, and cook partially covered for 30 minutes.
3. In a pan, render the bacon and drain the excess fat. Add a generous drizzle of oil and brown the shallot for a few minutes.
4. Add the peas and cook everything for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Now add the barley and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until it starts to brown and smell nutty.
6. Deglaze with the white wine and cook until it's almost all gone.
7. Only add enough broth to cover the barley, adding more as needed. Adding the broth in stages and occasionally stirring helps to release starches and makes for a creamier texture.
8. Once the barley is tender but still pleasantly chewy, stir in the grated Parmesan, herbs and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
9. Garnish with fresh ground black pepper.

Pasta con talli d'aglio - Test 2

1 - I took the Pasta con aglio et olio recipe for garlic scapes. It worked really well.

2 - Yep, it's a keeper. The trick is to serve it asap because the sauce tends to get absorbed if the pasta sits for too long. I also used most of a ½ cup of pasta water for the sauce which worked better.

1 lb. spaghetti

¼ to ½ cup pasta water

100g garlic scapes (about 6–8), trimmed and finely sliced into ⅛" rounds

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

½ cup (3.9oz/110g) extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch red pepper flakes

2 Tbsps. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Zest of ½ lemon (2g)

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, optional

OPTIONAL: Soft poached egg, 4 (1 per serving)

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Reserve at least ¼ to a ½ cup pasta water before draining.
2. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, garlic scapes, salt and red pepper flakes in a large skillet before turning on the heat.
3. Cook over low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the scapes are completely tender and have lost their raw bite. They should soften and become fragrant without taking on much colour.
4. Reserve the pasta water and drain the spaghetti.
5. Add the spaghetti and reserved pasta water to the skillet. Increase the heat slightly and toss continuously for 1–2 minutes until the oil and pasta water form a light emulsion that coats the pasta.
6. Remove from the heat.
7. Add the parsley and lemon zest and toss thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
8. Serve immediately with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, if using.

Damson and Blackberry Pockets - Test 1

I adapted a tart recipe to make this and knocked it out of the field on the first try! They are a bit dangerous, like cookies, where one doesn't seem to be quite enough... The technique is the thing, different fillings can totally be possible, even probable.

Sweet Pie Crust

225 g flour

generous pinch salt

1½ Tbsp sugar

170 g butter

¾ tsp vanilla

3–4 Tbsp cold water

Fruit Filling

1 cup (150–170g) damsons, after being quartered and stoned (200g whole)

1/2 cup (60–75g) blackberries

2 Tbsps. (16g) ground almonds

1/3 cup (72g) brown sugar

a pinch of salt

a pinch of ground ginger (or nutmeg, or cinnamon)

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1/2 teaspoon sugar

For the dough

1. Put the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter pieces and pinch with your fingers to create a lumpy mixture with pea-sized pieces throughout. We're not looking for perfection here, just to break up the butter a bit and spread it out.
2. Make a well in the middle, and pour in the vanilla and water. Quickly work in the flour to create dough. Do not over-mix. The bits of butter are what help the crust become crisp and flaky.
3. Pat into a thick disk and refrigerate 15 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough to about 2⁄3 of the usual size, fold in, reform into a ball and roll out again. You can do this one more time if you want before rolling it out completely to line the tart shell. Chill another 15 minutes. These two chilling times are important, because it hardens the little bits of butter in the dough so that it creates minuscule pocket in the crust for that flaking effect.

For the filling

1. While working on the dough, cook the damsons and blackberries in a small pot with a Tbsp of water on low for about 20 minutes. Let it cool completely.
2. Remove the damson pits and add the ground almonds, sugar, salt and ground spice. Cool completely. 
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
4. (WOULD IT BE BETTER TO ROLL OUT A SHEET AND CUT UP?) Divide the dough into 36g balls (this gives you 14 balls initially, but saving the trimmings you will get enough to make 2 more balls of 36g for a total of 16).
5. Roll out the dough to about 1/8" into 4.5x5" rectangles.
6. Wet 1/2" (about the width of an adult forefinger) around the edges of a piece of dough with water, dollop 30g of the damson blackberry mixture in the middle, lay another rectangle on top and press around the edges with your fingers to seal. Trim each side for an even edge and set on a cookie tray.
7. Brush the top of each pocket with the sweet yolk mixture.
8. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 20–25 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and golden brown. 

Spaghettini with broccoli, goat cheese, lemon, and herbs - Testing

1 - This was fine, but the cheese seemed to get sucked up by the pasta. The sauce needs work.

Serves 2 generously

8 oz spaghettini

8 oz broccoli

2–3 oz soft goat cheese

2–3 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

small sprig fresh thyme

a little oregano (not too much — it can dominate)

parsley

zest of ½ lemon (or 1/4 lime)

squeeze of lemon juice

black pepper

salt

Olive oil to drizzle

Optional:

pinch chilli flakes

toasted breadcrumbs if you want texture

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
2. While the water heats, cut the broccoli into small florets. Peel and slice the stems if they are thick.
3. Add the olive oil to a large frying pan and gently cook the garlic, thyme and oregano over medium-low heat until fragrant but not browned. If using chilli flakes, add them here.
4. Cook the spaghettini until almost done. About 3–4 minutes before the pasta is ready, add the broccoli directly into the pasta water.
5. Before draining, reserve at least 1 cup of the pasta water.
6. Turn the frying pan heat to low and add the goat cheese with a splash of pasta water. Stir until the cheese loosens into a light sauce. Add more pasta water as needed — it should coat the pasta lightly, not become thick.
7. Add the drained pasta and broccoli to the pan and toss well. Some of the broccoli will break down slightly into the sauce.
8. Add the parsley, lemon juice, black pepper and a small amount of lime zest.
9. Taste before adding extra salt since the goat cheese may already be salty enough.
10. If the pasta seems dry or sticky, add more pasta water or a little olive oil.
11. Serve immediately, with olive oil to drizzle.

Carmelitas - Testing

https://www.bostongirlbakes.com/milk-chocolate-caramelitas/

Oatmeal dough

¾ cup (170 g) butter, melted

¾ cup (160 g) packed light brown sugar

2 tsps. vanilla extract

1 cup (120 g) flour

1 cup (100 g) rolled oats

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Caramel sauce

350g Millionaire soft caramel

1. Make the caramel. It needs to be fluid when you're ready to pour it into the dessert.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). 
3. Line an 8×8-inch metal pan with parchment paper and grease the paper. Lining your pan is highly recommended for ease of cleanup due to the stickiness of the caramel; set pan aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth. 
5. Stir in the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, and stir until combined. Mixture will be thick. 
6. Add half of the cookie mixture to the prepared pan and smooth. Set the rest aside. Bake in the preheated 350°F for 15 minutes.
7. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Slowly pour the caramel over the chocolate, leaving a small border to the edge. (The caramel has a tendency to stick, so I make sure to not spread the caramel right to the edge.) 
8. Crumble the remaining oatmeal dough on top. 
9. Return the pan to the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the center is bubbling slightly. If using a glass pan, your bars may take slightly longer.
10. Allow bars to cool completely, for 1 to 2 hours, in the pan before slicing and serving. This permits the caramel time to firm up. (Time may vary on cooling, and may take longer). You can speed up the process through refrigeration.

Biryani Omelette - Testing

We had a potluck and someone left biryani. What to do? Throw an egg on top!

Per Single Serving

1 cup leftover biryani rice (ensure it is cold)

2-3 large eggs

1-2 tbsp chilli oil or ghee (ghee enhances the biryani flavor)

1 tbsp spring onions, chopped (optional)

Salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil/ghee in a 8" oven-proof fry pan. 
2. Add the leftover biryani rice and spread it in a thin, even layer. 
3. Press it down with a spatula to help it form a crust. 
4. Let it cook undisturbed for 5-6 minutes until golden and crispy.
5. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper until frothy. 
6. Pour the whisked eggs directly over the rice, ensuring it covers the rice completely.
7. Immediately sprinkle the spring onions over the eggs. 
8. With the egg still uncooked on the surface, (not just slithery but actually jiggly), slip the pan into the oven and broil.
9. When the egg is set and the edges puff up a little, take it out of the oven and carefully fold the omelette before serving.
10. Fold the omelette in half and serve immediately with hot sauce or yogurt.

Apple Jelly Layer Cake - Testing

https://food52.com/recipes/23704-old-fashioned-apple-jelly-cake

2 cup sugar (425g) (I want to try decreasing to 400g)

3 1/2 cup flour (525?g)

1 Tbsp baking powder

228g/1 cup butter, cut into pieces

5 eggs

1 cup milk

1 Tbsp vanilla 

500-600g apple jelly

1. Prepare four 8" cake pans by buttering them.
2. In a mixer bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
3. Gradually blend the butter in until thoroughly combined - it will look like rough sand. 
4. Add the eggs one at a time before adding the milk slowly, and finally the vanilla.
5. Divide the cake batter into four equal portions (about 410g) and pour into the cake pans. 
6. Bake at 325F for 15-20 minutes per layer, or until layers are golden around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean. 
7. Allow layers to cool a bit in the pan, then turn out onto a clean dish towel or cooling rack.
8. While the layers are still warm, put the first layer on a serving platter. Spread a layer of the apple jelly (I SHOULD KNOW THE WEIGHT), apply the next layer and repeat until you put the fourth layer on. (I did 100g between layers (300) and 300 around, but I have the wrong cake tins and it's all very uneven and funny looking and also makes it difficult to know how much I actually need for the exterior).
9. Spread the rest of the jelly over the entire cake. Let it cool completely before serving.

Zuppa d’Orzo Trentina with Beans - Testing

https://www.davidezambelli.com/ricette/minestra-d-orzo-trentina/

1 - I think this was much richer than I expected, and not necessarily in a good way. The simple original is better in my opinion. The hock I got was about double the size of the recommended size in the recipe so I doubled the recipe. What I hadn't taken into consideration was that it would take more time for the hock to fully cook, so that's something to keep in mind. Also, I was hoping to remove any excess fat that floated and cooled on the surface overnight, but nope, the creaminess seemed to mix with the fat and keep it mixed in. I'd remove the milk and only use either the hock or the bacon ends, but not both. And I'd cook the bacon ends in chunks and cup up before serving.

150g hulled barley (preferable, but pearl is ok)

60g dried borlotti beans

350g potatoes, small cubes

150g carrots, small cubes

2 celery stalks (90g) small cubes 

100g Savoy cabbage or cabbage, small cubes

40g leek, small cubes

1 cleaned pig's trotter (or smoked ham hock) about 500g

80g bacon ends, large chop

Approximately 2 litres of water

400 ml milk

Salt to taste

1. Soak the borlotti together for 8–18 hours. 
2. Bring the water to a near boil, add the drained beans and the barley, then all the vegetables cut small. 
3. Cook covered for 20 minutes, then add the hock and the bacon ends, salt, cover with a slight gap, and simmer for 90 minutes stirring occasionally. 
4. (Here you could remove it from the heat and refrigerate overnight to remove the cold fat cap on the surface.)
5. Thirty minutes before the end, add the 400ml of milk — this is what gives the soup its characteristic creaminess and body.
6. Remove the bacon ends and the hock. You can either set it on a board cut into serving pieces for diners to help themselves or chop the bacon in chunks and shred the hock and mix in (removing fat, skin and bone of course).

Green Harissa - Untested

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/gjustas-green-harissa

Schmear this on sandwiches, use it to marinate shrimp or chicken, or spoon a dollop onto eggs.

Makes about 2 cups

½ onion, halved

1 tomatillo, husk removed, rinsed

1 jalapeño, halved, seeds removed from 1 half

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tablespoon plus ½ cup olive oil

2 cups cilantro leaves with tender stems (from about ½ bunch)

2 cups parsley leaves with tender stems (from about ½ bunch)

2 cups trimmed arugula

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped preserved lemon or 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Toss onion, tomatillo, jalapeño, garlic, and 1 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, tossing once, until vegetables are soft, 12–15 minutes. Let cool.
2. Purée vegetables in a food processor along with cilantro, parsley, arugula, vinegar, preserved lemon, and remaining ½ cup oil until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
3. Harissa can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Cornbread with Acorn Squash - Testing

It's apparently a First Nations thing (the originators of cornbread) to add acorn squash mash to cornbread. This makes me very curious, so I'm going to try to incorporate it into my own recipe for cornbread.

1- This worked quite nicely. I made it in a shallower pan and in the Ninja oven, so the middle is a bit underdone and the top is a gorgeous brown (which means that baking it longer would have made to too dark). Next time I'll use a wide pie plate or cake tin, and maybe in the big oven, just to see? Anyway, I was looking for ways of using the acorn squash other than just baking it or stuffing it (I have an aversion to stuffed vegetables, I have no idea why), and there is precious little. I already have lovely soup though. I discovered that it is an Eastern Woodlands First Nations vegetable (my stomping grounds as a youth), and that acorn squash was used in the traditional cornbread.

½ cup milk (125g)

125g finely mashed acorn squash

6 Tbsps (3oz/84 gr) melted fat (butter, lard, olive oil, whatever)

2 large eggs

1¼ cups (210g) cornmeal 

1¼ cup (180g) flour

2 Tbsps to ⅓ cup sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Halve the squash, brush with a little oil, roast with the cut-side down until completely tender — 35-45 minutes. Scoop and mash smooth until there are no lumps.
3. Grease bottom and side of a round cake pan or line with parchment paper.
4. Whisk the milk, butter and eggs in large bowl.
5. Plop in the remaining ingredients all at once and stir just until the flour is moistened (the batter will be lumpy).
6. Pour it into the pan.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and it passes the toothpick test.
8. Cut into wedges and serve.

Chicken with Beluga Lentils and Swiss chard - Untested

A dish built in layers: browned chicken, lentils that take on that depth, and greens folded in at the end to soften and lift.

3 Tbsps. olive oil

1 chicken cut into 8 parts (skin on)

½ tsp salt, to taste

½ tsp chili flakes

1 cup leeks (cleaned and sliced (about 2 large leeks))

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp smoked paprika

1 cup beluga lentils

1 cup white wine 

14oz fire roasted tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth 

1 Tbsp hot sauce

½ tsp salt (to taste)

¼ tsp pepper

~250g Swiss chard, stem sliced thin, leaves chopped

1 Tbsp fresh thyme 

1. Heat the oil and the butter in a large lidded casserole. Season the chicken, then fry for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2. Pour off excess fat, but leave enough to carry flavour.
3. In that same pot, add the onion (this might be a better place for stems) and fry about 5 minutes, until soft. 
4. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then add the Swiss chard stems, sliced thinly, cooking just as the stems start to soften.
5. If the pot feels dry or the fond threatens to catch too hard, loosen it with a splash of wine or broth. Let it reduce slightly; this is where the sauce begins to form.
6. Add the lentils and stir them to coat, then add the tomato, paprika, and broth. The liquid should feel sufficient but not excessive — this is not a soup. Bring it to a gentle simmer.
7. Add the chicken legs and thighs first, nestled into the lentils. Simmer very gently for about 15 to 20 minutes. 
8. When the lentils are just starting to soften, add the breasts and cook for about another 15 minutes.
9. Check the amount of liquid, if it's too soupy, let it cook uncovered to reduce the liquid. If too dry, add a little broth.
10. Fold in the chard leaves and continue to cook slowly for another 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Last but not least, add the vinegar and stir through. 
12. It does well to leave it sit off the heat for a bit; the lentils will thicken slightly and the flavours round out. If it cools too much, just reheat.

Neapolitan-style Pasta with Lentils - Untested

https://memoriediangelina.com/2025/01/18/pasta-e-lenticchie/

These with tomato

https://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Pasta-e-lenticchie.html

https://blog.giallozafferano.it/martanoskitchen/pasta-e-lenticchie-nere-della-tuscia/

Serves 4

250g (8 oz) French-style green lentils, soaked overnight

1 litre (4 cups) cold water

2–3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp salt

1 medium onion, thinly sliced across the grain

2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

2 tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp salt

Splash of dry white wine

250g (8 oz) linguine, broken into 4–5 cm lengths, or ditali, tubetti, or similar

1 tsp salt per litre of pasta water

½ tsp red wine vinegar

Olive oil to finish

1. Put the lentils in a pot with the water, garlic, bay leaf, olive oil, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, partially covered. Cook 25–40 minutes if soaked, 45–65 if not. They're done when a lentil crushes completely between two fingers with no graininess. As they near the end, smash a quarter to a third of them against the side of the pot — this thickens the liquid into something that will cling to the pasta rather than pool beneath it. Keep the pot moist, topping up with hot water as needed.
2. Start the onions when the lentils are about halfway done. Cook them low and slow in the olive oil with the garlic, adding a tablespoon of water whenever the pan looks dry, until completely soft and translucent — about 20–30 minutes. Add the white wine and let it cook off, another 2–3 minutes. Season with salt. Add the onions to the lentils and stir through.
3. Cook the pasta in well-salted water until noticeably underdone — 2–3 minutes short of packet time. Reserve about 200ml (¾ cup) of pasta water before draining.
4. Add the drained pasta to the lentils along with the reserved pasta water. Stir well, taste for salt, cover the pot, and turn off the heat. Leave to rest for at least 1 hour — or make it in the morning for the evening. This rest is the technique, not optional.
5. To serve, stir in the red wine vinegar, add a small ladleful of water, and reheat gently until warm through. Adjust consistency with more water if needed. Finish each bowl with a thread of olive oil.

Notes

Lentils: Soaking shortens cooking by 20–30 minutes. Canadian French-style green lentils are interchangeable with du Puy for this dish. Beluga lentils work but need more effort to smash and a little more time; add 10–15 minutes to the cooking range.

Pasta: Broken linguine is traditional in the Neapolitan original. Broken spaghetti is fine. Ditali or tubetti need no breaking and are perhaps the most common alternative.

Seasoning: Three salting points accumulate — go conservatively each time and taste after combining.

Roasted Acorn Squash Cornbread - Untested

Other Sources:

https://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/roasted-squash-cornbread

https://anitaliandish.com/2023/02/03/winter-squash-skillet-cornbread/

Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 35 min 

1 cup pureed roasted acorn squash (about 1 medium squash)

1 ½ cups cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)

1 cup milk (or water, for a more traditional, dairy-free approach)

2 large eggs

¼ cup melted butter or sunflower oil

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Optional sweetener: 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey 

1. Roast the Squash: Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut acorn squash in half, remove seeds, and roast face down on a baking sheet for 45 minutes or until tender. Scoop out 1 cup of flesh and mash it well or puree it. 
2. Prepare Oven/Pan: Lower oven temperature to 375°F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish or a cast-iron skillet. 
3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. 
4. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the mashed acorn squash, milk, eggs, maple syrup (if using), and melted butter/oil. 
5. Combine: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. 
6. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Ooopsie Crackers - Testing

I sometimes make mistakes. This time I was making one of my Commons breads, and I forgot to add the yeast. I could tell because 24hrs later, still no bubbles. This is a potential save.

1 - This is really good! I need to even out my rolling, and a full recipe of the bread dough makes a lot!!! I made a half recipe but used the same amount of flour as for a full recipe, so there's that. The dough is still very sticky but putting down a lot of flour when rolling seems to work. I lightly brushed with olive oil and sprinkled on salt and it was good stuff!

Yeast-less dough base

120 (maybe 240?) g flour

30 g olive oil or melted butter

2–4 g salt (to taste)

1. Mix everything until cohesive. You want a firmer dough than the flatbread — not sticky.
2. Allow the dough to rest 20–30 minutes, which helps with rolling. 
3. Divide into 2–3 pieces and roll each piece very thin, as thin as possible (1–2 mm), almost translucent.
4. Prick all over with a fork.
5. Optional toppings: flaky salt, sesame seeds, cracked pepper, herbs
6. Bake 355°F for 12–18 minutes depending on thickness. Rotate tray halfway to ensure even baking.
7. Cool fully - be patient, they crisp up as they cool.

What to expect:

Snappy, lightly sour crackers with a deep, almost cultured flavour.

Tangy Skillet Flatbreads (naan-ish) - Test 1

1 - Still not fully satisfied. The warm bread was still too doughy (I think I need to make it even thinner) and it had a very floral taste. I'll see what it's like when it's cold.

2 - This worked so well! I halved the recipe, used 4g of instant yeast and a lot more flour. I also scooped out a little of the dough base and whisked it in a little water to loosen it up before adding the yeast to help it dissolve a bit before mixing it into the bread. It has that Naan texture! And I could totally imagine using it to make Aloo Naan, a favorite of ours. I did roll it out pretty thin, too, much more thin than the first batch. And it puffed a little like the flour tortillas do, but to a lesser degree.

Commons Bread recipe (your choice) WITHOUT the yeast and AFTER it has sat for 12-24 hours.

Add:

3–5 g instant yeast (¾–1¼ tsp) (optional but recommended)

60–100 160g all-purpose flour (for structure)

10–15 g oil or melted butter (optional, for softness)

OPTIONAL - herbs of your choice, fresh or dry

1. Sprinkle yeast over your dough, mix well.
2. Add 60 g flour first, mix, then add more only if still very loose.
3. You’re aiming for a soft, slightly tacky dough, not sticky batter.
4. Cover and rest 45–60 minutes. It won’t double — just a bit of puff is enough.
5. Turn onto a floured surface.
6. Divide into 8–10 pieces (~90–110 g each?).
7. To shape, gently flatten and roll thin (3–5 mm).
8. Don’t overwork — the dough will be a bit relaxed/fragile.
9. In a hot dry pan (cast iron ideal), cook 1–2 min per side until bubbles form, and brown spots appear.
10. To finish, brush with butter or oil and sprinkle with salt and or herbs

Cook’s Spread - Untested

Made using spent aromatics for things like braising (see Langue de porc braisée au vin rouge). Use as a pâté.

Your poached onion, carrot, celery (well-drained)

1–2 tbsp butter or bacon fat (or a mix)

1–2 tsp mustard or a splash of vinegar

Salt (careful if the braise was already seasoned)

Black pepper

Optional lift:

garlic (fresh or from the dish)

chopped parsley

a tiny splash of red wine

1. Drain well
2. Press out excess liquid—this matters or it’ll be watery.
3. Chop or mash
4. Rough chop for a coarse texture
5. Or mash for something closer to a spread
6. Warm gently with fat
7. Heat butter or bacon fat, add veg, cook 3–5 minutes
8. → this step brings back aroma and richness
9. Season + brighten
10. Add mustard or vinegar
11. Taste → adjust salt/pepper
12. Finish
13. Stir in herbs if using
14. Serve warm or room temp

What it becomes (texture spectrum)

Chunky → side dish / spoonable accompaniment

Smooth → spread / toast topping

Looser → almost a rustic sauce

Recipe Name Ideas (choose your vibe)

Old-world / French countryside feel

Potager Cook’s Paste

Peasant Mirepoix Spread

After-Pot Vegetable Pâté

Kitchen Hearth Relish

Second Pot Paste

Butcher’s table / nose-to-tail energy

Butcher’s Aromatic Mash

Tongue-Pot Relish

Charcutier’s Vegetable Paste

Stockpot Spread

Simple / modern / accessible

Savory Veg Spread

Rustic Veg Mash

Kitchen Scrap Spread (honest and kind of great)

Deep Flavour Veg Paste

Homemade Roots Divino Bianco - Untested

Homemade Roots Divino Bianco (NA Vermouth) A crisp, herbal non-alcoholic white vermouth inspired by ancient Greek herbal remedies — lemon, thyme, rosemary, and a gentle bitterness from wormwood.

Ingredients (makes ~600ml, ~12 servings of 50ml)

• 500ml dealcoholized white wine (dry, neutral — e.g. Leitz or Ariel)
• 100ml water
• 60g sugar
• 30ml fresh lemon juice
• 3 strips lemon zest (no pith)
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp dried wormwood (artemisia absinthium)
• ½ tsp dried gentian root
• ½ tsp dried oregano

---

Method

1. Make the simple syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves — you'll see the liquid go from slightly cloudy to completely clear (2–4 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool completely before using.

Note: Dissolving sugar in warm water rather than adding it cold ensures even distribution and prevents graininess in the finished vermouth. The syrup must be fully cooled before combining with the wine, or it will slightly cook off the more delicate aromatic compounds.

2. Infuse the botanicals. In a clean glass jar, combine the dealcoholized wine with the lemon zest, thyme, rosemary, wormwood, gentian, and oregano. Seal and leave to infuse at room temperature. Taste every 30 minutes. The infusion is ready when it is pleasantly herbal and lightly bitter — usually 1 to 2 hours. Stop as soon as it tastes right to you; do not push further.

Note: Wormwood (artemisia absinthium) and gentian root are both intensely bitter due to sesquiterpene lactones and iridoid glycosides respectively. These compounds extract quickly in liquid — far faster than, say, vanilla or citrus peel. This is why tasting every 30 minutes is the real instruction here, not the time range.

Note: The lemon zest releases limonene and other aromatic oils from its surface cells almost immediately. The white pith beneath contains naringin, which is harsh and astringent — this is why zest strips with no pith are specified.

3. Strain. Once the flavor is where you want it, pour the infusion through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean bottle or jar. Press the herbs gently to extract the last of the liquid, then discard the solids.

4. Finish and adjust. Stir in the cooled simple syrup and lemon juice. Taste carefully and adjust: more lemon juice if it needs brightness, a little more syrup if the bitterness is too sharp, a splash more wine if it feels too concentrated. The target balance is lightly sweet, gently sour, and pleasantly bitter — none of the three should dominate.

Note: The lemon juice serves two roles here: flavour (brightness, citrus lift) and chemistry. The citric acid lowers the pH slightly, which helps preserve the aromatic compounds and extends shelf life without any alcohol to act as a preservative.

5. Bottle and chill. Pour into a sealed bottle and refrigerate immediately. Ready to use straight away. Keeps for up to 2 weeks — after which the more delicate aromatics begin to fade.

---

LHSS Score

Category	Weight	Score	Weighted	Notes
Greens / Cruciferous / Bitters	25%	6 / 10	1.50	Wormwood, rosemary, and thyme are bitter and phytonutrient-rich, but this is a condiment — a 50ml serving delivers only trace amounts of plant material. Scored for the bitter botanical presence, not volume.
Alliums	15%	0 / 10	0.00	None.
Pulses + Fibre	20%	0 / 10	0.00	None. This is a flavouring agent, not a fibre source.
Fat Quality	15%	10 / 10	1.50	Zero fat of any kind.
Dairy Density	10%	10 / 10	1.00	No dairy.
Salt Load	5%	10 / 10	0.50	No added salt whatsoever.
Spice / Phytonutrients	10%	9 / 10	0.90	Thyme, rosemary, oregano, wormwood, gentian, lemon zest — a genuinely rich botanical profile. Wormwood and gentian in particular are among the most potent bitter digestive herbs used historically.
LHSS TOTAL	100%	5.40 / 10		Scored honestly as a condiment/aperitif, not a meal component. The score reflects what a 50ml serving actually delivers — trace botanicals, no fibre, no alliums, no pulses. Within its category (flavouring agent / drink base), it is excellent: zero fat, zero dairy, zero salt, and a strong phytonutrient profile.

LDL note: No meaningful LDL relevance in either direction at a 50ml serving size. The botanical profile — wormwood, gentian, rosemary, thyme — is anti-inflammatory and digestively supportive, which is a mild positive. The sugar content (roughly 5g per 50ml serving) is low and unremarkable. This is a good substitute for an alcoholic aperitif, which would carry far more metabolic cost.

Mogette Plate - Untested

A classic Vendée plate — mogettes in broth, perfumed with salt pork, with sharp greens and bread to soak it all up.

1 recipe Mogette de Vendée

60–80 g salt pork (lard salé / poitrine salée)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

Bitter greens for salad (arugula, frisee, etc), or braised greens

Vinaigrette or vinegar, to dress the greens

A modest slice of bread, to serve

1. Make the Mogette de Vendée recipe; keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, place the pork in a small pot and cover with cold water. 
3. Bring just to a boil - look for the moment when you see a full, rolling boil across the surface — vigorous bubbles breaking continuously, then immediately drain and rinse. 
4. Slice the blanched pork thickly — coins or short batons, about 1 to 1.5 cm. Add to the mogettes for the last 20–25 minutes of cooking, letting it gently perfume the broth without dissolving into fat.
5. Prepare the greens. Either dress a bitter green salad simply with vinaigrette, or lightly steam or braise chard, kale, or cabbage and finish with a splash of vinegar. Keep it sharp — this is the counterpoint to the rich, yielding beans.
6. Assemble and serve. Ladle the mogettes into a bowl with plenty of their light broth. Stir in the vinegar. Arrange the pork pieces alongside — not mixed through. Serve the greens on the side with a modest slice of bread for soaking up the broth.

With bread (as specified):

🟢 7.8 / 10 — Solidly within LHSS “green zone”

Without bread:

🟢 8.4 / 10 — Exceptionally liver-gentle

Brownie cocktail - Testing

1 - This is Ben's invention, first made in the drafty cold but beautiful Whalewych farmhouse.

1 and a half parts vodka

1 part crème de cacao

1/4 shot jagermeister

a few drops of coffee bitters

1. Dip the rim of a martini glass in sugar before pouring in the cocktail.

Sweet Celery Pie - Untested

https://www.24heures.ch/rcomment-cuisiner-le-celeri-pour-le-dessert-540471639949

Makes one 26 cm (10-inch) tart

1 kg (2.2 lbs) celery stalks

500 g (2½ cups) sugar + 50 g (¼ cup) extra

1 vanilla pod

200 g (1⅔ cups) plain flour

120 g (½ cup) whipping cream

1 egg yolk

30 g (¼ cup) ground almonds

1 pinch of salt

⅓ cup table cream

⅓ cup milk

1 large egg

1. Slice the celery into ½ cm (¼ inch) rounds.
2. Over medium heat, dissolve the 500 g of sugar in 500 ml (2 cups) of water with the scraped vanilla pod. Once the syrup is boiling, add the celery pieces and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Leave to rest in the syrup for 10 minutes, then drain into a bowl and set the syrup aside (it's lovely used in a fruit salad).
3. For the pastry: Mix the flour with the 50 g of sugar, a pinch of salt and the double cream. Work with your fingertips for about 10 minutes until the mixture reaches a sandy, crumbly texture. Add the ground almonds and mix, then add the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring together into a dough.
4. Roll out on a floured surface, line your tart tin, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. Prick the base with a fork and cover with baking weights (ceramic beans, chickpeas, or dried beans work well). Blind bake for 30 minutes at 210°C (410°F).
6. Leave to cool, then arrange the candied celery over the base.
7. Whisk together the egg, single cream, milk and 50 ml of the reserved celery syrup. Pour over the tart.
8. Bake for 20 minutes at 190°C (375°F).

Italian Carrot Cake (Torta di Carotta) - Untested

https://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Torta-di-Carote.html

for a 22 cm mould

Carrots 300 g, grated

Flour 200 g

Almond flour 100 g

3 eggs (180 g)

Sugar 150 g

Sunflower seed oil 150 g

Orange juice (can use lemon juice) 80 g

Orange zest to taste (or vanilla extract)

Baking powder 16 g

1 pinch of fine salt

to decorate

Flaked almonds 50 g

Powdered sugar to taste

1. To prepare the carrot cake, first grate the orange zest and set it aside. Squeeze the juice and filter it. At this point, trim the carrots and peel them.
2. Break the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar and a pinch of salt. Work with an electric whisk until you get a light and frothy consistency.
3. When the eggs are well whipped, slowly pour in the seed oil and the orange juice. Then add the grated orange zest.
4. Still with the whisks in action, add the carrots. Mix until well incorporated. Now pour the flour and the sifted yeast into a bowl and almond flour. Mix the powders together with a spoon.
5. Turn the whisk on again and incorporate the powders a little at a time. Mix with the whisk at medium speed until you obtain a smooth mixture. Then transfer it into a 22 cm mould lined with baking paper.
6. Decorate the surface with almond flakes and bake in a preheated static oven at 180° for 55 minutes. Always test with a toothpick before removing from the oven. Let it cool completely, then unmold and decorate with powdered sugar. Your carrot cake is ready to serve!

You can store the carrot cake for 2-3 days under a glass bell jar.

Alternatively, you can freeze it whole or in portions.

Advise

Instead of orange juice, you can use lemon juice, plant-based milk, or semi-skimmed milk.

Langue braisée au vin rouge - Untested

Serves 6

Whole beef tongue 1420g

Lardons or diced smoked pork belly 180g

Onion, roughly chopped 225g

Carrot, roughly chopped 180g

Celery, roughly chopped 100g

Garlic cloves, lightly crushed 30g

Red wine (Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône, or similar) 750ml

Beef stock 500ml

Tomato paste 30g

Plain flour 25g

Butter 40g

Neutral oil (sunflower or grapeseed) 20g

Fresh thyme sprigs 10g

Bay leaves 4

Parsley stalks (reserve leaves for serving) 20g

Black peppercorns 10g

Coarse salt (for blanching water) 30g

Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to finish 15g

1. Blanch and peel the tongue by placing it in a large pot, cover generously with cold water, and add the coarse salt. Bring to a boil and blanch for 15 minutes — grey scum will rise; this is normal. Drain and rinse under cold running water. While still warm enough to handle, use a small sharp knife to peel away the tough outer skin — it should come off in large pieces. Trim any excess fat or gristle from the root end.
2. To marinate, place the peeled tongue in a deep bowl with the red wine, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, parsley stalks, and peppercorns. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight but no longer than 18 hours. When ready to braise, lift the tongue out and pat it dry. Strain the marinade and reserve both the liquid and the vegetables separately.
3. Preheated the oven to 150°C and heat a heavy lidded casserole or Dutch oven large enough to hold the tongue, in it. Render the lardons over medium heat until golden and their fat has run. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving 2 Tbsps. of fat in the pan.
4. Add the oil to the lardon fat and raise the heat to medium-high. Season the tongue with salt and brown it on all sides — about 3 minutes per side. You want good colour here; it builds the foundation of the sauce. Remove the tongue and set aside.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the pan. Add the reserved vegetables from the marinade  and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until softened and beginning to colour. Add the tomato paste and stir it in, cooking for 2 minutes until it deepens in colour. Scatter over the flour and stir to coat everything — cook for a further 2 minutes.
6. Pour in the reserved marinade liquid and bring to a vigorous simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock and return the lardons to the pot. Nestle the tongue back in — it should be roughly half-submerged. Tuck the thyme, bay leaves, and parsley stalks around it if you have fresh ones to spare. Bring everything to a gentle simmer.
7. Cover with the lid and transfer to the oven at 300°F. Braise for 3 to 3.5 hours, turning the tongue once at the halfway point. It is ready when a skewer meets no resistance at the thickest part and the meat has a slight wobble when you nudge the pot. If your tongue is on the larger side, allow up to 4 hours.
8. Lift the tongue out and wrap loosely in foil to rest for 20 minutes. Strain the braising liquid through a fine sieve into a saucepan, pressing the vegetables firmly to extract every drop. Discard the solids. Skim any fat from the surface, then bring the sauce to a brisk simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce for 10–15 minutes until it coats a spoon generously and has a deep, wine-dark colour. Taste carefully and adjust salt — the sauce concentrates significantly, so hold back until the end.
9. Slice the tongue across the grain into pieces about 12mm thick — the meat should be yielding and almost silky. Arrange on a warm platter or individual plates, spoon the sauce generously over and around, and scatter the chopped flat-leaf parsley over the top. Serve immediately with mashed potato, buttered egg noodles, or soft polenta, and something sharp alongside — cornichons, a good Dijon mustard, or pickled walnuts all work beautifully.

Notes

• On the wine. Use something you'd actually drink — nothing expensive, but nothing undrinkable. A young, fruity red works best. Avoid anything heavily oaked or very tannic, as it can turn bitter on reduction.
• Make ahead. This dish is genuinely better the next day. Cool the tongue in its sauce, refrigerate overnight, then skim the solidified fat from the surface, reheat gently, and slice. The meat firms up and slices more cleanly, and the sauce deepens overnight.
• On the sauce. The reduction in Step 8 is where the dish earns its keep — don't rush it. You want it thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and leave a clean line when you draw your finger through it.

Langue de porc braisée au vin rouge - Untested

A farmhouse Burgundy braise — pig's tongue slow-cooked in red wine

Pig's tongue 410 g

Coarse salt (brine) 18 g

Cold water (brine) 1000 g

1 onion (150 g) chopped

200 g Carrot, chopped 

100 g Celery, chopped 

3 bay leaves

25 peppercorns

12 whole cloves

Red wine 750 g (Pinot Noir, Gamay, or BC Okanagan red)

Garlic 12 g, smashed

6 sprigs thyme

3 bay leaves

Lardons / bacon 75 g

Unsalted butter 40 g

Plain flour 18 g

Stock 300 g

Another 12g smashed garlic

3 bay leaves

6 sprigs fresh thyme

Pearl onions or shallots 100 g

Mushrooms 125 g quartered

Flat-leaf parsley 8 g

Day 1 

1. To start the brine, dissolve the coarse salt in a liter of cold water in a bowl or container large enough to submerge the tongue. 
2. Cover and refrigerate for roughly 4 days. This extended brine will give the tongue a lightly cured, petit salé character that works beautifully in this dish.

Day 4 

1. To prepare for the first poach, remove the tongue from the brine and rinse well. 
2. Place in a pot and cover generously with cold water. 
3. Add the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves and thyme sprigs. 
4. Bring to a boil, skim any grey foam thoroughly, then reduce to a gentle simmer. 
5. The tongue is done when a skewer meets no resistance at the thickest point. For small tongues this can take 1:30hrs and for larger ones up to double that.
6. Peel the skin off the tongues while they're hot (the skin bonds back to the meat as it cools).
1. Lift the tongue out of the poaching liquid (strain the liquid and save as broth, adjust seasoning to compensate for the salt in it). 
2. While still hot (use tongs and a cloth), peel off the thick outer skin starting from the tip — it should come away in large strips. 
3. Trim any gristly root bits. 
4. Work quickly.
7. Place the peeled tongue in a bowl with the red wine , the first round of garlic cloves, smashed, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate overnight — at least 12hours but not exceed 24 hours or the wine acid will begin to degrade the surface texture.

Day 5

1. In a heavy casserole (cast iron is ideal), cook the lardons over low heat until the fat has rendered and the pieces are golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave the fat in the pan.
2. Remove tongue from the wine marinade and pat thoroughly dry — reserve the wine. 
3. In the lardon fat over medium-high heat, brown the tongue on all sides until deeply coloured. Don't rush this; 6–8 minutes total. 
4. Remove and set aside.
5. Reduce heat to medium and add the butter to the pot. When melted add remaining 12 grams of garlic cloves and cook 1 minute. 
6. Scatter over the flour and stir into the fat to make a rough roux. 
7. Cook 2 minutes, stirring, until it smells nutty. 
8. Pour in the reserved wine from the marinade, scraping up all the browned bits. 
9. Add the pork or chicken stock. Tuck in remaining bay leaves, thyme sprigs, the browned lardons and the tongue. The liquid should come about halfway up the tongue.
10. Bring to a bare simmer, cover tightly and cook in a 300°F. 
11. Turn the tongue once halfway through. Start checking at the 75 minutes.

OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED

Cool overnight by removing from oven, allow to cool, then refrigerate tongue and sauce together overnight. The sauce will tighten, the fat will solidify and lift off cleanly, and the flavour will deepen considerably. This is the ideal approach — Thursday becomes a simple reheating job.

The Sauce

1. Glaze the pearl onions and mushrooms for about 10 minutes by melting a knob of butter (about 20g) in a wide pan over medium-high heat. 
2. Add the onions or small shallots, peeled with a pinch of sugar and cook, shaking the pan, until golden — about 10 minutes. Remove. 
3. In the same pan, turn up the heat, add another small knob of butter and sear the mushrooms until golden. Season. Set both aside.
4. If possible, remove as much fat as possible from the surface of the cold sauce (easier if refrigerated the day before). 
5. Transfer sauce to a wide saucepan and reduce over high heat until it coats a spoon — about 10 minutes.
6. Taste for salt. 
7. Add the glazed onions and mushrooms to warm through.

Final steps

1. While still cold, slice the tongue on a slight diagonal into 1cm thick pieces (easier to cut nicely when it's cold).
2. Lay slices in the sauce and warm gently over low heat with a lid on for a few minutes. Do not boil. 
3. Arrange on warm plates, spoon sauce, onions and mushrooms generously over the top, and scatter with the parsley. 
4. Serve with egg noodles, boiled potatoes, or crusty bread.

Notes

Thursday timeline: The braise happens Wednesday evening after the overnight wine marinade. Thursday is just glazing the onions and mushrooms (10 min), reducing the sauce (10 min), slicing the cold tongue and warming through (10 min). Dinner is essentially ready in 30 minutes.

The sauce volume: With a smaller piece of meat but full sauce quantities, you will have generous sauce — which is a good thing. Any leftover sauce freezes beautifully and is excellent with pasta, pork chops, or as a base for another braise.

Wine: A BC Okanagan Pinot Noir is a natural choice and would be very much in the spirit of using local ingredients throughout.

Mushrooms: If you have access to any wild mushrooms from the island, use them here — chanterelles or hedgehogs in particular would be exceptional.