I have an ice cream problem, and not the one you’d think. I’ve stuffed the freezer with homemade tomato sauce, berries, rhubarb,and all the other summery goods that I’ll be grateful for in winter. But, I’ve left no room for the bowl of my ice cream maker. So, instead of apricot kernel ice cream, I’m catching up on the other two recipes for August’s Cook the Book Fridays, which I made on time and then neglected to post about.
Stuffed Vegetables (Légumes Farcis)
I made these at the beginning of the month, but I was just so busy that I didn’t have an opportunity to post about it. I made the full amount of these, sending some home with my mother so that she could have an easy dinner component while my Dad was away. I was grateful for the same with the ones I kept.
I used eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, and tomato as the vessels for this dish and I used ground moose in the filling. I changed the seasonings a little, adding some smoked paprika and mixing it with fresh thyme and rosemary from the garden. Otherwise, I stuck to the recipe, finishing the dish with Italian parsley and basil from my garden.
I enjoyed these, but they were a little drier than my usual recipe, which incorporates rice. They made for a good meal, though, with duck fat potatoes. (Hey, that makes three catch up recipes this week!) You can see the potatoes at the top of this post.
Kirsch Babas with Pineapple
These were fun to make. They’re a little like popovers, but they seem so brittle when they come out of oven. I thought they’d disintegrate when I gave them their syrup bath, but they plumped and shone, becoming miraculously resilient. The pineapple is a terrific accompaniment for these, and so easily made, once the messiness of breaking it down is through. I stuck with rum for these, simply because I couldn’t find kirsch at the closest liquor store.
I’ll leave you with a photo of a dish only tangentially related to the group – a tomato and goat cheese tart that I made to test-drive Mardi’s pâte brisée from In the French Kitchen with Kids. It was so easy to work with and baked up beautifully!
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One Wet Foot 
Both of the make up recipes look fantastic. I also like the tomato and goat cheese tart from Mardi’s new book, I am going to have to try that cause I love that combination of ingredients. I think that she has some good looking recipes in there and I can’t wait to start trying them out. As for the kernels, I put mine in the freezer to keep safe, so if you can squeeze them in, try it.
Thanks, Ro! The tomato and goat cheese filling was just based on what I had on the fridge that needed to be used. I used Mardi’s pastry and her ratios for the eggs and milk for the tart filling, though!
As for the ice cream, I’m going to have to do a “cook the freezer” week soon. I’ve realized I still have quite a bit of last year’s squash purees and some chicken stock to use up, along with some meats that seem more appealing now that the weather is cooler. I hope this means I’ll have some room to make ice cream before the autumn’s fully underway. 🙂
I know I’m supposed to pay attention to the CtBF recipes, but it’s that tart that has me salivating! I’m picking a quart of cherry tomatoes every other day right now, so I’m going to check my fridge for some goat cheese so I too can try Mardi’s crust recipe and be inspired by my fridge. Yum!
Good idea! It’s one of my favourite ways to enjoy cherry tomatoes. I used Mardi’s base recipe for her bacon, cheese and onion quiche for the filling and it worked perfectly!
I did not make the ice cream for a different set of reasons. When you put all these make-up dishes together in one post, one thing that stood out was the bright summer light. Soon we’ll be missing that long sunny days. I had the same experience with the stuff vegetables, a bit on the dry side. Ground moose got my attention. How does that taste as compared to ground beef?
I will miss the light and all the summer produce, but I’ve been hankering for soup and bread-making sessions, so it seems I’m reconciled to fall’s arrival! Moose is delicious (though elk is my favourite of all meats). It has a bit of gamey-ness depending on age and diet, but it is lean and perfect for slow-cooking or roasting.
Great catch up! I made the stuffed veggies this week, but have yet to make the babas.
The tart looks wonderful – as does the rest of the presentations. Pineapple and brown sugar is one of my favorite things 🙂
Thanks, Cher! The pineapple was incredible with the babas.