Cookenjoy: SUPER MOON

Yesterday, the 20^th March 2019, an enormous super moon lightened the skies.

The Parthenon with the Super Moon Rising in the Background

The Super Moon and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion

This supermoon coincided with the vernal equinox, which marks the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere it is, therefore also known as the “super worm moon”, as it corresponds with the time of the year when earthworms emerge from the melting snow-covered ground.

Let us all take the time to admire the beauty of nature, a precious gift that is offered to us so lavishly, particularly, during this very crucial and difficult period.

Here are the recipes for a meal that served to my bridge group the previous Friday.

ASPARAGUS SOUP

Greek asparagus are of excellent quality. You can either use the white or the green variety for preparing this soup.

500 g (1 lb) asparagus, washed and trimmed
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 onion peeled and chopped

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
1 bay leaf
250 ml (1 cup) milk
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
250 ml (1 cup) cream

Cut off the asparagus tips and set aside. Chop the tender part of the stalks and reserve. also, chop and reserve the tough parts.

Bring the stock to a boil, add 6-8 asparagus tips and simmer for 5-7 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.

Add the chopped tough stalks to the stock and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the stalks and discard. Add the remaining asparagus (tender stalks and uncooked tips), onion and garlic to the stock and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and set aside to cool. Blend the vegetables with the stock and sieve back into the saucepan.

Melt the butter and stir in the flour, pepper and bay leaf and cook gently for 3-4 minutes. Add the milk to the roux and cook, whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Discard the bay leaf. Mix the sauce with a cup of warm soup and sieve back into the saucepan and stir.

Correct the seasoning with salt and freshly ground white pepper, if necessary. Then add the cream and heat without boiling. Serve garnished with the reserved asparagus tips.

SMOKED SALMON TART

This is a lovely, tasty tart.

Pastry:

200 g (1 tub) plain Greek yogurt

1 egg

200 ml (4/5 cup) olive oil

A pinch of salt

500 g (1 lb) self-rising flour

Filling:

210 g (7 oz) smoked salmon, cut into small pieces

2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

1 tbsp chopped dill

3 medium-sized eggs whipped with

200 ml (4/5 cup) cream

First, prepare the pastry. Whisk the yogurt and the egg until smooth. Add the olive oil and stir until very well combined. Stir in 250 g (8 oz) of the flour, adding the rest gradually until you have a stiff dough. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180 C (350 F), roll out the dough, thinly, between two pieces of baking parchment and line a buttered 30 cm (almost 12 inches) tart dish. Cut the pastry that is hanging over the sides of the dish and crimp the sides into a pretty pattern. Pierce the dough with a fork all over, cover with crumpled foil and bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Then, place the smoked salmon and the spring onion pieces evenly over the cold tart shell and sprinkle with chopped dill. Pour in the egg and cream mixture and bake for 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) until puffed and golden.

Serve with a green salad.

VEAL BRAISED WITH LEEKS

A delicious main dish that my dear friend Maria Skarlatidou gave me.

1.5 kg (3 lb) rump of veal cut into serving pieces

1 bay leaf

3 tbsp olive oil

1.5 kg (3 lbs) leeks, trimmed, sliced lengthwise into 2 pieces and thoroughly washed and cut into 4-5 pieces

1 large onion, peeled and grated

1 garlic clove peeled and mashed

250 ml (1 cup) good white wine

Tasty meat stock to cover

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

A knob of butter

Sauté the meat in olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and suspicion if salt. Then, transfer it to a dish with a slotted spoon. In the same saucepan sauté the leeks all over and transfer to a dish with slotted spoon.

Over low heat. cook the onion and garlic until soft. Return the meat to the saucepan and pour in the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the alcohol evaporates. Then add the meat stock, cover with a lid, and simmer gently until the meat is almost tender. Arrange the leeks over the meat and simmer until the leeks and the meat are cooked. Add the butter and swirl the saucepan.

Discard the bay leaf and serve over rice or with smashed potatoes and cream.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RUM CUSTARD

One of our favourite desserts.

Cake:

195 g (1½ cup) self-rising flour

45 g (¼ cup) sifted cocoa

1 vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

115 g (¼ cup) butter, softened

1 egg

125 ml (Greek yogurt)

125 ml boiling water

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and line the base of a baking tin with buttered baking parchment and brush the sides with melted butter.

Mix the five first ingredients of the cake together. Whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the egg and yogurt and whip until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and the boiling water and stir until the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and wait for 10 minutes the reverse on a dish and allow to cool.

Rum Custard:

687.5 ml (2¾ cups) milk

125 ml (½ cup) dark rum

1 vanilla

3 egg yolks

100 g (½ cup) sugar

3 tbsp cornflour

1 tbsp butter

Simmer the milk the rum and the vanilla for 5 minutes and whip the egg yolks with the sugar and cornflour until creamy and thick. Allow the milk to cool for 5 minutes and ladle it into the egg mixture, beating constantly as you add. Return the saucepan to the fire and simmer gently, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the butter, cover with cling film and set aside to cool. Then place it in the fridge for ½ an hour.

Cover the chocolate cake with the rum custard and make a pretty design on the top with the help of a spoon and refrigerate covered.

Bring to room temperature before serving.