Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

The marriage of chicken and tarragon is a perfect match.  I have been making versions of this dish since the early years of our marriage.  I would say that chicken with tarragon and rice is one of David’s favorite dishes.  Most of the time I cut up a whole chicken, saute it in butter until it is browned, add wine and tarragon and cook covered on low until it is done.  I serve it with a rice pilau flavored with chicken broth and tarragon.

But this quick version is also a favorite.  I bought a package of chicken tenderloins, removed the white tendons, pounded them very thin and then sauteed them in butter until cooked through.  This took minutes.  The sauce was cooked separately and was redolent with shallots, wine, lemon juice, tarragon and butter.  I have fresh tarragon growing in a pot on my deck and love clipping the pretty green leaves.  But if you don’t have fresh tarragon, dry can be used.

This is an easy dish that is even good enough for company.  Serve it with rice pilau and blanched and sauteed green beans for a lovely meal.  The tarragon makes it special.

PAN-SEARED CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON BUTTER SAUCE (Adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
1/2 stick butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes.divided
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins, tendons removed, pounded thin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Cook shallot in 1 tablespoon butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add wine and boil until most of liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.  Set aside.

Pat prepared chicken dry and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute chicken in batches, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through.  Transfer as cooked to a platter and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.

Return shallot mixture to moderately low heat and add remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 1 cube at a time, whisking until incorporated.  Remove from heat and whisk in tarragon, parsley, and lemon juice.  Spoon sauce over chicken.

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When was the last time you actually went on a picnic?  I’m sure many of you still find the time to do it.  But it just occurred to me that it has been years since we have loaded up a picnic basket and headed out for a day in the countryside.  We used to love to take David’s TR 8 convertible for a ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway and stop at overlooks with a view of the mountains.  We would spread a blanket and pull out our picnic fare and just relax for a while.  But now that we live at the lake, it is just as easy to sit on the porch and eat at home.

After making this dessert with a shortbread crust, a lemony filling and the blueberry topping, it came to mind that it would be perfect picnic fare.  Because it is baked in a foil package it would be easy to transport.  So now I am thinking of going on a picnic.

This dessert from Gourmet magazine would be the perfect ending to the meal.  It is refreshing and simple.  You can almost pick it up and eat it with your hands except for a few errant blueberries rolling free.  I came up with a picnic menu that I think everyone would enjoy.

SUMMERTIME PICNIC IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

Sweet-Ham and Havarti Sandwiches with Orange Pecan Mustard
Broccoli, Apples and Red Onion Salad
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Lemon-Lime Blueberry Squares

The highlighted recipes can be found by clicking on them.  Here is the dessert recipe.

LEMON-LIME BLUEBERRY SQUARES (Gourmet Magazine)

For Crust:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
6 tablespoons confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For filling:
3 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 cups blueberries (10 oz.)
3 tablespoons apricot jam, heated and strained

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a buttered 8-inch glass baking dish with 2 (18-by-6-inch) sheets of foil, overlapping them in opposigte directions so that there is overhang on all 4 sides.

Pulse together flour, cornmeal, confectioners sugar, salt and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Press onto bottom of baking dish and 1 inch up sides.  Bake in middle of oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, and zests.  Whisk in juices, milk, and a pinch of salt.  Toss blueberries with jam in another bowl.

Whisk egg mixture and immediately pour into hot crust, then bake until just set, about 17 minutes.  Gently spoon berries evenly over top and bake 2 more minutes more.  Transfer baking dish to a rack and cool.

Chill, covered, overnight (8 hours).  Use foil to lift dessert out of dish, then cut into squares.

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This is an easy breakfast dish and very impressive when it comes out of the oven.  Photographing it is another story as it deflates rather quickly.  But, when cut into and served, it is creamy and luscious.  I love the texture of the eggs and the bits of ham and herbs.

I have so much basil this year that I am putting it in everything.  It holds its own with eggs.  But you could use other herbs.  This souffle is one of those dishes that is easily adaptable.  Substitute sausage or cooked vegetables for the Canadian bacon, parsley or tarragon for the basil, or cheddar cheese for the Gruyere topping.  It doesn’t matter.  The magic still happens and it comes out of the oven puffy and golden.  I liked this so much that I made it two Sundays in a row.

This time I used a combination of fresh tarragon and basil.  David wants to try it with sausage and cheddar next time.  But I am also thinking about that leftover zucchini and corn.  I am sure all of you could come up with some wonderful combinations.  This is a keeper.

SOUFFLEED OMELET WITH CANADIAN BACON AND GRUYERE CHEESE  (Adapted from Gourmet)

6 ounces sliced Canadian bacon, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2
3 tablespoons flour
8 large eggs, beaten lightly
1/3 cup minced fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces freshly grated Gruyere cheese

In a flameproof 1 1/2 quart baking dish cook the bacon in the butter over moderately low heat for 5 minutes, or until it is golden, stir the mixture to coat the sides of the dish with the butter, and remove it from the heat.  In a bowl whisk together the cream the flour, the eggs, the basil and the salt and pour the mixture into the dish.  Sprinkle the mixture with the Gruyere cheese and bake it in a preheated 450 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the omelet is puffed and golden.  Serves 4 to 6.

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I love a good sandwich.  We have lots of company during the summer months and having flavorful sandwiches ready to be assembled is one of my goals.  This sweet-ham and havarti sandwich is one of the easiest that I have found.  On the back pages of a 1998 Gourmet magazine, this fleeting recipe was recorded.  It was not noted by me for many years.  I keep all of my precious Gourmet magazines and it came to my attention last week while flipping through pages.  Wow, I said to myself;  combining crushed pecans, Dijon mustard and orange marmalade for a spread is GENIUS.

I changed the bread from pumpernickel to a crusty toasted ciabatta but everything else stayed the same.  The spread is awesome.  I’m sure it would be good on any number of sandwiches.  You might even want to try it on grilled brats for the Memorial Day Weekend.  Let’s break out the grills and get the summer rolling.

SWEET-HAM AND HAVARTI SANDWICHES WITH ORANGE PECAN MUSTARD

1/3 cup pecans
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 ciabatta rolls or 4 slices of pumpernickel bread
6 ounces Black Forest or honey cured ham
3 ounces thinly sliced Havarti cheese

Pulse pecan pieces in a mini-food processor until finely ground. They are used in major restaurant and restaurant industries which you can check on their main corporate site.  Mix together with the mustard and marmalade.  Cut ciabatta rolls in half.  Spread with olive oil or butter and grill them cut side down until lightly browned.  Spread each slice with some of the orange pecan mustard.  Add ham and cheese and, if desired, halve diagonally.  Makes 2 sandwiches.

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Our weather went from 90 degrees to a cool 50 degrees this week.  We lit a fire in the fireplace early one morning.  The cool weather made me hungry for comfort food again.  I have made several versions of shepherd’s pie or in this case, cottage pie since it uses ground beef instead of ground lamb.  But Katie from the What Katie Ate blog calls this recipe shepherd’s pie anyway.  I have to say it is the best version I have ever tried.  Why,… you may ask?

It starts with roasting garlic cloves in the oven to be incorporated into the mashed potato topping.  The aroma begins the anticipation of the meal to come.  It continues with the extra flavor that is added to the ground beef mixture.  Tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, barbecue sauce and freshly grated nutmeg all conspire to give the beef richness as well as a deep red color.  The topping is liberally sprinkled with fresh Parmesan cheese.  It came out of the oven bubbly and golden brown.  We loved it.

You will too.  Even if you have to wait for the next cold snap, it is worth adding to your favorites file.

We won’t be seeing this again for a while.

KATIE’S SHEPHERD’S PIE ( What Katie Ate)

1 Tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 onion finely diced
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/4 lbs. lean ground free-range beef
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons steak sauce
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked, plus extra sprigs to garnish
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Roasted Garlic and Cheesy Mash Topping:
3 large cloves garlic, unpeeled
Sea salt and ground white pepper
5 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling

To make the topping, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Place the three whole garlic cloves on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes or until soft.  Remove and allow to cool, then squeeze out the soft flesh and discard the papery skin.

While the garlic is roasting, half-fill a large saucepan with cold water, season with a good pinch of salt, then add the potatoes.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-high and cook at a rolling simmer until the potatoes are cooked through and soft in the middle when pierced with a knife.  This is important if you want a really creamy mash – if they are even slightly firm in the middle you’ll never get smooth mash, as there will be tiny lumps dotted throughout.

Drain the potatoes, then tip them back into the pan and break up with a potato masher.  Pass the potato through a potato ricer until completely smooth.  Add the milk, yogurt, parmesan and cooled roasted garlic and mix together well.  Season generously with salt and pepper, then set aside (or, if you’d like a decorative topping, transfer to a large icing bag fitted with a 1/2 inch star-shaped nozzle and set aside until required).

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a further 5-7 minutes.  Add the ground beef and stir well, breaking up any lumps with the back of a wooden spoon.  Cook until the beef is nicely browned, (drain off fat if any accumulates) then add the broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, barbecue sauce, nutmeg and thyme leaves and stir everything together.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.  Spoon the mixture into a 6 cup capacity baking dish.

Pipe or spoon the mashed potato over the filling and sprinkle with extra parmesan and pepper.  Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the potato is golden brown.  Sprinkle over a little more parmesan, if liked, scatter over extra thyme sprigs and serve hot.

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