Blog Archives

Velvet Pumpkin Soup

21/7/2013

0 Comments

This beautiful squash which has been grown in the Americas for more than 5000 years makes sumptuous satiny soups.This recipe is a simple formula for any variety of creamy soups. Instead of Cinderella's lovely carriage, substitute the same amount of cauliflower, asparagus or fresh beans.

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
1 kilo pumpkin flesh diced ( I often mix two kind of pumpkins)
2 medium onions diced
300 ml creme fraiche

2 tablespoons of cornstarch
A small bouquet of flat parsley.
Salt and Pepper
50g butter
Garlic croutons (optional)

In a big saucepan combine the butter and the onions with a pinch of salt.
Cover and cook until translucent, do not allow them to brown.
Then add the diced pumpkin flesh and the stock.
Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and cook for 15/18 minutes.
After cooking , with a wandlike hand blender or immersion mixer, process the soup until smooth.
In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water.
Remove the pot from the heat and quickly whisk in the cornstarch and add the cream.
While constantly stirring, be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as pumpkin burns easily.
Allow the soup to boil again for few seconds.
The result should be a velvety, creamy consistency soup.
Taste the soup and season. I don’t recommend to add salt while cooking, since the seasoning from the chicken stock will usually suffice.

Serve very hot with the chopped parsley and sliced garlic croutons if you wish.

0 Comments

Tarte a la Dijonnaise

7/7/2013

1 Comment

Very easy and quick salted tart which could be served as a finger food or accompanied with a

green leafy salad

For 6 people

2 rectangular ready-rolled puff pastry sheets
5/6 tomatoes thinly sliced
Dijon mustard
200g fine slices (or grated) Jarlsberg or Gruyere
Pitted olives
Thyme
Salt and pepper

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200.

In a rectangular oven dish, unroll the puff pastry onto an aluminium foil.
Spread the mustard onto the pastry, you can go as easy or as generous as you want.
Cover it with gruyere slices.(or sprinkle over the cheese)
Display the tomatoes slices, artistically.
Add the olives
Drizzle with thyme and olive oil.
Add thyme.
Season well

Put in the oven for approx. 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are tender.

Perfect hot from the oven or at room temperature as well, you can eat it as an entree with a leafy green salad and a glass of iced rose wine.

You can add sliced rounds of soft goat cheese onto the tomatoes slices which get crusty - brown on top and warm and creamy inside - in this case, skip the gruyere layer.

1 Comment

19th Salad - Salade du 19eme

7/7/2013

0 Comments

This salad with radicchio and hearts of palm is one of my favourite.
The softness of the hearts of palm, the creamy avocados and the sweet prawns compliment so well the bitterness of the radicchio.
I serve it as an entréee.

for 6 people

1 small green salad
5 inner red leaves of radicchio
6/7 middle size white mushrooms
2 avocados
1 tin of hearts of palm
6 large cooked prawns or 12/18 small pink cooked prawns
Vinaigrette

Finely cut the green and red salad.
Finely cut the white mushrooms and the hearts of palm.
Finely cut lengthwise the avocados.
Mix all the cuttings in a beautiful salad bowl and add the prawns on the top.
Toss with the vinaigrette.

0 Comments

Velvet Pumpkin Soup

Tarte a la Dijonnaise

19th Salad - Salade du 19eme

Author

Archives

Categories