Cranberry-Glazed Brie
Baked until the brie is warm and gooey, and the cranberries are soft and spreadable, this appealing appetizer is a true holiday favorite.
Ingredients:
3 cups fresh cranberries
¾ cup firmly-packed brown sugar
â…“ cup dried currants
â…“ cup water
â…› teaspoon each of ground allspice, cardamom, cloves and ginger
1 large brie cheese wheel
Crackers or crostini
Apple and pear slices
Method:
1. To make the marmalade, combine the cranberries, brown sugar, dried currants, water and spices in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until most of the berries pop, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut a circle in the top rind of the cheese, leaving a small border of rind. Carefully remove the center circle of rind from cheese. Place cheese on a foil- or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread cranberry marmalade over the cheese (you may have extra marmalade depending on the size of your cheese wheel).
3. Preheat the oven to 300° then bake until the cheese is soft and warm, about 25 minutes. Set on a large platter and surround with crackers/crostini and the fruit slices. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Make it ahead: The marmalade can be made up to three days ahead of time. Bring both the marmalade and cheese to room temperature before popping in the oven.
Grilled Eggplant with Lemon & Mint
Tossed with fresh mint for added brightness, this barbecued eggplant boasts a wonderfully-rich and smoky flavor.
Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants
Olive oil, for basting
For dressing:
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1-2 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons very coarsely chopped mint
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Prepare the dressing: Whisk olive oil, lemon zest and juice and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Add in sugar, salt and pepper and check for taste (it should be fairly sweet). Add in half of the chopped mint and set aside.
2. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Cut each eggplant lengthwise into about 8 thin slices about ¼-inch thick, then brush each liberally with olive oil. Lay on the grill, cooking each side about 2-3 minutes until golden brown and slightly charred.
3. Arrange the slices on a large platter and spoon dressing over top. Cover and set aside to allow eggplant to soak up the dressing. Sprinkle with the remaining mint and serve warm or at room temperature.
Sautéed Collard Greens
Try this traditional Southern favorite with a fried egg on top for breakfast!
Ingredients:
1 large bunch collard greens, tough stems and ends removed, leaves coarsely chopped
½ cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Pinch red pepper flakes
Sea salt
Method:
1. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring often, until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in Collard greens and 1 teaspoon salt.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add water, and steam, covered, until greens are just tender and water evaporates, about 10 minutes. If greens are ready but there is still water in the pan, raise heat to medium-high, and cook, uncovered, until completely evaporated.
Fragrant Fried Herbs
Crisp-fried herbs are an unexpected (and delicious!) garnish for the likes of pastas, salads, soups and more.
Ingredients:
Fresh herbs of your choice, such as basil, mint and sage leaves, plus parsley, thyme and rosemary sprigs
Neutral frying oil, such as canola or vegetable
Method:
1. Wash and dry all herbs thoroughly. The herbs need to be very dry to prevent splattering when fried.
2. Pour oil about ¼ -inch deep in a small pot and bring to 325°. (To test the heat, drop a small piece of bread into the oil and it should turn golden brown in about 30 seconds).
3. Working in batches, drop a few herbs at a time into the hot oil. Cook for 30 seconds. Flip over using tongs and continue cooking for 30 seconds to 1 min, or until the herb appears slightly darkened in colour and evenly fried. Gently remove from oil with tongs and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to cool before serving.
Apple, Pear & Blue Cheese Salad with Mizuna Greens
Tossed with a light balsamic vinaigrette, this crisp salad is both bold and beautiful.
Ingredients:
4-6 cups Mizuna greens
1 Manon pear, cored and thinly sliced
1 Arkansas Black apple, cored and thinly slice
½ cup blue cheese, crumbled
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic until well combined. Season to taste with salt and ground pepper.
2. In a large serving bowl, combine Mizuna greens and apple and pear slices. Toss with about half of the vinaigrette, adding more to taste as desired. Crumble blue cheese over top, season generously with black pepper and serve.
Carrot Salad with Tahini-Lemon Dressing & Crisped Chickpeas
This crunchy, crisp, and utterly refreshing salad from Smitten Kitchen is a longtime favorite in our kitchen!
Ingredients:
1¾ cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce can, drained and patted dry on paper towels
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
2 cups coarsely chopped parsley
¼ cup shelled, salted pistachios, coarsely chopped
Tahini-Lemon Dressing (see recipe)
Method:
1. Heat oven to 425°. Toss chickpeas with the tablespoon of olive oil, salt and cumin until they’re all coated. Spread them on a baking sheet or pan and roast them in the oven until they’re browned and crisp. (This can take anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size and firmness of your chickpeas.) Toss them occasionally to make sure they’re toasting evenly. Set aside until needed.
2. Place grated carrots in a large bowl and toss with parsley. Mix in â…” of the dressing, adding more if desired. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with a large handful of chickpeas and pistachios and dig in.
Savory Buckwheat Groats Breakfast Bowl
This cozy, comforting recipe is extremely versatile—add in your favorite breakfast meat, some seasonal veggies and top with a farm-fresh egg or two!
Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat groats
2 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
8 sausage patties
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
2 cups winter squash of your choice, peeled, seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces
8 eggs
Method:
1. For the groats, bring water to boil in a small pot. Add buckwheat and salt. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, 10–15 minutes. Drain off any remaining water.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized skillet, cook the sausage patties until no longer pink on the inside, removing to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Add the onions, leeks, and squash to the skillet, season generously with salt and pepper, and sauté over medium-high heat in the meat drippings until the veggies are tender. Also remove from the skillet and reserve. Finally, in the same skillet, crack the eggs and fry until the whites are set, but the yolks are still runny. Season eggs with salt and pepper.
3. Divide the warm groats into four serving bowls, then top each with 2 sausage patties, a generous helping of the vegetables and 2 eggs; serve immediately.
Slow-Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes
Slow-roasting these beautiful tomatoes concentrates their unique flavor—try these with a drizzle of pesto!
Ingredients:
1 pound heirloom tomatoes
2 tablespoons ultra-fine sugar
1 tablespoons green peppercorns
Good quality olive oil
Sea salt
Method:
1. Cut off the stem end of the tomato and then slice it into approximately ½-inch slices. When all the tomatoes are sliced, place them on a rimmed sheet pan and brush or drizzle olive oil over each tomato slice.
2. Mix the sugar and the salt together. Sprinkle some of the sugar/salt mixture on each tomato. In a mortar, grind the peppercorns until very crushed but not totally pulverized, then sprinkle over tomatoes.
3. Put the pan of tomatoes into a 175° oven for about 3 hours until caramelized.
Buckwheat Groats with Cinnamon-Kissed Apples & Raisins
Topped with fall apples, this sweet groat bowl option is also fragrant with cinnamon.
Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat groats
2 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced â…“-inch thick
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
½ cup raisins
Method:
1. For the groats, bring water to boil in a small pot. Add buckwheat and salt. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, 10–15 minutes. Drain off any remaining water.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the apple slices and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes longer.
3. Divide the warm groats into four serving bowls and top each with a generous helping of the apples, garnishing with a smattering of raisins. Serve immediately.
Summer Stone Fruit Salad with Raspberry-Honey Vinaigrette
This bright and lively salad is perfect for a hot summer’s day.
Ingredients:
2 heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges
1 cup Sungold cherry tomatoes
2 ripe but firm apricots, cut into wedges
2 ripe but firm peaches, cut into wedges
1 Tropea onion, thinly diced
â…“ cup feta, crumbled
Fresh basil and mint leaves
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
For the vinaigrette:
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup raspberry wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1-2 teaspoons honey
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Arrange the tomatoes, peaches, apricots and red onions on a large platter.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the salad ingredients with the vinaigrette and lightly toss to coat. Top with feta, basil and mint, and then season generously with salt and pepper.