Gemelli With Sausage, Swiss Chard, and Pine Nuts
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 pound Swiss chard, tough stems removed, leaves cut into thin strips
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound gemelli, or other short pasta
- 3/4 cup raisins, plumped in boiling water and drained
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Directions
- In a large skillet, toast pine nuts over medium-high heat, shaking the pan to toast evenly, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet.
- In the same skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and cook, breaking it up with a fork, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add chard, garlic, and pepper; cook, tossing, until chard wilts, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover to keep warm.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions, about 12 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot.
- Add sausage mixture to pasta with 1/2 cup reserved cooking water, raisins, toasted pine nuts, and Parmesan; toss to combine. Add more cooking water if pasta seems dry. Serve with more Parmesan.
Stir Fry Pak Choi Recipe (simple and yummy!)
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 17 minutes
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 lbs Pak Choi
2 Tsp oil
1/2 cup diced onions
Minced hot pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Cut off the root at the bottom of each bunch of Pak Choi. Chop up the Pak Choi – white and green parts.
2. Heat oil in a wok or very large pan until very hot.
3. Toss in onions, pepper and garlic let cook for 1 – 2 minutes.
Add Pak Choi and toss continuously until the green leaves wilt. Remove from heat immediately, season with salt and serve right away.
Prizewinning Tourtiere
Tourtiere is a classic French Canadian meat pie, usually made with pork and onions. Mine has apples, sage, and nutmeg, too. The crust here is adapted from Chez Pim. It’s kind of a cross between regular pie crust and puff pastry. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 250 grams all-purpose flour
- 225 grams (2 sticks) salted butter
- 1/4 cup cold water
- vegetable oil
- 1 onion
- 1 large-ish apple
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used panko breadcrumbs)
- 1 cup water
- 1 egg, beaten
Steps
- Start your pastry. Cut the butter into the flour (I like to use my trusty pastry blender, but I imagine the food processor would work just fine, too). Once the mixture is crumbly, rub the butter in with your hands a bit, just to make sure it’s really smeared into the flour. This will help it get super flaky later on.
- Once the mixture is like wet sand, add the 1/4 cup cold water and stir everything together with a fork until it forms a ball of dough. A lot of pastry recipes warn against overmixing the dough, but I haven’t had any problems with this one. There’s such a high butter-to-flour ratio that you’ll be fine. Put the dough in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
- In the meantime, gather the ingredients for your filling. Chop up the apple and onion pretty small so they’ll blend into the pork later on. Chop the sage as small as possible so it gets distributed throughout the filling.
- Start sautéing the onions and apples in a little bit of vegetable oil, then get going on the next step of the pastry.
- Pull the dough out of the fridge and roll it out into a long, thin rectangle (just a few rolls of the pin should do). Then, fold the dough in on itself in thirds, like you would fold a letter to fit in an envelope. Turn the new rectangle 90 degrees and repeat the process a few times, rolling into a rectangle, folding, and turning. This is what gives you millions of little tiny layers later on. I think I did it 3 or 4 times. It only takes a few minutes. Once you’re done, divide the dough into two even rounds and put back in the fridge.
- Once the onions and apples have softened, pull them out and set aside in a bowl. Add a little more oil and brown the pork. Add the sage, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and mix thoroughly. Add the onions and apples back to the pan, along with the breadcrumbs and water, and simmer the whole mixture for 20 minutes or so.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees once the pork is simmering.
- When the pork is almost done, pull out your dough one last time. Roll out one round to a couple inches wider than your pie pan and drape it in, leaving some pastry hanging over the edges. Add the filling, then top with the remaining round of dough, rolled out to the same size. Crimp the edges and cut some slits in the top to let out steam. Brush the egg wash on the top of the pie.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown on top. Let cool for 20-30 minutes before slicing.
Swiss Chard Quiche
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
- 1/2 recipe Flaky Tart Dough
- 10 large eggs
- 2 cups creme fraiche
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
- 2 heaping cups torn Swiss chard leaves
- 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese
Directions
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough into a 16-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off any excess flour; fit dough into a 2-inch deep-dish tart pan with a removable bottom, gently pressing it into the sides. Using a sharp knife, trim the dough evenly with the edge of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap; chill tart shell until firm, about 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Line the tart dough with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Transfer to oven and bake until light brown, about 25 minutes. Remove weights and parchment paper and continue baking until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together 1 egg and flour on high speed until smooth. Add the remaining 9 eggs and continue mixing until well blended.
- Place creme fraiche in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth; add milk and continue whisking until well combined. Add to mixer along with salt, pepper, and thyme; mix until well combined. Strain mixture into a large bowl through a fine mesh sieve.
- Tightly pack Swiss chard leaves and cheese into prepared tart shell. Pour over egg mixture until tart shell is full (you may not need to use all of the egg mixture). Bake 20 minutes; reduce temperature to 325 degrees, and continue baking until filling is slightly firm, rather than liquid, and crust is a deep golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer quiche to a wire rack to cool until set, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. To reheat, cover quiche with aluminum foil and bake in an oven heated to 325 degrees for about 15 minutes.
Flaky Tart Dough
- Yield Makes enough for two 9- or 10-inch tart shells
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup ice water
- 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
- 1 cup (2 sticks) plus 5 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
Directions
- In a small bowl, mix together salt and water. Keep very cold until ready to use.
- Place flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly until mixture forms large crumbs. Add the salt water mixture and continue pulsing until a dough has just formed but is not smooth.
- On a lightly floured work surface, evenly divide dough. Form each piece of dough into a disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Fickle Creek Stewed Chicken
Tomato-Chicken Stew
This is a very simple, flexible recipe that can be altered in many ways and always turns out great. We like it because it makes good use of our oh-so-flavorful stew hens, and we use ingredients entirely from our farm except the salt. Written here for 5# of stew hen, but the amounts are even so they may be halved easily. Logical substitutes are noted in parentheses. Enjoy!
1 large or 2 small stew hens, approx 5# total
3 qt stewed tomatoes
1 head pealed, crushed garlic
4 jalapeño peppers
2 tsp salt
pour 1 qt tomatoes in large pot
place chicken(s) in pot and pour 2 qt tomatoes over and add jalapeños and salt
bring to gentle simmer, not full boil, and stir occasionally for approx 6 hours
when easy to pull apart, remove bones and shred chicken – no substitute for using your hands!
4 Tbsp rendered lard or bacon/sausage drippings (olive oil)
1 tsp salt
2 poblano peppers
6 sweet bell peppers
24 large radishes (12 turnips, 6 potatoes)
distribute rendered lard evenly in deep oven pan
cut peppers and radishes into chunks and spread evenly in pan and sprinkle with salt
place pan into 400F oven, change to broil, and roast with turning until well-browed
Add roasted veggies to pot with stewed chicken and tomatoes.
Mix well and simmer awhile to mix flavors.
POTATO AND KALE SOUP
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 lg. potatoes
5 c. water or stock
salt and pepper, to taste
Pumpkin Soup with Gruyère
Ingredients
- 1 6–8 pound Cinderella, cheese, or Jarrahdale pumpkin
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, finely ground
- 2 large pinches piment d’Espelette
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups (packed) grated Gruyère
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from white bread
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
- 5–7 cups low-salt chicken stock
- Flat-leaf parsley
-
ingredient info
Piment d’Espelette, a coarse chili powder made from the Espelette pepper, is available at specialty foods sto
Preparation
-
Preheat oven to 350°. Cut out a wide circle around stem of pumpkin to make a lid. Lift lid; scrape off any seeds and set aside. Scoop out seeds and strings from inside pumpkin.
-
Place pumpkin in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Rub pumpkin flesh with butter. Sprinkle all over inside with ground fennel seeds and piment d’Espelette. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add cheese, breadcrumbs, garlic, and bay leaves. Pour in stock to come within 3″ of the pumpkin’s rim. Cover with lid.
-
Roast pumpkin for 1 hour. Remove lid; put lid flesh side up on pan alongside pumpkin and return to oven. Continue to roast until pumpkin flesh is soft when pierced with a knife (take care not to puncture skin), 30-90 minutes more, depending on size of pumpkin.
-
Discard bay leaves. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, gently scoop a big spoonful of flesh from sides or bottom of pumpkin into each bowl and ladle stock over. Garnish with parsley.
Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/10/pumpkin-soup-with-gruyere#ixzz1bkrH0yYO
Farmhouse Chowder
- Yield Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
- 8 to 10 cups water
- 1 large onion, 1/2 left whole, 1/2 chopped
- 2 carrots, 1 halved lengthwise, 1 cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 4 stems fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
- 10 whole black peppercorns
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour, preferably Wondra
- 1 small turnip, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 4 ounces rutabaga or parsnip, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- Coarse salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped, for garnish
- Vermont Common crackers, for serving
Directions
- Place chicken, breast side down, in a large pot. Add enough water to just cover chicken. Add whole 1/2 onion, carrot halves, parsley, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, partially covered. Reduce heat, and simmer gently for 1 hour. Remove chicken, and let cool. Strain broth through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth into another pot, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes to reduce and intensify flavor. Shred chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding bones and skin.
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and diced carrot, and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in reserved chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Add turnip, rutabaga or parsnip, and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Reduce heat, and simmer until root vegetables are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in reserved chicken and the cream, and heat until warmed through, about 1 minute. Season with salt, and garnish with dill. Serve immediately with crackers on the side.
Egg, Arugula, and Herb Tartine
Egg, Arugula, and Herb Tartine
serves 1 for breakfast or lunch
2 thick slices of good bread
2 big handfuls fresh baby arugula
1 sprig tender rosemary
Several chive stalks
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg
Salt and pepper
Toast the bread and scrape on a little butter. Roughly chop the herbs and arugula as the rest of the butter heats in a small heavy sauté pan. Sauté the herbs and greens for just about a minute or until slightly wilted. Add the egg and quickly cook over medium heat until barely scrambled around the greens.
Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper, pile on the toasted bread, and eat immediately.
recipe found at: http://www.thekitchn.com/
Pickled Okra
* from Alton Brown of Good Eats*Ingredients
- 2 pounds young, small to medium okra pods
- 4 small dried chiles, split in 1/2
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 12 sprigs fresh dill
- 4 cloves garlic, whole
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 2 cups rice wine vinegar
- 2 cups bottled water
- Special Equipment: 4 pint-sized canning jars, sterilized*
Directions
Wash the okra and trim the stem to 1/2-inch. Place 1 chile, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 3 sprigs of dill, 1 clove of garlic and 1/4 teaspoon peppercorns in the bottom of each of 4 sterilized pint canning jars. Divide the okra evenly among the 4 jars, standing them up vertically, alternating stems up and down.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the salt, vinegar and water to a boil. Once boiling, pour this mixture over the okra in the jars, leaving space between the top of the liquid and the lid. Seal the lids. Set in a cool dry place for 2 weeks.
*Tips on Sterilizing Jars
Properly-handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step of preserving foods.
Sterilizing Tips:
Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic, or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum seal when processed.
To sterilize jars, before filling with jams, pickles, or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.
Use tongs when handling the hot sterilized jars, to move them from boiling water. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.
As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies, and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.
After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.
