Wednesday 16 March 2011

Cherry Pie and Butternut Soup, St Patrick's Day

Happy St Patrick's Day to all my Irish followers.
Beannachtai na Feile Padraig


I still have quite a few cherries, picked last year from our tree in France, pitted and kept in the freezer.  I have been making a lot of Cherry Clafoutis, but I am not using up the cherries up fast enough!  It will not be long before we will be picking again.  For the Cherry Clafoutis recipe that I have been using, see Susan's recipe found here. it is most delicious and the best recipe that I have used to date.

To use up more cherries, I have made a couple of cherry pies and they really are  very tasty!
Ingredients:

About 5 cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted.  I freeze my cherries with a sprinkling of sugar,  so I do not add extra, but if there is no sugar already in the cherries, then  use 1/2 cup granulated sugar to this quantity of cherries.
If they are really sharp cherries then I would add some sweetener as well, to taste. Ours are eating cherries and need no extra sweetening.
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract, or if using almond flavouring then use at least 1/2  teaspoon
Pastry for a 2-crust 9-inch pie

Directions:
Combine cherries, (sugar, sugar substitutes if using), tapioca, and almond extract in a large bowl; mix well. Let stand for 30 minutes. It is not necessary to thaw the frozen cherries before using. 

Line a 9-inch pie plate with half of the pastry. Fill with cherry mixture. Adjust top crust over filling, and cut slits for steam to escape. Or as I do, put in a pie funnel and pierce a hole in the centre of the pastry.
Bake in a preheated oven 190C (375F) for 55-60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. I cover the edges of the pastry with aluminium foil to prevent over-browning.


Butternut Soup

I thought that I had posted this recipe before, but as I cannot find it, I will post it again regardless!  This is a South African recipe and we think it is the very best soup ever.

Ingredients
2 medium butternuts
1 apple
2 medium onions
50g butter/margarine
7 ml medium curry powder
40 g cake flour
zest from one orange plus the juice (I prefer navel oranges but...)
2 chicken stock cubes
750 ml boiling water
500 ml milk
5 ml salt

To Prepare:
Peel, seed and dice the butternuts. Peel, core and chop the apple. Peel the onions and chop. In a large saucepan, sauté the chopped onions in the butter/margarine. Add the curry powder and fry the mixture lightly. Add the butternut and apple and sauté the mixture for a while. Add the flour and stir-fry lightly.
Dissolve the chicken stock cubes in the boiling water. Add the stock, together with the milk, and salt, to the butternut mixture. Boil, with the lid on, over moderate heat until the butternut pieces are soft. Stir the mixture occasionally.
Add the orange zest and juice and purée or blend until smooth. The colour of the soup should be a deep orange-yellow and the texture creamy. Serve the soup hot.
Each bowl of soup may be garnished with a teaspoon of cream, a little finely chopped parsley or a little zest from an orange.
Makes approx 2 litres of soup.

Enjoy 

84 comments:

  1. That cherry pie looks amazing...the crust is a nice golden brown.

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  2. Thanks Bo, it tasted pretty good as well :-) Diane

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  3. With your slim frame you can bake pies almost everyday :)
    For me, this butternut soup is very inspiring and it looks delicious. I definitely will make it. Thank you for the idea.

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  4. They both look wonderful! Being originally from Michigan...they have the best cherries, this pie would fit right in up there. I am always looking for good butternut squash soup recipes. Yummy!

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  5. I love butternut soup ... especially in winter ... is today the anniversary of St Patrick chasing the snakes out of Ireland?

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  6. Wow .. pie looks amazing ..:-)Love the design on the top .. very tasty I bet..!!

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  7. Olga that really is the best soup I have ever tasted :-) That slim frame has not done so well over winter. Back in France I can try and get 5kg off before Nigel arrives 15 April for 3 weeks. Guess then it will go back on again LOL. No I will not let it!! Diane

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  8. Lyndsey I am sure you will love this soup, it is simlpy the best. Diane

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  9. Graham he will be chasing the snakes out tomorrow the 17th. LOL I will have to come over and cook your mushrooms and make butternut soup for you :-) Diane

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  10. Anne it is a very tasty pie, but we are beginning to look a bit like cherries while I empty the freezer of last years veg and fruit before I leave. LOL Diane

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  11. Ah, two of my favorite things, cherry pie and butternut soup. Your recipes are wonderfully easy. Thank you.

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  12. Diane, hi
    You are TOP CHEF !!!
    Excellent pie with cherries and the soup, very original!
    Thanks so much for the recipes.
    Warm regards
    Magda

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  13. Rosaria I never knew how much I liked cherries until I grew my own. Also they are my own home grown butternuts as well. Diane

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  14. Magda I am sure you would enjoy the soup, I have yet the hear anyone say anything except good about it. Diane

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  15. Every summer when I am knee deep in cherries pitting them is beyond odious... my hands cramp ( and without a tree... they cost a fortune!!!). HOWEVER, when it's the dead of winter and I can just reach into the freezer and grab those summer cherries... well it's worth it. Lovely looking pie.... you are inspiring me to use the last of my cherries!!

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  16. Oh my goodness, I love the look of that pie and also the soup looks delicious. Thank you for sharing this with us, it is making me very hungry indeed!

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  17. Perfect looking pie! Cherry is my favorite when it comes to pies. I would like to eat the dessert first and then the creamy butternut soup! What a fabulous way to celebrate St. Patrick's! Bravissima Diane!!!

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  18. Oh yes emptying your freezer before you can return to FRANCE :-) :-) :-)

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  19. Both of these dishes are exactly my cup of tea !!
    You must have had an awful lot of cherries - lucky you. Have you tried making cherry jam?

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  20. Ótima essa receita com cerejas, adoro. Um abraço.

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  21. Une tourte qui me semble des plus délicieuses.
    J'aime beaucoup.
    La soupe n'est pas mal non plus.
    A très bientôt.

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  22. Wow, you are an artistic baker. The pie looks Almost too pretty to eat. But I'd take a slice.

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  23. One of my fondest memories in France was the cherry trees. I was beside myself, with the trees overflowing with ripe cherries in the summer.

    Love the cherry pie which screams of Summer and the butternut soup which is ideal when the weather remains cool.

    Wonderful post. Thanks for sharing.

    Velva

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  24. The pie and soup look very professional. I'm going to try that butternut squash soup sometime.

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  25. lostpastremembered I am not that worried about pitting the cherries. I try to pick a sunny day and sit in the garden where it does not matter how much mess I make. I do try to limit it to a couple of bowls a day or as you say the hands start to get sore and cramp. Luckily for me Nigel did quite a lot last year. I have bought a new de-stoner though for this year where I can put 20 or so into the top and all I do is sit there and push the button as they go through. Well that is the theory, we shall see :-) Diane

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  26. Froggy sorry to make you hungry but both dishes are really very yummy LOL. Diane

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  27. Thanks michelangelo, wish I could share some cherries with you, I am sure you would come up with something very artistic. Diane

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  28. Anne you are right, I need to empty some things and top up with meals for one!! Diane

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  29. Marta, as cerejas são excelentes do meu jardim. Abraços. Diane

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  30. Nadji, Merci pour vos commentaires. Diane

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  31. Gaelyn I wish I could offer you a slice it really was very good. Diane

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  32. Velva we have the most amazing tree which produces so many cherries. Even the birds can't make much impression on it as there is plenty for all. Diane

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  33. Jean we have one tree that is huge and it is always laden. My neighbours also pick as much as they want! If you time your visit right you can go back with a bucket full!
    I froze cherries, made cherry jam, cherry and rhubarb jam (delicious), bottled them in vodka, preferred this to the ones I did last year in brandy and finally eat them as fast as I could warm and fresh from the tree!! Diane

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  34. Joyful I am sure you will enjoy the soup, as I said previously, we think this is the best soup ever. Enjoy Diane

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  35. A lovely recipe very yummy!!
    My hubby's name is Patrick!
    so we had quite number of phone calls!!
    Have a great day, Diane

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  36. Noushka, hope your husband has a brilliant St Patrick's day - Cheers Diane x

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  37. They look wonderful - I can see where the 10lbs has come from!! You ought to try Zumba - its fun. x

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  38. Happy St Patrick's Day to you also Diane. We are still using last years cherries as well but I'm afraid we did not pit ours before freezing!

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  39. Both recipes are wonderful and your pie looks like it was made by a professional. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  40. Diane, I am sure that they don't do Zumba in France, or not in the country anyway. I am in fact a qualified aerobics instructor, but when in the UK, living in a house that there is no room to move in, I am very lazy! I also do not cycle in snow and icy winds!! Diane

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  41. Lindy I am just so glad I pitted mine, it had made such a huge difference to using them now :-) Diane

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  42. Mary thanks for your very kind comments. They both taste delicious so I am more than happy. Take care Diane

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  43. The cherry pie looks not only beautiful but delicous too! The soup would be perfect on this cold rainy day.

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  44. Thanks Pam, we usually eat soup only in winter, but this soup is inclined to creep in, in both autumn and spring as we love it so much. Diane

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  45. Recipes sound and look delicious! I love butternut squash soup, and also anything with cherries in.
    I have printed off your recipes. I also remember Susan's clofoutis recipe from last year.

    I prefer vegetable soups to anything containing meat.

    Bon voyage.........

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  46. Oooo... Diane, how I wish I have cherry picking here too! But I have an apple tree planted 2 years ago at my new house and it's all ftuiting now. Those are mini size apples and it tastes as good though. The pie looks awesome. How I wish I could join you for a cup of tea. :o) And the soup makes me drool. Hope you're having a great day, Diane. Happy St. Patrick's Day to you.

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  47. GaynorB I am sure you will enjoy that butternut soup it is so good. The cherry pie is pretty good as well. Thanks, I will travel safely I hope and enjoy France very soon :-)) Diane

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  48. Kristy I have 3 apple trees that I have planted, I got a couple of apples last year but I hope this year I may get a few more.
    It would be fun to have tea together, I only drink herbal tea, what about you? Diane

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  49. i like how you decorated your pie, look beautiful and I bet it taste wonderful too! And the soup look tempting too.

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  50. Thanks Sonia, just using up the bits of pastry left over. Diane

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  51. I love how you decorated the cherry pie! It's so pretty! And I'm sure it tasted absolutely divine!

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  52. Your finished cherry pie is so beautiful. I've successfully made pie crusts before but could never get decorations to work out. Yours are stunning. And about the pie funnel, I've never heard of that before. Do you think it has advantages over merely cutting vents directly into the crust?

    Love you're blog. I'm saving it as a favorite on my browser.

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  53. Peggy it is such an easy recipe and so delicious. Dciane

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  54. Heguiberto thanks for your kind comments and visiting my blog. I think I have answered your questions on your site. Diane

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  55. Your yummy cherry pie is a must try fro me!

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  56. Momgateway Thanks for your visit, great to 'meet' you. Have a good weekend. Diane

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  57. I would love to have some of that soup right now. And your pie is so pretty! I freely admit to being pie crust phobic, and I can't imagine making such pretty decorations for the top of my pie!

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  58. Marjie I only make the decorations if I have some bits of pastry left over, I hate wasting anything!!! They take a couple of minutes. Diane

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  59. That pie looks delicious! I am with you on the butternut soup,I love it!

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  60. What a gorgeous pie Diane. I don't think there is any thing better than pie and yours could win a beauty contest. I am sure it is delicous.

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  61. Liesl I discovered the S.A recipe many years ago when we lived in Mafikeng, I have never let it out of my sight :-) Diane

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  62. Simplifried, thanks for your very kind comments, yes it was delicious :-))) Diane

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  63. Simplifried, thanks for your very kind comments, yes it was delicious :-))) Diane

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  64. That's a beautiful pie! I'm sure it tastes as good as it looks.

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  65. These both look fabulous!! I'm a soup lover so will definitely try this recipe! Thanks so much! Hope you have a lovely Sunday!
    Blessings!
    Ann

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  66. Ann hope you have a good Sunday as well. I am sure you will enjoy this soup, have I mentioned before how good it is LOL. Diane

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  67. Happy Saint Patricks day!

    Those photos look amazing, the food looks even better!

    Save me a slice!

    Yas

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  68. Diane, thatnis a pie or a piece of art? That can go on my wall first before goin to my stomach.

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  69. Yasmin, thanks for the comment, slice saved, just pop over and try it out LOL. Diane

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  70. Quay Po Cooks, your kind comments are much appreciated, wish you could join us to try it out :-) Diane

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  71. Diane - cherry and rhubarb jam sound wonderful - I LOVE rhubarb. Do you put in equal quantities of fruit?

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  72. Oh my goodness, those are some sumptuous St. Patrick Feast. I did not cook anything that day, we had appointments so we just ate out.. Love how you decorate them!

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  73. Oh, love that cherry pie! I have 15 pounds of cherries in the freezer and will have to make one soon. I make it with tapicoa and almond extract also, sometimes a little ground cinnamon too. Your soup sounds delicious also!

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  74. Jean I have sent you an email with what I used so hope this gives you the required answer. Diane

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  75. chubskulit you are lucky, we seldom eat out, it just becomes too expensive :-( Diane

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  76. Pam I will try some ground cinnamon next time and give it a try. Thanks for the hint. Diane

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  77. Cherry pie looks lovely - I too still have kilos of lovely cherries in my freezer and the new blossom is about to burst. I have a light almond sponge recipe that I use to make cherry (or plum as I have loads of those too) upside down cake. Very nice, but I will give the pie a try as it will make a nice change.

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  78. Jacqui thanks for visiting my blog. The upside down cake sounds like a good idea but we are not cake eaters :-) At least the cherry pie disappears quickly. I was actually wondering about cherry ice cream now that the weather is warming up. Have not tried it before but it sounds like a good thought to me. Diane

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  79. It looks so good.:-)
    Hugs Stina

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  80. You applied your artistic sense to the top of the pie - very pretty.
    From this recipe the butternut soup sounds delicious, and I like the extra touch of cream and parsley.
    The trip to Oxford was delightful -Each shop looks charming and inviting.

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  81. Thanks Stina, have a good week. Diane x

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  82. Mya I am sure you would enjoy this soup recipe, to me it is the orange though that just makes it! I loved the trip to Oxford we had a great day. Diane

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  83. Hi, you know the other day when I wrote to you I did not see the link to YOUR blog, when I wrote to you!!
    Wow, I will surely be coming back to your as well, there is all kind of thing here I could spend hours reading your blog. The recipes I will just have to try and I have a Butternut Squash that is screaming to be used!!
    Mitchell
    http://hbs1991.wordpress.com

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