Strawberry Glacé Pie

I make this pie almost every Easter.

Baked pie shell (I usually make a buttery tart shell.)
1 1/2 quarts of strawberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup of heavy cream, whipped
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Wash, drain, hull and crush 1 cup of berries
Combine sugar and cornstarch, add to berries and water.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking and stirring over low heat 2 minutes. The mixture will be thick and translucent. Reserve from the heat and stir in the butter. Cool.

Put whole berries in the pie shell. Pour cooled mixture over berries and chill at least 2 hours.
Put whipped cream over pie and garnish with nice whole berries.

Here comes Peter Cottontail

Easter is my favorite holiday. It is a time of renewal, hope, promise and change. Every year I have people in for an often freezing-dash-around-the-yard egghunt and lunch. I hope your holiday was as terrific as mine.

I love Easter.

I love that the Hyacinths, opening in the warmth of the house, fills each room all the way to the basement with the smell of spring.

I love the little wicker baskets stuffed with wisps of green cellophane grass and foiled-covered treats.

I love sharing my table with my loved ones at this first feast of the barely budding new season. 

 
I love the bright plastic eggs lovingly stashed in the crevices of rock walls by the Easter Bunny.

I love the ham, Au Gratin potatoes and asparagus with Hollandaise that we eat every year without fail.



I love the set of springtime dishes that grace the table with their gold rims and flights of butterflies, dragonflies and other winged things.

I love that there are 2 little people that look forward to coming to my house for Easter and start to pester their parents months in advance.

I love that this is the day that we celebrate our faith. Without the crucifixion and resurrection we would not be Christians.

I leave you on this Easter Sunday with my Aunt Evelyn’s recipe for Herb Rolls. She made them for every holiday when I was growing up.

1 pkg dry yeast
3 ½ C. flour
2 tsps. celery seed
¼ tsp. sage
1 tsp. parsley
1 ¼ C. milk
¼ C. shortening
¼ C. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 egg

In a bowl mix together the yeast, 1 ½ C. flour, and the herbs. Heat together the milk, shortening, sugar and salt until just warm (not too hot), stir to melt the shortening. Stir wet into dry. Add the egg and beat at low speed for 1 minute, then move to high speed for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl constantly. By hand, stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Grease a large bowl. Put in the dough, turning it over to grease all sides. Chill 2 hours covered with a damp cloth. (Don’t do it overnight, the dough grows too much in the fridge and oozes out of the bowl, then does not rise well when cooked. Been there, did that.) Pinch off a piece of the dough and roll it in the palm of your hand to make a 1 ½” ball. Put 3 dough balls in each opening of a greased muffin pan. Let rise about an hour until doubled in size. Bake at 400F for 12-15 minutes. Makes about 18 rolls. These can be made the day before and put hot into aluminum foil, sealed tight and refrigerated. Pop the unopened foil package into the oven, after the potatoes come out, for about 15 minutes. Set out the butter lamb to soften at the same time. One of my favorite things. I love these. Enjoy.

Wordless Wednesday

Yummy Potato Bake

I made this potato gratin for Easter last year. It comes from a photocopy of a page torn from a magazine. I have no idea what magazine nor where I got the photocopy. So my apologies for lack of citation. The guests raved about the dish. I offer it to you.

I love to cook. I love having people over for dinner. I am going to add a section to the blog on recipes and menus from the themed exotic to the everyday. Enjoy.


New-potato bake

3 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
2 Tsp salt
1 bag (9 ounces) baby spinach leaves

Sauce:
3 Tblsp unsalted butter
1 bunch scallions trimmed and chopped
3 Tblsp flour
2 C warm milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white or black pepper
1/2 lb. swiss cheese shredded. (about 2 cups)
1 Tblsp plain breadcrumbs

Heat oven to 375. Place potatoes and salt in large saucepan. Add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Simmer 8 minutes. Just before draining, add spinach. Drain.

Sauce:
In a small pan, melt the butter over med heat. Add scallions, cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle flour over the scallions and whisk to blend. In 2 additions, whisk in the warm milk until smooth. Add the S&P, cayenne and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over med heat, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 C cheese.
Coat a 13X9 with cooking spray. Layer half the potatoes and spinach in the dish; spoon half the sauce over. Sprinkle with half the remaining cheese. Top with the remaining potatoes and sauce. Sprinkle with reserved cheese.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, Top with breadcrumbs. Bake 10 minutes more until brown. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes.

I served it with ham and sugarsnap peas sauteed with shallots. I started with asparagus soup.

If you have any questions, let me know.

Put on your Easter bonnet....

I don't think hat, mittens, mufflers and down jackets are quite what the writers of the song had in mind. The Easter egg hunt was not a leisurely affair. The high on the mountain was only in the middle 30s with a bracing wind. But we celebrated the holiest day of the Christian calendar and longed for Spring.