What I Made This Weekend...

I didn't make one single thing with needle and thread this weekend, but my time was still filled with lots of making, nonetheless! After setting up my Verabelle table at the Charlotte Free Store's Outdoor Yart Sale, the creating commenced! 

When I'm not crafting, one of my favorite hobbies is cooking, and that involves everything from baking desserts and bread to canning and home preserving to making the night's dinner. Here's a list of what Paul and I whipped up this weekend, including one thing for the garden.

• Mushroom and Garlic Souffles
• Homemade Lattes
• Focaccia
• Strawberry-Lemon Preserves
• Strawberry-Cream Cheese Muffins
• White-Wine-Sage Mustard
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Pizza Dough & Grilled Pizza
• Organic Fertilizer with Grass Clippings 

I'll post more recipes throughout the week, but here's one to get you started...

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MUSHROOM & GARLIC SOUFFLES

Taken from Savory Baking: Warm & Inspiring Recipes for Crisp, Crumbly, Flaky Pastries by Mary Cech

Filling

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

6 oz. shiitake mushrooms, chopped (I used cremini.)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

salt & freshly ground black pepper

Souffle Base

3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 c. whole milk

2 T. unsalted butter

3 large egg yolks

5 large egg whites at room temperature

To prepare the filling, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until golden on one side. Turn the mushrooms over, sprinkle the garlic on top, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Saute the mushrooms and garlic until golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove the mushrooms from the pan. Set aside while preparing the souffle base.

To prepare the souffle base, put the flour into a small bowl, and add half the milk, and whisk smooth. Continue to whisk while adding the remaining milk. Put the butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Pour the milk mixture over the meted butter and whisk continuously. Bring to a light boil and continue whisking for 15 seconds. Pour the mix into a large bowl and stir in the sauteed mushrooms. Whisk for 1 minute to cool the mixture slightly, then blend in the egg yolks.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly butter the sides and bottoms of four 8-ounce (1-cup) ceramic ramekins and arrange them on a baking sheet. Pour the egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Whip at medium speed until the egg whites form shiny, medium peaks that hold their shape. Stir half of the whites into the souffle base to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whites and spoon the souffle mixture evenly among the ramekins.

Bake until the souffles are just set in the center and golden on top, about 15 minutes. To test for doneness, use a paring knife to pry the top of a souffle open and look inside; it should appear softly set. Serve immediately after removing from the oven.

We had this for dinner with homemade focaccia and a spinach salad topped with pine nuts and a grass-fed cow's cheese we picked up at  A Southern Season in Chapel Hill. 

This was my very first attempt at making souffle, and it turned out great! Unfortunately, we couldn't find the camera in the depths of my craft show bag to get a photo, and we were afraid to keep looking in fear that the souffle would deflate!