‘Same Same, But Different’.….This was the slogan written on the shirts my brother brought back from South-East Asia for Olivier’s stag party. Odd that this phrase should pop into my head when cooking but it really does answer the question  ”What is the difference between clafouti and flognard???”

For the purists in this world clafoutis is a desert made with whole cherries and a sweet batter poured over the top.  A clafouti made using any other type of fruit ie) peaches is called a flognard or flaugnarde.

I often make this dish as it is a quick and easy summer desert. If you are pressed for time, don’t bother peeling the peaches or substitute them for red plums! This recipe calls for standard ingredients that you should have on hand, and if you are without cream just use extra milk. A dusting of powdered sugar (icing sugar) adds a nice touch for serving.

RECIPE : SWEET PEA Blog

Summer Peach & Fresh Ginger Flognard (Clarfoti)

• 4 yellow peaches**
• 100 ml milk
• 25 ml cream (you can substitute milk)
• 3 Eggs
• 60 grams (1/4 cup) white sugar
• 35 grams (1/4 cup) white all-purpose flour
• 2cm grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons cold butter

1. Prepare the peaches. To easily remove the peach skin, fill two bowls; one with boiling water, one with ice cold water. Cut one peach in half and plunge it into the hot water for one minute then straight into the cold water for one minute. Gently peal back the skin. Cut each half into 4 pieces. Repeat the process with the three other peaches.
2. Prepare the batter. Beat the eggs, then add the milk, cream, ginger & sugar, beat again. Now add the flour and beat. The batter will be very liquid.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (400°F)
4. Grease a non stick tart pan with butter. Pour in the batter and arrange the peaches. Cut the cold butter into 1cm squares and evenly place around the pan. Sprinkle with a little extra white sugar.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and present to your guests immediately while the desert has its greatest volume and air!

**NOTE: this desert can also be made with several other summer fruits such as plums or apricots (NO PEELING required!)

The DUTCH Series N°5 : Lentil Soup Recipe with Saffron Garlic Roux

It is officially the 1st day of SPRING!

So why am I writing about a winter soup you may ask. Good question. The thing is – the calendar may say that Spring has arrived,  but while it is sunny in Geneva it is still very chilly. I was nearly blown away this morning when crossing the bridge  - literally! It is because of  ‘la bise’ a Northerly wind that comes whistling through the city at a bone chilling rate. It is at these times you really need some stick to your ribs, heart warming food.

Years ago lentil soup was the very last thing on my list of favourite foods. It was something to eat under duress. In fact I was such a terrible child, that once my aunt went to all the trouble of preparing a homemade lentil stew and I turned my nose up and said I couldn’t possibly.  Naughty naughty naughty.

I have since grown up & so have my taste buds.  The first lentil soup recipeI tried will remain nameless, as the spices were all off and it made enough for the Russian army… needless to say, I was not impressed. I have since fiddled and tweaked my way to come up with this version, with a hint of chilly, the tang of lemon, soothed with spices & served with a generous dollop of saffron, garlic roux!

The saffron garlic roux is a thick cream that was inspired by a bouillabaisse soup I had this past summer at a friends house in Provence. She served her fish  soup with a traditional roux made of mayonnaise, saffron & garlic. One of the guests liked it so much that I think we could have left him alone with just the sauce & a spoon! I have made a lighter version using thick Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise and reduced the garlic to half as it is very strong.

RECIPE – SWEET PEABlog

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots
• 1 large carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (net weight can 400g)
• 100 gr (1/2 cup) red lentils
• 50 gr (1/4 cup) barley
• 1L vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 bay (laurel) leaves
• salt & pepper to taste

SPICES:

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (add more if you like the soup spicy)

SAFFRON GARLIC ROUX:

• 250 gr (1 small container) full fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2  garlic clove
• 3 generous pinches of powdered saffron
• pinch of salt

1. First prepare the spices, set aside
2. Next finely chop the onions, carrots & celery, set each aside separately
3. Heat the oil & add the onions & bay leaves.  Use med / low heat as you only want to sweat the onions not turn them brown.
4. Add garlic & spices. Stirring, let cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add chopped carrots & celery.
6. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils & barley. Stir well.
7. Add bouillon, lemon juice, salt & pepper.
8. Cover & simmer gently for 30-40 minutes until lentils & barley are cooked.
9. For the roux, mix the pressed garlic into the yogurt and finally add the saffron & salt. Mix until well combined.

GINGER COOKIES

I have come to believe that cookies/biscuits or ninnies as my aunt calls them, are the unofficial 5th major food group, and one that I cannot live without, especially as it has not stopped raining for the past week and feels more like October than June…. who is playing the cruel joke! So I am having cravings for hot drinks and cookies, and with the urge to bake last night came across this recipe from an old issue of the Globe and Mail newspaper.

The original cookie recipe called for shortening / hydrogenated vegetable oil or vegetable lard, not to be confused with normal lard if you don’t want your cookies tasting of bacon!. However  I am a purist when it comes to butter, even more so after reading about the negative side effects of eating industrially created trans fats by partly hydrogenation plant oil. The moral of the story = eat what nature naturally intended and not what humans have manipulated to increase shelf life!

I like these cookies as they are, however I did go out on a limb and added cubes of candied ginger and nutmeg, then reduced the cooking time to 8 minutes to give them slightly chewy centres.

MOLASSES Information:

• word root from Portuguese melaço (with mel meaning honey)
• originated from the Caribbean Islands
• thick syrup / treacle from processing sugarcane
• Blackstrap molasses: is dark brown in colour & bittersweet. It contains the least sugar & is the result of the 3rd boiling of pure pressed sugar cane juice. Excellent source of calcium, magnesium, iron & potassium
• buy unsulphured molasses which doesn’t contain this processing chemical
• Store for one year, in a tightly sealed jar, in the refrigerator or cool, dry place

RECIPE - SWEET PEA BLOG

• 270g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 50g candied ginger (cut into approx 0.5cm squares)
• 160g butter
• 190g white sugar
• 1 egg
• 60ml UNREFINED dark blackstrap molasses
• (white sugar for rolling the cookies)

1. Pre heat the oven to 180°C (350°F)
2. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) and set aside.
3. Cut up the candied ginger into small squares (ie 0.5cm each) and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light & fluffy
5. Next add the egg. TURN OFF THE MIXER (or you will have the problem I had the 1st time with lovely sticky molasses twined around your machine). Add the molasses and then beat again.
6. Next gradually add the flour mixture, until you have a unified batter.
7. Gently fold in the candied ginger pieces.
8. Finally fill a shallow bowl with white sugar. Take a teaspoon of batter and form it into a round ball. Roll the ball in the white sugar until evenly coated, and then place on the baking sheet – leaving space for spreading  (I normally cover the sheet with baking paper).
9. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes depending on your oven and desired chewyness