Marjorie’s Kitchen

For Mid-West Radio

 

What’s in Season - October

 

Meat, Game, Poultry

Grouse, Goose, Hill Lamb, Partridge, Pheasant, Venison, Chicken, Turkey. Pork, Bacon, Beef.

 

Fish

 Oysters, Cod,  John Dory, Plaice, Scallops, Squid, Lobster, Prawns.

 

 

Vegetables

Chestnuts, Cabbage, Potatoes, Leeks, Pumpkins, Broccoli, Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Parsnips.

 

Fruit

Quinces, Pears, Apples.

 

 

Recipes this Month for Halloween

Tasty Pumpkin Soup.

Halloween Brack.

Toffee Apples. (New Zealand Style).

Traditional Apple Pie.

 

For bookings, contact Marjorie at;

E-mail:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.                       

Web:     www.marjorieskitchen.net

Phone No: 087 2304986

 

 

Marjorie’s Kitchen

Tasty Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

30ml/ 2tbsp Sunflower oil or Butter

1 Pumpkin (approx. 1kg/2lbs, 2ozs of peeled flesh)

1 large Onion diced.

2 large Carrots diced.

2 cloves of garlic chopped.

15ml/3tsp. ground Cumin.

10ml/2tsp ground Coriander.

Approx. 3 ½ pts Vegetable or Chicken stock.

Pinch of Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

 

To Garnish: Finely chopped fresh Coriander.

To Serve: Drizzle with a little cream, crème fraiche or Pesto. Enjoy with crusty rolls or brown bread.

 

Method:

1. Prepare the vegetables.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes stir in the spices and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the carrots, pumpkin and stock. Stir well.
4. Bring to the boil and simmer until the vegetables are soft approx. 25 minutes.
5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and blitz the soup to reach a smooth consistency.

To Serve:

Serve the soup in a prepared pumpkin shell warm soup tureen or in a small glazed bread roll.

Drizzle with a little cream, crème fraiche or pesto and garnish with finely chopped coriander. Enjoy.

To serve in the Pumpkin shell:

1. Wipe the outside of the Pumpkin shell with a clean damp cloth.
2. Using a long sharp knife slowly cut a round opening in a circle approx. 3’’ wide all around the stem.
3. Pull the lid off and remove seeds etc.
4. Using a metal spoon scrape out the stringy pieces and the seeds then carefully remove the pumpkin flesh from inside the shell, make sure not to scrape too deeply as you will be refilling the shell with the soup and need it to remain intact.

 

To Serve:

Glazed Bread Rolls.

1. Slice the top off small round bread rolls.
2. Carefully remove the breadcrumbs leaving about ½ ‘’ of crumb all the way around the sides.
3. Brush inside the rolls and lids with melted butter and bake in a pre-heated oven 400^of/200^oc/ Gas mark 6 for approx. 10 minutes to dry out.
4. Place rolls on warm small plates then ladle in the soup.

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Halloween Brack

Ingredients:

227g/8 oz. raisins                                          227g/8 oz. sultanas

10ml level tsp. baking powder                        2.5ml/1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

275ml/ 10fl oz/ 1/2pt cold tea, strained          5ml/1 tsp mixed spice

2 eggs, lightly beaten                                              454g/1 lb plain flour

170g/6 oz. soft brown sugar                                     113g/4 oz. melted butter

Pinch of salt                                                  113g/4 oz. mixed peel

Grated zest of 1 orange

 

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven.
2. Into a saucepan, put raisins, sultanas and brown sugar. Strain the cold tea and add to the mixture.
3. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, then allow to cool. (This may be allowed to stand overnight if wished).
4. To the cooled mixture, stir in the mixed peel, grated orange rind, melted butter and beaten eggs.
5. Sieve flour, baking powder, spices and salt together.
6. Gradually stir into the fruit mixture, making sure all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed
7. Put mixture into prepared tin
8. Bake in preheated oven for 1 ½/2 hrs. When baked, the centre top of the brack should feel firm to the touch
9. Allow to cool in a tin. Cut and serve buttered – delicious.

If wished, use a fruit tea instead of plain for added flavour.

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New Zealand Toffee Apples

Ingredients

3 Cups Sugar

15ml/1tbsp Vinegar

15ml/1tbsp Butter

¼ Cup cold Water

½ teaspoon Cream Tartar

2.5ml Red food colouring (optional)

 

Method

1. Boil all ingredients together without stirring, until a drop snaps in cold water i.e. using a teaspoon and a cup of water drop toffee in water.
2. Remove from heat and dip apple’s on skewers.
3. Stand on grease proof paper.

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Traditional Apple Pie

Ingredients:                                              Short-crust pastry:

Short-crust Pastry                                          227g/8ozs plain flour        

Sugar to sprinkle                                            113g/4ozs margarine

2-3 large cooking apples                                 Pinch of Salt

Few cloves (optional)                                              1 egg (optional)

Water as required

                  

Method:

1. Sieve the salt and flour into a bowl
2. Add margarine and rub well between fingers until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs
3. Add eggs, mix in well with a knife. Add water to make a soft dough and chill for 30 mins. If wished use a food processor.
4. Knead pastry on a floured board. Divide into two and roll the pastry out. Cover a buttered circular dish or tin with pastry. Add in a few cloves, if using.
5. Peel, core and slice the apples. Cover the base of the tart with these and sprinkle sugar onto the sliced apple. Brush edge with water or a milk.
6. Roll out the other half of the pastry and place over the apples pressing firmly into place.
7. Trim, flake and decorate, cut a slit across to allow steam to escape
8. Place the tart into a heated oven at 230°C/ 450°F/ Gas 8 for 10 mins, then reduce to 190°C/ 375°F / Gas 5 for a further 25 mins or so
9. Serve with whipped cream, ice-cream or home-made custard.

 

SUGGESTIONS:

Try a mixture of blackberries and apple

Rhubarb with a little ginger, sprinkle with 15ml/1 tbsp flour.

Add juice and segments of 1 large orange to apples, also a pinch of cinnamon.

Sprinkle 57-86g/2-3 ozs. Sultanas on top of apples

 

FOR HALLOWEEN:

Silver Coin: for wealth                       Ring: for marriage

Piece of Stick: will be the boss           Piece of cloth: will be poor

Double wrap in greaseproof paper and make sure you inform the guests they are in the pie.

Marjorie's Tip…

When making tarts, I usually sprinkle the base of the tart with a little sugar, before filling with the fruit, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

If making a blackberry and apple or ginger tart, sieve 15ml/1 tbsp of sieved plain flour, over the fruit before baking. Once cold the juice will have thickened.

 

Don't forget to check out Marjorie's previous recipes here -

September

August