November 2010 Archives

I made this soup for supper tonight after a long day at one of the best markets we have ever had. I had local ingredients on hand that could have been used in a variety of ways, but this is what I did with them this time. I was cooking on the fly and don’t even know the exact amounts of everything I used in the soup, but take the uncertainty to heart and do your own thing — just use this as a guide. That’s all a recipe like this is ever supposed to be — only in baking do weights and measures really matter — just ask your grandmother!

• ½ large onion, chopped
• ½ small fennel bulb, chopped
• 2 small carrots, chopped

Cook the above ingredients in 3 Tbsp butter over medium heat until lightly colored; stir in about 1 teaspoon dried thyme until the thyme is aromatic. Sprinkle with ¼ cup flour and cook another 3–5 minutes; gradually add 2–3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil. Cook until mixture begins to thicken; add at least ½ cup of heavy cream or half-and-half. Return to simmer and gradually stir in ½–1 cup grated white or yellow sharp cheddar cheese, essentially to taste.

• 2 large potatoes, cut into large cubes
• 1 small cauliflower, divided into small flowerets

Blanch the potatoes and cauliflower in boiling, salted water for 5 minutes and drain; add to the simmering mixture and thin with more broth or cream until desired consistency.

At this point I added some link sausage which had been cooked and sliced thin. I also could have added some fresh white beans I had on hand, cooked al dente, or I could have used canned. I could also have added other veggies if I had wanted a more complicated vegetarian soup.

There are endless possibilities here — you could even add some color — or you could puree it and make a great bisque. If you make your own stock out of local winter veggies or local chicken parts, you can come closer than I did to an all-local soup. Now if I can just get someone to grow fennel! This amount serves 3 or 4 for Saturday night supper.

This recipe appeared in a Wall Street Journal column called Chefs at Home some years ago. It was created by David Kinch, chef-proprietor of Manresa, in Los Gatos, Calif.

• 4 large turnips (about two pounds)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups orange juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped mint
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

Peel the turnips and slice them into ½-inch–thick rounds. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook turnips until they begin to turn golden, about three minutes on each side. Remove to a plate as they are cooked. To empty skillet, add the orange juice and turn the heat to high, scraping the bottom of the skillet and stir in the honey. Return the slices to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, spooning the juices over the turnips as they cook, until the turnips are softened and the juice has reduced to a glaze. Just before serving, add the ginger, lemon zest, mint and rosemary. Yield: 6 servings.

• Chocolate Caramel Pear
  chocolate French macaron filled with (fresh & local) caramelized pear ice cream

• Sweet Potato Marshmallow
  sweet potato marshmallow ice cream with a classic brown sugar cookie

• Peanut Butter Mud Pie
  gooey fudge cookie with chocolate cookies n’ cream & peanut butter swirl ice cream

• Molasses Sugar Pumpkin
  chewy molasses ginger cookie with (fresh & local) sugar pumpkin ice cream

• Hetty’s Brown Sugar Babies
  brown sugar crinkle cookie with buttermilk ice cream

• Salted Caramel Brownie
  chewy fudge brownie filled with salted caramel ice cream

• Baked Apple Snickerdoodle
  classic snickerdoodles paired with baked apple laced vanilla ice cream

Our Demo Diva Annie Sidley prepared these at a recent market, and they were all very well received by the sampling public.

Mashed Potatoes with Cream, Butter, Parsley & Roasted Garlic

• 3 lbs russet, red, sweet or new potatoes
• Fresh garlic (1 head)
• 2 cups cream (heat for 40–60 seconds in microwave)
• 4 oz butter
• 2 T fresh parsley (chopped)

Boil potatoes until tender. While potatoes are boiling, place whole head of garlic in foil (cut off top of garlic and separate cloves but leave skin on), add 1 T olive oil and dash of salt and roast in oven for about 20–25 minutes on 350°.

Once potatoes are ready, drain water (leaving just a little in the bottom) and add butter, entire head of roasted garlic (with skins removed) and parsley. Once the butter is incorporated, add warm cream a little at a time (you may need more or less depending on the type of potato). Mash with hand masher or put through food grinder (using a mixer can make it too starchy), then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

To remove the roasted garlic from the skin, just squeeze the garlic clove. You can use roasted garlic in soups, dips, entrees and more.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Garlic & Walnuts and a Red Wine Vinegar & Honey Dressing

• 2 pints fresh Brussels sprouts (cleaned & quartered)
• 2/3 cup of vegetable broth
• 5 cloves fresh garlic (minced)
• 2 T fresh basil
• 1 cup toasted walnuts (coarsely chopped)
• 1 T butter
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 shallots (finely chopped)

Heat olive oil in pan on medium-high heat, add Brussels sprouts, let cook for 2-3 minutes. Add vegetable broth, shallots, garlic and basil. Let cook until Brussels sprouts are slightly tender (approximately 5–7 minutes. Cooking time varies on depending on size of Brussels sprouts.)

Remove from heat and add toasted walnuts and butter. Let cool and then add dressing. (See below.)

Options: Add 2 cups of cooked wild rice, couscous, quinoa or pasta for a side or main meal salad.

Red Wine Vinegar & Honey Dressing

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (or a mixture of oils; walnut, pumpkin, grape seed, hazelnut, etc.)
• 1 T fresh parsley
• 1 t fresh sage
• 1 T fresh basil
• 2 T honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in blender or mince herbs and blend with whisk.

Whole Wheat Pancakes with Fall Fruit Compote

Dry ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 t baking powder
• ½ t baking soda
• ¼ t salt
• 2 T sugar

Wet ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 egg
• 2 T vegetable oil or melted butter
• 1 t vanilla extract

Mix together in separate bowl all dry ingredients. Mix together in separate bowl all wet ingredients. Mix all ingredients together, blend well and let rise for 30–60 minutes. Heat pan on medium heat and cook pancakes until golden brown on both sides.

Fall Fruit Compote

• 1 large apple (washed, cored and thinly sliced)
• Cooked fresh cranberries or reconstituted dried cranberries
• ½ t ground nutmeg
• ½ t ground cardamom
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 2 T butter
• 2 T sugar
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ cup water or fruit juice

Heat pan on medium heat. Add water or juice and remaining ingredients, except for butter. Let cook until apples are just tender. Add butter and serve on top of pancakes.

To reconstitute dried cranberries: Sit in hot water for at least an hour. To cook fresh cranberries, boil for 20–30 minutes until tender.

Fabbioli Cellars

Fabbioli Cellars has the best wines, whether you are taking some as a gift when visiting friends or you want to pour something special at your own feast. The Fabbioli Cellars’ dinner reds are some of the best in Virginia, with refined tannins and wonderful flavors, from our lighter, Chianti-styled Chambourcin and our peppery Cabernet Franc to our full-bodied Tres Sorrelle and our new Tannat. And you wouldn’t want to forget the dessert wines that everyone loves. Our Raspberry Merlot and the Black Raspberry Rosa Nera are both fabulous with just about any holiday dessert.

Loudoun Valley Vineyards

Pondering the right Thanksgiving dinner wine pairings? Thanksgiving dinner can be a wine connoisseur’s hardest wine-pairing day of the year because of the multiple variations of food! The range spans from mashed potatoes with fresh gravy to marshmallow-covered sweet potatoes to cranberry dressing to Jell-O with fruit and vegetables inside, and more.

Simply put, the purpose of pairing food with wine is to enhance your dining experience. The wine should enhance the food and the food should enhance the wine, creating a symbiotic relationship that improves both.

The key to successful Thanksgiving dinner wine pairings is versatility. With so many different foods we need a wine that will be able to “go with the flow,” so to speak. Try not to think in the extremes for either white or red wines.

Whites

White wines with lively fruit and acidity and little to no oak are also versatile. With aromas and flavors of citrus, apple and pear and zippy acidity plus herbal notes,

• Tramminette has a spicy character that sets it up for cranberry, fall fruit chutney and pumpkin or butternut-squash soup flavored with baking spices.
• Chardonnay — the less oak the better — has similar versatility, and its full body makes it appropriate for creamed dishes.

Reds

Rosés made from Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Syrah or Mourvedre grapes or blended proprietary rosés have acidity to balance the citrus, red and stone fruits and usually sport structure and a long finish but light tannins. Syrah and Mourvedre have the spice, dark fruit and berries to bring out the best in cranberry sauces as long as the wine has soft tannins and ripe, forward fruit and the sauce is balanced — moderately tart and not too sweet.

Dark meat will also benefit from these reds.

No matter what is on your Thanksgiving table — red, white, sparkling or sweet wine; turkey or roasted duck — everything will taste better in the company of family and friends.

Steve Brule

You can also get some tips about wine from our friend Dr. Steve Brule. For your wine!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Whisk together:

• 1 and 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon each cinnamon, ground ginger and salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch of cloves

Mix one egg, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 6 tablespoons pumpkin puree and 1 cup milk and fold into the dry ingredients. Heat a buttered or oiled skillet over medium heat and use about 1/4 cup batter for each breakfast-size pancake.

I will be making these as very small silver-dollar–size pancakes and serving with orange cream cheese as an hors d’oeuvre at my family’s Thanksgiving reunion.

Squash Leaf Canapes

Cut a large butternut squash horizontally below the neck; reserve bulb for another use. Cut squash into 1/8 inch slices. Use miniature leaf-shaped cookie cutters to cut as many individual leaves as possible (12–16 from one squash ). Saute squash “leaves” in butter over medium heat until brown, about two minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels to drain; sprinkle with salt. Toast small squares of a dense brown bread, like pumpernickel. Top each with a small dollop of goat or other soft cheese — try Fields of Grace Camembert! — and cover with one of the leaves.

Sweet Potato Sticks with Mustard Seeds and Ginger

Steam 3 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick sticks in a covered pot for about 5 minutes or until just tender. Transfer gently to a wide platter.

While potatoes steam, saute 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger in 6 tablespoons olive oil over moderately low heat for about one minute; add 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, stirring, for two minutes. Spoon hot oil mixture over sticks and sprinkle with ½ cup chopped cilantro. Serves eight as a first course or side dish — more as an appetizer.