Must-have seasonal dishes/meals?

[annabelle]

Tonight, I am going to repurpose a moussaka I baked Saturday into a pizza topping on homemade focaccia.

[Smithy]

Tonight, I am going to repurpose a moussaka I baked Saturday into a pizza topping on homemade focaccia.

What a wonderful idea! Do you do anything extra to the moussaka - for instance, chop it finely, or separate the layers - or do you just spoon it as-is onto the focaccia?

[Lindacakes]

Soup of all kinds, but I like Gypsy Soup from the (much hated by eGulleters) Moosewood cookbook. Featuring sweet potatoes, green beans and chick peas. I also like minestrone.

For those who enjoy their seasonal food rituals I recommend photographing them throughout the year and then creating a calendar for yourself or family member. I did this for my partner one year, our favorite desserts throughout the year and it was a huge hit, still on the wall.

February was a heart-shaped red velvet cake, July was blueberry pie, May was rhubarb ginger cake, November a pumpkin pie, Christmas was a plate of cookies, our birthday months had our birthday cakes, etc.

[lindag]

I made my own Mixed Bean Soup yesterday.

Bob's Red Mill 13 bean soup mix

Chicken stock

Better than Bouillion Ham flavor

Andouille sausage

Potato

Rutabaga

Celery

Carrot

Fennel Bulb

Small bunch kale

Garlic

Red Pepper Flakes

Canned, diced tomatoes

I think it was the best soup I've ever made.

[Lindsey]

Bacon and Onion Pudding Recipe for Jaymes.

300g/10 oz Self-Raising Flour

½ a teaspoon Salt

150g/5 oz fresh Suet, chopped to coarse crumbs or packet suet

Filling:

250g- 300g (8-10 oz) Back Bacon, chopped

2 big Onions, peeled and finely-chopped

4 Leeks, trimmed, cut into matchstick ‘julienne’ strips

1 teaspoon Dried Sage

Salt and freshly-ground Black Pepper

Method

1. Mix the flour, salt and suet with your hands, and bind it into a soft but not tacky dough – with a little iced-water.

2. Chill the dough for 30 minutes to an hour, and roll it out into a big rectangle 1cm/½ in thick.

3. Dot it evenly with the filling items, leaving a small rim of dough free, season with a little salt (depending on the bacon used) and plenty of pepper..

4. Roll it up from a short or long side – depending on your steaming facilities.

5. Brush the rolled ends with water and press the dough together to keep the filling in place.

6. Wrap the roll very loosely in foil, leaving plenty of room for the dough to swell.

7. Steam the package for 2 hours, then remove to a dish.

8. Open the foil, and carefully pour off any juices – you can use these or not, personal choice.

I have re-jigged the instructions for ease but the puddings I remember were cooked always in a linen cloth, but no foil was available in those days. I tend to add some chopped parsley both to the dough and to the mix and, again personal choice, I like to use a few rashers of smoked bacon for extra flavour, I fry these off before adding to the mix. You can put the pudding into a hot oven for 20 mins to crisp up if this is your preference, lovely but not a 'pudding' in my eyes LOL!!!! This was always served with plain boiled potatoes and carrots I seem to remember. Made with a light hand this is a thing of ultimate comfort on a very cold and dreich night. My Nanna would always have a bottle of local ale with this, the ale had to be poured into a glass in front of a light or window, it would still be fermenting in the bottle, I think it was called a Worthington White Shield.

Thanks!

Re the suet. Do you buy it ready-to-use, or do you render it yourself?

Have used it neat from the butcher but that was back in the days at school, now it comes from a packet!