Any steak becomes even more luxurious topped with a dollop of this gently tangy Chive and Blue Cheese Butter. The herb butter also goes well with lamb chops and chicken. I love to spread it on crackers served with preserved figs, or the serve it with freshly baked bread.
This recipe by Lynn Roblin is a great way to bring out the best flavour in pork.
The dried fruits go well with the pork and increase the fiber content.
Pork can handle all the sweet spices, including allspice, cinnamon and clove so feel free to play around with these if you’d like to spice this recipe up a bit.
Soup is the ultimate comfort food. Nothing else can send so much rich aroma into the air, and nothing else so effectively makes every house into a home.
What’s more…
“A good soup is the ultimate sign of a fabulous cook. And despite that, soup is the most forgiving thing you’ll ever make, the easiest kind of cooking.” – Ruth Reichl
Serve vichyssoise as cold as possible in chilled serving bowls.
With that in mind here’s the recipe for our herbed version of Vichyssoise – a cold creamy leek and potato soup. It’s a great summer soup and it never fails to impress our guests.
According to Wikipedia its cold serving temperature is often used for comedy value in entertainment. For example, in the 1992 movie Batman Returns, Bruce Wayne is surprised at its temperature, saying “It’s cold!” to which his butler, Alfred responds that “It’s supposed to be cold.”
Similarly, on an All in the Family episode, Archie Bunker’s neighbour brings over a dish of vichyssoise for dinner. Before tasting it, Archie brings a spoon up towards his mouth, blowing on the soup to cool it, and then remarks as he tastes it, “Boy, this soup is cold, and I hardly blew on it at all!”
Cold dulls our sense of taste, so vichyssoise, require more seasoning than a warm potato-leek soup. Taste the vichyssoise again just before serving and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Also remember that cold soups should have a thinner consistency than hot soups. To achieve this in Vichyssoise we use a higher ratio of liquid to main ingredients.
2 tablespoons Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, chopped
250g potatoes, peeled and diced
900ml chicken stock
175ml whipping cream
Salt and white pepper to taste
4 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
Paprika to garnish.
Split the leeks lengthwise and wash well to remove all sand and grit. Slice thinly.
Melt butter over low heat in a saucepan and add the leeks, celery and parsley. Sweat without browning until they are soft. Stir occasionally. About 15 minutes.
Add the diced potatoes and chicken stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
Simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 45 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches in a food processor or blender and strain through a sieve.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool to room temperature.
Blend in ½ the whipping cream.
Adjust the seasoning.
Place in refrigerator to cool for at least 2 hours.
Serve in well chilled bowls. Softly spoon the remaining cream into the centre of each bowl and garnish lavishly with the chives. Then sprinkle lightly with paprika to add colour.
This chicken casserole is real comfort food and a firm family favourite. It’s ideal for a mid-week family meal but equally suited for special guests. If you don’t have fresh sage rather omit it as dried sage is just to overpowering for chicken. Or substitute the sage with tarragon, thyme or rosemary.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Add onion and fresh sage (or other herbs) and sauté for one minute, then add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.
Transfer the chicken pieces to an ovenproof casserole dish. Add the bell pepper slices.
Mix the mayonnaise and chutney and stir in the onion mixture. Spoon mixture over the chicken and bell peppers. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminium foil and bake in preheated oven till done. About 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with rice or noodles.
On our list of favourite flavour combinations the combination of corn + chives + cilantro + sweet peppers features prominently. This recipe is especially good when made with freshly harvested sweet corn and vine ripened sweet peppers from the food garden.
This easy corn salad recipe is a must when you are having a “braai”. It is simple to make and goes well with any type of meat. I prefer it with chicken or lamb.
Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro and Chive Mayonnaise
Roast the corn on an open fire or grill for approximately 10-15 minutes turning regularly.
Remove the corn from the heat and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile take a mixing bowl and combine the mayonnaise and yogurt together.
Add the chopped chives, cilantro, and cayenne.
Use a knife and remove the corn from the cob.
Add the corn to the mayonnaise mixture, and mix.
Add the chopped red pepper, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and mix.
Serve cold.
Notes
Variations: Use red chilies instead of red peppers. Tip: Your grill or fire can be hot, just make sure you turn the corn regularly so that it doesn’t burn, but still obtains some grill marks, which adds great flavour.
A favourite in almost every household and restaurant, this potato wedges recipe can be enjoyed as a snack, side dish, or as a light meal on its own. I love serving it with a juicy steak or as a quick snack with sweet chili sauce or a dipping sauce.
You almost can’t make a mistake with this recipe and if you do, well then you might have just created your own signature version of it.
Pre-heat the oven to 220 C with a roasting pan inside
Cut the potatoes into wedges about 1 cm thick.
Boil the potato wedges in salted water for about 5-6 minutes until just tender not soft.
Drain the potato wedges and pat dry with paper towel.
Remove the hot roasting pan from the oven and scatter the potatoes in the pan.
Coat the potato wedges with the garlic, herbs, olive oil, salt & pepper. Use tongs to toss all the ingredients to make sure everything is mixed properly.
Bake for 10-15 min until golden brown and crispy, turning regularly during baking. Remove and serve.
Notes
Variations: Baby potatoes cut in halves. Add a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice. Tip: Use fresh herbs and not dried, as the fresh herbs flavours will develop more in the oven. Make sure the potato wedges are well coated with olive oil as this is vital in getting them crispy.
