Poached Eggs with Potato Chorizo Hash

     It was destined to be a slow morning.  A slow morning required a multi-course brunch at home - in pajamas. Looking in the refrigerator, I noticed some cooked left over potatoes.  In a small container was some left over chorizo from a recent dinner at Gaucho (in the Strip...which is outstanding).  With farm fresh eggs from down the street, we were destined to have eggs and hash.  It was a great start to a lazy day.

Poached Eggs with Potato Chorizo Hash

Warm Butternut Squash and Cheddar Dip

     This is seriously good and it was quite a surprise to all of us. It is a recipe from the website seriouseats.com and was published last week in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.   We were a bit skeptical about the combination of butternut squash and cheddar cheese. But we had all of the ingredients so why not try it!  Glad we did and we wish we had more of it.  

Warm Butternut Squash and Cheddar Dip
from seriouseats.com

Fromage Forte

   

     At the moment, I have approximately ten different types of cheese in the deli bin of my refrigerator.  Yes, we are a family that loves cheese.  Most of the time, I lose track of the different types and then what to do with all of the "nubs"...those pieces close to the rind.  If it is Parmesan, there is an easy answer.  When I am making homemade soup, frequently I put in a nub of Parmesan when the soup is simmering.  It adds a nice depth of flavor.

   

      I discovered this recipe about 6 years ago.  Unfortunately, I didn't have a food processor in Europe so we have been without Fromage Forte for the past four years.  But the wait is over!

     I have started keeping a plastic bag in the freezer and as I get to the end of a cheese, I place it in the bag.  When I have approximately 1/2 pound of cheese, then I make a family favorite, Fromage Forte.  This particular recipes comes from Jacques Peppin, one of my favorites.  It is super easy to make and makes for great appetizer or as accompaniment for salad or soup.  A little goes a long way so in the winter months, I normally have a jar of this in the refrigerator.

     The great thing about this recipe is that it is basically a non-recipe.  It is just a guideline.  Use whatever cheese you want...I always think a bit of blue cheese adds depth, but if you do not like it, then don't use it. Yesterday, I added about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese and that worked very well.

 Fromage Forte
Adapted from Jacques Peppin

An Unplugged Weekend - Kooser State Park

     

Goofing off on the trail

     I get it.  Honestly, I do but I do not have to like it.  Sometimes it seems that Dear Daughter's phone is glued to her hand and her head is constantly bent at a 45-degree angle as her thumbs punch out messages to her friends.  "Mom, it's how we communicate....plus, I read stuff!"  Seriously, what ever happened to talking on the phone or reading a book?

     So, we booked two nights at a local state park.  The cabin was rustic...meaning, NO WIFI.  Actually, it was really, really rustic.  It was a test on my part as well to see if I could remember to bring everything...because you had to bring everything.  The cabins had furniture, a functional kitchen with running water and a fireplace but that is it.  We had to bring everything else to include dishes.  Dear Husband grumbled as he loaded the car.  "Are we going away for a year or just for the weekend?"

     Kooser State Park is only about 90 minutes from our house, which made the drive easy.  It is a small yet serene park in the Laurel Highlands with cabins built by the CCC.  Our intent was to cook some nice dinners, do a bit of hiking, play some games and read.  Of course, no sooner had we arrived and unpacked, Dear Daughter was already setting up the game board.  The Trivial Pursuit marathon was about to begin.  We did manage to break for dinner.

     The following morning got off to a lazy start.  Dear Husband and I were up by 8:00 a.m. and I have to admit even I was looking around for an IPAD so that I could read the newspaper.  Dear Daughter must have been exhausted from the previous evening's events as we had to wake her up after her twelfth hour of sleep!  We enjoyed our favorite Spanish breakfast and then headed out to the trailhead to begin our hike.

     We were hiking a part of the Laurel Highlands Trail, a beautifully maintained trail that covers about 70 miles from Ohiopyle, PA to Laurel Ridge State Park.  Dear Husband regaled us with his stories of hiking the entire trail as a freshman in college.  And although we have heard them before, we listened as if it were the first time.  Dear Daughter took the lead and as we entered a fairly dense forest, she mentioned that it reminded her of Bastogne.  Ok, what 14 year old has those kinds of memories?  

     Prior to Dear Daughter, Dear Husband and I did a lot of hiking. But Post Dear Daughter, our treks have dwindled to one or two a year.  While in Europe, we had two wonderful hiking trips in Austria.  We call them "hiking with benefits" because when you reached the top, there was the mountain hut to greet you with warm soup and cold beer!

     It was the gunshots that brought us back to reality.  It was the gunshots that sounded very close that spooked us just a bit.  Well, it is hunting season and we had come across one hunter already. Dear Daughter and I were wearing orange vests and Dear Husband had on an orange baseball cap with the hopes that we would be seen.  We skirted off the trail a bit and resumed at a lower level. Needless to say, the last mile was a pretty quick mile.

     Lunch was simple pub food at a nearby restaurant and we headed into town for S'more supplies.  Back at the cabin, we set up a bonfire and lazily sat around it listening to the only radio station our radio could pick up.  Later that evening, I made a simple appetizer, Dear Daughter handled the au gratin potatoes and Dear Husband perfectly grilled a steak.  The Trivial Pursuit Marathon continued until we all "mid-game" decided that it was time for bed.

     We were back home the next morning in time for the Steeler game.  It was a nice weekend - much laughter and many jokes.  To my daughter's credit, she kept her phone in the car the entire time.  Has it made a difference since our return?  Of course not! But we will continue to sneak in these types of weekends...you never know!

Shrimp and Grits

     

     Last night, we drove through one of those Christmas light shows.  I had not been to one in years and Dear Daughter had never been to one.  Things certainly have changed over the years. Nowadays, as you enter the park, the attendant directs you to tune into a certain radio station.  As you listen to the music, the various lights are choreographed to the beat of the music.  Surprising to say, it was a very enjoyable ride and it put us a bit more in the holiday spirit.

     Dinner needed to be quick and easy when we returned home and this recipe fit the bill.  I spent about 10 minutes prepping the ingredients before we left so dinner was ready in 15 minutes. Again, this is upscale comfort food.

     Can you tell that my resident photographer resumed her duties last night?  Her photos are so much better than mine!

Shrimp and Grits

Root Vegetable Gratin

Root Vegetable Gratin

      If you look at my desk calendar for the remainder of December, you will not only notice events and activities that are scheduled, but also my menu planning for now through Christmas.  I decided late last week that I would make the family special meals as we head into the final days of school and work.  My plan is to share my success with you each day.  I am optimistic that there will be more successes than failures!

     With the last batch of parsnips, potatoes and a butternut squash from my Winter CSA, I decided that a root vegetable gratin might be the perfect accompaniment to brined, pan roasted pork chops (also locally sourced).  At a later date, I will have to share with you the pork chop recipe because I will never cook them differently again!  But for now, let's dive into the Gratin.

Root Vegetable Gratin

Croque Monsieur

Croque Monsieur

   

     Dear Husband works from on most Wednesdays, which is a nice change of pace.  I am usually home by lunch time and have started trying to make a nice, small lunch for us.  During the warmer months, we enjoyed lunch out on the deck but with Winter fast approaching, lunch now takes place indoors.  Nevertheless, it is nice to dine together and I have begun to look forward to "Hump Day."

     This past weekend, we made our favorite Lasagne for Sunday night's dinner.  Our lasagne doesn't have the standard ricotta, mozzarella mixture but rather is layered with a thick and creamy Béchamel sauce.  Dear Husband makes a mean Béchamel, which is basically a white sauce made from butter, flour and a milk base.  It take a bit of time but it is so worth it.  The Italians use it in Lasagne; the Greeks in Moussaka, the Spanish in Salt Cod Coquettes and the French in Croque Monsieur.  We had a bit of the sauce left over and I knew Wednesday's lunch was destined to be Croque Monsieur.

     This is an extremely popular dish for lunch in the bistros of Paris, served with a simple green salad and a glass of wine.  In Belgian, they serve it without the Béchamel, so it resembles a grilled cheese sandwich, not nearly as decadent.  I take mine  the French way.  I have already given you a small idea of what a Croque Monsieur is but let me explain further.  Basically, it is a toasted ham and cheese sandwich with Béchamel sauce on the top.  Simple, decadent and absolutely delicious.

Croque Monsieur

Stuffed Pumpkin

     This is the MOST AMAZING dish!  It may be the ultimate comfort food.  It also looks really cool.  I cannot wait to make it again and experiment a bit more with the ingredients.

     The challenge was the Red Kuri pumpkin that came in a recent CSA shipment.  Actually, we received two small pumpkins.  I really didn't want to make soup.  I feel that I make soup too often and that sometimes, it is just an easy way to use up veggies.

     I am a big fan of Dorie Greenspan.  She spends a lot of time in France, which is probably why I follow her.  I came across this recipe on her website and I knew it would be the perfect solution to my pumpkin challenge.

     The one thing to know off the bat is that the measurements are not very precise.  Ultimately, you want to stuff the pumpkin well.  Use one pumpkin or use several smaller pumpkins.  Use the type of cheese you want.  Add other ingredients or take out ingredients...this is your stuffed pumpkin.  Serve as a main course with a salad or as a side.  It is your call...you are in control!  I placed our cooked pumpkins on a platter in the center of the table and we just scooped out the goodness.  Make sure you get the pumpkin in your scoops.  Or cut the pumpkin into wedges and serve.  It is your call...you are in control!

Stuffed Pumpkin

Parsnip Hummus

Parsnip Hummus with Garlic Chili Oil

      Last week's CSA shipment included a ton of parsnips.  Seriously, a ton.  I am not exaggerating; well...perhaps just a bit.  I have never made anything with parsnips.  Another challenge was presented to me.  I really didn't want to go the mashed route.  I did find a nice soup recipe and a nice gratin idea.  A few more minutes of research provided me with an excellent idea...why not Parsnip Hummus?  The beet hummus we made a few months ago was a big hit so again, why not Parsnip Hummus.  It proved to be a great idea and a great snack.

Parsnip Hummus with Garlic Chili Oil

Brussels Sprout Salad

     A large bag of Brussels sprouts was included in my first Winter CSA package.  At first, I was a bit intimidated and a bit stumped on what to do with them.  I do not like cooked Brussels sprouts and we had already made a pasta dish with our last shipment.

     I remember several years ago a friend of mine made a salad with Brussels sprout and we enjoyed it.  I started researching possible recipes on the Internet and landed upon this one.  That large bag is now gone.  We loved the salad so much; we had it two nights in a row!  The first night, we made it according to the recipe.  The second night, we played around with it.  This is really versatile and makes a wonderful first course.  Your non-Brussels sprout eaters will be converted.  I promise.

Brussels Sprout Salad

Kofta with Tzatziki

     Not the greatest photo but hopefully you get the idea.  My normal photographer was at school so I was on my own!  I think meatballs are one of the best comfort foods.  They are also some of the best make-ahead foods.  With loads of ground lamb, ground pork and ground beef in our freezer, we make a lot of different types of meatballs.  In downtown Pittsburgh  is the fabulous meatball joint, Sienna Mercato and it is crazy popular.  We love to stop in for a quick snack, each one of us choosing one or two meatballs to try and share.  When Dear Daughter's best friend came from Italy, we took her there and she fell in love with the meatball sub.  Who knew?

     It is strange but Dear Daughter refuses to eat meatloaf but loves most of the meatballs that we make.  If the meatball is accompanied with a sauce, all the better for her.  Swedish meatballs are one of her favorites followed by a really tasty lamb meatball with a tomato and feta sauce.

     This meatball is a little different but it has a very nice variety of spices.  Since it hails from the Middle East, I thought a quick Tzatziki sauce would be a great addition.  Serving it alongside pita bread or some sort of flat bread would complete the meal.  Typically, these morsels would be molded around a skewer like a long cigar and then grilled over an open fire.  I opted to make them slightly elongated and cooked them on a grill pan (it was a bit too cold to stand by the grill).  While historically lamb or beef are the primary ingredients, I used a combination of pork and beef as that is what I had on hand. Tasty and easy!

Kofta with Tzatziki

Winter Squash Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

Winter Squash Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

     Happy Holiday Season!  We left town last week for a little "R&R" and I am still trying to decide if we actually relaxed.  Frankly, it was an odd sort of week but then again, no vacation can be perfect.  In the end, it was nice to get away and spend time together as a family.  And we will tell the story of the tow truck adventure - up and over the mountain - for years to come!

     We arrived back home to realize that our new neighborhood really takes Christmas decorating seriously and we are woefully behind our neighbors.  I suspect that we will continue to be "that house" but I really do not mind it too much.  Boxes of Christmas decorations that had been in storage for years were finally opened and it felt as though we were seeing old friends again.  Dear Daughter has her own small Christmas tree up and decorated in her room and the rest of the house is looking festive and cozy, if I do say so myself.  I had mentioned the possibility of purchasing an artificial tree to the family a few days ago and was met with death stares, so tomorrow night, we will head out to look for a tree.

     December will be a busy one...with school, swim meets, hockey games (Dear Daughter is now the ultimate Penguin fan), and family get togethers.  Our CSA has moved from summer mode to winter mode and our veggies are consisting of lots of squash, leafy greens and potatoes.    Just before Thanksgiving, we received these little cuties.

Celebration Squash

     Now what to do with these?  I am a bit tired of making a cream based soup - that seems to be the easy way out.  Then, I started noticing squash as an ingredient in salads and I had an idea.  Let's make our own Winter Salad.  A bit of research and a bit of tweaking and I think I have a winner!  This would be an excellent first course or a great accompaniment to grilled meat.

Winter Squash Salad with Maple Vinaigrette