Straightforward Cornbread

A very simple and good version where I can dial down the sweet for savory and dial it back up for desert applications (buttered and slathered with maple syrup, oh my!).

1 cup milk (250g)

6 Tbsps (3oz/84 gr) melted fat (butter, lard, olive oil, whatever)

2 large eggs

1¼ cups cornmeal

1¼ cup flour

2 Tbsps to ⅓ cup sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Grease bottom and side of a round cake pan or line with parchment paper.
3. Whisk the milk, butter and eggs in large bowl.
4. Plop in the remaining ingredients all at once and stir just until the flour is moistened (the batter will be lumpy).
5. Pour it into the pan.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and it passes the toothpick test.
7. Cut into wedges and serve.

Yellow Turnip (definition)

 Yellow Turnip is another name for rutabaga or swede.

Swede (definition)

Swede is another name for rutabaga or yellow turnip.

Rutabaga (place holder)

 I don't yet have published recipes for Rutabagas, but they're coming. In the meantime, I wanted to add the name to the blog.

Apple Crumble

I can't resist a simple, oldfashioned recipe. Easy and quick to make, this is such a comfort food, baked using our lovely mystery apples growing up on the hill at our old farm. I don't use store-bought quick cook oats but oats I roll myself from whole groats - the texture is just different enough that I prefer this to store-bought but, otherwise, they work well! With the Poudre Douce, it adds a little Mideaval flavor that does not go amiss. If you prefer things more simple, just an equal amount of cinnamon will do.

2 lbs apples, diced (weight before peeling and coring)
1 Tbsp flour
¼ cup white sugar
¾ tsp ground Poudre Douce
¼ cup water
--
1¼ cup quick cook rolled oats 
1¼ cup flour
¾ cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp Poudre Douce
½ tsp salt
¾ cup (6oz/169gr) melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl toss the cut apples with the flour, sugar and cinnamon, then pour over the water. Toss again before spreading out evenly in a 2 quart baking dish. 
3. Mix together all the dry ingredients for the topping, then pour in the melted butter and mix until it takes on an evenly crumbly consistency.
4. Spread this over the apples, but don't pack down. Try to maintain the crumbly texture.
5. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown and some of the filling is bubbling around the edges. Remove, cover loosely with foil to keep warm and let stand for 10 minutes before serving (let's the apple filling come together). Just as good at room temperature.
6. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Same-Day Commons Bread

I love this bread. It's a variation on another bread recipe I quite like, what I like to call the Commons Bread, but this version is much quicker and makes loaf-type bread.

3 cups flour (450gr)

¼ tsp instant yeast (yes, really, that's all!)

1¼ tsps salt (12gr)

1½ cups water at 125 to 130°F

1. Mix the flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the hot (this is key) water to blend - dough should be a bit wet, add water if it looks too dry. What you’re looking for is wet, shaggy, sticky dough, but not so wet as to be batter. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let it rest in a warm place for 3 hours. It’s ready for the next step when the surface is dotted with bubbles. It is crucial that the dough be kept warm, otherwise the little bit of yeast won't be able to propagate in your dough - if you don't have a warm place, put in the cold oven and turn on the light; this should keep it plenty warm to rise. Conversely, wait until you see the tell-tale dotted and bubbled surface before moving to the next step.
2. On a clean board, turn out the dough. With a dough scraper slathered with oil, lift and turn the dough 12 times. Then, using the scraper, flatten the dough into a ½" thick rectangle on your board. Lift and folder over first ⅓ of the dough towards the middle, then the opposite ⅓ on top of the first. With the scraper, lift the ends and fold them onto each other to form a ball. You'll likely need to oil the scraper again, and then lift the ball onto waxed or oiled parchment paper and set into a cold bread pan.
3. Once the dough in its pan, cover with a damp tea towel and set on top of the stove. Let rise for 30 minutes. The heat from the warming oven will help with this final rise. Heat the oven to 450°F. Heat with an empty bread pan in the oven. 
4. After the 30 minute rise, turn the dough into the hot bread pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Makes about 850gr.

Herbes de Provence

 

1 Tbsp dry savory leaf

2 tsps dry rosemary leaf

1 Tbsp dry oregano leaf 

2 tsps dry thyme leaf

1 tsp dry basil leaf

1 tsp dry lavender flower

OPTIONAL  2 tsps dry marjoram

1. Coarsely grind the rosemary leaf in a mortar and pestle so it's about the same size as the thyme leaves.
2. Mix together and store in a dark jar with a tight lid in a dark, dry place.

Croque Monsieur sandwich

BÉCHAMEL

2 Tbsps (1oz/28gr) butter

3 Tbsps flour

1 cup milk

1 tsp dijon mustard

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

ASSEMBLY

8 thin slices of bread (Commons or Sourdough Boule)

8 thin slices of cooked ham (about 6oz)

2+2 oz Gruyère, grated

¼ cup Parmesan, grated

1 tsp herbes de Provence

1. Make the béchamel sauce first by melting the butter, and then whisking in the flour, whisking continuously until the mixture starts to turn golden. Note, this usually makes almost exactly twice as much as I need, but I refrigerate the rest to make more sandwiches, later.
2. Stream in the cream, whisking constantly. Add the dijon, salt and pepper.
3. Whisk until the sauce starts to thicken; it will become quite thick.
4. Meanwhile, with the oven rack at the highest level, pre-heat the oven to 450°F. While the oven is heating up, place the bread on a baking sheet and toast it in the increasing heat, flipping the pieces to lightly toast both sides.
5. To assemble, divide all the ingredients into 4 portions of each item.
6. Spread the béchamel evenly on the bottom piece of toast, going from edge-to-edge and put on the baking sheet.
7. On top of the béchamel place the ham, top with half the grated Gruyère, then place the other piece of toast on top, pressing down firmly. 
8. Mix together the second half of the Gruyère with the Parmesan and herbes de Provence. Top the closed sandwiches with this mixture as the final flourish.
9. Bake in the oven for about 6 to 12 minutes or until the cheese inside is melted; the position of the rack should provide sufficient radiant heat to melt the cheese on top as well. If not, your oven is different than mine, so keep the rack in the middle position and after the 6 minutes, broil the top to melt the cheese. Depending on your oven, 6 minutes may not be enough; the metric you can use is whether or not the cheese on top has started to melt.

Bette à carde gratiné (Swiss Chard Gratin)

2 bunches chard leaves, chopped (about 8 cups packed or 2lbs)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter
1½ cups milk
3 Tbsps flour
1 Tbsp + 2 tsps wholegrain mustard 
1½ cups grated Gruyère (6.3oz/180g)
Sea salt and black pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (0.8oz/22.5g)
2 to 3 Tbsps bread crumbs

SERVE WITH
Crusty bread

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Bring a  saucepan of salted water to boil. 
3. Thinly slice the reserved chard stems, add them to the water, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the leaves and continue cooking until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. 
4. Drain and allow to cool, then gently squeeze out the excess liquid and coarsely chop.
5. In a large pan heat oil and butter over medium heat. When butter has melted, whisk in the flour until blended and whisk until the flour cooks, or starts to brown. 
6. Slowly whisk in the milk. Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the mustard and the Gruyère. 
7. Stir in the cooked chard and transfer to a buttered gratin dish. 
8. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and breadcrumbs. 
9. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling. 
10. Put under the broiler to get the top brown and crispy.
11. Put the hot potatoes onto a plate and spoon the gratin over them.
12. Serve immediately.

Frittella Di Spaghetti Fritti

A fantastic way of using up leftover pasta dishes. The trickiest part is the get the right balance of salt, which is dependent on the saltiness of the original dish. Was it already salty? Is there cheese in it that make it salty? The uncertainty is worth it, given the lovely crunchy browned crust that develops thanks to the parmesan-laden egg.

8 oz dried pasta OR 16 oz of leftover pasta dish

2 whole eggs

1 to 2 oz grated Parmesan cheese

¼ to 1 tsp salt, to taste

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) + 1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter + more to grease the plate

OPTIONAL - 1 tsp minced garlic

1. If using leftover pasta, skip this step. If starting from scratch, cook the pasta and drain well, letting cool a bit before using.
2. Meanwhile, mix the eggs, Parmesan, salt, and pepper (and optional garlic) in a large bowl. 
3. Add the cool/cold pasta to the egg mixture and toss well. 
4. Heat a 6" (preferred but not essential) frying pan over medium low heat with one tablespoon of butter. When it's sizzling, about 5 minutes, add the pasta mix. Let it cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until a nice brown crust has formed.
5. Meanwhile, lightly grease a dinner plate with a bit more butter for the next step.
6. When the bottom of the pancake is brown, make sure it's loose from the pan, perhaps by running a spatula underneath it in the pan. Upturn the plate on top of the pancake, hold firm with your hand, grab the handle of the pan and flip the pancake onto the plate, removing the pan. It should just drop onto the plate
7. Set the pan back on the stove-top, add the remaining Tbsp of butter and slide the pancake back into the pan. Cook the second side for about 3 to 4 minutes to get another nice brown crust. 
8. Once browned on both sides, flip back onto the plate and serve immediately.
9. And you're done. 
10. This should make a dinner for two people, or side dish portions for four.

Pâtissons Gratinée (summer squash au gratin)

The best way to make this dish delicious is to treat it like art. No, really. Arranging the tomato and summer squash slices in a regular pattern actually influences not only the visual experience of the dish, but also how the flavors and textures mix. When I serve it, people assume that there are only 3 ingredients. Somehow, although the cheese and the onion and garlic are intrinsic to the flavour, it's the thyme, tomato and squash that always stand out. With some nice fresh bread, this makes for a filling late summer meal.

2 + 3 Tbsps olive oil

2 medium onions (14 oz total), thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1¼ lbs ripe red tomatoes, cored and cut into ¼" slices

¾ lb (about 2 small) green patty pan squash or other green summer squash, cut into ¼" slices on the bias

¾ lb (about 2 small) yellow patty pan squash, yellow summer squash or golden zucchini, cut into ¼" slices on the bias

¼ cup fresh thyme leaves (loosely packed)

1 tsp coarse salt

1¼ cups freshly grated parmigiano reggiano

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Sauté the onions in the oil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden (about 20 minutes). Add the garlic and sauté 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Spread the onions and garlic evenly in the bottom of an oiled 2 qt shallow gratin dish.
3. Heat the oven to 375°F. 
4. Put the tomato slices on a shallow plate to drain for a few minutes and then discard any collected juices. 
5. In a bowl toss the zucchini and squash slices with the second batch of olive oil, the thyme and the salt. 
6. Reserve half of the cheese for the top of the gratin. 
7. Starting at one end of the baking dish, lay a row of slightly overlapping tomato slices across the width of the dish and sprinkle with a little of the cheese, then lay a row of zucchini overlapping the tomatoes, sprinkle with cheese. Repeat, until the dish is full.
8. Season lightly with pepper. Drizzle with some more olive oil and sprinkle over the reserved cheese. 
9. Cook until well-browned all over and the juices have bubbled for a while and reduced considerably, 65 to 70 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 min. before serving.

Curried Zucchini and Swiss Chard

This is super quick to make and very good. If you have surprise guests and happen to have chard and summer squash available, this makes an impressive and quick meal. The chives can be substituted with a quarter chopped and caramelized onion (about 25-50 grams). The success of the dish hinges on how the zucchini is prepared. It needs to be in paper-thin slices, and cooked enough to be tender but not cooked enough so that it turns to mush. I've tended to undercook it, but the few times I've managed to get the right amount of doneness, the summer squash becomes buttery and flavorful with a bit of an al-dente bite to it.

* Serves 2 lumberjacks or 4 delicate ladies

1 recipe Savoury Rice
1 bunch of swiss chard (1lb)
2 medium summer squash, very thinly sliced (10 to 12 oz)
a fistful of fresh chives (equivalent to 3 green onions), minced
½ tsp curry powder
1 (½ oz/14gr) + (½ oz/14gr) 1 Tbsp butter
1+1 Tbsps mild oil
Salt and pepper, to taste.
a squeeze of lemon

1. Start by starting the Savoury Rice.
2. Remove the stems and the large center veins of the Swiss chard. Start with the stems and slice them stems very thin.
3. In a large sauté pan heat half the butter and oil over medium-to-low heat. Add the thinly sliced stems and sauté about 4 to 5 minutes, until starting to go tender. 
4. Meanwhile, fold the leaves together and slice very thin.
5. Before adding the sliced leaves to the sauté of stems, add the chives and cook about 1 minute more. Gradually add the leaf strips a handful at-a-time and cook until tender (about 4 to 5 minutes more). 
6. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
7. In the hot pan, melt the remaining butter and oil. Add the curry powder and warm it through to bring out its flavor, about 1 minute or until it becomes very fragrant.
8. Add the squash and sauté for about 3 to 5 minutes (the thinner they are, the faster they'll cook). Essentially, stop when they're all covered with the curry but still have a bit of bite and the denser flesh hasn't quite become transparent. If you let it cook too long they'll turn to mush. 
9. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Your rice should be ready now. On a platter, spread the rice as your base, followed by the chard on top, and top of that the squash. Apply a generous squeeze of lemon on top and serve immediately.

Custard Pie - for the clowns in your life

I live in a household that loves custard. To eat, that is, not to throw in someone's face - we're not clowns. But that was part of the inspiration: how does one make a custard pie worthy of throwing in someone's face that would be welcomed by the receiver. I don't know if I got it right, but we sure like this version.

1 recipe blind-baked Cookie Pie Crust
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ cup (2oz/58gr) butter 
⅓ cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 egg

1. Heat the oven to 325°F.
2. Bring the cream and milk to a very slow boil in a saucepan.
3. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and the nutmeg. 
4. Cut the butter into small chunks and slowly whisk them into the hot dairy until it all dissolves. This part is important to do thoroughly otherwise the butter will separate and rise to the top as the pie bakes creating a weird crust.
5. In a bowl, whisk together the yolk and sugar until the yolk turns a pale yellow. Whisk in the extra whole egg.
6. Very slowly whisk the flavored dairy into the egg mixture. Do this slowly; this is to gradually increase the temperature of the egg and avoid making scrambled eggs with the hot liquid.
7. Strain the mixture into the baked tart shell.
8. Bake about 35 to 40 minutes or until set. The pie will puff up a bit when it is cooked, and will settle again as it cools.
9. Let it cool completely, which can take several hours.
10. Delicious accompanied by a fresh sprig of currants or other tart fruit.

Gratin Italian sausage and kale

I love teasing people about kale. It's the new kid on the block and folks are still discovering it and getting that shiny new convert look when you tell them it's survival food (ie. people eat it when there's nothing left to eat). The truth is that 1) I like kale just fine and 2) it is not new food. It's been around for a long, long time because it's so hardy and reliable. Cook it right, and it's a sweet treat. But it does have a very strong flavor and not everyone is a fan, so if you want to serve kale to a finnicky table, match it with equally strong flavors. This dish is a cheesy saucy gooey warming dish with a lovely crunchy topping.

Some olive oil

1 lb fresh mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled

⅓ cup dry white wine

2 bunches (about 1 pound) kale, stemmed and torn into large pieces

½ cup (4oz/114gr) + 3 Tbsps (1.5oz/42gr) butter, melted

⅓ cup flour

2 cups milk

8oz fresh goat cheese or feta

3oz freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 Tbsp minced fresh herbs (such as a combination of parsley, oregano and basil)

1. Heat the oven to 350°F degrees.
2. In a large stainless steel sauté pan, heat the oil and cook the sausage, breaking it up. Cook until browned (usually when the moisture has evaporated). Remove any excess fat.
3. Add the wine scraping up the fond. Continue to cook until the wine reduces and is mostly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. 
4. Decrease the heat and stir in the kale, one handful at a time. Mix in the kale and cook until it begins to wilt and turn a bright green. Don't worry about overcooking the kale; it is impossible, unless you burn it! Remove from heat and set the pan aside.
5. Meanwhile, dump the bread crumbs in a medium sized bowl.
6. Melt all the butter in a saucepan. When melted, put 3 Tbsps of it into the breadcrumb bowl.
7. Into the remaining butter, whisk in the flour; continue wisking until starting to brown. Add the milk, whisking constantly, until it thickens into a sauce.
8. Add the crumbled goat cheese to the roux and continue to whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
9. Pour the sauce into the sausage and kale and let sit 5 minutes to allow any more fond to lift. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to scrape up the fond and mix the sauce evenly in the sausage and kale.
10. Spoon the mixture into a shallow, 2 quart gratin dish.
11. To the breadcrumb and butter, add parmesan and minced fresh herbs. Mix thoroughly, then evenly distribute over the kale and sausage to form the topping.
12. Bake the gratin until the topping is golden-brown and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes (briefly broil at this point if not browned enough).
13. Cool slightly before serving with crusty bread if eating as a main dish.

Eggs in Marinade Oil

As many hardboiled eggs as will fit in your jar, covered with the marinade (at least 6)
2 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup tomato paste
1 cup finely chopped parsley
½ to 1 head of garlic, peeled and minced
5 anchovies, minced 

1. Boil the eggs to the hard-boiled stage (see Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs). Allow the to cool completely, ideally immersed in water in the refrigerator, overnight.
2. Peel the shells from the eggs.
3. In a large jar with a lid, place the peeled eggs. 
4. In a bowl, beat the tomato paste and oil together, then stir in the garlic and anchovies, and finally the parsley. Pour this concoction over the eggs.
5. Screw on the lid and refrigerate overnight.
6. Eat the eggs with the oil, preferably with some crusty bread. It's best to let the concoction come up to room temperature if the oil has congealed in the refrigerator, and to let the aroma blossom as it should when you serve it. Excellent with crusty bread, recommended with cheeses and fresh fruit.

Crème Caramel Flan

Making this dessert is a mindfulness exercise. When making the caramel, paying close attention to the process is a must or the danger of burning it is very real. I by far prefer to use the dry method of making caramel over the wet method - adding water just seems to make it harder to get a good caramel.

This can be made in a cake pan or pie plate, or it can be made in 6 ramekins.

Note that the more egg yolk to egg white there is, the more creamy and tender the custard will be, and the more it will be difficult to serve in pretty slices. For the high yolk custards, I recommend using the individual ramekins.

Caramel

½ cup sugar

Custard

2 cup whole milk

2 tsps vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean

6 eggs (or 4 eggs and 1 yolk, OR 2 eggs and 3 yolks)

½ cup sugar

pinch nutmeg (optional)

1. Fill a dish or roasting pan (larger than what you have the creme caramel in) and fill with just enough water that it will be about a half inch below the creme caramel dish. Put this in the oven and pre-heat the oven to 325°F.
2. In a small stainless steel (for the light colour) saucepan, pour in the sugar. Shake the pan to evenly distribute the sugar - it shouldn't be too thick to allow for the sugar to heat evenly.
3. Without any stirring (!) heat the sugar over low to medium heat until it starts to melt. This will begin at the edges - because this is where it starts to melt it also means this is where caramelization starts. 
4. Be patient! DON'T turn up the heat - sugar can burn very quickly.
5. Once the sugar starts to melt around the edges, use a rubber spatula to bring the melted sugar into the middle of the pan.
6. Gently stir, just enough make sure all the sugar is dissolving.
7. Once everything has dissolved, continue to slowly cook, watching constantly and closely ('cause it can burn quickly), until you get the colour you want - light caramel colour = sweeter; dark caramel colour is more complex with bitter notes. 
8. Immediately pour the hot caramel into the cake tin or pie plate or in the individual ramekins and swirl to coat the bottom evenly. Set aside.
9. Pour the milk into the same saucepan, so that it dissolves and absorbs the remaining caramel on the bottom and sides for extra flavour. (If using the whole bean, split the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the milk, and add the pod.)
10. Heat the milk just to the boiling point, turn off the heat, add the vanilla, cover, and set aside to infuse for at least 10 minutes. 
11. Meanwhile beat the eggs with the sugar. Add the nutmeg, if using. Once the milk has infused, whisk it into the egg mixture.
12. Strain the custard over the hardened caramel and set the pan in a larger dish or roasting pan which has been heating in the oven. 
13. Bake until set, 45 minutes to an hour.
14. Remove the flan from the oven and from the water bath. Run a knife around the outside edge to loosen the it. Cool completely – even chill, if you like. To serve, flip the flan onto a plate, pour over any caramel remaining in the pan. Serve in wedges if in a cake tin or pie plate.

Jacques (apple spooncakes)

According to Elizabeth David, these are from the Perigord region of France. It's amazing how the texture improves if left to season overnight. They are small, custardy delicious little pancakes.

1 cup flour

½ cup of milk

½ cup water

1 Tbsp oil

a pinch salt

1 tsp sugar + more for sprinkling

2 eggs

2 or 3 small apples, preferably old and wrinkled, grated. If skin is tough, remove it.

Optional: rum or brandy

the juice from ½ lemon

Butter

NOTE: This recipe should be started several hours before making, preferably left overnight. 

1. Mix together the flour, milk, water, oil, salt, sugar, and eggs; stir the batter very well, then let it rest for several hours to overnight.
2. Grate the apples and mix in the lemon juice (and/or booze). TIP: if it's a fresh apple, take fists-full of the grated flesh and squeeze out as much juice as possible. Lightly desiccated this way the apple will more easily soak up the lemon or booze, and won't make the pancakes soggy.
3. Coat a thick bottomed pan with a pat of butter and heat up until the butter just starts to froth. Turn the heat down to medium low for a slow fry.
4. Using a wooden mixing spoon, drop a spoonful of batter onto the hot pan, making room for more; you should be able to cook at least four little spooncakes at-a-time in the pan. They are done when both sides are nicely browned.
5. Put more butter in the pan for every new batch of spooncakes.
6. Serve immediately. Tasty with maple syrup and/or apple butter and yogurt.

Galettes de Memère (Ginger Molasses Cookies)

Every day after school I would cross the single road that ran through my home village from the school yard to my grandmother's house - an apartment built on the top floor of an old house owned by a second cousin. She would always have a snack (une collation) for me, usually a glass of milk and some cookies. Most often, these were the cookies she made. As is common with so many grandmothers of my generation, her recipe was "a smidgeon of this" and "mix in the usual way" kind of instructions. It took me a while to figure out how to make them, and now I make them regularly, usually for special occasions.

1 cup Blackstrap molasses
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup (8oz/225gr) lard or butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp salt
½ cup boiling water
3¾ cup flour

1. In a mixer bowl, whip together the molasses, brown sugar and butter until it turns pale.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda, the dry ginger, salt and flour.
3. When the butter mixture starts to go pale, slow the speed to the slowest! It suddenly and unexpectedly splashes everywhere as soon as you add the the boiling water if the beaters are going too fast. 
4. Mix thoroughly, then slowly add the dry mixture until combined.
5. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Roll into balls (1 oz each), set on cookie sheets and flatten slightly.
7. Cook in 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

Slow Cooked Pork Steaks with Herbes de Provence

This can be a 8 - 24 hour recipe. Made for the slow cooker, it's also marinated in a brine. While brining can be overlooked, it's recommended to get a really flavorful meat. 

Serves 2 to 4 (2 with leftovers, 4 with a hearty side dish)

TIME: 30 minutes to prep, 6 to 7hrs to cook.

4 cups salt water (4 cups water, 3 Tbsps table salt)

¼ cup salt 

2-3lbs fresh pork steak 

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsps Herbes de Provence

½ tsp pepper or to taste

Cooking fat (olive oil, or lard, etc)

1 popcorn kernel

2 cups meat broth

1 tsp salt

1 small onion, chopped

3 large potatoes, quartered

2 large carrots, in chunks

OPTIONAL : 1 handful of fresh green beans

1. To make a brine, dilute the salt in the water. Marinade the ham steak in the brine - the size of the dish should allow the water to cover the meat. 
2. Sprinkle the chopped garlic on top. Let that sit from 1 hour to overnight.
3. Strain the meat and set the chopped garlic aside for later. 
4. Pat the meat dry and rub the herbs and pepper all over.  
5. Heat the fat in a stainless or cast iron pan and fry the garlic in the pan until it turns golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
6. Add the popcorn kernel to the hot oil and when the kernel pops, remove it - this means the oil is hot enough to sear the meat.
7. Sear the meat on all sides until browned. Remove from the pan.
8. Add the meat broth and the salt and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
9. Put the meat in the crock pot along with the onion, potatoes, carrots, salt and, if using, green beans. (If using the green beans add last and on top of everything, away from the liquid, so they don't overcook.)
10. Pour over this the garlicky broth. 
11. Cook on High temp for 4 to 5 hours, taste and adjust the seasoning, then cook on Low temp for 2 hours or until the onion is cooked.  
12. There will be more sauce than you need, but you can save it to make gravy for something else, or use it as a base for soups (such as split pea soup).

Beef Barley Stew / Soup

I have a special place in my heart for warming stews. I just love then unctuous, hot, earthy flavors that come from braising grains and vegetables and meat in a rich broth. And I love the chewy/custardy texture of barley. While this is an excellent slow-cooker recipe, it is also perfect for cooking in a far corner of the woodstove over an afternoon.

1½ to 2 lbs beef chuck (sirloin tip, top sirloin, etc) or round beef roast, in ¼" cubes (cut when half-thawed to make it easier)

⅔ tsp tsp salt

¼ tsp ground pepper

1 Tbsp oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 to 8 oz mushrooms, thin slice

⅔ cup red wine

1 tsp fresh thyme or 2 to 3 sprigs 

1 bay leaf

2 tsps  Dijon mustard

2 to 6 cups beef stock

⅔ cup pearl barley

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

¼ cup flat leaf parsley chopped

1. Melt/heat the oil in a large pan and when hot, add the meat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sear the meat until it is browned on all sides. Put in the slow cooker.
2. Add oil to the pan if necessary and cook the onion until it is soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook until browning. Dump into the slow cooker.
3. Add the wine to the hot pan a reduce by half or more.
4. Add 2 cups of the broth to the pan and add to the slow cooker, along with the rest of the broth.
5. Add the carrot, the thyme and bay leaf, the mustard and of course the barley.
6. Cook on high for about 6 hours or until beef is perfectly tender.
7. Before serving, stir in the parsley.