Farmers’ Market Box November 25th 2020

November 24, 2020 Orange Department 0 Comments

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This week’s local produce and featured farms:

Farmer’s Choice:

Farmers’ Market Box Recipes:

Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing

Serves 6 to 8

1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
12 cups stale dry bread cubes
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 ½ to 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 large egg

1. Cook the celery, onion, sage and thyme in the butter over low heat and stir until the onions are golden.
2. Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl, and add the celery mixture, tossing to blend.
3. Pour broth over the stuffing ingredients, add the egg, and stir to blend. Taste the stuffing for seasoning and adjust adding more salt, pepper, or herbs.
4. Do-Ahead: At this point the cooled stuffing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for 1 month.
5. Coat the inside of a 3-quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the stuffing to the baking dish and bake 30 minutes, basting with turkey drippings or butter halfway through the cooking time
Crowd-Pleaser: If you are serving a crowd, stuff the dressing into greased loaf pans and bake as directed. Turn the stuffing out of the loaf pans and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the stuffing with a serrated knife that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray and arrange the slices on a platter. Or coat muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray and pack the stuffing into the muffins tins.
Variations to add while sautéing the onion and celery:

1 pound sliced mushrooms
½ pound crawfish tails
½ cup dried chopped apricots
½ cup dried cranberries
1 dozen shucked oysters, chopped
1 cup pecan halves
1 bunch sauteed greens such as Swiss chard, Kale, or collards

Not Your Mama’s Green Bean Casserole

Serves 6

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup sherry (optional)
1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk
Salt and pepper

1. In a skillet, heat the oil, add the onions, and saute until they are crispy.
2. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
3. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil, add the green beans, and cook for 4 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside. Coat the inside of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
4. In a saucepan, heat the butter, add the mushrooms, and saute until the mushrooms begin to color. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Whisk in the broth and bring to a boil. Add the sherry, and cream, stirring until thickened.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Add the beans to the sauce, and transfer to the casserole dish.
7. Top with the onions. (at this point you can cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days)
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling.
9. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Carrot Pudding

Serves 6

1 bunch carrots, tops removed, scraped, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, line a baking sheet with silicone, aluminum foil or parchment. Coat the inside of six 4 to 6 ounce ramekins with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Steam or boil the carrots, until they are soft.
3. Transfer to a food processor (or mash with potato masher) until the carrots are a rough puree. Cool the carrots in a bowl.
4. Whisk in the zest, sugar, flour, egg, yok, baking powder, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, butter, and season with salt.
5. Transfer to the ramekins, arrange the ramekins on the baking sheet, bake until the pudding is firm, and lightly browned, about 40 minutes. Tip the ramekins out onto a serving platter and serve.

Garnet Yams with Bacon Sugar Brulee

Serves 6

5 slices bacon
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 pounds Garnet yams, scrubbed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon grated orange zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Coat the inside of a 2-quart souffle dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate. When bacon is cool enough to handle, crumble into bite-size pieces. Pulse bacon and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in food processor until coarsely ground, about 10 pulses; set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, prick the yams with the sharp tip of a paring knife several times, and roast for 1 hour until tender. Remove from the oven, split the yams, and scoop out the flesh into a food processor.
4. Add butter, cream, orange zest and juice, salt, cinnamon, pepper, and cayenne to the food processor and process until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.
5. Transfer potato puree to 2-quart soufflé dish and sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon-sugar mixture. Broil sweet potatoes until topping is lightly browned and bubbling, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve.
6. Do-Ahead: Processed potatoes can be refrigerated without topping for up to 2 days. To serve, cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in a 400-degree oven until hot throughout, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil, add bacon-sugar topping, and broil as directed above.

Honey Thyme Carrots

Serves 4 to 6

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons honey
3 sprigs thyme
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into chunks if large
Salt and pepper

1. In a skillet, combine the broth, honey, thyme, and carrots. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until the carrots are tender. Season with salt and pepper, remove the thyme sprigs and serve.

Pasta with Collards

Serves 4 to 6
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 bunch collards, tough stems removed, and cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 pound spaghetti or linguine, cooked 2 minutes short of al dente, saving some of the pasta water
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and saute the garlic and red pepper for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
2. Add the collards to the skillet and toss in the garlic oil. Add the broth, cover and simmer 5 minutes until the collards is tender. Uncover, and simmer another 2 minutes, until most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated.
3. Toss the pasta into the skillet, turning it in the sauce, adding pasta water if necessary.
4. In a small bowl, combine the crumbs with the cheese.
5. Plate the pasta, and garnish with the bread crumb mixture.

Green Bean, Corn and Bacon Saute

Serves 6

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 strips of thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 ears of corn, cut from the cob
Salt and pepper

1. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil and cook the beans for 4 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
2. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp, remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan, add the onion and corn, and saute until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the greens beans and toss to blend.
4. Do-Ahead: At this point, you can cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or serve immediately.

Day After Slow Cooker Turkey Stock

One turkey carcass, broken up into pieces
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
3 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
3 medium celery stalks including the leaves, coarsely chopped
6 cups water
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoons dried sage leaves
1 bay leaf
4 whole black peppercorns
1. Place all the ingredients into the insert of a 5 to 7-quart slow cooker, cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours. Taste the broth for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Strain the broth through a colander to remove the large solids, and then strain again through a fine mesh strainer. Cool the stock to room temperature, then store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
2. Slow cooker Savvy: I generally don’t save the meat from this stock, it doesn’t freeze well, and since it’s now been cooked twice it’s pretty soft and not as appetizing as it could be.

Slow Cooker Turkey Soup

Serves 6 to 8
This recipe assumes that you’ve made turkey stock with the carcass from the turkey—see the recipe above, otherwise, use chicken or turkey broth.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried whole sage leaves
8 cups turkey stock
2 ears corn, cut from the cob
1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups leftover turkey
8 ounces cooked egg noodles

1. In a skillet, heat the butter, add the onion, celery, carrots, thyme, and sage sauteing until the onion is softened.
2. Transfer to the insert of a slow cooker.
3. Add the stock/broth, corn (and the cobs) green beans and turkey.
4. Cook on high for 3 hours, low for 6 hours.
5. Remove the corn cobs.
6. Add the pasta, and cook another 1/2 hour on high, and 1 hour on low.
7. Season with salt and pepper as needed and serve.
8. The soup freezes beautifully for up to 6 months.

Thanksgiving Apple Cake with Caramel Pecan Sauce

Serves 8


2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 medium-size Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a sheet pan with silicone, or coat with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until blended.
4. Add the flour, baking soda, and spices and beat until just incorporated.
5. Stir in the apples, nuts, and vanilla. Scrape into the prepared pan.
6. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached to it, 35 to 40 minutes.
7. Set the pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.
8. Do-Ahead: At this point, you can cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 6 weeks.
9. Reheat the chilled or defrosted cake, before serving, covered with aluminum foil, in a 350° F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Caramel Pecan Sauce
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup pecan halves
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 cups heavy cream

1. Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the pecans and toast, stirring, for about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the brown sugar and continue stirring until it melts.
4. Add the cream and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce boils.
5. Do-Ahead: At this point, you can let cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Reheat over medium heat.

Slow Cooker Port Wine Poached Pears

Serves 4 to 6
Although the pears are delicious, the sauce is spectacular. Save it and freeze it, use it to infuse cocktails, or serve over ice cream or chocolate cake.

1 cup full bodied red wine
1 cup ruby port
1 ½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
6 large Warren pears, cored and cut in half
6 ounces Stilton cheese
1. Combine the wine, port, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the insert of a 5 to 7-quart slow cooker.
2. Add the pears to the cooker, you will have to arrange them in layers, and spoon some of the sauce over the pears. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2 ½ hours, until the pears are softened.
3. Uncover the slow cooker and allow the pears to come to room temperature.
4. Carefully remove them from the cooker and arrange them on a platter.
5. Strain the sauce into a saucepan, discarding any solids.
6. Bring the sauce to a boil, and boil for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce becomes syrupy.
7. Spoon the syrup over the pears on the platter and scoop a bit of Stilton into the center of each pear.
8. Serve at room temperature.

Tangerine Butter Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons finely shredded tangerine peel or orange peel
1 teaspoon paste vanilla
1 teaspoon orange extract
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup semolina
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line baking sheets with parchment, aluminum foil, or silicone.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light. Add the baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, add the tangerine peel, vanilla, and extract, beating to combine. Add the olive oil, semolina, and flour. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Place the 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Using a portion scoop, shape the dough into 1-inch balls; roll balls in sugar to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Using a fork, press into each ball of dough.
4. Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes or until tops are very lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

@Diane Phillips www.dianephillips.com blog: www.cucinadivina.blogspot.com
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