I’ve been thinking quite a bit about locally grown food lately — not unusual for me by any means,  but my thoughts have just been more intensely focused.  So it shouldn’t be unusual for an article like “Butchers’ Banquet:  England’s Lincolnshire Wolds” published in the October 2011 issue of Saveur to have an impact on me.  I’m always looking for truly good recipes for traditional food, and even though I’m not British, I have solid connections.   In 1881 at the age of three, my great-grandfather sailed with his family from Newport, Wales to San Francisco hoping to find inexpensive land where his family might grow apples.  But that’s a story for another day.

This is more about the group of men mentioned in the article who have gotten together over years and years to enjoy a Sunday meal each week.  They know where the food has been grown, how it’s been grown, and have prepared it to showcase its quality.  Of course, it helps that they’re in the business.  I’d like to be invited to a table like that to hear the talk and understand more about what they know.  I’ll work on that from here in San Diego and maybe, just maybe, by the end of this year, I’ll know more about the more than 6,000 farms in our county and the farmers who tend them.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share these great Steak & Guinness pies with you.  My father-in-law loves Stilton and will jump at any excuse to tuck his napkin into his shirt and cozy up to a plate of hot food like this with a pint.  The recipe isn’t challenging, but does take some time, so plan ahead.  It’s worth it.

Steak & Guinness Pie Recipe

Filling Ingredients

¼ c. olive oil
1-1/4 lb. beef chuck, cut into 1″ cubes
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large yellow onions, sliced
2 ribs celery, thickly sliced
2 small carrots, thickly sliced
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
1 12-oz. bottle Guinness
1/4  cup flour
2 c. vegetable stock
2 tsp. mustard powder
1 bay leaf
1 T olive oil
10 oz. mushrooms, quartered
6 oz. English Stilton, crumbled
1 medium zucchini, sliced quartered
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the crust, use the dough recipe from my Cornish Pasties .

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Season beef with salt and pepper, then brown in batches, removing to a bowl as it finishes.
3. Add the garlic, onions, celery, carrots, and rosemary to the skillet and saute until softened and just beginning to brown.
4. Pour in the Guinness and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the flour into the mixture and cook, stirring until mixed.
6. Add the browned beef to mixture along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl, the stock, mustard, and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook partially covered,  about 1½ hours.
7. Make the dough for the tops while the beef is cooking.  Wrap in plastic and chill until ready to use.
8. After the beef mixture is done, remove it from the heat and set it aside.
9. In another skillet, heat the 1 T of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and zucchini and cook, stirring, until browned, then add to the beef mixture.
10. Add the Stilton to the mixture and stir in.  Correct seasoning.
11. Heat oven to 375°.
12. Divide beef mixture among four 6″ oven-proof bowls or pie pans able to hold up to 12 oz.
13. Roll the dough into a 14″ square and cut out four 6″ circles.  Press each circle gently down over the filling.
14. Brush the dough with the egg and with a pair of scissors, cut an “x” into the top of each.
15. Bake on a baking sheet until browned and bubbling, about 40 minutes.

Notes:

• This recipe was adapted from this one which accompanied the article linked above.
• I’ve made it a couple of times and although I have switched things up a bit each time, it’s just plain delicious.  Is there such a thing as gourmet pub food?
• The filling is very forgiving, but taking time to brown the meat properly without crowding it in the pan, and then allowing it to braise with the veggie mixture is key.
• You can make the beef mixture minus the Stilton a day ahead, covered in the fridge.  Reheat, add the Stilton, then place the dough on and bake.
• If you try the original recipe in the link, the purchased puff pastry is decent, but I loved the dough crust better.  It’s so easy to make — nothing fancy at all — give it a go!
• You’ll probably have dough and filling left over — I did each time I made it — so if you need to, you can probably squeak out six smaller pies.
• We enjoyed these pies with Bubble and Squeak.  Think mashed potatoes with veg and you’ll have it right.
• Now, for pork pie.  I have lots and lots of pork in my freezer from a local farmer.  Lots.

The last weekend of summer has finally arrived, finding us packed and ready for yet another road trip to San Francisco to drop our son off at school.   The send-off is much more quiet this year since he’s beginning his second year and I guess that makes him experienced.  No picnic time at the beach for those of us sporting muffin tops, and no barbeques at home planned for the event, but a few card games at home, movies, and some take out fit the bill.  The road trip is a nice way to spend a bit of time together,  with my husband and I hovering in the city a couple of days to make sure the man boy has everything he needs.  While he’s settling in, we’ll be exploring neighborhoods we’ve never walked through, trying new restaurants, and getting much needed exercise.  The one thing about San Francisco we can always count on is that there will be a lot of hills to climb.

For those of you looking forward to pre-season football and last gasp of summer get togethers — or perhaps being stuck in the house due to bad weather — this recipe is for you.  Get out that slow cooker because that’s all you’ll need for these Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs.  Shred the beef and pile it onto a bun.  They’ll make you think you’re having a barbeque no matter what and they’re guaranteed to slide right down.

The good news is, they taste even better the next day, so make a double batch for leftovers.

Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs for BBQ Sliders

Rib Rub

A huge recipe for lots of other ideas later.  Cut it down to your own size if you don’t want it super-sized.  You’ll only need 2 T for the short ribs

Ingredients

3/4 c. raw sugar or turbinado

1/2 c. salt

1/4 c. smoked paprika

2 T black pepper, finely ground

1 T granulated garlic

1T onion powder

1 T ground cumin

1 T chili powder

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients  until well combined.
2. Store in a well-sealed container until ready for use.

Recipe Notes:

• This recipe is from Ribs, Chops, Steaks, and Wings by Ray “Dr. BBQ” Lampe (Chronicle Books, 2009).  I made it earlier this summer for some slow grilled pork shoulder and we loved it.  Of course the recipe makes so much, I cut it in half and still had lots left over.
• Try brown sugar if you can’t find raw sugar which retails as “Sugar in the Raw” at most markets.
• Try any kind of paprika if you don’t have smoked.  Sweet Hungarian will be just fine.
• Granulated garlic:  I have a shaker of dried garlic bits mixed with chives called “Oh Garlic!  It comes in handy for spice blends like this one, but sue what you can find.  Just get that garlic flavor in there.
• Maybe you have some of your own favorite rub on hand already — use that.  You know how these recipes work!

Beef Short Ribs Recipe for Sliders

Ingredients

4 lbs. English cut short ribs

2 T spice rub (above)

2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. ruby port
2 T Dijon Mustard
2 T soy sauce
1 T freshly ground pepper
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T barley malt syrup
3/4 c. Water
1/2 large onion, diced
4 lg. Cloves garlic

Directions

1. Pat the short ribs with paper towels and sprinkle the spice rub over all surfaces, turning to coat as needed.  To make it easy, do this in a large paper bag and shake.
2. Combine the remainder of the ingredients and mix well.
3. Place the ribs in your slow cooker and pour liquid mixture over.
4. Cover the slow cooker and set on Low for 7 hours.
5. Use a slotted spatula to remove meat from the slow cooker.  It should be falling off the bone.
6. Allow to cool a bit, then using two forks, shred the meat.
7. Place in a well-sealed container in the fridge or freezer if not using immediately.
8. To make the sliders, I use dinner rolls from the bakery.  They’re just the right size.
9. Either mix the Sweet Mustard BBQ Sauce in with the shredded beef, or pour it over once you’ve put the beef on the bun.  Or do both.  It’s good any way you make it.
10. We put soft Gorgonzola cheese over the beef, and although the flavor is good — it was overpowering.  Go easy on the cheese if you put it on the sliders or use a more mild cheese.
11. Finish it off with a crunchy slaw like this one, or this one.
12. You can also do what I did this time:  shred a half head of cabbage, a quarter of a red onion, and some red pepper.  Toss it around with a splash or two of red wine vinegar and a squirt of fresh lime.  Salt and pepper, then allow to stand so it will soften.  Toss it from time to time and it will be perfect for your sliders.  The cool crunch with the spicy beef and sweet mustard BBQ sauce is so very, very good.

Recipe Notes:

• Definitely spicy ribs here and SO very good.  I know I already said that, but they are.
• If you don’t have barley malt syrup (I get mine at Henry’s — Whole Foods probably has it as well) then use molasses instead.
• On the port — I lovingly refer to port as “raisin juice.”  That’s what it tastes like to me and from a cooking perspective, it adds such amazing flavor to braised meats, leaving it out of a recipe makes my heart wilt.  Tawny or ruby — use it.  So very, very good.

Sweet Mustard BBQ Sauce Recipe

This finishes the sliders off, so don’t forget to make it.  Super easy recipe adapted from food52.

Ingredients

1 cup brown mustard
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons left over strong brewed coffee
1 tablespoon wildflower honey
2 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons liquid smoke (see below)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons bottled hot sauce

1. Mix all the ingredients in a small pan and over medium heat, bring to a boil.
2. Stir the mixture a few times, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. If not using immediately, allow to cool completely before pouring into a sealed container and placing in the fridge.

Recipe Notes:

• As much as I enjoy good barbeque, I love a mustard taste in the mix, so this hit the spot.
• My bottle of Liquid Smoke is older than the hills so who knows what kind of flavor it added to this.  If you don’t have any, just leave it out.
• I like Louisana brand or El Pato hot sauce, but use your favorite.

My food magazines seem to pile up quickly these days so to encourage myself to sit down long enough to look at them, I make a small pile and carry them from one room to another thinking their physical presence will be a reminder.  It’s not an effective plan on most days for obvious reasons, such as, I’m busy doing other things?

But last Friday the sun unexpectedly graced us with its brilliance burning through the June Gloom, and I found myself daydreaming out the windows instead of doing the dishes, listening to the dribble of water from the fountain on our patio my husband diligently worked on to get the large spout at the top to run well enough to fill the smaller ones.  Will wonders never cease.  It’s a nice sound that distracts me from the traffic just over our wall and watching the hummingbirds trying to bathe themselves in it is hilarious.  I haven’t been able to get a shot of them yet, but give me a few weeks.

I give in to the urge to go out and sit in the warmth.  The sun feels good, so I relax a bit and begin to thumb through the magazines remembering how much I enjoy the summer issues.  Everything is fresh and the recipes are relatively uncomplicated.

It’s not long after I’ve had some time to make a mental list of my favorites that I email my best friend and invite myself and husband to dinner at her house.  It takes a bit of arm wrestling to get her to agree to let me make the entire dinner, but she loves the recipes I mention, so dinner it is.

I make a quick run to the store for ingredients, do some easy prep, and everything is ready to pack up and take to her house for a night of food that comes one dish at a time — with wine, of course.

When’s the last time you grilled lamb?  This recipe is truly delicious, and quite easy to make — even at the last minute.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Garlic, Chilies and Anchovies from Food & Wine

I used the little bundle of mint from one of my planters that always seems to have grown back after its last plucking by the time I next need it.

The recipe calls for 3 red jalapenos, and I didn’t think anything of that at first because they never seem to have that much heat.  But after cutting into one, I could smell the pungency, so only used one.

The chiles release all their spicy goodness into the oil.

Chop the rest of the ingredients up to make a nice paste.

Pour all the goodness over the lamb — or put it in a plastic bag so it can sit and soak up all the flavors.

We grilled the racks whole to sear them, but sadly, did not protect the very delicate bones with foil first.  Yes, we know we’re supposed to.  The grill master mentioned that they were actually on fire at one time.

After the racks were seared (uh, almost incinerated), and after much discussion, both racks were sliced into 2-bone chops and sent back to the grill for additional cooking.  Just a bit.

Thankfully, they were absolutely delicious.

Recipe Notes:

• The original recipe can be found here.
• If you’re thinking “Ewww…Anchovies!” try this.  Anchovies lend such great flavor to so many recipes. To me, they seem to enhance the other flavors.  If you’re not sure, then cut down on the quantity, but give them a try.  And when you take that first bite, think of what you’re eating instead of, “This has anchovies in it.”
• I marinated two whole racks of lamb for this recipe instead of individual chops, putting all ingredients into a zip-lock bag for about 3 hours.  It was enough.  Even using only 1 chile, we could taste just a hint of heat.
• For extra heat for those who enjoy it, grill extra chiles and slice them up for serving.  It’s a nice accompaniment to a bite of the succulent lamb.
• Why racks of lamb instead of the chops the recipe called for?  Lamb chops are so very tiny and tender.  I enjoy doing different things with racks of lamb, so searing them before moving on always presents a nice, tender product.  The idea of using the grill for those tiny things had trouble written all over it — especially considering the oil in the marinade which caused the flare up.  We grill quite often, but we’re not experts.  Wasting a lovely natural lamb product isn’t worth it.

I think the first time I heard anyone mention cassoulet, it was Martha Stewart years ago in the first version of her television show.  Outside of remembering that the main ingredients were white beans and a huge amount of meat for what could be classified as a one pot meal, I know she described it as one of her traditional holiday party menu items.  I also remember wondering how a preparing a pot of beans could be so involved.  Really?

Now I know.

To say that cassoulet is simply a bean stew or “dried beans and meat” is humorous because I grew up eating what could be called bean stew.  Beans go in a pot with few additional ingredients and not much attention.  Time goes by and a tasty dinner is served.  Bear in mind in this scenario, the bean to meat ratio is in favor of the legumes.  Cassoulet is anything but that, but I’m thinking it shouldn’t have to be.  At the same time, if I set out to make one of the many recipes I glanced at for “easy” cassoulet I’d feel I’d cheated somehow.  Perhaps I’d have something with flavor similar to cassoulet, but I’d miss out on what I often enjoy so much about tackling an involved recipe for the first time:  all the thinking I do.  There’s something very gratifying about methodically working through a recipe that takes some thought and effort.

I’ll confess this all began with a small jar of duck fat I brought back from England recently.  I saw it and knew it would remind me of all the possibilities, so tucked it well into my suitcase until we arrived home, then stored it in the fridge to think about.  Many traditional versions of cassoulet are made with duck fat, but I needed a recipe that wasn’t swimming in it, which means I would need to choose a recipe lacking in, well, duck – or more specifically, duck confit.  My little jar’s quantity wasn’t nearly enough to make that.

Some may say a duckless cassoulet is sacrilege, but I know the recipe I chose, which uses tomatoes and a bread crumb topping, could also invite that complaint.  Cassoulet is a dish originally from the Languedoc region in Southern France, with the towns of  Castelnaudary, Toulouse and Carcassonne all claiming credit for its creation and there are as many variations as there are village cooks in that region.  Originally, I’d considered floundering through a Toulouse Cassoulet until I came to my senses realizing I hadn’t the time I needed to construct it.

I made the cassoulet, but I confess that I did not break the “film” that develops over it while it cooks seven times, so evidently, I did not create anything perfect.  Rich, yes.  Perfect, no.  With respect to all that’s good about home cooking, and for someone like me who truly enjoys the process of constructing a dish like this, it’s a great reason to gather a group of special friends for a special meal just because.

Especially on a cold winter’s day.

Cassoulet for 12

For the Beans…

3-1/2 c. dried white beans

1/2 lb. fresh pork rind

1 lb. lean pork belly

bones reserved from pork loin

2 yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

8 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs

4 fresh thyme springs

2 bay leaves

6 peppercorns

3 whole cloves

1 tsp. salt

3-1/2 qt. water

For the Pork Loin…

1-1/2 to 2 lb. boneless pork loin, bones reserved, tied

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary

2 T rendered pork, duck, or goose fat or olive oil

1 yellow onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine

For the Lamb…

2 T rendered pork, duck or goose fat or olive oil

2 lob. boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2″ cubes

1 yellow onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 fresh thyme sprigs

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine

4 Toulouse or other well-seasoned pure pork sausages

For the Topping…

1-1/2 c. coarse dried bread crumbs

2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 c. rendered pork, duck, or goose fat, melted

Prepare the beans first.  Check for stones or bad beans, rinse and drain.  Pour into a medium sauce pan and cover with cold water by 3″.  Cook over high heat until boiling, then reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes until softened.

In another sauce pan, cover the pork rind and pork belly with cold water by 3″ and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes.  Pour out the water and rinse with cold water twice.  Cut into 1/2″ cubes and set aside.

Prepare the lamb.  In a large heavy pot warm the fat or oil over high heat.  Add the lamb, browning on all sides, 5-8 minutes.  Add the onion, garlic, and spices, mixing well.  Add the wine to the mixture and reduce the heat to low, cooking about 1-1/2 hours until meat is tender.

To prepare the pork loin, rub well with salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary.  In a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot, heat the fat or olive oil over high heat and brown the pork loin on all sides — about 8 minutes in all.  To the pot, add onions and garlic, stirring for 1-2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and 1-1/2 c. of the wine, reduce heat to low and cover, cooking until meat is tender, about 1 hour.

Prepare beans.  In a large pot, place softened beans, pork rind, pork belly, bones from the loin, onions, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, and salt.  Pour in 3-1/2 water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Turn the heat to low, and cook for about 1 hour, uncovered.

Once the pork loin is ready, remove it from the pan and add it to the bean pot.  To the remaining pork juices, deglaze the pan over high heat by adding the remaining 1-1/2 c. white wine making sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom.  Boil the liquid until reduced by half, then pour into the bean pot.

When the lamb is ready, scoop out pieces with a slotted spoon and add to the bean pot.  Set the remaining lamb cooking liquid  aside.  Now add the sausages to the beans as well and continue cooking the entire pot for an additional 30 minutes.

While the bean and meat mixture is cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

When the bean and meat mixture is finished cooking, remove the pork loin, pork belly and sausages from the beans to a cutting board and cut them into 1/2″ pieces.  Set aside.  With a slotted spoon, remove lamb pieces from the beans to the same plate.  In a 3-1/2 to 4 qt. baking dish or oven proof sauce pan, add a 1″ layer of beans to cover the bottom of the pan.  Add a layer of mixed meat pieces, making sure to distribute types evenly.  Cover the meat mixture with another layer of beans, add another layer of mixed meats, and finish with a layer of beans.

Carefully pour in the lamb juices and enough bean broth to barely cover the top layer of the cassoulet.  Mix the breadcrumbs and parsley, then sprinkle evenly over the top of the cassoulet.  Finish by drizzling the duck or goose fat over the crumb topping.  Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes until a crust has formed.  At that time, use a large spoon to break through the crust, spoon out some broth and pour over the crust.  Bake an additional 15 minutes, and repeat.  Bake until crust is richly browned, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Notes:

• Printable recipe version.

• The recipe I used was adapted from Georgeanne Brennan’s Savoring France which is a Williams-Sonoma publication — a beautiful book I have enjoyed for years.  The list of ingredients above is written exactly as published, but I’ve resorted the directions for the recipe to an order which I strongly believe streamlines the process now that I’ve tried it.

• There were many contenders for my first venture in making cassoulet:

• Martha Stewart’s Cassoulet for 100 (immediately disqualified for obvious reasons) from The Martha Stewart Cookbook (1995 1st ed).  Not only did I lack 94 mouths to feed, I can’t imagine where I’d get the pots, pans, and refrigerator space to create a dish like this for that many, starting with the 16 pounds of beans.  Goodness.
• Julia Child’s “Cassoulet de Porc et Mouton” from Mastering the Art of French Cooking is very similar to the Brennan version (or vice versa) I made.  The biggest differences are:  1) roasting the pork loin, which makes much more sense to me than braising considering it’s a lean cut of meat; and 2) an included recipe for homemade sausage cakes instead of traditional Saucissed de Toulouse, which although tasty sounding, would only require more time and better planning.   She does provide additional variations or substitutions which are great.  But Julia is always great, isn’t she?
• As much as I truly wanted to try Paula Wolfert’s “Toulouse-Style Cassoulet” from Food & Wine, it was even more involved than the one I chose, and required more than a day to construct.  I knew this after having tagged it when it was first published, but in the end, I went with a cassoulet that could be prepared and eaten in one day.  Take the time to peruse her list of ingredients as a comparison.  It’s an interesting variation.
• The New Jersey Monthly published executive chef Dominique Filoni’s “Cassoulet Toulousain” earlier this year and I like the sound of it quite a bit, but couldn’t pull off the duck confit in the time I had.  It’s definitely one to save for later.
• Here’s a version published in the New York Times in 1992 which also includes the duck confit.  It caught my eye because the ingredient list is somewhat uncomplicated.
• Etienne Rousselot’s Cassoulet as published in a Saveur adaptation is the version I will experiment with next, and there will be a next time.  The ingredient list is manageable, it contains the duck confit, and serves fewer.  I like the head of garlic in the mix, as well as the use of ham hocks.  I love ham hocks.
• I did scan quite a few French translations just to consider authenticity, and although the ingredient lists and directions seemed much more simple, some things seemed to get lost in the translation and I wasn’t feeling that adventuresome.
• If you’re someone who just doesn’t get the whole point of spending a day or two — or three — constructing a pot of food for dinner, and wonder why cooking always seems so complicated, here are links for quick and easy cassoulet — 27,000 of them.  I have my own version of this coming soon inspired by a dish I enjoyed at The Crown Inn in Linton, Cambridgeshire, England when we were there this past October.  I asked the waiter if the chef might share the recipe, but never got response.  Oh well, right?

Suffice to say that my plans to get several posts written and queued up before we leave on vacation this Sunday never materialized.  Close, but no cigar. Living in a hobbling, semi-ambulatory state for the last five days put me in my place more than once, and I found myself thinking, Really?  Do I really need to write one more recipe?  Or should I focus on getting this knee better so I can actually walk?

Of course I need to write.  Just one more.

One.

The last minute shopping has been done, the house is relatively clean, tickets, shuttles, and reservations are in order.  Maps, check.  Routes, check.  Super-strength enormous bandaids for my feet, check.  Nine months of obsessive planning, check. It looks like we’re ready for our trip to the UK.

We’ll be in London for four days, then drive through Kent, and East and West Sussex, staying a couple of nights along the way, cutting up toward Oxford and then the countryside near Worcester where we’ll stay three days.  The last portion of our stay will see us in York, then Cambridge and Essex before we drive back to Heathrow and our trip home.  It promises to be a wild two weeks, and like the last time, I’m sure at least one intelligent Brit will say, “Why are you Americans always in such a hurry?  You can’t really see the UK in less than a month.”  And we know they’re right, of course, but who can afford it?  Who can stay away from work that long?

Not us.

If we had the time and resources, we’d have made it to Cumbria near the Scottish border to enjoy the beautiful Lake District along the way.  And we’d definitely would have made time for a drive through Dorset to Dartmoor and Plymouth, where one of my great-grandfathers boarded an old sailing ship to journey through the Straits of Magellan to Sebastapol, California more than a century ago.

There will always be another time for Cornwall, with its craggy coastline and Arthurian legends, but I couldn’t wait for that time to try an authentic Cornish Pasty.

Is it authentic if it’s made by someone from Southern California who’s had sound Cornish advice?

Who cares if they’re as delicious as these.

Seriously.

Cornish Pasties

For the dough…

2-3/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

3 oz. shortening

3 oz. unsalted butter

6 oz. cool water

For the filling...

8 oz. lean sirloin, chopped into very small pieces

1 c. turnips, cut into small cubes

1 c. tiny red potatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 brown onion, thinly sliced

1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped

1-2 T Stilton

salt & pepper

extra flour

For the egg wash…

1 egg

1 T milk

Preheat the oven to  400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt well, then add the shortening and butter by “pinching” it into the flour until the mixture resembles clumpy oatmeal.  Add the water and toss with a fork until the mixture is uniformly dampened.  Pat the dough into a ball, and turn out onto a lightly floured counter.  Roll the dough out a bit, turning it occasionally, and folding it over itself to roll again.  Don’t fuss over it and worry.  You’re not making puff pastry.  Divide the dough into four pieces and set aside.

To make the filling, have the ingredients ready to use.  Roll out one piece of dough into a circle about 8″ in diameter.  Start with the potatoes and layer a few on one side of the dough as a base.  Add the turnip cubes, then the onions, sprinkle the leeks over, then the meat.  Sprinkle on some thyme, salt, pepper, and a bit of flour.  Add the Stilton last.

Brush some water around the edges of the dough, then lift one side of the dough over the fillings.  Press the edges together, pinching tears if they occur back together.  Roll the pastry onto its back so the edges are facing up like a stegosaurus.  Sorry.  That’s what they remind me of.  Crimp the edges together with a bit of a twisting motion as you go from one side to the other.  Place the pie onto a baking sheet and brush with the egg wash.  Using a knife, make a slit at the top near the edge of the crust for steam.

Repeat the process with the remaining three pieces of dough, and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the heavenly aroma permeates your entire house, and the crusts are golden brown.

Notes:

• Many thanks to Joe’s Pastry for his great posts on Cornish Pasties.  Thanks as well to the lovely people who posted this video of their Cornish grandmother making pasties.  Here’s a version that shows the filling layering.  So helpful!
• If you have dough phobia, this is the dough for you.  It’s a breeze.  No chilling, no food processor, or anything.  It’s so easy to make and truly is something you can start an hour before you want to eat.
• I used a small amount of beef in these and it was the perfect amount.  Work to get those pieces small and they’ll cook nicely.
• There was not one single leak from any of my pasties.  I’m surprised.  How many times have you made full crusted pie, and there’s always a bubbly leak.  They came out perfect!
• When you think about the simple ingredients and prep for these, the flavor is incredible.  They’re quite large for one serving, but we didn’t have any trouble resisting eating our own.  They keep well in the fridge and can be heated in the microwave for lunch the next day, drawing attention from anyone within smelling distance.
• Evidently, original Cornish pasties had a bit of both sweet and savory in them, with the sweet part keeping to one side of the filling.  They’re traditionally eaten by hand using the crust as a sort of handle, which according to one source, used to be thrown out.  It had something to do with coal miners and impurities in the air or something like that.
• Although I will admit the leeks, cheese, and thyme are not authentic, I completely avoided putting in carrots which I understand is a seriously big deal.  Who knew?
• I think the possibilities are endless when it comes to fillings.  Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash, apples, nuts….Just give me some time.
• There’s a pasty shop very near to the old inn where we’re staying in Canterbury, so I’ll have to let you know what the comparison is.
• In the meantime, make a pasty and let me know how your version turns out.

Mother’s Day weekend found us enjoying a relaxing two days filled with food this year.  Big surprise, right?  To be fair, it all began with a visit to Little Italy’s Mercato — more for a Saturday morning downtown than the possibility of what we might purchase.  And purchase we did.  The sole market bag we brought didn’t quite hold what we ended up with — most of it chosen for either dinner that night, or breakfast the next day.

We don’t often venture downtown, but when we do, we’re left questioning why we don’t go more frequently.  It’s fairly quiet on the weekends, and with more and more residents occupying the high-rise condominiums, the sidewalks are dotted with dog-walkers, those who have stopped to have a latte with the morning paper, and lots of farmer’s market shoppers holding bunches of flowers and bags overflowing with weekend cooking possibilities.

In much the same way we do when traveling, we pause in front of a real estate office and scan the photos of “For Sale” properties in the area, imagining ourselves living there instead of where we currently live.  It’s a pleasant pastime we’ve entertained ourselves with seemingly forever — especially in the years when we could barely afford to dream.  What is it about being able to walk just about everywhere one needs to go in a day’s time?  Could we actually get along with only one car?  Might we adjust to living without much of what we own, trading it in for a spectacular view and convenience?

Maybe — but it’s all a game of wondering that takes second fiddle to the marvelous array of fresh offerings we sampled and purchased that day.  The jacarandas were in bloom, the weather was perfect, so why not relax and enjoy the possibilities.

Pasta and a salad?  Or maybe stuffed French toast.

What about all three?

Fresh Italian Herb Pappardelle with Sausage

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage, sliced into rounds

1 lg. shallot, sliced

4 lg. cloves garlic

freshly cracked pepper

sea salt

4 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated

1/4 c. wild arugula

1/2 c. flat leafed parsley

1 lb. fresh Italian herb pappardelle

Put 4 qts. of water over high heat for the pasta.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the sausage and shallots, stirring occasionally, and cook until the sausage begins to brown and the shallots are softened.  Add the garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat.

Add a few good pinches of kosher salt to the boiling water, then add the fresh pasta a bit at a time, stirring gently to make sure the pieces are loosely cooking.  Cook for 3-1/2 to 4 minutes at most.  Pour cooked pasta into a strainer placed over a large bowl or other container to reserve the pasta water.  Pour off all but about 1/4 c. and set aside.

Add the pasta to the reserved sausage mixture and gently stir.  Pour in the reserved 1/4 c. pasta water and mix.  Add the wild arugula, parsley, and half of the grated Parmesan to the mixture and lightly toss.  Season with salt and cracked pepper to taste.

Serve immediately with more of the grated Parmesan as needed.

For the salad…

mixed greens to include pea shoots and basil sprouts, and any other leafy, tender veg you have on hand

toss in some avocado

squeeze on some fresh key lime juice

sprinkle basil oil over

splash on a bit of very nice sherry vinegar

season with Fleur de Sel and cracked pepper

toss and serve

Farmer’s Market credits go to:  Belen Artisian Bakers, Lisko Imports, and Da-Le Ranch.  Wild arugula and parsley is home grown in my very small herb box.