Starting the Year Off Locally

Zeb and I are always looking for ways to support our local businesses. I suppose it stems from his alternative upbringing and my French one (Thank you O wonderful parents!). To start 2010 off right, we signed up for 3 months of Farmhouse Delivery.

This week the brightly colored delivery van dropped off our first shipment: Louisiana shallots, sweet potatoes, Marrs oranges, green cabbage, broccoli, leaf lettuce, mixed Asian greens, curly parsley, white icicle radishes, and cherry tomatoes. They came in a large plastic container which we will set out next time to be reused by Farmhouse Delivery.

Although we received an email with a list of what to expect, we also knew the items could change. This was a valid concern this week due to the holidays and abnormally cold Texan weather. I eagerly waited for the delivery Friday morning. Zeb was good and only texted once to ask if it came. I was pleasantly surprised by the contents. It was packed full of great smelling vegetables plus fresh eggs and goat cheese which Zeb ordered to surprise me :)

After rearranging the fridge to fit the new food, I plopped down on the couch with several recipe books. Zeb wanted to use his new tagine, but winter vegetable don't mix well with Moroccan cooking. I'm still not sure what we'll cook, but I am willing to bet the cabbage is used in a Polish dish.

Winter Vegetable Ragout*

The goose was good, the potatoes were great, but the winter vegetables were superb!

Caution: This recipe serves 12!
Preheat oven to 350 (later change to 425)

4 lg carrots
1 butternut squash - peeled & cut into 3/4" cubes
2 med. turnips - peeled & cut into 3/4" cubes
2 med onions - cut into 1" pieces
1/4 C olive oil
Salt (we used Himalayan)
Fresh ground pepper
3/4C Madeira
1 lg tomato
2 tsp fresh thyme

In a large roasting pan, toss carrots, squash, turnips, and onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes until they begin to soften but are not browned.

Stir in Madeira and tomatoes. Roast for another 25 minutes, stirring once, until the Madeira has evaporated and the veggies are golden.

Turn oven up to 425. Add the thyme. Roast for 20-25 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly caramelized.

The dish can rest at room temperature up to 6 hours. Reheat before serving.

*Adapted from foodandwine.com

Happy Christmas!

We had a Victorian feast at the K-D household this Christmas! As usual, we had an abundance of food and leftovers.
1st course

Fresh Blue Point Oysters
Lobster Bisque
2nd course
Roasted Goose with Chestnut Sage Stuffing
Winter Vegetable Ragout
Potatoes a la Maitre d'Hotel
3rd course
Assorted Cheeses and Breads
Mixed Nuts
4th course
Buch de Noel

Guinness Cake

Here is a recipe to start off our St. Patrick's Day preparations:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs - beaten
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
1 pinch salt
2/3 cup raisins - soaked in Guinness
1 1/3 cup golden raisins - soaked in Guinness
1/4 cup dried cherries - soaked in Guinness
8+ fluid ounces of Guinness - you need a little more to soak the dried fruit.

- Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a deep 8 inch cake pan
- Cream the butter and the sugar until the sugar dissolves; beat in the eggs.
- Mix in the flour, salt, apple pie spice and the soaked dried fruit.Stir in the Guinness.
- Pour batter into the pan and bake for approximately 2 hours until firm in the center.

Silky Smooth Pumpkin Pie

- From Cook's Illustrated Nov & Dec 2008 issue -

Filling:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
5 large eggs (3 entire eggs plus 2 yolks)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon table salt

- Whisk cream, milk, eggs, yolks, and vanilla together in medium bowl.

- Combine pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes.

- Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream mixture. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl, using back of ladle or spoon to press solids through strainer (This is a very important step -- do not skip it. It does take time).

- Rewhisk mixture and transfer to warm prebaked pie shell. Return pie plate with baking sheet to oven (400 degrees) and bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking until edges of pie are set, 20 to 30 minutes longer (instant thermometer inserted in center registers 175 degrees). Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.

Barack Rolled

So this isn't really a recipe, but edible Obama deserves a link. Stay patriotic, y'all!

And right back at ya!

I saw one of those photos today on this site

Funny how quickly people come to recognize my love of delicious things wrapped in other delicious things . . .