VICHYSSOISE

Vichyssoise

3 leeks
3 Tbsp butter
1 rub celery
3 potatoes, peeled
1 qt chicken stock
½ cup white wine
1 cup sour cream
Dash of hot pepper sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of nutmeg
Chopped chives for garnish

Using the white part of the leeks, put through slicing blade of food processor. Saute in butter until soft, not brown. Slice potatoes and add to leeks with chicken stock and wine; cook until potatoes are done. Puree boiled potatoes. Using steel blade, put potatoes into bowl and process until smooth, return to pan. Add sour cream and seasonings. Chill: garnish with chives. Serves 8.

ENGLISH TRIFLE

English Trifle

Something done altogether too infrequently in this country. 
serves 6

12 ounce sponge cake or pound cake
4 Tbsp. Raspberry, apricot or strawberry jam
½ cup split, blanched almonds
1 cup port or sherry
1/4 cup brandy or Barbados rum
3 egg yolks
3 Tbsp. Sugar
3 Tbsp flour
grated rind of one lemon
2 cups hot milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cream
1 Tbsp sugar
walnut halves
Maraschino cherries

Cut cake into thick slices and spread top of each slice with jam. Arrange cake slices in the botom of a glass serving dish (about a 2-quart size). then pour the wine and brandy over top of cake. Sprinkle on the almonds.

Make a custard. Stir together in a bowl the egg yolks and sugar. Blend in flour and lemon rind, then stir in hot milk. Place mixture in a saucepan and stir over low heat until custard thickens. Do not allow it to boil. Remove the custard from heat and add vanilla. Allow it to cool 30 minutes.

After custard has cooled, spread it over the cakes. Whip cream until slightly thickened. Sprinkle in sugar and then beat until the cream is stiff enough to form peaks. Spoon cream on top of the custard.  Decorate top of the trifle with walnut halves and cherries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, OLD FASHIONED

This is a very old and uniquely Southern version of Strawberry shortcake. It is pure simplicity . It is a shortbread, the high fat to flour ratio making it very delicate.

1 ½ c. shortening-I use half butter and half lard
3 c. flour
1 egg
5 Tbsp. Water
1 tsp. Vinegar
Fresh Strawberries
Sugar to taste

Cut shortening and flour together until crumbly. Mix egg, water and vinegar together and add to flour mixture. Mix with fork and turn dourh out to floured board. Roll out and cut into rough 3-inch squares, or circles if you're feeling fancy. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the sheet like delicate cookies to cool, use pieces of foil or cookie sheets for cooling.






Mash half the strawberries to be used and sugar berries to taste. Layer crust and berries and served with top cream (as pictured) or whipped cream (more realistic these days).