Another article I wrote for Local Banquet. Aiming to aggregate my articles all in one place!

http://www.localbanquet.com/issues/years/2011/Fall11/fruitwines_f11.html

This is an article that I wrote last summer for Local Banquet, but might prove interesting to all involved. Especially to those folks who are missing the Butterfly Bakery hot sauce until peppers pop out of the ground next summer.

http://www.localbanquet.com/issues/years/2011/Summer11/hotSauce_s11.html

Are you familiar with creton? If not, you should be. (It’s pronounced cre-toungh or something like that. It’s got that French nasally “oungh” sound at the end). Creton is this fabulously delicious pork spread from Quebec. My French-Canadian boyfriend introduced me to the stuff, but he had no idea the flurry of pork deliciousness he was about to unleash in my kitchen. Creton is almost exclusively available north of the border, so if a roadtrip wasn’t in order, the kitchen was to become my pork-spread haven. Now this might be the point you might be thinking “pork SPREAD?” I understand the hesitance, but I assure it’s delicious with many uses. A common one is my house is on toast or bread. It also makes a great sandwich (think BLT, but with spreadable bacon). Like so many delicious things, it also tastes good on a spoon. Or fingers. Or other people’s fingers (just keep in mind where the creton ends and other people’s fingers begin – a common mistake).

Since I don’t see the point in making delicious foods with un-delicious ingredients, I sourced my pork from local farmers. Traditionally creton is made with ground pork, pork fat, breadcrumbs, milk and added spices (actually, most creton in Canada – especially that from old Canadian grandmothers – is made with MSG. While that’s some tasty stuff, I figured that that wasn’t the health profile I was aiming for. And really, I don’t want to know what health food black-ops reign of terror I was going to bring upon myself if I attempted to buy MSG in Vermont). I read a whole bunch of recipes online and planned my attack. My first few attempts weren’t what I was aiming for (but still well consumed by all involved). Mr. French-Canadian Boyfriend said that my creton tasted more like tourtiere (a Quebecois pork and beef pie, that, while delicious, was not creton, and not something I was going to attempt, since Mr. French-Canadian Boyfriend’s mother regularly makes him one that he likes very much). I finally decided to stop trying to recreate creton that tastes exactly what I had had in Canada (after all, no MSG on hand) and just aim for making some darn tasty pork spread. And let me tell you, this is some darn tasty pork spread. Instead of mixing ground pork and pork fat, I let someone else take that step and just used raw sausage. You can add more pork fat if you’d like, but it’s not necessary. Interestingly, Mr. French-Canadian Boyfriend thinks that this tastes more like “authentic” creton than any of the stuff I made before I stopped trying to recreate “authentic” creton. And how fast it disappeared in both our houses might just be testament to how much no one cares about authenticity and how much everyone does care about yummy, yummy piggies on our toast.

 

Bacon Leek Creton

1 bulb garlic
1/2 of the white of a medium-large leek
2 strips bacon
1 tbs butter (or pork fat)
1 lb raw pork sausage (casing removed)
1 cup milk
1/3 cup bread crumbs

1) Mince the garlic, leek and bacon and cook with the butter over medium heat in a medium sauce pan until vegetables are softened.

2) Add the sausage and smash/stir the mixture with the back of a wooden spoon until the sausage is well broken up and cooked.

3) Stir in the milk and breadcrumbs and spread out in the pan. Cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has cooked out (about 15 minutes). Transfer the creton to a storage container and chill. Serve cold and enjoy!

Ok, I totally realize that Thanksgiving is a few months past and if you still have Thanksgiving leftovers in your fridge, you probably don’t want to be eating them. But this pizza is the reason you should celebrate Thanksgiving all over again.

Right after Thanksgiving, I was telling a friend of mine about all the super tasty leftovers I had from celebrating Thanksgiving with my dad, and he was telling me about the super tasty pizza he was making. All of a sudden we had a collaborative brainstorm and the idea for the Thanksgiving Leftover Pizza was born! It took us a little while to actually make this pizza happen, but finally the goodness has been created. If you don’t have your own Thanksgiving leftovers to work from, take a gander at the plethora of recipes below and make all or some of these things from scratch. We made a whole grain crust and whole grain gravy, but either of those things can be made with white wheat or whole spelt flour. We also used my friend’s well seasoned pizza stone, but if you don’t have one, just use a perforated pizza pan or a sheet pan. Also, this Maple Cranberry Sauce that we made is absolutely fantastic. The leftovers make an amazing jam and it’s hands down the easiest jam I have ever made. I spread it on some french toast in the morning. Yum!


Thanksgiving Leftover Pizza

1 batch pizza dough (or a premade ball of dough)
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs chopped herbs (rosemary and thyme, or whatever is in season and your favorite)
1 batch or 1-1/2 cup gravy
1/2 lb semisoft cheese, grated (like mozzarella, gouda or Monterey Jack)
2 oz hard cheese, grated (like parmesan or romano)
1/2 can or 1/2 batch cranberry sauce
1 small raw sweet potato, sliced very thin
1/3 lb cooked turkey, shredded or chopped

1) Preheat your oven to 450° F
 
2) Lightly flour your counter and roll or push your pizza dough out into a 16-inch circle (or into the size/shape appropriate for your pan). Flour your pan or oil your stone (depending on your implement). Place the dough on your pan and lightly brush the dough with olive oil. Sprinkle the crust with the herbs.

3) Spread the gravy generously over the crust. Sprinkle 3/4 of the combined cheeses over the gravy. Scatter dollops of cranberry sauce over the cheese. Spread the potato slices and turkey pieces over the gravy as well, and then top with the last of the cheese.

4) Bake the pizza for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown and the crust is baked through. Let cool slightly and enjoy!


Whole Spelt Pizza Dough

1/2 cup warm water
1 tbs yeast (or 1 package)
1 tbs natural sweetener at room temperature (sugar/agave/maple syrup/honey)
3 cups whole spelt flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbs olive oil
additional water

1) Using water just hot enough that your finger can stand being in it for 10 seconds, mix together the sweetener, water and yeast in a large bowl. Let sit for about 10 minutes, or until the yeast becomes foamy

2) Add the flour, salt and olive oil to the bowl. Bring together all the ingredients with your fingers and start forming the dough into a ball. Add more water as needed, 1/4-3/4 cups more. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes, folding the dough into itself repeatedly.

3) Form the dough into a ball and place it into your bowl, seam side down. Lightly cover the surface of the dough with oil, so it doesn’t dry out and let it sit in a warm location for about an hour, until it has doubled in size and doesn’t readily spring back when poked. Punch it down and then push or roll it out into your pizza crust.


Basic Gravy

3 tbs butter
1/4 cup all purpose or whole spelt flour
1 cup broth
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp spices to taste (onion powder, garlic powder, chili flakes, etc.)

1) Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly with a fork until the flour is cooked, and no longer has a “raw” smell, about 2-3 minutes.

2) Add the broth, milk, salt, pepper and spices. Keep stirring constantly with a fork as the gravy thickens. Cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency, about 5 minutes.


Smoky Turkey Pieces

1 lb turkey cutlets (or slice turkey breast)
1 qt water mixed with 2 tbs kosher salt
1 tbs plus 10 drops liquid smoke

1) Place the raw turkey in a bowl and cover with water/salt mixture. Add 1 tbs liquid smoke to the water and mix with a spoon. Let the turkey sit in this brine, refrigerated, for about an hour.

2) Drain the water from the bowl and lay the turkey pieces flat in a preheated pan. Sprinkle with a scattering of liquid smoke drops. Cook at medium high heat until the turkey is cooked through, turning over once, to cook evenly. Cook the turkey in batches if necessary.

Maple Cranberry Sauce

8 oz cranberries
2 cups Vermont maple syrup

1) Add the cranberries and maple syrup to a medium saucepan and cook over medium low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Let cool.

Carrots are my go-to lunch snack in the winter. They go great with roasts, they go even better in cakes (go to my blog for a great Carrot Cake recipe), carrots with dip is always a winner, but when I really want a winter punch, I have to make a Carrot Ginger Soup. It’s warm, spicy, a little sweet and just right for the season. Feta might seem like an odd touch for a soup like this, but trust me, it’s delicious. Feta cheese was a staple in my house growing up, so I know my feta, and the goat feta from Sage Farm Goat Dairy available at the winter farmers market is just spectacular. It adds a nice little salty tang that rounds out the bite of the ginger. Enjoy!


Carrot Ginger Soup
1 large yellow onion
1 lb carrots (about 5 medium)
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbs grated ginger
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup whole milk
salt & pepper to taste
feta cheese (optional)

1) Slice the onion and carrots and add them to a medium size saucepan with the olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Cook at medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft (about 10 minutes).

2) Add the ginger and broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot and let cook until the carrots are soft (about 10 minutes).

3) Remove the pot from the heat and, with an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return the pot to the heat and let the soup come back up to a boil. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the milk plus salt and pepper to taste. After portioning the soup into bowl, sprinkle each serving with crumbled feta cheese.

Did you know that a sweet potato isn’t a potato? Nor is it a yam. Seems that we really have no proper name for these starchy, sweet and super nutritious orange tubers. But somehow we will have to muddle our way through.

Blackwell Roots (vendor at the Montpelier winter farmers market), decided to try growing sweet potatoes this year and was horribly disappointed when the veggie they pulled from ground was starchy and bland. But before calling it quits they decided to try curing it. After a stretch at 75 degrees or ... << MORE >>

Eggs are a wondrous food. On a near daily basis, our short female feathered friends push forth delicious orbs of protein that serve little purpose other than to nourish our beings. Yum. But unfortunately this wonderful thing is often mired in truly horrible animal cruelty practices. Clipped beaks, miniature cages, and horrible environmental effects can really put a damper on one’s egg-citement (sorry, couldn’t help myself). Fortunately Vermont has a plethora of small scale farmers that let their laying hens run, scratch and do what hens do. The diets of these birds are often far better than that of a concentrated laying facility and that improved diet translates directly into nutrients in the eggs we serve at our table. That diet can also make the eggs from different farms taste different. Try one farm this week and another next week. Find out what breed of hens are laying your eggs and scope out your favorite.

In honor of the culinary overabundance of Thanksgiving, I have two recipes for your enjoyment, both of which make delicious use of Vermont’s local eggs. The pumpkin pie is a reprint from last year. Too many people have asked me for this recipe for me to not run it again. The second is another slice of pumpkin heaven. I love this pumpkin bread but if you would rather not break out the oven mitts yourself, you can buy some pumpkin breads from the Butterfly Bakery of Vermont table at the Thanksgiving Farmers Market at Montpelier High School, this Saturday, November 20, 10-2. Don’t miss it!

Pumpkin Pie

1 3- to 4 lb pie pumpkin
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1 unbaked 9” pie shell

1) Preheat oven to 450° F
2) Slice the pumpkin in half from pole to pole. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Place the pumpkin, open side down, on a greased cookie sheet. Roast until a fork easily slides through the skin or the pumpkin, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3) Scoop the flesh of the pumpkin into a medium bowl and puree with an immersion blender (or food processor).
4) In a large bowl, beat the eggs until uniformly yellow. Add 1-1/2 c pureed pumpkin, maple syrup and vanilla. Whisk until smooth
5) Whisk in the cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
6) Pour mixture into the pie shell and bake for 20 minutes at 450°, lower the temperature to 350° and bake for another 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serves 8









Pumpkin Bread

1 pie pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup maple syrup
1 3/4 cup whole spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1) Heat your oven to 350° F. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Place the pumpkin flat side down on a greased baking pan and roast until a fork easily slides through the skin, about 45 minutes - 1 hour, rotating the pan about 25 minutes in. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool.

2) If your oven has cooled, reheat it to 350° F. Scoop the pumpkin flesh into a bowl or food processor. Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the pumpkin. Measure out 1 cup of pureed pumpkin and set aside the rest for later use (soup, more pumpkin bread or the recipe below are recommended).

3) Combine the 1 cup pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and maple syrup in a large bowl and whisk together. In a small bowl whisk together the spelt flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. And the dry mixture to the wet mixture and whisk until fully combined.

4) Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour, rotating the pan halfway through. Let cool and enjoy!

For some people it’s the smell of baking cookies, or a simmering curry, but the scent that always brings me back home is the delicious aroma of sautéing onions and peppers. That was the start to almost every meal in my dad’s house when I was little and I always feel warm and happy whenever I start a meal that way myself.

“Peppers” almost always meant pablanos in my house. A pablano is a slightly hot pepper that is perfect for a little kick of heat where you might otherwise put a bell pepper. Pablanos are called anchos here in Vermont and pasillas in California. An ancho might be called an anaheim, or visa versa. The many names for one kind of pepper have to do with the state the pepper is in (dried, smoked, old, young, etc.), but over time different regions have mixed up those names and just chosen one to represent all the states of the pepper. It can be confusing if you’re traveling and trying to find the pepper that you’re used to. Fortunately, here in Vermont, we have farmers! Spicy foods are relatively new to this New England state, so your farmer might not know the proper name for the peppers they’re growing, but your farmer can tell you what your pepper is going to taste like and give you an idea of what dishes it might go well with.
 

A grilled pablano or ahaheim, with it’s skin slipped off, stuffed with herbed goat cheese and baked for 10 or so minutes, is one of the best ways to enjoy a pepper. Another is this soup that I’ve given the recipe for here. My dad called this one “Grilled Soup” which always required explanation when I was serving it. But, I, as an adult, don’t own a grill (don’t tell my dad), so I needed to modify this recipe for the stove. If you own a grill, I highly recommend grilling the onions (quartered), peppers (whole) and tomatoes (whole). You get that nice char flavor and you get a chance to remove the skins. But if you’re looking for something a little simpler, sautéing plus liquid smoke (available at the co-op) is a delicious way to go.

 Smoked Tomato Soup

 

3 anaheim/ancho/bell peppers, cored and sliced
 1 large yellow onion, sliced
 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
 1 tbs olive oil
 liquid smoke (optional)
 6 medium tomatoes, rough chopped
 1 tsp red pepper or chipotle pepper flakes (optional)
 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1) Sauté the peppers, onions, salt, olive oil and 10 drops of liquid smoke over medium high heat until the vegetables start to soften. Add the tomatoes and pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have released their juices and cooked through.
2) Add the broth to the pot, remove the pot from the heat and puree everything together with an immersion blender (or transfer to a regular blender). Return the soup to the heat and add more salt and liquid smoke to taste.

I have always loved wild foraged foods. There is something so delicious about eating food that you didn’t have to pay for or nurture into existence. But I’ve always been a little dubious of digging up the food myself. I’ve heard too many horror stories of a fun day gone awry by someone choosing the wrong plant to pop in their mouth. So I’ve always satisfied my wild leek needs by letting someone else do the scouting for me and I just have bought them at the farmers market. Well, that is, until now. I have a slightly ... << MORE >>

As someone who eats mostly local food in Vermont, I'm often asked, "What do you eat in the middle of winter?" The middle of winter has never been my problem. We have some great small farmers in central Vermont that are making great strides in wintering over their storage crops. So in the middle of winter I'm loving on my potatoes, cabbage, parsnips and celeriac. My tough time is right about now. The cabbage has all been munched up, the remaining onions are getting smaller and I've eaten so many potatoes, even the Irish in me is getting ... << MORE >>