Last year Peter entered Le Creuset's True Memories Contest. A contest based around the true memories of the many foodies who use and love this french manufactured cookware. Thanks in part to many of your votes - Peter's blog enrty took one of the runner-up prizes - the above beautiful 5.5 Quart Round French Oven. Thanks to all who voted! This pot is sure to see many Dutch Oven recipes in it's future! Read Peter's prize winning blog entry below and visit Le Creuset to read the many other great prize winning entries.
A Hodgepodge of Memories
Hodge Podge, a traditional Nova Scotia Recipe, is a vegetable stew made with fresh new vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, peas and green and wax beans. Many prepare this recipe in a large dutch oven to accomodate the large quantities of fresh vegetables. The vegetables are boiled until tender and then a sauce of heavy cream, butter, onions and salt and pepper is added. Meat is rarely added and considered by some to be blasphemy! This recipe is steeped in tradition that dates back over two centuries and was surely developed by some of Nova Scotia‘s first settlers (or original foodies) to take advantage of the land’s abundant harvest. Those who like this recipe – usually LOVE IT! It is pure Nova Scotia comfort food at its best!
I attribute much of my love for food to the traditional food and recipes I was exposed to growing up in Lunenburg Nova Scotia. Hodge Podge is one of many traditional coveted Nova Scotia recipes - but one that is so unique to our history and culture that most Nova Scotian’s have fond memories related to it. I have such great memories of my grandmother preparing this recipe on her coal stove (which she used until the late 1980’s believe it or not), always in her heavy cast iron Dutch Oven. Today, I think of that memory often and take great comfort in carrying her tradition forward. Just like my grandmother, I always prepare Hodge Podge using my Le Creuset French Oven (minus the coal stove) and I look forward to sharing this time honored tradition with my friends and family for many years...and centuries to come!
I attribute much of my love for food to the traditional food and recipes I was exposed to growing up in Lunenburg Nova Scotia. Hodge Podge is one of many traditional coveted Nova Scotia recipes - but one that is so unique to our history and culture that most Nova Scotian’s have fond memories related to it. I have such great memories of my grandmother preparing this recipe on her coal stove (which she used until the late 1980’s believe it or not), always in her heavy cast iron Dutch Oven. Today, I think of that memory often and take great comfort in carrying her tradition forward. Just like my grandmother, I always prepare Hodge Podge using my Le Creuset French Oven (minus the coal stove) and I look forward to sharing this time honored tradition with my friends and family for many years...and centuries to come!
If the dough is dry, it's tough to add more water, but if you make your initial dough wet and sticky, and then add more flour as you knead, you can adjust it to the texture you like.
ReplyDelete