A Hobbit's Delight Submitted by:
ElennarDescription: Mushrooms, nice crispy bacon, tomatoes...
Ingredients
1 pound portabella mushrooms (either large caps torn into chunks; pre-sliced; or baby bellas, halved)
1 pound assorted mushrooms (your choice)
1 medium onion, diced
1 pound sliced bacon
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 good red wine (if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it)
1 pinch ground nutmeg (place a small amount in the palm of your hand and take a good pinch from that)
2 tablespoons cold butter
Instructions
In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crisp. Set aside.
Drain a little more than half of the bacon drippings from the pan. To the remaining drippings, add the diced onion. Saute until onion is translucent. Add the portabella and assorted mushrooms; sprinkle the nutmeg over the top and saute until the mushrooms start to darken. Add the wine, lower the heat, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the halved tomatoes; continue to simmer until the tomato skins begin to wrinkle. Crumble the bacon and stir into the mixture.
Turn off the heat and stir in the cold butter until it is completely melted, creating a nice buttery sauce.
Serve with sweet italian sausages as a side dish over rice or noodles or spread over slices of a hearty bread.
After Dinner at the Brandybuck's Cookies Submitted by:
sinnyDescription: Meadowlark Brandybuck learned this recipe from her grandmother Peony.
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. melted butter
2/3 cups sugar
3 oz. pudding mix
3 oz. shredded chocolate
Instructions
Mix all ingredients, stirring after adding each one. Drop on cookie sheet in little balls. Bake at 325ŗ for ten minutes. Cool another 10 min. and enjoy!
Belladonna Took's Seed Cake Submitted by:
jemimaDescription: An old-fashioned rich cake with a surprisingly spicy, refreshing taste.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
1 Tablespoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 Tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs. Beat in the dry ingredients.
Pour into a greased and parchment-lined 7" round cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes then invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm with powdered sugar sprinkled over it, or serve at room temperature.
Crickhollow Soup Submitted by: herenistarion.org
Description: Mushroom Bisque
Ingredients
2-3 medium Yukon potatoes, peeled or not
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tbs butter or margarine
2 cups chopped onion
2 celery stalks, minced
1 1/2 lbs mushrooms, preferably crimini, sliced
1 tsp salt
3-4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 tbs dry sherry
3 tsp soy sauce
fresh black pepper, to taste
1/2 to 1 cup milk
minced scallion greens or chives, as garnish
Instructions
Chop potatoes into small pieces and place in a small saucepan with the water. Add more to just cover, if necessary. Cover the pan, bring to a boil, and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a deep skillet or dutch oven. Add onion and celery, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, salt, and thyme, cover, and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. At some point, add the garlic (the later you add it, the stronger the garlic taste will be). Remove from heat, add the sherry, soy sauce, and pepper.
Using a blender, puree the potatoes and their cooking liquid, and the mushroom mixture and its cooking liquid. Combine in a large pot, mixing well. Add milk to desired creaminess. Stir and heat gently, tasting to adjust seasonings. Serve very hot, with scallions or chives as garnish (add much needed color!).
Serve 4-5.
Sam's Garden Toast Submitted by:
herenistarion.orgDescription: Bruschetta Appetizer
Ingredients
One loaf Italian bread, sliced and barely toasted (will rebake later)
4 Tbl pesto
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 cups fresh baby spinach (pack it in to measure), cut into shreds
Olive oil for drizzling
1 cup shredded Muenster cheese
juice from one lemon
salt/pepper
On the bread, spread a thin layer of pesto (a little goes a long way). Top wtih a few teaspoons each of tomatoes and then spinach. Salt and pepper these layers to taste. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Top with cheese. Bake in 375F oven for 4-7 minutes or until cheese is melted but not browned. Remove from oven, and squeeze fresh lemon over all the toasts...enjoy with some Brandybuck Ale!
Honey Scones Submitted by:
herenistarion.orgDescription: This recipe is great but should be served in good hobbit fashion with a steaming cup of tea, and of course preferably after the main course. Honey gives these scones a delicious flavour, especially if you use a speciality one such as heather, acacia or orange blossom.
Ingredients
Self raising flour - 225g (8 oz)
Salt - ½ tsp
Butter - 50g (2 oz)
Milk - 7 tbsp, plus extra for brushing
Clear honey - 1 tbsp slightly warmed
Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Rub butter into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add milk all at once and the honey. Mix to a soft, but not sticky, dough with a knife.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead quickly until smooth. Roll out to about 1 cm (½ inch) thick. Cut into 7 or 8 rounds with a 6.5 cm (2½ inch) biscuit cutter.
Transfer to a baking sheet. Brush tops with milk. Bake at 230 °C / 450 °F / Gas 8 for 7-10 minutes or until well risen and golden.
Serve warm. Makes 7-8
