Chèvre Goat Cheese

Fresh goat cheese or Chèvre is one of the easiest cheeses to make and only takes a day before it is ready to be eaten.

I order all of my cheese cultures and supplies from The Cheesemaker but you can also get convenient starter kits from Urban Cheesecraft.

From 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes; From Cheddar and Brie to Butter and Yogurt by Debra Amrein-Boyes, makes about 2 pounds


4 litres goat milk
1/4 teaspoon mesophilic culture
1 drop liquid rennet
Kosher salt


In a large pot, warm the milk to 77 F or 25 C, constantly stirring. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle the culture over the surface of the milk and let stand for about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon and a gentle up-down motion, mix the culture into the milk. 

Dilute the rennet in 1 tablespoon of cool water. Add to the milk and combine using the same up-down motion. Cover the pot and let rest at room temperature for 24 hours. 

After 24 hours the milk will have formed a large disk of curd that is floating on top of the whey.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the curd to a draining bog or to a cheesecloth lined colander. Let the curd drain for 6 to 7 hours.

Remove the cheese from the bag and place into a bowl. Weight the cheese and add 1% of the weight in the cheese in salt. For example, the cheese should weigh approximately 2 pounds or 900 grams, therefore you would add 9 grams of salt. If the cheese is to be eaten immediately, simply add salt to taste.

The cheese can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Amy

Mussels

Serves four

5 pounds mussels

1/2 pound spicey italian sausage, chopped

3 tablespoons garlic, minced

1 onion, finely chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

1 jalapeño

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 cups white wine

1/2 cup fresh basil

1/2 cup cream

 

Clean the mussels and discard any mussels with cracked shells. If any mussels are open, tap them gently against the counter and discard any mussels that don't close up within a few minutes.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the sausage until cooked through. Add the onion, garlic and peppers, saute until soft.

Add the broth, jalapeno, tomatoes and wine to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Add the mussles and cover the pan.

Simmer until the mussels have opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open. Stir in the cream and basil, simmer for an additional minute.

Serve hot with crusty bread.

 

Amy

Pepper Jelly

From Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving, makes five 8 ounce jars

12 ounces jalapeño peppers, stemmed and seeded
2 cups apple cider vinegar
6 cups sugar
2 pouches pectin

Sterilize the jars and lids. Fill the canner with water and bring to a boil.

In a food processor, puree the peppers and 1 cup of the vinegar until smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan. Add the remaining vinegar and the sugar. Bring to a boil over high hear. Stirring constantly, boil for 10 minutes. Stir in the pectin and continuing boiling for another minute. Remove from the heat and skim off any foam.

Pour the jelly into the prepared jars. Leave 1/4 inch of headspace. Wipe rim clean and fasten lid.

Process the jars for 10 minutes in the boiling water bath. Remove the jars and allow to cool.

Amy

Cheese Sauce

Adapted from AllRecipes

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups milk

1/3 cup cooking sherry (optional)

1 cup shredded cheese - any combination of swiss, cheddar, mozzarella, etc

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add in the flour, paprika, mustard, and pepper. Stir constantly until the flour begins to brown. Add the milk and sherry, stirring constantly until thickened.

Stir in the cheeses until melted and well blended.

Serve over broccoli or your favorite vegetables.

  

Amy

Chalk Paint

This is not a edible recipe but a fun one none-the-less. I have been looking for an excuse to try making my own chalk paint ever since I spotted the recipe on Centsational Girl and Shauna's baby shower turned out to be the perfect occasion (yes I know I am four months late posting this...). I painted plain wooden ovals from Michael's and then adhered them to skewers and clothes pins to make miniature signs for the food.

I stuck with the traditional charcoal colour but you can make this any colour your heart desires.

Adapted from Centsational Girl, makes approximately one cup

3/4 to 1 cup of latex or acrylic paint

2 tablespoons non-sanded grout

In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the paint and grout. Mix until combined.

Continue adding paint as required until the paint has the consistency of "runny oatmeal". No matter how hard you mix, the paint will not be perfectly smooth and will still have small grains of grout.

 

Apply as you would regularily apply craft paint. As you apply the paint, the majority of the grout granules will dissolve resulting in a relatively smooth surface but pick out any larger lumps of grout. Multiple coats maybe required to get good coverage.

Happy crafting!

Amy

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream

A special fall treat!

Adapted from Made In Melissa's Kitchen, makes 24 cupcakes

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled

4 eggs

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons water

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 to 4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown sugar, sugar, butter and eggs. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Mix on low until smooth. Fold in the pumpkin puree.

Divide the batter among the paper liners, filling only about halfway. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

To make the caramel sauce, combine the 1/2 cup of sugar and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and slowly add in the cream and vanilla. Stir until smooth.  Let the caramel cool for about 20 minutes.

To make the buttercream frosting, in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and salt together until fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Continue to add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. 

Slowly add half of the caramel sauce with the mixer on low speed.  Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. 

Transfer the frosting to an icing bag with a No. 1 star tip and frost the cupcakes. Drizzle the remaining caramel sauce over top of the frosting.

Enjoy!

Amy 

Tomato Chile Jelly

I have been madly searching for ways to preserve our beautiful heirloom tomatoes because our plants are producing faster than we can eat this year.

From Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen


18 ounces tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 to 4 red chiles
4 cloves garlic
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

In a food processor, puree the chiles, garlic, ginger and fish sauce until smooth. Transfer the puree to a large saucepan and add the sugar, vinegar and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from heat.

Transfer to sterilized jars. The jelly can be eaten immediately or processed for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Amy