Cajun Spice Recipes

From fresh cornbread and whipped honey butter to red beans and basmati rice paired with spicy Andouille sausage, the classic flavors of the deep South await this week, blending beautifully with Pacific Northwest produce like purple sprouting broccoli, leeks and Lacinato kale raab. This boldly-assertive menu also features fresh citrus, housemade pickled okra, sweet challah bread and espresso-infused dark chocolate bar to serve alongside these Cajun favorites.

Here are a few recipes ideas for the week:

Farm & Larder Cornbread
Best baked in a preheated cast-iron skillet, our signature cornbread is lovely topped with whipped honey butter.

Braised Southern Greens
This traditional side dish can be prepared with pretty much any hearty green.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli Salad
This room temperature salad from The Barefoot Contessa has just the right amount of crunch!

Sautéed Jerusalem Artichokes
This simple method from Saveur allows these artichokes’ natural sweet flavor to shine.

Lemon-Mint Spritzer
This fizzy concoction will help cool the palate after this week’s spicy red beans and rice!

Challah Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
Drizzled with a warm bourbon sauce, this dessert is sure to wow guests.

Classic Spanish Paella

This classic paella recipe from The Spanish Table is a summer favorite at the Farm. Full of fresh seafood and spicy chorizo, the caramelized crispy rice crust known as the socarrat is still our favorite part!

Ingredients:
½ cup uncooked Valencian Rice per person
1 cup chicken stock per person
5 threads saffron per person dissolved in a little white wine
Olive oil, to cover bottom of pan
1 piece of chicken, such as a thigh, per person
½ to 1 soft chorizo sausage per person
½ teaspoon Spanish sweet paprika per person
1 clove garlic per person, minced
¼ cup chopped onion per person
1/8 cup grated tomato (cut in half, grate and discard the skin) per person
2 shrimp or prawns per person
2-4 small clams and/or mussels per person
Red piquillo peppers cut in strips
Artichoke hearts, green beans or peas
Cooked white Spanish beans such as alubias de la granja or judion
Lemon wedges for garnish
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat stock in a separate stock pot. Crush saffron and add it to stock or a little bit of white wine. Heat paella pan over medium heat, add olive oil and fry chicken until it begins to brown.

2. Next add garlic and onions and saute until translucent. Add chorizo and cook until heated. Add the rice, stirring until well coated with oil. Add the paprika and grated tomato. Stir while cooking for a few minutes. Add saffron flavored wine and hot stock. Bring to a boil while scraping the bottom of pan. Now the rice should be level and you will not need to stir from this point on. Adjust heat to maintain a nice simmer.

3. When the rice has absorbed a good amount of liquid but still has a soupy appearance add the mussels or clams. Once the rice is cooked add the shrimp or prawns tucking them down into the rice, then the piquillo peppers, artichoke hearts, green beans, beans and peas. During this time the rice should be caramelizing on the bottom of the pan. It will make a faint crackling sound and smell toasty sweet but not burnt. Set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Variation: This recipe can also be made using the oven or barbecue—see The Spanish Table for details on how!

Vegetable Rice Soup with Sweet Ground Chile Pepper

This soup is incredibly hearty and healthy, full of beautiful vegetables, mushrooms and tender greens.

Ingredients:
1 cup F&L rice blend
2 cups chicken stock
5 cups water
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 cup Cipollini onions, peeled and chopped
1 leek, roots and tough green ends removed, then chopped
2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cups French fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and chopped
1 cup dried wild mushrooms, reconstituted and sautéed (see enclosed method)
2 large handfuls combined red baby kale and Swiss chard leaves, torn
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sweet ground chile pepper
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Method:
1. In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until onion is soft and translucent and garlic is fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add in chopped carrots, leeks and potatoes and continue to sauté until vegetables are slightly softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the rice, chicken stock and water, seasoning with the fresh thyme and sweet ground chile pepper, plus sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

2. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until rice and vegetables are fully cooked and tender.

3. Turn off heat and add the wild mushrooms and greens to the soup, stirring to combine until greens are slightly wilted. Check for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper as desired.

Cajun Spice Recipes

recipes-december-11-archived

From sweet cornbread and honey butter to red beans and rice paired with spicy Andouille sausage, the classic flavors of the deep South await this week, blending beautifully with fresh, Pacific Northwest produce including Daikon radish, leek and carrot. The boldly-assertive menu also features a robust Spanish red wine, nutty whole grain loaf and hearty Collard greens to serve alongside these Cajun favorites.

Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:

Classic Red Beans & Rice
Slow-simmered with chicken stock, herbs and spices, these luscious red beans get an extra-flavorful kick from Andouille sausage.

Pickled Radishes with Black Peppercorn
These crisp, zingy radish pickles are great for snacking!

Sautéed Collard Greens with Garlic
Quick sautéing these greens with garlic balances out the vegetable’s inherent bitterness.

Buttery Braised Leeks
Accented with just a squeeze of lemon, these sublime leeks are a worthy side dish to this week’s red beans and rice.

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