STEAMED PERSIMMON PUDDING

A recent find at the local Goodwill.  Two steamed pudding molds.  Other than Boston brown bread, I had not made a steamed pudding before, and now, with the holidays fast approaching,  I gathered up the necessary ingredients, plugged in my Westinghouse roaster, and went to work.

Ingredients:  For the Pudding:  1/2 cup (1 stick/ unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the pudding mold  1 cup granulated sugar  1 cup sifted all-purpose flour  1 cup persimmon pulp (from 2 to 3 ripe persimmons, peeled and seeded)  1 tablespoon dark rum  2 large eggs, slightly beaten  2 teaspoons baking soda mixed with 2 teaspoons warm water  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon  1 teaspoon ground ginger  1 teaspoon ground cloves  1/2 cup chopped walnuts  1 cup dried figs, diced To Make the Pudding:  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with the persimmon pulp, rum, eggs, and baking soda/warm water mixture. Stir in the vanilla, spices, walnuts, and figs, mix on low until the batter comes together, about 5 minutes.  Butter the top and bottom of a 2-quart pudding mold with a lid. Spoon in the mixture. Put the buttered lid on tightly and lock into place. Put the mold in a bigger pot filled with water to come halfway up the side of the mold; cover the pot.  Note: It is necessary to have a well-buttered mold and enough water for ample steam for the pudding to cook correctly.  Bring the water to a simmer and let simmer over low to medium-low heat for about 2 hours. Make sure the water doesn't evaporate; add more hot water if it does. The pudding should be checked with a cake tester once it's been steaming for 1 1/2 hours. When the tester comes out clean, the pudding is done. Take the mold out of the water, remove lid, and unmold when cool, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  While the pudding is steaming, prepare the hard sauce.  To Make the Hard Sauce:  Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Beat in the brandy. Chill at least 1 hour. Serve with the warm pudding.  Pudding is best served warm, but may also be served at room temperature. If desired, garnish pudding with confectioners' sugar. Slice pudding and serve with hard sauce.

PICKLED GREEN TOMATOES

The growing season in Maine is roughly 90 days. A heavy frost is due soon.  The tomato plants are still loaded with fruit. What to do?

Make tomato pickles!

Though larger tomatoes may be used, I prefer the cherry tomatoes for this gastronomic project.

Choose only green tomatoes. No hint of yellow or red. Remove the stems and give the tomatoes a good washing.

Now, we have two ways of going about this. The first is rather quick and simple. The second method is also simple but requires a little more time.

Method #1:

Clean canning jars

White vinegar

Kosher or canning salt

Pickling spices

Green tomatoes

Pack the jars with the washed tomatoes then fill the jars with vinegar. Pour the vinegar out of the jars and into a nonreactive pot. Keep the tomatoes in the jars.

Add the picking spices to the vinegar, I use about a scant tablespoon per pint, now add about a half cup more vinegar.

Bring the vinegar too a boil, remove from heat and let cool.

When cool, pour back into jars with tomatoes. Cover and store in a cool, dry spot. These will be ready in about a week.

Method #2:

This is a lactofermentation method. The same as making saurkraut.

You will need:

A crock or nonreactive container large enough to hold all the tomatoes.

Distilled water

Kosher or canning salt

Pickling spices

Green tomatoes

Fill the crock with tomatoes, cover with water and then pour out the water into a nonreactive pot. Add 1 cup of salt for every 2 quarts of water. Add spices, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir to desolve salt. Let cool. Pour into crock with tomatoes.

If you have an airlock, the can be purchased at a beer or wine brewing shop, us it or seal the crock and "burp" it each day.

In a week to twelve days you should have some nice pickles.

BREAD PUDDING

I can not remember where I had read a recipe about hollowing out an orange and filling it with a custard. I was making french toast the other morning, had some custard left over and a slice of bread. Grabbed an orange out if the fruit basket, trimmed off the top and scooped out the insides.

Filled it with my bread pudding mixture and baked it in a hot oven for about 25 minutes. 

I thought it came out beautifully. Nice portion size and the orange rind added both a nice flavor and an easy clean up.

EGGPLANT CASSEROLE for 20

Last minute menu change. A guest, who was gluten and dairy free, was not going to be happy with a traditional lasagna. So, I put my thinking cap on and did a little last minute shopping.

Standing in the produce aisle It would have been impossible not to notice the pile of bright, purple eggplants. And the price was right. I grabbed an arm full, really, and then picked up a few summer squash and zucchini.

I had a vague idea of what I was going to do, and was making a mental note of what I had back at the schooner, a partial container of pasta sauce, and a few wedges of gluten free corn bread.

After lunch was served I began construction of the casserole. First step was to cut the squash into chunks, and saute them in olive oil. I also diced up 3 onions and added those, along with a tablespoon of oregano.

The eggplant was cut into 1/2 discs, brushed with olive oil, and grilled on the center of the stove. When a nice char developed I flipped them and repeated the process with the remaining pieces.

The eggplant was taking the place of the pasta, and the squash was the filling, I needed a binder.

I pulled out the container of pasta sauce, no meat, and added 10 raw eggs, mixed it up and poured it into the squash mixture, off heat.

In my large lasagna pan I placed a layer of eggplant, then some filling and repeated two more times.

The cornbread was crumbled,  little olive oil was added, and some oregano, then it was spread over the top.

Baked at 400° till the top was golden brown and the center registered 170°

Cool a little before serving.

PEPPERS PIEDMONTES

The tomatoes are ripening fast and finding ways to use them is always fun.
Piedmont peppers are a marvelous way to use the abundance of both red peppers and tomatoes.

Few things could be as easy.  Slice peppers in half and remove seeds and white membrane. Peel tomatoes by letting soak in very hot water for just a few seconds. The skins should just pull off.

Place one anchovy fillet in the bottom of each pepper and then fill with tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in a hot oven till soft and a little charred.  Enjoy.

ONION FLAT BREAD, with help from Emmett

1 tsp yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons yogurt

1 medium onion,grated (peeled, of course)
1 egg
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup melted butter

MIx all ingredients together in a large bowl, stir well and then let sit 20 minutes. turn out onto a well floured board and kneed for 5 minutes, return to well oiled bowl and let rise till doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough and then divided into eight pieces. roll into balls and let rest 10 minutes.

Roll out as thin as the onions will let you, let rest again for 10 minutes. Get a cast iron pan good and hot. Or use your grill.

Place rolled out dough into hot pan. cook till it begins to brown and then flip.

Charred bits are just fine. These freeze well and can be reheated in a flash.

   ROLLING OUT THE DOUGH

FIRST SIDE

FLIPED AND COOKING OTHER SIDE, NOTE LITTLE CHARRED SPOTS. THIS IS GOOD!

                                                          ROLLING OUT MORE

                                                                     AND MORE

EMMETT WORKING AT THE STOVE

READY TO EAT

BLUEBERRY CAKE

I can not remember a time when we did not have this.  It was often asked for as a birthday cake and as a dessert at lobster and clam bakes.

If you do not have Maine blueberries, those small wild grown gems, then make something else.  If using frozen,Maine berries then do not thaw them before adding.

• 2 eggs, separated 
• 1 cup sugar 
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1½ cups sifted flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1½ cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add about ¼ cup of the sugar to keep them stiff.

Cream butter and remaining sugar remaining sugar, add salt and vanilla and unbeaten egg yolks, beat until light and creamy. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk. Fold in beaten whites, Your hands will be the best tool for this make sure they are clean.. Fold in the fresh blueberries. (Take a bit of the flour called for in recipe and gently shake berries in it so they won’t settle.)

Turn into a greased 8-by-8-inch pan. Sprinkle top of batter lightly with granulated sugar. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

Serves 8.