Category Archives: Pie & Other Pastries

The berry season has arrived in full force! It will not be the best of seasons here. The weather this spring was not ideal for strawberries and raspberries and low yields made for an increase in pricing. So when a “offer” came along, it did not matter that the berries were a little small as […]

There are a very few weeks each year were garlic scapes are available and we are there in this part of the world. Garlic comes in two varieties, hardneck and softneck. Hardneck  garlic needs to have their tops taken off so that the energy goes into the bulbs, making larger bulbs for harvesting later in […]

A galette is a simple free form pastry that can be filled with either sweet or savoury deliciousness. This one is made with a processor puff pastry but regular pastry is also an option. Try whipping up a few batches of pastry and popping them away in the freezer so that when inspiration strikes all […]

There is an underlying concept in Imbolc that shows itself again in the preparations for Lent. Spring cleaning includes the process of going through “stuff” and sorting out what is needed and still useful and what is not. Going through the fridge probably brings up an assortment of containers pushed off to the side, some […]

In Holland there is a strong tradition connecting letters with this time of the year. Edible letters were used as a teaching aid to help children learn their alphabet in convent school.  Today chocolate letters can be found in delicatessens at Christmas time but the tradition goes further back to a time when the letters […]

Filo rolls can fill the bill in many places, served savoury with fillings like spinach and garlic or sweet with any number of fruits. Appetizer, main course or dessert are all possible if you have a box of ready made filo at home. The challenge can be that once the box is open, the pastry […]

Our ancient ancesters knew wild raspberries well. Various dig sites across Europe, Asia, and Northern America have revealed the remains of raspberry canes. In Greek myths, raspberries were white until Ida,  Zeus’s nursemaid pricked her finger and stained them all red for all time, linking raspberries to fertility, women’s health and children. That tale is […]

When something is expensive and not easy to get, it is always a good idea to find a way to extend the flavour in some way. I did that this summer with my handful of cascade berries that were turned into liquour and then chocolates. It allows more people to share in the bounty. Originally […]

The second pastry on the menu of the fall high tea is this simple quiche style tart. One half recipe of the puff pastry dough posted previously was enough to make these and the pockets posted yesterday. This is just a reminder that the small ingredient amounts can be easily increased for projects larger than […]

Okay, let’s get on to the fun stuff. You have the recipe for the pastry and the pesto via previous posts. Now let’s put it all together. Yes, I used chicken but left over turkey will do the job as well and as many of you still have Thanksgiving to look forward to, having a supply […]