Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

Located on Cane Creek Road in Lake Lure is a farm run by the Crocker family.  Kathleen and Larry Crocker have been raising cows and pigs for many years.  Origninally they used the meat for their own consumption, but there was so much interest in what they were doing they began raising their animals for commercial consumption.  The meat from Vandele Farms is USDA approved, but most importantly, it is chemical, additive and antibiotic free.  Their beef is pastured and given a supplement of vegetarian, chemical free feed.  Take a look at their website and the gallery of pictures showing pigs frolicking in the fields.  There is something to be said for meat from animals who have been treated humanely.  I, for one, feel good about buying farm raised meat and supporting my local economy.

From that beautifully marbled beef chuck I made my Daube de Boeuf Provencale.  The long slow cooking rendered the beef tenderly delicious.   The origin of the word daube comes from the French name of the cooking vessel, a daubiere, in which the beef stew is cooked.  The vessel is shaped in such a way that it traps the moisture that is released in the cooking process and keeps the stew moist.  You can achieve the same results in any heavy covered casserole by placing a round of parchment paper over the beef mixture.

I have looked at many daube recipes.  The Provencal origin of the recipe dictates that it should include olives, but many of the recipes I saw do not include olives.  If you are an olive lover, do include them.  But be aware that they do impart their distinctive flavor to the dish.

I am flying to Anchorage, Alaska today to join David on his motorcycle trip.  I will post when I can.  The guys are going halibut fishing while in Homer, Alaska so I am hoping to get pictures of the catch and the preparation of the fish.  We will journey from Alaska to Vancouver, where I will meet up with  a fellow blogger.  I am excited to meet her.  Then it is on to Bend, Oregon where we will check out some of the wineries and enjoy the scenery before we girls fly home.  An adventure awaits!

DAUBE DE BOEUF PROVENCALE

3 lbs beef chuck, cut into cubes
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons brandy
5 tablespoons  olive oil, divided
2 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, grated
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (32 ounce) can whole tomatoes, with juices
12 green olives, pitted and halved
1/4 cup white mushrooms
1/4 cup chanterelle mushrooms
1/4 cup shiitake mushrooms
3 fresh parsley sprigs, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place beef, wine, brandy and 3 tablespoons oil in an airtight container and refregerate at least 2 hours (overnight is best).

In a large frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat; remove bacon and set aside, reserving drippings in pan.

Remove beef from marinade, reserving marinade, and blot dry.  Brown at medium heat in bacon drippings with 2 extra tablespoons of olive oil if needed in 3 to 4 batches.  Set beef aside on plate as browned.  Sweat onions, garlic and carrots in pan for 5 to 6 minutes.  Add browned beef, reserved beef marinade, bay leaf, thyme, tomatoes and olives.  Bring to a boil.  Cover with a round of parchment paper and the lid and place in a 350 degree oven.  Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

During the last 15 minutes of cooking, sear mushrooms in a separate frying pan over medium-high heat in 2 tablespoons oil.  When beef is complete, remove from oven and stir in mushrooms and parsley and season with salt and pepper.  Thicken with a slurry of flour and water if needed.

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Remember this post picture of my first clafoutis pictured below?  What a mess!

The new version looks so much better, even though I cooked it a little too long.  Experimentation is a good thing.  My thanks go out to both Barbara of Moveable Feasts and Susan of Schnitzel and The Trout for alerting me to this recipe which appeared first on Smitten Kitchen’s blog, then on Barbara’s blog, then on Susan’s blog.

The major difference between the two recipes is in the amount of flour.  The recipe I followed originally had only 1/2 cup of flour.  Barbara’s recipe had 1 cup of flour, which gave a more cake-like consistancy to the clafoutis.  She also used fresh cherries.  Since I now can find cherries in the market, I used them instead of the frozen cherries I used in the first recipe.  Barbara did not pit her cherries because in an authentic clafoutis the pits are left in to give a nice almond flavor to the batter.  I pitted my cherries and substituted 2 teaspoons of Kirsch (Cherry Liqueur) for the 2 teaspoons of rum suggested.  I think the Kirsch gave that almond flavor the pits would have and it makes the clafoutis so much easier to eat.

Now I feel much better about making this dessert ahead of time for my Provencal dinner.  Bloggers to the rescue.  Thanks all!

CHERRY CLAFOUTIS

2 Cups Cherries, pitted
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup flour
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons Kirsch

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Butter a glass pie pan, round baking dish, large cake pan or oven proof skillet.  Scatter the cherries (with or without pitts) evenly over the bottom.

Beat the eggs and sugar with a whisk until lighter in color.  Gradually add the melted butter, beating to incorporate.  Add the flour all at once and whisk until the batter is well mixed.  Slowly add the milk a little at a time.  Then the vanilla and the Kirsch if using.  The batter should be smooth and very shiny.

Pour the batter slowly over the cherries and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until slightly browned and almost set in the middle.  Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

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I eat differently when I am alone.  But no, I do not make do with a bowl of cereal or a frozen microwaved meal for dinner.  I am known to live on grilled hamburgers and my new passion, Hebrew National Hot Dogs, but I also like to make a big batch of something and serve it in different ways for several days.

A cookbook that I have come to rely on for well tested and unusual recipes is The Fresh Market & Friends Cookbook.  This black-eyed pea salad is a case in point.  It is something different. It can be served as is and is deliciously refreshing.  It was not at all spicy though.  I seeded my jalapeno pepper so that may be the reason.  If you want more spice, add the whole minced pepper.   I also liked the fact that it used dried black-eyed peas which actually cook up in no more than 20 minutes; much better than the salty canned variety.  Right after I made the salad I served it with the predictable grilled hamburger.  But then I got creative.

I always have flour tortillas in the refrigerator and I had picked up a rotisserie chicken on my way home from the Memorial Day weekend which I had barely put a dent in.  So I fried the tortillas in a little oil, topped them with the black-eyed pea salad, cubes of chicken and a little sour cream.  It was delicious.  Now what should I do next?  How about adding them to salad greens with a can of good quality olive oil packed tuna or, if I get lazy and desperate, it would make a good relish on my hot dog.  What would you do?

SPICY BLACK-EYED PEA SALAD WITH TOMATOES, CUCUMBERS AND CILANTRO

1 1/2 cups dried black-eyed peas
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil then add black-eyed peas and a pinch of salt; cover and bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer partially coverd for 15 to 20 minutes.  Drain, rinse and allow to cool.

In a serving bowl, combine cooled black-eyed peas, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper; toss to combine.  Serve immediately or place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow flavor to develop.

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The French call them haricot verts (ah ree koh vayhr).  The French green bean is slightly different from our variety.  They are longer and thinner and very tender.  To achieve the same results, it is best to pick your green beans while they are still small and just maturing in the garden.  This is the best time of year to find young beans at Farmer’s Markets also.

I am relying on the Farmer’s Market more this year than I was last year.  Last year we had a plot in the local community garden, but because of the lack of water and the commute back and forth, we decided to give it up.  Our cottage is surrounded by towering oaks so there is limited sunshine to sustain a large garden plot.  But this year we were able to terrace a sunny hill next to the house for a small garden.  My green beans are growing, but not ready to pick yet.

I have donated a Provencal dinner to a recipient at a silent auction for charity and the green beans are part of the menu.  See the complete menu here.   Because of scheduling conflicts, I will not be able to deliver the dinner until some time in July.  I am hoping to still be able to pick some small green beans from my garden then.

The recipe for Haricort Verts  Provencale came from Richard Olney’s Provence the Beautiful Cookbook.    It is a stunning coffee table book with lovely pictures of the region and recipes that are authentic to Provence.  The green beans and garlic are sauteed in olive oil with bread crumbs.  It makes a lovely presentation and tastes simple and fresh.

HARICOTS VERTS A LA PROVENCALE

Small, tender green beans, 3 – 4 inches long, are best for sauteing.  Larger beans should be snapped in two and parboiled before being sauteed. 

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and curshed
1 lb small, tender green beans, top end trimmed
salt and freshly ground pepper
handful of dried bread crumbs ( I used Panko crumbs)

Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic cloves and, when they begin to sizzle and color, add the beans.  Cook, tossing repeatedly, for 4-5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and grind over some pepper.  Add the crumbs and toss or stir with a wooden spoon only until the crumbs are crisp and begin to color.

David left on his motorcycle trip to Alaska on Sunday.  What a better send off could you get than a farewell kiss from your Granddaughter?  Safe travels David.  I will be joining him in Anchorage on June 9th.  Here is a link to his blog, Riding with Dave, if you want to follow along with his adventures.  He has not posted anything new yet because the road has been long and the weather horrible.

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Here is a perfect salad to go with any grilled meat you might be having for the Memorial Day weekend.  We will be spending the weekend celebrating our Granddaughter’s 5th birthday.

I have made many salads combining fruits, nuts and crumbled cheese but this has to be one of the best.  The main fruit in this salad is chopped apples, but because I have a strawberry pot with ripening strawberries, I added them as well.

What makes this salad so very special is the balsamic vinaigrette.  It has a chopped shallot, garlic, mustard and honey component that compliments the heady balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  It was so good I even marinated my pork chops in it.

Have a safe and special Memorial Day weekend.  God bless our troops past and present.

BOURBON PECAN AND APPLE SALAD WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Bourbon Pecans:
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine brown sugar, melted butter and bourbon in a bowl.  Add pecans and stir to combine.  Place mixture on small baking sheet or cake pan and bake in oven for 20 minutes or so turning occasionally until nuts begin to brown.  Cool in pan.  The sugar and butter will caramelize.

Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1 small shallot, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 teaspoons honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium mixing bowl, combine shallots, vinegar and Dijon mustard, let stand for 20 minutes.  Whisk in honey and garlic, then slowly drizzle in olive oil while rapidly whisking.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside until ready to use.

Salad:

1 head of red leaf lettuce
1 apple chopped
1 cup celery
Bourbon pecans
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

In a large bowl, toss lettuce, apples, celery, pecans and Feta cheese together.  Drizzle with Balsamic Vinaigrette just before serving.

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