Recipes from the Folkestone kitchen

2004 Recipes

JANUARY - Brie with Apricot Appetizer

This is easy appetizer with loads of flavor!

Makes enough to serve 8 to 10

1 round of Brie cut into wedges
3 Tbl Apricot Preserves

Garnish:
1-2 almond slices per Brie wedge
2-3 dried apricots thinly sliced

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut Brie into even-sized wedges. Slice each wedge horizontally almost to the rind. Dab a small amount of Apricot Preserve into sliced middle of the Brie. Dab a drop of Apricot Preserve on top of each wedge. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for about 5 minutes or until middle is soft. Remove from oven. Place on individual serving plates and garnish with almond and dried apricot slices.

2003 Recipes

December - Creamed Corn
This was a HUGE hit on our Thanksgiving Buffet table. Friday morning guests were still talking about our Thanksgiving feast and many asked for this recipe. It is INCREDIBLY easy (which is a good thing)!	Serves 8 - 10 20 ounces frozen corn kernels 1 8 ounce package cream cheese 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup half 'n half 1 Tbl sugar Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on High for 3 - 4 hours. Mix approximately every hour. (See, I told you it was easy!)

October - Apple Breakfast Crumble

This fruit starter hits the spot on crisp Fall mornings. The fragrant apple-pie smells while this is baking will drive your breakfast guests CRAZY!!

Serves 6

Apple Filling

3 - 4 tart apples (Granny Smith)

3 - 4 sweet apples (Jonathan, Rome, Gala, Delicious)
Note: you want enough sliced apples to nicely pack and mound the fruit in the ramekins)

1/3 cup sugar

1.5 tsp cinamon

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon, set aside. Peel, core, and slice apples. To make clean-up easier, line a sheet pan with aluminum foil to catch the "drips". Place empty ramekins on the pan for filling. Pack each ramekin 1/2 full with a mixture of the sweet and tart apple slices. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top. Pack remaining portion of the ramekin with mixture of apples. The apples should mound slightly over the top of the ramekin. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top.

Crumble Topping

1 stick COLD butter

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

Mix together sugar and flour. Using a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter till mixture resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle topping liberally over the top of the apples. (Store extra topping in the refrigerator for the next time!)

Bake at 400 for 40-45 minutes until top is golden brown. Cool slightly.

Serve slightly warm with a dollop of whipped cream or creme fraiche; or if you want to be really decadent, vanilla bean ice cream!

September - Tomato - Basil - Mozzarella Stack

There is NOTHING better than a just-picked garden tomato! This is the time to find the best tomatoes at the farmer's market Add a little fresh garden basil, fresh mozzarella, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. .... OO-LA-LA!

Serves 4

2 beautiful ripe garden tomatoes

8 large fresh basil leaves - left whole

8 fresh basil leaves torn into pieces

4 decorative basil leaves

4 1/4 inch slices fresh mozzarella

good quality extra virgin olive oil

good quality balsamic vinegar

Slice tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick (you should get at least 4 slices per tomato). Chop excess tomato and reserve to garnish serving plate.

To assemble the "stacks", place 1 slice of tomato in center of serving plate. Top tomato slice with 1 fresh basil leaf. Add slice of mozzarella, then another fresh basil leaf. Finish by topping with second tomato slice. Place decorative basil leaf on top. Garnish plate with remaining chopped tomato and torn basil leaves. Before serving, drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top.

August - Cheese & Herb Quiche

This quiche, simple to prepare , is a real crowd pleaser!

Serves 6

Preheat oven to 400

1 prepared 9” deep dish pie crust (I use Mrs. Smith’s -- OR, for a dramatic variation, use individual tart shells!)

3 cups grated cheese*
(* I use combination of Sharp Cheddar and pre-mixed Mexican cheese; another good blend is Swiss, Cheddar, + Mozzarella)

½ cup Ricotta Cheese

6 large eggs

1 cup half’n’half

Desired combination of herbs*
(* I use 2 tsp dried cilantro, ¼ tsp cayenne, 2 tsp dried minced onion, ½ tsp garlic, 4-5 drops of Tabasco. Another combination is 2 tsp dried parsley, 2 tsp dried minced onion, ½ tsp dried dill, ½ tsp dried marjoram, ½ tsp dried thyme)

Place prepared pie crust on a baking sheet. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly into prepared pie crust.

Place all remaining ingredients (Ricotta, eggs, half’n’half, and herbs) in a blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes. Pour over the cheese. Bake at 400 for 40 – 45 minutes or until top is light brown and firm. (Check quiche after about 20 minutes and rotate in oven to ensure even browning.)

Cool quiche for at least 10 minutes to “finish”. Cut into 6 slices and serve with a fruit garnish.

July - Chilled Avocado Soup

This incredibly easy soup has been a summer favorite with our Saturday night dinner guests.

Serves 6

3 large ripe avocados
1 small onion, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1 14.5 oz can low sodium, low-fat chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish: thinly sliced avocado OR
sprig of cilantro OR
dollop of creme fraiche

Cut the avocados in half; remove pits, and scoop out the meat into a food processor. Add chopped onion and half of the lemon juice. Pulse to puree. Strain into a large mixing bowl.

Stir in the chicken broth and mix well. Add the cream. Season to taste with lemon, salt, and ground pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, ladle the soup into small bowls. Garnish by either floating thin slices of avocado or a cilantro leaf in the soup. For a really festive presentation, add a dollop of creme fraiche to center of soup and gently place a cilantro leaf in the center.

Prepare yourself for the oohs & aahs!

June - Sour Cream Waffles

A real crowd pleaser! A wonderful taste AND a dramatic presentation...what more could you want?!

Makes 4 Belgian-style Waffles

3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
2 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sour cream
2/3 cup half'n'half
1/2 stick butter, melted & cooled
Pecans (optional for winter preparation with fried apples)

Sift dry ingredients into bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks, sour cream and half'n'half. Gradually whisk the dry mixture into the liquid just until smooth. Gently stir in the melted butter. Let the batter sit for several minutes (it will thicken).

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron (sprinkle pecans over the batter for the winter preparation served with fried apples) and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until the surface is golden brown and crisp.

Summer Topping: Strawberries and whipped cream (no nuts)

Winter Topping: Fried apples (add chopped pecans to the waffle batter)

May - Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Guaranteed to get rave reviews and requests for 2nd helpings. Easy to make; fun to decorate; beautiful to look at; and absolutely WONDERFUL to eat! A guest recently said this was the BEST Carrot Cake she has ever eaten.

This is another wonderful recipe from Shirley Patterson (see Shirley's Grape Salad recipe for November).

9x13 cake OR 2 round layers

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups broken walnuts
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300. Spray cake pan with Pam. Line cake pan with parchment paper and spray paper with Pam.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil, eggs. Whisk well and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, soda, and cinnamon. Add to the sugar/oil/egg mixture. Stir to combine dry & wet ingredients.

Add carrots & walnuts.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 300 for 50 - 55 minutes. Cool on rack. Remove from pan; cool thoroughly and prepare to frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 boxes powdered sugar
3/4 stick butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix together all ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth. Use about 3/4 of the frosting to frost the cake. Divide the remaining frosting into 2 batches. Use food color to color 1 batch green and the other batch orange. Decorate the cake with orange carrots and green stems

APRIL- Spring Asparagus

Seeing fresh, beautiful bunches of asparagus in the market is a sure sign that Spring is Here. This incredibly easy and tasty recipe is sure to chase away the winter doldrums!

6 - 8 Servings

1 pound fresh asparagus, rinsed in cold water
3 T olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp sugar
lemon zest

Cut or snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. Spread aspargus on a jelly roll pan. Drizzle with olive oil, then roll asparagus to coat all sides. Slip under the broiler (about 5 " from element), and broil for 4 minutes....ONLY (do not overcook!) Sprinkle with salt & sugar and place on serving platter or individual plates. Sprinkle with lemon zest and serve immediately.

As a variation, instead of sugar & lemon zest, sprinkle with Parmesan Reggiano....yum!

March- Folkestone Inn Grits Cake with Tomato Scrambled Eggs

A wonderful way to add "pizzazz" to scrambled eggs! Great taste and very colorful on the plate. We're proud that this recipe (along with Kay's wonderful picture) was featured in the Spring issue of Blue Ridge County Inns magazine.

8 Servings

Folkestone Inn Grits Cake

1 cup stone ground grits
4 cups boiling water
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/3 stick butter, melted

Cook & bake the grits the night before: Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 pyrex dish with butter.

Cook grits in boiling water with salt for 5-6 minutes. Stir in the melted butter. Stir in the grated cheese. Pour into greased dish and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Cool, cover with foil, and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving: Cut the grits into squares. Heat griddle or non-stick pan. Brush with melted butter. Heat the grits squares on each side until they are heated through and crisp on the top and bottom.

Tomato Scrambled Eggs

2 Tbs butter
4 Tbs minced onion
1 Tbs flour
5-6 tomatoes, skinned, seeded, & quartered
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
16 eggs scrambled

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and saute until translucent. Stir in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the seasonings and carefully stir in the tomatoes. Cover and cook over low heat until the tomatoes are cooked, but not mushy.

Assemble: Place a square to grits cake on a plate. Place the scrambled eggs to the one side of the grits cake, leaving about 1/2 inch between the two. Pour a ribbon of the tomato sauce down the center and drizzle slightly over the top of the grits cake and scrambled eggs. Garnish with a sprig of parseley and some grape tomatoes.

FEBRUARY - Chocolate Truffle Cake

YUM! A little goes a long, long way! This dense fudge-like flourless cake is sure to please the chocaholic.

14 to 16 Servings

Cake:
8 ounces dark sweet chocolate
1 cup butter, cut up and at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs, beaten until foamy
1 Tablespoon Chambord (optional)

Ganache:
7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream

Melt chocolate and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and cool 1-2 minutes. Add butter, about 2 tablespoons at a time; beat with wire whisk until smooth. Add sugar, beating 1 minute with whisk. Add eggs and beat until well mixed. Stir in the Chambord (or other favorite liquour).

Butter an 8 inch pan and line with parchment. (Or can use small individual molds -- but beware...this is VERY rich and a little goes along way!) Pour in batter and set in large baking pan. Pour hot water into baking pan (water should be about 1 inch deep). Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Cool about 1 hour (cake will fall -- don't worry). Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours. Invert onto serving plate.

To make Ganache, melt the chocolate and set aside. Bring the cream to a simmer. Add cream to the chocolate. Mix well. Refrigerate until spreadable.

Assemble: Frost top and sides of cake. When serving, garnish with white and dark chocolate curls, fresh raspberries, and a dollop of whipped cream.

JANUARY - Puree of Carrot & Leek Soup

This is an immensely satisfying soup. Serve with a salad and hot bread for a delightful winter supper.

Makes enough to serve 8 to 10

5 large leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbl olive oil
3 pounds of baby carrots
64 oz of chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 cup half-and-half
3 Tbl sherry
chives for garnish

Remove and discard green tops from leeks; cut white protions into slices, and set aside.
Saute chopped onion and chopped garlic in hot olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat until onions are just tender. DO NOT BROWN.
Stir in leeks, carrots, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Stir in thyme. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes.
Puree the carrot/leek mixture using a food processor or hand emulsion blender until smooth.
Add half-and-half and sherry. Heat over low heat until warm.
Garnish with several sprigs of chives.

Please contact us for recipes from previous years:

RECIPE HISTORY LOG

2002
JANUARY - Salmon Chowder
FEBRUARY - Peach Muffins
MARCH - Corn Fritters
APRIL - Eggs Creole
MAY - Kuchen
JUNE - French Toast Stuffed with Bananas and Walnuts
JULY - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
AUGUST - Peach Mango Compote
SEPTEMBER - Shirred Eggs
OCTOBER - Cheddar & Apple
NOVEMBER - Shirley's Grape Salad
DECEMBER - Chocolate Decadence

2001
MAY - Sopa de Tortilla (Tortilla Soup)
JUNE - Orange Thyme Pancakes with Orange Butter Sauce
JULY - Tomato Pie
AUGUST - Zuchinni Bread
SEPTEMBER - Apple Brown Betty
OCTOBER - Maple Cinnamon Granola
NOVEMBER - Squash Casserole
DECEMBER - Snickerdoodles

Peggy Myles & Kay Creighton, Innkeepers
Folkestone Inn Bed & Breakfast
101 Folkestone Road, Bryson City, North Carolina 28713-7891

E-Mail: innkeeper@folkestone.com
www.folkestone.com

888-812-3385 or 828-488-2730
Fax 828-488-0722

Rates are subject to change without notice