Holiday Appetizers & Accoutrements Recipes
It’s turkey time—allow us to lend a helping hand with the big meal with a beautiful assortment of housemade appetizers and farm-fresh accoutrements. Welcome guests with creamy Butternut squash soup topped with toasted pumpkin seeds, savory mini galette tarts, and a stunning platter of cornichons, chicken liver mousse and pickled raisins. Also included: provisions to incorporate into your most classic Thanksgiving dishes, from a turkey brining kit and port-infused cranberry sauce to cornbread stuffing mix and seasonal produce including Brussels sprouts and turnips. Here’s to a happy holiday—and a satisfied appetite, too!
Here are a few recipes ideas for the week:
Raisin Bread Crostini
With plump, juicy raisins throughout, this week’s loaf makes excellent crostini to pair with your appetizer platter.
Cornbread Sage Dressing with Caramelized Onions
Seasoned with fresh sage and caramelized onions, this sweet-savory dressing with convert any stuffing lover.
Baked Lady Apples
A true fall classic, this beautiful dessert gets a fresh twist courtesy of our dried cherry and walnut filling.
Savory Mini Galette Tarts
Wow guests with these rustic tarts. (We’ve done all the prep work already!)
Mashed Turnips
This delicious side dish boasts a beautiful golden color thanks to the combination of yellow Ball turnips and German Butterball potatoes.
How To: Brine Your Thanksgiving Turkey
Soaking a turkey overnight in a solution of salt and water ensures a moist, juicy tender; beautiful aromatics infuse it with flavor.
Savory Mini Galette Tarts
Wow guests with these rustic tarts. (We’ve done all the prep work already!)
Ingredients:
Farm & Larder galette dough, chilled
Farm & Larder spinach-mushroom filling
1 large egg, whisked
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap chilled dough and place on a well-floured surface. Let sit until the edges become soft enough to roll.
2. Roll dough to about ⅛-inch thickness, adding flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Using a round cutter (the mouth of a large wine glass works too) cut out circles of dough and place on the parchment lined pan. Collect dough scraps and reroll until dough is gone.
3. Place about 1 tablespoon of prepared filling into the center of each dough round. (The amount of filling will vary depending on the size of the dough circles. You need about ¾-inch of dough left around the edges for folding.)
4. Fold one small section of dough up onto filling. Rotate and fold another section to create a pleat. Continue until it is pleated all the way around. Press firmly to seal pleats together.
5. Brush the whisked egg on the galette crusts, then place in the oven. Bake until the crusts are golden brown. Remove and cool slightly before serving. You can also bake the tarts ahead of time and reheat just prior to serving.
Sautéed Asparagus with Pancetta
Paired with buttery leeks and delicate pine nuts, tender-crisp asparagus is topped with Italian pancetta for extra wow.
Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces
4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 ¼ cup leek, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large non-stick pan, sauté pancetta, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until crisp and lightly golden.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to pan. Add asparagus pieces and leek and sauté until asparagus is tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add garlic, lemon and orange zest, toasted pine nuts and parsley and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and salt and serve immediately.
Pasta with Hedgehog Mushrooms and Chard
This week’s signature dish, with locally-foraged mushrooms, shallots and diced pancetta.
Ingredients:
½ pound hedgehog mushrooms
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 ounces diced pancetta(optional)
1 bunch chard, chopped into 1 inch pieces
½ cup red or white wine
1 cup stock or water
Parmesan cheese for grating
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Gently brush and clean mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms in butter and olive oil until golden. Add minced garlic and shallots and pancetta (if desired) and continue to sauté until garlic and shallot is opaque.
2. Add chopped chard and continue to sauté, stirring until chard is just cooked. Deglaze pan with a little wine and water or chicken stock. Test for seasoning add salt and pepper to taste. Toss mixture with hot pasta and serve immediately
Variations: This dish is also wonderful topped with fresh chopped herbs; ricotta cheese; chopped pistachios or pine nuts; or, asparagus instead of chard.
