20-Clove Garlic Soup

 20 CLOVE GARLIC SOUP
Winter has been teasing us here in our part of the country.  One day it is 50 degrees with a faint feeling of Spring in the air.  The next day we have forecasts of snow, ice and temperatures in the teens.  It is this time of year, we enjoy soup most.  It is hearty, satisfying, and warms the body while soothing the soul.

Olivia found this incredible soup at www.ediblemichiana.com.  It is full of flavor (mostly garlic) and rich with butter, wine, and half-and-half.  If you like garlic and like a smooth, cheesy soup, I think you will enjoy this one.  When Olivia made it, she said it really tastes like garlic so know that before you make it and consider making it an appetizer instead of a large bowl main attraction.  No matter what context you wish to serve it in, it is sure to be a blast to the winter blues and a warm blanket for your taste buds.  Make a batch and enjoy!
-Nanette

20-Clove Garlic Soup

• 20 garlic cloves (about 2 full heads)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1¼ cups half-and-half
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 cup Parmesan
• 1½ cups croutons (see below)
• Sage oil (see below)

Croutons

• 3 slices bread
• Olive oil
• Salt

Sage oil

• 6 sage leaves
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 pinch salt 

Cut off the base of 2 whole heads of garlic and leave the paper on the cloves. Pour ½ teaspoon of olive oil over each head of garlic and place in aluminum foil. Roast at 350° for 30–35 minutes, until soft. The cloves should easily squeeze out of their peel.
Place the roasted garlic cloves and butter in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Add the wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and chicken broth, then use an immersion blender or transfer the mixture to an upright blender to blend. Return to low heat and add the half-and-half. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the cayenne and Parmesan, shut off the heat and cover with a lid to let the cheese melt. Serve with croutons and a drizzle of sage oil.
Croutons
Toast 3 slices of good bread and cut into 2- by 2-inch pieces, then drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and bake at 400° for 10–11 minutes.
Sage oil
Sauté the sage leaves in oil with a pinch of salt over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

ROBIN EGG CAKE

ROBIN EGG CAKE
Spring is definitely NOT in the air here.  The temperatures have been in the teens and snow is in the forecast, but already Olivia and I have begun to look at seed catalogs and dream of Spring and the garden's bounty.  Soon it will be time to plan for an early Easter and all things fresh and beautiful. 

With visions of green grass and sunshine, we offer this Robin Egg Cake from Country Living Magazine.  Make it now to dispel the Winter gloom or keep the recipe for Easter.  Either way you will love its flavorful taste and creamy texture.  It is a feast both for the stomach and the eyes.  Enjoy!
-Nanette

For the Cake:

Ingredients

• Baking spray, for pan
• 3 c. cake flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 c. malted milk powder
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1 c. canola oil
• 1 c. half-and-half, at room temperature
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. pure coconut extract
• 1 large egg plus 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
• Coconut Buttercream (recipe link below)
• 1/8 tsp. brown gel food coloring
• Phyllo nest and robin egg candies (recipe link below)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease three 8-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Whisk together flour, baking powder, malt powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. Whisk together oil, half-and-half, sugar, vanilla, coconut extract, and whole egg in a separate bowl until smooth. Fold in flour mixture just until incorporated. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold egg whites into batter just until combined.

1. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
2. Place one layer on a cake plate and frost top with 1 cup coconut buttercream. Repeat two more times. Frost sides with remaining Coconut Buttercream.
3. Stir together food coloring and 2 drops water in a bowl. Dip the tip of a wide, stiff paintbrush into the mixture. Holding the brush 6 to 8 inches from the cake, gently fling the mixture onto iced cake. Repeat for desired effect. Spread phyllo nest around the base of the cake, and nestle candies in nest.

For the Coconut Buttercream:

Ingredients

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 c. cream of coconut
• 6 c. confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• pinch of Kosher salt
• Blue gel food coloring

Directions

1. Beat butter and cream of coconut with an electric mixture on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Gradually beat in sugar.
3. Beat in pure vanilla extract and a pinch of kosher salt until combined.
4. Beat in blue gel food coloring, one drop at a time, to desired color.

For the Phyllo Nest:

Ingredients

• 6 sheets of phyllo dough
• Cooking spray

• Directions

  1. Tightly roll 6 sheets of phyllo dough lengthwise. Very thinly slice.
  2. Transfer to a baking sheet, loosely separating layers. Spray with cooking spray.
  3. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden-brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes
This recipe came from www.geniuskitchen.com.  I have made scalloped potatoes differently many times over the years, but this recipe is particularly good because it sets up well and the sauce is a nice consistency.  The only variation I have made is to use Honey Baked Ham and to sprinkle a little parsley on top at the end for a little more color. 

Growing up, Olivia has enjoyed with her parents a Honey Baked Ham each Christmas.  One of the best things about such a ham is that you can get a lot of mileage out of it and what is left that gets put in the freezer.  We have enjoyed breakfast casseroles, soup beans, and even scalloped potatoes made with the leftovers.  I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes when I make ham and scalloped potatoes.  They add to the richness and creamy texture.  This is a great recipe to make if you live somewhere where it is cold right now and you could use a little comfort food.  Enjoy!
-Nanette

READY IN:  1hr 50mins	SERVES:  8
UNITS:  US

INGREDIENTSNutrition

• 1⁄2cup butter
• 1⁄2cup flour
• 2teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2teaspoon pepper
• 3cups milk
• 3cups ham, cooked
• 1large green pepper, chopped
• 1large onion, chopped
• 1⁄2cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 5cups potatoes, pared and sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in large sauce pan over low heat; blend in flour, salt, and pepper.
2. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Remove from heat gradually stir in milk.
3. Return to heat; cook until thickened and bubbly.
4. Fold in ham, onion, green pepper and cheese. Pour over potatoes in a large bowl.
5. Stir gently then move into a buttered 13X9-inch baking dish; cover with foil.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
7. Uncover and continue to bake for 1 hour.
8. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

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