French Pea Soup ~ Soupe Aux Pois

I use split-peas for this
 hearty nutritious soup.

One bowl and you'll be back for a second. 

Ingredients:

2 cups split peas,

I soak the peas overnight.

1 cup chopped ham.
 (A ham bone, hocks, salt pork or
chopped bacon is nice also.)

1 box chicken broth, 900mls.

1 large chopped onion

2 celery stocks chopped

(I also add the leafy ends of the celery)
1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove chopped

3 large carrots
1 small turnip

2 potatoes diced

1 tsp savory

1 tsp thyme 

pepper and

salt to taste.

Rinse the peas and add 
to the soup pot with the chicken stock,
add the onions, celery,  bay leaf and garlic.
Bring to a boil.
Simmer for 45 minutes.

Chop up carrots and turnip,  
and add to pot.
Add water to cover the vegetables.

Chop up Potatoes
add to soup pot.

Add the spices, savory, thyme, salt and pepper.

Simmer for about 1/2 hour.

The last 15 minutes of cooking 

Add the cooked ham. 

delicious!

Thanks for your visit xo

How To Make Red Currant Jelly.

Red Currant Jelly,
A great tasting bright red jelly,

I picked my currants,
in the Summer and froze them. 

12 cups red currants.
(I used frozen ones)
6 cups water
6 cups sugar

In a large pot bring currants and 
water to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or
 until currants are softened. 
Use a potato masher to mash up the currants.

Pour into prepared jelly bags and 
let drip overnight... without squeezing.

or use a colander lined with cheesecloth.

Measure liquid. 
You should have around 6 cups.
place in a deep pot and bring to 
a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly.

Add sugar in a steady stream,
(Add equal amount of sugar to 
equal amount of liquid.)
 stirring constantly. 
Return to a full boil, 
stirring constantly to dissolve sugar.
Boil without stirring about 10 minutes
 until it has reached the jelly stage, 220 deg.F.

I insert a wooden spoon through the 
hole in the handle 
of my thermometer and it holds well
over the pot.

Remove from heat and skim of any foam.

Ladle into sterilized jars.

My bush was loaded this year.

So Delicious.
I also have a Black Currant bush,
Next year, I'll try making Jelly with it.

I got the recipe from this lovely
book, bought from Avon,
many years ago.

Enjoy.

Thanks for visiting my blog xo

Plum Torte

A Torte is a small buttery

 European dessert.

 

A few simple ingredients, combine
 the sweet tangy juices of these 
plums with a rich moist cake. 

A variation of nut fruit,  peaches,

 pears, apricots etc, can be used

to make a torte.

This recipe fits a 9inch springform pan.

If you don't have a springform

pan, a cake pan greased 

with paper, can be used.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

12 plums, halved and pitted.

(1 tsp cinnamon with sugar 
to sprinkle over the torte.)

Preheat oven to 350 deg F

Grease a 9 inch springform pan

and line with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour,

baking powder, and salt.

With an electric beater, beat together
the butter with sugar until fluffy,
add in the 2 eggs, beat until combined.

Mix the flour mixture and the egg mixture together.

Pour in a 9" springform pan.

The mixture will be thick,
smooth it out with a spoon.

Place the halved plums in a circle 

on top of the dough. (the fun part)

Mix together about 1 tsp. sugar and cinnamon

 and sprinkle over the top of the torte. 

Bake 350 deg.F. for 45-50 minutes.

Insert a toothpick in the middle,

 if it comes out dry,

the cake it done.

Let cool on a rack about 5 minutes,
before removing the sides.

Taste better the next day
when all the juices of the plums 
have sunk into the cake.
(But who can wait that long.
 We had a piece right away).

Great served with vanilla ice-cream.

These little Italian Plums are

 a delight to bake with.

They come ripe in September 

and have a short season. 

Excellent to eat raw and taste even 

better when used in baking.

I also freeze them to use later.

Take out the pits, cut in half,

place on a cooking sheet with

parchment paper, flash freeze a few

hours or overnight. Then place them

in freezer bags and place in freezer.

To view my blog on Plum Tart, click here.
I also make Plum Jam. my favorite Jam.

Thanks for your visit xo.

Pumpkin Cranberry Scones

Pumpkins, paired up with cranberries,

a great combination 

for afternoon tea scone.

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour

1/3 cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg

(Cloves and Ginger may be used 

or Pumpkin spice).

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Butter cubed

1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
3 tbsp Milk
1 large Egg
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour,

 brown sugar, baking powder, 

baking soda and spices, also salt.

Work butter into the flour mixture

 until it resembles coarse crumbs.

In a smaller bowl, 

whisk together Pumpkin Puree

 Milk, Egg and Vanilla

Fold the cranberries in the flour mixture.

Add the egg mixture and flour together.

Roll out until about 1/2 thick.

With a cookie cutter cut out the scones.

Place on cookie 2 cookie sheets

Bake 400deg.F for 12-15 minutes.

Mix 1/2 cup icing sugar with 1 tbsp milk.
Dribble over scones.

Thanks for your visit xo.

Rhubarb Orange Jam.

 I used frozen rhubarb for this jam recipe.

Fresh rhubarb can be used also.

Orange zest and juice heightens the flavour

and sweetens the tanginess of rhubarb.
Great tasting on toast or

 as a topping on ice cream. 

We always had rhubarb growing, when 
I great up and my Mom made large batches 
of this jam, to feed her large family. 

4 cups chopped rhubarb,

into 1/4 pieces.

 2 cups white sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

or the juice of an orange.

Grated rind of one orange.

Put rhubarb, orange juice, 

rind and sugar in a large pot 
and let sit for a few hours,
or overnight.

Bring to a boil and cook on low 
for 30 mins or until the jam thickens.
Pour into hot sterilized jars.

Enjoy...

Thanks for your visit.

💛💛💛


Check out Rhubarb Jam with Strawberry Jello,

 click here.