Bloomsbury Recipies

Inspected and Recommended by Select Registry and the South Carolina B&B Association.

Breakfast. Breakfast. Breakfast. A delicious gourmet breakfast is served in the dining room each morning. Each service begins with a fruit and homemade bread course, which is followed by a full savory or sweet entree. The specialty Bloomsbury Blend Coffee is freshly ground and brewed. To every extent possible, locally grown foods and products are served...rich, creamy free-range dairy cattle butter, jams and jellies homemade from local fruits, farm fresh eggs from free-range birds, garden fresh fruits and vegetables. Biscuits from Grandmother's iron skillet is another specialty of the house. In season, the figs and peaches grown on the property grace the table in the elegantly appointed dining room.

Biscuits and Chocolate Gravy

Total preparation time: 45 mins
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
Chocolate Gravy
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups whole milk

Steps:
1. Mix sugar, flour, cocoa and salt together - mix in saucepan. Place over low heat and gradually stir in milk.
2. Increase to medium heat. Cook (be careful not to boil), stir constantly, until thick.
3. Serve over hot, buttered homemade biscuits. Garnish with a large, ripe strawberry.

The History:
What could be more perfect than a fond memory and a beautiful chocolate breakfast! Katherine’s grandmother is the master behind this recipe Sally Rose Stites Chisam, born 3 March 1901, the daughter of Jake and Rose Ann Fisher Stites, married Dolph Chisam in 1921. They farmed in and around Tuckerman, Arkansas for many years. Sally quilted sewed, crocheted, canned, gardened, cleaned and raised two daughters and some of her grandchildren. In July 1978 she was asked how many quilts she had made in her lifetime, “ I can only tell you I have quilted ELEVEN since Christmas and I’ve pieced thirteen or fourteen tops.” Although she was a very busy, productive woman, she always had time to make her grandchildren’s favorite foods - many of them were comfort foods - biscuits and chocolate gravy was a special treat reserved for when the home was full of family.

Bloomsbury Creamed Eggs

Total Preparation Time: 30 mins
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
• 8 frozen puff pastry shells
• 8 eggs
• ¼ cup cream
• ½ tsp salt
• drizzle of olive oil

Steps:
1. Bake pastry shells according to package directions; set aside.
2. Whisk together eggs, cream and salt.
3. Drizzle the bottom of a nonstick skillet with olive oil.
4. On high heat, scramble eggs just until set, retaining moist texture. Cover for 5-15 minutes.
5. Place hot eggs inside warm pastry shell.
6. Top with favorite sauce: Hollandaise, White Sauce w/Cheese

Praline Peppered Bacon

Total Preparation Time: 30 mins
Serves: prepare three slices per person

Ingredients:
• thick cut bacon slices, raw
• black pepper
• brown sugar

Steps:
1. Line a large broiler pan with foil for easy clean-up
2. Cut entire package of bacon slices in ½, creating short slices
3. Arrange bacon on broiler pan, touching but not overlapping
4. Generously pepper the bacon
5. Lightly sprinkle brown sugar on the bacon
6. Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 mins or until lightly crisp

Creamed Grits Hosting Warm Spinach Squares

Total Preparation Time: 45 mins
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
• Grits
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup biscuit mix (Bisquick)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 dash roasted garlic powder
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups grated cheese (use what is on hand = cheddar, Monterey Jack, a blend)
• 2 10-oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and very well-drained

Steps:
1. Prepare grits for 8 people according to package directions – slow cooking for creamy texture, except substitute milk for the required water.
2. Mix oil and eggs until well blended.
3. Stir in biscuit mix and seasonings.
4. Stir in cheeses.
5. Stir in well-drained spinach. Mix very well. Batter will be thick.
6. Spread into a 9x13 greased pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 mins until puffed and golden.
8. Let cool slightly and cut into squares.
9. Serve over creamed grits.

Southern Pecan Cheesecake

Total preparation time: 120 mins
Serves: 16

Ingredients: Crust
• 1 ½ cups quick oats
• ½ cup finely chopped pecans
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter

Ingredients: Filling
• 5 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 2/3 cups brown sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 5 eggs, room temp
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups chopped pecans, divided

Instructions
To make the crust, place oats in food processor or blender; process to consistency of flour. Combine oats with remaining ingredients; press into bottom of 10-in spring form pan. Chill. To make filling, beat cream cheese with mixer until fluffy; slowly add brown sugar and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each. Stir in vanilla and ½ of chopped pecans. Mix and pour over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour; turn oven off but leave the cheesecake in the oven for 30 mins. To reduce the chance of cracks on top surface, run a knife around edge of cheesecake as soon as removed from the oven. Let cool to room temperature; chill 8 hours. Remove side of pan. Press additional chopped pecans around sides and pipe with whipping cream if desired.

The History:
When Bruce and Katherine were living in Minot, North Dakota, her cheesecake recipe was published in Country Magazine, Oct/Nov 1989. “You see, I joined the Air Force after college, and I’m now a Captain on active duty. I’ve lived in Oklahoma, California, Texas and Nebraska. No matter how busy my career keeps me, I find time for cooking and baking especially this cheesecake!”

Bloomsbury Baked French Toast

Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins, 400 degrees
Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:
• 2 cups of chopped fresh fruit (one of our favorites is a mix of peaches and blueberries, but banana, apple, mixed fall fruit, etc. will work well; canned fruit can be used if well drained)
• 1 large loaf of sweet bread (challah, potato, Hawaiian, yeast rolls or a mix)
• 6 large eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup brown sugar

Extra for sauce:
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Syrup
• 1 cup fruit
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Steps:
1. Butter 13x9 inch baking dish
2. Sprinkle chopped fruit in bottom of dish
3. Remove any dry crust from bread; tear into pieces and place over fruit
4. In separate bowl, mix together eggs, milk, vanilla, brown sugar. Pour over the bread/fruit mixture
5. Cover, chill overnight (at least 8 hours)
6. When ready to cook, remove from refrigerator and preheat oven to 400 degrees
7. Melt extra butter and brown sugar; drizzle over the bread mixture
8. Bake for 30 minutes in 400 degree oven
9. Place syrup, fruit, lemon juice in small pan and simmer for ten minutes, low heat while toast is baking
10. Serve hot syrup over hot toast.

The History:
This wonderful crowd pleaser dish is so easy to make and very adaptable; it can be halved or doubled. If your family loves nuts, just add ½ cup pecan pieces with the fruit or cook them in the syrup. If your family does not favor syrup, just top the toast with fresh whipping cream or powdered sugar.
At Bloomsbury Inn, we try to alternate our savory and sweet breakfasts. Katherine has an uncanny ability to “feel” when food is right. She edited several time-consuming and difficult dishes to develop this baked French toast. She is continually altering recipes to offer variety. The options to this dish are as wide as your imagination. Start cooking and Enjoy.

9 November 2006
Katherine prepared this dish on the Peggy Denny television show, Greenville SC

Cinnamon Surprise Breakfast Bread

Total preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 3 hours 50 minutes, bread machine
Serves: 10

Ingredients:
• 1 1/8 cups water
• 3 1/3 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsp dry milk
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup crumbled, cooked bacon
• 1 1/2 tsps fast rise yeast (bread machine yeast)

Steps:
Place all ingredients in your bread machine baker in the order listed above. Time for a large loaf, cooked medium. Remove from the bread machine as soon as the time is complete…place on a wire rack. This recipe can be made on the regular or time delayed setting. It just explodes with aroma and flavor. Serve warm or toasted.

The History:
Weakness – fresh baked bread! When Katherine does not have the ingredients for a specific dish, she often times substitutes what is available. In the case of this bread, she did not have dried raisins or fruit, so she substituted bacon bits. The delightful result has become a favorite at Bloomsbury Inn.

Bloomsbury Cold Fruit Soup

Total preparation time: 15 minutes, plus chilling time
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
• 2 cups fruit (peach, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango…any one of these work well…fresh is better, but canned or frozen will work if well drained)
• 1/2 cup sugar (sugar to taste depending upon natural sweetness of fruit)
• 1 individual-sized vanilla bean yogurt
• 1 tsp extract (extract flavor based upon fruit: vanilla, cinnamon, rum)
• 1/4 cup half & half or heavy cream (add cream to determine consistency desired)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Steps:
Carefully clean fruit. Place in the blender, add all remaining ingredients. Blend on liquefy until smooth. Chill for at least 8 hours. Garish with whipping cream, candied/sweet-flavored nuts, fresh mint or whole fruit pieces). Serve very cold.

The History:
Fruit soup is a wonderful, eloquent first course for breakfast or lunch. Katherine presents it at least two times a week at Bloomsbury Inn. She and Bruce first encountered a similar fruit soup at a bed and breakfast in her home state of Arkansas.

Oven Baked Tomato

Total preparation time: 2 hours
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
• 3 pounds of garden fresh tomatoes (small - medium sized)
• 3 teaspoons of sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• thyme, salt and pepper

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees.
2. Cut tomatoes in half, remove seeds and arrange the halves in a glass baking dish.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sugar. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with crushed thyme.
4. Bake 1 1/2 hours.

Fresh Fig Tart

Total preparation time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
• 1 ready made frozen puff pastry - thawed
• 12 fresh figs, washed and cut in half
• 2 egg yokes
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons sugar

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
2. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured work surface. Place it into an 8x8 baking dish. Prick the bottom with a fork and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, but do not turn oven off.
3. Place fig halves, cut side up, on the puff pastry. Beat the egg yolks, sour cream, almonds, two tablespoons of sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together. Pour over the figs. Put tart back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, but do not turn oven off.
4. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Return tart to oven to caramelize, about 5-7 minutes.

Katherine's Tips

On cooking. Variety and freshness are essential! I only prepare foods that I like because it is much easier to make items that appeal to oneself. Locally purchase or raise fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits to ensure your table is plentiful. The best tip for cooking is to be organized and clean as you prepare.

On entertaining. Whether small or large gatherings, the key aspect of entertaining is to select an interesting mix of guests. Carefully select persons of varied backgrounds who enjoy meeting new people. One great benefit of the bed and breakfast business is the continual flow of the most interesting guests. We delight in taking time to visit with our guests.

On gardening. Begin by making yourself a map of your grounds – highlighting all the current plantings. Next, dig up and give away or dispose of anything that you do not enjoy. Now, you are ready to plant new items. I love to use oversized pots within the gardening beds; they add interest and are easy to resituate for a new look. No matter what you plant, cutting flowers to herbs to vegetables, be sure to plant more than you can consume…half the fun of gardening is sharing.

On etiquette and protocol. The hospitality industry, specifically etiquette and protocol, is a passion of my life. Let it not conjure up thoughts of stiff white shirts and seven forks to the left. Etiquette and protocol are steeped with good manners which have been apart of our lives for thousands of years – existing in an ever evolving world. For example, twenty years ago there was no need for cell phone etiquette. Today, even our young children need to be taught the good manners of using a cell phone.