NORWEIGAN PEASANT SOUP #123

Some years ago my wife Dottie and I took a trip to Norway which included visiting some o her relatives who lived in Hamar just north of Oslo.  Traveling with us was our daughter Kari, her  husband Jacques, and our grandaughter Ashton.  We had landed in Bergen which is on the oposite coast. Bergen is known for its seafood, fyords and the great musical genius Edvard Grieg.
Oslo is where the king of Nosrway lives, and where the Nobel prize is awarded.  We traveled from Bergen to Oslo arriving about 9:30 PM just as it was getting dark. We took a cab to our bed and breakfast which  had been set up by Kari on the internet.  We met the owner who Dotti noted did not have a Norweigan accent.  He said that he actually grew up in    Minnesota though he had graduated from Moundsview Minnesota.  I was shocked and said :I taught at Moundsview for five years.  He exclaimed "Mr. Ashton"!  Yes, believe it or not, he was a former student!  It is a small world. We spent a couple of days in Oslo and had some good conversations with him.  We then took a train to Hammar.  I know this has  been a long way to get to how I came to eat the following recipe I am giving you. It is a variation of what was served at one of our meals we had with Dotties relatives.
INGREDIENTS:
     1 lb of hamhocks or left over ham roast
     1 lb of yellow or green split peas
     2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
     2 cups 1 inch pieces of potatoes
     2 cups 1/2 inch pieces of rutabaga
     2 cups celery cut into 1/2 inch pieces
     2 lg leeks, cleaned and sliced
     1/2 cup of virgin olive oil
     2 qts water
     1 sprig of thyme
     1 tsp coarse pepper
     1 stick of unsalted butter
     1 tab of Millers (or equiv) Soup base
DIRECTIONS:
     1. place hamhocks into a large fry pan with 1/2 cup of oil and fry about 10 minutes constantly turning
     2. put the 2 qts water, yellow peas, hamhocks, onions, celery, onions, split peas, Millers soup base,             leeks,  butter, into a large soup pot over medium heat and cook about a half an hour stiring
         occasionally
    3. add the rutabaga and potatoes and cook an additional 3/4  hour
    4. remove the ham hocks and cut off all the meat and return only the meat back into the pot
    5. will serve 6 to 8 or more people generously
    
    
         
    

WONDER (BOULLAISSE) ITALIAN STYLE SOUP IN WHITE WINE #(122)

      I love the Italian fish soup in red wine but I also love the fish soup using white wine and saffron.  The followiing recipe is a variation of the first recipe. This white wine recipe is milder and lighter and more in the tradition of the more French Boullabaisse style recipe then the red wine recipe.  I encourge you to try both and decide for yourself which one you like better.  You may find you like them both and may decide to trade off on which one to make
INGREDIENTS:
variety of 1 lb each fish such as halibut, monk, cod, large shrimp, sea scallops, calamari, mussels, middle neck clams, and any other firm fish
2 to 5 lbs fish bones
1 bottle of sparkling white wine such as Riunite Bianco
1 can Contadina tomato paste
1 lg can crushed Contadina tomatoes
2 lg onions peeled and sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed, cut in half and smashed again
1 good pinch saffron
3 tbls basil
1 tbls oregano
1/2 cup fennel seeds
2 tbls Miller or equiv chicken base
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
1. cut fish into I inch pieces set aside (keep shrimp peeled
    and whole)
2. pour olive oil into large fry pan
3. add fish and shrimp, and shell fish into pan and saute
    about 8 minutes (set aside)
4. pour 1 qt water and 2 tbls Miller chicken base into a
    large sauce pan, add fish bones, and simmer about 1/2 hour and remove    bones and save fish stock
5. add 1/2 cup olive oil to fry pan
6, add sliced onions, garlic and spices and stir well
7. add 2 cans tomato paste to fry pan and stir well
8, add lg can crushed tomatoes and continue stiring
9. add fish, peeled shrimp and fish stock and simmer about 15 minutes
10. pour all into a lg soup pot
11. add 750 ml white wine to pot, mussels and clams and simmer
      on low heat for about 45 minutes
12. serve with crusty Italian or french bread


    

SAVORY ONION PIE, ASHTON STYLE #(121)

The  closest dish to onion pie might be French Onion Soup.  When I was young, hated onions with a passion.  My mother had to swear that there were none even in her chili.  Today I put them in almost every recipe I make.  I  have  said before that every newly married woman can make her mother in law believe that she is a great cook just by frying some onions just a half an hour before her in law arrives.  The smell suggests one is a great cook!  The following recipe also happens not only to smell good but to also taste good.

INGREDIENTS:
     5 medium onions
     4 eggs beaten
      1/3 cup virgin olive oil
     1 cup of milk or cream
     1 tab Millers (or equiv) chicken base
     1 tab dry mustard
     1 tsp garlic powder
     2 cups shredded cheese
DIRECTIONS:
     1. preheat 350 degrees
     2. make a regular pie crust (see ecipe #   )
     3. pour oil into a largr fry pan
     4. add the sliced onions and fry until slightly brown
     5. remove onions and put them into the baked pie crust
     6. mix the dry mustard, garlic powder, milk or cream,    
         and the soup base in a bowl
     7. beat the eggs till incorporated
     8. add mustard mix into the eggs and stir until
         incorpated
     9. pour the mustard, egg mixture over the onions
    10. bake 350 degees for about 45 minutes
    11. remove from oven and sprinkle cheese over the top
    12. return to oven and cook about 20 minutes or until
          nicely brown
    13. this will serve 6 to 8 generously
      
    

*ITALIAN CARBONARA WITH LIGUINI, ASHTON STYLE #(120)

     Italian Carbonara is a pasta dish without tomato sauce with a distinctive flavor and is meatless making it a vegatarian recipe.  It also is an excellent and easy dish which does not have to be cooked for two hours as regular meat sauce requires.  I like it for lunch as well as for dinner.  I hope  you will try it and like it. ENJOY

     INGREDIENTS:
          4 strips of good thick bacon fried crisp and cut into small pieces
          4 to 6 cloves of garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
          1/2 cup of virgin olive oil
          1/2 cup of pinot grigio white wine
          1/2 cup of white port wine
          16 oz of heavy cream
          1 lb of linguini
          1 lg bunch of fresh parsley cut into small pieces
          3 eggs
          1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
    DIRECTIONS:
         1. in a large fry pan, fry the bacon until crisp
             and cut into small pieces
         2. add the 1/3 cup of olive oil into the same fry pan
         3. add minced garlic and parsley, salt and pepper and
             saute about 10 minutes
         4. make the linguni according to the box and drain and
             add it to the fry pan and stir well
         5. mix the 3 eggs with the heavy cream and pour it into
             the fry pan and stir until all the ingredients are
             incorporated (about an additional 15 minutes)
        6. add the white port and pinot grigio wines into the
            fry pan and saute about 15 minutes constantly stiring
        7. this recipe will serve from 6 to 8 generously


















       7.
         6. recipe will serve 6 to 8 persons generously
        
        

FANTASTIC LIVER PATE ASHTON STYLE

Enrico Caruso wais one of the greatest tenors ever! One of his Favorite dishes was one he would make himself: "chicken livers Caruso". The rcipe I am making is a variation of that recipe and one that I also enjoy eating.  This is also the basis of my recipe for "Liver Pate".  If you like chicken livers I urge you
to try  this recipe. ENJOY

INGREDIENTS:
1lb of chicken livers
1 lb pork ground sausage
1/2 lb goose liver
2 medium onions, peeled, cut in half and sliced
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
2 tbl of Italian mixed  spices
2 tbl of flour
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1 tab of Millers Soup Base (or equiv.)

DIRECTIONS:
     1. pour the virgin olive oil into a lg
         fry pan over moderate heat
     2. when hot add the sliced onions and
         saute until slightly brown
     3. add the Millers soup base and stir
         until incorporated
     4. add the chicken livers that you have
         removed any fat or gristle
     5. add the spices and saute all about
     6. add the sausage and continue simmering
     7. put ingredients into a food processor and
         mix until smooth
    8. pour into a 6 cup, oven proof glass bowl that
       you line with aluminum foil 
   9. place bowl in a shallow pan half way filled with
       with water
 10. bake at 350 degrees for a good hour with the bowl
       covered with foil check doneness with tooth pick
 11. place plate that just covers the inside of bowl and
       add weight
12. will serve 15 to 20   

           

BRINED PORK PIE ASHTON STYLE #(118)

Pork pie is a traditional English staple that seems as old as England itself.  That may not be true but it should be!  There are different ways to make it including making it in a terrine (using a metal or glass bread pan usually about 6 inches long by 3 inches high. The recipe I am giving you is using an actual pie crust.usually about 6 inches long by 3 inches high. The recipe I am giving you is using an actual pie crust. Yes, I know it seems like a lot of work but not if your English or wish to try something
special!
INGREDIENTS (pork filling)
     about a pound of pork shoulder (no bone) which you will want to brine overnight in water          
     using a 1/2 cup of sugar and a 1/2 cup of salt for the brine
     3 strips of thick bacon fried to a light brown and cut
     into 1 inch pieces
    1/2 cup virgin olive oil
    3 carrots, peeled and minced
    3 stalks of celery minced
    1/2 tsp of fresh ground nutmeg
    1/2 tsp ground allspice
    1 tsp kosher salt
    1 tsp coarse black pepper
DIRECTIONS FOR PORK FILLING:
    1. prehheat oven to 350 degrees
    2. take the pork shoulder out of the
        brine (you can rince it in cold water)
    3. cut the pork shoulder into i inch cubes
    4. pour the 1/2 cup of virgin olive oil in a
        lg fry pan over moderate heat and saute
        until meat is slightly brown and remove
        from heat
    4. in a large sauce pan of boiling water
        par boil the  minced carrots and celery
        about ten minutes and drain
    5. put the pork including the oil  into a
        roasting pan
    6. add the vegtables to the roasting pan
        sprinkle salt and pepper over ingredients  
        and bake about 30 minutes (set aside)
INGREDIENTS FOR THICKENER
     1/4 cup virgin oil
     2 lbs pork neck bones'
     2 pigs feet that are cut in half length wise
     2 medium onions, peeled, cut in half and sliced
     3 carrots, peeled and cut into i inch pieces
     3 stalks of celery cut into 1 inch pieces
     3 sprigs of sprigs of fresh thyme; 3 sprigs of fressh
        parsley and 3 bay leaves and tied together
     1/4 cup of flour and enough water to first make
     a paste then additional water to the thickness of
     heavy cream
     1 enough water to cover bones in fry pan
DIRECTIONS:
     1. using a heavy roasting pan 9 by 12 inches by 
         3 inches high; pour the oil in over moderate heat
    2. fry the onions, carrots and celery about 15 minutes
        to slightly brown
    3. add the neck bones and saute about an addtional
        15 minutes turning them until brown on all sides
    4. add the pigs feet and the water untill thcoe bones are
        covered and cook on top of the stove on low heat fro
        about 3 hours
    5. remove meat add flour thickener to finish thickener

MAKE PIE CRUST-SEE RECIPE #

PUTTING THE PIE TOGETHER:
     1. mix the filling and then pour it into the crust
     2. add enough e mhickener to be even with the
         top of the filling
    3. add the pastry top on the pie and crimp around
        the edge
    4. make a wash of 1 egg and 2 tab water and brush
        the top of  the pie and make 3 slits in the top
    5. bake in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes; until
        golden brown
    6. should serve 6 to 8 generously

TILAPIA WITH MUSHROOM IN WINE ASHTON STYLE (#117)

You may be  aware that I am a great fan of Julia Childs. In several of her books she discribes her first meal upon arriving in France.  The entree was called meuniere which was sole in a butter sauce. She discribes it as fish in a "goodly amount of butter".  The following recipe is a variation of this dish.  I am using Tilapia for the fish and mushrooms added for both presentation and flavor. I also will be using a little lemon and pa rsley.  I hope you will try it! ENJOY

INGREDIENTS:
     6 filets of Tilapia
     1 stick of unsalted butter
     1/4 cup of virgin olive oil
     2 medium onions, peeled, cut in half
        and sliced
     1 lb of crimini or button mushrooms sliced in 3
     parts
     1/4 cup of parsley (fresh or dried)
DIRECTIONS:
     1. melt the butter in a large fry pan over moderate
         heat until the foam is almost gone
     2. add the virgin olive oil to the pan
     3. add the fish to the pan and saute until
         they are well brown and turn over and do
         the same on the other side.  Tilapia is
         a fragile fish one has to handle it very
         carfully so remove it gently (set aside)
     4. add the mushrooms to the pan and saute
         them until slightly brown
     5. carefully return the fish to the pan and
         continue to saute an additional 5 or so
         minutes
    6. plate the six tilapia and pour the sauce
        evenly on each filet
    7. sprinkle parsley on top of each filet
    8. will serve 6
OPTIONAL:
     add a cup of sparkling white wine
     (I like Ruiniti Bianco, but any sparkling
     wine will do)