The Jealous Crumpet

A sweet little blog


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Chantenay Heirloom Carrot and Ginger Soup

Heirloom Carrot and Ginger SoupOn this gloomy, rainy Autumn day nothing is more perfect than a lunch of warm heirloom carrot and ginger soup. It is especially perfect when paired with fresh rolls and garnished with chives and dill.  Fresh RollsAnother great recipe for Chef Chris at The Bottle!fresh ginger

HEIRLOOM CARROT AND GINGER SOUP

(Serves 8 people)

2 tbs. whole butter

1 medium Vidalia onion

1 small clove of garlic

2 fresh bay leaves

1 tsp. salt and fresh ground pepper.

2 lbs. Chantenay carrots (any good sweet heirloom variety)

1 small piece of peeled fresh ginger (2 oz.)

6 cups vegetable stock (carrots, onions and celery)

1 cup heavy cream

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, sauté the roughly chopped vegetables in whole butter for five minutes. Add the vegetable stock, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Simmer for five minutes or until the carrots are tender. Puree and strain the mixture into another sauce pot and add the heavy cream. Bring to a light simmer and check seasoning. A few drops of lemon juice will help to bring out the flavor of the carrots. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, your favorite crusty bread and fresh herbs.

Carrot and Ginger Soup

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Olive Oil and Vinegar: More than a salad topping

King's Olive Oil Pairings

I often only think of using olive oil and vinegar as a salad dressing, but it can be used for so much more.  On a recent assignment I visited King’s Olive Oil, which sell premium grade extra virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegar and speciality food items.  The oils and vinegar come in numerous flavors and I got to sample fig balsamic vinegar, Persian lime olive oil, basil olive oil and much more.

During the shoot we sampled two wonderful desserts: vanilla bean ice cream with peach white vinegar and brownies made with blood orange olive oil.  Both were delicious and super easy.

I loved the brownies so much I went home and made a batch. They were a huge hit and everyone was impressed with my culinary prowess.  I mean, blood orange brownies, that even sounds fancy.  Here’s the secret: replace the oil in brownie mix with King’s Olive Oil infused oil and voilà Blood Orange flavored brownies.

Blood Orange BrowniesSo pop into King’s Olive Oil (and Vinegar) today and start impressing your friends.  Be sure to check out the recipe wall for more (free) culinary delights when you go in.

King Olive Oil


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Apple Pie Crostatas

Apple TartThough I have been completely remiss in posting for the ENTIRE month of December (I’m so ashamed), I did one to get one last post in before we all bid a fond (or not so fond for some of us) farewell to 2014.

Last month I had the great pleasure of photographing Margaret Baggett, chef and creator the catering company The Chef Next Door.  She also is the creator of the restaurant and speciality shop The Marketplace Cafe.Untitled-1

She baked and cooked many beautiful (and delicious) dishes, but my favorite was the Apple Pie Crostatas.  As tasty as they were stunning.  Below is Margaret’s recipe.

Easy Apple Pie Crostatas

recipe and food styling by Margret Baggett

Pillsbury rolled Pie Dough Sheets (NOT a pie shell)

Gala/Fuji/Honeycrisp Apples, unpeeled

Brown Sugar

Cinnamon

Allspice

Unsalted Butter

Milk

On a clean work surface, roll out the pie dough.

Using a small prep bowl, about 6” diameter, trace around the bowl with a knife to make a perfect circle with the dough. Place the rounds on a baking sheet

(You should get 2 circles from each sheet of pie dough. If you don’t like waste, you can remold the excess pie dough, roll it out, and repeat the tracing procedure to get a third circle.)

Slice the apples thinly.

(If you do not plan to assemble and bake the dish immediately, place the sliced apples in water with a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning.)

Place 10-12 slices of apple in the center of each pie dough round.

Sprinkle the apples liberally with brown sugar, then a dash of Cinnamon and Allspice.

Crimp the edges of the pie dough in pleats around the pile of sugared apples, almost enclosing the entire pile but leaving the top open.

Place a small dot of butter over the exposed apples, then brush the pastry lightly with milk with a pastry brush or using your finger.

Bake the crostatas at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and the apples and brown sugar are caramelized and bubbly.

1Y2B5677Enjoy and have a wonderful holiday season!

Holiday Dessert