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| Persimmons. |
It's been a cold, grey week here and I've already hauled out my parka for long walks. Scout is a wintry dog who seems to love the cold weather and if anything we walk twice the amount in the winter.
This is a good thing as it is now the festive season and there will be eating and drinking. I've been switching out and stocking up my house this last week, for me this is one of the best parts of the season.
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| Rustic star hanging in the kitchen window. |
I like to have a couple of easy recipes on hand to serve to friends or just to have available on a busy day. Fruit desserts are probably my favourite, first of all they adapt quite easily to a gluten-free diet and they're also a lighter option in a season of plum pudding and chocolates.
I tend to have lots of blemished apples around from my organics box, and of course the Rascals won't eat them. Never mind, they do well in a fruit dessert.
I bought a huge bag of cranberries to work through and I started by creating a cranberry relish on the advice of our friend
Stephen Andrew.
Stephen Andrew very wisely uses this relish for a cocktail involving gin and Sprite Zero, and it's basically a mixture of a 300gram package of cranberries, one cup of white sugar and an entire orange blitzed up in a food processor or blender. I've been using mine to top off a bunch of peeled, chopped apples along with some giant pats of butter. Bake at 325 until bubbly looking (about 20 minutes) before removing from the oven, topping with sliced almonds, and then baking for a further 5 to 10 minutes.
The sliced almonds will burn if you bake them any longer, and they really do make the dessert, adding crunch and also a bit of protein, well you basically now have a health food dish:
Another easy thing to have around this time of year: buttered french lentils.
I like to saute a bit of garlic in a giant amount of butter for a couple of minutes before adding a cup and a half or so of green lentils.
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| Quick saute, one clove garlic and 3 tablespoons of butter. |
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| Add your lentils, get them covered in the buttery mixture then add 3-4 cups of water. |
I can never get the amount of water right for lentils so I begin by adding less and then stirring in additional water as I go along. I also add plenty of herbes de provence and a bit of salt and pepper.
These lentils are a terrific side dish to any sort of baked fish, but you can also add roasted vegetables, whatever you have to hand, and serve them with some brown or wild rice.
I switched out my regular blue and white gingham checked dishes for the Christmas dishes this week:
I have some Emile Henry baking dishes in a bright red that are ideal for cooking and serving. My Staub pieces that I use year-round are green and they fit in especially well this time of year. I just love these Christmas colours.
I've been trying for some increased cleaning activity around the house, cleaning the interiors of drawers and sideboards while I switch around dishes:
That Method wood cleaner is the best, it smells of marzipan candy and has lots of good moisturizing properties. Here in Canada our antique furniture can get very dry and splintery due to the central heating and air conditioning, a good furniture polish is key.
I set up a festive bar this week:
I was planning to go in fairly heavy on the brandy and other festive libations but in the end I went for the basics, though I also have a couple of bottles of champagne stashed in the fridge. I really wish Veuve Cliquot wasn't ringing up so costly these days, what's the price on a bottle where you live? Here it's up over $70, what am I, a Rockefeller?
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Le Bar
Not the bar of The Rockefellers. |
We're going to a festive dinner tonight and I'm happily toting along one of those spendy bottles of champagne. I'll be wearing this Brooks Brothers frock and some red shoes:
Enjoy your weekend Darling Tooties.
xoxDani
