This menu is for late morning entertaining (like busy mothers meting friends in between school runs), but you can use the same menu for an afternoon coffee or tea. It looks pretty, it is easy to make and it is light. It combines a teacake with small salmon filo cups and chicken sandwiches. The cake is moist, not too sweet and can be made the night before. You can be creative with the cake’s design. I was eager to use a new ceramic mold I bought the last week in the flea market. It seems I can find endless cake mold designs here in Switzerland. In one occasion I used small tins as molds and served them individually.

The little sandwiches are made of white sandwich bread which is first flattened with a rolling-pin and then rolled around 2cm thick cylinder molds (like the ones used to make cannoli). The internet is also a great supplier of creative kitchen utensils.

Little cups are made of my favorite kitchen pastry, filo. Filo is a paper-thin pastry and because it has a tendency to dry you have to work quickly. These cups are light and crisp.

Cake with  cream and raisins

serves 6

• 250g flour / 1/3 cup
• 100g caster sugar
• 120g butter/room temperature plus extra for lining a tin
• 2 eggs/ room temperature
• 180ml cream, about 25% fat (in Switzerland use 25% Rahm)
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 70g raisins
• 3 tablespoons Rum
• powder/icing sugar for decoration

Soak the raisins in the Rum preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F. Place the shelf in the middle of the oven.

Prepare cake tin (about 6 1/2 inch tube pan). Cover inside with a thin layer of butter then dust with thin layer of flour.

Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and set aside.

In a bowl or standard mixer mix the butter and sugar until pale and creamy.

Add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Add raisins with its soaking liquid.

Fold in some of dry ingredients, alternating with cream. Make sure you add dry ingredients last.

Pour dough into prepared tin: it will fill 3/4 of tin. Bake for about an hour, or until golden brown in color.

Let it cool for 10min, and then turn to wire rack, take out of the mold to cool completely.

Sprinkle with the powder sugar.

Chicken and avocado sandwiches

10 sandwiches

• 5 thin slices of white bread
• 50g of butter/melted
• about 5 thin slices of chicken or turkey breast
• handful of salad of your choice
• one avocado
•  one tablespoon of creme fresh
•  one teaspoon of lemon juice
• pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Place the shelf in the middle of the oven.

Cut the avocado in half and take the pit out. Scoop out the flesh and blend with a bit of creme fresh. Add a little bit of lemon juice and salt until desired consistency and taste.

Put into refrigerator.

Trim the crusts from the bread.

Flatten each slice of bread with a rolling-pin, and then slice each slice in half.

With a pastry brush, brush one side of bread with thin layer of melted butter.

Wrap buttered side around a mold and tie with a piece of kitchen string.

Put the prepared moulds on the baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes to toast lightly. Take them out. Carefully slide the sandwich rolls out of the mold. Cool and carefully take the strings out.

Take the prepared avocado cream out of the refrigerator. Fill the piping bag with the cream.

Roll pieces of salad with small pieces of meat and stuff them into toasted bread tubes.

Pipe in a little bit of avocado cream.

Smoked salmon cups

makes 12

• 3 sheets of the filo pastry, thawed if frozen
• 30g butter / 2 tablespoons, melted
• 100g creme fresh or sour cream
• one cucumber
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 50g of smoked salmon

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Place the shelf in the middle of the oven.

Use a little bit of melted butter to grease mini muffin pan.

Lay one sheet of pastry onto your work surface. Cover the rest with a kitchen towel to prevent drying.

Brush the filo sheet with thin layer of butter.

Cut large enough squares to line the muffin tin holes with, and have some overhanging. Repeat the process with another sheet.

Line the holes with 3 filo pastry squares, pushing them down and on the sides.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Let them cool in the tray. Carefully take them out of tray.

Cut the smoked salmon onto strips.

Make the filling. In a small bowl mix the creme fresh and lemon zest. Peel the cucumber, then using a canella knife (also known as citrus zester) make thin strings.

Fill each cup with teaspoon of cream and pieces of smocked salmon. Decorate with strings of cucumber and a little bit of lemon zest.

Alsace is a small region in northeastern France bordering Germany and Switzerland. My main draw to it has been Alsatians passion for food as well their white wine, Gewutsraminer.

Their wine route goes through well preserved medieval villages with houses painted in pretty pale colours and windows filled with flowers.

Its proximity to Germany has influenced  ingredients in the dishes and their taste. Their food is very rich and pork is very often used as an ingredient. Tarts are  an important part of their sweet specialities.

I will write about other recipes from this region, but for this menu I chose Baeckeoffe, potato and meat casserole (picture doesn’t do justice to this dish, it is one of those recipes that tastes better than it looks). Baeckeoffe often includes pig feet(which adds the gelatinous consistency) but you can skip that ingredient.To complete the menu I prepared an onion soup, and a sweet plum tart, considering that plum season is in a full swing. I made pate sucre as the base of the tart. Pate sucre is a pastry that is used mainly to make tart cases or flans.

I served onion soup in small bowls.The key to a great tasting onion soup is to cook the onions really slow, until they become very soft and light brown in colour.

Baeckeoffe

serves 6

• 500g lamb shoulder
• 500g pork shoulder
• 500g beef shoulder /chuck
• 1kg /2 lb potato
• 1leek (white part only)
• 200g carrots
• 1 big onion
• 1 clove of garlic, lightly crushed
• salt
• 5 peppercorns
• 1 bouquet garni (spring of fresh thyme, parsley stalk, one bay leaf and celery stalk 5 cm long)
• 1/2 bottle of Riesling

1. Make bouquet garni(classic herb combination for stews and soups). Tie the spring of thyme, bay leaf and few parsley stalks in the groove of 5 cm/2 in of celery stalk with a kitchen string.
2. Finely slice onions, garlic and leek into small rounds. Peel the carrot and slice into rounds.
3. Cut the meat into 4cm / 1-1/2 in squares.
4. Put the meat with leek, onion, garlic and bouquet garni into a plastic container or zip log bag.
5. Add pinch of salt, peppercorns and  half of the wine.
6. Refrigerate for  12 hours.
7. The next day preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
8. Peel the potatoes and slice into rounds.
9. Remove the marinade from the refrigerator.
10. Strain the marinade over a bowl ( don’t discard the liquid).
11. Put half of potatoes into casserole dish.
12. Add the strained content and finish with a layer of sliced potatoes and  some carrots. Pour over  marinade liquid from the bowl 2cm below the top layer of potatoes. Add more wine or water if needed. Cover with a lid and sealit with a thick layer of aluminum foil made into rope and shape around the casserole dish and lid.
13. Original method calls for a seal made of  flour paste. Mix 140g /1 cup of flour with enough water to make a paste. Roll it into a rope long enough to wrap around the casserole.Press against the join between the lid and the dish.
14. Bake for 3 hours.

Serve it with a simple green salad and the slice of bread. Casserole always tastes better the next day.

Onion soup

serves 4

• 500g onions (about 4 medium)
• 5og butter
• 1 litres brown stock / 4 cups
• salt
• pepper
• 4 slices of bread
• Gruyere cheese

Slice onions into rounds.

Melt the butter in a pan and add the onions. Using a wooden spoon stir them to coat them with the butter. Reduce heat to low and slowly simmer untill very soft and golden brown. It can take 60 min, or longer.

Add the stock, pinch of salt and stir. Bring it to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

Cut the  bread into small slices, cover them with grated cheese and put in  oven until bread is toasted and cheese melts.To serve  pour the soup into small balls and arrange the toasted slices of bead with melted cheese .

Plum tart

20cm tart tin

Pate sucre:

• 150g flour
• 75g butter (room temperature)
• 40g caster sugar
• 2 yolks (room temperature)
• salt
• 2-3 drops of vanilla essence

Filling:

• 300g dark plums, just ripe but still firm
• 70g granulated sugar
• 140ml water
• 2 tablespoons ground almonds

Glase:

• 160 g appricot jam
• 2 teaspoon water

All ingredients have to be at room temperature.

Sift the flour and salt.

In a food processor with a paddle attachment mix the butter, sugar and vanilla extract.

Add the beaten eggs and mix until incorporated.

Add the sifted flour in stages and as soon as dough detaches from the bowl stop (it will make clumps ).

Press clumps together and form a ball.

If using two smaller tins split the pastry in two parts.

Wrap it into cling film and leave in refrigerator for one hour.

Place the flan tin on a baking sheet.

Take the pastry out of the refrigerator and  let it stand at room temperature for 10-15min to soften.

On a lightly floured surface roll pastry in-between two sheets of clingfilm or parchment paper.

Roll in one direction until 3 mm thick and 5 cm larger than the tin. If you use bigger tin roll the pastry slightly thicker.

Transferring the pastry to the tin can be a little tricky but with practice it will become easier.

Wrap the pastry loosely around the rolling pin. Carefully unroll the pastry allowing it to settle easily into the tin. Don’t pull the pastry or it will break. Press the pastry against the side  and base of the tin. If you need to patch it press the tears with your fingers.

Roll the rolling pin over the tin. Rolling pin will cut the excess dough. You can use the excess and roll it in a bowl and cover with a cling film. Put it into freezer and use later to make smaller tarts.

Put the pastry case into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

Take the pastry out of the refrigerator. Line the pastry case with the baking parchment. Fill it with baking beans. You can also use dried beans.

Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes, until the pastry is dry and lightly golden in colour. Carefully take the baking beans and the paper out of the tart case and lower the temperature to 180C. Return pastry to the oven for another 5 minutes watching that the pastry doesn’t turn brown.

Leave to cool on the rack.

Wash and cut the plums into quarters.

Make the light sugar syrup. Put the sugar and water in a saucepan and on low heat dissolve the sugar. Bring to boil and continue boiling for about 3-4 minutes until it thickens slightly; put the plumsand let it cool.

Sprinkle ground almonds into a tart case. This will prevent pastry from becoming soggy. Then arrange the plums over it.

Bake on 180C for about 30 minutes or until fruit softens.

To make a glaze place the jam with the water in a pan and melt over low heat. Sieve. Using a pastry brash dab it over the tart.

In Switzerland, were I live, fresh humus or pita bread are not easy to find. Commercially made pita bread usually comes in plastic bags and probably contains a good amount of preservatives and additives, but most of all, it will never beat the great aroma and warmth of the bread you can bake at home in your own oven.

Pita bread may seem challenging to make, but after making it couple of times and after following some simple rules for bread making it is pretty easy. Bake your own bread and you will get of “points” from family and friends for being a great cook.

After visiting Jelmoli, a gourmet store in Zurich and spotting tahini I decided to make my own little Middle Eastern feast.

My menu consisted of homemade humus, pita bread, kaftas, cucumber soup and simple tomato salad. This refreshing cucumber soup goes great with grilled meat as well as tomatoes and adds more colour to the prevailing earthy tones of the other dishes.

Kafta

• 500g minced lamb / 1.1lb
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pinch of pepper
• 1 egg

1. Soak the wooden skewers for one hour.
2. Mix meat, onion, herbs and seasoning. Don’t add all the onion if you think it is too much.
3. Add little bit of egg. This will help binding as well as make shaping easier.
4. Incorporate well by hand. Put for some time, around 30 min in the refrigerator to improve the taste  and make shaping easier.
5. Preheat a griddle pan and lightly oil it. Take a piece of prepared meat and fry. Cool it and taste to see is your seasoning correct.
6. Form small sausage shapes and tread onto skewers.
7. Cook, turn until brown, but still slightly pink inside. Cook in batches. Serve warm.

Humus

150g dried chick peas (garbanzos)

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1/2 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

80ml tahini

juice of one lemon

olive oil

ground paprika (optional)

1. Soak dried chick peas in water overnight with baking soda.
2. Rinse well.
3. Put chick peas in a saucepan and cover with double the volume of water.
4. Bring to boil, then simmer gently for an hour, or until they are very soft.
5. Drain the chick peas, but retain the cooking liquid.
6. Put the beans in food processor and add the reserved liquid, tahini, garlic, some lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Process.
7. You have to keep tasting it and adjusting lemon juice, reserved liquid and salt to taste. You should have soft pure.
8. Spread over a platter. Pour some olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.

Cucumber soup

• 1 cucumber
• 350g / 1 1/2cup plain yogurt
• 100ml /1/2 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
• salt
• white pepper
• 1/2 minced garlic
• pinch of ground cumin (optional)

1. Wash the cucumber, peel and half lengthwise.
2. Scoop out and discard seeds.
3. Grate the cucumber, transfer into a bow, add yogurt, garlic and mint.
4. Add cold water, but make sure soup is not too thin.
5. Add pinch of salt, pinch of white pepper and pinch of cumin.
6. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.
7. Refrigerate. Serve cold garnished with mint leaves.