Oct 30, 2015

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

Serves 4
1 large beet (1/2 pound)—peeled, halved and sliced 1/3 inch thick
1 medium turnip (1/2 pound)—peeled, halved and sliced 1/3 inch thick
1 medium parsnip (1/2 pound)—peeled and sliced on the diagonal 1/3 inch thick
½ medium rutabaga ¼ pound)—peeled, halved and sliced 1/3 inch thick
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup Crème fraîche or sour cream
1 tbs fresh tarragon
1 firm but ripe red pear
1 tsp pumpkin spice blend

  • Use mandolin slicer or very sharp knife to cut the pear into very thin slices. 
  • In deep fat fryer or heavy saucepan, heat 2 to 3 inches oil to 325°F. 
  • Fry pear slices in hot oil in at least 2 batches 5 to 8 minutes or until bubbles have almost completely stopped forming. The pear slices will be deep golden brown. 
  • Drain on paper towels, season with pumpkin spice and reserve.
  • Preheat the oven to 475°. 
  • On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the beet, turnip, parsnip and onion with the olive oil and spread in a single layer. Roast the vegetables for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender and golden brown around the edges.
  • Transfer the vegetables to a large saucepan. Add the stock; cover and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile fine chop the tarragon and mix with the crème fraiche or sour cream. Chill in the refrigerator 
  • Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender to puree the soup.) 
  • Return the soup to the saucepan and reheat gently. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a dollop of the tarragon crème and a pear chip.

Oct 22, 2015

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie

Makes:  5.5 dozen (red scoop = #24 scoop)
1 lbs Brown Sugar
1/2 lbs Granulated Sugar
1 1/4 lbs Pumpkin Puree
3/4 lbs Butter
1 1/8 cups Whole eggs
1 1/2 lbs All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 1/4 Tbs Cinnamon
1 1/4 Tbs Baking Powder
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 lbs Dark Chocolate Chips

  • Sift the dry ingredients and add the chocolate chips - set aside
  • Cream together the butter with the sugars, scrape bowl and paddle, mix again until smooth with no lumps
  • Add the pumpkin puree and the eggs slowly with the machine working, scrape again and mix a little longer 
  • Add the dry ingredients and mix well
  • Spray the paper on sheet pans, scoop the cookies onto pans, refrigerate overnight.
  • Bake at 350 F for about 11 minutes

Oct 21, 2015

Roasted Pumpkin Spice Soup

Yield 1.5 quarts
5 lbs. Cooked Pumpkin Meat from the pumpkin
3 Tb. Olive Oil
1 c Diced Onion
2 c Carrot Diced
3 Tb.  Minced Ginger
30 oz. Chicken Broth
5 Tb. Apple Juice Concentrate
1 Dice Tart Apple
5 Tb.  Pure Maple Syrup
2 Bay Leaves
1 tsp Ground Thyme
1 Tb Ground Cinnamon
2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Pure Vanilla
1/2 tsp Ground Clove
1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 c Cream

  • Cut up pumpkin and wrap pieces in foil
  • Cook in 350 Degree oven until meat is able to be scooped away from skin
  • In a soup pot, add olive oil, onion, carrots, ginger. Sauté until onions are translucent
  • Add remaining ingredients with chicken broth, excluding cream, and bring to a simmer
  • Simmer the soup for approximately 1 hour
  • Add soup to a blender and puree with cream, adjust the seasoning as needed.

Oct 14, 2015

Spinach and Honey Crisp Salad with Warm Maple Bacon Dressing

Serves 6
6 c Baby spinach, washed, drained
1 Honey Crisp Apples
1 oz. Buttermilk Bleu Cheese (Beehive Cheese)
5 slices bacon, chopped
1/4 Red Onion, Julienne
1 Tb. Dijon Mustard
4 Tb. Sherry vinegar
2 Tb. Olive Oil
4 Tb. Pure Maple Syrup
To taste salt
To taste pepper

  • Combine spinach, green apples in a large salad bowl.
  • Cook bacon in skillet until crispy; remove bacon and drain on paper towels.
  • Add red onions to hot skillet and cook until caramelized and reserve for salad.
  • Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings and add the olive oil.
  • Add vinegar, Dijon Mustard, Maple Syrup, salt and pepper to bacon drippings, heat to boiling, stirring to blend.
  • Pour over spinach mixture; toss gently.
  • Sprinkle with bacon, red onions, and blue cheese

Oct 7, 2015

Romesco Sauce

¼ Cp. Hazelnut (Toasted)
¼ Cp. Almonds (Toasted)
½ Cp. Parmesan Cheese
1 ½ Cp. Red Bell Pepper (Fire Roasted Skins Removed)
3 Tb. Harissa Sauce
½ Cp. Oven Roasted tomatoes
4 Tb. Olive oil
2 Tb. Sherry Vinegar
1 Tb. Smoked Paprika
4 Tb. Parsley
1 tsp. Garlic
To Taste Salt, Pepper

  • Add Ingredients into a blender or food processor and mix well until a nice sauce consistency.

Oct 1, 2015

Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Brown Butter Hollandaise Candied Bacon

Serves 6

Brown Butter Hollandaise

5 Egg Yolks
1 Tb Dijon Mustard
2 Tb Lemon Juice
2 tsp Tabasco
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
5 Sticks Butter (preferably salt free)

  • In the container of a blender, combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and Tabasco sauce. Cover, and blend for about 10 seconds.
  • Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan until completely melted. Let the milk solids (the white color in the butter that tends to sink to the bottom) cook until they have turned a dark tan color. Stir gently from time to time but try not to incorporate much of the brown and the golden colors of the butter together.  
  • When the milk solids have reached the right shade (think the color of a fruit stem, like a pear or an apple) remove from the heat.  
  • Carefully skim off any browned bits from the top, then carefully pour out the rest of the butter, making sure to leave any of the browned milk solids at the bottom of the pan.
  • While the butter is still hot from the stove, place the butter in a glass measuring cup. Set the blender on high speed, and pour the butter into the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream. It should thicken almost immediately. 
  • Keep the sauce warm until serving.

Candied Bacon

6 strips Bacon of your preference
3 Tb. Brown Sugar

  • Lay bacon on a parchment lined sheet pan and place in a 400 degree oven, cook until semi crispy.  
  • Take bacon off of the pan and allow to cool until you are able to crumble or cut into smaller pieces.  
  • Toss the chopped bacon with brown sugar and place back in the oven at 400 degrees on a parchment lined sheet pan.  
  • Cook until dark brown and the sugar has caramelized, stirring occasionally. 
  • Allow the bacon to cool and chop again into small bits.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

1 Head Cauliflower
4 Tb Olive Oil
1 Tb Salt
2 tsp Pepper
1 Green onion spear (Cut Thin)
½ c Hollandaise
2 oz Candied Bacon
Juice of 1 Lemon

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. 
  • Trim tough stem and core from cauliflower and discard core. Using a paring knife, cut cauliflower into smaller spears. Place in a large bowl. 
  • Add olive oil, salt and pepper; toss to combine. 
  • Spread cauliflower out on 2 large, rimmed baking sheets. Roast until edges start to brown, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove cauliflower from oven and place on serving platter. 
  • Top with brown butter hollandaise, fresh lemon and bacon.