September is my favorite month.

I suppose many would say their birthday month was their favorite — that is if they’re the type who thinks about such things — but that’s not why I love September.  Countless years of its signaling promise and the beginning of so much that is new has me thinking this way — even when leaves are just now only barely beginning to show signs of seasonal change.   I’ve been a schoolie most of my life, so I can’t separate September from that.  New schools, new friends, textbooks, notebooks, pencils…sack lunches packed with all the best things…

Sundays in September are even more special.  It’s the day of the week when, after adjusting to new schedules and itchy school clothes too warm for not quite Fall weather, or shoes that pinch, satchels and backpacks that tug heavily on shoulders still not ready for duty again, that everything pauses long enough to catch one’s breath.  Be thankful there’s one day with a morning that might be blissfully undemanding.

Coffee in hand and cats brushing against legs, I survey the patio, glad for the neighborhood’s quiet.  I check my planters to see how the roses are faring against the sometimes damp mornings, trimming spent blossoms from them.  I make a mental note to redo the herb box whose soil has slowly but surely decreased by half, but know I probably won’t get around to it yet.  The pot of tomatoes has done okay this year — nothing great, but always enjoyable to feel I’ve grown something fresh, gather a few in my hand to eat right from the plant.  It’s time to pull them from the pot and think about something else to plant and learn about.

The sun has warmed the flagstones and they feel good against my feet as I try to decide whether to have a sit, or go inside to think about a lazy breakfast.  One that takes little time and can use a few of the season’s last tomatoes.

Do you ever make breakfast scrambles?

Easy Breakfast Scramble Recipe

Ingredients

2 T extra virgin olive oil

4 large eggs

1-1/2 c. potatoes, cubed

1 zucchini, diced

2 smoked lean sausages, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 onion, diced

1/4 red pepper, diced

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

fresh basil for garnish

Directions

1. In a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil then the potatoes, tossing to coat.  Allow to sit without stirring, about 10 minutes or until they begin to brown.
2. Add the onions and peppers, stir,  and allow to brown some more, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the sausage slices to the mix and cook, making sure they’re browning, 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the zucchini and stir, cooking an additional 3 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and stir into the mix, cooking 1-2 minutes.
6. Break the eggs over the chopped veg and sausage.  Don’t worry about it being perfect.
7. Cover the skillet with a lid and allow to cook, checking occasionally to check the whites for doneness.
8. When the whites are opaque, toss on the tomatoes and basil, season with salt and pepper to taste, and you’re done!
9. Serve by digging in with a spatula to serve to 2 hungry people, or share amongst 4 with toast for the yolks.

Recipe Notes:

• The thing that is most important about this recipe is that you have fun and avoid being concerned about exact quantities or even cooking times.  I make scrambles all the time and they’re never the same.  They always depend on what we have in the fridge.
• Because potatoes always seem to be the foundation of my scrambles, here’s what works best for me:  I leave the peelings on, but it’s not necessary.  I dice them somewhat small — maybe 1/2″.  This allows them to cook more quickly.  Avoid stirring them initially.  You want that crispy brown on them.
• First — the sausage is completely optional.  When I use it, it’s usually Aidells.  We love it because it comes in many varieties — all lean and hand made in small batches.  It browns quickly and adds great flavor to a scramble along with a lot of other quick meals I make.  They run about $5-$6 a package for five sausages and last us a couple of meals.  Quite the value!
• On the eggs — sometime I put them in the oven after they’ve had a bit of time on the stove top just to finish them off.  This is particularly handy when I add cheese.  Or sometimes, I scramble them in a bowl first with herbs and seasonings, then pour them over the potato veggie mix.  Anyway you want to do it is fine.
• Try different combos with the veg, like artichoke hearts and peppers with green olives, or try some white beans with wilted spinach or chard.  Asparagus is always excellent if it’s in season.
• If you want a different way to eat your scramble, roll it up in a warm flour tortilla and add your favorite kind of hot sauce or salsa.

More Breakfast “Scramble” Recipes to try:

Sass & Veracity — “Skillet Frittata with Broccoli and Cheddar”

Andrea Meyers — “Egg White Breakfast Casserole”

Panini Happy — “Bacon Breakfast Burritos”

Kalyn’s Kitchen — “Easy South Beach Breakfast Recipes:  Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms and Feta”

The Perfect Pantry — “Corn, Green Chile, Egg and Cheese Casserole”

Gluten-Free Goddess — “Savory Vegetable Pancakes”

Food Blogga — “Skinny Mexican Breakfast Scramble”

Pinch My Salt — “Butternut Squash Hash with Mexican Chorizo and Eggs”

What We’re Eating — “Sweet & Purple Peruvian Potato Hash”

Chickens in the Road – “Crock Pot Egg Bake”

Just 5 More Minutes — “Breakfast Burrito or Scramble”

Post Punk Kitchen — “Scrambled Tofu”

I’m at that place I’m so familiar with — the place where it seems as if I’m floating on a river lazily making its way to a point in the distance.  I could swim and get to wherever there is more quickly, or I can do what I’m doing —  floating.  Knowing time will pass and I’ll get there.

And then I snap out of it.  Like this morning.

Eight days before we leave for the UK.  Eight. After months and months of planning every single tiny detail, eight days will fly by and as much as I’ve questioned and searched and adjusted to make sure everything is perfect, I swear I’ve forgotten something.  My husband has indulged my sometimes nightly litany of hairsplitting with gentle logic and comments of support.

I’m sure everything will be fine, he tells me.  The other vacations you’ve planned have been great.

Yes, but…

…but.

I suppose I have to have something to worry about.  The one thing that hasn’t been a worry is thinking about what we’ll eat.  That may be a surprise considering I think about food all day, and given any opportunity to explore something food related, I will roll up my sleeves and get busy.  But when we travel, we’re more involved in the place we’re visiting — the history, the countryside, and the towns.  Of course, we eat, but there isn’t a lot of planning around making it to one particular restaurant or another, and I haven’t gotten to the point where I’m traveling for the sake of food.  I know.

Heresy.

For this trip, I have planned to visit certain old tearooms along our route, using Great Tea Rooms of Britain, a book I’ve had for years.  And with the help of Google Maps Street View, I’ve been able to see where each of them is, and bookmark a website for a few, like The Swan’s tearoom in Lavenham, Suffolk near Cambridge, or Little Betty’s in York.

Of course, we’ll frequent the pubs as we go, trying hard to avoid any kind of a crawl for dignity’s sake.  I’ve researched those as well, finding information from locals about what’s good and what isn’t.  Or what might live up to our expectations of an old English pub, like The Falkland Arms in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire,  or The Shaven Crown in Shipton-under0Wychwood, also near Chipping Norton.  We might as well get some history with our pint of bitters, right?  They don’t just serve “pub grub” any longer, as many are proud to inform potential customers that only locally produced food is served.

As for the traditional English breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon, tomatoes, and beans we’ll be offered at many of the B&Bs where we’ll stay, I’ll deal with that one with a great amount of restraint.  We’ve gotten away from eating a full breakfast, even on weekends, thinking we don’t need anything sticking to our ribs for an entire day, no matter how busy our agenda is.

Image courtesy Google Streetview

We are staying in the Cotswolds for a few days at the house above and will have use of a kitchen, so expect to make a couple of breakfasts with something lighter on our plates, and quite a bit more “green.”  Our day trips out and about through the old market towns are bound to turn up some fresh, local ingredients we can enjoy.

Breakfast, or brunch?

Don’t forget your toast points.

Breakfast Salad with Poached Egg and Prosciutto

The following quantities are for each person served…

1 hand full tender greens, such as maiche, butter lettuce, or baby spinach

1-2 eggs, poached

2 thin slices prosciutto

1/4 sliced avocado

slice of goat cheese, crumbled

1/2 c. small tomatoes, halved

a few pinches of sliced green onions

fresh lemon juice

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, put the amount of greens you need for all servings.  For us, it was two good-sized handfuls.  Squeeze a half lemon over the greens, then drizzle on a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  Toss lightly to mix the lemon and oil.  Divide the greens evenly between the plates.  Add the tomatoes and the avocado slices, then layer on the prosciutto.

To poach the eggs, heat 3-inches of water in a large lidded skillet over high heat.  While the water is heating, crack each egg into a small ramekin or tea cup and set them next to the pan of water.  When the water boils, add 1 T of white vinegar (to help keep the whites together) and a pinch of salt.

Carefully slide each egg into the water by lowering the ramekin slightly into the water being careful not to burn yourself.  Put the lid on the pan, turn off the heat, and set a timer for 3 minutes.

When the time is up, gently remove each egg with a slotted spoon, allowing it to drain a bit before placing it on the salad.  Crumble over some of the goat cheese, a few green onions, and season with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, and enjoy by cutting into that egg and mixing all the great flavors together.

Notes:

• A far cry from a traditional “full” English breakfast, but in my fascination with British food, I have seen eggs over many dishes, so maybe it’s not too far off.  In fact Jamie Oliver makes a similar salad that is one of my all time favorites, and it has a poached egg over it with garlic croutons as well.
• We enjoyed this on a quiet Sunday morning and loved every bit of it.  All that delicious warm yolk oozes into the greens, and creates an amazing blend of flavors with the lemon, avocado, and tomato.  Oh.  My.  We agreed it would be great for dinner as well.  It’s light, and not nearly as calorie laden as an average Sunday breakfast.
• Have fun mixing your favorite greens.  I love arugula so know that would taste very good, but the baby spinach we used was perfect.
• Instead of prosciutto, use pancetta, good old bacon, or ham.  Or if leave the meat out.  The salad would still be delicious.
• The tomatoes I used for this (Violet Jaspar Cherry) were the last of my meager harvest, this second year of experimenting with growing them in pots.  Just wait until next year!
• Freshly shaved Parmesan would be tasty on this salad instead of the goat cheese, but Feta would be delicious.
• Next time, perhaps a few artichoke hearts would be nice in the mix, and a few sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh.
• Sauteed mushrooms?  Mmm…

It’s been a couple of weeks since my youngest headed off to college, and it’s become very apparent that tailoring my cooking portions down by a third is not going to be as easy as I first thought.  Let’s discuss the fresh corn I purchased recently, shall we?

I bought four ears, restraining myself because they were 10 for a dollar.  Sure, I could have purchased 10, and like an organized consumer, freeze most of it for later use.  You should see my freezer.

No, I settled with the four ears knowing I’d be able to make a few recipes before we felt as if we were on corn overload.  Bear in mind that each ear of corn produces more than one cup of kernels and that one serving is only 1/4 cup.  Two recipes for two would mean 16 meals consisting of…

Corn.

Sweet, crunchy, versatile corn that, when enjoyed in a nice pie made with homegrown tomatoes, won’t get stuck in your teeth.

Fresh Corn and Tomato Pie

For the crust…

3/4 c. whole grain organic pastry flour

3/4 c. all purpose flour

large pinch of kosher salt

1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

5 T iced water

For the filling…

3 lg. eggs

1/2 c. evaporated milk

1/2 c. 0% fat Greek yogurt

1/3 c. shredded cheddar

2 roma tomatoes, sliced

1 c. fresh corn kernels

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

2 green onions, sliced

salt & pepper

Prepare the crust first by whisking flours, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Pour the olive oil and cold water into the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.  Press into a disk, wrap with plastic and place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.  After the dough has chilled, roll it into an approximate 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface, or between two sheets of plastic wrap. To blind bake, line a 9-inch pie pan with the dough, then with a piece of foil.  Fill with dried beans, pasta, or other pie weights.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until set.  Remove the foil and pie weights and cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.

While the pie shell is cooling, mix eggs, milk, and yogurt in a bowl until well combined.  Then sprinkle half of the cheese over the bottom of the pie shell.  Next, layer half the tomatoes over the cheese.  Add the corn, cilantro, and half the green onions.  Season with salt and pepper and add the rest of the cheese.  Layer on the remaining tomatoes, season again, and add the remaining onions.  Carefully pour the milk mixture over the vegetables.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until center is set and surface is lightly browned.

Notes:

• This recipe was adapted by one published in the August 2010 issue of Eating Well and that’s what we’ve been trying to do — eat well — as in be kind to our bodies.
• We enjoyed this for dinner and lunch for two days with maybe a breakfast thrown in for good measure. Thankfully,  I was able to get one of my older sons to eat the last generous slice when he stopped by for a visit.  Yes, I need to make a smaller pie.
• I guess I’ve been on a pie crust analysis kick lately, but this crust is excellent as well.  The cracked pepper makes it interesting, and the olive oil is a nice healthy addition.  The dough is very easy to work with, and the baked crust is firm, holding up quite well in spite of the moist filling.
• I was tempted to add prosciutto to this, but knew it wasn’t necessary — as in — do you really have to have meat in everything?
• I can think of so many other ways to adapt this with goat cheese, or feta instead of the cheddar.  Or roasted green chilis.  Bacon.  You’re thinking it, aren’t you?
• If you resist the urge to add meat, this is quite the healthy, low calorie recipe.

One of the things I’ve learned over the years about food is that often, the recipes that have a reputation for being fussy are anything but.   Souffles are a great example of this.  Think of all the times you’ve seen a cook depicted making a souffle that failed to rise, or had fallen because of a loud sound.  Why would the average cook want to waste time and ingredients on something that temperamental?

Honestly, I’ve had more trouble with brownies and biscuits before, but I’ll chalk it up to approaching a common recipe with little or no thought and then blowing it when I least expected to.  The fussy reputation of a souffle keeps me in line, and so I pay attention when I’m making one.

If you’ve never tried one, you should.  They’re perfect for a light meal on a weeknight because you will nearly always have everything you need on hand:  eggs, milk, a bit of flour, and whatever you’d like to flavor it with.  If you’re like me, your cheese drawer is always in need of attention and the combinations are just about limitless.

Just remember — it’s all about the size of the dish.

Green Chili and Cheddar Souffle

3 T unsalted butter

3 T Parmesan, freshly grated

3 T flour

1 c. milk, hot

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper, freshly ground

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

pinch cayenne

4 egg yolks, jumbo sized, room temp

1 c. extra-sharp cheddar (3 oz.)

5 egg whites, jumbo sized, room temp

4 oz. canned green chilies, chopped, well-drained

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly spray the inside of an 8-cup souffle dish (3-1/2″ x 7″) with oil and dust with the grated Parmesan.  Set aside.

In a small sauce pan, heat the milk over medium heat until steam begins to rise and a film collects on the surface.  Remove from heat.  In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour, continuing for about 2 minutes.  Gradually pour the hot milk into the flour mixture, stirring until smooth.  Stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne and continue to cook on low about 1 minute.  It should be quite thick.  Remove from the heat.

Immediately stir in the egg yolks one by one, stirring well in between each addition.  Add the grated cheddar and green chilis and mix well.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the egg whites and cream of tartar with a pinch of salt.  Whisk on high until stiff, glossy peaks form.  Lighten the cheese mixture with about one quarter of the egg whites, carefully folding them in.  Then add the cheese mixture to the rest of the egg whites, carefully folding them in until well blended.  Scrape into the prepared souffle dish.  Smooth the top to even it out, then using a wooden skewer or knive, make a circle in the top beginning about 1-inch from the sides of the pan.

Set the souffle in the center of the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 375 degrees F.  Bake for 30 minutes until nice and puffy, and a rich golden brown.

Enjoy immediately, as it will begin to deflate within minutes of removing it from the oven.

Notes:

• Julia Child’s cheese souffle was the first I made about 15 years ago and it came out perfectly the very first time. Since that time, I’ve tried many other variations, each with good results.  This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten’s Blue Cheese Souffle.
• If choosing the right sized dish is the most important thing to consider, then not opening the oven while the souffle is baking is the second.  Consistent heat = steam = lift!
• If you’re measuring the cheese, don’t pack the measuring cup.
• Make sure the green chilis are well-drained.  Pour them into a strainer and press them with the back of a spoon just to make sure.
• Some advice from Julia:  Leave the souffle in the oven 4-5 minutes longer for a drier souffle.  A skewer inserted into the side removed clean lets you know it’s done.
• Make a nice salad while it’s in the oven.  A tomato, cucumber, onion, cilantro salad tossed with some lime juice is perfect.
• Not exactly Cinco de Mayo fare — better!

I’ve mentioned before that I have a minor problem with purchasing too much produce when I make my trips to the market. It’s not so much that my eyes are bigger than my stomach, but more a need to have endless possibilities to experiment with when I am ready to cook. This is completely ridiculous, of course. I haven’t had as much time to cook lately, so getting organized for the possibility has stuffed our fridge beyond its limits with bags of arugula and baby spinach left to rest on top of milk cartons, grapes and berries stuffed into the deli drawer, and the vegetable bin so full I can barely close it. Thankfully the long weekend has given me some time to use the ingredients and not a moment too soon because a few items went from being a salad contender to a shoe-in for something baked.

Such was the cute little bunch of seckel pears I couldn’t resist when I saw them at the market. The smallest variety of pear and the only developed in the U.S., they’re very sweet. Like all pears, they’re best picked when mature, but left to ripen off the tree to prevent graininess. Although I enjoy the mild flavor of most pears, I enjoy them while still firm and the seckels I purchased, having sat for days in a plastic bag were well past that point.

Because I usually end up eating pears raw, I haven’t made that many dishes with pears that involve cooking. Something quick and easy was in order, so a clafoutis seemed to be the best choice. Traditionally a French dessert made with cherries, clafoutis is made with a batter somewhat like that of pancake, but with more egg. The consistency of the cooked custard is not unlike that of crepes, or a German pancake and quite good.

Take a look around your kitchen for fruit that has seen better days and experiment a bit to end up with something just as nice on the breakfast table as for dessert.

Seckel Pear Clafoutis

1 c. flour

1 T vanilla

1/3 c. turbinado

3 lg. eggs

1 c. milk

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

5 seckel pears, cored and sliced

1 T butter

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9″ casserole with sides at least 2″ high.  Place the sliced pears evenly in the bottom of the casserole.  Mix all ingredients in a large measuring cup and pour over the pears.  Press the pears gently to make sure they remain on the bottom of the pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until the clafoutis is puffed and golden brown.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and ut into wedges.  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes:

• I used a 7″ casserole and so had left over batter which I used to fill two 1/2 cup ramekins and baked those with fresh blueberries.
• I left the peelings on the pears and sliced them with the tops intact so I could “fan” them.  A more shallow pan would have shown the detail more effectively.
• This dessert has a very delicate flavor when made with pears — perhaps too delicate.  The blueberry version was my favorite of the two but that’s most likely because I prefer the tartness of the blueberries and think the flavor worked well with the custard.
• I baked all three desserts together and just kept an eye on the smaller ramekins, taking them out about 5 minutes earlier than the larger casserole.
• The clafoutis will deflate somewhat as they cool.

Some of you may know that I was asked to do a guest post for Tartelette.    You know, The Tartelette?

Yes.  I know.

Of course I had a few moments of the puffy ego syndrome after an initial self-indulgent happy dance before I snapped out of it and began to fret about what to make.  Ohhhhhh, the sweet agony of making this particular decision.  I’m a meat and veggie type of person, comfortable with trying a bit of this and a bit of that.  I have a fondness for salad and greens, and a little addiction for the perfect muffin.  But making something special that would look like it belonged up front and center on Tartelette’s site?

Well.  You have no idea the fuss I made over this.  You’d have thought the Queen of England was coming to dinner.  Seriously.  But I had so much fun.  Far more fun than I’d have had if I’d needed to choose a little black dress for an event as swanky as that.

I don’t do little black dresses.  Ever.

But I learned quite a bit making A Pavola for Tartelette — or Helen, who is quite the amazing person if you’re fortunate enough to know her.

I hope you take some time to visit her, read my post,  and decide what you think of my Pavlova — definitely more of a tutu than a little black dress if you ask me.

And no, I don’t do tutus, either.  It just might conjure images of dancing hippos instead of ballerinas.

Because I didn’t include my usual notes with the recipe posted at Tartelette, I thought I’d add them here:

• This is surprisingly an easy recipe to make.  Truly!
• I wanted to make smaller Pavlovas, but decided that due to Murphy’s Law, I’d stick to the recipe — sort of.
• An approximate 7″ diameter circle is called for, and honestly I had a huge amount of meringue, so surely I wasn’t expected to mound all of it in that seeemingly too small circle.
• I  made an additional smaller square about 4 ” wide.  I positioned them both on the same sheet thinking there wouldn’t be that much spread.
• Well, I was wrong.  Wrong enough that the two did co-mingle in the oven.
• Speaking of the oven, I did not use convection and baked the pavlovas for the required time.  I did not open the oven during baking and did make sure to prop the oven door open as required for an entire hour.
• Unfortunately, the parchment stuck to the bottom of both meringues, so I had to lift the entire piece of parchment off the baking sheet and sort of slide it onto the counter where I cut around the base of it.
• Any cracking done to either meringue had already been done in the oven during the cool down period.
• I decided to mix all the whipped cream with the curd to lighten it in texture as much as flavor.  The fruit combination I chose is tart, so I wanted something a bit more creamy to go with it.  I think this was a great decision because the flavor was perfect!
• I had a huge amount of the curd as well, so was able to mound it in both meringues, and have some additional for a bowl with fruit.
• I was hugely surprised that this kept as well as it did.  No, I wouldn’t have normally done this, but it was quite late by the time I was finished and so put the entire thing in the fridge.  It was still beautiful the next day!
• To truly make this ahead, I’d keep all components separate, and at the last minute, spoon on the lemon cream, load with fruit and serve.
• I’d say if you’re someone who likes an adventure, then this one’s for you.  It was for me!