Lilac Syrup
Makes 1 cup
​
1 cup lilac flowers-newly opened for best fragrance
½ cup sugar
½  cup water
2 blue berries-added for color

1. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar melts.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the flowers and blueberries, gently stirring to immerse the flowers. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. 
2. Strain the syrup, pressing on the flowers to extract as much liquid as possible. The syrup can be refrigerated 2-3 weeks or frozen for later use.

 
Uses:
Lemonade, iced tea, cocktails, drizzle over yogurt, ice cream, and cake.

Lilac Bees Knees
Makes 1 cocktail

2 ounces gin-Beefeater's or other non-botanical gin. Too much flavor in the gin will overpower the lilac
3/4 ounces lemon juice
3/4 ounce lilac syrup
5 ice cubes

Place all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Shake until the shaker is frosted, about 20 seconds. 
Strain into a coupe glass and serve with a lemon wheel or a few lilac flowers as garnish. Or, pour the cocktail and ice into a rocks glass. Garnish and serve. 

This is so simple and delicious. Using the store bought, vacuum-sealed gnocchi is a game changer in this recipe. No need to boil it, you’ll be baking it instead. When I am feeling like a low-carb alternative, I replace the gnocchi with cauliflower florets. They are a lovely alternative. 
 
Serves 4-6
 
2 ¼ cups grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup water
2 packages fresh or vacuum-sealed gnocchi or 1 small head cauliflower cut into florets
6 ounces diced pancetta
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups frozen green peas, thawed
4 egg yolks
 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place oven rack in the middle position.
2. In a small bowl, combine the grated Parmesan and water.
3. Combine the gnocchi, pancetta, onions, and oil on the sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Cook until the pancetta and gnocchi are golden and crispy.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and add the cheese mixture and the peas to the pan ingredients. Stir to combine well. 
5. Bake for another 2 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and season with freshly ground pepper. 
7. Divide evenly on plates or shallow bowls. Place an egg yolk on the center of each gnocchi dish and season the egg with pepper and a pinch of salt.  Serve immediately and tell everyone to stir the lovely yolk into the dish to create a creamy sauce.

​Source: Savoring Hollis, 2005
Submitted by: Eleanor Whittemore-Hollis Evening Circle of Home & Family
Location: page 97
Recipe Note from Eleanor: “This is a recipe that my mother, Estelle Hardy, used for birthday cakes. One year I tried making it for my son’s birthday. When I took the cake out of the oven, it was the most beautiful cake I had ever made. I put it on the shelf while I tended my child. I went back and the cake was a mass of eggs stuck to the pan. I forgot to put the flour in!!!”
 
Makes one 10” tube pan with removable bottom. 
Note: the original recipe says "ungreased tube pan". I followed that and after letting it rest for an hour upside down, I took a flexible knife or frosting spatula and ran it around the edges. I removed the sides of the pan and then ran the knife under the cake. Is was fine. 

½ cup sugar
2T water
6 egg yolks
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
6 egg whites
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp cream of tartar
½ cup sugar
1 cup sifted cake flour (I used all-purpose flour)
 
Combine ½ cup sugar with water and egg yolks and beat with rotary beater until mixture is very thick and forms soft mounds. 
Blend in lemon rind, lemon juice, and vanilla. 
Beat the egg whites with the salt until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry. Fold in ½ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. 
Combine egg yolk mixture and egg white mixture carefully, then fold in the flour, 2 tablespoons at a time.
Pour into an ungreased tube pan and bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes, until light brown. Cool in inverted pan for 1 hour.
 
Variation: 
Add 2 teaspoons rose water with the vanilla

Serves 4
 
¾ pound baby potatoes, cut in half
1 pound asparagus, lower parts snapped off, and cut spears in half
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup panko breadcrumbs or pork rinds-ground
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
¼ cup parsley, chopped
4 bone-in pork chops-each about 1-inch thick
¼ cup mayonnaise
 
Honey-Mustard Sauce
¼ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoon heavy cream or plain yogurt
1 tablespoons honey
Salt and pepper to taste
 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place baking rack in the middle of the oven
2. Place the potatoes onto a sheet pan. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and half the chopped garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Place the asparagus in a bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining garlic. Season with salt and pepper and toss. Set aside.
4. Combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan in a bowl, place onto a large plate. 
5. Spray or brush the sheet pan with olive oil. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Brush both sides with mayonnaise. Press the pork chops into the breadcrumb mixture and coat both sides well. Place onto the sheet pan leaving space between the chops. Arrange the potatoes on the pan to leave space for the asparagus that will be added later.
6. Bake 10 minutes. Remove the pan and add the asparagus and place back into the oven. Continue cooking for and additional 10 minutes. Press the pork chops in the center with your finger. They should be firm with just a little “give”. 
7. While the chops are cooking, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Serve drizzled over the chops.

Serves 4
 
1/4 cup maple syrup 
2 tablespoons miso 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
2 green onions, finely chopped 

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper or ½ teaspoon garlic chili paste 
1 teaspoon curry powder 
4 chicken legs, skin on 
1 bunch fresh radishes, leaves removed and cut into 1/4s
1 pound sugar snap peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
¼ cup unsalted cashews, finely chopped
1 lime cut into 1/4s 
Optional: 2 cups cooked basmati rice
 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 
2. In a bowl, combine glaze ingredients.
3. Place chicken legs on a sheet pan around the outside of the pan. Generously brush the chicken with the glaze. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes.
4. While the chicken is cooking, toss the cut radishes with 1 tablespoon glaze and season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the oven and add the seasoned radishes to the sheet pan. Place the pan back into the oven and continue to cook for 10 minutes. 
5. Place the sugar snap peas into the bowl used for the radishes. Add 1 tablespoon of the glaze and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the oven and add the seasoned sugar snap peas. Cook for 5 minutes. Serve hot sprinkled with cashews and a lime wedge. Serve with cooked basmati rice, if desired.

 
Variations: 
Substitute salmon fillets, pork chops, or chicken thighs. Adjust the cooking time as needed. 
Substitute baby potatoes for the radishes. Smaller potatoes do not need to be cut.