SALAD OF VIOLETS
1/2 cup fragrant violets (viola ordorata) *be sure they haven't been sprayed with insecticide*
2 bunches watercress
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
Rinse flowers gently in bowl of cold water and pat dry. Remove the stems and refridgerate the flowers until needed. Wash the water cress and remove the coarse stems. Wrap in a towel and refridgerate until ready to assemle salad.
Mix the oil, vinegar, salt and sugar until blended. In a salad bowl, add the dressing to the watercress and toss until coated. Add the violets and toss gently to distribute them throughout the salad.
Classic Two Rivers Roast Chicken
1 roaster chicken
2 cups water
1/2 cup paprika
1/2 cup granulated garlic
2 cups lemon juice
1/2 cup lemon pepper
1/4 cup Italian spice
2 teaspoons salt
Preheat the oven to 325* F. Combine all ingredients together to prepare the marinage. Dip the whole chicken in the marinade. Cover chicken completely with marinade. Let it sit for 4 to 5 minutes.
Place chicken on a sheet pan. Cook for 50 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.
A Great Pye
1 lb. short crust pastry
1 egg white, beaten until liquid
1 lb. boned breast of chicken, pigeon or wild duck, and/or saddle of hare or rabbit
1 pound minced beef
2 tablespoons shredded suet
salt and fresh ground pepper
3 hard boiled egg yolks, crumbled
Spice mixture made of 1/4 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon
mace
and a pinch of ground cloves
1 oz. stone cooking dates, chopped
1 oz. currants
2 oz. stoned prunes, soaked and drained
1/2 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon rice flour or corn flour
Line a 9-inch pie plate with half of the pastry. Brush the inside with some of the egg white. Skin the pieces of the breat and other meat if necessary and parboil them gently in salted water for 10-15 minutes. Drain and cool.
In a mixing bowl, combine the minced beef, suet, salt and pepper, the egg yolks, and half of the spice mixture. Add the rest of the spices to the dried fruit in another bowl. Slice the parboiled meat.
Preheat the oven to 425* F.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of the beef stock to the rice flour or corn flour in small saucepan and cream them together. Stir in the remaining stock and stir over gentle heat until thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside. Cover the bottom of the lined pastry pan with half of the minced mixture. Arrange the sliced meat in a layer over the top. Scatter the chopped spiced fruit over it and cover the remaining minced meat. Pour the thickened stock over the top.
Roll out the remaining pastry into a round to make a lid for the pie. Brush the rim of the case with a little more egg white and cover with the lid. Press the edges to seal and make escape slits for steam across the top. Decorate with the pastry trimmings and glaze with egg white. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325* F and bake for 45 or 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and coll slightly before serving. Slice into individual pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.