Strawberry Fields

SwimmerGirl and I went strawberry picking last weekend at a farm about an hour away. The weather wasn't beautiful--but it wasn't 9,000 degrees either, a nice change. In the end, and despite my plans to have less, we picked over 11 lbs of strawberries. They're just so sweet and perfectly ripe right now--it was hard stopping when we did. Surprisingly, 11 lbs of strawberries isn't that hard to use up. On that first day we made strawberry shortcakes for lunch, strawberry daiquiris to drink, and a big strawberry-lime pie for dinner (yes, that was dinner.) A couple of days later, I made a big strawberry-blueberry soufflé, which was light and creamy and very easy to make.











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Spinach and Three-Cheese Soufflé

I keep saying this because it's true: soufflés are a lot easier to make than they seem, and they're always a big hit. Even if your soufflé doesn't rise sky-high, if you put sufficient flavor in the base, it will still taste good. But you can protect against low rising by adding an extra egg white, giving the beaten whites just a little more volume. For this soufflé, I lightly steamed some baby spinach--and I could have used a lot more, but I only had about a cup or two raw--and then squeezed it dry and chopped it fine. For the cheeses, I grated Parmesan, Gouda, and a goat Brie--but you can use what you like.


Alongside this, we had steamed asparagus with toasted hazelnuts


And a mixed berry salad



 Spinach and Three-Cheese Souffle

10 eggs, separated (you'll need 10 whites and 8 yolks)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
6 Tbs unsalted butter
6 Tbs flour
2 c hot milk
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper
1 bag baby spinach (steamed, squeezed dry, and chopped fine, or you can use frozen)
2 c grated cheese (use whatever combination you like)

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Butter a large souffle dish well, and then coat with grated cheese (like you would with flour for a cake.)

1. Start by making the white sauce: melt the butter, then add in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.  Then add the hot milk and whisk til it's smooth and thickened.  Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

2. Off the heat, add the egg yolks, one or two at a time, and whisking them in quickly so they don't scramble. Then add the chopped spinach and cheese and mix well.  Pour this mixture into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

3. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar, starting slowly and working your way up to high speed.  Beat til the egg whites are stiff but not dry.

4. Whisk about one quarter of the egg whites into the sauce mixture.  Then, carefully fold the rest of the whites into that mixture, til it's well blended (a few little bits of white are ok, better to keep the volume.)

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared souffle dish.  Carefully put this into the oven, and turn the heat down to  375 degrees.  Bake for 25-30 min.--and don't open the oven til it's about done, browned on top and not too jiggly.  If it seems not quite ready, cook for a few minutes more, but it will continue cooking even out of the oven, too.  Serve immediately.

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Souffle au Fromage

I think people are intimidated by souffles, but really they are very easy. Basically, you make a white sauce, a bechamel, then mix in egg yolks, and then fold in whipped egg whites and whatever filling, which was a mix of Jarlsberg and parmesan cheeses today. The end result is both flavorful and impressive. Butter, milk, cheese, and eggs are among the most basic, and tasty, ingredients out there. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Simply Souffle

When I was growing up we used to have cheese souffles on a fairly regular basis--not all the time, but they weren't uncommon, and they were always very good. A cheese souffle has all the same ingredients of scrambled eggs, but it is so much more elegant and light. Somewhere along the way we stopped having them, possibly when eggs fell out of favor or when we needed something on the table a bit faster. They do take some extra time, but they are super simple to prepare--essentially a white sauce with cheese and separated eggs--and the results are well worth it. Cheese Souffle (based on the recipe in Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking) 1 tsp unsalted butter 1 Tbs Parmesan 3 Tbs butter 3 Tbs flour 1 c hot milk salt and pepper pinch of nutmeg 4 eggs plus 1 egg white 3/4 c grated cheese (any combination) 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 2. Butter the inside of a 2 1/2 qt. souffle dish and coat with the 1 Tbs Parmesan. 3. In a saucepan, melt the 3 Tbs butter and then stir in the flour. Let cook for about two minutes, stirring occasionally so the mixture doesn't brown. Off the heat, pour in the hot milk and whisk til smooth. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Return the pan to the heat and cook for about 1 min., stirring constantly. The mixture will be quite thick. 4. Take the pan off the heat. Start separating the eggs, and quickly whisk the yolks into the sauce after each addition. Set aside. 5. Using a mixer, beat the five egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Add about a quarter of the egg whites to the sauce and stir in. Then stir in most of cheese, saving out about 1 Tbs for the top of the souffle. Carefully fold in the rest of the egg whites. 6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. 7. Place the souffle in the middle level of the oven, making sure there is plenty of space above the dish. Immediately lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees. 8. Do NOT open the oven for the first 20 min. Resist the urge. After 25-30 min., the souffle will have puffed up and the top will be lightly browned. Let cook for another 4-5 min. to firm up, and then serve immediately.