Ginger isn’t only for the garden and beautiful landscaping. It is one of those incredible herbs that has so many uses from curing upset stomach to flavoring delicious cuisines around the world. It is paired here in ice cream and boy howdy is it good! Lovely especially in cooler months for it’s warming properties!
3 oz unpeeled fresh ginger
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
Cut the ginger in half lengthwise (making it more stable for slicing), and then cut it into thin slices. Place the ginger in a medium, nonreactive saucepan. Add enough water
The Antique Rose Emporium is a beautiful garden nursery in Independence, just minutes away from the Bed and Breakfast. They are the experts on antique roses as well as a variety of other roses and plants. They host a variety of garden themed events throughout the year and are always a fun place to visit. Many clients of the Rose Emporium have been guests of ours at the B&B, as we are conveniently located just 12 minutes away.
“CALAMARI GOURMET STREET TACOS by Chef Tai’s Mobile Food Truck out at Antique Rose Emporium
Even in our cooking classes, we sometimes run a little short! These are two great recipes to have on hand when you run short of powdered sugar or brown sugar:
One of the sweetest families to be united at the ranch in a private elopement ceremony, Courtney and William Bradford with their 3 little girls are now a new blended family. They chose one of our all inclusive elopement packages that was perfect for including their children in the celebration but still be a private affair! Their photography was done by Cargile Photography, a local studio that does phenomenal work and provides an affordable service for our small weddings.
Combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter in food processor. Pulse about 30 times until the butter is the size of a small pea. Press mixture into bottom of ungreased 9×13 glass baking pan and about ½ inch up the sides of the pan. Bake crust at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until it begins to brown.
Filling:
½ cup blackberry jam (or your favorite fruit jam)
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries (or your favorite fruit)
2-4 tablespoons flour
Melt jam in small saucepan over medium heat until liquefied. Mix berries with enough flour to fully coat and set aside.
Topping:
½ cup unsalted butter cut into cubes
1 cup flour
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
Combine butter, flour, and brown sugar in food processor. Process until mixture comes together. Set aside. When crust is done, remove from oven and spread liquefied jam evenly over the hot crust. Sprinkle the berries and any flour remaining in the bowl over the jam. Sprinkle topping evenly over the berries, breaking up any clumps. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Serves 8-10
The piney flavor of the rosemary is a terrific match for the mild astringency and tannins in the grapes. When you make this, try to find local grapes with intense flavor or fresh wine grapes —-common seedless table grapes will not give the same results. (volunteer to help harvest local grapes!) When I was a little girl growing up on our ranch, one of the things we had to do every year was harvest our “cut throat grapes” which were wild on our property. These were the grapes that we made our jelly and grape juice with…..very intense in flavor and itchy if you didn’t wear a long sleeve shirt to pick and gloves to process! They still grow wild on my parents ranch and though my Mom has passed away, my aunts still come to pick periodically….
2 lbs. stemmed grapes, such as Concord, or Muscat, washed
This recipe from one of our culinary gatherings makes a luscious breakfast side for our guests at the ranch!
2 tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
¾ cup fat-free milk
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup light sour cream
2 tbs. sweet or dry Marsala
2 cups fresh berries ( your choice)
Fresh mint leaves for garnish
For custard, in a heavy small saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Gradually stir about half of the hot milk mixture into the beaten egg. Return all of the egg mixture to the saucepan. Cook and stir until nearly bubbly, but do not boil. Immediately pour custard into a bowl; stir in sour cream and Marsala. Cover surface with plastic wrap. Chill the custard for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
To serve, divide the berries evenly among 4 dessert dishes. Spoon custard over top. If desired, garnish with mint leaves. Serve immediately.
A clafouti is a simple, country-style French dessert made by topping fresh fruit (most commonly cherries) with a very lightly sweetened custard mixture and baking it until puffed and golden. We chose to use succulent pears that we preroasted in a bourbon sauce.
1 lb. fresh pears, peeled, halved and sliced thinly
My husband and I had the opportunity to attend Outstanding in the Field in Brenham, TX . People travel from all over to have this one of a kind experience. Lucky for us our home and B&B is just 15 minutes away from this particular venue! Outstanding in the Field’s mission is to reconnect diners to the land and origins of their food and to honor local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it. We enjoyed a 5 course meal made from local ingredients and prepared by Paul Lewis, the chef of Cullen’s Upscale American Grille . Each course was paired with a Texas wine, and the event was held at Jolie Vue Farms , about an hour and a half outside of Houston and a 15 minute country drive from Brenham Texas and the B&B.
Offering all inclusive elopement/wedding packages is one of the perks for choosing to get married here at the ranch. Our goal is to make it easy to get married by taking care of the details for you! Local photographer, Alicia Cargile with Cargile Photography, took some really great photos of one of our weddings in early March. We do
Combine the tomatoes, beans, herbs, and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar, and let marinate overnight. It’s best to salt this salad right before serving to prevent the vegetables from leeching too much liquid. Serves 4
To get the REAL Bed and Breakfast experience, you have to stay at a real B&B! Stay with Murski Homestead and we’ll show you what we mean! It truly is the Better Way To Stay!
This is an elegant, yet easy-to-prepare entrée. It uses fresh snapper that’s been lightly pan fried and topped with toasted pecans, crab and crawfish in a seasoned butter-cream sauce. (The pic below didn’t turn out so well but the dish was divine!)
Snapper topped with Cajun Crawfish & Crab Cream Sauce
Toasted slices of baguette topped with creamy goat cheese and a sweet-savory spread that combines peach preserves, shallots, balsamic vinegar and thyme makes a delicious, easy-to-make appetizer.
1/4 cup Housemade Peach Preserves
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, plus additional for garnish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 8-ounce baguette
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 ounces goat cheese
Fresh thyme leaves (optional), for garnish
Preparation:
Combine preserves, shallots, balsamic vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper in small bowl.
Slice baguette into 1/2-inch slices. Brush both sides of each slice lightly with olive oil. Heat skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Grill baguette slices, 4 at a time, 2 to 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Place on serving platter.
Spread about 2 teaspoons goat cheese over each baguette slice. Top each slice with 1 teaspoon preserves mixture. Garnish with additional fresh thyme, if desired. Serve immediately.
Tip: Peach-Thyme Spread can be prepared up to two days ahead. Cover and chill.
Makes 12 slices
Benchnote: We use our own housemade preserves but you can use whatever your favorite is or the best quality whole fruit preserve you can find. Make certain is a whole fruit variety for best flavor and presentation.
Congratulations to Nancy and Aziz, married at the ranch in March 2013! Getting married at the ranch is easy with our all inclusive elopement packages! Choose the one that fits you and we do all the rest!
Owners Ed Fulkerson and Michael Breddin shop extensively around the world to offer a unique mix of covetable items. Just down the road and over a few lanes from the ranch, is Leftovers! Located just a short distance out of town on Hwy 290 West, it is a place where savvy shoppers are invited to stop in and peruse their awe-inspiring and ever-changing vast showroom. Representing a relaxed style and sophisticated charm they offer a memorable experience for anyone no matter their age. People travel from all over to come to Leftovers where their offerings are always changing. During the semi-annual Round Top Antiques Fairs, Leftovers is know for their big party open to all……food, drink, music, fun and great shopping!
Stracciatella (from the Italian word stracciato meaning ragged or shredded) is a simple soup, similar to Chinese egg drop. Traditional Italian recipes call for nothing more than chicken stock, eggs, semolina, grated cheese and parsley. The beaten eggs are drizzled into hot stock creating the “shreds” (stracciatelle) of cooked egg. This adaptation, which adds fresh spinach and some pasta, is a common one, and it makes a quick and tasty meatless meal.
8 cups chicken stock (see notes)
1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta (or other small cut)
5 eggs, beaten
6 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
4 scallions, green tops only, thinly sliced
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano for grating
Bring the stock to a boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente, then reduce the heat to medium-high.
Drizzle the beaten eggs into the simmering stock while stirring continuously. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Add the spinach, parsley and green onions and continue stirring, just until the spinach has wilted. Taste again and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Ladle into soup bowls and grate a generous quantity of Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Add a few grinds of black pepper if desired.
Makes 4 servings
Benchnote: If you don’t have homemade chicken stock, we suggest using low-sodium broth and enhancing the flavor as follows: add 1 clove of garlic, halved lengthwise, along with 2 teaspoons of tomato paste, as you bring the broth to the initial boil. Remove the garlic before adding the pasta.
If your aren’t planning on dining “inn” at the B&B during your stay with us, we have several restaurants in town just minutes from the ranch to choose from…..New Restaurant, “Kay’s Cuisine for The Soul”, opened recently on South Market Street just a few blocks off of downtown Brenham.
This pulled pork from a class at the ranch doesn’t require the “hole in the ground filled with charcoal” approach so it is much easier to handle and prepare! You may find this item on our seasonal “Inn” House Casual Menu for dining “INN”!
We are pleased to offer a new complimentary tidbit in our rooms……exquisite Toffee locally made here in Brenham by the “Bliss” Candy Company. Our guests have been enjoying this treat since the holidays! You can purchase their toffees and barks here locally at Leftovers Mercantile on HWY 290 West just a couple miles out of town. Their confections are also sold in numerous Specs and gourmet sections of specialty food shops. You can also order from their website. How easy is that! It is as they say at the company, “Simply Blissious”!
Just down the road from the B&B is Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park. March 2 & 3 this year they will celebrate the 177th anniversary of Texas independence where you can experience life in the Republic with historic re-enactments, musicians, soldiers and craftsmen. Free and open to the public, it is a great way to spend the day in the country. Call 936-878-2214 or visit their website for more information.
These tasty crackers are easy to make and are always a hit when we serve them at the B&B on our food packages!
8 ounces finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 ounces butter
1 tablespoon White Worcestershire Sauce (off-white & thicker)
½ cup ground oatmeal (measure after grinding in food processor)
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
Elopements are our specialty…..all year round! We offer All Inclusive Elopement Packages to suit every need. Sometimes though, things just don’t fit as nicely as we would like and we are happy to make adjustments as we can. We love what we do and want to make it work for you! We were
The Round Top Antiques Fairs & Marburger Farms Antiques Shows are the end of September to first weekend in October and again the end of March into the first weekend in April…EVERY YEAR!! Book your room today and starting your shopping list! The following is what it was like in 2011…….thankfully, 2012 was not as hot or dry!
“Marburger Farm has done it again. The twice yearly mega-show in Round Top, Texas has overcome hurricanes, wars, recessions and more. This Sept. 27–Oct. 1, the prospects included all of those, plus the tail end of the driest, hottest Texas summer in decades. But the not-so-little show that could pulled off a winner again.
After two hot days, about noon on Thursday, a clap of thunder sounded. “In our tent,” said Patrick Kenny of upstate NY’s South Porch Antiques,
Ginger Ice Cream...
Antique Rose Emporium & Chef Tai’s Mobile Food Truck...
DIY Powder Sugar & Brown Sugar...
Courtney, William and the Girls Get Married!...