Homemade Treats to Brighten Cold, Dark Days

Rotten chilly weather is a great excuse to warm the house and heart with treats from the oven. And nothing says heartfelt like homemade when it comes to gift giving. There's love in that jam, those cookies, that carrot bread. The message is: I'm giving you the gift of life. That's what all the giving and baking is about at this cold, dark time of year: doing what we can to keep our loved ones alive...with spices that warm the body (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove), fat that gets the metabolism cranking up the heat (buttery pastries), vitamin loaded dried and preserved fruits... .

Nothing needs to be complicated or frustrating. In fact, my all time favorite holiday gift--I mean favored by all the recipients who remind me the rest of the year they're waiting for them--are vanilla spiced walnuts which are so simple a six-year-old can make them. I buy a bunch of tins (the Dollar Stores are great for this adventure) and fill'em up.  Here yet again, because I post this every year, is the way to go: (In fact I was at a Dollar Store today piling on the tins when an elderly woman said: "You must be baking cookies." "Vanilla walnuts," I said. "Oh!," she exclaimed. "I like that idea. Tell me what to do."

These recipes deliver cooking confidence and joy to kids. They can make them all.

Vanilla Spiced Walnuts

You can double or triple this recipe and you will probably want to so you have enough for yourself. They're handy snacking, perfect for cocktails and delightful in green salad. Plus they will last months in an airtight tin or jar in the fridge.

This will fill about 3 sm/med tins. 
1 lb walnut halves
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 1/2 tbsp corn oil
1 tbsp good quality vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
couple grinds of the pepper mill
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
pinch cayenne

Preheat oven to 325".
Blanch walnuts 1 min in boiling water. Drain well in a colander. While still hot put in a large bowl and toss with the sugar and corn oil and vanilla. Let stand 10 minutes to absorb. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet (for easy clean up line it with parchment paper) in a single layer. Bake 30-35 min, checking every 10 minutes and moving them around with a metal spatula so they don't brown unevenly. They should get brown and crispy.

While the bake, combine all the spices, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss the hot nuts in the spices being sure everyone gets coated. Cool before packing into airtight tins.
Yes something so fabulous and beloved is that easy.

Orange Almond Cake

This is the gift for the gluten-free dairy free diner in your midst. A cake with no flour or butter that happens to be delicious for everyone else as well. And it's very now. Tis the season to celebrate citrus, which soaked up the sunshine and turned it into Vitamin C we need these days. This flat disk of a cake is moist, rich and sensually fragrant. Perfect for a cup of tea on a cold, dark afternoon. Perfect as a hostess gift and in a lunch box. (Photo not mine)
serves 8
2 lg navel oranges
6 extra large eggs
1 1/2 c ground raw almonds
1 c granulated sugar
1 tsp orange flower water
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder

Wash the oranges. Do not peel. Put them in a pot of boiling water (enough water to cover them) 30 minutes or until they are very soft. Drain, cool and cut into quarters, removing any seeds. 

Preheat oven to 350º. Generously butter, grease or oil (you could use coconut)  a 9" round cake pan.
Puree the oranges skin and all in a food processor, blender or chopper. A bit of skin may stay in tact: that's okay.  
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until thick. Add the ground almonds, salt, sugar, baking powder, cardamom orange flower water and finally the orange puree. Blend well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shake lightly to distribute it evenly, removing air pockets.  Bake at 350º 50-60 minutes or until the cake feels firm to your touch (you can't leave a fingerprint in it). Remove from the oven, let cool 10 minutes and then invert it onto a serving dish.
You can serve this with nutmeg scented whipped cream or candied orange slices sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Basic Biscotti

These are my favorite non-sweet sweet. They're the best friend a cup of coffee will ever have yet they are also perfect for teething babies to gnaw on. They go in a lunch box and since they don't go stale quickly, they can be shipped. A tin of them is a perfect gift--a gift of good health too because almonds, which are the core of these biscotti, have protein, fiber, hard to find Vitamin E, potassium and riboflavin--the last 3 protection from the ravages of winter. Biscotti are double baked cookies. (Not my photo)

1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 c)
2 extra lg eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 c granulated sugar
2 c all purpose, unbleached flour
3/4 c chopped raw almonds
(Those are the basic ingredients. You can experiment with spices if you choose although I'd recommend only the slightest hint of whichever one you choose: allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, anise or rose water.)

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter a large baking sheet or line it with a silicon pad or parchment paper.
On another baking sheet toast the almonds at 350 5 min.  When they cool, chop them into small pieces.
Om a mixer or mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. One at a time beat in the eggs.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder, then carefully add it to the wet batter in the mixer, mixing only enough to blend. Do not overmix flour. Stir in the vanilla and almond extract and any spice you have chosen. Fold in the chopped almonds.

On the prepared baking sheet, form the batter into 4 oblong bars, each about 4 1/2" x 2". Bake these at 340º 20-25 minutes until they are golden and no longer soft. Remove from oven. Don't panic if they've sprawled!

With a sharp serrated knife cut each bar into 1/2" thick slices. Now you see the biscotti form! Save the ends for scrumptious snacking with your next coffee.  Lay the slices side down flat on a baking sheet, return to the oven and continue to bake at 350º about 20 minutes, until they are lightly browned on both sides.  Cool.  Store in airtight tins or wrap in foil and tie with a big red bow.

Fresh Ginger Gingerbread
Tis the season for ginger, a body warming spice, so all sorts of gingerbread concoctions are out there. This one is moist, dark, rich with molasses and very yummy plus easy easy to make.  It's about as all American traditional as you can get. Serve with whipped cream. Or vanilla ice cream. Take it to a party, bake it for the kids, share it at your coffeeklatch or Alice in Wonderland tea party. Don't be frightened by the long ingredient list: it's mostly spices. This is a spicy cake!

makes one 8" square cake

2 oz fresh ginger root, peeled
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 c raw or light brown sugar
2 extra lg eggs
1/2 c molasses
1 tbsp dark rum
3/4 c boiling water
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp gound cloves
1/8 tsp ground allpice
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 c all purpose, unbleached flour

Preheat oven to 375º. Butter and lightly flour an 8" square baking pan.
With the motor of a food processor running, drop in pieces of ginger to chop it. If you do not have a processor, grate the ginger. In the bowl of the processor or a mixer, cream the butter, ginger and brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and blend carefully.  

In a small bowl or large cup with pouring spout, combine the rum, molasses and boiling water. With the mixer running, pour this into the butter/egg batter. 

In another small bowl whisk together   all the spices and mustard, salt, flours, baking soda and powder. Quickly beat these into the batter, not mixing longer than needed to blend. (Never overwork flour.)
The batter should be liquid. Pour it into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven at 375º 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  

Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Then using a small metal spatula loosen the edges and invert the pan to drop the cake onto your serving plate. It may not fall out at once so leave it on the cooling rack a few more minutes.  Serve cut in squares and topped with whipped cream.

Apple Oatmeal Squares

Anybody can send or bring a box of fancy French pastries but nothing will quicken the heart as much as the sight of something as homespun and homemade as these healthy apple oatmeal squares especially in a house with kids. And after all Christmas is about kids. These always sold out immediately at my bakery. They are an old fashioned  New England favorite because they're sturdy but not necessarily sweet. You can serve 'em for breakfast, pack them for lunch and enjoy them at tea. The best news is that you can make them by hand without processors and mixers. (Not my photo)

makes 15  3" squares
2 c all purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3 c rolled oats (not instant)
1 1/3 c light brown sugar
1/2 c currants soaked in cranberry juice
2 sticks (1 c) unsalted butter
2 extra lg eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 Granny Smith apples
1 c chopped walnuts, toasted
1 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9"x13" halfsheet pan with aluminum foil and go up the sides with it. Cover the foil with 1 tbsp melted butter. Chill pan until ready to use.

Melt the 2 stick of butter.
in a lg mixing bowl, sift of whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Stir in sugar and oats. 
Whisk the vanilla and egga one at a time into the melted butter. Slowly add this wet mix to the flour mix and stir to blend into a dough. Wooden spoons always do the job. Press half the dough into the chilled pan to form the bottom crust of the squares. It will not be very thick. Return to the refrigerator.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper. Roll the remaining dough into a thin rectangle the size of the half sheet pan with the crust (9" x13"). If you have trouble use your hands to make a patchwork out of it: nobody will notice once it's baked.  Chill this top crust.

Peel, quarter and thinly slice the apples into crescents. Arrange the apples in overlapping rows along the bottom crust until it is completely covered. Sprinkle with the nuts and drained currants. Now cover the apples with the top crust on that large sheet pan, pressing down on the edges to bond it lightly to the bottom crust. This seals in the apple juices.  Bake 25-30 minutes at 350º until the top is golden brown.
Cool in the pan. Chill in the refrigerator before cutting into squares. (For easiest cutting, invert the chilled pan onto a large cookie sheet, peel off the aluminum foil lawyer and invert back onto a cutting board or another baking sheet to cut.

Rum Raisin Pound Cake
Tis a gift to be simple and old fashioned raisin pound cake has that talent. This one if very buttery with a....well, a....rum punch.  Seal it in foil, wrap it with red ribbon and you've gifted the best.

makes one 9"x5' loaf
1 1/2 stick (3/4 c) unsalted butter, very soft and mushy
1 1/4 c all purpose, unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 c dark, seedless raisins
3 extra lg eggs
1 egg yolk
2/3 c granulated sugar
1/3 c dark rum
pinch of ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter and lightly flour a 9"x5" loaf pan. To keep the bottom of the loaf from getting too brown, line the bottom of the pan with a piece of wax paper and butter it.

Sprinkle 1 tbsp lfour over the raisins to coat them so they don't sink to the bottom of the batter.
In a lg mixer or mixing bowl, beat the eggs and yolk with the sugar 5 min until the blend is light and fluffy.  Add rum and beat til blended.  

In a smaller bowl, sift or whisk together the flour and baking powder. With a wooden spoon or spatula fold this into the egg mixture, not stirring too much.  Fold in the butter, then swirl in the raisins.  

Pour the batter into the loaf pan, leveling the top. Bake in the center of the oven 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. The cake should have begun to shrink from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and cool at least 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.

To serve, slice very thin, making several slices per portion.




                     

Using up what you've got

Like me you probably have a fridge overflowing with bits, pieces and chunks of everything. And since the holiday baking and making season is upon us, everything must go.  So before we get into holiday baking and making, this post has a few great ideas for using up what's still left from turkey time. Or what may be left during the month of feasting ahead.  (Advance apologies: no photos)

Club Sandwich Salad
This should get those last bits of turkey out of the way.

serves 6
1 lb cooked turkey meat, chunked into large bite-size pieces
2 medium rip tomatoes, cored and sliced into thin wedges, wedges cut into half moons
1/2 lb (8 0z) bacon, cooked to a crisp and drained and broken into bits
10 inner leaves of romaine lettuce, washed and dried**
1/2 sm red onion, minced
1 1/2 c croutons
** If the romaine scare is still happening, use cylindrical leaf lettuce instead. Some of it is red tipped.

for the dressing
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c Greek yogurt (low fat is fine)
1/4 c olive oil
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
5 garlic cloves, minced

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
In your serving bowl, break the lettuce into salad pieces. Top with the remaining salad ingredients. Add the dressing and stir to blend. Serve proudly, maybe with a cup of soup.

Apple Bread Pudding
This is an apple fan's delight: apples, applesauce, apple jelly. Plus raisins to delight the kids. Presented in a glass bowl with caramelize apples on top nobody would ever suspect bread pudding. So get out the leftover raisin bread and those untouched apples.
serves 4-6

5 thin slices raisin bread (if you don't have raisin bread, use a buttery bread and add 1/4 c raisins plumped in water with a pinch of cinnamon.
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3 extra lg eggs
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 c whipping cream OR evaporated whole milk nonsweetened
1/4 cup smooth applesauce
1/4 c apple jelly
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 Granny smith or large Cortland or 2 Macintosh apples, peeled
1 tbsp light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325º. With 1 tsp butter, grease a 6" round souffle or other small, deep baking dish.
Cut the crusts off the bread.With 1 tbsp butter one side of each slice, then cut each slice into quarters.
Peel the apple and cut it into wafer thin uniform wedges, discarding all seeds.
On the bottom of the buttered dish, make a layer of bread, then top that with a layer of apples in a pinwheel formation. Sprinkle half the nutmeg over the apples. Divide the remaining butter in half, then cut each half into tiny pieces and spread 1/2 of them over the apples. Make a layer of bread on top. Top this with another layer using all the apples, in a pinwheel formation. Sprinkle with the remaining nutmeg and butter bits. (NOTE: If you are adding raisins separately, spread them between the bread and apple layers.)

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and cinnamon to blend thoroughy.
In a medium saucepan combine cream, pple jelly and apple sauce. Over med/hi heat, bring to a simmer. Cut heat immediately and gradually in a steady stream whisk in the egg mixture. Pour this custard over the bread/apple layers. It should just reach the top apple layer. Let it stand 10 minutes to saturate the bread.

Place a 9 x 13" baking pan (with sides) in the center of the oven. Put the pudding dish in the middle and fill the pan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the souffle pan. Bake 45 minutes or until the custard looks firm. Remove from the oven.

Raise oven temp to 500º. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top apple layer and return the souffle pan to the oven. The pre-heat red light should still be on when you start. As soon as it goes off and the oven temp is actually 500º the sugar should've melted over the apples and browned them. Remove immediately! Serve warm or at room temp as is or topped with fresh ginger spiced whipped cream.

Turkey Stuffed Potatoes (or Chicken)
This is another way to clean out the leftover turkey bits without being so obvious. Or you can use chicken.
serves 6

6 oval shaped baking potatoes
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/4 c minced turkey or chicken meat
6 oz fresh mushrooms (button or shiitake)
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, minced
3/4-1 c Half n' Half or low fat yogurt
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves
2 tbsp chopped pimiento
1 c frozen peas
1 c low fat plain yogurt (Greek for thickness)

Bake potatoes until tender enough to eat. Cool. Slice a very thin piece off one end of each potato so it will stand upright. Cut 1 1/2" piece off what will be the top end and carefully scoop out the inside, leaving a shall 1/2" thick.

Heat oven to 450º. Butter an 8-9" square baking pan.
Put the potato insides in a large mixing bowl, add all other ingredients except the peas and 1 c low fat yogurt. Mash/blend. Use as much half n half as you need to make this smooth and creamy. Taste to adjust salt level.  Fill each potato skin with this mixture carefully packing it in. Put a small piece of butter on top of each. Stand them up in the baking dish. Bake at 450º 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile steam the peas until just tender.
To serve, spoon some  yogurt over each potato, then some peas and optionally a bit of minced flat leaf parsley.

Harvest Casserole
How to use up all those vegetable stragglers in the bins. A special for the vegetarians. Don't be put off by the long ingredient list: it's just bits of everything.
serves 4

1 c long grain/Basmati rice
1/3 c brown lentils
2 c veg broth
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 c pine nuts
1/2 c canned kidney or cannellini beans, drained
1/4 med red or green cabbage, shredded
1 lg onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 med green bell pepper, in thin strips
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin disks
1 parsnip, peeled and sliced into thin disks
any bits of rutabaga, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/4 c canned corn or frozen peas
2 stalks celery, cleaned and diced
1 c any fresh vegetable, chopped
1 tbsp cilantro or flat parsley leaves, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 lb mozzarella, gruyere or cheddar cheese, grated

 Heat oven to 350º.
Put rice and lentils in a saucepan with the veg broth and 1/2 c water. Cover and cook over medium heat until liquid is gone. Remove cover. If you prefer, you can now flavor the rice with a bit of soy sauce or curry powder or just salt and pepper--your taste preference here!

In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic ,onion and pine nuts. Sauté until onion is soft and translucent, 3-5 min. Add dried herbs (thyme, oregano). Add parsnip, carrots, cabbage and celery plus 2 tbsp water.    Cover the pot and cook 5 min.  Add peas, remaining vegetables and beans. Cover and cook 5 more minutes. Uncover and stir in the fresh green herb (cilantro or parsley), salt and pepper.

Put the rice/lentil mix into a medium size oven casserole, souffle dish or deep dish pie pan and flatten it into a layer. Put the vegetable mix on top and flatten into a layer. Cover this with the grated cheese.

Heat at 350º 20-30 minutes. If you have this in a proper container you can also microwave it.
Serve with a green salad and your leftover  cranberry sauce.

Cilantro or Parsley Pesto
Here's how to get rid of the green herbs wilting away by now: convert them instantly into a "pesto" sauce for spaghetti or squash ravioli. It's very simple:

in the bowl of a food processor or chopped put the herbs you have with 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, lots of freshly ground black pepper, sea salt to your taste and process to a paste. Pour in and process or stir in as much olive oil as it takes to make this a sauce.
   You can store this in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days or you could freeze it forlater when on a cold winter night you can enjoy all the good of those greens.

More than turkey in the oven

Two announcements before I share trusted old baking recipes for the Thanksgiving table.
1) The Washington Post on November 16 ran a scary report about widespread salmonella coming from raw turkey. The outbreak is already months old, many states big and showing now sign of stopping. What's scarier is that the industry controlled USDA, remember Perdue is running it, refuses to release any results of its research into how, why and exactly where this all began. It's protecting major turkey producers and processing plants. SO BE CAREFUL HANDLING TURKEY. Wash your hands after you touch it, every time! Use boiling water to sterilize any utensil or counter/cutting surface it touches. Then wipe with vinegar. And finally, cook big bird to well done, very well done.

2) On a more joyful note, ZEST a magazine of Maine turned its holiday issue into a cookbook of its readers' favorite recipes and 3 of the 15 are mine. You've read them here! Nepali chicken curry, Greek Island Chickpea and Brown rice soup with cinnamon, fresh flaked cod with chickpeas and harissa. The winter issue coming in January will feature my winter soup favorites.

And now back to our program for Thanksgiving. For the home cook or the invited guest, here are a few simple, tasty ways to bake something that makes the day. Each features a traditional ingredient of the meal and each is easy enough for kids to feel proud of contributing. (for the record: the photos that follow are not mine. I haven't had the time to bake all this stuff again.)

Cornmeal Spoon Bread

I always serve BBQ sauced turkey so cornbread in some form is a must. I have several recipes, some for muffins and puffins. This is the easiest one so I'm using it this year.
    serves 6 (you can double it and use a 9X13 baking pan.

2 1/2 c water
1 c yellow fine or med grain cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 c corn kernels (cooked and drained, and yes canned is okay)
1 c buttermilk
4 eggs, well beaten
2 tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 400º. Butter an 8" sq baking pan.
In a sm/med bowl stir 1/2 c water into the cornmeal.
Bring the remaining 2 c water to a boil. Add salt, chili powder, and lower heat. Slowly stirring constantly the wet cornmeal. Cook 1 minute, stirring to avoid clumps. Remove from heat. Using a mixer, beat in the buttermilk, eggs and butter and make a smooth batter. Fill the buttered pan, smoothing the top. You can, if you like the color sprinkle a tiny bit of paprika all around. Bake 30-35 min until a cake tester comes out clean.

Yam Biscuits

These moist colorful biscuits with the tantalizing fragrance of oranges easily compete with all the inevitable sweet potato casseroles and usually win as something different for a change. They're also perfect the next day as the bread makings of a turkey/cranberry sauce sandwich.

makes 9 biscuits (double recipe to feed a crowd or have leftovers)

1 1/4 c all purpose unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp light brown or turbinado raw sugar
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 c mashed cooked yams (1 16-17 oz can will do it)
1/4 tsp orange peel finely zested or grated
2 tbsp whipping or heavy cream
optional: if you have it put 1/4 tsp orange flower water in

Preheat oven to 400º. Butter two large cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a food processor or mixer, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and orange peel. Add shortening and yams--and orange flower water if you have it. Mix just long enough to make a soft dough. 

On a floured board or large spread of waxed paper on the counter, pat or roll the dough into any shape 1/2" thick. With a 2 1/2" round cookie cutter or a drinking glass with the opening about that size (use it upside down), cut out as many biscuits as possible. Place each on a cookie sheet, leaving 2" between them. Gather up the scraps and form another ball, pat iti down to 1/2" thick and continue cutting biscuits as long as there's dough.  With a pastry brush or piece of waxed paper, brush the top of each biscuit with the cream, carefully coating it. 

Bake at 400º 18-20 min or until they are very light brown (almost imperceptible). With a spatula transfer them to a wire rack to cool down and serve immediately.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

Throw out all your ideas about pumpkin bread and think cheese cake! That will give you insight into this divinely rich, creamy, raisin flecked loaf. And if you make two, you can count on one freezing really well. This is a great hostess gift too. Don't panic at the long list of ingredients: many are spices. This is a flavorful loaf!
makes one 7 1/2" x 3 3/4" loaf (medium size)

2 tbsp maple syrup (use only real syrup)
1/2 c light brown or raw turbinado sugar
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 oz cream cheese
3 extra lg eggs
1 1/2 c plain mashed pumpkin (canned is fine)
1 tbsp orange rind, finely grated or zested
1 c all-purpose, unbleached flour
2/3 c seedless dark raisins
1/2 c whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter the loaf pan.
In a lg mixer or mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and maple syrup until smooth.
Add pumpkin, then the eggs one at a time, beating to keep the mixture smooth. Stir in the orange peel.

Whisk or sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder and all the spices.  Add this to the wet batter, mixing just long enough to incorporate completely. Don't over beat.  Fold in the raisins with a wooden spoon. 

Spoon the batter into the butter loaf pan, leveling and smoothing the top. Bake at 350º in the center of the oven 50-60 min until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10 minutes before turning it upside down and removing the bread to cool on a wire rack. 

Cranberry Muffins

Here's how to sneak in the berries for those who can't stand the traditional cranberry sauce. They're mighty tasty, pretty and perfect with turkey. In fact you could make a very colorful, appealing bread basket mixing these with the yam biscuits.

makes 10 3" muffins

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 c granulated sugar
2 extra large eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
2 tsp orange peel, finely grated or zested
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c whole cranberries
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c buttermilk
2 c all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c chopped walnuts
(optional: 1 tsp orange flower water)

Preheat oven to 375º. Butter or line with paper cups 10-12 muffin cups. (A standard muffin tin is 6 or 12.)
In a small saucepan over med/high heat, combine 1/2 c cranberries, 1/2 c sugar and 1 tbsp orange juice. Cook, stirring, 5 min as though making jam. (The cranberries should soften and burst, the sugar should melt and start to thicken.) Remove from heat, plunge bottom of pan into cold water to stop the cooking and set aside.

Lightly toast the walnuts 3 min in the preheating oven.
In a large mixer or mixing bowl, cream butter. Beat in sugar and cream until the mixture is fluffy. This is critical to get light, high muffins. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as you beat into a smooth puree. Add 1 tbsp orange juice, orange peel and the cooked cranberry mixture. Mix just enough to blend.

Sift or whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add half to the wet batter. Mix just enough to incorporate. Add the buttermilk, optional orange flower water and remaining flour mixture. Mix thoroughly but do not over beat. With a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the remaining cranberries and chopped walnuts.  Spoon the batter into the buttered muffin tins, filling close to the top and leveling. Shake out air pockets. 

Bake at 375º 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
While they are baking, make a glaze by whisking together in a shallow bowl
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 1/2 tbsp fresh orange juice
pinch nutmeg

When the muffins come out of the oven, let them rest 5 minutes. Then remove each and holding it upside down gently rotate it in the glaze to cover the top. Turn right side up and cool on wire racks.

Absolutely Apple Bread

In case nobody's bringing or making apple pie. Or even if they are. This is a trifecta for apple fans: fresh apples, apple sauce and apple cider all together. All it needs on the serving table is apple butter! Don't be turned away by the long list of ingredients: they're all the usual stuff in the cupboard and this is a cinch to assemble.

makes 3 sm loaves (5 3/4" x 3 1/4")

1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c seedless dark raisins
1 lg Granny Smith apple, very finely diced (you need 2 c of a tart apple)
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp maple syrup (only the real deal)
1/4 c light brown or raw turbinado sugar
2 extra lg eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c applesauce (jarred is okay)
2 tbsp fresh apple cider
3 tbsp plain yogurt OR heavy cream
1 c all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease the loaf pans.
Sprinkle the finely diced apple with the ginger and cinnamon.
In a lg mixer or mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, maple syrup and sugar until blended. One at a time, add the eggs, beating to mix.  Add vanilla, applesauce, cider and yogurt/cream. Blend.

In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, allspice and nutmeg. Carefully stir this into the wet batter. Fold in the spiced apples, raisins and walnuts. Spoon the batter into the buttered pans. Bake at 350º 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes.

Time to Talk Turkey

Thanksgiving, the harvest holiday is upon us.  Markets are piled to the brim with pumpkins, squash, cranberries, root veggies, apples and the whole cole crop, of which Brussels sprouts seem to be most popular for the occasion. So here, without much ado or photos, are some recipes from my catering business to make your dinner eye popping,  delicious and memorable. You can get started on the shopping now and beat the last minute crowds next Wednesday.

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

It’s gracious to pass around small mugs of hot soup while waiting for everyone to get to the table. It’s also traditional to have a first course before the grand turkey presentation. In years past I’ve posted salt cod recipes to keep the day focused on the food that brought America into being. Well there’s nothing more all American (I mean both continents of the New World) than pumpkins and black beans so here you go. This can be a two can recipe which means it’s speedy with no mess. Just the thing to bring if you’ve been invited out and don’t have time to spare. It’s also terrific to make the day after to go with the inevitable turkey sandwiches.
serves 4 as a bowl; 6-7 as a mug (double or triple it for your crowd)
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 heaping cup cooked, mashed pumpkin (yes, you can use canned)
1 med onion, peeled and minced
2 lg garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
salt to your taste
1/2 tsp curry powder or garam masala (whichever you have)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 3/4 c chicken broth (if you’re vegetarian, use veg broth)
1/4 c unsweetened evaporated milk
1/2 c cooked black beans, drained (yes, you can use canned)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
In a large saucepan over med/high heat melt the butter. Add the onion, put the garlic on top of it. Reduce heat to medium so nothing burns and sauté until onions are soft and golden, maybe 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir in pumpkin, spices, black pepper and chicken broth. Stir to blend. Cover the pot. Simmer 10 minutes. Add salt and black beans. Stir to distribute evenly. Stir in the evaporated milk. If the soup looks too thick to you, add 2 tbsp evaporated milk. Still on simmer, heat 5 minutes until it’s hot enough to serve. Do not let it boil. Stir in the chopped cilantro leaves to serve. You can also add a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche to each bowl when serving.

Rutabaga Timbales

This is another way to jazz up a tired standard: mashed turnips (aka rutabagas). You turn them into little custards that stand up on their own. If you don’t have ramekins or the like, you can use a muffin tin.
1 lb rutabagas, peeled
2 tbsp butter
1/8 tsp ground cloves
¾ c light cream
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp salt
4 eggs
¼ c ricotta or soft cream cheese
1 star anise
Dice the rutabaga and cook it with a star anise in boiling water until very tender. Drain well. Remove star anise. Preheat oven to 400º and butter six 6 oz ramekins or Pyrex dishes. Boil 2 cups of water. In a small sauté pan, melt butter and sauté shallots 2 minutes until soft. Puree the rutabaga. Add shallots, spices, cream, cheese, salt and eggs to it, and process until smooth. Ladle rutabaga mixture into the buttered dishes, put the dishes into a large baking pan and pour the boiling water into the bottom of that pan to come 1/3 up the ramekins. Bake 25 minutes, or until center is puffy and firm. Remove from pan and cool 10 minutes. Carefully knock the bottom and sides of each dish to loosen the timbales. Shaking each slightly, invert them onto a serving plate and lift the dish away.

Pistachio-crusted Sweet Potato Balls

Here’s how to keep mashed sweet potatoes, almost required at these events, from getting tired, old and boring. Nobody can say “been there done that” with this version. And it’s really simple.
makes 4 1/2 doz
8 med sweet potatoes, baked* until just tender, cooled and peeled (you can do this ahead)
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tbsp + 1 tsp all purpose, unbleached flour
2 extra lg eggs, whites only
Freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1 1/2 c shelled, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped (you can use a processor)
Preheat oven to 400º. Lightly oil a cookie sheet. (For faster clean up, line it first with parchment paper.)
Coarsely mash sweet potatoes and stir in all ingredients except the pistachio nuts. Using a round tablespoon or soup spoon, form the mixture into walnut size balls.  Spread the nuts evenly on waxed paper or a large plate. Put the oiled cookie sheet into the oven on the lowest rack for 5 minutes. While it heats, roll the balls in the pistachio nuts and coat evenly. Place on the hot cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes. That’s it! Serve hot.

Chestnut Tart

This is a gift to the vegetarians in your crowd. It’s also very classy to bring to the hostess if you’ve been invited out. Chestnuts are coming into season so it’s perfect for right now.
serves 8
1 9″ buttery pie crust (You can buy it. If you want to make it, recipe is at bottom.)
1 c cooked chestnuts, pureed (you can find in cans)
3/4 c ricotta cheese
1/2 c heavy cream
2 tbsp beef stock (if you need this to be vegetarian use veg stock with a pinch of allspice)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 scallions, minced
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp (heaping) Parmesan or asiago cheese, finely grated
Preheat oven to 375º. Lightly butter a 9″ pie dish and line it with the dough. Flute the edges by squeezing dough through your first and second figures or just make a pattern using fork tines: whatever. Fill the dough with baking weights or another two pans as weights and bake it 20 minutes until the bottom is crisp.
Meanwhile, blend (you can use a processor or immersion blender or your own strength with a wooden spoon) all the other ingredients. Transfer the mixture into the warm tart shell and spread it evenly. Bake at 375º 25 minutes or until the center is set or a cake tester comes out clean and the top is slightly brown. The crust edges should be golden brown.
 To make your own butter crust: In the bowl of a food processor or mixer combine 1 stick unsalted butter and 1 1/2 c all purpose unbleached flour. Process to get a crumbly mixture--i.e break up the butter as much as you can.  Add 1 tsp vinegar (this makes flakiness) and 3 tbsp ice water and blend into a dough. You may need 1 more tbsp ice water but be sure because you don't want to ruin the dough.) Roll into a ball, refrigerate at least 10 minutes, then roll out to fit the pan. Work fast.

Turkey Stuffing

There is cornbread with corn, chilies and kidney beans. There is my old favorite rice with many vegetables and its variation: wild rice with mushrooms, leeks and cranberries. And this one that satisfies the nostalgia for traditional bread stuffing but wakes it up into something bright and tasty on its own.
for a 12 lb turkey (double it for big birds)
4 c bread cubes and crumbs*
2 tsp dried sage
1 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp cracked or coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp ground cumin
pinch ground cinnamon
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 med onion, peeled and diced
1 turkey liver (it’s inside the bird), chopped
1 sm Granny Smith apple, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
6 med/lg shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1/2 sm red bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped (be generous)
2 tbsp fresh apple cider
*If you aren’t buying bread cubes that are usually available right now, cut a loaf into 1/4-1/2″ cubes, saving all the crumbs. You can also put chunks of bread into a food processor so long as you just chop it until it is coarse but still in distinct pieces. Don’t go to breadcrumbs!
In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add onion and sauté 3-5 min  until it starts to soften. Add red pepper, mushrooms, turkey liver, sage, celery seed and black pepper. Sauté until everything looks soft and moist, 3-5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring to mix. Cover the pot and simmer 10-15 minutes until the bread is soft with moisture. If it looks dry, add 1/4 c chicken or veg broth. Taste and salt. The stuffing should be a soft, coherent mass.  Remove from heat and insert it into both cavities of the turkey when you are ready to roast it.

Big Mac Indian Pudding

This is an old favorite that still wins applause every year. It’s a gift to the gluten-free and about as traditional an all-American dessert as you can bring to the Thanksgiving table. This version is fancy: the pudding gets molded into cake form and then iced with cinnamon spice whipped cream for a real eye popping presentation. It’s also fabulous the next morning for breakfast. I love this so much I included the recipe in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking.
Serves 12 (cut in half for 6)
5 cups milk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 extra large or jumbo eggs
2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar (use ¼ if you half the recipe)
½ cup molasses
3 tbsp real maple syrup
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins (dark ones show up easier)
2 Macintosh apples, peeled, cored and diced
Optional: fresh whipped cream
Preheat over to 325º. Butter a 3 quart soufflé dish or charlotte mold or other deep ovenproof baking dish. (Use a 1½ quart if you half the recipe.)
In a very large saucepan or medium casserole, scald milk. (This means bring it to a boil fast over high heat so a skin forms and bubbles appear.) Whisk in cornmeal and over medium or medium high (depending on the strength of your stove) heat, continue to whisk until the mixture thickens (90 seconds-3 minutes). Remove from heat. Whisk in butter, then carefully eggs. Whisk in brown sugar, molasses and maple syrup. Whisk in salt and spices. Stir in raisins and apples, distributing evenly. Pour mixture into baking dish, shake and level. Bake at 325 degrees in the center of the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the center of the pudding is firm when you shake the pan. Remove from oven and cool.
To serve: spoon from the baking pan and top with vanilla ice cream. Or, invert the pan onto a cake stand or serving platter and “ice” with whipped cream. Sprinkle with cinnamon or freshly grated ginger to serve.

And finally, you will find easy, tasty recipes for potato/rutabaga gratin, grit souffle and pumpkin fritters in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking. Recent posts have celeriac puree and butter braised fennel.  May your holiday be delicious.  Baking recipes next time.

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Now’s the time for heavenly earthy dishes

With all the light and weather changes between Halloween and Thanksgiving, that belated celebration of the harvest, we are continually reminded of being Earthly creatures.  So it’s a good time for earthy foods like mushrooms and watercress, leeks and potatoes. Light yet soul warming dishes that leave room and time for the heavy Turkey Day meal ahead. The recipes here are one I created and two I recently found stashed in old files that turned up when I was cleaning out my cottage. What’s so wonderful about these decades-old recipes is how perfect they still are for right now. There's also one from the book How To Fix a Leek... .

My Mushroom Celery Risotto

I spontaneously made this up as I often do when making a comfortingly creamy risotto for a rainy day. I like mushrooms and celery together and the perkiness red pepper brings. Risotto does require a half hour of continual tending, so it’s great for a rainy or weekend day. It’s one of those vegetarian meals that doesn’t scream at carnivores: the meat is missing! You lose! It presents as a traditional, Italian dish. It’s best eaten when it’s made but it does reheat well in a microwave oven.
serves 2 but you just double it all for 4
1 sm onion, peeled and diced
1 sm garlic clove, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, cleaned, slit 3 times lengthwise, then dice
1/2″ wide strip of red bell pepper, diced
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried rosemary needles or a few fresh
1 tsp mildly hot chili powder like Aleppo or chipotle
1/2 c fresh or frozen green peas
1/2 c arborio rice
4 c beef or vegetable broth
pinch of saffron threads
6-8 shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt to your taste
handful cilantro or flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

In a med saucepan, heat the broth.
In a small heavy gauge pot, heat the olive oil on med/high heat. Stir in the onion, celery, red pepper and garlic. Reduce heat to medium so nothing burns and the oil doesn’t smoke. Add lots of freshly ground black pepper, sage, rosemary, chili powder and a pinch of salt. Stir to blend. Sauté 4-5 minutes until onions and pepper are soft. Add peas and rice, stirring to blend. Cook 1 minute to heat rice, then add saffron and a large ladle of hot broth. It will sizzle so stand back. Stir forcefully. From here to the finish it’s a matter of adding broth and stirring, adding broth as it disappears. You can add double ladles to buy time so you can saute the mushrooms:
In a small frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms and cumin and stir fry 2 minutes to soften the mushrooms. Season with salt and add the contents of the pan to the risotto. Continue cooking the risotto until the rice is very soft and all the liquid has gone into it. Be careful not to overdue it and also add water if you don’t have enough broth to finish the job. Taste and adjust salt.
Serve immediately garnished with freshly chopped cilantro leaves, a few grinds of black pepper and grated parmesan cheese.

Pears, Green Beans and Bacon

This is an old German recipe I found cleaning my files and it’s perfect for right now when pears are at high tide and green beans are beginning to recede. It’s a side dish or hot salad perfect for an omelet.
serves 6-8
6 firm pears, peeled, halved and cut crosswise into very thin half-moon slices
juice of 2 lemons (1/4 c)
1 tsp grated lemon rind
pinch of ground cloves
1 lb firm green beans, stems off, beans halved
6 slices bacon
1/4 c sugar
2 tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
Put the pears in any medium non-aluminum pot with 2 tbsp lemon juice, lemon rind, pinch of ground cloves and 1/2 c water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until pears are just tender, maybe 5 minutes. Meanwhile fill another saucepan with salted water, bring to a boil and add the green beans. Cook until tender, 5-8 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Let dry.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over med/low heat until it’s very crisp. Lift out of the pan to drain on paper towels and when it’s cool enough to handle, crumble it. Meanwhile put the sugar, vinegar and 2 tbsp lemon juice in that skillet. Boil over med/high heat stirring and scraping the pan until you get syrup. Add the pears and green beans. Warm over low heat. Stir and pour into a serving bowl. Top with the crumbled bacon, freshly ground black pepper and salt to your taste.

Italian Cream of Celery Soup
 I discovered the joy of celery a dozen year ago in a Persian homecooking purely celery stew. It’s a magical, sweet vegetable, with no calories to boot. The wow of that recipe came from saffron so I decided to cross cultures and put it here too.
serves 6
1 lb bunch celery stalks (about 2 lbs), washed and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 med leek, cleaned and white part thinly sliced in rings (top green discarded)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
pinch of saffron threads (my addition to make this a wow!)
3 c veg broth
2 egg yolks
3/4 c heavy cream
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
In a med/lg deep heavy gauge saucepan or pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the vegetables and sauté over low heat 3-4 minutes to soften. Add 1 c hot water, cover the pot and cook until very tender, maybe 15 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or in a processor and return to the pot. Add the veg broth and saffron, stirring to blend. The soup should have a slightly thick but still soupy consistency. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer on low heat 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk or beat together the egg yolks, cream and cheese. By spoonfuls, add this to the hot soup on simmer heat, stirring to blend. Serve immediately. If you still have the celery leaves, chop them for garnish.

Butter Braised Fennel with Parmesan

This is a traditional Italian recipe I included in the second edition of How to Fix a Leek.... It's simple, tasty and unique. Practice now because this could be terrific beside turkey.

Serves 4-6

4-5 small fennel bulbs or 2 lg               

3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

5 tbsp unsalted butter                

Salt & freshly ground pepper to your taste

Cut bulbs lengthwise into ½” slices. Save some of the delicate fronds for garnish. Melt the butter in a large, heavy gauge wide pot and add the sliced fennel. Add just enough water or veg stock to almost cover it. Cook over medium heat 30-40 minutes until fennel is soft, adding ¼ cup of water if the pot runs dry. The goal is no liquid left on glossy, buttery fennel. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the grated cheese. Garnish with the saved fronds and serve hot. Goes well with roasted chicken or meat.

 

Tricks for Treats

Markets are still a color riot so as darkness descends and chill invades, we can still make our plates look hot. There's no theme here, just some easy ways to preserve or present the last colors of the year.

Tomato sauce

This is how I saved a mess of late paste tomatoes a friend brought from her garden: simple, herb filled tomato sauce for a pop up pasta dinner. It doesn't need a lot of tending while it cooks and only needs to cook about an hour. When it cooled, I put it in jars instead of plastic--this is one of 2. It's been in the fridge a week now doing fine. In plastic it could stay in the freezer for months.

  You can adjust this recipe to whatever you have. it's based on the tomatoes I was given.

  Makes 2 overflowing cups (about 17 oz)

10 paste tomatoes (these are the cylindrical ones), chopped

1 med/lg onion, peeled and diced

3 lg garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp Aleppo or chipotle chili powder (or other gently hot chili powder)

1 tsp dried sage or a handful of fresh sage leaves, chopped

1/2 tsp dried rosemary or 1 short stem rosemary leaves off the stem

1 tbsp fresh basil leaves chopped or 1 tsp dried basil

1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1/2 c decent olive oil (and maybe a tad more)

1 tbsp red wine

Salt and freshly ground black pepper (lots of it)

In a medium heavy gauge pot on medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add onions, oregano, chili and a few grinds of the peppermill. Sauté 3-4 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Add tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, basil and salt. Stir to blend. Cover the pot and cook 20-25 minutes, checking and stirring every so often to be sure it isn't drying out or getting stuck on the bottom. Add olive oil if you need to. Stir in the parsley and red wine. Cover the pot and continue cooking another 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oil if needed; you are making sauce!

   If you have an immersion blender put it in the pot and make a smooth sauce. If you don't put the pot contents into a processor or blender and create a smooth sauce. Return to the pot. Taste and adjust salt and other seasonings. The sauce may be watery at this point, so put it on low heat, covered for another 10 minutes to thicken. Cool before putting in containers. Or use right away!

  Never be afraid to put more olive oil in. You can't really overdo it here.

Braised Red Cabbage

This recipe comes from the How To Fix a Leek...book and before that from the north of Italy. No surprise it's the perfect pal of pork in any form, the favorite meat there. You could actually use this as a base for a full meal choucroute variation by adding potatoes, apples, Canadian style bacon, bits of ham and sausages. Or you can just enjoy its vibrant color on an autumn vegetable platter. This is a very homey, comforting dish that is simple to prepare so don't pass up a red cabbage in the market. It's got powerful antioxidants, hard to find Vitamin K and calms gastric ulcers. The fresh apple cider makes this very now.

serves 6

2 tbsp olive oil & 1 tbsp butter 
1 lg onion, chopped 
3 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed 
1½ lbs red cabbage, quartered 
1 tsp caraway seed
½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
½ cup fresh apple cider
3 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
Cut cabbage lengthwise into thin strips. Heat oil and butter over medium heat in a large heavy gauge casserole or skillet. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion begins to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Add caraway, and 30 seconds later cabbage. Toss until cabbage wilts. Add broth and cider, cover and simmer on low heat 20 minutes. Add vinegar, blend, cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes, or until cabbage is thoroughly tender. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot.

Persimmon, Pomegranate and Arugula Salad

I threw fresh dates and black olives into this for vivid color, texture and taste contrast. It's a perfect side for pasta with the tomato sauce above, roast chicken, a gratin or any autumn meal. It's festive and very nutritious to boot. Also, as I've said before, I've discovered arugula, a bitter in the food chain, works wonders getting my blocked sinus open.

serves 4
4 handfuls arugula, washed and dry
1 Fuyu (the hard round one) persimmon, peeled, halved and sliced thin lengthwise
1/2 c pomegranate arils (about half a large)
6 pitted dates, chopped
1 sm red onion, peeled, halved and sliced into very thin half rings
6-8 pitted Kalamata olives
6-8 walnuts or pecans, toasted and broken into pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing:
 The basic olive oil/balsamic vinegar blend: 1 part vinegar to 3-4 pts best olive oil

Starting with the arugula as your base, put all the salad ingredients into your serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Dress lightly just before serving.

Corn, Tomatillo and Red Pepper Chowder

Serves 6

2 tbsp butter or ghee
1 lg onion, peeled and diced
1 pasilla pepper, roasted, skinned and diced
1 Serrano or other hot chili, seeded and diced
1 tbsp dried sage
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground chipotle
1 tsp cracked or freshly ground black pepper
3 cups corn kernels (can be 4-5 fresh ears, frozen or canned corn)
3 celery stalks, cleaned and diced
2 cups water
3 medium potatoes (any color), peeled and cubed
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp. diced pimento (roasted red pepper)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tomatillos, peeled and coarsely chopped
12 oz. evaporated milk (not sweetened)\4 oz heavy cream
For garnish: chopped fresh chives, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded jack or cheddar cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds

If you are using fresh corn on the cob, cut the corn off the cobs and put the cobs into a pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer while you make the chowder.

Melt butter in a medium soup pot or casserole. Add onions, pasilla and chili peppers, sage and oregano. Sauté over medium heat until onions are golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in coriander, chipotle, black pepper and celery. Continue to sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Puree one cup of corn with 1 tbsp vegetable broth and add to the pot, stirring to blend. Add potatoes, salt and the rest of the vegetable broth. Blend ingredients, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add 2 cups corn kernels, pimentos and tomatillos. If you have boiled corncobs in water, remove the cobs and pour the corn-flavored water into the soup. If you didn’t do this, simply add two cups of water. Continue to simmer covered on medium low heat for 5-8 minutes. (You don’t have to be exact.) Taste for salt and adjust to preference. Stir in evaporated milk and heavy cream. Cook over medium low heat uncovered until the soup is warmed thoroughly. Do not bring to a boil once the milk and cream have been included. Stir once to blend all flavors.
Ladle into large soup bowls and garnish with any or all of the ingredients listed above.
 
Cranberry Walnut Chutney

I post this every year because it's worth repeating. The raisins, walnuts and orange make this a standout version of cranberry "sauce." It also makes a great holiday or hostess gift. And cranberries are a gift because they have magic medicinal power. They have dietary fiber and Vitamin C and uniquely potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer phytonutrients. Cranberries may also strengthen the immune system against colds and flu.
This recipe fills 5-6 4 oz jam jars.

1 lb cranberries, cleaned 

1 c dark raisins or currants 

1½ c turbinado (raw) or granulated sugar

1 c water

1 tbsp orange peel

1/3 c orange juice

1 c toasted walnut pieces

¼ tsp ground cloves 

½ tsp ground allspice

Combine cranberries and water in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until the cranberries burst. Add sugar, raisins, spices, orange peel and juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until mixture is as thick as jam, about 10 minutes. Stir in the nuts. Remove from heat. If serving soon, refrigerate covered in a serving bowl. If saving, ladle into hot sterilized jam jars, seal and put in a water bath for 10-15 minutes depending on size of the jar.