Manitoulin test kitchen (Part 2)

[Kerry Beal]

Indeed - some sort of potato croquette with cheese and onion - forgotten the name they gave them - maybe potato bites?

[Tri2Cook]

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Entertained by this partridge on the road -

That reminds me... I have 6 of those vacuum packed in my freezer. I should do something with them one of these days.

So I made the summer torte today with local wild blueberries. I really like the taste but I made a dumb error. I wanted to get the grass cut after work before the rain predicted for this evening hit so I mixed up the torte, tossed it in the oven, set the timer per the recipe and asked for it to be removed from the oven when the timer went off. I then went outside to start on the grass. I know better than that. I never bake a new recipe on the timer. That's strictly for recipes I've done enough to know exactly (in my oven) when to pull it. So I got a nice looking, tasty but a bit over-baked and slightly dry blueberry summer torte. Not enough to land it in the bin but not what I suspect it should be. The taste is enough for me to know I'll do it again... but I'll keep an eye on it next time. For this one, I added some grated lemon zest to the batter and sprinkled the berries with vanilla sugar instead of the cinnamon sugar.

 

[Kerry Beal]

After lunch we stopped in at Tracy's to pick some raspberries.  

 

 

 

Tracy and her hubby live on the water - a property zoned for farming - they have a couple of horses.  

 

 

And raspberries!

 

[Kerry Beal]

 

Stopped in at the grocery store on our way home - and guess what we found - right on Manitoulin?  Mussels - so there is hope Tri2Cook!

 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

While we were enjoying a glass of vin de peche with Kira's sitter - the sky to the north started to look a little spooky.  

 

 

Then a little spookier - and the air got cold - 

 

 

Then it lightened up - but it didn't get warm!

 

 

We did have a power outage for a few minutes - right at a critical cooking point!

 

 

A caipirinha for Anna and I before dinner - actually Anna snacked -  and I just realized now that I didn't have dinner.

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

That reminds me... I have 6 of those vacuum packed in my freezer. I should do something with them one of these days.

So I made the summer torte today with local wild blueberries. I really like the taste but I made a dumb error. I wanted to get the grass cut after work before the rain predicted for this evening hit so I mixed up the torte, tossed it in the oven, set the timer per the recipe and asked for it to be removed from the oven when the timer went off. I then went outside to start on the grass. I know better than that. I never bake a new recipe on the timer. That's strictly for recipes I've done enough to know exactly (in my oven) when to pull it. So I got a nice looking, tasty but a bit over-baked and slightly dry blueberry summer torte. Not enough to land it in the bin but not what I suspect it should be. The taste is enough for me to know I'll do it again... but I'll keep an eye on it next time. For this one, I added some grated lemon zest to the batter and sprinkled the berries with vanilla sugar instead of the cinnamon sugar.

 

I add a little lemon oil to the batter and usually use plain sugar (if I remember to sprinkle with sugar)!

[Tri2Cook]

Stopped in at the grocery store on our way home - and guess what we found - right on Manitoulin?  Mussels - so there is hope Tri2Cook!

Definitely gonna ask. Although I should probably work on using up some of the stuff I have in the freezer before I start trying to get more stuff. Went through it this evening and found the partridges along with assorted elk meat, raw elk bones, smoked elk bones and some moose loin and moose sausages that I forgot were in there. I sometimes worry that I'm becoming a food hoarder.  

 

[Kerry Beal]

 

For work tomorrow I made Fruit Crumble Bars with the raspberries and blueberries.  

[Kerry Beal]

This evening I've been playing with the l'ambroisie chocolate tart under discussion in this thread.  

 

 

Mixed the eggs and sugar for most of 30 minutes in the thermomix (or until the power went off) - then mixed in the ganache that I had tempered.  

 

 

Now due to my chronic inability to follow directions (the pastry recipe was for two tarts and was to have been refrigerated for 24 hours) I ended up with pastry that could be used as a doorstop.  It also provided wonderful insulation against the heat in the oven for the filling.  So the 12 minutes did absolutely nothing towards cooking the filling I'd say.

 

 

 

So now I had leftover filling that was to have filled the second tart (the pastry of which was insulating the first tart) - Anna suggested the phyllo that was in the fridge left over from the burek.  Much more interesting texture - I baked this one about 4 minutes more.  

 

 

I put tart number one back in the oven for 5 minutes - still too oozy - but after letting it sit for another 5 or so in the cooling oven - the filling seemed perfect.  Sadly the pastry didn't improve!

 

[Anna N]

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Stopped in at the grocery store on our way home - and guess what we found - right on Manitoulin?  Mussels - so there is hope Tri2Cook!

 

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Let me explain some of the dishes and stuff from the Flee Market. We are having company for lunch tomorrow. She is a chocolatier/baker from another part of the Island whom neither of us has met. She was delighted to be asked to join us and I was relieved beyond measure to learn she would eat anything! She loves trying new things and since Kerry will be working it's up to me to plan and prep lunch. I decided on soup and salad but the soup will be my version of Tom Kha Goong. There are many bowls here but none really suitable for this soup hence the small bowls.

The very pretty, pale celadon plate is just for a bit of photographic variety, the quiche dish is self-explanatory and the round casserole is to take south for some real Lancashire hot pot.

The napkins are meant for some photo props as I am getting bored!

[adey73]

so let me get this straight..... that final photo (which is as close as I have seen to the original) is of the first attempt that has been left for an extra 10 minutes after the oven was turned off?

 

Has any extra cocoa butter been added?

 

what spead you whip?

Edited July 30, 2014 by adey73 (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Added probably 2-3% extra cocoa butter - whipped in TMX for about 30 minutes at speed 3 with whisk (butterfly) in place.  So first attempt - cooked for 12 minutes - too loose, back in for another 4 minutes or so - still too loose - back in cooling oven for about 10 minutes.  

[Anna N]

Poached eggs on toast again! Best way to really appreciate farm-fresh eggs

Going to make caroled's banana bread today having obtained a can of crushed pineapple and more very ripe bananas.

Will sous vide lamb chops for dinner and make roasted potatoes in the combi oven to go with them.

I have couple of other things on my list but will see how the day progresses before I commit.

[rotuts]

in the pic w the flour in the background:

 

there are 4 little  ( ? ) cans of   ____  Magic

 

what are they ?

 

many thanks for all the pic of the countryside and of course all the cooking !

 

[Anna N]

in the pic w the flour in the background:

 

there are 4 little  ( ? ) cans of   ____  Magic

 

what are they ?

 

many thanks for all the pic of the countryside and of course all the cooking !

 

That is Citrus Magic for removing labels and such. Similar to Goo-Gone but in spray format. 50c each.

[weinoo]

Ran the jars through the steam oven to sterilize them. 

 

Wow - that is an off-label, non-prescription use...and a brilliant one at that.

 

May I ask for how long and at what temp?

[Kerry Beal]

You may ask - but you may not get a correct answer - I just put them in and took them out when I was ready for them.  Suspect it was around 20 minutes.  Temp was 210F.

[Anna N]

So I am sitting here quite pleased with myself. The banana bread is in the oven when I suddenly realize the sugar is still on the counter. DAMN.

[ElsieD]

So I am sitting here quite pleased with myself. The banana bread is in the oven when I suddenly realize the sugar is still on the counter. DAMN.

Did something similar last week, not that it will make you feel any better. I made biscuits and when I went to check on them and saw that they were still flat little pucks, I realized that I had forgotten to include the baking powder.

[Anna N]

Did something similar last week, not that it will make you feel any better. I made biscuits and when I went to check on them and saw that they were still flat little pucks, I realized that I had forgotten to include the baking powder.

Now I must decide if I will get back on this horse today or not. Cannot re-do the banana bread as I used up most of the oil and all of the pineapple and the bananas. Do I attempt the crust for another quiche or do I throw in towel and hope that tomorrow is a better day?

[rotuts]

Id not give up quite yet

 

try a slice as toast.

 

just dont burn

 

 

[Toliver]

Now I must decide if I will get back on this horse today or not. Cannot re-do the banana bread as I used up most of the oil and all of the pineapple and the bananas. Do I attempt the crust for another quiche or do I throw in towel and hope that tomorrow is a better day?

Make a trifle with the sugarless bread. Or a bread pudding.

Get back in the saddle and make the quiche crust. Then when it's cocktail time, imbibe freely. You deserve it.

[ElsieD]

Now I must decide if I will get back on this horse today or not. Cannot re-do the banana bread as I used up most of the oil and all of the pineapple and the bananas. Do I attempt the crust for another quiche or do I throw in towel and hope that tomorrow is a better day?

If it was me making the crust, I would give it a pass only because one could break a tooth trying to eat it.

[FauxPas]

Now I must decide if I will get back on this horse today or not. Cannot re-do the banana bread as I used up most of the oil and all of the pineapple and the bananas. Do I attempt the crust for another quiche or do I throw in towel and hope that tomorrow is a better day?

 

How did the banana bread turn out? Maybe it's not that bad! 

 

Make the quiche crust! 

[Anna N]

How did the banana bread turn out? Maybe it's not that bad!

Make the quiche crust!

The banana bread was rather odd as is to be expected when you omit the sugar. However, it is on its way to the clinic renamed Nana Nielsen's Nummy Nana Bread! I split it in half longways, drizzled it with warmed Manitoulin honey, reassembled it, sliced it and we'll await the verdict.

Edited to add that the pastry for the quiche crust is chilling in the fridge.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Anna N (log)