Stierbach Cooks Guild

1 cup of purreed butternut spuash – Squash was quartered, baked in 350 oven for hour and then purreed in food processor.

1 cup sugar

1 cup cream

3 eggs

½ cup of whipped cream cheese

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

Premade pie shell

Wisk all of the ingredients together and place in pie shell.  Bake at 400 for 10 minutes and then 350 for 50 to 60 minutes.

NOTES: This recipe also called for ginger and butter which I regret not adding.  The pie was very sweet and I would be inclined to use only ¾ cup sugar next time.  The pie was very light compared to a pumpkin pie.  I might substitute ½ cup of ricotta cheese instead of the cream cheese.

1 lb of beef cut small (1/2 inch or ¼ inch dice), browned and simmered in water  (about 2 cups) for 1 hour.  This was premade.

2 1 lb packages of frozen chopped spinach.

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 ½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp pepper

1 cup of currants

Reheat the beef in a large soup pot.  Add the spinach, currants, spices and 6 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Serve.

NOTES: The broth was very bland.  The spices came through but the not the beef taste.  Will need to add beef bullion.  The original recipe called for Italian sausage and beef was substituted.

This time we were trying to concentrate on vegetables.  Iustinos made a beef roast with carrots and turnips.  He got lucky and got some interesting white carrots from the local farmer’s market.  Sarah made a dish of onions and leeks.  Meadhbh made a casserole of turnips.  Alesia made a soup of spinach and beef and a gourd pie.  December 2010 meeting will be at Meadhbh and Jes’s house with a Yule theme.

Asparagus custard

This is based on Recipe 133 from Apicius.

1 can asparagus or 1.5 cups fresh asparagus tips pureed

1.5 cup diced onion or 1 large onion

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tsp ground peppercorns

1 tsp lovage

0.5 tsp green corriander

0.5 tsp savory

2 eggs

1 deep dish pastry shell, 1 sheet puff pastry.

Blend all the above ingredients except for the eggs and pastry. Bring to a boil. While this mixture is warming to a boil, whip eggs separately.

Thaw or prepare 1 deep dish pastry shell

Pour mixture into a pastry shell. Stir in beaten eggs. There shouldn’t be a lot of room left over. The eggs will cause some rising and were considered optional in the original recipe. Cover with puff pastry shell and crinkle the edges. Cut holes in pastry to allow steam to escape.

Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until golden brown (approximately 40 minutes).

IUSTINOS