It’s beginning to look a lot like Thanksgiving! Long time followers will know that I often make a few things ahead of the big foodie holiday. I also typically try a riff on your standard cranberry sauce. This year,I found some fantastic italian plums at their peek so I frozen them to add to this Plum Pear and Cranberry Chutney. It’s delicious, and while it doesn’t take very long to make, it’s nice to have it ticked off the list. Should stay good in the ridge until Christmas, if you don’t eat it all at Thanksgiving.
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Baby Dill Refrigerator Gherkins (Cornichon)
I have a thing for pickles. I have told the story many times that my first word was actually “Gurke!” which is the German work for pickle. And I will eat them by the jar. OK, hopefully not by the jar because that is a little too much vinegar even for my iron stomach. So, I decided to make my own this year. I do this every few years, but when I saw the baby cornichons (these are literally just an inch or two in size), I just had to make them. They are a little salty (next time add a little more sugar to the brine), but otherwise, these are pretty fantastic. They should stay good in the fridge for a while, but I’ll likely eat them all by next week!
Originally, I was going to call this “Sprinkles and Twist” Focaccia, as I had found some mini mini cherry tomatoes that are marketed as “Sprinkles” and when I had decorated the top of the focaccia with them, it was sort of a twisty pattern. Once baked, however, the “twist” part wasn’t as evident, so I am just going with Sprinkles Tomato + Garlic Focaccia. Lots of garlic, lots of both sun dried and cherry tomatoes. Basil from the garden. Perfect snack and accompaniment to Italian Food. Yummy.
And here is something different: have you ever tried *sweet* Focaccia? Normally it’s savory, with rosemary or garlic or olives or just as a rustic accompaniment to Italian food, but I decided to make some with honey, oranges and hazelnuts. Wow! Simply phenomenal. I could see this along side a salad for brunch or even as a breakfast bread. It’s bursting with flavor, light, sweet and delicious. And it was another excuse to experiment with my sourdough.