Spooky Farmers Market Treats

When asked to do a Halloween cooking demo at the Winchester MA Farmers Market, I wanted to make something a bit more healthy and fresh then the typical candies and cupcakes and it had to be FUN.   How about Crazy Apple Creatures, Apple Ghosts, and Creepy Finger Sandwiches! These are  super easy to make and are fun to do with even young kids. There are many versions of similar treats online but it is fun to give them a local food twist.

For the Crazy Apple Creatures you need some nice big apples (I used Cortlands from Kimball Fruit Farm), a sharp knife,  creamy peanut butter, creamy nut butter, or cream cheese, plus jam and an assortment of nuts, seeds, raisins, and dried fruit (a used a bag of Fastachi nut mix that I bought at the farmers market). You will also need a about two cups of water mixed with a teaspoon of lemon juice in a small bowl.
Start by cutting the apple into quarters and then remove the core.
Cut a V-shaped piece out of the skin side of the apple as shown here.
Dip the cut apple in the lemon juice mixture and they are ready for the kids to decorate.  For the Apple Ghosts just peel the apples, cut the same as for Crazy Apple Creatures and decorate nuts or currants for eyes.

The Creepy Finger Sandwiches start with a few slices of whole wheat bread, a rolling pin,  local goat cheese (I used Crystal Book Farm) or cream cheese, a few sliced almonds, and a bit of red  jam, such as strawberry, raspberry, or cranberry (you know we used Doves and Figs).
Cut all of the crust off of the bread and roll flat with the rolling pin.
Spread the cheese on the bread and roll up tightly as you would a jelly roll.
Cut a few shallow slashes to look like knuckles
Place a dab of cheese at one end and top with a sliced almond for the fingernail
At the other end smear a bit of jam for the super creepy blood (eeeewwww)
HAPPY HALOWEEN!!

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

Autumn American Lamb Supper

UPDATE-We won! Teamed up with Chef Michael Scelfo of Russell House Tavern, my lamb roast was transformed into a roulade of lamb belly stuffed with lamb sausage and sous vide overnide until it was meltingly tender.  It was served with a dollop of Doves and Figs Winter Carnival conserve, a brush of cranberry mustard and a sprinkle of micro greens.

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

Glistening jewels among the cabbages

A few weeks ago on Cape Cod, I stood at the edge of a magnificent sea of red fruit and blue water.  I watched, fascinated, as waves of cranberries were nudged from the cool flooded bog and sent rolling up a huge conveyor belt and then cascading down in a shower of red, pink, and white into a waiting open trailer truck.   I read that Massachusetts was the second largest producer of cranberries in the world and it appeared even from this one bog that we have plenty to share!  Naturally, I could not end my visit without taking home a taste of this bounty so my freezer is now filled with gallon bags of bright red berries.

Tonight we raided the cranberry stash to grace a dish of Brussels sprouts and apples.  We bought the firm and bright green Brussels sprouts from E.L. Silvia Farms at the Winchester Farmers Market this morning and the nice tart apples were from a picking expedition at Kimball Fruit Farms.  We gave them a quick steaming and then Mark pan roasted the baby cabbages until slightly charred and still crunchy.  He then added the cranberries , the apples, a splash of apple cider ,and a sprinkling of salt and cracked pepper.  The dish swirled with fall colors and each taste was distinct and yet the flavors blended together beautifully. 

We plan to make this dish again for Thanksgiving as long as one of the farmers still has good Brussels sprouts available.  If we can’t get sprouts some shredded cabbage would also work well.

Falling for Kale

The joy of eating locally in the summer is well-known and the farmers markets are filled with shoppers enjoying the delights of peaches, tomatoes, and corn.  But once the fall sets in we begin to think about the long winter ahead.  I started writing about eating locally in winter last year and continue to search for new vegetables and fruits that store well or have a season that extends into the cold weather.  Today I picked up some Lacinato kale which was a lush dark green with stiff leaves.  Farmers have told me that they have harvested delicious kale in the snow.  I decided to pair the kale with apples and onions which are also good winter “keepers” .  This simple recipe is a comforting side dish for a cool autumn or early winter night. 

Kale and Apples
Head of Kale (Lacinato/Black Kale prefered)
1/2 cup Roughly Chopped Onion
Medium Apple (peeled, cored, chopped in 1/2 “chunks)
3 tablespoons Ricotta Cheese
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Zest
pinch Fresh Nutmeg

Rinse kale well and leave damp
Discard thick kale stems and chop roughly 
Heat the pan and add olive oil
Saute onions until just soft
Add apples and saute until juices begin to run
Add kale and cook over medium heat until soft and wilted
Mix in cheese, lemon zest, and nutmeg
Serve hot or warm

Conserve-ation

Honoring the end of one season and the beginning of another I made Peach Almond Conserve  and Cranberry Apple Conserve  this week.  Conserves are similar to preserves but are made with a combination of fresh and dried fruits and often contain nuts.   These conserves are made without pectin and with less sugar than most jams, giving them a softer, chunkier texture with lots of fruit taste.  A good conserve blends the flavors of the fruits without losing their individual character. 

Here are my recipes for some delicious seasonal conserves.

Cranberry Apple Walnut Conserve
2 cups cranberries
6 cups apples (peeled, cored, cut in 1/4 inch slices, then cut in half)
1/2 cup orange juice
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup walnuts (rough chopped)
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 cinnamon sticks
1 whole star anise
2 tablespoons Contreau (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Place walnuts in single layer on cookie sheet
Toast in oven until just slightly browned and fragrant
Set nuts aside to cool
Cook cranberries in orange juice and spices until they begin to soften slightly and pop (about 10 minutes)
Add apples, raisins, and sugar
Cook gently until apples soften and mixture begins to thicken
Stir in remaining sugar and Contreau
Boil until mixture gels (will be a softer spread than a traditional jam)
Remove cinnamon sticks and star anise
Stir in walnuts
refrigerate, can, or freeze

Peach Almond Conserve
8 cups peaches (peeled, pitted, cut into 1/2 chunks)
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup dried currants
2/3 cup slivered almonds
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons Ameretto (or 1 tsp almond extract)

Cook peaches, currants and cinnamon sticks until they get slightly soft and juicy
Add sugar and Ameretto (or almond extract) turn up heat
Boil until mixture gels (will be a softer spread than a traditional jam)
Remove cinnamon sticks
Stir in almonds
Refrigerate, can, or freeze