French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup

French onion soup is a worldwide classic and a big favorite in my house. The deep, somewhat sweet and umami flavors with the saltiness from the gruyere is a party in my mouth. I like to serve  some extra crispy slices of cheesy bread slices, to add some extra texture. French onion soup is normally an appetizer, but somehow it always transforms itself to a main course, when I make it at home. Perfect for a meatless Monday or any other day. 

Serves 6 as an appetizer 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter, salted
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 onions, thinly sliced
• 4-5 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leave
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 cup (2½ dl) white wine
• 1 liter (4 cups) beef broth

Topping:

• 1 baguette, sliced
• ½ pound gruyere cheese

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, and thyme, and cook until the onions are soft and caramelized, this will take about 25 minutes. You want to get a good caramelizing on the onions, this will make the flavors more deep and more complex. Add the wine, broth, garlic and bay leave. Bring the soup to simmer. Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes. Season to taste. Discard thyme sprigs, garlic and bay leave.

Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃). Spread the baguette slices on a baking sheet, sprinkle with some olive oil. Toast the bread for about 10 minutes until golden and crispy. 

Preheat the boiler.

Pour the soup into ovenproof cups or bowls. Place 1-2 bread slices on top, and sprinkle a good amount cheese on top. Place the soup under the boiler and heat until the cheese has melted and turned golden and bubbly. 

Serve the soup immediately.

Enjoy!

Semi-Dried Tomatoes

Semi-Dried Tomatoes

I love love love tomatoes in any way or form. But theses semi-dried tomatoes are pure candy. They are nothing like sun-dried tomatoes, they are soft sweet and with the slight tanginess from fresh tomatoes.

You can use them for almost anything. On sandwiches, pizze (plural of pizza), in casseroles, or stews, in salads and just for a snack.

Ingredients:

• about 500 g cherry tomatoes, the amount is not important

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ⅛ teaspoon pepper

• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 ℉ (165℃). 

Rinse the tomatoes, and cut them in halves, or quarters for the bigger ones. 

In a cup combine oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Place all the tomatoes in a large ovenproof dish or sheet pan, and coat them with the seasoned oil. Arrange the tomatoes skin side down, being careful not to crowd them. Bake tomatoes for 25-30 minutes. Reduce the  heat to 200℉ (95℃), and keep baking for another 2-3 hours.

Let the tomatoes cool slightly before storing them in a clean container filled with olive oil. They will keep for weeks in the refrigerator. 

Use the semi-dried tomatoes in salads, with any protein, bruschetta or just eat them as a snack.  

Enjoy!

Sommersalat - Summer Salad with Smoked Cheese

Sommersalat - Summer Salad with Smoked Cheese

This salad is summer. My mom made this fresh and crispy salad when the first radishes were big enough to harvest in our vegetable garden. Summer salad is made with a speciality cheese from the island of Funen, a smoked fresh cheese. Summer salad has a mild smoked flavor and is filled with fresh chrispy vegetables. 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• 100-150 g rygeost Danish smoked cheese 
• 100 g creme fraiche or sour cream
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• salt & pepper to taste

Filling:

• 10-12 medium radishes, quartered and sliced thinly
• ½ english cucumber, quartered and sliced thinly
• a good handful finely chopped chives

Directions:

Mix the dressing, seasoning it with salt, pepper and sugar. I like a mild dressing, with a distinctive smoke flavor. Add all the vegetables and serve the salad on a slice of Danish rye bread. Sprinkle with a little extra chives.

Enjoy!

Rygeost - Danish Smoked Cheese

Rygeost - Danish Smoked Cheese

Rygeost, Danish smoked cheese is a local tradition from the island of Funen or Fyn as it is called in Denmark. Rygeost is a smoked fresh cheese, so it is a soft, and fairly spreadable cheese. You can use the cheese on pizza, in mayonnaise based salads or with seafood. But more traditionally you will eat it as an open-faced sandwich on a slice of rye bread, with sliced radishes and chives on top.

Ingredients:

• 1 quart (1 L) organic whole milk, I used Saint Benoît Organic Whole Jersey Milk
• ¼ cup (1 dl) organic butter milk
• 3 drops rennet, I used Animal Rennet from New England Cheesemaking Supply Co.
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Equipment for smoking:

• 1 charcoal starter (chimney)
• 2-3 handfuls dry straw (if you have straws from oat or wheat, you will get the best favor)

Directions:

In a large pot heat whole milk and buttermilk to 26℃/79℉. Pour the mixture into a scalded plastic container, mix in the rennet and put a lid on. Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 21-24 hours.

After 21-24 hours, cut the coagulated milk (cheese curds) with a knife in small cubes, this will help releasing the whey from the curds.

Scoop the cheese curds into a strainer/colander lined with cheesecloth. Let the cheese drain for 2 hours before adding the salt. Let the cheese drain for another 5-7 hours. The fresh cheese will hold for 3-4 days in the refrigerator without adding anything else. The whey (liquid) can be used for baking bread.

Smoking:

Place the cheese in a strainer or on some kind of grate. Place the grate on top of a charcoal starter (chimney) filled with dry straws/hay. Light the hay from the bottom of the starter, and smoke the cheese for just about 60 seconds. The cheese is quickly flashed with the hay smoke to produce the unique flavor. Place the cheese upside-down on a plate with the smoke-lines up. Sprinkle with caraway seeds.

Serve the smoked cheese on a slice of Danish rye bread with sliced radishes and chives.

Enjoy!

Oysters Rockefeller

Oysters Rockefeller

It took me 40 years to build up the nerve to try to eat an oyster. After the first bite, I was hooked. We just went back to Hog Island Oyster Farm, for yet another oyster fix. I love the down to earth feeling, when sitting at wooden picnic tables eating the scrumptious grilled oysters, while enjoying the beautiful Tomales Bay and the hills of Point Reyes. 

Like last time we brought some oysters back home, so we could try to make our own Oyster Rockefeller. 

Next time I might use less breadcrumbs and a little more cheese. But over all the oysters was so so good, I love Pernod's, anise taste.

This is my version inspired by Florence Tyler's recipe.

1 dozen (12 oysters)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 garlic cloves, minced

• ca 20 g (¼ cup) bread crumbs, I used Panko

• 1 shallots, chopped

• 225-250 g (1 cup) chopped fresh spinach

• 30 ml (1 fl oz) Pernod or dry white wine

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 tablespoons olive oil

• 25 g (¼ cup) grated gruyere cheese

• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

• 1 dozen oysters, on the half shell

• Rock salt

• Lemon wedges & hot sauce, for garnish

Directions:

Melt butter in a skillet over low heat. Infuse the butter with garlic by letting the garlic sauté in the butter for about 1 minute, remove from heat. Don’t let the garlic brown, and burn, his will make the garlic bitter. Place the bread crumbs in a bowl and mix in half of the garlic butter, olive oil, gruyere, parsley and season with salt and pepper, set aside. 

Add shallots and spinach to the remaining garlic butter. Cook until the spinach wilts and the shallots get translucent. Deglaze the pan with Pernod. Let the mixture cook down for a few minutes then season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, at let sit to cool.

Preheat the oven to 450 ℉ (230℃). Sprinkle a baking pan with a good amount of salt. Arrange the shucked oysters in the salt to steady them. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the spinach mixture on each oyster followed by a spoonful of the bread crumb mixture.  Bake oysters for about 10-15 minutes until golden. Serve with lemon wedges and hot sauce.

I grilled my Oyster on the BBQ at about 450℉ for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!