Sunshine for Supper

Last weekend was the opening day for the winter market at Mahoney’s Garden Center in Winchester.  Our Doves and Figs booth was set between some sweeping potted palms and a large display of citrus trees. I remember vacationing in Florida as a child and driving through orange groves.  The heavenly scent of white blossoms and the cheery round orange fruit.  It was a great day with lots of people tasting and buying jam and local friends stopping in to shop and say hello.  When I got home I could not stop thinking about oranges.  I planned several new citrus jam and marmalade recipes and then I bought a big bag of navel oranges and brought my orange obsession to dinner.

I roasted some carrots, turnips, and beets that I bought at the market.  When the vegetables were tender, I let them cool slightly and then splashed them with a mix of fresh orange juice, a bit of orange zest, some fig jam, white balsamic vinegar, and a dash of black pepper.   

The main course was orange sesame salmon. I dusted the salmon fillets with flour and paprika.  The fish was then seared on both sides in a hot pan lightly coated with olive oil.  I added a blend of orange juice, rice wine, minced garlic, minced ginger, and a drop of sesame oil to the pan.  As the salmon cooked the sauce reduced and thickened almost to a glaze.  Just before serving, I sprinkled the fish with toasted white and black sesame seeds. 

I served the sesame salmon and the roasted root vegetables with a simple green salad, and jasmine rice into which I mixed caramelized onions. It was a sunny supper for a winter night.

     

Small but Mighty-Petite Sweet Rolls

The holidays are over and finally a bit a cold weather has arrived after an unusually warm start to the winter in New England.  I awoke early to a dusting of snow on the ground and a chilly breeze outside my window and headed for the kitchen.  My favorite time to bake is morning and I thought it would be a nice treat to bring something sweet to nibble on to my client meeting.  I had tucked away a few jars of Holiday Table jam (cranberry & pecan with cranberry honey) since my family complains that sometimes I sell every jar of a flavor they like and it also it seemed like a great flavor to use in baking.  I made up some buttermilk biscuit dough (recipe below)and patted it out in a long rectangle.  I spread some melted butter on the dough and then warmed the jam and spread it on the dough leave a bit of a clean edge on one side.   Them I sprinkled a cinnamon sugar mix over the jar and butter and tossed on a handful of chopped pecans.  I carefully rolled it up jelly roll fashion (the long side gets rolled) and cut it into one inch chunks.  The little rolls were placed in a buttered mini muffin tin and baked at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes.  While the rolls baked, I made a quick glaze of one tablespoon fresh orange juice, one teaspoon honey, and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar all mixed together until smooth.  When the rolls when done, I turned them out onto a cooking rack and drizzled them with the orange glaze.

Petite Sweet Rolls
2 cups flour
4 tablespoons butter melted
1/2 buttermilk
2/3 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons baking powder

Mix baking powder and flour in a mixing bowl
Mix melted butter, buttermilk, and milk
pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix just to combine

Filling
3 oz jam (always plenty of jam around here)
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons cinnamon/sugar mix
1/4 cup chopped nuts or raisins if desired

 

Chanukah Gifts-Day One

I had planned a splashy start to this series of posts-a Chanukah first night feast.  Unlike slick magazine articles (the perfect country Christmas dinner for 25 in the restored barn which is actually written and photographed in June) I like to write in real-time about my real family.  Real families get colds, real families have too much homework, real families eat cheese omelets for dinner on the first night of Chanukah instead of the inventive gourmet spread I had planned.

What was special tonight was not the food or the carefully wrapped boxes, but the love in the tired faces gathered around the menorah’s glowing lights and the soft sweetness in my Mom’s voice on the phone when she talked about holidays and tried to find some good even in a crappy day.  This was a tough year for my family on many fronts, but we have all made it through to this season and are stronger for it and that is my Chanukah gift for the first night.

Give Me A Break!

Rich, warm, creamy flavors are holiday standards.  This is the time of year when even Scrooge can’t resist indulging in a cheese filled or bacon-wrapped little something.   Layer upon layer of indulgent foods can become tiring unless there is something simple with a bit of bite to break them up.  A green salad is a classic option but some beautiful scarlet salad turnips I found at the farmers market made a unique accompaniment to a traditional holiday meal.  This dish is also great for pot luck parties and buffets as it provides a nice option for raw food and vegan food fans. 

1 large scarlet salad turnip
1 medium tart apple
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp raw, unfiltered honey (or more to taste)
1 tsp caraway seeds

Shred turnip and apple on mandolin or food processor
Blend in cider vinegar and honey
Sprinkle in caraway seeds and toss
Chill until ready to serve

Biscuit, Egg, Cheese, and Lamb?

I have to admit that I sometimes I crave awful drive-through breakfast food.  If you need to stop reading my blog or unfriend me on Facebook after this revelation, I will understand.  This morning, over tired and stressed; the greasy, salty siren song of the McSomething called to me as I drove to a meeting.  Somehow I was able to resist and tonight I rewarded myself with a slow food biscuit, egg, cheese, and sausage late night supper.

I tossed together some cheddar biscuits (similar recipe to the corn biscuits here, but without corn and with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar) and while they were baking, I found the frozen lamb and apple sausage patties I had saved from my Lamb ProAm supper.  I browned the sausage nicely in a hot pan and put it aside while I soft scrambled a Golden Egg Farm egg.  I took a hot biscuit right from the oven and piled on my lamb sausage and topped it with egg and arranged it on a pretty plate.

The Egg, Cheese, Lamb Biscuit was a delicious treat and I didn’t even miss at all the experience of peeling stuck cheese from the paper wrapper or dropping chunks of egg in my lap as I swerved to avoid a maniac driver on Route 3.

Autumn American Lamb Supper

A number of years ago at Passover, I arrived at my parent’s new home in Florida to find out some terrible news.  My mom had decided that since it was a much smaller holiday crowd then in the past, she would just make a nice roast chicken or
perhaps a small brisket.  “No lamb?” I asked, concern rising in my voice.  As my  mother explained how she was simplifying many things now, tears started to run down my face.  My feelings were sparked in part by longing for my favorite dish, by losing a holiday tradition, and perhaps mostly by the realization that my parents and I were growing older.   Five minutes later Mom and I  were in the car heading to the store to buy a leg of lamb and a big head of garlic and the holiday was restored for me.  The miracles of parting the sea and freeing the slaves from Egypt paled in comparison to the wonders of that lamb dinner.

When I was invited by Boston Chefs, to participate in the American Lamb ProAm, (information and a chance to vote for this recipe) I jumped at the chance.  My first thought was to make the typical spring lamb dinner that I enjoyed so much as a child.  The beautiful crimson-tipped trees and the bounty of fall fruits and vegetables at the farmers market convinced me instead to give my lamb a local autumn flavor.  I have also been following the adventures of  a group learning blog founded by Cathy Barrow called Charcutepalooza which inspired me (and provided excellent help technical advice) to make sausage as part of my dish.

With the exception of salt, sugar, and a few spices, I used all New England local and farm-grown ingredients in my dish.  The lamb that was generously supplied by the American Lamb folks came from Superior Farms.  I was pleased to read that they are  committed to sustainable farming and their website states that “All lamb livestock are raised outdoors with healthy diets of natural grasses, crops and grains.”

The local ingredients featured in my dish include:
Corn meal grown and ground by Mainstone Farm, Wayland MA
Roxbury and Cortland apples, Bosc Pears-Kimball Fruit Farm, Pepperell MA
Eggs-Golden Egg Farm, Hardwick MA
Cranberries-PJs Cranberries, Sandwich MA
Brussells Sprouts-Grateful Farm, Franklin, MA
White Wine-Hardwick Winery in Hardwick MA
Harpoon Hard Apple Cider from Boston, MA and Vermont
Cabot Sharp Cheddar from Vermont
Kate’s Buttermilk from Maine
King Arthur Flour from Vermont

I hope you will enjoy this delicious fall lamb supper and please vote for my dish starting on Monday at www.bostonchefs.com and show your love of lamb and local farm-grown food!

Autumn American Lamb Roast Stuffed with Lamb Apple Sausage Boneless leg of  lamb
Lamb Apple sausage (recipe below) or store-bought lamb sausage
Cape Cod Cranberry Marinade (recipe below)

Prepare the marinade
Place the boneless lamb leg in a large plastic bag and pour in marinade
Refrigerate the lamb for two hours, turning several times to make sure the marinade covers the meat fully
After two hours remove the meat from the bag and discard the marinade
Roll open the leg of lamb gently
Cut part way through meat from the inside, if needed, to
make the roast lay as flat as possible-be careful to not cut too deeply
Spread the sausage mixture over the inside of the lamb leg
leaving a small border around the edges
Roll the roast from the short end like a jelly roll
Truss the roll with butcher’s twine
Roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes and then at 325 degrees until meat reaches desired doneness.
For a medium rare roast, cook about 25 minutes per pound to 145 degrees.
Let roast rest for about ten minutes before slicing

Lamb Apple Sausage
1 ¾ lb pounds of lamb meat (leg or shoulder)
1/3 lb lamb fat
2 cups peeled, cored, chopped firm baking apples
½ cup fine ground cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tsp black pepper
2 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice

Equipment needed-food processor or meat grinder and large bowl
of ice

Cut meat and fat into cubes and place in freezer for 30 minutes
Meanwhile peel, core, and chop apples finely in food
processor or with a knife and set aside
After the meat has chilled, grind in three batches in food
processor fitted with steel blade or run through meat grinder
Place the ground meat in a bowl over the ice bowl to keep it
chilled through the process
When all the meat has been ground, mix the cornmeal, spices
and apples into the meat with your clean hands, blending well
The stuffed lamb roast will need about half of the sausage, you can shape the remaining sausage into patties to freeze and cook later.

Cape Cod Cranberry Marinade
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup cranberries (chopped in food processor)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cracked brown mustard seed (whole seeds can
be cracked in a coffee grinder)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 garlic cloves crushed
1 sprig of fresh rosemary

Place all  ingredients in a large bowl
Stir well to combine

Side Dishes

Apple Pear Cranberry Conserve
6 cups apples (measure after peeling, coring, and cutting into ½ inch chunks)
2 cups of pears (measure after peeling, coring, and cutting into ½ inch chunks)
3 cups cranberries
3 1/2 cups water
5 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Cook cranberries in sugar, water, and spices until cranberries begin to soften
slightly and pop (about 10 minutes)
Add apples and pears
Cook gently until apples and pears soften and mixture begins to thicken
Boil until mixture gels (will be a softer spread than a traditional jam)
Remove cinnamon sticks and refrigerate, can, or freeze

Cheddar Lamb Fat Cornbread
1 cup stone-ground corn meal
1 cup flour
4 tablespoons lamb fat saved from roasting pan and chilled
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2/3 cup cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon baking powder

Heat oven to 400 degrees
Mix together flour, corn meal, and baking powder in a bowl
Stir in cold lamb fat
Whisk buttermilk and egg together
Blend buttermilk and egg into flour mixture
Stir in cheese gently
Grease  9″ cast iron pan or muffin tin
Place in oven to heat for about 5 minutes
Scoop batter into hot pan
Bake 20 minutes for pan and 15 minutes for muffin tin

Brussels Sprouts  Braised in Hard Cider
Clean sprouts and trim stems as needed
Pan sear sprouts in a small amount of olive oil
Add a generous amount of salt and pepper and cover part way
with hard apple cider
Cook on medium heat until sprouts become just tender

Juicy, Sweet, Tart, and Tasty

I am afraid that I have been posting less recipes these days and that is mostly because my kitchen is filled with these magnificent treasures from local Massachusetts farms and orchards.  Once the season slows down and all of the fruit has been blended into preserves and conserves and tucked into jars, there will be more everyday cooking and baking again.  Even so, I can’t totally leave my jam behind and I am thinking about a mid-winter multi-course dinner with some type of jam in each course.  And then there are all of those jam filled tarts and biscuits and cookies I am sure to make for the holidays.  Thank you wonderful farmers for growing all the berries and fruits that are helping me spread the jam love.

To see what we are making in the jam kitchen and where we will be selling & tasting jam next, please go to Doves and Figs Kitchen

Summer Corn Butter Biscuits

Much (OK all) of my kitchen time this summer has been spent happily making jam. Last week I developed a longing to bake again.  Perhaps it was the first cool breeze heralding the end of summer that was to blame for this desire but the oven went on and then I surveyed the pantry and fridge.  Pies and tarts came to mind but all the fruit I had was destined for jars.  My eyes fell on a stack of corn from the farmers market.  I snatched two small ears leaving plenty for dinner and shaved the kernels into a bowl.  I added the corn to one of my favorite drop biscuit recipes and reveled in the smell of warm butter pouring from the oven.  I broke one open as soon as they were baked and ate it hot at the kitchen counter.  Hmmm…maybe I should bake some plain biscuits too.  I do need something to go with all this jam.

Summer Corn Biscuits

1 stick butter
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2/3 cup fresh corn kernels
1 Tbs snipped chives

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together flour and baking powder in a large bowl.  Cut in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs using hand pastry blender, food processor or stand mixer. Do not over mix.  Stir in buttermilk until just combined. Stir in corn and chives gently.  Scoop out 12 lumps of dough onto an ungreased baking tray leaving an each between.  Bake until light brown and cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.

Quick & Sweet Pickled Beets

Patti from On the Edge Knife sharpening asked me for a recipe for pickled beets.  There are many for beets and onions but this one draws out the sweet nature of this root vegetable and has converted several non-beet eaters.

Quick and Sweet Pickled Beets
Scrubbed beets (any variety) with tops cut off
4 cups water
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Kosher Salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon allspice berries
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Boil the beets until just tender and set aside to cool
Boil the water, vinegar and all the spices and zest for at least 5 minutes and set aside to cool
Slip the jackets off the boiled beets and slice
Place beets in a bowl or jar and cover with the cooled brine.
Keep in the refrigerator
Let pickle at least overnight for best flavor.

Doves and Figs Kitchen

As a little girl I lived in Montauk LI at our small family motel for the summers. The town was less refined than it is today but with the same long stretches of sand between soaring cliffs and cool foaming ocean. At the end of the vacation season, wild grapes grew fat and dark purple and plentiful. Our family washed all of the buckets and pails retired from sand castle building and filled them with grapes. My brother and I squeezed piles and piles of grape middles from their skins and Dad made gallons of grape jam. The sweet drunken scent of grapes and sugar wove a crazy path out of the windows riding on the breeze and drew motel patrons to the kitchen. While most kids want to open a lemonade stand, I dreamed of someday selling summer jam. Many years have passed, many recipes have been created, pounds and pounds of local fruit have been simmered and my summer jam stand has become real.

Tomorrow morning I will officially launch my preserves business Doves and Figs Kitchen at the Winchester Farmers Market and in August we will be at the Arlington Farmers Market.  If you would like to see more about what we are making, please visit www.dovesandfigskitchen.com or come by the farmers market for a taste.