Sunday, March 29, 2015

RECIPE OF THE WEEK - Buttermilk Spice Cake



Whether for breakfast or dessert, the spices in this flavorful easy treat make it delicious anytime. 





2 cups flour
2 cups sugar 

2 t cinnamon (I use 1 ¼ t cinnamon, ½ allspice and ¼ ground cloves)
1 stick butter
Pinch of salt

1 cup buttermilk
1 egg - beaten
1 t baking soda


Preheat oven to 350
PAM a 9”x 13” pan or 2 8” round pans
Mix first five dry ingredients with pastry blender until the butter is the size of small peas. Reserve about ¾ cup for topping.
Mix milk, egg and soda.
Pour into remaining flour mixture and blend (by hand is fine) until mixed.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
Sprinkle reserved topping evenly over batter.

Bake 45 minutes.

Monday, March 23, 2015

St Patrick's Day at the Carlisle House

RECIPE OF THE WEEK
We hope that you enjoyed your St Patty's Day!  Our guests sure did with our very Irish Quiche! Corned Beef cooked in Guinness and Colcannon with Kerrygold Cheese!
1 unbaked 9" pie crust shaped in deep quiche dish or pie pan
• ¾ cup shredded potato (frozen is fine)
• ¼ chopped fresh baby kale
• 4 oz corned beef (from a brisket cooked whole in Guinness & water as per package) chopped into pieces about ¼" to ½"
• 1 cup grated sharp Dubliner or KerryGold cheese
• 1 ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 ½ cup heavy cream or Half and Half or mixture of the two
• 4 -5 large eggs - beaten
• 1 heaping teaspoon of whole grain mustard
• Dash of garlic powder
• ⅛ t fresh ground pepper
• ⅛ t salt


Beat cream, eggs, whole grain mustard, garlic powder, pepper, and salt together with whisk. Store overnight in refrigerator if possible to let flavors develop.
Preheat oven to 400F
Sprinkle about half of the mozzarella into pie crust.
Spread corned beef, potato and kale over cheese
Sprinkle Irish cheese and then mozzarella over mixture in pie crust
Pour cream and egg mixture over cheese and corned beef mixture in pie crust slowly so all liquid is absorbed.
Make small shamrock with kale leaves for garnish
Bake for about 35-40 minutes until quiche is puffy and golden and center is solid and does not seem liquid when moved.
Allow to cool at least 15-20 minutes before cutting.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

RECIPE OF THE WEEK - Oven Roasted Tomatoes


Recipe
• 2 tablespoons EV olive oil
• 2T chopped fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper (we love lots of coarse pepper)
• 1 pound (450g) tomatoes, (8 small or 4 medium-sized)


I always double or triple the recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC.)
2. Pour the olive oil into a shallow baking dish or pan.
3. Cut the tomatoes in half vertically, using Romas so no need to remove stem. Toss the tomatoes with the oil and seasonings, then lay them cut side down in the dish.
4. Bake for two hours, or until the tomatoes are completely softened and wilted, and start to wrinkle and caramelize. Depending on the tomatoes, they may take longer to cook.
 

Use or freeze in small containers covered with a bit more olive oil over the top.
Our favorite use is to rough chop and serve with soft cheese: Brie, Gorgonzola, Cheve, etc.  

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - March 28

Saturday
March 28
8pm
Shippensburg University
 Phone: 717-477-7469

Nearing their fifth decade together, the iconic and profoundly influential Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, often cited as a catalyst for an entire movement in Country Rock and American Roots Music,
continues to add to their legendary status. With multi-platinum and gold records, strings of top ten hits such as "Fishin' In The Dark" and "Mr. Bojangles", multiple GRAMMY, IBMA, CMA Awards and nominations, the band's accolades continue to accumulate.

Friday, March 6, 2015

RECIPE OF THE WEEK - Crispy Bacon Wrapped Bread Sticks

 
    Need a quick snack or hors d'oeuvre? Or great for dipping into eggs at breakfast! You probably have everything but maybe the sesame sticks. Can't go wrong with bacon and cheese! 


1 cup grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons garlic salt or powder
12 slices good smokey bacon (not thick-cut)
24 (4 1/2-inch) long sesame breadsticks (1 package)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 


Combine the Parmesan with garlic salt and set aside.
Cut the bacon slices in half so they are approximately 5-inches long. Wrap each bread stick with 1 slice of bacon, starting at one end and ending at the other.
Place wrapped bread sticks on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until bacon is browned.
Remove from oven and immediately roll bread sticks in cheese mixture.
Let cool and serve at room temperature.  Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Fabulous Fly Fishing in the Cumberland Valley



Fifty Places to Fish Before You Die!  

 First a best selling book and now a World Fishing Network show.  And what was the premier episode?  Episode 1: LeTort Spring Run which passes just 2 blocks from our Carlisle House.  
Renowned PA fly-fishermen Ed Shenk


We have "fisher people" (as we have men AND women) who come for our trout rich streams from all over the world.  And just 15 minutes away is the Huntsdale Fish Hatchery, built in 1932 and noted as the largest in the nation. There you can tour and observe the life cycle of fish in the many concrete raceways before the fish are released into our state streams.  

We have a local guide, Tom Brtalik, who has an excellent fly-fishing service and will provide door-to-stream service with all the equipment!
 
Huntsdale Fish Hatchery

Come enjoy our beautiful valley and the abundantly fish-rich waterways!   

Click HERE for Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau information.


Sunday, March 1, 2015

RECIPE OF THE WEEK - Buttery Almond Torte

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Almond Butter Torte
Looking for a quick and easy chewy almondy dessert of coffee cake?  This fits the bill perfectly!  It can also feature other toppings like dried cherries or blueberries...or....


½ cup very soft butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
1 extra large egg
1 t almond extract
Pinch of salt
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Beat butter, sugar, egg, salt and extract until fluffy.
Add flour and mix until blended. Spread in "PAM"ed 9" cake pan.
Sprinkle with almonds and press down slightly.
BAKE for about 20-25 minutes or until golden and edges are cooked.
• VARIATION: Use dried cherries or dried blueberries instead of the almonds.
• OPT: Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of nuts or berries before baking.