Good things come in small packages

Growing up in England, our end of year excesses were confined to Christmas and the New Year. This year in Chicago, i find myself recovering from a 4 day weekend of lavishness, the crowning glory of which had to be the brined and roasted organic turkey, or was it the sage, sausagemeat and chestnut stuffing, but surely the pecan pie takes first place or perhaps it was the sneaky cheese course.....Regardless, the advent of my first Thanksgiving in Chicago has led me to rekindle some festive childhood memories from afar. There were always an array of salted and sweet snacks, from nuts to hand dipped chocolate gingers which I'd make with mum once school was over, and a centrepiece - a Stilton (with the requisite bottle of Port wine for the adults). Assuming you’ve decked the halls and made some headway into your yuletide preparations, you may be planning on welcoming friends into your home and sharing food and drink: what better way to elevate your spirits.


As we creep towards the end of the year I'm surprised at the collection of treats I have to hand from the garden. As recently as early November I was harvesting tomatoes. Some of the ever abundant cherry variety made it into the oven to be dried and then neatly packed away in olive oil and herbs for later. Herbs reside in the freezer and will be used daily to flavour dishes. Chilli peppers, both red and green, made it into chilli jam perfectly flecked with the colors of Christmas, and make a gloriously spicy accompaniment to cheese. If you don’t have a glowing log fire to warm you from the outside, then the chilli will do the job from the inside.


Thinking of my heritage led me to produce some slightly retro cheesy numbers, moreish mouthfuls to wash down with a glass of festive fizz (try adding pomegranate concentrate to a fizzy white such as Bele Casel Prosecco), or mull some red wine with spices and orange.


Bitesize stitchelton tarts - the blue and gooey affair - a cheat’s pastry basket filled with stichelton dip and baked.



Makes approx 24


12 slices white bread
butter for spreading
6oz stichelton (crumbled)
1 cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
worcestershire sauce
seasoning


1. Using a rolling pin, flatten out the slices of bread, then butter on both sides. Using a 2 ½” cookie cutter cut out 2 pieces from each slice, and push into a muffin tray (i use individual silicon moulds).
2. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl and spoon approx 1tspn of the mixture into the bread moulds.
3. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.


Cheese and Chilli - the warm and spicy one - goats cheese warm from the oven drizzled with homemade jalapeno jelly. Scoop it up on pieces of artisan crackers which stand up to being dipped. You could give remaining jars of jelly as a Christmas gift (or keep it in the fridge all for yourself)



Prairie Fruits Farm chevre frais 6 oz pot
Jalapeno Jelly (see recipe below)


Warm the goats cheese in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove and spoon a generous helping of jelly over the top. Serve immediately with crackers for dipping.


Jalapeno Jelly


Makes approx 5 cups or 5 x ½lb jars


¾ lb jalapeno peppers
2 cups cider vinegar, divided
6 cups sugar
2 (3 ounce) envelopes liquid pectin


1. Remove stems and seeds from jalapenos, puree in food processor with half the cider vinegar
2. Combine puree, remaining cider vinegar, and sugar in large saucepan. Bring
to a boil; boil for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in liquid pectin. Return to a rolling boil and boil hard 1 minute, stirring
constantly. Remove from heat.
4. Skim foam, if necessary, and stir in a few drops of food coloring, if desired.
5. Ladle hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust 2 piece caps.
If you want to ensure preservation for more than 2 months then process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.


Parmesan, walnut and rosemary crackers - the nutty, salty one - a twist on an old favourite. Eat by themselves, any leftovers can be used in salads or as croutons in soups.

Makes approx 50


1 cup/4 oz all-purpose flour
4 tbsp/2 oz chilled butter
½ cup/2 oz grated Parmesan (or Podda)
1 cup/4oz toasted walnuts, finely chopped
2 tspn dried rosemary (double the amount if using fresh)
½ teaspoon salt
black pepper
1 egg
milk for brushing




1. Toast the walnuts in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
2. Rub the butter into the flour in a bowl until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Add the cheese, walnuts, rosemary,salt and pepper and mix. Add the egg and bring the dough together. If it’s too dry add a tspn of cold water. Once the egg is absorbed, knead the dough lightly until it comes together and forms a ball. Shape into logs 1” across, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into ¼ “ slices. Place on the baking sheet and brush with milk.



5.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a rack to cool.


A Mediterranean mouthful - the meaty, fruity choice - Oven dried cherry tomato and slivers of marinated garlic enveloped in Jamon Serrano.


Makes approx 24


8 slices of Jamon Serrano
24 halves oven dried tomatoes (see below for recipe)
3 cloves marinated garlic


Lay out your slices of ham and tear 2” pieces, wrap around an oven dried cherry tomato and a sliver of marinated garlic (optional). Skewer with a small stick of rosemary.


Oven dried tomatoes



Makes one ½ lb jar


Cherry tomatoes (1 small box)
Whole gloves of garlic, unpeeled
Olive oil
Mediterranean herbs


Preheat oven to 225°F. Halve each tomato crosswise and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the cloves of garlic. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake the tomatoes in the oven for about three hours. You want the tomatoes to be shriveled and dry, but with a little juice left inside–this could take more or less time depending on the size of your tomatoes.


Use them straight away or pack in a jar with the garlic and herbs, cover with olive oil to jazz up pizza or sandwiches.

A feast for a festival

November is a month for remembrance, celebration, and all things orange. Orange is said to stimulate the appetite, somewhat indicative of the time of year with the onset of the colder weather. Socially, orange and black represent Halloween while orange and brown are synonymous with Thanksgiving.

The origins of these prominent dates marked on our calendars at this time of year are arguably rooted in harvest time, among other things. So as we replace one set of decorations with another, it feels like a race to the “big event”, Christmas. Slow down.

This is also a time for reflection. I’m doing some of my own now that our garden harvesting is mostly over for this year, although some winter spinach crops and parsnips remain in the ground for a while longer, I stop to consider what we have successfully grown.

We need no excuse for a feast presently and my mind turns to Butternut Squash - the lovely orange, versatile, dense fleshy vegetable readily available to buy now but one which can be stored. A few from the garden made it into the pot this year, unlike some other unlucky squash varieties which fell victim to the squash bug who infected much of the crop.

In a traditional marriage of flavors for this Butternut squash lasagna, I've included garlic and fresh sage (I’m still picking sage fresh from my plants but it can be chopped and frozen for future use). I’ve chosen to use fresh Mozzarella alongside Prairie Breeze Cheddar, which adds a saltiness to the dish which is otherwise sweet from the squash, and toasted hazelnuts add a luxurious crunch. The chunks of squash retain their shape in this dish, quickly giving way to an oozy, cheesy sauce.

This makes a great dish for the Thanksgiving holiday and I’ve teamed it with an indulgent winter coleslaw.

Butternut is also a gift for winter soups and purees.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Serves 4-6

Squash filling

1 large onion, chopped

3 tbsp butter

3 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1inch cubes

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp chopped sage

1 cup/4oz hazelnuts, roasted and roughly chopped

1tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

white sauce:

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tbsp butter

5 tbsp flour

4½ cups/40 fl oz milk

½ cup/8 fl oz white wine

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper

cheese layer

1/2 lb/2 cups fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated

4 oz/1 cup Prairie Breeze cheddar, coarsely grated

12 small sheets (1/2 lb) lasagna

Filling

Soften the onion in the butter in a large pan, add the garlic and squash and cook on the hob for about 15 minutes (until the squash is just tender). Put a lid on the pan after the first 5 minutes as this allows the squash to steam after it’s initial coloring in the pan. Once cooked, stir in the parsley, sage, nuts and seasoning. Leave to one side.

Roux Sauce

Melt the butter and soften the garlic. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add the milk and wine, stirring constantly. Add the bay leaf and seasoning. Leave to one side.

Assembly

Assemble in a rectangular dish 13” x 9”. Spread a spoonful of the sauce on the bottom of the dish, cover with 3 sheets of pasta, next 2/3 cup sauce and one third of the filling, then 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat twice more with pasta, sauce, filling and cheese. Top with remaining 3 pasta sheets, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese.

* the filling and roux can be made a day ahead and chilled.

Winter coleslaw

2 large carrots, finely grated

2 cups red cabbage, shredded

1 small red onion, finely sliced

1tbsp capers, chopped

4 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp sour cream

1 tsp cider vinegar

pinch of brown sugar

¼ tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper

Mix the carrots, cabbage, onion and capers in a serving bowl. Mix the remaining dressing ingredients in a bowl and stir into the vegetable mix.

Cheesy Fall Fixes - a trio of toasties

This month i’ve witnessed some spectacular golden, red and orange hues burning against the blue skies, and with them the reality that our summer growing season is ending. Some plants in the garden, as they wilt and decay, beg to be relieved of their last fruits, with it bringing hope that the goodness in the soil is being replenished for next year. A rebirth. So as the curtain falls on summer, i’ve turned my thoughts to preserves. By saving any surplus from our garden bounty, i can keep the memory of summer alive on a plate. I’ve pulled some end of season beets from my patch to make a spiced relish with orange, and jellied the excess of my mediterranean herbs. With the colder weather in mind, i’ve matched these with a trio of melt in your mouth grilled American cheeses, comfort food for the long, cold nights ahead. What better way to highlight some of our nations artisans as part of American Cheese Month. I’m keeping my winter bed warm with straw, and wait tentatively for new season garlic sprouts in the Spring.



Rustic seeded roll smothered in a blanket of melted Appalachian cheese - a slightly sweet, nutty and supple cow’s milk cheese from Meadow Creek Dairy in Virginia - mixed with leek, egg and cream. This is an indulgent treat not to be missed.

Rustic roll with Appalachian, leek, egg and cream topping

1 medium leek, chopped small
1tbsp olive oil
6oz Appalachian cheese, grated
2 egg yolks
1tspn thyme
2 tbsp cream
½ tspn grainy mustard
seasoning
butter for spreading
2 rustic rolls, halved lengthways

Gently soften the chopped leek in the olive oil for 10 minutes. In a bowl, mix the remainder of the ingredients and add the cooked leek. Toast the rustic roll lightly on both sides, butter it, and put the cheese mixture evenly on top and to the edges. Place under a medium grill until the cheese begins to bubble and colour.



Walnut bread topped and toasted with Point Reyes Blue from Point Reyes Farmstead in California - a silky, salty organic blue with a spiced beetroot relish on the side. The mustard seeds add a crunchy texture to this relish, and for any beet sceptics out there this is a relish to relish. Try it.

Walnut bread with Point Reyes Blue and beet relish

6oz Point Reyes Blue
2 slices walnut bread from a large loaf (or 4 from a small)
butter to spreadToast the walnut bread lightly on both sides.

Butter the toast and crumble or spread the Point Reyes blue onto one side. Return to the grill and toast lightly until the cheese bubbles on top. Serve with the beetroot relish below.

Spiced beetroot relish

This makes approximately 4lbs or 8 x 8oz jars.

3lbs beetroot washed, peeled and chopped into small cubes
3 onions peeled and finely chopped
3 apples peeled and grated
3 oranges zested and juiced
2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
1tbsp ground cloves
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp coriander seeds
3 cups / 24oz red wine vinegar
1 1/2lbs golden sugar
pepper

In a large saucepan, mix all the ingredients and bring to a gently simmer. Cook for 1 hour with the lid on, stirring occasionally until it appears thick and the beetroot tender.

While the relish is cooking, sterilize your jars. Either put them through a short wash in the dishwasher or boil for 15 minutes in a large pot. Be careful to lift the jars with clean tongs so as not to introduce any new bacteria.

Spoon the cooked relish into the jars and, using a clean cloth, wipe the jar clean of any residue around the rim before sealing.

It can be stored in the fridge for up to 6 months and use as desired. Once opened the shelf life is 2 months.



Crusty french baguette topped with Hooligan - a pungent, creamy washed rind cheese from Cato Corner Farm in Conneticut - served with a dollop of fragrant mediterranean herb jelly

Baguette with Hooligan and herb jelly

1 medium sized baguette, halfed length and widthways into 4
butter to spread
6oz Hooligan, sliced thinly

Toast the baguette lightly on both sides. Spread with butter and lay the sliced Hooligan on the bread. Return to the grill and toast lightly until the cheese bubbles on top. Serve with Mediterranean herb jelly spooned over the top.

Mediterranean herb jelly

This makes approximately 3 1 pint jelly jars / 5 - 6 cups

3 cups apple juice
1 cup chopped fresh herbs (Rosemary, Oregano and Mint work well)
2 tbspns freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pouch of liquid pectin Sure Jell OR 1 pack (1 ¾ ounces or ⅓ cup) powdered pectin
½ teaspoon butter
4 cups sugar
sprigs of herbs rinsed and dried to decorate jars

Sterilize your jars. Either put them through a short wash in the dishwasher or boil for 15 minutes in a large pot.

Heat the apple juice and chopped herbs to a low simmer. Remove from the heat and stand for 20 minutes. Strain the herbs and juice into a large bowl and put the juice only back into the pot.

Return herbs to the hob on a medium - high heat, add the lemon juice, stir in the pectin and butter and stir until it comes to a full boil. Add the sugar and stir until it returns to the boil again. Cook at a rolling boil for exactly 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and skim off the foam with a clean spoon.

Place a sprig of herb into each jar and spoon in the jelly. Using a clean cloth, wipe the jar clean of any residue around the rim before sealing.

It can be stored in the fridge for up to 6 months and use as desired. Once opened the shelf life is 2 months.

To tantalise your tastebuds even further, pair with a sweet cider or a beer with a sparkle. I also think these can be dressed up accordingly for the occasion. For a lunch with friends, toss a few salad leaves in citrus and olive oil and add to the plate.All the cheese recipes serve 2 generously. The relish and jelly recipes will make a “batch”.

October posting written for http://www.pastoralartisan.com/

A love affair with tomatoes - part deux

I am currently writing allotment inspired recipes for Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine in Chicago - a "European-inspired neighborhood cheese, specialty food and wine shop offering the highest quality, cut-to-order domestic and international specialty cheeses, freshly baked breads, perfectly chosen accompaniments and small production wines, along with hand-crafted, cheese loving beers"

September issue 1

We are excited to introduce a series of recipes from our friend and fellow cheese-lover Jane McKay at the Merchant Park Community Garden. Each month, we'll feature a delicious recipe that marries our artisan cheeses and the seasonal, local produce from our own backyard in Chicago. Keep up to date with happenings at the Garden on their facebook page and keep checking in here for more great recipes and pairings.

Merchant Park Community Garden (MPCG) strives to provide an opportunity for neighbors and their children to work, play, learn and grow together. MPCG is not only for the benefit of our members, but also aims to benefit the community at large through outreach efforts such as donations to local food pantries. In short, MPCG is an oasis in the 30th ward - a backyard for us all.

The garden at this time of year has been groaning with fruit, providing us with a bountiful supply of tomatoes. Our hot Chicago summer, peppered with big rain showers, has allowed the plants to fruit abundantly.

With heirlooms such as Reis brought from Wisconsin, to Black Prince, green and red Tigrella and of course Cherries, one way or another, tomatoes make their way into our weekly menu and when the season is over then in come the tinned or store bought alternatives. Imagine a year round diet without tomatoes? This year I will say "imagine a year without homegrown tomatoes".

The tomatoes coming from our vines are juicy, misshaped and tasty mouthwatering fruits. Aside from eating them straight from the vine, there are many ways to prepare tomatoes; from a simple salad of sliced fruit drizzled with olive oil and splashed with balsamic vinegar, (I recommend you use the best oil and vinegar that you can get. Try Frescobaldi Laudemio oil and La Vecchia balsamic, aged 10 years); to a fresh tomato sauce with such depth of flavor that all it requires is a bowl of spaghetti as a vehicle for eating.

To pay homage to our ongoing first harvest, a Tarte fine aux tomates (Tomato Tart) is offered up. The tomatoes are sat on top of the tart which allows them to partially dry out during cooking, concentrating their already sweet and sharp flavors. Underneath, the tomatoes are cushioned by a delicious creamy, salty and fragrant mixture of grated Parmesan and soft goat cheese flecked with fresh basil. A fresh Aioli is the perfect addition. Eat the tart while it's still warm with a glass of crisp Rose wine such as Prestige Chateau Peuch Haut.

Tarte fine aux tomates

serves 4

• 8 oz frozen puff pastry rolled to 12" circle
• 4 oz Parmesan grated (Sar Vecchio works well and of course the real deal Parmigiano Reggiano)
• 1 bunch basil
• 6 oz tub Prairie Fruits Farm fresh goat cheese
• 2 lbs tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 390 degrees F.

Roll the pastry to 12" and place on a baking sheet.

In a bowl grate the parmesan, tear in the basil, mix in the goat cheese and season

Spread the mixture onto the inner 8" circle of the pastry

Slice the tomatoes and lay them in ever decreasing circles from the outside edge of the pastry inwards, and upwards over the cheese mixture, using the top and bottom slices to prop up each circle as you move towards the the center.

Bake at 390 degrees F for 25 minutes, and then for a further 45 minutes at 340 degrees F.

aioli

serves 4

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp water
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 12 ounces/350ml olive oil (or half the amount of olive to half vegetable oil)
• 3 crushed cloves of garlic

Put the egg yolks into a basin, add the water and mustard

Start whisking a drizzle of olive oil until incorporated ensuring the mixture doesn't split. Add the oil in small amounts whisking continuously until the mixture becomes firm.

Mix in the crushed garlic and season to taste

Alternatively the aioli can be made in a small food processor by adding the oil slowly while blending

Jane McKay is a member of the Merchant Park Community Garden - "a backyard for us all"

Everything we grow is within 8' x 8' raised beds, constructed by the members in May 2011. Each raised bed has a dedicated owner for a year and all of our produce is organically grown.

The beetroot test

Beetroot is one of those things which fits into those love/hate categories in life, evoking a response so definitive to the question "do you like beetroot?" surpassed only by Marmite in my experience. Something so vibrant and unique which hides a pretty interior could only have been choreographed by nature. I love beets. With only a handful of teeny, sweet pink beetroot plucked from our 8' x 8' allotment garden, i had to make the most of the precious produce. Since they were so small and fresh, I grated them raw into a salad of toasted buckwheat and caraway seed and added a balsamic vinegar, orange and olive oil dressing. Sliced radish, half moons of cucumber and dill sit on top, drizzled with sour cream, lemon and horseradish sauce to finish.

serves 4

2 1/2 cups buckwheat
4tsp caraway seeds
8 small / 4 medium beetroot, peeled and grated
juice of 1 orange
6tsp balsamic vinegar
3tbsp olive oil
1 cucumber, seeded and sliced
handful sliced radishes
2tbsp dill

dressing
4tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2tbsp horseradish grated (or sauce is ok)
seasoning

• toast the buckwheat and caraway in a dry frying pan
• remove from the heat and add the beetroot, orange, vinegar and olive oil
  
• scatter the radish,cucumber and dill over the top of the buckwheat mixture
• drizzle with the dressing
  

Add your favourite smoked fish to make a meal of it

Fiddleheads

I spent a good part of my childhood being dragged across moorland by my parents, whatever the weather, under the guise that it was good for me. I'm occasionally nostalgic about this because i now live on a huge plain in the Mid West of America, without a single piece of green moorland in sight. Bracken was abundant on Ilkley Moor, but we would never have thought their immature fronds were edible. Earlier this season i stumbled across these fiddlehead ferns in a fish shop in Chicago. Slightly nervous about undercooking them i steamed them first for 5 minutes until tender before tossing them in a pan of hot olive oil and garlic for a minute. They were meaty and tasty.

It's cake o'clock

After the birth of both my daughters, the nights were long and interrupted.I, like many other new mums, used this as an excuse for incorporating a daily, afternoon cake eating slot. Well i needed the energy of course, and so did my babies. In the early days i wasn't too fussy, so long as it was moist and chocolatey, or nutty,or both, or perhaps lemony, or coffee like. As a result, afternoon baking has become a regular fixture in our house partly for fun with a 3 year old but also because i love afternoon tea. The poppy seeds in this cake give a crunchy texture and while they are a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids they are rumoured to have a soporiphic effect too.



poppy seed cake
130g self raising flour
1tsp baking powder
2 eggs
225g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
200g poppy seeds
1tbsp grated lemon rind
120ml milk
130g melted butter
2tbsp sunflower oil

• preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and grease a 23cm springform cake tin
• whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla for 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. stir in poppy seeds and lemon rind
• fold in the flour and baking powder in 3 batches alternating with the milk
• fold in the melted butter and oil
• pour into the tin and bake for 40 minutes