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A traditional Cheese Tart, or a Tarte au Fromage, is an old favourite. My dad has made it for years, and I absolutely love it, sometimes with a little twist. This time, to cut down the richness a little, I added leek and some of our Carrot Top pesto (well, proto pesto as it doesn't yet have nuts or cheese added). The combo had some zing, and some fresh greenness, and some leeky freshness, as well as all the cheesy richness. I was in a hurry, so I'm afraid that it was a store bought crust, first one in two years, but the tart didn't suffer for it. Ingredients: Crust for 1 tart 2 - 2 1/2 c grated cheese (something mature!) 3 eggs 2/3 c cream 2 /3 c milk Nutmeg, freshly grated 2 tbsp flour 1 tbsp butter 1 leek, sliced 2-3 tbsp carrot tip pesto 1 tomato sliced Pepper 1) Melt butter in a pan and sauté leek over medium until softened but not browned. 2) Beat together eggs, cream, milk, flour and nutmeg. Line a tart pan with the crust. Spread pesto along the bottom. Layer leeks over the pesto, and spread the cheese over the leeks. Pour the egg and milk mixture over the cheese. Lay tomato slices over the whole. Liberally grind pepper over the top. 3) Bake at 180°C for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown on top. Eminently satisfying as a quick easy supper before a walk in the snow, but this would have worked equally well as a lunch, or alongside soup. I was very happy with how this turned out.

Having porridge most mornings of my life, sometimes it's nice to mix it up a little and change the flavours and textures. Here are a few autumn/winter flavours that we've been enjoying over here! Pumpkin Pie Oats: 1 c oats 1/2 - 3/4 c pumpkin (I roast mine then mash it up as the tins are unavailable here) 2c milk 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp orange peel 1 tbsp chia seeds 3 cloves A generous grating of nutmeg Apple Cocoa Oatmeal 1 c oats 3/4 c apple sauce 1 1/2 c milk 1 tbsp cacao nibs 1 tsp cinnamon (We trialled this one with the quantities of milk and apple sauce roughly reversed, but the oats came out too stodgy and not creamy enough. With proportions this way around, they are creamy and taste almost like apple pie oats). Candied Sweet Potato Porridge 1 c oats 3/4 c sweet potato, roasted and mashed 1/2 tsp cardamom 1/4 tsp tumeric 1/4 tsp fenugreek powder 1 tbsp ground almonds 1 -2 tsp brown sugar Apple Cranberry Oats 1 c oats 2 c apple juice 1/4 c dried cranberries 1 tsp cinnamon sugar For any of these, they can either be assembled the night before and left to soak overnight, or tossed in a saucepan in the morning. Either way, place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring slowly to a simmer. Cook until they have reached the desired consistency (I like mine creamy, but others prefer their past a bit thicker). Add raisins or sugar to taste. Alternatively, place all ingredients in a baking dish and leave to soak overnight. Bake at 180°C for about 25-30 minutes until thickened and golden. If you bake it, a little almond sprinkled over the top is beauteous. We use either whole oats or finer cut ones. My favourites are the coarser ones, but they never cook as smooth and creamy as the finer ones. Either will work for these.

Last week was American Thanksgiving, "Big Feast" as Little Bit excitedly calls it, and we had people over for dinner. We made rather a big batch of cornbread stuffing, knowing there would be leftovers, which is always a good thing. Five days into eating said leftovers though, I figured I'd jazz it up a bit. This is inspired by one of my mother-in-law's dishes but made my own. Ingredients: 1/2 small pumpkin, sliced 2 onions, sliced 4 tbsp butter 1 c milk 1/2 - 3/4 c mushrooms 4 carrots, grated about 3 c cheese, grated 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp rosemary 1 1/2 tsp - 2 tsp sumac 1 tsp dried orange peel 3 1/2 c stuffing 3 tbsp carrot top pesto 1 1/2 tbsp cranberry sauce Salt and pepper 1) Melt 1 tbsp butter in a deep frying pan, and sauté the onions and pumpkin. add about 1 c water and stew for 10 minutes until beginning to go tender. 2) Add the carrots, mushrooms, milk, herbs and spices and all but about 1 c of the cheese. Cook on medium heat until combined and beginning to reduce, about another 10 minutes. 3) Melt the remaining butter and mix with the stuffing. Spread about half the stuffing on the bottom of an oven-proof dish. spoon the pesto over the top. Layer the pumpkin mix over that, and then cranberry sauce. Mix the remaining cheese with the rest of the stuffing and place it on top in the casserole dish. 4) Bake at 180°C for about a half-hour, uncovered for the first 20-25 minutes, then uncovered until the top is crispy. This came out beautifully, but is definitely better on the first night (odd, given how many dishes improve with a little time). In future, I will try to bear this in mind and make only the required amount. Hubby and Little One both loved it too, and despite post-Thanksgiving resolutions, we all had seconds. It was good served up with a little extra cranberry sauce or mustard, but it was a very moist dish and so didn't need it in the least.

I spent part of my last visit to my parents' house harvesting this year's rosehips, so I thought I would throw up a little pantry post on rosehips. I only discovered rose-hips three years ago, My brother-in-law mentioned them as one of the rose bushes wasn't being pruned. My grandmother and I started harvesting them and turned it into a whole enterprise, cleaning them and prepping them. Rosehips are the fruit of the rose, growing from the base of the bud after the flower becomes overblown - if it is not pruned. They grow wild as well as on domestic rose bushes and can be a treat along a walking trail. They are bright red-orange when ripe and vary in size and shape, some being squat spheres, others being more ovaloid. On their own, rose-hips are quite tart and are very high in vitamin C. Prepping them involves removing the seeds and small hairs attached to the seeds as these used to be used as itching powder - less than pleasant if left in food. Removing the seeds and hairs involves either turning the rose-hips into purée by boiling them then passing through a food mill or a sieve, or deseeding and drying. Both are a bit of work, the latter more so. Deseeding to dry rosehips I found too labour intensive with a Little Bit to corral, so I have only used puréed rosehips in the last couple of years, but if you have time and inclination, the dried ones are delicious! I have fond memories of harvesting and prepping rosehips with my grandmother, before using them in various foods. We made jam with the puréed rosehips and some we deseeded and dried (excellent in porridge with apple juice and cinnamon). Only last year did I start expanding what I used them in, both sweet and savoury, Here are a few of the recipes I have used them in: Pumpkin Pie with a Rosehip Swirl Rosehip Soup Rosehip and Chestnut Chicken Stew Rosehip Coulis Pumpkin and Rosehip Tart The most recent batch harvested from my parents' white rose bush was used mostly in another Pumpkin Pie with a Rosehip Swirl again this year for Thanksgiving. With the rest, I plan on trying a rosehip ketchup, so watch this space!

With autumn mists and fall harvest fruits and vegetables available, I've been enjoying taking advantage as much as possible of what's on offer. Planning a white lasagna, I was excited to realise that I had part of a pumpkin that needed using and some apples in the fruit bowl. I wasn't sure how it was going to go, but seeing as everyone at the table (including someone who is not Hubby and therefore is less biased) had seconds, I thought it was probably worth posting. For this, I specially grilled a chicken in the air fryer (I love how easy that was) but normally I would have used leftover chicken from a roast dinner or something. Ingredients: 2 - 2 1/2 c chicken, shredded 3 onions (small) diced 2 apples, diced 2 c spinach or (2 cubes frozen spinach) 2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp sage 1 tsp orange peel 1 - 2 c whey 1 tsp sumac 1/4 c butter 1 zucchini, thinly sliced along its length 1 2 inch pumpkin wedge, thinly sliced 2 1/2 c ricotta 1 1/2 c parmesan, grated Lasagna sheets 1 tomato, sliced 1) In a saucepan, melt the butter then sweat the onions. Add apple, spinach, sumac, orange peel and sage and cook until apple is beginning to soften. Add chicken and enough whey to moisten but not drown the sauce. 2) Melt remaining butter. Brush an ovenproof dish and begin layering: zucchini, chicken and apple sauce, pumpkin, pasta brushed with butter, ricotta, parmesan, repeat. End on a layer of ricotta, parmesan and then sliced tomatoes. 3) Bake at 180°C for about 45minutes until a knife goes in easily and the top is golden and molten. This was really tasty, but I made it a little too wet. I have a bit of a hard time judging the right level of moistness in a white lasagna sauce. It was just right on the second go when we reheated it though! I had thought of using apple sauce in the chicken sauce instead of the whey (which, incidentally, you can replace with stock if you don't have whey lying around), but decided not to this time. I had also considered adding some warm autumnal spicing, given that I was using pumpkin and apple, but didn't. Maybe next time.

For my next cultured cheese, I made a batch of Havarti cheese. This was my biggest cheese yet, using 8l of milk, for which I had to borrow my dad's biggest soup pot. It was supposed to be dill Havarti, but due to a lack of dill available even for ready money, it turned into thyme Havarti. The process went smoothly, but I need more practice at cutting the curds, as the 1/2" pieces that were called for ended up being about two to two and a half times the size. Then came the challenge of the balancing act again when draining the cheese in its mould, using a couple of knives and boards to help buckets of sand balance on top of the curds I was pressing. All in all, it worked pretty well, but I failed to get a particularly square end on the side that had been uppermost at the start of the draining. In consequence, I decided to cut it off square, and have the off-cut fresh and age the rest, allowing me to try both versions. I don't think I've ever actually had real Havarti before, so I have nothing to compare this attempt to, But I think it worked pretty well. I didn't like the taste of the cheese fresh much on its own, finding it a little bland, but it worked really well melted on little toasties or with veg. The aged version came out well, but I had trouble with surface mould (which didn't all stay on the surface but migrated into some of the shallower "eyes" or holes in the cheese. This is probably because I decided the best place to age the cheese was in the basement, but it needed to be turned daily. With it in the basement, that didn't happen with the regularity it was supposed to. When I brought it back up, I washed off the mould with a brine solution and then scrubbed it off as best I could. I left the cheese to dry again for the rest of the day, and have since simply trimmed the mould before eating. Predictably, the aged cheese has a stronger, saltier taste than the fresh cheese did. I like this one raw, but it also works beautifully on little toasties, especially with Green Tomato Chutney from last year and sliced shallots (although Little One only sucks on the shallots before trying to hand them over to me to eat). With homemade pickles and a sliced apple, these made a great lunch! We have an actual Dane coming to visit, so I will see what his verdict is on the cheese for some real feedback.

I've always loved chestnuts in any shape or form, especially roast chestnuts. They always speak to me of Christmas markets, friends and family, and the smell alone is enough to carry me back. Traditionally, these should be eaten out of a paper cone, fresh from a roasting pan outside in freezing night air, and the chestnuts so hot you burn your fingers peeling them. The other day I settled for home-roasted ones for Little Bit and me, though. He ate fewer than I had anticipated (always the case) and I made the mistake of leaving the rest in the cast iron pan on the stove while I finished tempering chocolate. As a result, they were rock hard but not burnt. I hate the idea of food waste, so instead of tossing them in the compost, I decided to try and salvage them by turning them into custards. I didn't have enough eggs for that, so instead turned them into little puddings. Ingredients: 1 1/2 - 2 c chestnuts, roasted 3 tbsp butter 1 1/2 - 2 c milk 1 egg 1 tsp cinnamon 2 tbsp flour 1/3 c sugar 2 tbsp dark chocolate, grated 1) Melt 1 1/2 tbsp butter in a saucepan. Briefly toss the chestnuts in the butter, then simmer in milk until liquid is reduced by about half and the chestnuts are tender. 2) Blitz the chestnuts in milk, adding a touch of extra milk or some water if it is too thick. 3) In another saucepan, mix sugar and flour over medium heat. Add the chestnut mix and a little extra milk, and cook slowly, stirring well. When well incorporated, remove from heat and beat in the egg, remaining butter, and cinnamon. The egg should be fully cooked by the residual heat of the pudding. 4) Dish into little individual ramequins and sprinkle chocolate over the top. Chill in the fridge for an hour or so, then enjoy! These were delightful. I wasn't able to blitz the chestnuts until smooth as Little Bit was already asleep and after about a minute of pulsing, he was starting to wake up. Instead, our puddings had chunks of roasted chestnut in them, which worked rather well. They would have been nice with a little whipped cream or mascarpone, but were also very tasty as is! Book Pairing: While making these, I was listening to the start of In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick. It is a history of the real-life whaling ship Essex and its wreck which were the inspiration for Moby Dick. I decided that Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky was too depressing and I wasn't in the mood, so instead switched to a book that opens with an account of cannibalism... Hmmm... It is well written, but listening to the unrelenting series of errors in judgement, leadership and navigation made by the captain and first mate and knowing where the whole thing is headed is a bit grim. It would be funny how badly things went if it weren't so tragic! At least, having decided that I wasn't up for anything depressing at the moment, this is a quicker read than Brothers K! Definitely worth a read if your mood can handle it though.

As for many people, Macaroni and Cheese is a comfort food. I've grown up with it and don't usually mess with it too much. I do like adding different vegetables to it though, cutting down on the carbs and cheese with a little bit of extra green. Spinach and broccoli are particular favourites. Making it the other day though, I realised that I was out of white cooking wine for the roux. I had already planned on adding pumpkin and apple to the mix, so decided to go all out and make the roux using apple sauce. Unfortunately I also was low on cheese (no points for advance planning and preparation!) so it was under-cheesed, but aside from that, the seasonal twist worked really well! Ingredients: 1kg spiralli pasta 2-3 c pumpkin, chopped 1 onion, chopped 3 apples, chopped 2 tbsp butter For the roux: 3 tbsp butter 3 tbsp flour 1 1/2 - 2 c milk 1 1/2 c apple sauce 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 3ish c cheese, grated 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp Aloha Spiced Cacao 1 1/2 tsp Pul Biber 1/2tsp sumac 2 tsp dried orange peel Pepper to taste 1) Boil the pasta until almost al dente. Place pumpkin, onion, apple and butter in a baking dish and roast at 180°C while prepping the rest of the ingredients. Check and stir occasionally. 2) In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour to make a paste. Add milk gradually, stirring well after each addition (adding it too fast will lead to a lumpy sauce). 3) When all the milk has been incorporated, add the apple sauce and start incorporating the cheese bit by bit. Add the vinegar (even a splash more if necessary to get a smooth sauce) and the spices. 4) When all the cheese is melted, taste test, then mix the pasta, veg and sauce together in a casserole dish. Bake at 180°C for 35 - 45 minutes, until browned and crisped on top to your liking. I love this variation on macaroni and cheese. It could do with a little improvement next time though. I needed more cheese, and although it looked like I had masses of veg when I put it in to roast, I think it could do with more. I would aim for equal parts pasta and veg next time. We had it meatless this time, but it could work really well with some little bits of bacon. Otherwise, though, I was delighted with the texture of the sauce and the flavours of the dish as a whole. The boys loved it too, which is always important!

Ravioli recipe number four for the Ravioli Challenge that my sister set me. This has a different pasta to the others, but a simple filling and it sticks with the lemon sauce from the Lemon and Garlic Chicken Ravioli on day 2. The first batch of these had purple basilic from my balcony mixed din with the Fromage Blanc (homemade!), but thanks to Little Bit's gardening efforts there wasn't much of that. The rest was made (unfortunately) with dried basilic. I also experimented with a little garlic powder in some of the filling. I used date syrup in the sauce, but I suspect that honey or molasses would do just as well, the flavour would just be a little different. Ingredients: For the pasta: 3 beets, roasted until soft 3 c flour 2 eggs For the filling: 2 1/2 c fromage blanc or other cream cheese A large bunch of fresh basilic, minced (purple if possible. In a pinch dried will work too Salt to taste (Optional 1/2 tsp garlic powder) For the Sauce: Zest of 1 lemon Juice of 1 lemon 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tsp date syrup 2-3 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1) Mash roasted beets as smooth as possible. Place flour in a large mixing bowl, make a well in the centre and crack in the eggs. Beat them into the flour gradually, then add the beets and mix to form a soft, elastic dough. 2) Make the filling: mix the cream cheese with the basilic (fresh or dried), the salt and the garlic powder if using. 3) Pass fist-sized pieces of dough through progressively higher settings on a pasta maker until thin. Use a ravioli mould to make hollows in the sheet of pasta and place 1/2 tsp of filling in each. Place a second pasta sheet over the top, seal and cut. (Alternatively use a ravioli cutter). 4) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli and boil for a few minutes before draining them. Careful: fresh pasta cooks fast! 5) Make the sauce: Over low heat, mix all ingredients together. Stir and allow to cook for a few minutes. Drizzle over the top of the ravioli. I really liked the flavour combos in this one (like I didn't in the others?). They seemed fresh and zesty and not too heavy. Four types of ravioli in a week was a bit of a challenge, especially with Little One around, but it was fun and really interesting to challenge myself to come up with the different flavour profiles while sticking within the parameters my sister set me for the challenge. And having sat and thought on ravioli quite a lot for a week, I have a few more ideas I want to try out! Watch this space! In case you want to try making these but don't have a pasta machine , pasta tree or a ravioli cutter, click on the links to get one of your own! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This summer I saved up some watermelon rind with the intention of using it to make more jam or chutney or something but didn't get around to it fast enough. To keep it from going to waste I chucked it in the freezer and forgot about it until last week. I came across it and decided to try to use the watermelon rind as the main vegetable ingredient in a soup- to make a Watermelon Rind Soup. I started out by making the soup, but whatever I did to it, it was a little bland. So I gave up on the soup idea and instead turned it into stew - I poured it into my big casserole dish, buried a whole chicken, some onions, potatoes and pepper pieces in there and slow roasted the whole thing on low heat for about 4 hours. And it came out super tasty! Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil 5-6 large onions, 1 of them diced, the others whole a largish piece of ginger, about 3inches, grated Rind of 1 watermelon, chopped 6 ish cups of vegetable stock (maybe my soup would have worked better had I used chicken stock here, but I had none in the freezer so used vegetable and whey stock instead) 1 tbsp oyster sauce 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp honey 1 tsp urfa biber 1/2 tsp Aloha Spiced Cacao 1 whole chicken 1 red pepper, chopped 8-10 potatoes, 4 or 5 of which are chopped 1 1/2 c Kale, roughly torn up Salt and pepper to taste 1) Heat oil in a soup pot. Fry chopped onions and ginger gently, without allowing them to brown. Add chopped potatoes and cook for a further couple of minutes. 2) Add rind and stock and cook for 20 minutes, until pieces of rind are tender. Add other ingredients up to the Aloha Spiced Cacao and blitz. 3) Pour into a large oven-proof dish. Bury chicken, remaining potatoes, onions and pepper pieces and kale. Place in oven at 160°C for about 4 hours. Serve hot with bread, rice or polenta. This came out surprisingly well. The bland soup was transformed by the chicken cooking in it and the flavours rounded out beautifully. When heating up leftovers that had almost no chicken left, the flavour still held up really well and made for a tasty meal. We poached eggs in some of the leftovers, too, which worked nicely. I'm not sure what I had expected, but this wasn't it, but I'm still pleased with it! The watermelon rind never cooks down into mush, so it lent a good texture to the stew.