Cream of Asparagus Soup Recipe

Begin With Fresh Asparagus…

Our Winter Asparagus… somehow pushed its way through the twenty-inches of snow that we received last week!  Certainly, this winter was warmer than most—you may see bulbs emerge sooner than they should—somehow, they have an uncanny ability to push their way up through frozen soil. But, asparagus, this early in the season, on April 1^st, seems implausible!?!?

Sautéing Fresh Asparagus with Shallots…

Cream of Asparagus Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Bunches of asparagus
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) plus 2 tsp. unsalted butter
• 2 small shallots, sliced
• 3 cups homemade chicken bone broth.
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

Snap off the tough stem ends from the asparagus spears. Chop the asparagus into ½ inch pieces.

In a heavy soup pot over medium heat, melt the 4 Tbs. (½ stick) butter. Add the shallots and sauté, stirring occasionally until tender and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chopped asparagus and the 3 cups bone broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 20 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Set the pan over low heat and reheat the soup to serving temperature.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, garnish with dollop of crème fraîche or Gruyère. Serves 4.

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English Christmas Pudding with Hard Sauce

“The Cake” looks more like a holiday fruit cake—I don’t know anyone that actually eats fruit cake. Thankfully, this Christmas Pudding is fabulous! “The Pudding” has its origins in medieval England, and is sometimes known as plum pudding, though there’s no actual plums inside. In pre-Victorian days, the term “plums” was also a term for raisins. That said, this pudding contains a number of dried fruits— dates, dried apricots, currants, raisins, cranberries, and other spices that sets this apart from other festive holiday desserts.

Ingredients

• 15 medium Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• ¼ cup currants
• ⅓ cup golden raisins
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• ⅓ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 3 tablespoons whiskey
• 1 large orange, zested and juiced
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Use a heat-proof bowl of any size or shape and generously grease with butter.
2. Toss dates, apricots, currants, raisins, cranberries, ginger, whiskey, orange zest, and orange juice in a mixing bowl thoroughly.
3. Pour in melted butter and stir until everything is evenly coated. Mix in egg, heavy cream, and buttermilk. Add salt, breadcrumbs, and flour. Mix batter well until thick and sticky.
4. Transfer dough to the prepared bowl and press down to flatten with spatula. Place a circle of parchment paper over the top and press down to seal. Stretch 2 pieces of plastic wrap over the bowl, then place the bowl on a third piece of plastic wrap. Bring the ends up and over the bowl and seal tightly. Cover the bowl with 2 pieces of foil, then tie a piece of string around tightly.
5. Pudding can be cooked immediately. However, it’s best to rest in the refrigerator overnight.
6. Place the wrapped pudding in the Dutch oven filled halfway with water.
7. Place over high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, reduce the heat to medium. Cover and let steam for 4 hours, checking every hour to see if you need to add more water.
8. Use kitchen towels and carefully lift the pudding out of the Dutch oven. Cut string, remove foil and plastic wrap, then peel off parchment. Place a plate over the bowl and invert the pudding to unmold.
9. Serve warm with a dallop of Hard Sauce.

Hard Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 1/2 teaspoonvanilla extract

Instructions

1. Beat softened butter in a medium mixing bowl for several minutes until pale and fluffy.
2. Add sugar and continue to beat until smooth.  Do not overbeat otherwise it will become oily.
3. Add brandy one tablespoon at a time, along with vanilla extract, beating between addition until just combined.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving; overnight for maximum flavor.  Remove to room temperature a couple hours before serving. Hard Sauce should be soft and spreadable.

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Whoopie Pie Cake Recipe

Whoopie Pie Cake History

Many states claim to be the birthplace of Woopie Pie—Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The Pennsylvania Amish says it’s theirs… and Maine Sate legislature went so far as to name the pie their official state treat. It can also be found in a 1930s New England cookbook… We cannot be certain where Whoopie Pie originated, but one thing is certain, it’s absolutely delicious!

Cake

1 box Chocolate Fudge cake mix (follow the directions on the box), and 1 extra egg.

*Bake in two 9” round pans, and dust the pan with cocoa powder.

Filling

1 cup of softened butter.

2 cups Marshmallow Fluff.

3 cups powdered sugar.

Ganache

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream.

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips.

Instructions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease two 9” pans with butter and dust with cocoa powder, set aside.

Prepare cake according to the directions on the box, plus an extra egg to the mix.

Split the batter evenly between the 2 pans, and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow each cake to cool completely.

Filling

Using stand mixer, beat butter and Marshmallow Fluff together until smooth.

Turn mixer to low and slowly add powdered sugar. Turning mixer to medium and continue mixing for 30-60 seconds until smooth.

Spread the filling on top of one cake, then top with the other cake to create the sandwich.

Ganache

In small saucepan bring the heavy whipping cream to almost a boil. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then pour over top of cake.

Note: My preference is to serve at room temperature, but my husband likes it warm!

Another Great Recipe from Pond Mountain Inn! Please share…

Bookbinders of Philadelphia Snapper Soup

We stumbled upon this Turtle Soup can at Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home… and reminded me of the last and only time I had this classic, now politically incorrect soup. It was in 1980 at Bookbinders in Philadelphia, originally called Bookbinder’s Soup, also known as Snapper Soup. Bookbinders closed its doors in 2009, but their modified recipe lives on… below are two Mock Turtle Soup recipes that look delicious.

https://soupaddict.com/mock-turtle-soup/

https://www.food.com/recipe/bookbinders-philadelphia-snapper-soup-130865

At Pond Mountain Inn, we always have the most interesting recipes, et cetera.

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Manhattan Italiano Cocktail Recipe

Manhattan Italiano

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Redemption Rye Whiskey

1/2 oz Averna Amaro

1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth

1/2 oz Campari

2 Dashes Angostura

Preparation: Combine ingredients over big ice cube in Old Fashioned glass. Stir. Garnish with 2 cherries.

Thanks to Chilled Magazine for the photo & recipe.

Another Recipe from Pond  Mountain Inn

Queijadas De Leite Recipe

Quintessential Portuguese Milk Tarts

Portuguese Milk Tarts is one of Kay’s favorite desserts. It’s a sweet traditional Portuguese dessert that’s made with only a few simple ingredients… eggs, milk, butter, flower and sugar. They bake into creamy little tarts that simply melt in you mouth.

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Mix 1 cup of flour with 2 cups of sugar in a large bowl.
3. Whisk in 4 beaten eggs, then add ½ cup of melted butter.
4. Continue to whisk, and add 3¾ cups of whole milk.
5. Pour mixture into greased muffin tin, filled to ¾ full.
6. Bake on center rack for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
7. Remove tarts from tin while still hot.
8. Serve same day at room temperature (or a little warm).
9. Don’t forget the Raspberries!

Perfect for a nice family holiday gathering! Another delicious holiday dessert recipe from Pond Mountain Inn.

Seared New Bedford Day Boat Scallop Recipe

 

 

Our Pond Mountain Inn guests from New Bedford generously brought us 1½ pounds of incredibly fresh scallops. New Bedford is arguably the scallop capital of the world where not only the best scallops originate, but is also home to some of the best seafood, and has been for centuries.

Seared Scallops… From the Beginning

Scallops are one of the easiest and fastest gourmet meal you can make at home—just under ten minutes. Here’s a quick refresher—somethings you probably already know.

Step One: Selection

Begin by selecting “dry scallops”, white in color with a pure flavor, compared to “wet scallops”, which are slightly beige in color and tend to be less fresh. The difference is that dry scallops have never been treated with chemical additives or any type of solutions whereas wet scallops have. Dry or Day Boat scallops are harvested within 24 hours (by law) during their peak season from late fall through the winter, ensuring the freshest catch during these months.

Step Two: Preparation & Cooking

Pat dry scallops with paper towel and season with coarse sea salt and finely ground black pepper.

Select your best cast-iron skillet, heat skillet until very hot, introduce some high-quality olive oil or butter and place scallops comfortably distanced in the skillet—don’t crowd the pan! Note, to get that beautifully golden-brown crust requires high heat.

Cook the scallops undisturbed for 2 minutes, then flip scallops and cook for another 2 minutes. Both sides of the scallops should be seared golden-brown and the insides should be opaque all the way through. However, if your scallops are biscuit-sized, you’ll need an additional minute or more on both sides. Add a few tablespoons of butter shortly after the first side finishes to achieve that classic seared scallop flavor profile.

Serve immediately, and make sure to transfer them to another dish for serving, otherwise they will continue cooking—do not overcook the scallops otherwise they will become tough and chewy.

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Greyhound Cocktail

Brief Background

Kay just discovered this cocktail—it’s a delightful warm-summer-day drink that may even rival the ubiquitous Gin & Tonic! The Greyhound origins date back to about 1930, but took off in popularity fifteen years later. It wasn’t until 1945 when Harper’s Magazine officially named the cocktail  “greyhound” given its popularity at Greyhound bus terminals…

Ingredients

Makes Two Cocktails

Two Florida Pink or Ruby Red Grapefruits. Natalie’s Gourmet Grapefruit Juice is an excellent substitute.

One Fresh Whole Lime

Vermont Barr Hill Gin—the raw honey infused gin makes the perfectly balanced cocktail.

Add Maple syrup or simple syrup if too tart.

Steps

Robustly squeeze grapefruit halves using a larger vintage glass citrus juicer and pour juice through strainer into Pyrex measuring cup.

Delicately squeeze each lime half using same juicer, then pour through strainer into the same measuring cup.

Generously fill two Old Fashioned glasses with ice.

Fill glasses with ⅓ Barr Hill Gin and ⅔ freshly squeezed grapefruit and lime juice.

Garnish with lime wheel, wedge or decorative grapefruit peel.

Now, comfortably slide back in your Adirondack chairs and enjoy this amazing 1930s vintage cocktail.

Please take a look at our incredibly interesting website. We’re always doing fun at Pond Mountain Inn!

Our Breakfast Açaí Bowl Recipe

Our farm-to-table breakfasts are beautifully presented and incredibly delicious—we’re getting such rave reviews with our new healthy breakfast choice that we’ve decided to include on our menu.

Açaí Brief Overview

Açaí berries (pronounced, ah-sigh-EE) are a deep dark purple berry harvested from Açaí Palm Trees found in rainforests of South America. Açaí berries have a short shelf life, and therefore we purchase the berries as a frozen fruit purée. The Açaí berry, unlike most fruit, which is high in sugar and low in fat is just the opposite— somewhat higher in fat, low in sugar and one of the richest sources of plant antioxidants with three times the amount of antioxidants found in blueberries.

Our Açaí Bowl Recipe

Our Açaí Breakfast Bowl includes—Açaí purée, organic Larson Farm A2 milk / plain yogurt or non-dairy unsweetened almond milk, mixed seasonal berries, banana, peanut or almond butter and our organic homemade granola. It’s simple and easy to make… most of all, be creative—it’s just fun!

Here’s Some Additional Recipe Guidance

1. Unsweetened Açaí Purée—we prefer widely available Sambazon.
2. Fresh or Frozen Mixed Berries—we only use fresh fruit, but frozen is perfectly acceptable.
3. Substitute Mango (champaign mangoes if you can find them) for Banana.
4. Garnish or Toppings: Granola / Seeds / Nuts / Fresh Sliced Fruit.

There are so many interesting recipes out there and we love discovering new ones all the time—this is our recipe guidance, which works best for us. Thank you for reading our Pond Mountain Inn blog!

See Our Complete Breakfast Menu

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Homemade Tater Tots—Super Easy

Sometimes we serve tater tots… but, if you’re really looking for a culinary adventure, “Say goodbye to those frozen bags of tater tots. This homemade version is so easy, freezer-friendly and way better than store-bought!”

Check Out Chungah’s Recipe Here!