Category Archives: Recipes

Turnip and Blue Cheese Soup

I am writing this in late February and the first signs of spring are appearing, with snowdrops and daffodils in bloom and the crazy climate in Georgia giving us the occasional unseasonably warm day when the patios fill up at local bars and folks break out their shorts and t-shirts for a day or two before it reverts back to being cold and damp.

At the local farmers markets the produce scene is still dominated by winter greens and root vegetables and will be like that for quite a few weeks more.

I’m not complaining. The vegetables on offer at the moment lend themselves to hearty soups and stews that are welcome when the temperature dips and the rain is falling.

The goodies on offer at the moment include snowy white hakurei turnips, which are smaller and more delicately flavoured than the larger, more commonly found purple topped turnips. Thinly sliced, Hakurei turnips can even be eaten raw in salads.

I find they make a good base for a soup, providing richness and thickness which you can then enhance with other seasonings and flavours. They work particularly well with fennel or thyme, and to dial up the richness a little more you can add cream or cheese. A couple of parmesan rinds thrown in to soften and melt as the soup simmers is also a good idea.

This time I opted for blue cheese, which added a nice salty tang and depth to the mild earthiness of the turnips.

Turnip & Blue Cheese Soup

1 medium onion, diced

2 tbs olive oil

1lb white turnips, cut into 1/2″ dice

6oz blue cheese, crumbled (Stilton is a good choice but other blues also work well)

32 fl.oz. (4 cups) vegetable stock

Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and soften for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the turnips and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the vegetable stock, and increase the heat to medium high.

Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook until the turnips are tender, around 20 minutes.

Allow to cool for a few minutes and then blend to a creamy and smooth consistency in a blender or food processor, or using a stick blender.

Return to the pan and heat over medium heat, adding the crumbled blue cheese.

Cook until the blue cheese melts.

Check for seasoning and add salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.

Vegetable Stock

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I love having vegetable stock readily available in my fridge or freezer. When I come back from the farmer’s market with a bag full of veg or when I’m opening up my CSA box to see what goodies I have, having stock on hand means I am one step closer to a delicious soup or risotto or sauce.

Of course, you can buy vegetable broth from the grocery store but I often find these too salty and too strong. I like to make light but flavourful stocks where I can control the seasoning and taste.

I don’t like waste in the kitchen so my stocks usually use some of the bits and pieces and trimmings that come from prepping vegetables. I particularly like to make use of the thick stems from collard greens or kale that so many recipes tell me to discard. When I’m prepping greens I wash the stalks and chop them into half inch lengths and throw them into a bag in the freezer, ready for when I want to make a batch of stock. Scraps of onions, trimmings from leeks and tired looking greens also make a good basis for stock.

I always start with an onion, softening it in a mix of olive oil and butter before adding other veg. Celery and carrots are great additions at this stage but it isn’t the end of the world if you have none on hand. I then add any greens that I have and saute them for a few minutes just to develop some flavour before adding water and seasonings. I then simmer it for a while, leave it to infuse for a bit and then strain to get a beautiful stock. It requires very little attention so is easy to do in the background whilst you’re cooking other things.

Vegetable Stock

This is a typical recipe, but it will vary depending on what vegetables I have on hand. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs unsalted butter

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped

1 celery stick, coarsely chopped

2 cups of green stalks, roughly chopped into half inch pieces (kale, collards, etc.)

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs of thyme

1 tsp salt

Warm the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes to soften.

Add the carrot, celery and greens and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add 12 cups of cold water, the bay leaves, thyme and salt.

Increase the temperature to medium high, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, then leave to infuse for 30 minutes before straining to get rid of all the solids, leaving a bright golden stock.

Homemade Treats For Christmas

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Christmas is rapidly approaching, and life is getting hectic with shopping, decorating and holiday gatherings.

When I do get some spare time in December I love to spend some of it in the kitchen, listening to my favourite Christmas music and making some seasonal treats. These are ideal to give as gifts, share with folks that drop by, or to simply enjoy yourself over the festive season.

Chocolate truffles are relatively easy to make but look great as a gift or presented on a platter at a party.

One of my favourite ways to make truffles uses just chocolate, jam, a splash of alcohol and cocoa powder. This example uses blueberry and ginger jam and ginger wine but you can use any combination of jam and alcohol that takes your fancy. Use your imagination and have some fun.

Another truffle technique which can be endlessly customised is using a hot water ganache. This uses just chocolate, sugar and water, so is dairy free. The liquid doesn’t have to be water, so again it is a great technique to experiment with. This recipe uses coffee, but whisky works really well too.

I’ve also had a lot of success using crumbled cakes and sweet breads as the basis for a truffle centre. Here are recipes for panettone truffles and sticky toffee pudding truffles but you could use the same approach with the dessert of your choice.

In the deep south, bourbon balls are a popular seasonal treat, typically made with crushed cookies, pecans, chocolate and, of course, bourbon. It is another recipe that lends itself to experimentation. I was pleased with my version using British HobNob biscuits, walnuts and Scotch whisky.

At this time of year, high end food shops here offer a range of mouth watering chocolate barks, often at eye watering prices. It is relatively easy to make your own and make it the way you like it. Check out this recipe for a chocolate bark with coffee and biscuits.

For a variation on the bark theme, you could make tiffin, a delicious, no bake, mix of crushed biscuits, raisins and chocolate. My recipe uses digestive biscuits, brandy soaked raisins and some classic English chocolates thrown in for good measure.

Christmas treats don’t have to involve chocolate. You could just make a quick batch of buttered pecans to nibble with your favourite tipple.

Finally, if you can get hold of some rice paper you can make edible decorations with an optional boozy kick. Here is how we made whisky infused snowflakes but you can choose your own shapes and flavours to make your own unique treats.

Grits with Stilton and Kale

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Autumn is definitely on the way.

I’ve just returned from a few days in London, where this summer’s heatwave is now a memory and cooler temperatures and showers are the order of the day.

In Georgia it is still warm but the thermometer is gradually winding down. Next Monday is Labor Day, which is widely recognised as the unofficial end of Summer in the USA.

The change of the seasons is also apparent in the contents of my weekly CSA box.

We’ve seen the last watermelons. We’re still getting the odd tomato or two but that won’t last for too much longer. This week also saw the first apples and sweet potatoes of the year in our box.

Last week saw the welcome return of kale, so I celebrated with a simple and comforting dish to help with the transition from one season to another, combining the kale with creamy grits and blue Stilton cheese.

Grits with Stilton and Kale

Serves 2

8oz kale

8oz stone ground grits

6oz Blue Stilton, cut or crumbled into dice (or use another blue cheese of your choice: gorgonzola works well)

2 tablespoons Butter

First of all, cook your kale in salted boiling water until tender. For these leaves that took 5 to 6 minutes, but will depend on the type and age of your greens. When cooled slightly, squeeze out any excess water and coarsely chop.

Next, cook your grits. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil and then slowly whisk the grits into the water to avoid lumps. Once it has started to thicken turn the heat down to low. Stone ground grits can take 30 to 45 minutes to cook and require regular stirring. The traditional way of gauging if the grits are is done is when they come away from the side of the pan when stirring but you can also taste it to ensure it is cooked through and has a soft consistency.

Once the grits are ready, finishing and assembling the dish is pretty straightforward. Add the butter to the grits to add richness and glossiness. Stir in the Stilton and then add the kale and stir together. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If desired, finish with some extra Stilton on top.

Georgia Olive Oil Fettunta

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Think of rich green extra virgin olive oil and most people’s minds will think of Italy, Spain or Greece, who between them produce over 90% of the world’s olive oil.

On this side of the pond people may mention California, where olives have been grown since the 18th century. The Californian olive oil industry declined for many decades until a resurgence in the last 20 years or so as more people began to appreciate the taste and benefits of olive oil.

Olives were also being grown in Georgia in the 18th century, as English settlers found them when they arrived in the 1730s, according to this history of olive growing in the state. It is believed that Spanish colonists may have planted them two centuries earlier.

Production dwindled in the 19th century thanks to a combination of factors including the Civil War and land being given over to more lucrative cotton plants.

The last decade has seen olive growing and oil production in Georgia enjoy a renaissance, led by Georgia Olive Farms in southeastern Georgia.

I recently invested in a bottle of their extra virgin olive oil and was pleasantly surprised. This isn’t an oil to cook with but one to use to drizzle and dress to enjoy the taste.

One simple yet delicious way to use good olive oil is “fettunta”. Literally translated from Italian as an “oiled slice” it is one of those things where simple but good ingredients combine to produce something sublime.

It doesn’t really need a recipe: take some good bread, grill it, rub with a clove of garlic and then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Eat and enjoy.

Serviceberry Shrub Summer Cocktail

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This year was a particularly good one for serviceberry foraging, with our harvest far larger than we’ve ever managed before. I made jelly, syrup, started off a batch of liqueur and made serviceberry shrub, and I still have a couple of bags stashed away in the freezer to play with at a later date.

I’m a big fan of shrubs, or drinking vinegars, loving the blend of fruity sweetness and the tartness from the vinegar. I usually drink them diluted with sparkling water but this weekend I felt the urge to do some cocktail experimentation with my serviceberry shrub.

I was perfectly willing and quite prepared to try any number of concoctions to find something I liked but as luck would have it, my very first attempt resulted in a drink that was delicious, refreshing and well balanced. I would describe it as “dangerously drinkable”, so enjoy in moderation.

I may come back and tweak the recipe but as it stands I can see myself enjoying a few of these during the hot days of summer.

Serviceberry Shrub Summer Cocktail

2oz Serviceberry Shrub

1oz bourbon

4oz ginger ale

Pour the shrub and the bourbon over ice in a short tumbler. Add the ginger ale and enjoy.

Baked Cheddar with Herbs

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This recipe was the result of wanting a relatively quick and easy dish in the evening after a long and busy day, but still wanting something satisfying and delicious.

It’s hard to go wrong with any dish involving melted cheese, and this one comes together quickly with just a few ingredients requiring little in the way of prep.

It would be great served with crusty bread but I went in a low carb direction by serving it with lightly steamed, tender stalks of broccolini.

Baked Cheddar With Herbs

12oz grated aged cheddar cheese

1tsp chopped thyme leaves

1 tsp chopped sage leaves

1 tbsp olive oil

Heat your oven to 350F.

Pour the oil into a ovenproof baking dish.

Add the grated cheese. and then sprinkle the herbs on top.

Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and gooey.

Season with black pepper and serve immediately.

Pimento Cheese with a British Twist

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Before I moved to Georgia I had never encountered the delights of pimento cheese. I can’t remember when I first tried it but soon noticed that it was ubiquitous in this part of the world, as likely to be found in a sandwich or an a burger at a dive bar as served with fancy crackers at an upmarket restaurant.

The history of pimento cheese is a fascinating story. Although it seems to be a distinctly Southern staple, according to Serious Eats the origins of pimento cheese can be traced back to 19^th century New York, and the first known recipe appeared in Good Housekeeping in 1908. Mass produced pimento cheese was popular nationwide prior to the second world war, with many of the pimentos grown in Georgia.

After the war its popularity declined in the rest of the country and as commercial brands disappeared from shelves, Southern cooks started making their own pimento cheese at home, thus starting the transition of this humble spread to iconic status. Now every famous Southern chef can boast a recipe and artisanal pimento cheese can be found at gourmet food stores and farmers markets.

Over the years, as I looked at different recipes for it and had a go at making my own I realised that despite its apparent simplicity it is one of those foods for which everyone you ask has a different recipe and strong opinions on how it is made and what should go in it. Some recipes include cream cheese but many don’t. The thorny question of which mayonnaise to use: Duke’s, Hellman’s or homemade? Should you buy pimentos in a jar or roast your own peppers? What should you add if you want to turn up the spiciness: hot sauce, cayenne, mustard, Worcester sauce, paprika?

After much trial and error I have landed upon a version that pays a nod to my homeland using aged English cheddar as well as English mustard powder. The aged cheddar gives it good depth while the seasonings give it a delicious but not overpowering hit of peppery warmth. Try it on crackers, in a sandwich or as a great topping for a burger or hotdog.

Pimento Cheese

0.5lb Aged English Cheddar

0.5 cup mayonnaise

1 red banana pepper (or a red bell pepper)

0.5 tsp mustard powder

0.5 tsp hot sauce

0.5 tsp salt

Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub the pepper with olive oil and place on a baking tray in the preheated oven.

Roast, turning occasionally, until the skin is charred and the pepper is tender. This is about 20-25 minutes for a banana pepper. A larger bell pepper might take a little longer.

When the pepper is cool, peel it, scrape out the seeds and membranes and chop finely.

Grate the cheddar on the big holes of a box grater.

Put the chopped pepper and cheese in a bowl. Add all the other ingredients and stir well until thoroughly combined.

CSA Cooking: Collard Green and Kale Stalk Pesto

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I’m a big believer in avoiding food waste, so try to use every last bit of the goodies in my CSA box as I possibly can.

So when I am faced with a big bunch of greens, I am keen to make use of the chunky, unpromising stalks, even though many recipes instruct me to discard the stems, especially when collards are concerned.

I’ll often use them to make vegetable stock. I start with some chopped onions, gently sauteed in a mix of olive oil and butter, then add the chopped stalks along with a diced potato if I have one, saute for a few minutes and then add water and season with salt and pepper. I usually just bring it to a boil and then turn it off to avoid overcooking. The result is a clean, golden vegetable stock that is perfect for soups and risottos.

Another use for those stalks is this delicious recipe from the wonderful book “An Everlasting Meal, Cooking with Economy and Grace” by Tamar Adler. This is not a recipe book as such but more of a personal manifesto on practical cooking and eating well, even with humble ingredients. The recipes it does contain are typically simple yet delicious, and a recurring theme is avoiding waste, so it has many ideas for using the leaves, stems and bones that might otherwise end up in the trash.

This is a versatile recipe, making use of the chopped up leaves, cores and stalks of green vegetables such as collards or kale, broccoli, chard or cabbage. The vegetable pieces are simply simmered in a mix of water and olive oil seasoned with salt and garlic. Once tender you can lightly mash or puree the veg mix and you have a rich, oily, garlicky pesto that is great with pasta and also works really well as a bruschetta topping or served beside a piece of fish.

Collard Green and Kale Stalk Pesto

Adapted from “An Everlasting Meal, Cooking with Economy and Grace” by Tamar Adler

2 cups chopped collard green and kale stalks (chopped into 1/2 inch pieces)

3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped

0.5 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

Put the chopped vegetables into a saucepan along with the garlic, olive oil and salt.

Add enough water to cover everything, then bring to a simmer over medium heat and leave to cook until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. This can take a little while, sometimes up to 40 – 45 minutes, or even longer if you have particularly tough stalks.

You can leave it to gently bubble away just checking it regularly to give it a stir and check it isn’t burning or catching on the pan. If it is just add a little more water.

Once the vegetables are cooked put everything in a food processor and briefly whizz to produce a rough textured pesto.

Serviceberry Jelly

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I have written before about the serviceberry season that we enjoy every year in Georgia from late May into June.

The fruit of the amelanchier tree, these bright red-purple berries are known by many names, so what we know as serviceberries are called such things as sarvisberries, juneberries or saskatoon berries in other parts of North America.

This year has seen a particularly abundant supply, with far more berries than last year. Couple that with the fact that I spotted a few more trees locally to pick from and we have ended up with a good supply of berries to play with.

In previous years I have made serviceberry syrup as well as a refreshing serviceberry shrub. Both of those are also on the agenda for this year but the plentiful supply means I can turn my hand to other things too, notably serviceberry jelly.

To make the jelly I had to extract the juice from the berries which is pretty easy to do. I followed the instructions in this handy serviceberry guide published by the co-op extension service at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. It also includes some other interesting serviceberry recipe ideas.

The jelly was pretty easy to make and I now have quite a few jars of bright, sweet, delicious jelly to remind me of the fleeting serviceberry season for the rest of the year.

Serviceberry Jelly

3.5 cups serviceberry juice

2 tbsp lemon juice

6 tbsp pectin (I used Ball RealFruit Classic Pectin)

5 cups granulated sugar

Pour the serviceberry juice and lemon juice in a large stainless steel pan and stir to combine.

Add the pectin to the pan and stir until dissolved.

Bring the pan to a rolling boil over high heat.

Add the sugar, then return to a rolling boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute until sugar dissolves.

Remove from the heat and skim off any foam from the top.

Pour the jam into sterilised jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace and then process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes. If you need to know more about water bath canning there is a good introductory guide on the Ball canning website.

Brit In The South

A Blog from the Deep South with a British Twist

Category Archives: Recipes

Turnip and Blue Cheese Soup

Vegetable Stock

Homemade Treats For Christmas

Grits with Stilton and Kale

Georgia Olive Oil Fettunta

Serviceberry Shrub Summer Cocktail

Baked Cheddar with Herbs

Pimento Cheese with a British Twist

CSA Cooking: Collard Green and Kale Stalk Pesto

Serviceberry Jelly