January: CITRUS AND FENNEL SALAD
February: THAI KEDGEREE
March: SWISS
CHARD TART WITH RED ONION CONFIT
April: DOUBLE PIE CRUST
May: SEARED SALMON WITH APPLE CHUTNEY
June: AVOCADO AND ROASTED CORN GUACAMOLE
July: SESAME NOODLES
August: EGGPLANT SPREAD
September: ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH LEMON CREAM
AND CRABMEAT GARNISH
October: CORN PUDDING
November: BUTTERNUT AND APPLE SOUP
December: MY FAVORITE POUND CAKE
Ingredients:
4 bulbs fennel, sliced and shaved
4 grapefruit, sectioned
4 oranges, sectioned
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbsp Purple
Chef Orange Marmalade, diced fine
3/4 tbsp olive/veg oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds
Prepare the fennel and citrus fruit as directed. Mix the
vinegar, orange juice, Purple
Chef Marmalade, olive oil and salt and pepper for dressing.
Toss fennel and fruit with dressing, and garnish with chopped
fennel fronds.
This will make a lovely brunch dish or a light supper. I
had some extra Tea Smoked Salmon one day and thought this
up. It got rave reviews at a luncheon that I gave the other
day.
4 stalks of lemon grass, sliced
1 can of coconut milk or lite coconut milk
Place the coconut milk and sliced lemon grass in a cuisinart
and puree. Refrigerate overnight so that the lemon grass
will infuse the milk. Just before assembling the mixture
strain through a sieve and discard the rough lemon grass
pieces.
6 cups of cooked Basmati Rice
3 cups of flaked tea smoked salmon ( recipe follows )
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup of frozen peas
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
1/2 cup of cream
Combine all of the above ingredients and place in a double
boiler. Heat through, adding more cream if you want a moister,
creamier texture. Serve in a casserole garnished with extra
chopped cilantro.
TEA SMOKED SALMON
1/4 cup soy sauce
1.5 T. dry sherry
1 T. kosher salt
4 quarter-sized slices of fresh ginger peeled and crushed
( SAVE THE PEELINGS FOR THE SMOKING )
Combine the above in a glass baking dish.
1.25 - 1.5 lbs of salmon filet
Place the salmon in the baking dish, turn and refrigerate
one hour, turning after 30 minutes. Remove from the baking
dish and dry on a wire rack
Line a wok with two layers of tin foil leaving several inches
over the edge. Line the lid as well.
Combine the following in a small bowl
1 T. dry lemon grass
1/3 cup dry black tea leaves ( smokey variety is best )
1/3 cup in cooked white rice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick and the ginger peelings
Mix and add to the bottom of the aluminum foil lined wok.
Place a rack in the wok one inch above the mixture and place
the salmon on the rack. Set the wok over a high heat. When
the sugar starts to bubble in 3 or 4 places, place the lid
on top and crimp the edges leaving a one inch wide opening
for the smoke. Smoke 10 minutes, turn off and let stand 5
minutes. Uncover and cool.
This is a wonderful winter tart when you want something
green for either brunch or a light appetizer for dinner.
SWISS CHARD TART WITH RED ONION CONFIT
CRUST: 1 1/4 cups of flour, 6 T. cold butter, 2 T. cold
Crisco, 1/2 tsp salt, 3-4 T. ice water
Combine flour and salt in cuisinart. Blend in butter until
crumbs form. Add Crisco and Blend. Slowly add water 1 T at
a time with machine running until it comes together. Remove
from machine, form into a flat round.
Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for an hour while you
prepare the filling. Have a 10 inch tart pan with a removable
bottom ready.
TART FILLING:
2 cloves or garlic, minced
1/4 of a large onion, chopped.
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1.75 - 2 lbs of of red swiss chard, washed, stemmed and chopped
1 tbsp Pernod
2 ounces golden raisins, soaked in boiled water to plump,
and drained
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts.
6 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup Locatelli Pecorino Romano
Melt butter and oil in a large frying pan. Saute the onion
and garlic for a minute until softened. Add the sliced fennel
and saute until soft. Add the drained chopped chard and toss
until coated. Saute until partially wilted (you still want
some volume). Add the Pernod at the last minute and allow
the alcohol to cook off.
In a large bowl whisk the eggs, add the rest of the ingredients
and lastly the sauteed chard.
Roll out the crust into the 10 inch tart pan . Pour in the
filling and smooth out. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for
30 minutes or until set.
RED ONION CONFIT:
Melt a little olive oil and butter in a skillet. Slice red
onions and saute until wilting. Add a small amount of brown
sugar and a little balsamic . Allow to caramelize, stirring
often. Serve as a line over the warm tart or on the side.
Pie season is almost upon us -- time to brush up on our crust-making technique.
Ingredients:
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp of salt
8 tbsp cold butter, cut in pieces
2 tbsp cold Crisco
4-5 tbsp ice water
Blend flour and salt in food processor. Drop in butter
pieces. Blend till coarse cornmeal in texture. Stop
machine and add 2 tablespoons Crisco. Blend. Slowly
dribble in ice water one tablespoon at a time until dough
forms.
Remove from bowl. Use the palm of your hand to bring together.
Divide in half. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for one
hour. Roll out.
Variations:
1. Instead of the butter and Crisco above, use 6 tbsp butter
amd 4 tbsp crisco. Butter and shortening make pie crust much
easier to roll and shape, and also flakier -- lighter in
texture and flavor. All butter has great flavor, but it softens
in the oven and does not keep that crisp looking fluting.
Your pie will bake to a deeper brown using more Crisco and
less butter.
2. Add 1 tbsp sugar for a sweet crust.
3. Use 1 tbsp lemon juice instead of water. Lemon juice
or apple cider vinegar are often used in crusts instead of
1 T. of cold water. I don't have a technical explanation
of the lemon juice, but I find that it compliments certain
pies and completes the flavors. I use it if there is lemon
or citrus in the pie itself. The apple cider vinegar is great
for apple pies.
SINGLE TART CRUST (for 10 or 12 inch tart pan)
1.25 cups of flour
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter
2 tbsp Crisco
3-4 tbsp ice water
Follow above method.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 pieces (6 ounces each ) salmon fillet
1 T olive oil
2 T. sesame seeds
4 T. Purple Chef Apple Chutney
Wash and dry the salmon pieces.
Sprinkle the sesame seeds on to the salmon and press in.
Heat the oil in a skillet that is oven proof. Put the salmon
in face/sesame seeds, down. Sear until browned. Flip the
salmon and sear the skin.
Remove from the heat. Spread one T. of apple chutney over
each piece. Place in a 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes.
Serve with green lentils and sauteed red cabbage.
This has always bee one of our favorites.
1 cup fresh corn kernels, stripped from the cob.
1 T. corn oil
Toss the corn with 1 T. oil, place on a cookie sheet in
a 400 degree oven. Roast 7-8 minutes, turning often. Cool
in a bowl.
2 large avocados cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 large tomato diced
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh coriander
2 T. minced red onion
1 tsp. pickled or fresh jalapeno
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cups corn oil
Add all of this to the cooled corn.
Mix the following and add to above.
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1.5 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cumin
2 T. corn oil
Serve with blue corn chips or the lime ones for an added
kick.
This has been one of my favorites for over 25 years.
Ingredients:
3/4 c. Tahini
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cups each: soy sauce, red wine vinegar, vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp chili oil
3 tbsp oriental sesame oil divided
Salt
4 packages soba noodles ( 8.8 oz. each )
2 large cucumbers, sliced
radishes , thinly sliced
Sesame seeds
Whisk tahini and water until smooth. Whisk in garlic, sugar,
chili oil and 1 T. sesame oil. Season with salt.
Boil noodles in salted water until done. Drain. toss with
2 T. sesame oil.
Toss cooled noodles with 1/2 the dressing. You can refrigerate
at this time.
When ready to serve, add more dressing as needed. Place
in a low serving bowl. Garnish with sliced cucumbers and
radishes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
4 Japanese Eggplant
2 large gloves of garlic, mashed and minced with salt
1/2 cup of minced cilantro
1/4 cup of minced parsley
Rind and juice of either a lemon or a lime
1-2 tsp. of salt to taste
1 tsp of sugar
2. fresh ground pepper
3. a dash of Spanish Smokey paprika, or anything that will
give you a touch of smokiness.
Also, on the eggplant, Puncture with a fork, all over, then
cook in the microwave for 10 minutes
Puncture the eggplant all over with a fork, and cook in
the microwave for 10 minutes. Cool, slice and dice. Add the
rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Serve with rice crackers in a bowl garnished with fresh
cilantro sprigs.
6 servings
2 lbs of asparagus , chopped ( save ends for stock )
1 large leek, white part plus an inch of the green, chopped
and washed thoroughly. ( save the green part for the stock
)
6 cups of quick stock or water ( recipe below )
1 and a half T. of olive oil or butter
1 small onion, chopped
salt and fresh pepper to taste
lemon juice to taste, ( 2 tsp. )
Heat the oil in a stock pot. Add the leek and onion and
saute until the onion is slightly colored. Add one cup of
stock and stew for several minutes. Add the remaining stock
and asparagus and simmer , partly covered for 15 minutes.
Cool for a short time and then either cuisinart or pass through
a food mill to get rid of the fibers. Taste for salt and
add lemon juice to taste. Add pepper and salt as needed.
Chill the soup.
STOCK:
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 onion peeled and coarsely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery rib
ends from all of the asparagus
2 bay leaves and several sprigs of fresh thyme
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
8 whole parsley branches or a handful of stems
the leek greens
2 tsp salt
2 quarts of cold water
To prepare the stock. Heat the oil in a stock pot, add the
onion, carrot, celery, stir to coat and simmer while you
prepare the rest of the vegetables and herbs. Add the rest
of the vegetables and herbs, Cover the pot with a sheet of
waxed paper and put the lid on. Sweat the vegetables, stirring
for about 10 minutes.
Remove the waxed paper, add the salt and water. simmer ,
uncovered for 25 - 30 minutes. Strain the stock and use in
recipe.
LEMON CREAM
1/2 cup of whipping cream
1/2 cup of sour cream
fresh lemon rind
Beat 1/2 cup of whipping cream until it holds soft to medium
peaks. Fold in 1/2 cup of sour cream. Finely crate the rind
of one lemon into the cream mixture. Fold all together
GARNISH
1/4 pound fresh crabmeat
SERVING INSTRUCTIONS.
Ladle the cold soup into low serving bowls. Put the Lemon
cream into a piping bag and pipe into each bowl. Sprinkle
the soup with fresh crabmeat.
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
10 cups of fresh corn kernels with the milk, stripped from
the cob
5 Tblsp of flour
3.5 cups of heavy cream
10 eggs beaten
5 Tblsp sugar
1.25 tsp white pepper
5 tsp salt
dashes of dill and nutmeg to taste
Pulse the corn in a food processor or blender until semi
smooth. You can add some of the cream if there is a problem.
Place corn in a large bowl. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients.
Transfer to a butter greased lasagna style pan or half sheet
pan . Filling should come half way up as it will rise.
Place in a larger baking pan to create a ban marie and pour
boiling water half way up the sides. Bake at 325 until set
and firm, 45 - 60 minutes depending on your oven.
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
5 lbs butternut squash
4 large granny smith apples
2 large cortland or romes
4 large onions ( 1 lb approx. )
1 large can of chicken stock ( 4 cups )
4 cups of fresh cider
4 cups of water
Fresh Rosemary, Thyme, winter savory ( this one is optional
)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup of heavy cream, also optional depending on your current
diet.
Peel and seed squash and apples. Cut in Chunks. Slice onions.
Melt Butter and oil in stock pot. Add onions and saute until
golden. Add squash and apples, stir, cover pot with a sheet
of waxed paper and a lid and sweat for 10 minutes on low
to medium heat.. Remove waxed paper, add rest of ingredients
and cook until tender. Puree until smooth either with an
immersion blender or in the cuisinart bowl.
Add cream to taste and serve with Pears
With Zinfandel, if desired.
Ingredients:
3 sticks of butter
3 cups of sugar
5 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 & 1/3 cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 T. lemon zest
1 c. buttermilk
Preheat oven to 300. Butter and flour a 10" tube pan.
Combine the butter and 3 cups of sugar in the bowl of a
standing mixer. Beat til light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat well. Add the vanilla
Mix together the flour, baking powder and zest. Add alternately
with the buttermilk, scraping the bowl and beating 20 seconds
between additions. Then beat one minute.
Put batter into the pan and bake 2 hours or til golden.
Remove to cooling rack
For a really lemony cake heat 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
with 1/3 cup of sugar. Cook til sugar is dissolved. Remove
cake from pan, pierce with toothpick and brush over surface.
Let cool completely.
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