Strawberry Scones

When I think of English desserts, scones often pop into my mind.  They embody a typical British tea-time dessert - a sturdy, well built and often quite succulent morsel to be shared over an afternoon break.  Very similar to biscuits, the practice of making scones is a lot more simple than most desserts.  Within less than half an hour, I was in and out of the kitchen, ready to enjoy my homemade treat.  And, as expected, it was a delightful way to slow down the hands of time and just enjoy a respite with my family. 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks
• 3/4 cup copped fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. snipped basil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup half-and-half

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, stir together flour, 2 Tbsp. sugar, baking powder and salt.  Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Gently toss in strawberries and basil.  Make a well in the center of flour mixture and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together eggs and half-and-half.  Add egg mixture to flour mixture all at once.  Gently stir until just moistened.
3. Turn dough onto a generously floured surface.  Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it 5 to 7 times, turning dough a quarter turn after each fold.  Transfer to a lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet.  Pat or lightly roll dough into a 3/4 inch thick circle.  Cut circle into wedges and pull apart slightly.
4. Brush wedges with additional half-and-half and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake about 16 minutes or until golden.  Serve warm.  Refrigerate any leftover scones; reheat 15 seconds in the microwave.

(The original recipe came from "Better Homes and Gardens" - April 2011)

London Broil with Roast Beets and Yorkshire Pudding

So, I thought choosing an English meal would be simple.  I thought I could rely on my ancestral inklings to illuminate a path toward gastronomic bliss.  But, alas, the month had almost passed before I could even settle on the main course.  What was creating such difficulty, one might ask?  For starters, names of dishes like "Toad in a Hole," "Bubble and Squeak," and, of course, my favorite - "Spotted Dick" - made the task a little more daunting than necessary.  Add to that the abundance of boringly boiled menu items, infinitely wobbly puddings, and entrees which featured organ meats.  Bleck!  I suppose one might be able to say that there were already a few chinks in the armor of English cuisine.  But, being the daring cook that I am (ha ha), I decided to plow ahead and continue my family's food education despite my own trivial hangups.

Being that some of my ancestors originated in London, I felt compelled (and safest) to attempt a dish I had always heard about but never tried: London Broil.  Simply, it is flank steak that has been buttered, mildly seasoned and broiled to near perfection.  Since flank steak is one of my favorite cuts of meat, I figured this would make for the best blending of all desires.  English.  Authentic.  Tasty.  And no odd moniker prevailing over its presence.  Just a good, hearty meal. 

For our side dish, I chose to make roasted beets, all of which came from our family's garden; and, once again, simplicity dominated.  Roasting is never a bad option when fresh produce is part of the equation.  Then, finally, I made the Yorkshire pudding (which, thankfully, was more like bread).  Its traits resembled that of a pop-over, a delicate puff of air with a mildly eggy flavor.  It was a unique addition to the meal and an interesting piece to add to our cooking repertoire.  All around, the English meal was so much more than I thought it would be - so much better, so much tastier, so much more interesting.  I think it's safe to say the English have now colonized my palate.
London Broil - Ingredients:

• 1 lb. beef flank steak
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 cloves garlic

Instructions:

1. Cut both sides of the steak in a diamond pattern, 1/8 inch deep.
2. Mix remaining ingredients and brush on half of the beef.  Broil 3 inches from heat for 5 minutes.
3. Turn and brush with remaining oil mixture.  Broil for 5 more minutes.
4. Cut across the grain and serve warm. 

Roasted Beets - Ingredients:

• 6 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 medium sweet potato, cut into chunks
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped

(The original recipe came from this site: http://www.shopenglandonline.com/london-broil.html)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a bowl, toss the beats with 1/2 Tbsp olive oil to coat.  Spread a single layer on the baking sheet.
3. Mix the remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and sugar in a large ziploc bag.  Place the sweet potatoes and onion in the bag.  Seal and shake to coat vegetables.
4. Bake beets for 15 minutes.  Mix the sweet potato mixture with the beets on the baking sheet.  Continue baking for 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.

(The original recipe came from this site: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/Roasted-Beets-n-Sweets/Detail.aspx)

Yorkshire Pudding - Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with milk.  Stir in flour.  Set aside.
3. Divide butter evenly into 12 cups of a muffin tin, about 1/2 tsp. per cup.  Place tin in oven to melt butter for 2 to 5 minutes.  Remove tin from oven and distribute batter evenly among buttery cups.
4. Bake in oven for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 25 minutes until puffed and golden.

(The original recipe came from this site: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quick-and-Easy-Yorkshire-Pudding/Detail.aspx)

England

Capital City - London
Currency - British Pound
Population - 51,446,000 (2008 estimate)
National Language - English
Type of Government - Constitutional Monarchy
Leaders - Elizabeth II (Monarch); David Cameron (Prime Minister)
Country's Motto - "Dieu et mon droit" - Translates to mean "God and my right."

Location - England is part of the United Kingdom.  It is bordered on the north by Scotland and on the west by Wales.  The remainder of the island is bordered by water including the Irish Sea and the Celtic Sea to the west, the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south.

Climate - England has a temperate maritime climate with dampness that can be both frequent and fleeting.

Religion - Since the Middle Ages, Christianity has been the most practiced religion in England.  About 72% of the country consider themselves Christian, with the largest subgroup being Anglicans or Church of England.  Muslims now account for about 5% of the population; Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs account for 2%.  Jews have a considerably smaller number of the population thanks, in great part, to their expulsion in 1290 (for which they were not allowed to return until the mid 1600's).  About 15% of the country consider themselves to be without any religion.
Cuisine - The cuisine of England is best known for its simplicity of form and manner.  The staple food items, such as meat and potatoes, are often roasted or boiled before being served.  

Most Famous Landmark - There are many significant landmarks which could undoubtedly be considered the "most famous" - Stonehenge, the Cliffs of Dover, Buckingham Palace.  However, Big Ben, the famous clock in London, seems to be the most iconic.  Having been built only in 1858, it has become one of the mst recognizable symbols of England in a rather relatively short period of time.

If You Learn Only One Thing About England, It Should Be This - The only house that the Queen may not enter is the House of Commons, as she is not a "commoner."