Apple Tart

I've composed an apple tart recipe before, but I couldn't resist this recipe I found in Pleyn Delit, a wonderful medieval-redaction cookbook (I changed the recipe a bit).

Crust:
1 cup white wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
6 Tbls. butter
1/4 cup water

Filling:
2 lbs. apples
1/2 cup dried fruits (this time I used prunes, raisins, dried cherries, dried blueberries, crystallized ginger)
1/2 cup sugar, brown or white (I tried it with 1/4 cup honey instead, but didn't like that as much)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground mace
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
pinch of saffron powder (if available)

Cut the butter into the flour until it is crumbly and there are no more large chunks of butter. Stir the water into the flour. Knead it a little bit to make a dough, using flour if necessary to keep from sticking. Roll it thin and place in a 9" pie or tart dish. Chill until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Core the apples and chop them into small pieces. Mince the dried fruits. Combine the apples and dried fruits with the spices and sugar, stirring to coat. Place into the tart crust.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, removing the foil toward the end of baking time.

Apple and Strawberry Crumble

Filling:
3 apples
2 tsp. honey
1 lb. strawberries
1 Tbls. honey
1 Tbls. arrowroot powder
pinch of salt

Topping:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour, white wheat flour, or whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup rolled oats or oat flour
4 Tbls. butter
2 Tbls. sugar or brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds


Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Coat bottom of an 8" cake pan with butter.

Slice apples into cubes, removing the core. Place in a small pot with 2 tsp. honey and cook, covered, over medium heat, for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, hull and halve the strawberries. Place them in a large bowl with the rest of the honey, arrowroot powder, and salt. Stir to coat the berries with powder.

Put the apple mixture in the cake pan, then the strawberry mixture.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and poppy seeds. Cut in the butter until there are no large chunks of butter and no dry flour. Sprinkle this mixture over the fruit in the pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden.

Cheese and Apple Salad

Apples: cut into smallish pieces.
Cheese: choose sharp cheese, like goat cheese or sharp cheddar. Cut into small pieces, smaller than the apple pieces, or crumble. You want about half the amount of the apple.
Drizzle of honey: I used about 1 Tbls. per apple in the salad.
Sprinkling of herbs: choose mild, sweetish herbs, like fennel seed or leaves, poppy seed, lavender buds, a tiny bit of mint (minced if fresh).

Hotroot Pepper & Hotroot Essence

In the Redwall universe, this is actually made from a red-colored root with a hot flavor (seen in Outcast of Redwall). I'm not sure such a plant exists in real life (if it does, let me know), so I've blended different peppers and spicy roots to make this spice.

cayenne pepper
black pepper
ground ginger
ground horseradish
paprika

Combine equal amounts of the spices.

I added the paprika to make it a more red color. Most paprika available is sweet and not very spicy, but there are spicy kinds available, so use that if you can find it.

To make hotroot essence, mix the powder with cold water to make a thick liquid, let it sit a few minutes, then add a small amount of vinegar.

Cherry and Damson Pudding

Cake:
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbls. butter
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk or nut milk
3/4 cup pitted cherries
3/4 cup chopped damson plums
1/2 cup nuts, whole or roughly chopped

Sauce:
1 cup cherry juice--I got cherry juice from pitting the cherries (add some water if you can't get a full cup)
2 tsp. honey
1 Tbls. corn starch
1 Tbls. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a square 9 x 9-inch baking dish.

Beat honey and butter until smooth. Add egg and mix well. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt, then add to mixing bowl alternatively with milk. Stir in cherries, plums, and chopped nuts. Pour batter into buttered pan and smooth out the surface. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and solid.

Make the sauce by combining cherry juice and honey in a small saucepan. In a small bowl, mix the corn starch with a bit of water to make a smooth liquid, then pour into the pan while stirring. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thick. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon butter and vanilla extract.

Pour the sauce over the baked cake and let sit while it cools, to soak in the sauce. Serve with yellow meadowcream.

Turnip and Mushroom Flan with Beetroot and Scallions

(Too eggy/thick; probably use more milk next time. Needs more seasoning too.)


1 batch of pie crust dough
1 cup chopped turnip
3/4 cup chopped mushroom
1 tsp. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. chives
1/2 cup milk
1 small beetroot
1 or 2 green onions

Set the turnip pieces to boil.

Roll out the pie crust and place in a pie tin. Chill until needed.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sear the mushroom pieces in a skillet with the butter and salt, then place in the pie crust. (Put the crust back in to chill.)

When the turnips are soft, drain and puree with the milk. Get it as smooth as you can with no chunks. (You can mash the turnips by hand if desired, but they need to be peeled before boiling).

Beat the turnip mixture with the eggs and chives. Pour in the pie tin.

Bake for 25-35 minutes until crust and top are golden brown.

Cut the beet into thin slivers and the green onion into thin slices and sprinkle them over the flan.

Armel's Stuffed Loaf

In Rakkety Tam, friends Armel and Brooky go off on at adventure to save Redwall. The friar gives them some stuffed loaves to eat on the way.

Bread:
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. yeast
2 Tbls. honey
2 Tbls. butter
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat or white wheat flour

Filling:
1/2 cup onion, chopped small
1/2 cup mushroom, chopped small
1/4 cup cheese, grated or chopped small
1/4 cup carrot, chopped small
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. lavender buds
1/4 tsp. caraway seeds
1 Tbls. oil

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. let stand about 10 minutes. mix in the butter, honey, egg, salt, and half the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in the remaining flour bit by bit until it forms a dough, kneading to mix it at the end. Place in an oiled bowl and coat dough with oil, cover, and let rise 1 hour.

Stir together the filling ingredients.

Place a piece of baking parchment on a baking sheet.

Roll the dough out to a thick, large rectangle. Put the filling on the dough in a strip down the middle. Fold the edges of the dough over the filling, pinching it closed. place the loaf on the baking sheet, with the seam on the underside. Coat the top with oil and let rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake the loaf for 30 minutes.

Beetroot and Mushroom Pasties

1 batch of pie crust dough
1/4 cup butter
1 cup mushrooms, chopped small
1 cup beets, chopped small
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 cup flour (any kind)
2 Tbls. water

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Roll the pie dough into 4 small crusts, round or square, about 5-6 inches across.

Combine the butter, mushrooms, seasonings, and flour in a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat until the mushrooms are soft, and most of the moisture has been absorbed by the mushrooms and flour.  Remove from heat. Add the beets and the water.

Spoon this filling into the crusts. Fold the crust over and pinch the edges closed.If desired, glaze the top of the crust. Cut small slashes in the tops.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. 

Plum Pie

1 cup chopped nuts
2 pounds plums
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 Tbls. fresh sage, minced
3 Tbls. arrowroot powder
Double batch of pie crust

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Roll out the pie crust, place in pie tin, and chill until ready to use.

Pit the plums. Mix the plums with the rest of the ingredients.  Pour into the pie tin and cover with the top crust, crimping the edges of the crusts together. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Carrot, Mushroom, and Onion Hotpot

Crust:
1 1/4 cup flour (white wheat or whole wheat pastry flour)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbls. butter
1/2 cup milk
mint leaves
bit of milk

Filling:
1 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup onions, chopped small
1 cup potatoes, cubed
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbls. corn starch
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. basil

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Chop the carrots. Parboil them until they are bright colored and slightly soft. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the water.

Cube the potatoes. Boil them until they're soft. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the water. Mash the potatoes with the milk.

Stir together the carrots, onions, mushrooms, cornstarch, rosemary and basil. Put in a 9" square or circular baking pan. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top. Pour in the carrot and potato water.


Stir the flour, salt, and baking soda together. Cut in the butter, then stir in the milk. Knead to made a cohesive dough. On a piece of waxed paper, roll out the dough until it is big enough to cover the pan. Use the waxed paper to place the dough on top, tucking in the edges. Brush a small amount of milk on the crust, then sprinkle liberally with mint.



Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the crust is golden.

Cheese and Onion Flan

Crust:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white wheat flour
1 tsp. dried ground tomato
1/2 tsp. dill weed
6 Tbls. butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water

Filling:
5 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 Tbls. oil
3/4 cup cheese, shredded or cubed small
1 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Put the onion and oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Cover and let cook until they are translucent (it takes a while).

Stir together the flour and spices for the crust. Cut in the butter until there are no more large chunks. Dissolve the salt in the water and stir into the flour mixture until it forms a dough. Press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9" square or circular baking pan. (Or you can roll the crust out on a floured surface.) Chill until needed.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and pepper until it is completely mixed, then stir in the cheese.

Spread the onions in the bottom of the crust. Pour in the egg mixture.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until top and crust are lightly browned.

Arrowroot Plum Sauce

In The Legend of Luke, this sauce is made to accompany a steamed pudding of dried fruit.

Version A, starting with raw plums:

4 plums, pitted
1 Tbls. arrowroot powder
1 1/2 cups water

Puree together the plums, arrowroot and 1/2 cup water, until it is smooth.  Pour into a pot and stir in the remaining water. Cook over medium heat, letting it simmer without coming to a true boil, stirring, until it has thickened.


Version B starting with plum juice or wine:

2 cups plum juice/wine
1 Tbls. arrowroot powder
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar

Stir together the arrowroot powder and 2 Tbls. of plum juice. Whisk it very thoroughly so there are no globs of arrowroot.

Stir together the rest of the juice with the honey and sugar in a med-large saucepan, over med-high heat. Whisk in the arrowroot mixture one tiny spoonful at a time, having each bit thoroughly mixed in before adding more. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil until it reaches 230° F, stirring constantly, but if any of it burns to the bottom of the pan, don't scrape it and stir it back in. Remove from heat once it reaches 230° F, continuing to stir as it cools for about a minute, then let it cool.

Apple Pie

In The Legend of Luke, Dulam describes his mother's apple pie, "Sweet apples, golden crust, steamin' hot, dusted with spices an' warm arrowroot sauce poured over 'em."  Elsewhere in the series, apple pie is served with meadowcream or with fresh cream poured over it.

1 double batch of pie crust
1 Tbls. arrowroot powder
6 cups apples, chopped
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
ground ginger

Ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Stir together the apples, arrowroot, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Make sure the dough is chilled thoroughly. Divide in half and roll out each half on separate pieces of waxed paper, using flour as needed to keep them from sticking. roll to about 1/8" thick. Place one sheet of dough in a pie tin, fitting it inside and trimming the edges. Fill with the apples. Place the other sheet of dough over the top, trimming the edges and crimping the top and bottom together along the edge. Brush the beaten egg on the top crust and sprinkle with ground ginger and ground cloves. Cut slashes into the top crust.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Mountain and Foothill Stew

From Mattimeo.

4 cups water or vegetable stock
2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup chopped carrots
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbls. minced celery
1/4 cup oil
1 cup chopped leeks
1/3 cup minced onion
3 Tbls. cornstarch or whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. ground cardamom

In a medium pot, bring the water, potatoes, carrot, and celery to a low boil.

Meanwhile, mix the oil, garlic, leeks, onion, cornstarch/flour, salt, and pepper in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cornstarch browns. Stir into the stew.

Add the rest of the seasonings and allow to simmer over low heat until the potatoes and carrots are soft and the stew is thick.

Makes 4 servings.

Carrot and Scallion Pasties

1 batch of pie crust dough
2 Tbls. butter
1 cup chopped scallions
1 cup minced carrots
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sautee the butter, scallions, carrots, sage, fennel, and flour, until the scallions have started to brown.

Roll the pie dough out and cut into circles or squares, 4-5 inches big. Put some filling in each of them, fold in half, and crimp the edges closed.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the crust is golden.

Makes 4 pasties.

Leek and Lettuce Pasties

1 batch of pie dough
2 Tbls. butter
1 cup finely chopped lettuce
1 cup chopped leeks
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. flour

 Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sautee the butter, lettuce, leeks, salt, pepper, and flour, until the leeks have started to brown.

Roll the pie dough out and cut into circles or squares, 4-5 inches big. Put some filling in each of them, fold in half, and crimp the edges closed.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the crust is golden.

Makes 4 pasties.

Tomato Chutney

In Mossflower, this is served to accompany Deeper 'n Ever Turnip 'n' Tater 'n' Beetroot 'n' Bean Pie.

2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup candied ginger, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider or juice
2 Tbls. raisins or other small dried fruit
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. fennel seed
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbls. honey
1 tsp. arrowroot powder

Combine all ingredients in a pan. Let sit for 5 minutes. Put over medium heat and simmer for a few minutes until thick. Let it cool completely to continue to thicken.

Onion Pasties

1 batch of pie crust dough
2 cups chopped onion
2 Tbls. butter
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds

Saute the onion and butter over medium heat until the onions are slightly translucent. Remove from heat and add the seasoning.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Divided the pie crust into 4 equal pieces, then roll each piece out into a circle about 4-5” large. Put some filling in each of them, fold in half, and crimp the edges closed. Brush the tops with melted butter.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the crust is golden.

Garlic Pasty

1 batch of pie dough
about 48 cloves of garlic
2 tsp. honey
1 Tbls. butter
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 tsp. dried sage
2 tsp. dried, ground tomato

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Saute the garlic cloves in butter and honey over medium heat, until the garlic is slightly browned. Remove from heat and add the seasoning.

Roll the pie dough out and cut into circles or squares, 4-5 inches big. Put some filling in each of them, fold in half, and crimp the edges closed. Brush the tops with melted butter.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the crust is golden.

Cheese and Mushroom Flan

Crust:
6 Tbls butter, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white wheat flour
about 1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp dried sage, crushed

Filling:
3 cups chopped mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried fennel leaves
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbls flour (any kind)
1 cup cheese, shredded or cut into chunks
butter

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Mix the flour and sage. Cut the butter into the flour until it is crumbly. Stir in enough milk to make a dough that holds together but is not too wet. You can press the dough into a pie tin, or refrigerate it, then roll it out to make the crust.

Melt some butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and add the onions and garlic. Saute for a few minutes until the garlic has started to brown. Pour this mixture into the pie crust.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, seasonings, and cheese, until the eggs are thoroughly mixed. Pour into the pie crust.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is browned and the filling is solid in the center.

Sweetmeadow Custard with Honey Glazed Pears

Sweetmeadow Custard:

3 3/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt

1 tiny pinch lavender buds

1/4 tsp. dried mint leaves

1/8 tsp. fried chamomile flowers
1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup + 1 tsp. cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbls. butter

Combine 3 cups milk, salt, and honey in a saucepan over med-high heat. Grind the lavender, mint, and chamomile into powder and stir into the milk.

In a separate bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the remaining milk. Add egg yolks and mix well.

When milk comes to a full boil, remove from heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Keep stirring as the mixture begins to thicken. Return to heat and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Serve warm.

 
Honey Glazed Pears:

2 ripe pears
1/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Arrange an oven rack about 5 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Cut the pears in half lengthwise and scoop out the core and seeds.  Arrange the pear halves, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, stir the honey, ginger, and vanilla.  Spoon evenly into each pear half.

Broil the pears, rotating the pan once, until bubbling and caramelized, about 5 minutes.  Serve warm.

Vegetable Soup

In Redwall, all the creatures standing sentry on the walls love the vegetable soup Cornflower brings to them. This is quite satisfying, with so many different textures and flavors, every spoonful is different.

2 Tbls. butter
2 Tbls. flour*
3 cups water or vegetable stock
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup carrots, chopped
1 1/4 cup potatoes, cut into largish chunks
2 Tbls. grated cheddar cheese
2 Tbls. minced bell peppers
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. mint
1 tsp. fennel leaves
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. basil
pinch of lavender buds
1 cup (packed) spinach
1/2 cup cauliflower florets, chopped

*I used whole wheat flour, but there are plenty of alternatives, such as nut flour, corn meal, corn starch, potato starch, bean flour, oat flour.

Melt the butter and the flour together over medium heat. Stir in the water/vegetable stock and whisk. Add the salt, carrots, potatoes, cheese, and bell pepper. Simmer until the potatoes are soft. (This takes a while.)

Add all the rest of the ingredients, and cook until the spinach is wilted and shrunk.

Hazelnut Scones

In Outcast of Redwall, these scones are made with extra honey.

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup oil
3 Tbls. milk
1/4 cup honey
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or white wheat flour)
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
extra honey
ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Stir together the baking soda and sour cream in a small bowl. Stir in the egg, oil, milk, and honey.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and stir until it is just moistened. Stir in the hazelnuts.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until it is together and smooth.

Place a piece of baking parchment on a baking sheet and place the dough on, pressing it into a large circle about 1" thick. Drizzle more honey on top, then sprinkle with nutmeg. Cut the circle into 8 or 12 wedges.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Cucumber Sandwiches

bread
butter, softened
mint leaves
cucumber
salt

Cut thin slices of bread. Cut slices of cucumber, also as thin as you can get them. Spread the butter onto the bread, then sprinkle with crushed mint leaves and salt. Place several cucumber slices on top of the butter, then sandwich with another piece of buttered bread (butter on the inside).

Pear Crumble

Filling: 
6 pears
6 Tbls. honey
2 Tbls. arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Topping:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white wheat flour
2/3 cup rolled oats
6 Tbls. cold butter, cubed
6 Tbls. sugar

Preheat the oven to 375°F

Chop the pears into chunks, removing the cores. Stir together chopped pears, honey, and arrowroot in an 8” square pan.

Mix the flour, oats, and sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter until it is thoroughly combined, with a texture like soft crumbs, and no dry powder. Spread evenly over the fruit. 

Bake 35-45 minutes.

Apple Cheese and Nut Salad

Chopped lettuce or other salad greens
1 apple
1-2 inches of cucumber
cheese, cubed or shredded
1/3 cup nuts

Chop the apple and cucumber into small pieces and roughly chop the nuts. Combine all ingredients.  Serve with crushed mint dressing.

Crushed Mint Dressing

2 Tbls. oil
2 Tbls. balsamic vinegar or another sweet vinegar
2 Tbls. mint leaves--crushed if dried, or minced if fresh
sprinkle poppy seeds
sprinkle salt

Combine all ingredients. Serve with salad.

Acorn and Woodland Salad

See my note on acorns here.

raisins
cubes of bread
oil
pine nuts, or chopped almonds, or chopped hazelnuts
spinach, or other hearty greens
minced garlic
salt
pepper

Put the raisins in a bowl with hot cover covering them and set aside.

Heat a tiny bit of oil in a frying pan and sautee the bread cubes until hey are golden and toasted. The bread should absorb all the oil. Remove from the pan and put in the bottom of the serving dish.

Put a tiny bit more oil in the frying pan and add the nuts, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds to lightly toast them. Then add the spinach and a tiny bit of garlic, stirring constantly until the spinach starts to wilt. Drain the raisins and add them to the pan, stirring to mix. Remove from pan and place on top of the croutons, sprinkling with salt, pepper, and any other desired herbs. Serve warm.

Blackberry and Pear Tart

Crust:
3/4 cup flour (whole wheat, whole wheat pastry flour, white wheat flour, or oat flour)
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1.5 tsp. ground ginger, minced fresh ginger, or minced candied ginger

Filling:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbls. flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup blackberries
2 Tbls. milk, or nut milk
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 pear, cored and sliced thinly

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Crust: Stir together the flour and oats. Cut in the butter until crumbly and there's no dry powder. Stir in the sour cream/yogurt. It should be a somewhat wet dough. Sprinkle flour in the pie tin, then dump the dough in and press it evenly onto the bottom and sides. (No need to refrigerate or roll out).

Filling: Mix flour and brown sugar well. Stir in sour cream, berries, milk, and cloves. Mix well and spread into the crust. Lay the pear slices over the cream.

Bake for about 45 minutes until the crust is golden brown, the edges of the pear slices are browned, and the cream is bubbling.

In Outcast of Redwall, this tart has a latticed top. As you can see, my lattice work on this looks pretty stupid. It's because I barely had enough dough for it. I prefer the look of the pear slices arranged prettily.

Apple and Blackcurrant Flan

1/2 cup blackcurrant jam
1-2 Tbls. butter
2 1/2 cups apples, chopped into 1" pieces
4 eggs
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbls. maple syrup

Preheat oven to 325.

Butter a pie tin and spread the blackcurrant jam over the bottom.

Boil apple pieces in water until soft. Drain apples, and puree with the half-and-half, making it as smooth as possible. Beat the pureed mixture with the eggs, maple syrup, and spices. Pour into the pie tin over the jam.

Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the custard is set and a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before serving.

This could have more spices added to it, if desired.

Apple and Redcurrant Pie

Crust:

3/4 cup butter
 2 cup flour (whole wheat, white wheat, whole wheat pastry, or oat)
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt

Cut the butter into the flour until it's crumbly and there's no dry powder.

Dissolve the salt into the water, then stir it into the flour and butter. Stir to make a soft dough. It will be a lot like cookie dough.

Stick it in the fridge to chill until hardened.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Filling:

5 cups chopped apples
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbls. arrowroot powder, or flour, or corn starch
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup recurrant jelly*

Stir together the apples, arrowroot, allspice, and honey.

Roll out half the crust dough on a piece of waxed paper dusted with flour. Use flour as necessary on top and bottom to prevent sticking. Roll to 1/8".

Dust the pie tin with flour. Use the waxed paper to flip the crust over into the pie tin. Trim the edges and fill in any holes.

Spread the redcurrant jelly in the bottom of the crust, then put in the apple mixture.

Roll out the rest of the crust dough to make the top crust. Do whatever type of design you want.

Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the apples are soft.

*If you have fresh or dried redcurrants available to you, make a sort of jam by cooking them with water and honey, and mashing them up. I have to buy jelly, which is not ideal because it has bad ingredients in it, but it's the best I can do.

Alternatively, you could stir the plain redcurrants in with the apples instead of using jam.

Wild Beetroot Soup

2 cups water or veg. stock
1/3 cup diced onion
1 cup roughly chopped carrots
2 1/2 cups roughly chopped beets
2 cups milk or almond milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. dried mint leaves
1/8 tsp. dill weed
1/8 tsp. thyme

Boil the beets, carrot, and onion in the water, until beets and carrots are soft. Transfer to a blender and blend until it's a thick liquid. Return to stove, over low heat.  Add the milk and seasonings. Stir until heated through.

Carrot and Onion Flan

1 onion
1-2 Tbls. butter
2 1/2 cups carrots, chopped into 1" pieces
4 eggs
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed mint leaves

Thinly slice the onion. Place in a pan over med-low heat with butter and cover, stirring occasionally. When the onions are soft, remove cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion pieces are browned.

At the same time, boil the carrot pieces in salted water, until the fat piece of carrot are easy to stab with a fork.

Drain the carrots and puree with the half and half, making it as smooth as you can get it.

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Butter a pie tin and spread the onion evenly over the bottom.

Beat together the eggs, carrot puree, salt, pepper, and mint. Pour evenly over the onions.

Place the pie tin in a larger pan with water in it. Bake until it is a set custard, and a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes.