Three-Meat Pie

Crust:
2 cups semola flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup cold water

Filling:
1/2 pound ground pork
1/3 pound ground chicken
1/3 pound ground lamb
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cup grated turnip
1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. ground clove
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

For the crust: Stir together the semola flour, salt, rosemary, and dill weed. Cut the butter into small chunks, then cut it into the flour mixture until the mixture becomes a crumbly paste. Drizzle and stir in the water. Press it together to form a dough, then divide into 2 balls. Press each ball into a thick disk, wrap them in plastic wrap, and put in the fridge to chill.

Combine all the filling ingredients in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked, then remove from heat.

Bring out the crust dough. Lay out a large sheet of plastic wrap, put one unwrapped disk of dough on it, then cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Roll out the dough to a thin, large circle, about 15" in diameter. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap, and turn the sheet of dough in to a 9" pie tin. Press the dough down into the corners.

Roll out the second disk of dough in the same manner, but keep it sandwiched between the plastic wrap. Put them back in the fridge to chill.

 Preheat oven to 400 F.

When the filling has cooled enough to handle, bring out the pie crust and spoon the filling inside. Use a slotted spoon to avoid putting the cooking liquid into the pie. Place the second sheet of dough on top. Trim around the sides of the tin, press the top and bottom crusts together around the edges. Cut slashes in the top crust. Use any leftover dough to make small decorations.

Bake for 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Whole Wheat Flax Bread

Bake rolls at 375° F for 20-25 minutes

The flax seed doesn't affect the taste or texture, it's just there to be healthy.

2 tsp yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 cups warm water
4 cups flour
1 Tbls. salt
1/3 cup ground flax seed

Dissolve the yeast and sugar into 3/4 cup of warm water.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and flax seed. When the yeast is foaming on the water, add that to the flour, as well as the rest of the water. Stir it together, then turn out onto the counter to knead it. Use flour if necessary. Knead it thoroughly, until the dough stretches rather than tears when it is pulled.

Coat the inside of the bowl and the dough with oil. Put the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.

Knead the dough a bit, and shape into a log. Oil the inside of the bread pan and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.

Spray the inside of the cold oven with water and place the bread pan in the center of the oven. Turn the oven to 350 F. Bake for 40-45 minutes (including pre-heating time), until the crust is a deep golden brown on top, and golden brown on the sides and bottom.

Apple Chutney

4 cups apples, diced to 1/2" pieces with the cored removed
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 Tbls. apple cider
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. mustard seed
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. saffron powder
3/4 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it is boiling, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 50-60 minutes, until the liquid is reduced to a small amount of thick syrup. Remove from heat and let cool completely so that it can continue to thicken.

Potato, Onion, and Cheese Pasties

double batch of pie crust dough
2 1/2 cups diced potatoes
1 1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup half-and-half, or milk
1/2 cup ground mustard seed
1 1/2 cup grated or cubed cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
beaten egg and milk to glaze the crusts

Bring water to boil in a large pot over high heat. Add the potato and onion. Cover the pan and boil until the potatoes are soft (this timing depends on how small the pieces are). Remove from heat, strain away the water, and put the potatoes and onions in a large bowl.

Add the half-and-half to the bowl. Mash everything until the potatoes are smooth. Stir in the mustard, salt, pepper, and cheese.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Make small balls of pastry dough and roll them out to small circles, about 5"-6" wide. Put a spoonful of filling onto each circle, wet the edges of the crust with water, then fold them in half, pinching the edges together. You should be able to make 8 pasties.

Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Glaze the top with a mixture of beaten egg and a bit of milk. (I forgot this step, so my pasties were pale.) Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crusts are golden brown.

Carrot Turnip Farls

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup grated carrot
3/4 cup grated turnip
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat a skillet over medium-low heat.

Stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir in the grated vegetables until they are well mixed and coated in the flour. Stir the buttermilk in to make a dough.

On a floured surface, quickly knead the dough to make it coherent. Divide into 2 pieces and roll each piece into a circle about 1/2" thick. Cut into quarters. Cook the pieces for 6-8 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Florida Pie

3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbls arrowroot powder
1 1/2 cups orange juice
3 egg yolks
2 large oranges, or 6 clementines or tangerines
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 deep-dish, 9" pie crust, baked

Meringue:
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar

Grate the peel of an orange to get 1 Tbls of orange zest (only the very outer layer of the peel, no white pith). Then peel the oranges, discard the peel, seeds, and as much pith as possible, and puree the oranges and orange zest in a blender. Chop the butter into small cubes. In a bowl, combine the orange puree, butter, and lemon juice.

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks until smooth. Place the egg whites somewhere warm.

In a large pot, stir together the arrowroot and sugar. Stir in the orange juice. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low. 

Pour a small amount of hot filling into the egg yolks, stirring as you pour. Then pour the yolk mixture back into the pan, stirring constantly as you pour.

Remove from heat. Stir in the pureed orange mixture. Pour into pie crust.

In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust.

Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Let cool in the fridge until completely chilled before serving. The longer it has time to chill, the more solid the filling becomes.

Almond Scones

3 cups almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1 Tbls honey or maple syrup
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 300° F.

Stir together the almond meal, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter as small as it will go, then stir in the honey/maple syrup and eggs, forming a soft, sticky dough.

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Form small balls with the dough, then press them into disks on the baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden brown.

Crusty Country Pasties

Crust:
1 cup whole wheat flour
6 Tbls. butter
1/4 cup cold water
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp ground mustard seed

Filling:
1/2 cup diced potato
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup chopped green beans
2 Tbls. oil
1 Tbls. flour
1 Tbls. butter
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable stock

Crust: Stir together the flour, salt, pepper, basil, and ground mustard. Cut in the butter until the flour is all moistened, but leave some larger chunks of butter. Stir in the water to make a soft dough. Press the dough together, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill while making the filling.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, sautee the vegetables with the oil for 3 minutes. Mix together the flour, rosemary, fennel, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low, push the vegetables to one side, and melt the butter on the other side. When it is melted, stir the flour mixture into the butter, then stir everything together. Add the vegetable stock and keep stirring as a gravy forms. Then remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Divide the crust dough into 4 parts. Roll each section into a thin circle. Get the outline of the circles wet with water or beaten egg. Put 1/2 cup of filling onto each crust piece, and fold the crust over the filling, pinching together the edges to seal it closed.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the pasties on without touching each other. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crusts are golden brown.

Pety Pernauntes

Period: England, 1300s-1400s
Sources: Medieval Cookery

Crust:
1 cup semola flour
1 Tbls. sugar
1 tiny pinch of saffron
1/8 tsp. salt
6 Tbls. butter
1/4 cup water

Filling:
6 egg yolks
1 Tbls. water
1/2 tsp. gelatin
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
1/4 cup minced dates
1/4 cup minced raisins, dried currant berries, or similar

For the crust: Stir together the flour, sugar, saffron, and salt. Cut in the butter until it creates moist crumbs, leaving some small chunks of butter. Stir in the water, forming a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge while making the filling.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Dissolve the gelatin in the water. Beat together the egg yolks, gelatin, sugar, and powdered ginger until the mixture is very light, as light as you can reasonably get it. Then stir in the dates and raisins.

Divide the crust dough into 12 pieces, 6 of them slightly smaller than the others. Roll the larger balls out into circles and line 6 cups in a mini tart pan. Put about 2 Tbls. of filling into each cup--there will be a little extra, so divide it evenly. Then roll the smaller balls of dough to make top crusts. Leave a little bit of space, if you can, between the filling and the top crust.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Blueberry Pie

1 double batch of pie crust dough
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Tbls butter
1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Prepare the bottom pie crust in the pie tin.

Stir together the sugar and arrowroot powder. Cut the butter into the mixture until it is no longer dry. Stir in the cinnamon and lemon juice, then gently stir in the blueberries, to coat them.

Pour the filling mixture into the pie tin.

Place remaining pie crust on top, seal and flute edges. Slit the top crust a few times for steam to escape. Or do a decorative top crust with holes in it.

Place a pie shield or strips of foil around edges before baking. Bake in 400 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until juices begin to bubble through slits, removing foil or shield at around 25 minutes into baking.

Cool completely before cutting.

(I did not have any foil when I made this, so you can see how the edges need protecting.)

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbls. flour or corn starch
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix the sour cream, sugar, egg, flour/corn starch, vanilla extract, salt, and nutmeg, until smooth. Gently stir in the blueberries.

Pour into the pie crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes.

Wheat Coconut Pie Crust

This is a very light, crisp, and flaky crust that holds together. Good for tarts, pasties, or any pie with a solid filling that can be eaten by hand.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
6 Tbls. coconut oil
1/4 cup water
1/8 tsp. salt

The coconut oil must be solid for a proper pie crust. If it is melted/soft, it will make a crust that is very soft and doesn't hold form (still tastes good though).

Cut the coconut oil into the flour. If you use your hands, it will melt quite easily. Blend it so that some of it is melted in, and some of it is still in chunks. Dissolve the salt in the water, and stir that into the mixture, forming a very soft dough. Press the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic.

Chill for at least 10 minutes before rolling out into a crust. Be gentle, because the coconut oil is quite soft. Use a dusting of flour if necessary to prevent sticking.

To bake the crust alone, bake at 350 F for 27 minutes. Otherwise, follow pie recipe instructions.

Makes a single deep-dish pie crust.

Dark Mustard

2 tsp. horseradish powder
2 Tbls. mustard powder
2 Tbls. whole mustard seed
1/2 tsp. smoked salt
1/4 cup cold water
1 Tbls. molasses
1 Tbls. balsamic vinegar

Coarsely grind the mustard seeds in a mortar with a pestle. Combine the horseradish, mustard powder and seeds, salt, and water, and stir thoroughly. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Stir in the molasses and balsamic vinegar. Let cure for a day before using.

This is a really strong mustard. For the sharpest, darkest mustard, use brown or black seeds. The mustard shown here used white seeds.

Fried Corn Cakes

The corn fries to a crunchy shell, with a soft interior.

1 cup corn meal
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbls honey or sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cups water or vegetable stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup mixed vegetables (e.g. corn, beans, minced peppers)

Canola oil for frying

Stir together the corn meal, flour, sugar if using, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Slowly stir in the water and honey if using. It should be a thick, but smooth, batter. Stir in the chives and vegetables.

Heat like 1/2” of oil in a skillet over high heat, then turn the heat to medium when it gets hot. Drop large spoonfuls of batter into the oil and press them down into patties. Cook on each side until golden brown. Place them on a cooking rack on top of a baking sheet to drain oil before serving. Eat plain as a snack, or add toppings like basically what you would put on a taco.

Blueberry Soup

4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
3 cups water
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Combine the blueberries, water, sugar, and allspice in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. In small batches, blend the blueberry base with the yogurt in a blender, until the soup is completely smooth. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, then serve.

Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch thin asparagus stalks
3 Tbls olive oil
1 1/2 Tbls grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbls lemon juice (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Break off the woody ends of the asparagus by bending them towards the end until the end snaps off.

In a bowl, drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus and toss to coat them with the oil. Add the other seasonings (minus the lemon juice) and toss to coat.

Place the asparagus on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until tender. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve hot.

Honey Cornbread & Muffins

1 cup corn meal

1 cup flour

1 Tbls baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into the mixture. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, and milk. Add to the dry mixture and stir until just mixed, then stir in the honey. It is ok to have lumps, as they will continue to absorb moisture and dissolve.

Cornbread loaf: bake for 20 minutes in a greased 9" square or circular baking pan.

Muffins: Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Divide the batter into the cups. Bake for 15 minutes.

Corn Tortillas

1 cup masa harina (for more corn flavor & color, use 3/4 cup masa harina and 1/4 cup yellow or blue corn meal)
3/4 - 1 cup warm water
1/4 tsp salt

Stir together the flour and salt. Stir in 3/4 cup water to make a moist dough. Moist enough to stick together, dry enough to form a ball instead of sticky globs on your hands. knead it to make a smooth ball of dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap or a wet towel and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb its moisture. Knead in more flour or water if necessary after it has sat for a while. It should feel like playdough.

Preheat a frying pan over high heat, then turn it to medium.

Prepare a pressing folder by cutting open 3 edges of a plastic storage bag, or cutting a rectangle of baking parchment and folding in half into a square.

Form a small ball of dough, place on one half of the pressing folder, fold over the other half, and use a flat-bottomed plate to press the dough into a circle. Press the tortillas as thin as you can. Peel off the top half, flip the dough onto one hand and peel off the other half of the folder.

Cook them over medium heat until browned on each side.

I made them thicker than store tortillas and didn't try bending them, but I like the texture and flavor more that way.

Pickled Grapes

Makes 1 pint.

1/2 lb grapes (any type)
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. black peppercorns
3/4 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. salt
4 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 grams (0.1 oz) dried orange peel (Probably 1 tsp.)
9 grams (0.3 oz) candied ginger (probably 1 Tbls.)

(Sorry for the awkward measurements. My orange peel and ginger are in chunks and I didn't want to cut them small enough to measure volume.)

Wash the grapes and remove stems. Put in a clean 1-pint jar.

Cook the rest of the ingredients over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Pour everything into the jar with the grapes. Set aside for about an hour to cool, then put the lid on and turn the jar upside-down to distribute the spices.

Store in fridge. They will take about 24 hrs to cure. They will keep for 4-5 days.

Semola Pie Crust

For a single crust.

6 Tbls butter
1 cup semola flour
1/4 cup water
1/8 tsp salt

Cut the butter into the flour until it's crumbly and there's no dry powder.

Dissolve the salt into the water, then stir it into the flour and butter. Stir to make a soft dough.

Roll out on a piece of waxed paper. Use flour if necessary on top and bottom to prevent sticking. Roll to 1/8".

Use the waxed paper to flip the crust over into the pie tin. Trim the edges and fill in any holes, etc.

To bake the crust alone, bake at 350 F for 27 minutes. Otherwise, follow pie recipe instructions.