The Family Table

Springtime! It is so good to see you!

With the arrival of longer days and warmer weather, I start looking for fast and easy suppers that take little prep time so that I can enjoy being outside. Let me share two recipes with you that are fast to make and fabulous to eat!

Today is my daughter-in-love Charli’s birthday. She requested shrimp, veggies, and trimmings for tacos. Joe will cook the shrimp and veggies on his Blackstone Griddle, and I am in charge of dessert. Charli loves chocolate. I am making Pot de Creme, a rich and decadent chocolate custard.

Pot de Creme sounds fancy, which sometimes translates to hard to make, but not so with this dessert. In less than 20 minutes, plus the cooking time, you can have a fabulous dessert.

Prepare by chopping and weighing 5 ounces of high-quality semi-sweet chocolate (very important to use semi-sweet!) Chocolate chips from the baking aisle at the grocery store will give you a delicious Pot de Creme, but use the best quality you can get. Make sure to weigh or measure the chocolate as accurately as you can.

Heat a quart of water and hold it over low heat until you are ready for it.

Crack six eggs, separating the whites and reserving for another use. Place the yolks in a medium-sized bowl. Add 1/3 C of sugar to the yolks and whisk until the yolks and sugar are frothy.

In a medium saucepan, warm 1.5 C of heavy cream and 1 C of whole milk, adding the chopped chocolate. Stir over low heat, just until the chocolate has melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Temper your eggs by adding a small amount of the chocolate and cream mixture while whisking. Continue to slowly add in the warm milk and chocolate until the eggs are up in temperature. Mix all of the chocolate and cream with the eggs and sugar and continue to stir. Add 1 tsp of vanilla and optionally, 1 tsp of espresso powder or instant coffee. Allow this mixture to rest for 10 minutes.

Place 6- six-ounce ramekins in a baking pan. Fill each ramekin equally with the chocolate mixture. Add hot water in the pan to reach half-way up on the sides of the ramekins. Cover each one tightly with foil—place in a 325-degree oven. Check at 45 minutes. The middle should be jiggly, with the edges somewhat firm. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate before serving. They are better cold. Serve the Pot de Creme with sweetened whipped cream and raspberry sauce.

This sauce will be your go-to for dressing up simple desserts. It is marvelous with icecream or brownies and effortless to make.

In a medium saucepan, add a 10-12 ounce bag of frozen raspberries and 1/3 C of water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Strain berries to remove some or all of the seeds as you please. Add the juice back to the pot and over low heat, add 3/4C of sugar. Allow the sugar to melt. Add 1 Tbsp of corn starch with 2 Tbsp of water and

Lorie Thompson is a REALTOR at Poss Realty in Clayton, Georgia. Her expertise in her industry is second only to her culinary talents. Lorie is a dynamo in the kitchen. Honestly if she prepares it, it will likely be the best you’ve ever had! Lorie and her husband, Anthony (Peanut), make their home in the Persimmon Community. She is the proud mother of Joe Thompson and Kendall Thompson.

add to the berries. Continue to stir and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce is starting to thicken. Remove from the heat. Add 1 tsp of vanilla and 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or optionally 1-2 Tbsp of Gran Marnier.

Serve each Pot de Creme with a few spoonfuls of the raspberry sauce and a big dollop of whipped cream. Your family will think you have been moonlighting at culinary school.

One of my fond memories of the 1980s in Rabun County was having lunch on Saturday with Henry Phillips at Henry’s Restaurant. Henry would open the restaurant for Saturday lunch and often was there before the rest of the family and crew. I would make a point to eat lunch with him. I always ate whatever Henry was having. Most Saturdays, we would have one of his famous Henry Burgers or a patty melt. A few times, we had Deer Hash. He made the hash using the leftover baked potatoes from the previous dinner service and roasted deer meat. He used lots of sage and black pepper, creating big flavors. It was wonderful. My recipe may not be as tasty as my recollection of Henry Phillips Deer Hash, but it will do in a pinch.

My family loves BBQ, and I often have leftover meat after a family get-together, and hash is a great way to use it. You can buy a pound of smoked pork or brisket from Oinkers or Tomlin’s if you don’t have leftovers.

Any potato will work for this recipe, including sweet potatoes. Peel and chop 3-4 medium-sized potatoes into small, equal-sized cubes. Chop one medium-sized white or red onion into cubes. Mince 2-3 cloves of garlic. Chop 1 pound of smoked pork or brisket.

It is important to use a large skillet. Crowding the potatoes will keep them from getting crip. Add 2-3 Tbsp of oil to your skillet and heat. Add the cubed potatoes with a sprinkle of salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes for sweet potatoes or 4-5 minutes for white potatoes, or until the potatoes start to crisp. Turn them frequently. Add the onion, along with 1 T of butter, lowering the heat to medium, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chopped, smoked meat, cooking 2-3 minutes or until the meat is getting crisp. Season it with sage and a sprinkle of cumin. Serve alongside garlic toast with a drizzle of your favorite BBQ sauce. Dukes Carolina Gold is particularly good with the sweet potatoes.

Paired with a salad or slaw, this makes a complete meal in less than 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Get outside this month and enjoy the beautiful weather. Both of these dishes would be great in a picnic basket. Make them up and take your family on a gourmet picnic adventure.

May God bless you and your family. Happy Spring!