Prosecco-Poached Pears
This simple poaching method produces a beautifully-light dessert.
Ingredients:
4 Bosc pears
2 cups prosecco
½ cup honey
1 ½ cups water
Pinch of salt
Method:
1. Peel pears (optional); cut each in half lengthwise and remove cores (a melon baller works well for this).
2. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer. Add the pear halves, and gently poach the pears until they are just tender. Remove pears to a shallow pan. Reduce the poaching liquid under medium high heat until it is a syrup, and then drizzle over the pears.* You can serve the pears immediately while still warm with a scoop of ice cream and their syrup, or they can also be served at room temperature with a small cookie and a dollop of crème fraîche.
* The pears can also be refrigerated at this point. To serve, the pears can be reheated in their syrup, or served chilled.
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Butternut Squash Bisque
Creamy and supremely satisfying, this butternut squash-based soup is spiced with cinnamon, cayenne and thyme.
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
2½ cups chicken stock
1 cup half & half
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh silver thyme, chopped
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Method:
1. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, cinnamon, and cayenne. Season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add squash, broth, half-and-half, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Working in batches, purée in a blender until smooth. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt. Serve bisque with sour cream, garnished with cayenne, if desired.
d store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
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Persimmon Cake
Persimmon Cake
This homey, warm spice cake is fragrant with nutmeg, ginger and ripe persimmon.
Ingredients:
1 cup persimmon purée*
1 cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, beaten
¼ cup apple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon each of nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves and cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
*To make persimmon purée, make sure to use only very ripe persimmons (they are the texture of an overripe tomato; dark spots are okay). Peel the skin off the persimmons, remove any seeds, and purée in a food processor or blender.
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease baking pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together persimmon purée, sugar, and vegetable oil until uniform. Mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, and apple juice. Gradually add the baking powder, spices, and salt. Fold in the flour until just incorporated.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar
Persimmon Cake
This homey, warm spice cake is fragrant with nutmeg, ginger and ripe persimmon.
Ingredients:
1 cup persimmon purée*
1 cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, beaten
¼ cup apple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon each of nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves and cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
*To make persimmon purée, make sure to use only very ripe persimmons (they are the texture of an overripe tomato; dark spots are okay). Peel the skin off the persimmons, remove any seeds, and purée in a food processor or blender.
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease baking pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together persimmon purée, sugar, and vegetable oil until uniform. Mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, and apple juice. Gradually add the baking powder, spices, and salt. Fold in the flour until just incorporated.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar before serving.
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Homemade Sauerkraut
This super-simple recipe requires just a few select ingredients (and a little patience).
Ingredients:
5 pounds green cabbage, shredded
3 tablespoons pickling salt
1 tablespoon juniper berries
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 quart water, in a glass jar
Method:
1. In large mixing bowl, mix cabbage thoroughly with salt, juniper berries, and caraway seeds, using hands or tongs. If using your hands, make sure that they are very clean prior to mixing. Let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Pack cabbage mixture down into a large plastic food container. Top with a lid smaller than the opening of the container and place a glass jar filled with the quart of water on top of the lid. Place in cool area overnight (65 to 70 degrees F). In a day, the cabbage should have given up enough liquid to be completely submerged. The jar serves as a weight to keep the cabbage submerged and away from air.
3. Check cabbage every other day for approximately 2 weeks and skim the surface of scum, if necessary. Let stand for 4 weeks. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
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Roasted Squash Seeds
Pumpkins aren’t the only fall squash with delicious seeds to roast: Butternut, Red Kuri and many others have seeds worthy of crisping up in a hot oven.
Ingredients:
1 squash of your choice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds, using your fingers to separate the seeds from the stringy flesh. Put seeds in a large bowl.
2. Cover seeds with cool water and and swish around. Pull off any bits of squash still clinging to the seeds. Drain squash seeds and shake off any excess water. Spread on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and dry thoroughly.
3. Put seeds in a bowl and toss with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat thoroughly.
4. Spread seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast until golden and crispy, about 15 minutes. Let cool at least slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.
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Braised Cabbage with Caramelized Onions & Apples
This simple recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart is wonderful side for chicken, beef or pork.
Ingredients:
1 head Gunma green cabbage
2 medium tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
2 Cipollini onions, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
6 tablespoons butter
¾ cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup water
Sea salt
Method:
1. Melt butter in a medium stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sugar and salt, and stir to dissolve. Add apples and onion, in as close to a single layer as possible. Turn to coat in butter mixture. Let cook, shaking pan occasionally and turning over once, until sugar is beginning to caramelize and coat the apples and onions, about 10 minutes.
2. Add cabbage, vinegar, and water. Bring to just a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until cabbage is tender and liquid is reduced to a syrup, 25 to 30 minutes. If necessary, remove lid in the last 5 minutes and cook, uncovered, to reduce liquid to desired consistency; most of the apples will disintegrate.
3. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.
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Duxelles
This finely-chopped mixture of mushrooms, herbs and shallots is excellent mixed into this week’s risotto!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup finely chopped shallot
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound assorted mushrooms, such as Shiitake, white button and this week’s Chanterelle, stem ends trimmed and then finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly-chopped parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic, cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and a ¼ teaspoon salt, and then cook, stirring, until mushrooms have softened and released their liquid, about 7-8 minutes.
2. Raise heat to medium-high; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes more. Stir in parsley, and then additional salt and pepper, to taste. Let cool completely.
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Baked Cinnamon Apples
A truly homey dessert, packed with our signature sweet filling.
Ingredients:
4 baking apples, such as Lady Alice
Farm & Larder baked apple filling
2½ tablespoons butter, melted
¼ cup rum or brandy
½ cup heavy cream (optional)
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Core the apples using a sharp paring knife or melon baller, scooping out some of the flesh, but leaving the apples whole and intact. Make a slit around the middle of each apple.
3. Place Farm & Larder filling in a small bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Drizzle the remaining butter in a small baking dish. Place the apples in the dish. Stuff the hollows with the filling mixture, packing densely. Pour the rum or brandy over the apples.
4. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the apples for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and spoon some of the pan juices over the apples. Bake, uncovered, until the apples are cooked through, about 30 minutes longer. Whisk the cream with a fork until lightly thickened, drizzle over apples, and serve.
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Grilled Corn Salad with Sweet Peppers
This warm salad is crisp and crunchy, boasting a wonderful smoky flavor from the perfectly-charred corn and peppers.
Ingredients:
4 ears sweet corn, shucked
2 sweet peppers, halved and seeded
2 ½-inch-thick onion slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped oregano
1 tablespoon finely-chopped chives
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Place corn on the grill rack; grill 20 minutes or until charred here-and-there, turning occasionally. Place in a large bowl; cover with foil. Leave in a warm location 10 minutes, then cut corn kernels off cobs, encouraging clusters to stay intact, if possible.
2. Meanwhile, place the peppers and onions on grill rack, and grill 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and coarsely chop both the peppers and onions.
3. Combine the chives, cream, oregano, vinegar and garlic with a healthy pinch each of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add peppers, onions and corn; toss gently to coat. Serve warm.
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Riso Nerone-Stuffed Peppers
Mixed with parsley and golden raisins, this earthy Italian rice is the perfect compliment to garden-fresh peppers.
Ingredients:
1½ cups Riso Nerone black rice
2-4 sweet peppers of your choice
3 cups chicken broth
½ cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup golden raisins
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Sauté onions and garlic in 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Once onions are softened, add rice and toast for about a minute, then add in bay leaf and chicken broth. Simmer, partially covered for about 25 minutes, or until all broth has been absorbed.
2. While rice is cooking, preheat oven to 400°. Wash peppers, cut off tops and remove seeds.
3. Mix chopped parsley and raisins into rice; season with salt and pepper as needed. Stuff each pepper with rice mixture and brush tops with olive oil.
4. Bake for 20 minutes until peppers are slightly charred.
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