All content copyright Katrina Hall 2008 through 2025
Isn't this the prettiest breakfast? Avocado, fresh oranges, a few sprinkles of dill and scallions - and a few sugar snap peas for the delightful crunch.
I was sorting through the newspapers for recycle, and it caught my eye, even though the picture was black and white. I've been thinking much more about what I eat, and it should include far more fruits and vegetables. I also think I crave chicken, bacon, and ham when I'm feeling any stress or when I'm worried, so back to my normal eating pattern I go. The original recipe credited to Deborah Madison had a lime-cumin sauce, quite a bit of shredded radicchio, or napa cabbage, garlic, a chile, cilantro (you know how I feel about cilantro!) paprika, mustard. I went with a very simple lemon-olive oil, sea salt flake and pepper dressing, a little sprinkle of fresh dill and sliced scallions.
Orange Avocado Breakfast salad
For two servings:
2 navel oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 ripe avocado, cut in half lengthwise and peeled, sliced thickly and cut in two
1 or 2 sliced scallions
a few springs of fresh dill
a small handful of sugar snap peas, raw
Dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (next time I'm trying orange juice)
3 tablespoons olive oil
a few pinches of sea salt
freshly ground pepper
a pinch of dried dill
I'm digging a little garden for my soon to be bought herbs ! I use a lot of herbs, and they often seem to wilt in the fridge, even in packaging, so it's been frustrating. Much better to have them close by (and I hope the wild rabbits leave them alone!).
It's been a while since I went food shopping, I realized last night as I searched the fridge and pantry - and the cold snap is here, further reason not to bundle up for the twenty block walk. But - AH! One lovely apple, some leftover rosemary bread, and eggs. I always have eggs and spices - and that meant I could make those lovely Fresh Apple Bread puddings!
You can , of course make it in a large oven-proof dish, but I usually make individual servings, using souffle cups or my little ovenproof plates. Tantalizing smells and the scent of apples and cinnamon made it really hard to wait, but wait I did, and it was well worth it. It always makes me think of my mother, who was not a great cook, but her goulash and bread puddings were always filling and delicious.
For two servings:
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a bowl mix:
2 cups cubed bread (I used rosemary bread) I have never used gluten-free, but I'm sure it will work just fine.
1 heaping cup peeled Granny Smith apple, cut in large dice
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted unsalted or salted butter
1 large egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a dusting of grated nutmeg
Optional: raisins
Distribute the pudding mixture evenly between two ovenproof dishes and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool before serving. Top with ice cream, cream, or honey or maple syrup.
Guess who is hiding in my pantry? Stuart the mouse, sitting in a teacup! And a mound of gold ornaments , sitting in my casserole dish, reminding me of my stepmother's beautiful bowls of silvery and gold balls everywhere at Christmas.
My wits have not quite settled down living in this new city, so coming up with a new recipe post has been evading me lately. Today I fell instantly in love with a photograph from My Blue and White Kitchen, walked to the store for peaches and nectarines (I still am holding tightly onto peach season) and had a very happy few hours mixing and baking - and enjoying the fruits of my labor.
As I do with any new recipe, I followed her recipe exactly, except for a tablespoon or so of stripped fresh thyme leaves and a pinch of nutmeg in the dough. Why? Because thyme is my favorite herb ever, and I had a glass of sprigs beside the flour tin; and nutmeg is almost always in my desserts, again, because I love it.
I still think I didn't roll the dough thin enough, but my taste-tester disagreed with me - she and her husband loved the fat, amazingly flaky dough, and the cooked fruits, so there you are - I leave it up to you.
You can find the recipe here - and I'm sure you'll love it as much as I did - it's a keeper!
Oh, how the moving continues! The house is full of boxes - one corner is books, lots and lots of books, that no longer seem important. But another corner holds boxes of books so dear to my heart - and the photo albums of family through the years. Much harder than I realized, all those memories.
BUT.
The air is balmy, the grass is green, and it was once again time for my favorite warm weather snackaroo - juicy melon (watermelon and cantaloupe, but honeydew is great as well, if you can find a ripe one), mixed with fresh raspberries and mint. Blackberries and tiny wild strawberries work as well - or currants, if you have them, and blueberries, which, of course, come later in the season.
Our local farmer's markets here in New Hampshire now have the most amazing fruits - I bought some fresh organic peaches last year that were the best I'd tasted in years: and grown right here in Hancock, which is zone 3-4. Amazing.
The lilacs are blooming, and we have both the dark purple ones, that last a very long time and spread throughout our town via cuttings from one avenue of them - and the powdery light lilacs that quickly rust, but are heavenly, very briefly. We have had no rain at all for weeks and weeks, but some finally is supposed to come tomorrow.
You will need to buy a melon baller from your local kitchen store or supermarket - a handy, low tech tool that makes this so pretty. Mine has a large ball at one end, and a smaller one at the other. I find the smaller baller to work best if you're making a tray of these melon balls for a party - with a few large balls mixed in .
You can assemble them in clear, squat glasses, or plastic ones for a large group. How perfect is this for parties and early summer celebrations? Just make sure you make them at the most a few hours before, so they are juicy and moist, and keep them briefly in the fridge if the weather is hot. The mint is best snipped just before serving - and check for bugs before serving!
Happy Spring, feels like Summer!
Happy November! To celebrate, Mother Nature is sending us another nor'easter in the next day or so, and I heard the *snow* word for the first time on the weather report. I rearranged my cookbooks the other day, in part because of the changing season, but also because I never seemed to be able to find the one cookbook I was searching for.
Flipping through Martha Stewart's Quick Cook, I was struck by a gorgeous photograph of fresh pears baked in cream. I had a pear in the fruit bowl, and I had heavy cream, so of course I made it. I am so familiar with Martha's recipes and way of cooking, I felt comfortable making a few changes as I went along, but the kudos belong to her.
Pears Baked in Cream
2 Bosc pears, unpeeled, halved, and cored (I use a melon baller for that)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch of kosher salt
a few sprigs of thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
a drop or two of good vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F.
Butter an ovenproof baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Sprinkle the bottom of the dish with 1 tablespoon of the sugar.
Place the cored pears, cut side down, in the dish. Arrange the thyme sprigs around the pears, then sprinkle the pears with the salt and the last tablespoon of sugar, and dot the pears with the remaining butter.
Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Mix the cream and the vanilla together and pour over the pears. Return the pears to the oven and bake uncovered for another 20 minutes. Serve warm in shallow bowls with soup spoons - the creamy, sweet sauce is SO good! Even better, this is a great gluten-free dessert for the chilly months ahead.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Yesterday morning I was circling the kitchen, trying to decide what to do with the bowl of apples from the orchard up the hill. Pie? I like apple pie, but I usually end up leaving most of the pie crust on the plate. As I blankly looked at my idea board on the wall, I suddenly saw the ripped out Wednesday Boston Globe food section from last week, and there it was: an interview with Dorie Greenspan and a recipe for her Custardy apple squares. I checked the ingredient list and I had everything but a square pan. I pulled out one of my professional grade 8 inch cake pans - the one with the nice rolled rim and 2 inch height. That would have to do.
It came together like a dream - it was almost too easy to make. I shared half the cake with my friendly taste-testers, but over the course of the day regretted that, as I wistfully polished off the last slice. Today I made it again for my neighbor , and I'm thinking after a run to the store for more vanilla, I may just make a third one. And I'm also thinking this could easily be made gluten-free, since it only uses 1/2 cup of flour. If you do make a GF version, please let me know what you used, so I can pass it along to Izzie, my GF granddaughter.
Dorie's Custardy Apple Cake
Preheat oven to 375F.
Butter or vegetable shortening for the pan.
Parchment circle for the bottom of the pan (I just trace and cut from a roll)
3 medium fresh apples - enough to make 2 cups apple slices
A mandoline for slicing the apples, or a sharp knife and lots of patience
1/2 cup all purpose King Arthur flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 extra large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons good vanilla extract
6 tablespoons whole milk
1 or 2 pinches of kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Confectioner's sugar for sprinkling on top of the cake
Butter the cake tin, trace a circle on parchment and cut out and press into bottom of pan.
Peel and slice the apples very thinly, using a mandoline . Set aside.
Measure the flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
In mixer bowl, add the eggs,sugar and salt and beat for two minutes, then add the milk and vanilla and the melted butter. Mix briefly.
Add the flour and baking powder to the egg mixture and mix briefly.
Add the apples to the batter, and gently fold in the apple slices with a rubber spatula until they are coated.
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean, and the top of the cake is golden. It will continue to bake as it cools in the tin.
Let cake cool on cooling rack for 15 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the cake. Quickly flip cake onto another cooling rack, place another rack on top, and flip over so cake is right side up.
Cut the cake into 6 or 8 triangles, and dust with confectioner's sugar just before serving.
Adapted from Dorie's book: Baking Chez Moi
I first tasted this creme fraiche a few years ago, when my friend Mme. J, who grew up in Normandy, offered me a taste of her cold seafood salad. It was chilled, fresh, and creamy, with a smooth sauce of some sort, which she identified as creme fraiche - but it was unlike any creme fraiche I had ever tried - and much better than mayonnaise. When she offered me the recipe I grabbed a pen - she laughed and said it was very simple. Equal parts heavy cream and sour cream, shaken in a jar and left on the counter overnight.
I make this a lot in the summer months, and actually prefer it to whipped cream on cold fruit salads and shortcakes. I use it alongside cold poached fish or crabmeat, summer composed salads and pasta salads, as well, sometimes adding fresh minced herbs. It has a fresh taste , unlike mayonnaise, which is far saltier. It has a smooth finish, without an aftertaste of lemon juice.
Normandy style creme fraiche
In a clean Mason jar measure :
1 cup heavy cream (I used Hood's)
1 cup sour cream (Hood's again)
Stir the creams briefly, then screw on the clean lid. Tighten and shake for a minute or so, then place the jar on the counter. Write the time you made it on the lid and let sit at least 12 hours.
Unscrew the lid and spoon out a taste - the creme should be very thick. Store the jar in the fridge for up to a week.
After a lot of rain the last few days, it's a beautiful sunny day today - hooray for summer!
I woke up this morning just after a summer rainstorm had passed through - the morning breeze was cool and fresh : perfect weather for this idea I had for a warm strawberry breakfast.
The organic strawberries I've been getting lately have been so sweet, so ruby-hued, so essentially strawberry that I've been eating them all day. But still, the thought of roasting or baking intrigued me. Not a cobbler, really, but just a granola sprinkle of oats and butter, brown sugar and lemon zest. Perfect for this glorious morning, I thought.
As the strawberries were bubbling in the oven, I had the sudden thought of using almond meal along with the oats, but of course, it was too late (never mind that I didn't actually HAVE almond meal). If anyone has used almond meal, I hope you'll let me know if you think that's a good idea and I'll zip off to the grocery store to stock up.
To make two servings:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Two cups loosely packed whole medium sized strawberries
zest of half a lemon
a few drops of lemon juice squeezed over the berries
1/3 cup whole rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
pinch or two of kosher salt.
Trim the berries and cut in half before adding to a small (I used a 5 1/2 inch by 4 inch by 2 inch (height) ovenproof ceramic casserole dish. Grate the zest over the berries, then squeeze some lemon juice over the berries.
Add the oats, brown sugar, butter and salt to a food processor and whizz briefly, until the mixture is mostly free of whole oats and well incorporated.
Sprinkle the topping on the berries and roast uncovered in the oven for 25 minutes.
Remove and let cool a bit before serving. Creme fraiche or sour cream is always nice if you have it. There's a lovely intensity to the berries that is very different from eating them fresh.
As a passionate collector of textiles and linens, I found this tea towel in a thrift shop, embroidered with "BP" in red thread. So far, I'm stumped beyond "B is for beautiful".
*****
Yesterday I came home to a lovely package of fresh herbs on the front step: thyme, tarragon, oregano, and sage leaves, all now hanging from a rafter for drying, and two little cups of thyme plants - heaven. Many thanks to my friend Pamela - I love them!
What a gentle Fall it's been - the leaves are lingering on the trees, the tomato plants are still green (no frost!) and the light is a glowing yellow , especially at twilight.
All those autumn colors made me think of apricots, or specifically, the Finnish compote I make in the winter from dried fruits. But today I thought of only apricots. I'm not sure why, but the stone fruits I bought at markets this summer weren't quite as juicy and fragrant as past years. The weather, no doubt - we can always sigh and blame the weather.
This couldn't be easier - just simmer spices, lemons, and dried apricots in a little water and honey until plump and soft, cool, and whip up a little sweetened whipped cream or greek yogurt, dust with cinnamon, and voila. Breakfast, lunch, or dessert.
And that window above? My kitchen window right over the table.
Poached Apricots with cardamom, lemon verbena, cinnamon sticks, and lemon with whipped cinnamon cream
Makes 3 servings
1 1/2 cups of dried apricots
3 slices of fresh lemons, sliced into quarters
2 lemon verbena leaves or lemon balm leaves
2 sticks cinnamon
3 cardamom pods, left whole
2 T. good honey
Place all into a heavy saucepan and cover with water. Simmer until the apricots are plumped, then take off heat and cool. Taste the poaching liquid, and if it's too thin tasting, remove apricots and then simmer a bit more until a little syrupy. Discard leaves and pods and cinnamon sticks before serving, if you prefer .
Serve with gently sweetened whipped cream and dust with cinnamon.
Happy continuing Autumn!
Last week I was delighted to visit our local library for friend and neighbor Hillary Davis' book signing for her gorgeous, gorgeous new cookbook, Cuisine Nicoise. I'm so overcome by the recipes and the beautiful photographs - (and the history of her small town near Nice) - that the thought of a review overwhelms me. The evening was warm, and she handed out glasses of a very pretty but unidentified chilled soup as we settled in our seats.
I thought it might be cantaloupe, but the rosy spoonful of garnish on top was a mystery. I sipped and chewed, thinking perhaps it was raw cranberry. Whatever it was, it was tart and delicious. Later during her talk she identified it as a grated raw beet salad, sweet and sour at the same time, traditionally stirred into the cantaloupe and silky olive oil puree. Since that night, I'd been longing to make it and finally made it today.
It's a very easy recipe, and perfect for warm weather - whether a light supper or cocktail party appetizers - or, come to think of it, a picnic lunch on the beach.
La Soupe de Melon avec une salade de Betteraves Crues
This makes 4 servings.
1 medium beet, peeled
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided in half
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 t. kosher salt
Coarsely grate the beet on a box grater set in a large bowl.
In another small bowl, whisk the 2 tablespoons olive oil, the vinegar, and the salt. Pour over the beets and toss, then set aside.
4 cups peeled fresh cantaloupe, sliced or cut into chunks
1 cup water
4 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Place the cantaloupe, water, sugar, salt, and olive oil in a blender and puree until smooth. The olive oil adds a silkiness to the fruit puree that makes it far more interesting than a smoothie.
Pour the soup into 4 glasses or bowls, topping with a tablespoon of the beet relish. I served the rest of the beets in a small bowl for second helpings.
Enjoy the last of your August days! The sound of the crickets has changed, the goldenrod is blooming brightly, and I saw the first pale turnings of leaves on a very tall maple today. Too soon!
Hot and humid, hot and humid with showers, hot and humid with thunderstorms - day after day, week after week, but when I remember January and February which were unusually cold for weeks and weeks, I'm not complaining.
I don't know about you, but hot and humid weather takes away my usual fierce appetite, good in some ways, but sometimes hard to find something really good to eat or drink. And I found it two weeks ago. Fresh chunks of watermelon whizzed in a blender. Pour, serve. Children like it with a ball of vanilla ice cream bobbing in that cold and pretty rosy juice, which then makes it a watermelon float. Freshly made, it's very thick, but it thins out a little when stored in the fridge for a few days. So far I've gone through two and a half "baby" seedless watermelons with no dampening of enthusiasm.
It's been a wonderful season for watermelons , and I hope it goes on for another month or so, because I've gotten used to this juice for breakfast , super chilled. Sweet and lacking the acidity of orange juice, I was happy to find out it really is healthy. Now I'm wondering if I can freeze some, though it won't last long in the freezer:) For now, I have two jars stashed in the fridge to help me get through pruning the hedges, which have grown at least 18 inches in the last few weeks - they love this weather, clearly.
Hope your summer is going swimmingly!
Boy, it's hot. I mean 97 degrees hot, and that is not something those of us who live in the mountains of New Hampshire are used to. I have it down to a science: Wake up at 5 am, open all the windows, then a few hours later as it starts to heat up, close all the windows, put down the shades and go soak in a cool pond.
In this kind of heat, I do my baking early, too. With the windows open, the kitchen doesn't heat up as much. Why I get the baking urge on days like this is a mystery - maybe it's the Super Moon, which I didn't get to see because of the cloud cover. This morning I tackled those wonderful brownies of Maida Heatter's( using toasted pecans instead of walnuts) washed the bowls, then whipped up some big banana muffins, mild and slightly sweet; spongy but nicely filling. I like to add a little rolled oats and lemon zest and cinnamon , which makes them a lot more interesting than just using mashed bananas.
Stay cool, wherever you are!
Big Banana Muffins
Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease one Texas size muffin tin, set aside.
2 large bananas, mashed in mixer bowl
1 t. lemon zest
1 extra large egg
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 T. canola or mild olive oil
1 cup buttermilk
Mix the wet ingredients well, then add:
2 cups King Arthur all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant oats)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Using an ice cream scoop, fill the muffin cups about 3/4ths full ( I use two scoops of batter, using a normal size ice cream scoop).
Set muffins in upper third of the hot oven, bake for 25 minutes, or until tops spring back when gently pressed.
Enjoy!
I am not sure what happened to me in the supermarket, but when I saw the rosy blush of fresh apricots, I was lost. Small, plump apricots, smooth and enticing, totally out of season - apricots, as far as I know, are not local to New Hampshire, at least not in June. I know, I know. I was seduced.
And so, I bought three, and made a delicious pair of tarts, puckery and overlaid with the sweetness of our beautiful local honey, sprinkled with toasted pecans and a pinch of nutmeg. Perfection.
I used Orangette's tart dough recipe, and was very pleased with it, and tossed the apricots with a bit of orange juice, honey, nutmeg and salt, and a tablespoon of sugar, then drizzled them with our wonderful local honey, all good, all pleasing, and the end result? A lovely dessert, missing only a tablespoon of whipped cream, because I had none, but it would have been the perfect ending.
For the dough:
For crust:
4 Tbsp. ice water, plus more as needed
¾ tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
¾ tsp. salt
9 Tbsp. (4 ½ oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
To prepare the crust:
In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine 4 Tbsp. ice water and the cider vinegar. Set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to blend. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal; there should be no pieces of butter bigger than a large pea. With the motor running, slowly add the water-vinegar mixture, processing just until it forms a ball. If the dough seems a bit dry, add more ice water by the teaspoon, pulsing to incorporate.
Turn the dough out onto a wooden board or clean countertop, and gather it until it just holds together. Shape it into a disk about 1 ½ inches thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for two hours.
Butter two four or five inch tart forms ( with removable bottoms) well. Remove the dough from the fridge, and cut the dough in half, storing the other half in the freezer for later. Roll out the dough and press dough into tart pans, firmly pressing down into the tart pans, trimming off the excess. Firm again with your fingertips. Set aside, and preheat oven to 360F, then prepare the apricots.
For the fruit:
Three or four small apricots.
Cut the apricots in half, remove the stone, and cut each half apricot into 5 or 6 pieces.
Toss with :
1/4 cup white sugar
big pinch of nutmeg or mace
big pinch of kosher salt
3 T. orange juice
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
2 tablespoons local honey to drizzle
Toss the sugar, nutmeg, salt, and orange juice with the apricot slices. Arrange the apricots in a circular fashion around the tart form. Top with pecans. Drizzle with a tablespoon of honey on each tart, and set in the oven for 40 minutes or so. Remove to cool for 30 minutes, remove from tart pans, then cut into halves and serve as is, or with whipped cream. Serves four.
Total bliss. Enjoy!
Oh, the pink of Spring! Right now the pale pink magnolia trees are blooming, the hot pink azaleas, the rainbows of tulips, and the rhubarb plants range from pale green stalks to rich, ruby red under the umbrellas of dark green leaves.
For a long time, I didn't eat rhubarb. When I went to an organic farm school in Lake Placid as a boarder in 7th and 8th grades, rhubarb was on the menu endlessly. When you grow your own food in a cold climate, you make use of what thrives, and that meant rhubarb. Just cooked with a little honey, it was tart and tasty - for a while. But it appeared as dessert and breakfast over and over. And over.
So I avoided rhubarb for a long time, until recently. The first fresh fruit in May is hard to not take advantage of! But I no longer make it only rhubarb, but temper it with the sweetness of strawberries, no yet ready here, so I buy them from the store.
Barely simmered with a little water, delicious local honey, and a spoonful of minced fresh ginger, it makes a wonderful topping for my Greek yogurt in the morning. Roasted chicken with a dipping side of sauce for lunch. Goat cheese on thick bread with a spoonful of this jam is a treat in the afternoon. And rhubarb sauce on ice cream rounds out dessert.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce
First, wash the rhubarb and cut off the large leaves. The leaves are toxic, so I usually toss them in the trash. Slice into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Trim and slice the strawberries into quarters. Peel the ginger and mince.
2 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb
1 1/2 cups quartered strawberries
1/4 to 1/3 cup water
3 heaping tablespoons local honey or more to taste
2 teaspoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
pinch of sea salt
Place all into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir until the rhubarb falls apart , usually about 7-10 minutes. Take care not to scorch the fruit - some fruits are juicier than others. If it looks dry, just add a little more water. Set aside to cool. Store in fridge. This makes about 3+ cups of Springalicious sauce.
A year ago: chilled chive and parsnip soup
