Taste of Bloomington

One of my favorite events is coming up this weekend, the Taste of Bloomington. I hope the weather is nice for all of the visitors. I think that I have been at every Taste of Bloomington so I hope to make it to this one. There is always good food and good music. The waiter/waitress race is a fun event to watch. At the same time, the Arts Fair on the Square is going on. So head downtown and have a fun day!

Fresh Eggs from the Market

Since I have some fresh eggs I thought I would make a casserole that I have always enjoyed. The following recipe is kind of big, calling for a dozen eggs, but it is still a tasty left-over. If you decide to cut the recipe in half, just watch the baking time. With the mixture not as thick you will not have to bake as long.

Egg Casserole

12 eggs
12 slices of white bread, cubed
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
4 cups milk
2 pounds sausage
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Crumble sausage and brown in skillet; drain well
Beat eggs, milk, salt and mustard together
Add bread cubes, stir
Add cheese and sausage
Pour into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish and refrigerate overnight
Bake in a 400° oven for about 5 minutes
Reduce temperature to 350° and bake an additional 40 minutes
Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting
Makes 15 servings

Now that you know how to do it, have fun with it. Add some diced peppers and onions. Or if you like, use turkey sausage.

100 Year Old Recipe

With the 100^th anniversary of the laying of the Monroe County Courthouse cornerstone coming up, I thought I would find a 100 year old recipe. Of course there are many old recipes but this one sounded kind of good so I figured it would be fun. I have had friends that shy away from anything “French sounding” in cooking because they assume it will be hard. I hope this easy recipe will show them that they should try anything no matter how hard it sounds. Onions are also now available at the Bloomington Farmers’ Market.

Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée

Soupe a L’Oignon (Onion soup)Gratinee (with breadcrumbs or grated cheese: cooked or served with browned breadcrumbs or melted grated cheese on top.)
This recipe originally appeared in the French cookbook “Gastronomie Pratique,” which was written in 1907 by Henri Babinski under the pen name Ali Bab.

1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 25 to 30)
9 tablespoons butter, softened
9 ounces Emmental cheese, finely grated (don’t worry, that’s swiss cheese)
8 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 12 cups)
1 tablespoon kosher salt, more to taste
1 cup tomato purée

1. Toast the baguette slices and let them cool. Spread a generous layer of butter on each slice (you will need about 5 tablespoons), then lay the slices close together on a baking sheet and top with all but 1/2 cup of cheese.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, about 15 minutes.

3. In a 5-quart casserole, arrange a layer of bread slices (about 1/3 of them). Spread 1/3 of the onions on top, followed by 1/3 of the tomato purée. Repeat for two more layers. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. To avoid boiling over, the casserole must not be more than 2/3 full.

4. In a saucepan, bring 1 1/2 quarts water to a boil. Add the salt. Very slowly pour the salted water into the casserole, near the edge, so that the liquid rises just to the top layer of cheese without covering it. (Depending on the size of your casserole, you may need more or less water.)

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the casserole on the stove and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, then transfer to the oven and bake uncovered for 1 hour. The soup is ready when the surface looks like a crusty, golden cake and the inside is unctuous and so well blended that it is impossible to discern either cheese or onion. Each person is served some of the baked crust and some of the inside, which should be thick but not completely without liquid. Serves 6.