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Rustic Buttermilk Bread

This recipe is much like an Irish soda bread but does not contain lard or shortening. One old recipe from the 1960s calls for honey, and many suggest molasses, but I love this version, which includes Roger's Golden Syrup. Often these loaves were baked in a Dutch Oven, on top of a stove, in kitchens where there was no oven available. 

Make sure you mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another, so as not to activate the leavening process prematurely. 

Although this bread is best served on the day you bake it, I often freeze slices between sheets of wax paper and enjoy it toasted. 

Rustic Buttermilk Bread

Dry Ingredients: 

2 cups whole wheat or whole spelt flour (I use spelt)

2 cups all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

Wet Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of Rogers Golden Syrup

1 egg beaten

1 ½ cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Grease or line a cookie sheet. I used my Silpat silicone liner. 

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, combine Rogers Golden Syrup, beaten egg, and buttermilk. 

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix to combine thoroughly. Knead a few times (10 to 12) on a board sprinkled with rolled oats.

Shape the dough into a ball and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake the loaf for 50 to 60 minutes or until it makes a hollow sound when tapped on top. This bread slices easily while warm, but an uncut loaf makes a beautiful centrepiece. Feel free to cut it when you are about to serve. 

Slow Cooker Pea Soup

The original recipe for this soup was submitted by Claire Lajeunesse-Lewko of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and featured in a Canadian Living slow cooker compilation.

Step One:

In a large bowl, soak 2 cups of dry yellow split peas in 6 cups of cold water, for twelve to twenty-four hours. I do this after my evening meal so that I can put the soup on the following morning. 

Step Two:

In the morning, drain and rinse the split peas and place them in the slow cooker.

To the slow cooker add:

6 cups of fresh water

1 ham or picnic shoulder bone with a little meat attached

1 large onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon of black pepper

Cover the slow cooker and cook the soup on low for 6 to 7 hours or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove the bone and bay leaf. Add any bits of ham from the bone to the soup. This hardy soup may be kept in the refrigerator for a couple days or frozen in individual portions.

I love to serve this soup with cheese scones or Cranberry Cornbread. 

Luscious Lemon Rice Soup

The original recipe for this soup came from one of the Best of Bridge cookbooks.  I have made a few changes to the instructions, and I’ve served it hundreds of times. It is delicious hot or cold, and it makes a comforting gift to take to a friend, who is feeling under the weather.

The soup is thickened with egg, not flour, and, as long as you choose the broth accordingly, this is a perfect dish to serve guests who are gluten intolerant. All of my grandchildren have enjoyed this soup, but my granddaughter savours every bite!

When served warm, this soup feels amazing on your insides. Sip it slowly and know that it is good for you.

Lemon Rice Soup

This recipe is delicious served ice cold in beautiful china teacups or warm in chunky stoneware mugs. I serve it as a light lunch or a delightful appetizer.

Ingredients: 

6 cups of chicken or turkey broth

⅓ cup long or medium-grain raw white rice (not converted)

1 teaspoon of salt (optional)

3 eggs

¼ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 lemon thinly sliced (garnish)

Method:

Combine broth, rice, and salt in a 4-quart pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until the rice is tender (25 minutes).

Remove from heat and let stand while preparing the eggs.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs, using an electric hand mixer, until thick. Continue beating as you slowly add the lemon juice.

Carefully, stir 2 cups of the hot broth and rice mixture into the egg mixture, half a cup at a time, as you continue beating.   

Then add this warmed egg mixture back into the remaining broth-rice mixture. Beat for one minute. Return the soup to the stove and bring it to the boil, stirring constantly. Continue stirring, while boiling for two minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and let it stand for an hour or so, to cool and thicken. Refrigerate the soup. This soup thickens as it chills. It should be the consistency of custard when ready to serve.

Serving suggestions:

One: Ladle soup into fine china teacups until approximately 2/3 full and place interesting teaspoons on the saucers. Sit several cups of soup on a tray and return to the fridge until guests arrive. Serve this soup, cold, as a refreshing appetizer on a hot day in summer. Garnish the edge of each cup with a thin slice of lemon. This soup is delicious served with a glass of white wine or a bottle of sparkling water. Tiny tea biscuits with cheddar cheese make a perfect accompaniment. If you know the history of your chosen cups or spoons, the conversation has a perfect beginning.  

Two: This soup is delicious served warm in the chill of winter. Ladle soup into stoneware mugs and microwave on high. The time required varies with the size of the cup. Place an interesting spoon on the saucer and serve to guests as they settle into a conversation. For a lovely lunch, serve the soup with wedges of warm cranberry cornbread and cheddar cheese.