Celeriac & Apple Soup

  • I tried out this new recipe yesterday and it was delicious.
  • The balance of flavours can be adjusted depending on how large your celeriac is and how many apples you have.
  • Bramley cooking apples or other sour apples are needed as the soup is not intended to be sweet – more the sourness that is so popular in many Polish dishes.
  • This soup is one that is served warm.

Ingredients

  • 1 celeriac
  • 3 – 4 large Bramley apples.
  • 2-3 tablespoons of butter
  • 1½ litres of vegetable stock ( I use Marigold powder)
  • 125ml of dry sherry or wine
  • Salt & Pepper to taste.

Method

  • Peel the celeriac and chop it into small pieces.
  • Peel and core the apples and chop them into small pieces.
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the celeriac and apples.
  • Heat then gently to soften but do not brown.
  • Add the stock and bring to the boil.
  • Put the lid on the saucepan and then simmer until the celeriac is soft.
  • Use a stick blender to purée the soup.
  • Season to taste.
  • Stir in the sherry and serve.

Meakin – Spanish garden soup dish

Red Cabbage Goląbki

  • I bought this little booklet in Wrocław and have been trying out a few ideas.
  • These goląbki are made with red cabbage and filled with apples, onion and sultanas. 
  • I found that red cabbage leaves seem tougher than white cabbage and did not tear as much.
  • I steamed the red cabbage as I find this easier than boiling.
  • Of course your hands will be full of red/purple dye – lemon juice at the end gets rid of most of the colour.
  • They take a lot of time to prepare – next time I will make the filling the day before.
  • The original recipe used water in which to cook the goląbki.

Ingredients for the filling

  • 2 onions – chopped
  • 3 Bramley apples – peeled, cored and chopped
  • 2 cups of boiled rice – a sticky type is good
  • Large handful of sultanas or raisins
  • 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of marjoram or Italian herbs
  • 2-3 tablespoons of butter to fry the onions and apples

Method for the filling

  • Fry the onions gently in the butter – do not brown.
  • Once the onions are soft and golden add the apples and heat together.
  • Add the rice, sultanas and sugar.
  • Mix well and leave to cool.

Ingredients for the goląbki

  • 1 red cabbage
  • Water or apple juice
  • *
  • Filling as above

Method for goląbki

  • Steam a whole cabbage.
  • Cut off the leaves one by one as they become pliable.
  • You can cut out some of the thick part of the base of the leaf.
  • 11 – 12 leaves are good for this amount of filling.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM 4 –  180°C.
  • Place 2 tablespoons of filling onto each leaf.
  • Roll up the leaves with the thick part inside first.
  • Place the goląbki close together in a roasting tin.
  • Cover the goląbki with hot water or apple juice.
  • *
  • If you have any leaves left over, cover the dish with these.
  • Cover the dish with aluminium foil.
  • Cook for around 2-3 hours in the oven.
  • *
  • Discard the extra leaves which are there to take up any excess heat and prevent the goląbki burning.
  • *
  • You can cook these earlier and reheat for an hour when required.

NOTE

I thought they were even nicer with the apple juice the second time I made them.

Courgette Tart

  • This delicious recipe originated from an old Yorkshire recipe for marrow  tart.
  • Did you know that marrow and courgettes are varieties of the same species – Cucurbita pepo? 
  • As courgettes are more abundant in shops now I decided to use these in the tart.
  • The amount of sugar in the original recipe was too much – everyone thought it was too sweet.
  • The ratio of courgettes to sugar has been adjusted and now very well liked.

INGREDIENTS

  • Shortcrust pastry – kruche ciasto
  • *
  • 500g courgettes
  • 2 large lemons
  • 350g sugar
  • 85g butter
  • *
  • Beaten egg white to brush

METHOD

  • First make the filling.
  • Peel the courgettes and cut them into chunks.
  • Steam the courgettes till they are soft.
  • Leave to cool and dry them off.
  • Mash the courgettes using a potato masher.
  • Put the courgettes, lemon rind and juice, sugar and butter into a small saucepan.
  • Heat them up and simmer whilst stirring until the mixture is thick.
  • Leave to cool completely.
  • *
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM6 – 200°C.
  • Line a tart tin – loose bottomed is best – with the shortcrust pastry.
  • Place on a metal baking sheet.
  • Fill with the filling.
  • Use strips of pastry to partly cover the top.
  • Brush the pastry with the egg white.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 mins.
  • Royal Doulton Sonnet &
  • Duchess Silver Rose Tea Plates
  • *
  • I am sure I will be able to think of other other ideas for this filling.

Salmon & Pepper Soup

  • This soup is delicious and I think it will be the basis of at least two other recipes.
  • It is based on one found in one of my recent book purchases in Wrocław.
  • Łosoś is salmon in Polish
  • Did you know that Poland is a big importer of salmon, much of which comes from Sweden?

Ingredients

  • 2 onions
  • 3 peppers – different colours
  • 200-300g fresh salmon -(1-2 whole pieces best)
  • 1½ litres vegetable stock
  • ½ teaspoon hot paprika
  • A little sunflower oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • *
  • Optional – chopped flat leaved parsley or chives to garnish 

Method

  • Cut the onions in half and then slice then thinly.
  • De-seed the peppers and then cut into long thin slices.
  • Lightly fry the onion and peppers in a little sunflower oil till soft.
  • Add the paprika and the vegetable stock.
  • Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for around 10 minutes.
  • Add the pieces of salmon and simmer for around 15 minutes.
  • Take out the salmon, remove the skin and cut into chunks.
  • Put the salmon back into the soup.
  • Season if necessary.
  • *
  • Garnish with green herbs if you have them.
  • *
  •  Great with crusty French style bread.

Served in a Royal Doulton – Carnation Soup Plate.

Chicken with Sour Plums & Sherry Sauce

  • I adapted a recipe I saw in a magazine to make this dish.
  • It reminded me of my pork with sour plums recipe.

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken thighs with skin on
  • 6 -8 plums – best under ripe

Ingredients for Sauce

  • I small onion – chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 100ml of sweet sherry & a splash at the end
  • 250ml chicken stock 

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM6 – 200°C
  • Lightly grease a baking tray and place the chicken thighs on it.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.
  • *
  • Cut the plums in half and remove the stones.
  • Place the plums cut side down around the chicken.
  • Bake for another 30 minutes.
  • *
  • Start to make the sauce – see below
  • *
  • Take the chicken & plums out of the oven and place in a dish and keep warm.
  • *
  • Add the chicken and plums juices to the sauce and boil for around 5 minutes.
  • Add a splash of sherry.
  • *
  • Pour the sauce over the chicken and plums for each serving.

Method for Sherry Sauce

  • Gently fry the onions in the butter till softened.
  •  Add the sherry and heat for a few minutes.
  • Pour in the chicken stock and simmer for around 10 minutes.
  • *
  • Add the meat and plum juices and boil gently for around 5 minutes
  • Add a splash of sherry before serving.

Royal Doulton – Burgundy Plates

Battered Aubergines

  • Bakłażan is the Polish for aubergine.
  • This recipes you can often find in recipes for tapas.
  • I have used this batter as one of three batters in my post on Battered Cauliflower
  • *
  • If you liked my recipe for Breaded Aubergines I am sure you will like this as well.

  • Ingredients

  • 1 Aubergine
  • Salt
  • *
  • Batter
  • 100g flour
  • 25Oml very cold sparkling water
  • *
  • Sunflower oil to fry
  • Runny honey to serve
  • Ground black pepper

Method

  • Slice the aubergine into circles and place into a colander.
  • Sprinkle with salt and leave for 30 minutes. 
  • Dry them off with kitchen paper.
  • *
  • Whisk the sparking water into the flour – you might not want all of it.
  • You are aiming for a batter like single cream.
  • *
  • Coat the aubergine slices in the batter.
  • Fry in hot sunflower oil.
  • Make sure both sides are cooked.
  • *
  • Dry them off on kitchen roll.
  • You can keep them warm in an oven whilst you cook the rest.
  • *
  • Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
  • Serve with a little runny honey.

Vintage Pyrex plate

Peach Soup

  • This is a super soup which can be served warm or chilled.
  • A dollop of yoghourt is good with the chilled version.
  • I prefered it warm even though this is summer fruit.

Ingredients

  • 6 peaches or nectarines
  • 250 ml white wine
  • 80g granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • Pinch of ground ginger
  • *
  • Optional – dollop of yoghurt for serving when chilled 

Method

  • Quarter the fruit and remove the stones.
  • Put the fruit, sugar and spices in a pan with the wine.
  • Simmer the fruit in the wine for around 15 minutes until they are soft.
  • Blend the mixture with a stick blender.
  • Serve warm or chilled.

Served in Royal Doulton Burgundy and Bavaria China

Chocolate Orange Cake – 2

      • This is a variation on my iced orange yoghurt cake.
      • Yoghurt is used in the cake and the texture is great.
      • The cake is the same but a chocolate icing is used on the top.
      • I learnt a tip, which was to add the orange rind to the sugar for about 30 minutes beforehand- this adds to the flavour.
      • I used a chocolate bar that had some orange flavouring in it already.

      Ingredients

      • 200g plain flour
      • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
      • 200g granulated sugar
      • Zest of 1 large orange
      • 185ml of Greek style yoghurt
      • 3 eggs
      • 120ml sunflower oil
      • Large pinch of salt

      Method

      • Add the zest to the sugar and leave for about 30 minutes.
      • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180ºC.
      • Use a loaf liner to line a 2 lb loaf tin.
      • Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.
      • Add the yoghurt and eggs to the sugar mixture.
      • Gradually add the flour mixture and mix well.
      • Add the oil and mix well again.
      • Pour the batter into the loaf tin and smooth the top.
      • Bake for around 40 to 45 minutes.
      • Check a little earlier and cover with greaseproof  paper if it is starting to burn.
      • Leave to cool in the tin.

    Chocolate Orange Icing – Ingredients

  • 50g dark chocolate or dark chocolate with orange flavouring
  • Grated rind of 1 orange
  • 25g butter
  • 2 tablespoons of icing sugar

Method

  • Put the chocolate into a bowl over a pan of hot water.
  • Add the orange rind and butter.
  • Stir whilst the chocolate melts.
  • Add the icing sugar until you have a thick icing.
  • Use this to cover the top of the cake and let it dripple down the sides
  • Served on Royal Doulton  Counterpoint Tea Plates

White Bean Soup – Ułańska

  • I made this soup recently and it was delicious.
  • I am very curious about the name – maybe one of you knows the history?
  • The ułani are the Uhlans – The Lancers.
  • A cavalry regiment famous in many patriotic folksongs such as  
  • ‘Hej, Hej ułani’
  • *
  • What is the relationship between them and this soup?
  • I cannot envisage them having these ingredients on their travels!

Ingredients

  • 200g thick cut bacon – cut into small pieces
  • 2 onions – chopped fine
  • 2 cloves of garlic – chopped
  • 1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 tin of cannellini beans – drained
  • 60g ‘big’ dried pasta
  • 250 soured cream
  • Pinch of paprika
  • Ground pepper to taste
  • Sunflower to fry the onions

Method

  • Gently fry the onions in sunflower oil till soft.
  • Add the garlic, mix and fry a little more.
  • Add the bacon and fry for a few minutes more.
  • Add the pinch of paprika.
  • Add the chicken stock and simmer for around 30 minutes.
  • Add the beans and the pasta and simmer until the pasta is cooked.
  • Add ground pepper to taste.
  • Stir in the soured cream and serve.
  • *
  • Option – you can omit the soured cream – still nice.

Served in Royal Stafford – Blossom Time

Rhubarb Soup – 2

  • This is a  variation on my earlier post of rhubarb soup,  in fruit soups, which is usually served chilled.
  • This one is best served warm.
  • It is based on one in a recent book purchase from my trip to Wrocław. 
  • Some of the sweetnest is achieved by using prunes.

Ingredients

  • 100g prunes
  • Rind of 1 lemon
  • 400g of  rhubarb – chopped into small pieces
  • 1½ litres of water
  • 100g of granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of potato flour
  • 180ml of soured cream

Method

  • Put the prunes in the water and leave to stand for an hour.
  • Add the lemon rind and simmer for a while.
  • Add the chopped rhubarb and bring to the boil.
  • Simmer gently until the rhubarb is cooked.
  • Sieve the liquid.
  • Add the sugar to the liquid.
  • Mix the potato flour with a little cold water.
  • Add the potato flour mix.
  • Heat gently with stirring until the soup thickens.
  • Add the soured cream.

Served warm

Can be served with sponge fingers.

Alfred Meakin – Spanish Garden Dish