Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

Each small accomplishment while renovating a house with the help of an expert like the ones at Archute is a moment to be savored.  I have been making do with a makeshift workstation for the last two years.

My computer has been set up wherever I could find a spot and although it worked OK for me,  I now know what it is like to have my own space again. I’ve also searched for sites and saw https://bi-folding-doors.co.uk/ that can opt with my concerns to easily access physically and visually on the areas needed.

Add to that the joy of seeing all of my cookbooks and I am in heaven.  Actually this is not all of my cookbooks.  We went to our storage building early in the morning to avoid the heat and rescued as many of them as we could find.  Unfortunately over the years all of our boxes have become jumbled and there was no way we could fight our way to the back to find them all.  But my shelves are full and when we finally do get them all, I am going to have to do some serious editing.

As you can see from the above picture, we have work yet to do on the house.  There is no trim around the doors and no baseboards, but isn’t my kitchen alcove great?  I have been enjoying getting up very early in the morning, making a pot of coffee and sitting here with just my small lamp lit and catching up on all of your blogs and writing my own.

We lost our power last night right before it was time to start dinner.  A storm had rolled through and typical of our area,that meant that a tree would fall and disrupt electricity.  It happens all summer long.  Fortunately I have a gas oven and we warmed the leftover flank steak and some corn tortillas.  I made some chunky guacamole, opened a jar of roasted red peppers and dolloped sour cream on top of our tacos. It was a good supper.  Now I want to delve into my Authentic Mexican cookbook by Rick Bayless.  It is inspiring to see it again.

What a wonderful way to use fresh tomatoes from the garden! Unfortunately my tomatoes are not ripe yet, so I had to rely on plum tomatoes I purchased from the store. But as soon as mine turn from green to red they will be going into this casserole. The recipe comes from Ina Garten and is one of the Barefoot Blogger recipes of the month chosen by Josie of Pink Parsley Catering. I actually saw the episode of The Barefoot Contessa when she made this and knew it would be something that I would try, so thank you Josie for picking it.

There is another tomato casserole that I blogged about that comes from Mama Dip’s , an institution in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Although I love that casserole, it is almost dessert like in it’s sweetness. This casserole has just the right balance of acidic tomatoes, sugar and Parmesan cheese. The sourdough bread cubes I used in it absorbed all of the tomato juices and balanced the dish well.

Both Mama Dip and Ina Garten have a philosophy about food. Start with food that is real and food that is in season. Then prepare it simply so that the goodness that is inherent in it shines through. I am sending this post to the Two for Tuesdays blog hop. Hop on over and see all of the wonderful healthy recipes that the participants have provided this week. And check out what the other Barefoot Bloggers did with this wonderful scalloped tomato casserole.

SCALLOPED TOMATOES

Ingredients
Good olive oil
2 cups (1/2 inch diced) bread from a French boule (I used Sourdough)
16 plum tomatoes, cut 1/2-inch dice (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt (I used 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned basil leaves, lightly packed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12 inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are done, add the tomato mixture and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil.

Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot of warm.

Printable recipe

Last weekend, in celebration of our 44th wedding anniversary our Son and Daughter-In-Law treated us to a Barbecue and Wine Pairing Dinner at the Five Star Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary, NC. Executive Chef Scott Crawford and their Sommelier put together a menu that solved the problem of what wine to serve with any of our favorite BBQ choices and the Chef grilled four excellent meats. So if you want to serve wine instead of iced tea, lemonade or beer at your next cookout, I highly recommend the following pairings. This was the menu.

Baby Back Ribs with Garlic-Soy & Vinegar Barbecue Sauce
Riesling, Smith-Madrone, Spring Mtn. California

Boneless Chicken Thighs with Tomato Barbecue Sauce
Pinot Noir, Wild Rock, Central Otago, New Zealand

Smoked & Chipped Pork Butt with Mustard Barbecue Sauce
Nero D’Avola, Cusumano, Sicily, Italy

Beef Short Ribs with Caramelized Onion Barbecue Sauce
Syrah, Laurence Feraud, Chateauneuf Du Pape, France

Campfire S’Mores
Merlot, L’Ecole 41, Columbia Valley, Washington

The early part of the evening was spent on the patio where Chef Crawford told us about his grilling techniques and sauces used on each of the meats. The happy couple are enjoying this immensely, expecially the one with the camera.

To add to the fun, I got to spend a little quality time with the Chef.

Michael and Kristen know us well and knew that an event like this would be one that would appeal to both of us. They are also food lovers and have an interest in good wines and beers. Michael has been making his own beer and it is excellent.

It was a hot and sultry night so after the grill demonstrations we moved back into the hotel. The service was flawless and elegant but never stuffy.

Unfortunately, for you, I was having too much fun to take pictures of all of the courses. I have to say that the Riesling served with the Baby Back Ribs was perfect and the Pinot Noir served with the chicken was light and refreshing. But my favorite food was the Smoked Pork Butt with one of the best cornbreads that I have ever tasted.

The Beef Short Ribs were also good and the Syrah suited their richness well.

What could be better for a cookout than campfire s’mores. Chocolate and merlot always makes a good pairing and this dessert and wine did not dissapoint.

Chef Crawford will be sending me his recipes soon. I will post a link to them when I receive them. We had an unforgettable evening. Thank you to the staff of The Umstead Hotel and especially to Michael and Kristen for arranging this. If you are in the area, The Umstead will be having other wine pairing dinners in the future.

Printable recipe Garlic-Soy & Vinegar Barbecue Sauce

Printable recipe Tomato Barbecue Sauce

Printable recipe Mustard-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce

Printable recipe Caramelized Onion Barbecue Sauce

My thanks to Executive Chef Scott Crawford for passing on his recipes.

There is a story behind this dish and I have been wanting to make Gnafron since the first time I read about it in Peggy Knickerbocker’s book Simple Soirees; Seasonal Menus for Sensational Dinner Parties. Miss Knickerbocker was in Lyon, France with a friend on a wintry day. It was lunch time and they were hungry. At an open air market on a quay on the Rhone they asked advice from a vendor who sent them to Rue des Marronniers. She assured them that all of the restaurants there were good ones. They chose Chabert it Fils just as it was about to close. After hearing the description of Gnafron, “an andouille flan wrapped in delicate cabbage leaves, steamed to wobbly perfection, and drizzled with garlic cream” Miss Knickerbocker was smitten. It lived up to it’s description and she asked for the recipe. Unfortunately the chef had left for the day and she departed with only the taste memory and an obsession with getting the recipe. It would take more than a year. At a dinner party she ran into an old friend whose fiance’ lived just blocks from the restaurant. The fiance’ got the recipe and sent it to her scribbled on a napkin in French. Her version is in her cookbook which I highly recommend. I have posted more of her recipes Here and Here.

Give this flan a try. It is perfect for a brunch or a light supper.

GNAFRON

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 carrot, diced

1/2 pound andouille sausage or other distinctively flavored, spicy sausage, finely chopped

1 medium onion, minced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teapoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Splash of white wine

1 Napa cabbage, separated, tough parts of the core removed (16 to 20 leaves)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter for greasing the ramekins

4 large eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

For the Garlic Cream:

3 cloves garlic

Pinch of sugar

Pinch of salt

Splash of white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the carrot, sausage, onion, thyme, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer slowly for 15 minutes. When the mixture becomes slightly dry, add the wine and stir well.

When the ingredients have become soft and aromatic, another 5 to 10 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, bring 4 cups of salted water to a simmer over high heat. Blanch the cabbage leaves (tender parts only), a few at a time. Remove with tongs and allow them to drain on clean kitchen towels or paper towels.

Grease 6 small ramekins or souffle dishes with butter. Line the dishes with the cabbage leaves, allowing them to overlap so that when the sausage mixture is spooned onto them, they can be folded over to make a little package.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir the sausage mixture into the egg mixture and mix well. Divide the mixture among the lined ramekins and fold the overlapping leaves over the top. Don’t worry if the mixture leaks out around the leaves.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the ramekins in a deep baking pan large enough to hold them all. Pour warm water around them so that it comes 3/4 of the way up the sides. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 1 hour, or until the Gnafron has set and the top is firm to the touch. If the tops begin to brown or get too dark, place a sheet of foil over the tops. It’s okay if the tops get golden brown.

To Make the Garlic Cream:

While the Gnafron bakes, make the garlic cream. In a small heavy pot, combine the garlic, sugar, salt and a splash of water; cook over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. Add a splash of white wine, allow it to cook down for 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the cream, and warm it for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the garlic to steep in the cream until the Gnafron comes out of the oven. Reheat the garlic cream over low heat, the cream will be slightly thin. Remove and discard the garlic.

To serve, run a knife around the sides of the ramekins to loosen the mixture. Turn out onto a platter or individual plates or serve in the ramekins. Serve with a little garlic cream drizzled over or around the Gnafron. Sprinkle with a little reserved andouille if desired.

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There is a wonderful tailgate market in the historic town of Flat Rock not far from our home. Local farmers, herbalists, flower vendors, wild mushroom collectors and meat and seafood purveyors convene in a picturesque shady dell behind the local bakery and antique shop to sell their specialities. The market is held every Thursday from 3:00 to 6:00. This early in the season it is prudent to get there by 3:00.

All of the Spring vegetables go quickly. Unfortunately we did not arrive until after 4:00 and there was very little left. But what we did find were beautiful shrimp caught off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida. The seafood vendor said that he normally gets his fresh seafood from the Carolina coast, but that it was too early for that. The shrimp were beautiful and very large. We decided to do a simple pasta dish with them. I love lemon with my seafood pasta dishes. It lightens and brightens the heaviness of the pasta. And since I used whole wheat spaghetti in this recipe it was necessary. The recipe does not call for mushrooms, but I already had some sauteed mushrooms from another meal, so feel free to add them if you like. We loved this so much that it will be repeated often.

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