Cucumber Fennel Risotto & Salmon en papillote

It sounds a little weird, I know. I had cucumbers on the brain yesterday like, three weeks ago when I started this post. And I figure, if you are craving a food, there's a reason. The reason in this case was beyond me, but I went out to buy some cucumbers anyway. (And no, I'm definitely NOT pregnant, for those of you that would ask.) I think I'm craving summer and a garden, more than anything. Cucumbers are one thing I can grow in abundance, without fail... Cucumbers and zucchini. In fact, there was a funny thing I heard more than one person say while we lived in Vermont, and that was, "If you have to buy zucchini in the summer, then you must not have any friends." A little harsh, perhaps, but totally true in a place like Vermont. Most people had more summer squash than they knew what to do with! We had them growing wild out of our compost pile.

Anyway, back to cucumbers:

Maple Roasted Potato & Rosemary Soup

I hope you are all enjoying a relaxing holiday with your families. Our Christmas was quiet and blessed. We didn't travel, we aren't entertaining. We cooked our big meal on Christmas Eve, so the big day was spent Skyping with family and setting up Legos.

We've also been enjoying a lot of glazed ham leftovers. Josh handled the ham, and the glaze and resulting gravy were nothing short of spectacular! Maple syrup and homemade orange marmalade were involved. He will have to do a post on it one day. Perhaps when he sits down to do that Thanksgiving post.

*cough cough*

I have decided that simple, satisfying, fortifying soups = my theme for the rest of Winter. And this one I made last week, was a doozy: Incredibly simple, but with delicately nuanced flavors to keep it interesting. Everyone had seconds.

There is no dairy in this potato soup. And it could easily go vegetarian/vegan with a flavorful vegetable stock substituted for the chicken stock.

Oh yeah! Take note: Maple Roasted Potatoes are officially the Way To Go. Next time you're roasting red potatoes as a dinner side, try it this way. Add some chopped rosemary after they come out of the oven, if you want. Delicious! Or, if you're serving home fries with a big weekend breakfast or brunch, leave out the rosemary and dish out alongside your scrambled eggs or omelette... You know how you soak up leftover maple syrup with whatever is left on you plate when you're eating breakfast out? These taste like that. Only better.

This color means they're done.

Sourdough French Toast Casserole w/ veggie sausage and blueberries

Just try to resist.

I saw this recipe over on the The Homesick Texan's blog, and I had to try it.  Unlike several other French toast casserole recipes I'd seen, it works without heavy cream or even half & half; it doesn't have to be made the night before, and it cooks up in cast iron.  I adapted it a little by using dense, homemade sourdough in place of French bread, reducing the milk by 1/4 c. and adding an egg. Also, veggie sausage in place of the real thing, with a pinch of anise for added flavor, and brown sugar instead of white.  It was awesome.  And I ate Way Too Much of it.

I love cooking in my cast iron.

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 3/4 c. milk

5 eggs

1/4 c. brown sugar

zest of one small orange

juice of one small orange

1 generous tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

pinch anise seeds

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

4-5 c. (loose) cubed sourdough

pint fresh blueberries, rinsed

12 oz. veggie sausage sausage

powdered sugar and maple syrup for serving

Brown/cook your veggie sausage in a tsp or so of butter. Toss in the anise seeds, as you do.  Set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large cast iron skillet, melt butter on low heat and help it to coat bottom and sides of pan.

Beat together the milk and eggs. Add sugar, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk. Layer the bottom of the skillet with half of the bread. Top with the blueberries and veggie sausage. Add the rest of the bread on top, then pour your milk & egg mixture over it all.  Let sit out of the fridge for at least 20 minutes -- time for the bread to absorb some of the mix.  Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 minutes longer, but watch the top for excessive browning.  Let it rest 15 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar and serving with maple syrup.