Pumpkin soup

Very simple and very delicious :)
I cooked one pumpkin (approx 1 kg) with bay leave (take it out before using a blender) until tender. Water was just to cover the pumpkin bites. Then I mashed it with blender, added a few cloves, a pinch of grated nutmeg, salt. I returned the soup on the heat and boiled it for few minutes.
I served it with fried pumpkin seeds and separately cooked green lentils. And of course, I made croutes again :) Good!

The first time I made a pumpkin soup was in 2015. My husband made me a gift - a book about spices - A Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. I found most appropriate spices for pumpkin there :) Good book! I use it often. 

Best wishes, 

Katia

Saturday

Hello there!

I hope that someone is coming here and looking at the photographs :) Welcome!

I used to think that I did all these blog things only for fun. I didn't have time or didn't want to find any time to write some words about my pictures... Actually, I like going through this blog and recalling different stages of our life. The best experience is to find what this day was like a few years ago :) I like doing it when my mood is low and I need something cozy, something that could remind me that all will be fine again as it was fine once... And I think I may need to write a bit more here again...

Saturday is waffles day :)

I use one and the same recipe every time, I only replace flour with buckwheat or coconut, or barley... And it works well every time. And it is autumn, apples season. I found a few trees with very sour green apples in a quiet place near our house. But they are so good when baked. We eat waffles with them and with honey. Such a good flavour! Autumn flavour :)

Then I made a pop-corn with cinnamon, but I ate it alone, my husband didn't like it. So I had a big bowl and didn't feel guilty :))) 

Best wishes,

Katia

Craterellus tubaeformis

I found them for the first time in my whole life :)

I never saw these mushrooms in Belarus. Actually, I never saw them here, in Finland, too... They are a new kind for me and I have never put my eye on them. But I read about them in local magazines and saw them on Scandinavian Instagram accounts every autumn . But I never saw them in the forest... Until this day. I have been wandering in places that I read they must grow in for approximately 30 minutes. But I didn't see them... I understood they were there but it was too difficult to see them, tiny Yellowfoots, in the autumn forest. And SOMEHOW I found the first one. I was looking at it with amazement and disbelieve. It was a very happy moment :) I found a few more and went home. They were too wet to give any flavour during cooking. Next time I'll dry them a little before cooking.

Local shops sell them for 30 euro/kg now.  

Best wishes,

Katia

No-knead focaccia

Sourdough focaccia from this book. Good!

I added сhanterelle mushrooms (Cantharellus cibarius), sundried tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

It was the first time I baked something with fresh chanterelle. The flavour and taste were amazing! Yummy!

Best wishes,

Katia

One morning

This is almost a new tradition in our home - Saturday waffles :)

Waffles, cottage cheese, Turkish yogurt, honey, grape jam, banana and baked brie and grapes...

So good!

I baked some brie cheese with organic grapes in the preheated oven until they are tender. I sprinkled them with balsamic vinegar and honey. And it is the most delicious topping I have ever eaten :)

Best wishes,

Katia

Roses from my mother-in-law

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Katia

Napa cabbage

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Katia

Treasures from Belarus :)

My husband spent a wonderful week home with his and my parents :)

And I got this autumn harvest from their gardens.

Amazing flavours and tastes!

Thanks :)

Best wishes,

Katia

Leek and potato soup by Julia Child/Mastering the art of French cooking

It's the first recipe I made from this book :)
It is possible to change the soup by adding carrots, string beans, cauliflower, broccoli, or anything else... I added approximately 350 g broccoli.
Good!
I also made Croûtes - hard-toasted French bread. I don't even know what I like more - the soup or this bread :)

for 6 to 8 people
1 lb (454 g) peeled potatoes, sliced or diced
1 lb (454 g) thinly sliced leeks including the tender green
3 pts. (approx 1.5 l) of water
1 tsp salt
I added approximately 350 g broccoli.

1 to 1 1/2 oz. (approx 40 g) softened butter
2 to 3 tbsp chopped parsley

Simmer the vegetables, water, and salt together, partially covered, for 40 to 50 min until the vegetables are tender.
Use a blender to mash the vegetables into purée. Set aside uncovered until just before serving, then reheat to simmering point.
Away from heat, and just before serving stir in the butter. Decorate with parsley.

I ate this soup on the next day. I heated only 1 portion up, added 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp chopped parsley from my balcony. And I had a delicious lunch during the whole week :)

For Croûtes:
Sourdough bread
Olive oil
A cut clove of garlic

Cut bread into pieces, grease with olive oil and bake in the preheated oven 180°C until it is thoroughly dried out and lightly browned.
After baking, each piece may be rubbed with cut garlic.

I like garlic, so I used nearly a half of a cut clove per piece of bread :)
Good-good!

Now I'm writing this post and thinking about another recipe from this book. Can't wait to taste something new again :) 

Best wishes,

Katia

Lingonberry

Best wishes, 

Katia

Waffles

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Katia

From my balcony

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Katia

All about mushrooms these days :)

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Katia

Mushrooms hunting :)

Best wishes, 

Katia

Plum cake from New York Times

Original Plum Torte by MARIAN BURROS

INGREDIENTS

¾ to 1  cup sugar

½  cup unsalted butter, softened

1  cup unbleached flour, sifted

1  teaspoon baking powder

 Pinch of salt (optional)

2  eggs

24  halves pitted purple plums

 Sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon, for topping

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.

Spoon the batter into a springform pan of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon.

Bake 1 hour, approximately. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm and serve plain or with whipped cream. (To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.)

I made a few changes:

- 1/2 cup of sugar

- 1 cup of barley flour

- 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon for topping plums before baking

- I turned the cold cake over and covered it with Turkish yogurt and walnuts

So good!

Best wishes,

Katia

Tomato from my balcony :)

Best wishes,

Katia

Sunday morning

I like waking up before my husband does. It feels like the whole home is sleeping yet :)

I did some exercises that helped to relieve my back pain. Then I prepared a breakfast. Hot sourdough bread from the oven... It's so good! I kneaded it last evening and kept it in the fridge during the night so that we could have a fresh bread for breakfast.

I fried a couple of eggs and made some plain tomatoes with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, black pepper and salt. I found an idea for these tomatoes in this good article in NYT  :) 

Simple and delicious!

 

Best wishes,

Katia