Fall Green Salad with Apples, Blue Cheese & Dried Cranberries
This beautiful salad is light and fresh, a perfect pairing for fall’s heartier pastas, risottos and soups.
Ingredients:
4 cups salad greens, washed and patted dry
1 cup radicchio, cored and thinly sliced
1 apple, cored and diced
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
¾ cup walnuts
¼ dried cranberries
F&L apple cider-honey vinaigrette
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In large bowl combine the greens, radicchio and apple slices. Drizzle about ¼ cup of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to incorporate, then add more as desired. Top salad with crumbled blue cheese, walnuts and dried cranberries. Add fresh ground pepper over if needed.
Beefsteak Tomato Salad
Simple to make, but big on taste, this salad is all about the quality of the ingredients, so use the best you have.
Ingredients:
3 ripe beefsteak tomatoes
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons high-quality olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh herbs, such as parsley and marjoram
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together red-wine vinegar and olive oil; stir in shallot and herbs.
2. Core tomatoes; cut each into 8 wedges and place in a serving bowl. Drizzle with dressing, and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
F&L Apricot Cake with Apricot-Almond Crumble Topping
Moist and incredibly flavorful, this cake comes together in just minutes!
Ingredients:
F&L cake mix
2 eggs
4-6 apricots, peeled, pitted and diced
F&L apricot-almond crumble topping
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs and diced apricots, stirring well to combine.
2. Pour batter into a greased cake pan and top with the apricot-almond topping. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly and serve warm.
Herb-Roasted Cauliflower
Seasoned with parsley, garlic and lemon, this incredibly easy cauliflower recipe is a keeper.
Ingredients:
4-5 cups cauliflower florets
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs of your choice, such as parsley and thyme
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Place the cauliflower florets in a large roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower, and season with the garlic, fresh herbs, salt and pepper.
2. Place the roasting pan in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until cauliflower begins to brown in spots, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven and drizzle with lemon juice, tossing to coat; serve immediately while still warm.
Roasted Winter Vegetables with Chili-Soy Glaze
Freshen up your roasted vegetable routine with this spicy-savory glazed version.
Ingredients:
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
4-6 baby red beets, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
3 red onions, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 small potatoes, washed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 Bell peppers, washed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 cups baby Shiitake mushrooms, washed
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
2 tablespoons chili soy sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. On a large sheet pan, combine all the chopped vegetables except the mushrooms, then combine with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard chili soy sauce and garlic.
2. Season liberally with salt and pepper, then bake in a 400º oven for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are just barely tender. Add the baby Shiitake mushrooms and continue to roast another 10 minutes, until all the vegetables are fully render. Remove from the oven, arrange on a platter and serve warm or at room temperature.
Grilled Bread
These smoky, charred slices are an excellent base for cherry tomato salsa, fresh cheese, or any other topping you can dream up.
Ingredients:
1 loaf rustic bread, such as Pain au Levain
olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Slice bread in ¼-½-thick slices and lay out on a sheet pan. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil and then season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Over medium-high heat on a gas or charcoal barbecue, grill bread slices until slightly charred, flipping once to get color on both sides. Serve warm with your desired toppings.
Roasted Beet Salad with Raspberries & Hazelnuts
Tossed with our Cara Cara orange vinaigrette, this showpiece salad boasts beautiful color.
Ingredients:
1 bunch Chioggia beets, cleaned and trimmed
4 cups water
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly shaved crosswise, fronds reserved
4 cups loosely-packed salad greens, washed and patted dry with a paper towel
F&L Cara Cara orange vinaigrette
¼ cup goat cheese
½ cup fresh raspberries
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place beets in a large roasting pan and pour over water, red wine vinegar, sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover with parchment and foil. Roast until just tender, they should be easily pierced with a knife, about 40 minutes. Peel beets under cool water. Cut into quarters.
2. Toss the roasted beets, fennel, fennel fronds, and greens with about ½ cup of the dressing. Plate dressed greens. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary, garnish with the raspberries, goat cheese and hazelnuts and serve.
Fried Jimmy Nardello Peppers with Halloumi Cheese
Golden, gooey cheese nuggets are tossed with peppers and lemon for this flavorful starter.
Ingredients:
8 ounces halloumi cheese
2-3 Jimmy Nardello peppers
Juice from half of a lemon
2-4 tablespoons olive oil for frying
Pinch red pepper flakes
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Drain the halloumi and cut it into cubes, then pat cubes very dry with paper towels. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stem and any seeds. If there are any large, thick ribs, remove them as well, then slice the peppers in half inch slices.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat, adding more as needed to evenly coat the bottom of the skillet. When hot, add the cubes of halloumi and peppers and cook for a few minutes without stirring, until the bottoms of cheese are well-browned, and peppers begin to char.
3. Flip the halloumi and peppers with a pairs of tongs. Once cheese is browned on both sides, remove to a paper-towel lined plate; continue to cook and toss the peppers until they are as soft and blackened as you’d like, about 5 minutes more.
4. Transfer the fried cheese and peppers to a bowl along with any oil in the pan. Grind black pepper over the cheese, add the red pepper flakes and the lemon juice. Stir well, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Fettuccine with Sautéed Chanterelle Mushrooms
Rich with locally-foraged mushrooms, chicken stock and herbs, this pasta beautifully captures the flavors of fall.
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh fettuccine
2 cups Chanterelle mushrooms, washed and patted dry
¼ cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup combined fresh chopped parsley, sage and thyme
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
¼ cup grated Grana-style cheese
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Drop in pasta noodles and cook until al dente, about 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and rinse, reserving ½ cup of the starchy cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter with the olive oil over medium heat, stirring to combine. Add Chanterelle mushrooms and garlic and sauté 2-3 minutes until mushrooms are soft and tender and then add chicken stock and cook until reduced slightly, another 3-4 minutes. Add in fresh herbs and season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Add in drained pasta and toss. Add in reserved 1 tablespoon of butter and grated cheese, and mix to distribute. If pasta seems dry, add in reserved cooking liquid 1 tablespoon at a time until adequately moist.
Mint & Citrus White Wine Sangria
Sweetened with mint simple syrup, this citrus-kissed beverage is incredibly refreshing!
Ingredients:
1 bottle white wine, such as this week’s Domaine Pichot Vouvray
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 lime, thinly sliced
8-10 mint leaves
Mint Simple Syrup (see recipe)
Method:
1. In a large carafe, place mint leaves and drizzle lightly with the simple syrup. Muddle leaves and syrup with a wooden spoon, then add lemon and lime slices, then pour in wine. Taste for sweetness and add more simple syrup to your liking. Serve over ice.