Cape Cod Peach Pie

A delightful long weekend at the Cape and overripe peaches brought us to yearning for a delicious sweet fresh peach pie. As with most of the Empty Nester Gourmet's recipes, this one is easy and quick ... and on your dessert table, warm and ready to top with ice cream, in less than 90 minutes.  We were very excited to try out the very beautiful La Cornue oven which resides majestically in the house where we were staying (see sidebar).

Ingredients


3 cups overripe peaches, peeled, pitted and cut in quarters or sixths
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten slightly with fork
2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup whipped butter, melted
1 pie crust/pate brisée (bottom and top for lattice)
Egg wash -- 1 egg + 1 tbsp. cold water, slightly beaten with fork
Sanding sugar -- approx. 1 tbsp.
Optional -- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Process
1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
2. Press bottom crust into pie plate, crimping edges decoratively.
3. Mix egg, sugar, flour, lemon juice and butter in a bowl until well blended. Set aside.
4. Peel, pit and slice peaches, and arrange in single layer on bottom of crust, then second layer.
5. Top with egg/sugar mixture.
6. Prepare lattice topping and layer on top of pie mixture, cutting edges and fitting snugly into crimped pie shell. (Use egg wash to seal edges.)
7. Brush top and crimped edges with egg wash, dust with sanding sugar, and cinnamon, if desired.
8. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400F for 15 minutes, or until crust is browned. Reduce oven to 350F and bake for another 30-40 minutes, or until filling is well set. If crust browns too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil. Allow to cool for approx. 1 hour before eating. Top with your favorite ice cream, or whipped cream.


Bien Sur! Cooking Commes Les Rois ...

The website for La Cornue ovens features a variety of sizes and colors of their top-of-the-line, and high-priced, retro-styled ovens and ranges. A sweet dream to cook on or in, the oven sizes are somewhat small, and this requires some adjustments in thinking by the American cook. However, it is strikingly beautiful and a real treat to use. Enjoy!

http://lacornueusa.com/products/chateau/chateau-120

Easy, Spicy, Juicy Baked Pork Chops

 I'm always on the lookout for easy-to-prepare dinners that are filled with flavor, and this one fills the bill on both counts. Taking less than 10 minutes to prepare, it bakes in a fast oven for 30-40 minutes -- while you relax, chill the wine, freshen the flowers, and set the table.  Added bonus: there's practically no clean-up -- all of the prep is right in the baking dish!

Low in calories and carbs, this recipe boasts a delectable rub that is both sweet and spicy, and seals in all the natural juices of the pork.  Serve simply with a crisp Beaujolais, a fresh salad of mixed greens, and a baked potato.

Ingredients
2 center cut loin pork chops (bone in)
1/2 tsp. each of :
   * Good-quality Hungarian paprika
   * Dried thyme
   * Onion salt
   * Garlic salt
   * Cayenne pepper
   * Ground celery seed
   * Freshly ground five-pepper peppercorns
2 tbsp. Crown Grade A Light-Amber pure maple syrup (see below)
1 tbsp. high-quality honey

Process
1. Sprinkle all dry spices in the bottom of a ceramic baking dish.
2. Gently dredge chops in spice mixture, making sure mixture covers edges, bone, and both sides of chops.
3. Lay seasoned chops flat in baking dish.
4. Drizzle maple syrup and honey over chops.

5. Bake in 400F degree oven for 30-40 mins, or until chops are sizzling and cooked through. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

The Empty Nester Gourmet Recommends ...

Crown Maple Syrup

Certified Organic, Locally Produced, Available in Light, Medium and Amber

Excellent, high-quality maple syrup

Arriba! Arriba! Cinco de Mayo! Fiesta Rolls!

Spice up your Cinco de Mayo feast with these awesome veggie treats that go from the hors d'oeuvre table to the dinner table ... They take less than 30 minutes to prepare, and just need a few hours in the 'fridge before serving. Serve with your favorite spicy salsa and guacamole. Makes four rolls, approximately 32 pieces.

Ingredients
One package of large ("burrito size") flour tortillas
Two containers (approx. 10 oz each) red pepper hummus
One green bell pepper, minced finely*
One yellow or red sweet pepper, minced finely*
One medium sweet onion, minced finely*
3 carrots, minced finely*
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced finely*

*Can be processed (separately) in food processor; drain of any water before mixing together

Process
1. After mincing/draining veggies, measure out same amount of each ingredient and mix together.

2. Spread hummus thinly on large tortilla (approximately 1-2 tbsp. per tortilla)

3. Sprinkle with vegetable mixture.

4. Roll tightly.

5. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2-3 hours.

6. Unwrap, cut on diagonal.

7. Serve with your favorite Mexican tomato salsa. Delicioso!

Anytime Quiche Lorraine

Here's a wonderful Quiche Lorraine that you can serve for brunch, lunch, hors d'oeuvre or a mid-afternoon snack after the game on Saturday ... it works equally well hot, warm, room temp and even cold. Very easy to prepare, serves 4 to 8, depending on how and when you serve it. Great with a salad or soup, or just by itself with a cold glass of Chablis.

Ingredients

1 partially pre-baked pie crust (See note below)
1/2 lb. crispy, pre-cooked bacon
1 c. shredded Finlandia Swiss cheese (can substitute gruyere)

Custard

4 eggs
3/4 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. whole milk
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 tbsp. flour
Pinch of Kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Note: For partially-baked crust, roll out your dough and fit into a 9-10" quiche plate. Or use packaged crust (Pillsbury Refrigerated). Cover dough with aluminum foil and fill with uncooked peas or beans. Bake @ 400F degrees for 7-8 minutes, remove beans or peas and foil. Prick bottom and sides of pastry with fork and bake 5 minutes more. Shell will be partially baked, but not browned. Allow pastry to cool before filling with custard mixture.


Process
1. Pre-heat oven to 375F degrees.
2. In bottom of cooled pastry crust, place crispy bacon and shredded cheese.
3. Mix custard ingredients well with wire whisk. Pour over all.
4. Bake on a cookie sheet (to avoid spills in your oven) for 40 minutes or until the filling is nicely browned on top.
5. If serving hot, allow quiche to set at least 15 minutes before serving.

Ah, to be in Italy in the Spring ... Risotto alla Milanese with Shrimp and Mushrooms

You can almost feel the pini of Rome swaying gently in the Borghese Gardens while preparing this lovely little dinner.  Fire up your iPod speakers with a selection from Respighi's classic, atmospheric symphony, Pina de Roma, and take a virtual trip to Italy while you put this easy and fast dinner for two (or more) together. The preparation is made all the more simple by the use of an excellent packaged risotto as well as pre-cleaned shrimp and sliced mushrooms. You can get this dinner from pantry to table in less than 1/2 hour!


Ingredients
1 package Alessi Risotto alla Milanese with Arborio Rice & Saffron (see photo at bottom)
1 lb. peeled and deveined raw shrimp
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Lemon wedges and chopped fresh parsley

Process
1. Prepare Risotto according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, sauté shrimp in 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil, about 3 minutes; set aside.

3. Sauté mushrooms in remaining butter and olive oil; set aside.

4. Approximately 15 minutes before risotto is ready, stir in the shrimp and mushrooms into the risotto.
5. Top with fresh parsley and serve with a lemon wedge. Delicioso!

The Empty Nester Gourmet Recommends

Alessi Risotto alla Milanese ... Excellent, high quality product, and so easy to prepare.

Daube de Gigot (French Lamb Stew)

 

Simple and simply wonderful French lamb stew, adapted from an old family recipe, serves four generously (with seconds and/or leftovers) and is a complete meal all in itself. Make it on an afternoon that you are around the house, writing letters, putting together a photo album or watching a game, because you'll need to hover lovingly over the pot -- to stir and add ingredients over two+ hours. Then serve it to your friends and family with a hearty Burgundy wine. Unforgettable. Leftovers are almost better than the first serving!

Ingredients

2 lbs. lamb round bone shoulder chops, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces (Do not discard any bones.)

4-5 tbsp. butter

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced

1 lb. carrots, cut or sliced into 2" lengths

2 med. yellow onions, cut into 1/4" slices

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 tsp. fresh thyme)

3-4 potatoes, cut into 2" pieces, and boiled until tender

1 lb. frozen peas

3 tbsp. flour

1/2 c. hot water

1/2 to 1 c. good quality red wine

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Process

Sauté mushrooms in 2 tbsp. of the butter. Put aside.

In a large Dutch oven, sauté lamb in 2 tbsp. of the butter until browned. Put aside.

 

In fond (juice of sautéed lamb with brown bits), sauté onions and garlic until golden. Make a slurry out of 3 tbsp. flour and 1/2 cup hot water and add to onions. Stir thoroughly. Add more water if necessary. Add 1/2 c. red wine. Let simmer for 10 mins. stirring frequently. Mixture will be thick and fragrant.

To the onions, add the sautéed lamb its juices that have accumulated while resting. Stir thoroughly. Add carrots, sautéed mushrooms, thyme, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and stir thoroughly.  Set burner to low simmer and add more wine -- 1/4 to 1/2 cup. 

Stir thoroughly every 10-15 minutes, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Add more water or wine as needed. Add potatoes and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add frozen peas, simmer for 15 minutes more. Voila! It's ready! Serve with a hearty Burgundy and French bread and don't forget to offer seconds!

Happy Easter!