Home for the Holidays Recipes
‘Tis the season for family and friends to gather around and celebrate the most magical time of year—allow us to lend a helping hand with any soirée you might have planned with an array of lovingly-crafted accoutrements that range from tart-sweet cranberry sauce and housemade cornichons to freshly-baked multigrain bread, stollen fruit loaf and festive gingerbread figurines. Also included in this holiday lineup: dried Porcini mushrooms, imported pasta, farm-fresh eggs, chocolate-coated cherries and seasonal produce that includes carrots, baby red beets, Huckleberry Gold potatoes, crisp apples, beautiful pears and peppery arugula greens. From our family to yours—happy holidays!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Poached Eggs Over Braised Greens on Multigrain Toast
Fantastic for lunch, brunch, a snack or supper!
Blue Cheese & Pear Salad with Arugula Greens
Tossed with a light balsamic vinaigrette, this crisp salad is both bold and beautiful.
Beet, Carrot & Pomegranate Salad
This colorful salad is sure to brighten up your holiday table.
Butter-Braised Carrots with Thyme
Braised in sweet butter and tossed with garlic and thyme, these carrots are truly sublime.
Caramelized Delicata Squash
Glazed in brown sugar and white wine vinegar, this squash from The Glorious Vegetables of Italy is a wonderful balance of sweet and sour.
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes & Parsnips with Herbs
Fragrant herbs add a bright touch to these roasted vegetables.
Poached Eggs Over Braised Greens on Multigrain Toast
Fantastic for lunch, brunch, a snack or supper!
Ingredients:
4 eggs
4 teaspoons vinegar
1 pound braising greens, such as spinach or baby kale
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Multigrain bread, sliced and toasted
Method:
1. To poach the eggs, half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add a hefty pinch of salt. Meanwhile, crack each egg into its own small bowl and add a teaspoon of vinegar to each. Stir the boiling water vigorously with a balloon whisk until you have a whirlpool then immediately (and softly!) slip the egg into the pot. Turn the heat down low, and cook for three minutes. Gently lift eggs out of the pot and drain on paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the greens and cook until all are just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. To serve, top a piece of multigrain toast with a hearty helping of greens and a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with microgreens.
Rye Bread Toasts
This week’s loaf makes for excellent crostini to pair with creamy sheep’s milk cheese and some Meyer lemon relish.
Ingredients:
Jewish rye bread
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Thinly slice the rye loaf into ¼-inch-thick pieces with a serrated knife and place slices on a baking sheet.
2. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then slip pan into a 375º oven and bake crostini for 10-15 minutes, until bread is golden brown and slightly crisp. Remove from oven, and serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.)
Morel Mushroom & Asparagus Eggs Benedict
Served over toasted bread, this eggs Benedict is truly stunning.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
6 ounces Morel mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on size
¼ cup white wine, or broth
½ cup heavy cream
4 slices rustic bread, lightly toasted
12 spears asparagus, blanched
4 eggs
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add the butter and allow it to melt, then toss in the mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the wine or broth, deglaze the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cream and simmer until it thickens, about 2-3 minutes and reduce the heat to low.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Swirl the water in the pot. Crack an egg into a bowl and gently pour the egg from the bowl into the water. Repeat with another egg. Let the eggs cook until the whites are set but the yolks are not, about 2-3 minutes then fish them out. Repeat with remaining two eggs.
4. To serve, place the toast on plates, top with the asparagus, poached eggs and creamy mushroom sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
