Author Archives: TempInnKeeper

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About TempInnKeeper

Margot loves people and is very energetic and organized. She is also a quick study. Her background includes having renovated, owned and operated an 1887 Victorian bed and breakfast in Paso Robles, CA for 5 years. Her guests loved her and she loved her guests. What a perfect combination. Margot’s marketing skills and love of people also was used in her career as a Realtor and in participating in many charitable non-profit organizations. Margot loves to cook and to offer concierge services to people. She was born in Geneva, Switzerland.; has lived all over CA. including Beverly Hills, in the Silicon Valley area, Paso Robles, the San Joaquin Valley as well as in Sun Valley, ID. She has traveled extensively throughout the world; is a CAL alumni (go Bears!); and also speaks French fluently and Spanish semi-fluently. Her interests are people, cooking, arts, books (look at the blog book club and join if you wish), travel, sports, gardening, painting, music, playing classical piano and animals. Margot Van Horn 208-721-3551 PO Box 3788, Ketchum, ID. margot6@mindspring.com TempInnKeeper@mindspring.com
Sep30

Winter Greens, Potatoes and Chickpeas Stew

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Winter Greens, Potatoes and Chickpeas Stew

Serves 4

Greens, Potatoes and Chickpeas Stew

This is a nice soup for those desiring a vegetarian meal for a cool day’s lunch or dinner. The ingredients can be varied which I feel always adds interest to your dish. It’s also a complete protein meal so you don’t have to worry about having poultry, meat or fish as well.  Bon Appétit.

Ingredients:

  1. 1 Lb. Chard, stems removed (I used the rainbow variety) You could also use spinach or Kale or a combination of the greens.
  2. 1 ½ Lbs. Baking Potatoes (I used 2 large ones but 3 medium ones would be OK as well)-Sliced in 3/4 inch-slices
  3. 1-2 Onions, rough chopped or even thinly sliced
  4. 2-3 Garlic Cloves-minced
  5. 3 Tblsp. Olive Oil
  6. 1 Tsp. Paprika
  7. 1/4 Tsp. Turmeric
  8. 1/8- 1/4  Tsp. Cayenne Pepper (depending how “hot” you want your stew)
  9. 1 Tsp. salt (optional)
  10. 4 C. of  Vegetarian Base Bouillon or Chicken Stock, heated
  11. 2 C. (1-16 oz. can) of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (you can also use another type of white bean)
  12. 2 Hard Boiled Eggs, Sliced or cut into wedges (optional)
  13. One Tasty Tomato, Sliced (optional)
  14. Shaved Parmesan or Jack Cheese for topping (optional)
  15. Chopped Parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

  1. Cook your greens any which way you wish; drain thoroughly and set aside.
  2. In a large stove top Dutch oven or similar kind of pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the potatoes, onions and garlic cloves.  Sauté for 5-10 minutes—watching carefully and stirring quite often—until the potatoes have started to brown. Add to this the paprika, turmeric, salt and cayenne until the mixture smells fragrant (around 1-2 minutes).
  3. Add the bouillon, greens and chickpeas and bring to a simmer.  Simmer with a tipped top for about 15 to 20 minutes—or till the potatoes are tender.
  4. Serve the stew topped with the hard boiled eggs, tomato slices, cheese and chopped parsley.
Sep30

Victorian Lavender Cookies with Rose Water Icing

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Victorian Lavender Cookies with Rose Water Icing

Makes 4 dozen cookies

(In the left picture, shown in the foreground and not those with the jam)

 margot 244 (2) lavender

This is another cookie that I served at the Sept. 22, 2013 Sun Valley Harvest Festival’s Grand Tasting.  It was a big hit.  The combination of the lavender and rose water is so beautiful and tasty.  I have frozen these cookies with the icing and they taste just fine; however the rose water icing doesn’t seem to have as strong a smell as when first put on but it still tastes like rose water.

Ingredients for the cookies:

  1. 1/2 C. Sweet Butter
  2. 1 C. Bakers Sugar
  3. 2 Eggs
  4. 1 Tsp. Culinary Lavender, crushed
  5. 1 ½ C. flour
  6. 2 Tsp. Baking Powder
  7. 1/4 Tsp. Salt

Directions for the cookies:

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and lavender.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together and add to the butter, etc. mixture.
  4. Drop by teaspoons onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  I lined mine 3 across because they do spread out flat-about 2” or so.
  5. Bake for about 10 minutes.  Watch carefully to see that the bottoms don’t get too brown.  Mine here took about 8-9 minutes.
  6. Let cookies sit a minute on the cookie sheet and finishing cooling them on racks.

Ingredients for the Rose Water Icing: (I started with ½ of this recipe and that’s about all I used.  You may want more though.)

  1. 2 C. Powdered Sugar
  2. 5 ½ Tsp. water
  3. 6 ½ Tsp. Rose Water (can be procured at Atkinsons’-about $5)

Icing Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar with the water and rose water.

Finishing Directions:

  1. When the cookies have cooled, drizzle over them the icing.

 

Sep28

Lavender Shortbread Bites

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lavender

Lavender Shortbread Bites

Makes about 40 square 1 inch bites

 Here’s an easy and yummy recipe to make for all the little goblins that come visiting you on Halloween or anytime for that matter.  You don’t have to put in lavender, however I did and presented this as an appetizer course at my presentation at the Sun Valley Harvest Festival’s Grand Tasting last Sept. 22nd.  I thought that the lavender gave it a nice little tasty twist but use your imagination for another like ingredient if you wish such as cinnamon, rosemary, etc.

 Ingredients:

  1. 1 ¼ C all-purpose flour
  2. 3 Tblsp. sugar
  3. 1/2 C. butter at room temp is best (1 cube and I used salt-free)
  4. 2 Tsp. dried lavender
  5. 2-3 Tsp. Lemon zest (or grated lemon rind-finely or not is up to you.)
  6. Sifted powder sugar for final dusting when bites are done

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, lavender and lemon till blended.
  3. Using a pasty cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the dry, lemon, lavender ingredients till the mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling.
  4. Form mixture with your hands into a ball and knead till smooth (this won’t take long).
  5. Roll or pat dough on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  I patted the dough on the cookie sheet sized parchment paper on my counter top and placed some saran rap (or another piece of parchment paper would do) on top. I then rolled the dough to my desired thickness.  The recommended rolled size could be anywhere from 8 X 5 inches to 12 X 10 inches.  I do the 12 X 10 inches but if you want thicker cookies, your roll size should be smaller.  When you have finished rolling the dough, place the bottom parchment paper with the dough on your cookie sheet. Discard the top saran rap sheet. Then cut/score through the dough into the size cookies you wish.  I made 1” bites.
  6. Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for about 18-20 minutes or till lightly browned on top.
  7. Remove from oven, let sit for just a bit and then break the bites apart gently and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.  If you place some paper towels or something similar under the wire rack, it’ll be a breeze to dust them with the powder sugar if you wish to do that.
  8. Store the bites in a tightly covered container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months (thaw before serving).
  9. Try hard not to eat them all at once.
Sep26

Lavender Lemonade

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lavenderIMG_3887

Lavender Lemonade
Makes 2 liters or 1/2 gallon

I served this at my Lavender Inspired Table at the Sun Valley Harvest Festival’s Grand Tasting tour on Sept. 22, 2013.  Everyone, and I sincerely mean everyone, just loved it.  It really is a wonderful drink for spring or summer.  But actually, it wouldn’t be that bad for winter either and you could introduce some Christmas décor for a holiday treat.

Ingredients:

  1. 2 cups lavender syrup
  2. 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  3. 5 cups water
  4. Lemon slices (for garnish)
  5. Ice with lemon rind inserted before freezing

Directions:

  1. In a large pitcher, combine the lavender syrup, lemon juice, and water.
  2.  Pour into glasses over prepared ice, and garnish with some pretty lemon slices!
  3. Or put in a punch bowl, pitcher or the perfect lemonade server with a spigot on the side (as shown in the picture).

 

Lavender Syrup
Makes 2 cups

  1. 2 cups water
  2. 1 1/2 cups sugar
  3. 2 tablespoons dried lavender buds

Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar, and lavender to a boil. Remove the pan from heat, then cover with a lid and let the lavender steep for at least half an hour however I let it steep overnight for best results.
  2. Strain the mixture into a jar or bottle.
  3. It will keep for a week or two in the fridge during which you can add it to iced tea, hot tea, seltzer, gin or vodka concoctions, champagne, limoncello, or… this lovely lavender lemonade! As for the hard liquor, I found that it pairs beautifully with Basil infused vodka. I also heard that it will keep longer if you introduce a bit of vodka in it before storing.
Sep26

Raspberry, Lavender and Chocolate Jam

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Raspberry, Lavender and Chocolate Jam

lavender

makes enough to fill six 8 oz. jam jars

I and my B&B styled catering service “ From Margot’s Table to Yours” had a wonderful fun time participating in the Sept. 22nd Sun Valley Harvest Festival’s Grand Tasting event.  It was made even better by having Donna Anderson from her Lavender Acre’s Farm there to help along with a good artist friend of mine, Susan Snyder. As I had previously promised here is a very lovely lavender inspired recipe that I wanted to share.  I had made it to put on my lavender thumb print cookies;however, you don’t need to use this jam just for the cookies because you’ll love having it in crepes, on ice cream and with croissants. It also makes a nice hostess gift.

 

Ingredients:

  1. 8 1/2 Cups Fresh raspberries
  2. 3 Cups sugar
  3. 2 Tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  4. 1 1/2 Cups bittersweet chocolate chips
  5. 1 Tablespoon fresh culinary lavender buds
  6. 6 Sterilized, cool and dry 8 ounce jam jars

 

Instructions:
1. Stir to combine raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and let the mixture simmer, slowly stirring, for around 5 minutes. If any foam develops on the surface, skim it off. Remove the saucepan from heat and set aside.
2. Off the heat, stir chocolate and lavender into the raspberry mixture until the chocolate has melted completely. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Cover the bowl with parchment paper and refrigerate it overnight so the flavors can meld.
3. Simmer raspberry mixture in saucepan over medium heat for about 10 minutes, skimming off any foam that forms.

4. Remove from heat, let cool a bit and transfer to your clean jam jars. You can refrigerate without sealing for up to a month or you can place melted paraffin in the jars so as to be able to store for a longer period of time

 

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com  Call Margot for personal cooking help or hosting

 @ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.

 

 

 

Sep26

No-Churn Ice Cream Recipe # 2 with various fruits and/or LAVENDER culinary buds

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lavenderNo-Churn Ice Cream Recipe # 2 with various fruits and/or LAVENDER culinary buds

Makes 4 pints

Here’s another WICKED recipe.  I  have received a lot of comments and compliments on my other fast, easy and yummy no-churn ice cream recipe so I thought I’d give you all another recipe which I also like a lot.  I think that it turns out a bit softer than the other one.  It’s excellent served in a pretty glass layered with fresh fruit and this ice cream.

Ingredients:

  1. 4 egg whites
  2. 1 ¾ C. superfine sugar
  3. 2 ½ C. heavy cream
  4. 2 ripe mangoes, flesh roughly chopped into 1-inch chunks, strawberries cut in smaller pieces, whole raspberries or blueberries ; peaches, apricots, banana cut in bits; add some chocolate chips; and for Lavender, add 1/2 C. lavender simple syrup and reduce the amount of heavy cream to 2 cups.

Instructions:

  1.  In a glass or metal bowl, beat the egg whites till thick.
  2. Add the sugar and beat until stiff.
  3. Add the cream and continue beating until mixture is thick and creamy.
  4. If you wish to make the lavender version, beat everything before adding the simple syrup.  When your mixture is thick and creamy in step 3, beat in the simple syrup in several additions.
  5. Gently fold in the fruit or fruit pieces.
  6. Cover and place in freezer until almost set (3-4 hours)
  7. Take, out and beat once more.  Put in airtight containers in the freezer overnight.

Lavender Simple Syrup Recipe (Makes 2 Cups):

Ingredients:

  1. 2 C. water
  2. 1 ½ C. superfine sugar
  3. 2 Tblsp. dried culinary lavender buds

Instructions:

  1. In a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar and lavender to a boil.  Remove the pan from the heat and then cover with a lid.  Let this mixture steep for at least 1/2 hour however, I let it steep overnight for best results.
  2. Strain the syrup into a jar or bottle.  It will keep for a week or two in the fridge during which you can add it to iced tea, hot tea, hard liquor concoctions (basil flavored vodka works fabulously well), champagne, or lemonade (look for my separate recipe for that under Lavender Lemonade). I’ve heard that it will keep better if you introduce some vodka in the syrup.

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com  Call Margot for personal cooking help or hosting

 @ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.

Sep17

From Margot’s Table to Yours Menu for the Grand Tasting at the Sun Valley Harvest Festival (rated by Fodor as one of its Top 10 Fall Festivals)

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margot 244 (2) margot 245 (2)IMG_3883 IMG_3884 IMG_3885 IMG_3886 IMG_3887 IMG_3888 IMG_3889 IMG_3890sun valley harvest festlavender

Margot will have her lavender recipes on her blog by Monday, Sept. 30, 2013 so be sure to check in next week.

“Let Lavender Make Your Day”

Menu Presented By

“From Margot’s Table to Yours” B&B Styled Catering

For The Sun Valley Harvest Festival Grand Tasting at Carole’s Dollar Lodge on Sunday, September 22, 2013 which benefits The Sun Valley Culinary Institute

Margot’s theme choice of Lavender is in keeping with the Sun Valley Harvest’s mission.

Lavender is regional, sustainable, healthy and delicious.

 

Participating with Margot will be regional Idaho lavender expert Donna Anderson

 Owner of Lavender Acres located in the heart of the Treasure Valley in

Meridian, Idaho

(Questions about lavender? Make sure to ask Donna)

 

Appetizers

Lavender Bites

Main Course

Lavender Linzer Torte

Desert

Thumb Print Cookies with Margot’s Homemade Raspberry Chocolate Lavender Jam and Other Assorted Lavender Sweet Delights

Beverage

Lavender Lemonade

Aug14

Free Form Fruit Tart

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free form fruit tart

Free Form Fruit Tart

Serves 4 to 8 (depending on sizes served)

 Easy as can be to make and delicious—that’s what this desert is.  Heavens, it takes no time what so ever to make (45 minutes at the most) and to bake;  everyone will for sure think that it took you all day and will ouuu and ahhhh and probably, you won’t have any left over’s—so you’ll have to make another the next day just to satisfy yourself.

Pre-Heat oven to 425F

Ingredients for the free-form pie crust:

  1. 1 ¼  C. flour
  2. 1/2 Tsp. salt
  3. 3 Tblsp. sugar
  4. 1 stick butter= 8 Tblsp. (room temp is the best, but if not, cut into small pieces)
  5. 3 Tblsp. very cold water (plus more if necessary)

Directions for making the pie crust:

  1. Whisk flour, salt and sugar in a medium sized bowl.
  2. Cut in the butter in the dry ingredients till mixture is well blended and looks like cornmeal. You can use two knives, forks or a pastry blender, but if you have a processor, do the following:  For the first 2 steps process the dry ingredients with a quick one, two pulse; then add the butter and process until blended and mixture looks like cornmeal.
  3. If you’ve used a processor, place your ingredients in a bowl. Add the water and mold with hands in order to make into a ball. Try to handle as little as possible so that the crust remains very light and flaky and will not become “heavy”.
  4. Place ball on a large piece of saran wrap; then place another sheet of saran wrap on top and flatten ball.
  5. Take a rolling pin and roll the top saran wrap sheet till your dough ball becomes a rough round of 9 or 10 inches (the dough should be about 1/4 inch thick).
  6. Remove your top saran wrap sheet, pick up the bottom saran sheet with the dough and quickly flip it out on a cookie sheet or pizza pan that has been lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Remove that saran sheet so that your dough is all by its lonesome on the prepared baking sheet. Now you are ready to place your desired filling in the middle of the dough.

Filling Ingredients for the free-form pie crust:

  1. Pitted, peeled, sliced soft fruit; thinly sliced apples, pears; crushed almonds, walnuts, raisins, currents  are all good filling choices.
  2. With fruit, you can toss them with crystallized ginger bits, cinnamon and/or sugar, honey and melted butter, lemon rind and whatever else you like.
  3. 2 Tblsp. melted butter

Final directions:

  1. Place fruit, whatever in the middle of the dough leaving a good 1 ½ inch free border all around.
  2. Fold up the edges of the crust up and around the fruit, pinching the outer edge dough together.
  3. Brush the dough with 2 Tblsp. melted butter and save some melted butter for brushing on the fruit itself.
  4. I also place a bit more sugar on the top of all.
  5. Place the free-form pie which is on the lined cookie sheet or pizza pan in your pre-heated oven until the dough is nice and brown and the fruit is bubbling (about 30 minutes but start checking after 20 minutes).
  6. Remove from oven, cool on a rack and serve warm dusted with confectioner sugar and ice cream or crème fraiche or whipped cream.
Aug12

Whole Chicken Fryer Casserole (for the busy cook)

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chicken fryer casseroleplated chicken fryer casserole

Whole Chicken Fryer Casserole

4 servings

 Here’s another easy, financially economical and healthy chicken veggie dish for a busy mom or dad to make. It’s also easy for a single person who comes home to weary to really cook and also wants some good left over’s for the rest of the week.  The 3.5 lb. fryer coast under $7 at Atkinsons’ and the veggies I used didn’t cost that much and actually were what I already had in the frig.  I used a large round deep Pyrex casserole dish and it baked at 375F in an hour and a half.  It was delicious and will easily feed 4.  It’s a breeze to assemble and I warrant that the kids will like it as well.

Ingredients:

  1. One 3.5 whole fryer chicken
  2. One 8-oz pre-packaged fresh  brown or white sliced mushrooms
  3. 1 Zucchini cut in half and then cut the halves in half so you have 4 long pieces
  4. 2 peeled carrots cut in huge chunks
  5. 2 celery ribs cut in huge chunks
  6. 4 Green onions—cut in chunks
  7. Fresh basil—place some in the chicken cavity and more within the veggies and if you wish a bay leaf to put in the veggies.
  8. 4-8 cloves of garlic—unpeeled or peeled—left whole—put one or two in the chicken’s cavity
  9. 1 large tomato cut in chunks
  10. Any other veggie you have and think might go well including parsley, etc.
  11. S&P to taste
  12. Up to 3/4 C. olive oil

Instructions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375F.
  2. Smear or spray some olive oil all over the inside of your dish.
  3. Place the veggies in the dish and mix well with some S&P to taste and some olive oil as well.
  4. Place whole rinsed and pat dried chicken which has some basil and garlic cloves in the cavity on top of the veggies and pour more olive oil on it.  Then S&P it to your taste.
  5. Place in oven and bake for about 1.5 hours.

I served this with rice and if you wish, a green salad on the side.  Desert? I had some of my homemade no-churn Mango Ice Cream only I had put fresh blue berries in it which turned out very yummy.  I  now am almost never without some sort of version of this ice cream in my freezer.  Enjoy!!!!

Aug10

An Italian Inspired Dinner Catered by Margot for Milt and Pat for 8 guests

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antipasto platters

Milt’s and Pat’s Menu For An Italian Inspired Dinner on Friday, August 9, 2013

Appetizers

Antipasto Platter featuring Hard Sonoma Jack, Almonds,  Dry Uncured Salami, Prosciutto, Hot Capocollo, Roasted Tomatoes, Mozzarella Balls, Assorted Olives, Pickled Asparagus, Pickled Artichoke Hears, Pickled Mushrooms, Fresh Cherries, Toasted Garlic French Bread Slices and Bread Sticks

Dinner

Manicotti featuring Pat’s Home Made Crepes and Margot’s Homemade Marinara Sauce and Manicotti Filling

Melange of Oven Baked Vegetables with Basil

Desert

Fresh Blueberry and Strawberry Cup with Homemade No-Churn Blueberry Ice Cream

Thumb Print Short Bread Cookies with Margot’s Homemade Raspberry, Chocolate and Lavender Jam

Catered by Margot Van Horn

“From My Table to Yours”

Offering Special B&B Styled Menus