Happy Solstice! Solstice occurred around 7 am this morning. The days will be longer soon! This week’s ingredient is cranberries. I guarantee you I will consume at least one cranberry vodka cocktail this week, plus we will use cranberry sauce on Friday with a turkey dinner. Angela’s Kitchen is this week’s gluten free menu swap host, so click on over there and check out all the great menus floating around.
This weekend I made three different batches of brittle: pine nut, pumpkin seed, almond brittle with red chile and fleur de Sel; coconut cardamom brittle and macadamia nut, almond, coconut brittle, both of the last two also had cayenne and fleur de Sel. That heat combined with crunch and salty sweet is so delicious! It is the best brittle I have ever eaten and the first time I have made it. I made the coconut brittle for a friend who has a peanut allergy and she loved it.
Sunday: Snowpeas with pork stirfry – a hold over from last week’s menu
Monday: Latkes/potato pancakes with Weiss wurst
Tuesday: Vietnamese Chicken Pho – I still have fresh Thai basil growing in the basement greenhouse/room. Organic free range chicken raised by my brother for this pot of soup.
Heading North for the holidays at the farm:
Christmas eve – shrimp cocktails and roast beef
Christmas day tradition: cheese fondue with veggies and beef fondue with many dipping sauces with baked potatoes, cheesy parm bread and salad
Christmas day after Roasted Turkey (extended family gathering) with hot spiced wine
Saturday night: Hanging and likely eating too, at the Bluebird in Leland – traditional reunion weekend gathering spot for all those who no longer live in Leland, but are home for the holidays.
I am bringing apps for both Christmas eve and Day: mini meatballs with porcini mushroom, parm and thyme, spinach veggie dip with tortillas, shrimp, hopefully some blue cheese gougeres, and a cheese and salami platter with lots of GF crackers. Oh and pate, if it works. I have a liverfree pate in the oven right now. I used chestnut puree instead of liver hoping it will give a similar spreadable texture. Country pate with homemade fermented dill pickles and dijon. I have the whole week off to play and cook until we head North.
Happy Solstice and Merry Christmas!
i’m out
Danielle,
Awful! I put a bunch of bay leaves on the bottom of it as a decoration so that when you turn it over it looks nice and they completely over flavored everything and I like bay. I used chestnut puree instead of liver and I think that part worked ok, but it still was not a spreadable pate. After two attempt and a lot of wasted pork, I think I won’t try it again!
Hey, our New Year’s resolution this year is to become cheese makers! I suppose brie might be a hard one to start with eh?
Happy New Year!
Rebecca,
I do keep the basil under grow lights in the winter – we never have enough winter sun in MI! So far it is working great!
Ginger
By: celticjig1 on January 3, 2009
at 12:27 pm
Ginger, how did your liver-free pate turn out?
By: Danielle on January 1, 2009
at 12:08 pm
Do you keep the Thai basil going under grow lights? I don’t have enough sunny windows to keep herbs going inside in the winter… maybe I should try my grow lights instead.
By: Rebecca on December 26, 2008
at 12:55 pm
Your menu is amazing. I love your idea of using cranberries! Woo-hoo!
Your growing Thai basil has me all inspired! I am going to have the kids and I plant some herbs after the holidays to grow in the sun room. Thanks!
Have a great Christmas.
By: Angela on December 22, 2008
at 12:45 pm
[...] at Fresh Ginger is using the theme ingredient for a cranberry vodka cocktail and in cranberry sauce for her [...]
By: Menu Plan Monday - December 22, 2008 « Angela’s Kitchen on December 22, 2008
at 8:42 am