Easter

Well, I have to begin this entry by typing, with resounding force, RABBIT RABBIT! I know this isn't part of the Easter menu/photos/bunny happiness, but for those of you who have no idea what Rabbit Rabbit means, welcome to really weird New England traditions. On the first of every month, when you wake up and before you say ANYTHING else, you have to say "Rabbit Rabbit." If you do, you will have good luck for the month. If you don't . . . I don't know but I live in deathly fear of the consequences. Here is the Wikipedia entry on Rabbit Rabbit. In our family, we take the added step of Rabbit Rabbiting other people either by running into a next door bedroom and screaming the person awake, or by accomplishing the same via telephone. Mum got me at 4am this morning. Brutal? Yes. Nonsensical? Sure. Gonna keep doing it forever? Absolutely. So. As I said, RABBIT RABBIT EVERYONE!

 

Ok now onto the Easter food.

 

EASTER SUNDAY SUPPER





le menu

 

first course

dates, cheese, almonds, crackers, black bread

main course

oven roasted carrots and fennel with fresh dill

broccoli florets and sweet peas with pesto and fresh basil

filets of arctic char with sea salt and fresh dill

black bread

dessert

Bunny Cake (lemon ginger bundt cake)

gingersnaps

tea/coffee

 

 

So I didn't suck out this time and I actually remembered to take pictures! And my thanks to Laur for a)reminding me and b)taking over when my hands were covered in olive oil. You did a lovely job, Poodle.  



A cute little part of the table decor,
Swedish Easter girls.
Glad Påsk!



Bunny Cake pre-decoration. But seriously, how freaking
 PERFECTLY did that come out?
I am so impressed with myself.

With the addition of powdered sugar.

And this is BUNNY CAKE in all it's glory.
Yes, I made construction paper bunnies.

NOTES
1. I wanted to make carrots and parsnips this year, because parsnips seem very Easter-y to me. However, at the market, the parsnips were not up to my standards. Surprising, they normally have AMAZING parsnips, but I had to refigure things a bit. Hence, fennel. I also used a few fennel fronds as well as the dill. But it makes a nice combination, the dill and the licorice-y fennel. And just tossed in a bit of olive oil and rough sea salt, roasted in the oven at 450 for about half an hour until they're all soft and gooey and amazing. 

Oven roasted carrots and fennel with dill fronds

2. I had intially talked here about making mini sweet pea custards. But decided at the last minute that there wasn't enough time, and there were only 4 of us, and sweet pea custards are a big fat ZERO on the Beetle Friendly scale, so I scrapped it and settled on a very green very fresh and very simple warm salad of steamed broccoli and sweet peas tossed with basil pesto. It makes a great last minute veggie dish and it looks so spring like and healthy.


 











3. The fish spoke for itself. It was absolutely delicious and it was fresh Canadian char so that made me environmentally happy. For those of you who haven't explored the char option, it does look very much like Alaskan salmon but it's less oily, and much sweeter. And if you can get fresh dill, it tastes absolutely a universe apart from dried. All the difference in the world.

Trying not to lick my computer screen.

4. The black bread. You guys. I am slowly perfecting this recipe. IT WAS SO AMAZING THIS TIME. I used the 101 cookbooks recipe that I had last week (with my modifications). This time I knew I wanted more than one loaf, so I doubled everything except the can of pumpkin. THAT I kept a single portion. The dough was so wet last time that I figured it could stand up to it. And barring a few extra handfuls of flour as I kneaded it, it worked a treat. It rose like a CHAMP and was so perfect going into the oven. I took it out exactly when the cooking time said, and seriously, more beautiful loves I have never seen.

5. BUNNY CAKE. I didn't not attempt the boiled frosting version this year (mostly because if I make that massive cake and only mum can eat it she WILL eat the whole thing and turn into a fatty). Instead, I christened my new bundt cake pan and make a Lemon Ginger Bundt Cake. Thank you, Martha, as always. I did modify slightly in that instead of the 1/3 cup of minced crystalised ginger I used half a jar of ginger preserves. I think it made it a bit stickier, which is never a bad thing. And I also added a few teaspoons of powedered ginger. The transformation into "bunny cake" itself was a few minutes with scissors, construction paper, and matchsticks. It is glorious, if I do say so myself. Mum's fellow librarians reaped the benefits this afternoon.


BUNNY CAKE. 

 



So, Happy Easter one and all! It was a delightful day, a delightful weekend with my bestie from the city, much egg dyeing, laughter, and country walks were had by all. And according to the temperature of the last few days, spring might be thinking about coming. I am psyched. I only had to wear two fleeces to run on Sunday, which is major progress in my opinion. I hope everyone had a good one as well. Beetle out.