Sweet Corn Risotto

The produce this time of year makes me so excited.  Every time I pick up my CSA share I feel like I'm unwrapping presents at Christmas time.  What in the world could possibly be better than heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, watermelon and peaches?

With such great produce overflowing out of my fridge, you need some really fantastic dishes to showcase it.  Most of these are so simple I don't even post them because it feels like cheating.  Is it really a recipe if it takes 5 ingredients or less and involves mostly chopping?

Risotto on the other hand is to me the definition of the craft.  There's something about chopping and sauteing aromatics, toasting rice, meditatively stirring to coax the rice into drinking up the stock and finishing with a flourish of butter and cream that personifies what it is to be a cook.  It's a very zen activity for me because the dish is not difficult, but needs consistent nurturing.  I guess that's why I've already given you so many versions, from a homey wintery sausage and radicchio, a bright primavera, and a briny seafood version.

This time around I'm showcasing one of summer's mascots - sweet corn.  Some gorgeous tomatoes also made their way in there, providing the acid to counterbalance the corn's sweetness and the richness of the butter and cream.  Inspired by a corn chowder, it starts with a little smidge of bacon.  Some scallions and basil lend a seasonally herbaceous finish.

Sweet Corn Risotto

Serves 8 as a first course, 4-6 as an entree depending on how hungry your guests are

3 cobs of local sweet corn, husked (the local part is imperative to getting the sweetest corn - the sugar converts to starch quite quickly after harvesting)
5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup milk

3 slices center cut bacon, diced
1 small sweet onion, diced (about a cup)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio or other risotto rice
2/3 cup sweet white wine such as Riesling

2/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup grated parmiggiano reggiano

1 large heirloom tomato, cored and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

3 Tbsp chopped scallions

1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Remove the kernels from the cob and reserve.  I love my corn zipper for this job, although now they have this nifty new version that looks like it might be a little more natural to use and remove more kernels at once, so it might be time for an upgrade - future Christmas gift anybody? ;)  Snap the corn cobs in half and add them to a medium saucepan along with the stock and milk.  Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low.

In a large saucepan or small stockpot over medium heat, brown the bacon.  Once it starts to get crispy add the onion and saute until translucent.  Add the garlic and the rice and toast until the rice is golden and smells nutty.  Deglaze with the sweet wine and add a couple of ladles full of the stock mixture.

Stir the risotto occasionally with a wooden spoon as it cooks over medium heat.  It is time to add a couple more ladle-fulls of stock every time you can push the risotto off the bottom of the pan and no liquid seeps in to fill the line you made.  Continue stirring occasionally and adding stock for about 20 minutes, then add the reserved corn kernels and continue as before.  When the risotto has gotten quite creamy and is almost al dente, add the cream and cook until done (should be 1-2 minutes at this point).

Finish the risotto by melting in the butter and parmesan cheese.  At this point check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.  I don't recommend salting before this point, as the bacon and parmesan both contribute significant salt.  Toss in tomatoes and herbs and serve piping hot.

Leftovers make great arancini or risotto cakes - top them with tomato jam - assuming you don't lick the pot clean first!

Spaghetti Carbonara

Some foods require planning, prep time, and special ingredients.  This is not one of them.  I'd be willing to bet that at least 70% of Americans have the basic ingredients for pasta carbonara on hand at any given time - pasta, bacon, eggs, some sort of salty grated cheese and cream or milk.  Throw in some veggies of your choice and you've got dinner in the time it takes to boil the pasta.

Of course, everything is better when made from scratch.  So I've used my own homemade spaghetti here, but this is just as satisfying with the store-bought variety.  This is also a meal that in a month or two can be completely local (except for the flour in the pasta), since the eggs, cream, bacon and cheese were all from Springfield Farm and once late spring rolls around we'll start getting our leeks and spinach from One Star Farm.

Spaghetti Carbonara

4-5 slices bacon, cut into thin strips
1 cup cleaned white and light green parts of leeks, sliced into thin half moons
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups baby spinach, washed and dried

1 lb. fresh spaghetti (or boxed)

3 jumbo or 4 large eggs
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/3 cup grated parmeggiano reggiano or other salty hard cheese
1 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

Fill a stockpot with water, salt it generously and place it over high heat for the pasta.

In a medium saucepan, saute bacon until crisp.  Add leeks and saute until slightly tender.  Drain some of the bacon fat out of the pan, then deglaze with white wine.  Turn off the heat and add spinach, stirring occasionally while the spinach wilts.

In the meantime, start cooking the pasta.  Fresh pasta only takes 1-3 minutes so keep an eye on it.

While the pasta cooks, combine the eggs with the cream, cheese and black pepper and whisk to combine.  Temper the eggs by whisking in some of the hot wine then pouring the egg mixture into the pan, constantly stirring until the mixture thickens and comes up to temperature (the heat on the burner should remain turned off, it's just residual heat that cooks it).  You don't want to scramble the eggs.

Drain the pasta and toss with the eggy bacon and veggie mixture.  Serve immediately.

Getting Baked...Twice!

I've had a glut of scallions and potatoes from the CSA lately. Although normally I would turn to Loaded Potato Soup, it's been approaching 100 degrees in Baltimore and soup is just not an option. So I turned instead to Twice Baked Potatoes - admittedly the oven does get some use, but it's not nearly as bad as standing over a simmering pot. This is classic American - like overstuffed potato skins - a guilty pleasure. They're just so good!

Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes


4 large or 7 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
olive oil

1 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup light sour cream
8 oz. shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese
3 large scallions, sliced thin
6 slices hickory smoked bacon, cooked until crisp
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ancho chile powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub potatoes with olive oil and put on a baking sheet. Roast until cooked through, about an hour.

Using an oven mitt to hold the potato, slice down the middle and scoop the insides into a bowl, leaving a 1/4 inch of potato around the skins. Set aside skins and mash butter and sour cream into potato. Stir in 2/3 of the cheese, all of the scallions, bacon and seasonings. Refill the skins with the potato mixture, pressing it into the skins. Press remaining cheese on top. Bake for another 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

In Search of the Egg

When I was a child Easter was a magical holiday. My father was the master of the Easter Egg Hunt. Now, I'm not talking close your eyes and i'll hide some eggs, then you scuttle around trying to find them before your bratty little brother. I'm talking personalized clues for both of us, made weeks in advance, hidden in candy filled eggs. We had to decipher the clue in order to find the next one, and hours later eventually find the treasure trove in a basket somewhere we never would have looked. The hunt began in an Easter egg suspended by ribbon just above our pillows, so when we woke up it we couldn't miss it.

To this day my dad insists that it was just a ploy to buy him a couple more hours of sleep. And although God knows a man who commuted 2 hours each way every weekday and traveled several times a month needed all the sleep he can get, I know it was a lousy excuse. He loved how happy it made us, how we felt like pirates searching for lost treasure and seeing our beaming faces all day long, straight through church service and on through dinner, even with the dreaded brussel sprouts. I think Easter was the one holiday my father actually enjoyed. His parents divorced over the winter holidays and so his memories are not so pleasant. But on Easter he would arise to our cheers and looting of our baskets and make a plate of deviled eggs and leisurely read the paper before we got dressed up and prepared for the day's festivities.

Now that we've all grown up and gone, I hope he still lingers in the window seat with his morning coffee and his thoughts drift back to days gone by, as mine have this morning. I hope it brings a smile to his face. Here's to you dad, and here's what I would cook for Easter.

BRUNCH


Bacon Cheddar Scallion Quiche
Quiche is the perfect brunch dish. Here's why: 1 - you can make it with almost anything, any leftover meats and veggies you can scrounge up. 2 - It reheats beautifully (not to mention it's also good cold), making it the perfect make ahead dish. This was always a favorite of my dad's, although on easter, it would have been deviled eggs, probably with the hard boiled ones we dyed the day before. The ricotta may sound out of place, but it lends a delightful creaminess to the quiche, especially when left in small chunks. If this one doesn't suit your mood, try Cajun quiche instead.



1 store bought refrigerated pie crust
8 oz shredded sharp 2% cheddar cheese
5 slices bacon, crisp cooked
1/4 cup ham chunks (optional)
5 small scallions, white and green parts sliced thin
1/2 cup fat free ricotta
8 eggs
1/4 cup 1% milk
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 F, with a rack on the lowest shelf. Roll out pie dough and press into a greased 10 inch tart pan. Spread half the cheddar over the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle on bits of the bacon, ham and scallion. Dollop the ricotta in about a tablespoon at a time. Top with remaining cheddar. Beat the eggs with the milk until well combined, then pour over the fillings. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper.

Bake on the bottom rack until crust and top is slightly golden and filling is set, about 45 minutes.

DINNER


Root Beer Baked Glazed Ham over Carrots
I can't believe that a glazed ham has not yet graced these pages, since it's one of my standybys, especially for large gatherings. However, upon making it I can see why, it's not very photogenic. It is darn tasty though. Buy a ham that actually looks like it came off of a pig, with the bone in, and not one of those pressed monstrosities. I prefer the shank end, and try to make sure it doesn't have water added if you can. Do not bother with spiral sliced - they dry out easily and it's really not that hard to slice a ham.

1 small bag baby carrots
10-15 pound half ham, bone in
cloves
1 1/2 cups root beer
1 1/2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
1 Tbsp vinegar from a jar of hot pickled peppers (or white vinegar)
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp bitter orange marmelade (British if possible)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 F.

In a 13 x 9 glass baking dish, line the bottom with a layer of carrots. Trim the ham of any hard rind and place flat side down on top of carrots. Use a clean utility knife open to the second click (you can use a regular knife, but be really careful about the depth of the cut) to cut a diamond pattern into the ham. It should cut through the fat without cutting much of the meat. Stud the corners of the diamonds with cloves. Pour 1 cup of root beer into the dish and bake on the bottom rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting every 15 minutes.


Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce liquids to a thick syrupy consistency over medium heat. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf before using.

After the first round of baking, remove the ham from the oven, insert an oven safe thermometer - I like the probe kind that has a digital reader outside of the oven - and brush on the glaze (you won't use it all right away). Return to the oven and bake, brushing with glaze every 15 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before slicing. Serve any leftover glaze on the side for guests to brush on individual slices if they choose.

Serve with the carrots (which take on a fabulous flavor from the pan juices) and corn bake.

Devilish

It's holiday season and with all the parties coming up it helps to have an arsenal of hors doeuvres in hand. One particular classic has the bonus of being incredibly inexpensive and easy to prepare. As if that wasn't enough there are seemingly endless tasty variations to be made. What is this heavenly food? Nothing but a deviled egg!

Here's my version (and yes, I have been known to eat these for breakfast):

Deviled Eggs

8 large eggs
3 slices of hickory smoked bacon, cooked & crumbled
2 thinly sliced scallions
3 Tbsp mayonnaise (we use homemade - but we're crazy like that)
1 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
1 tsp dijon mustard
a shot of hot sauce
a shot of worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
dash or two of smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Place all of the eggs in a saucepan in one layer and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer about 8 minutes. Plunge into icy cold water to cool. Once cool, the skins should peel off quite easily.


Halve the eggs and remove the egg yolks - transfer yolks to a small bowl. Mix egg yolks with the rest of the ingredients. Mash to combine. Pipe or spoon back into the egg halves. Arrange on a platter and top with a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

Loaded

The universe was taunting me yesterday.

I had to take my Environmental students outside to make some measurements at the forest buffer surrounding our stream to determine if it is sufficient.

It started snowing 5 minutes before my first section. Not a few small flakes, but full white out flurry. In Maryland. In November. When even my relatives back in the Northeast haven't really had snow yet. So we went out in the snow, slipped and slid and almost had a couple of kids in the water. Came back in, feet soaked, hair wet, and thoroughly chilled, and it instantly stopped snowing. Of course.

Then the sun comes out and all the fallen snow melts away. It's supposed to stay warmer. But when 7th period rolls around, it starts up again, even thicker than before. So shoes get sloshier, banks are slippier, and once again, as we walk inside, it stops snowing.


Well fine. If the universe is laughing at me I can laugh back. It's suceeded in chilling me to the bone. What it didn't count on is my secret weapon. A thick, creamy, heartwarming and oh so filling loaded potato soup. So hah! You may have won the battle, but you lost the war!

Loaded Golden Potato Leek Soup


4 slices thick cut hickory smoked bacon
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 leeks - white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced thin
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2.5 - 3 lbs. yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and sliced thin
8 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 parmesan rinds
1/2 cup eggnog (yes - eggnog! heavy cream would work too)
1/3 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

For serving;
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped scallions
sour cream
crumbled bacon

Fry bacon in the bottom of a large stockpot until crisp. Remove and save for topping. Add butter to bacon fat, then saute leeks until soft. Add seasonings and potatoes, then stock. Bring to a boil. Add bay leaves and rinds and simmer until potatoes are really soft and falling apart.

Remove bay leaves and rinds. Use a hand blender to blend to the desired consistency (I like it still a little chunky). Bring back to a simmer just long enough that it gets really thick. Remove from heat, stir in eggnog, sour cream and season to taste.


Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of bacon, cheese and scallions. Chase away the cold!

Warm Autumn Veggie Spelt Salad

Is anyone still out there? I know it's been a while... Every October my body breaks down on me and this was no exception. I've only been cooking about once a week and mostly old standbys that are already up here, like cobb salad, chili and cornbread, great soups, comforting cookies and lots of bread. Today I finally got back in stride, just in time for a dinner party tomorrow. So first I'll share a great salad from a while back, then fast forward to todays treats in a later post.

Ever since my favorite contestant on last year's Top Chef made a salad of warm rice and cool greens, it has been one of my favorite combinations. I love using whole grains in place of the rice, and here the ancient grain spelt mingles with creamy smooth delicata squash and sweet beets. It's sort of my winter answer to the summery farro salad I love so much. Leave out the bacon and this becomes a delicious vegetarian main course. Either way, it is inexpensive and immensely satisfying. I took this to work and everyone loved it - even though a friend told me it had four things in it she had never eaten before in her life (spelt, beets, leeks, and delicata squash)!

Warm Spelt Salad over Crisp Greens with Roasted Veggies


1 lb. delicata squash, cleaned of seeds and cubed (no need to peel - delicata's thin skin become tender with cooking)
olive oil
allspice
ancho chile powder
garlic powder
pumpkin pie spice
hickory smoked salt

2 beets, scrubbed clean and trimmed of greens

2 tsp butter
2 slices of bacon, chopped
1 large leek, cleaned and white and pale green parts chopped into small half moons
3 cups veggie stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups whole grain spelt
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley

8 oz container of baby greens
2 Tbsp grated parmaggiano reggiano (optional)
your favorite salad dressing (I like Annie's Naturals Shitake & Sesame Vinaigrette)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss delicata squash with olive oil, then sprinkle lightly with allspice, garlic & chile powders, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Roast until soft and creamy and slightly caramelized.

If you have the time, roast the beets in a salt crust. They will have a superior texture and flavor. If you're not feeling the time or effort, wrap them in a foil packet, coated with olive oil, and roast with the squash until fork tender. Cool before peeling and chopping.

In a medium saucepan, saute leeks and bacon in butter until bacon has rendered some of its fat. Add stock and seasonings and bring to a boil. Add spelt, reduce heat to low and cover, simmering and stirring occasionally until cooked through and tender - about 30-40 minutes.

For each serving, start with a bed of cold baby greens. Top with warm spelt salad, sprinkle with parmesan and apply salad dressing. The warmth of the spelt will slightly wilt the greens, and the vinaigrette helps all the flavors meld together.

Toss chopped roasted veggies, spelt, vinegar and parsley together.

Sausage Soup For the Soul

Sometimes life is just crumby. When the day is so exhausting, I find myself without the motivation to cook anything. Hence my sitting out on Daring Bakers this month (plus I'm the anti-vegan, i could give up meat but never eggs or cheese, and I couldn't even think of any appetizing dips to go with the crackers). Also hence the nights of takeout, L playing chef instead and peanut butter sandwiches for dinner.

Luckily, this soup is quick and easy, and soothing enough to warm away the troubles of the day. Plus it helps to boost the immune system with tons of good vitamins and fluids. Just the thing to keep you up and running in the middle of a long, hard week.

Sausage & Escarole Soup


4 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 medium yukon gold potato, diced
1/4 cup cream sherry
2 cups vegetable stock
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups pork stock (this can be hard to find - Better than Bouillon makes a pork base that works well)
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup chopped parmaggiano reggiano rinds (should been unwaxed)
1 tsp crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
3 bay leaves (dried)
1/2 lb. small pasta such as elbows
1 lb. chopped escarole
2 artichoke and basil or similarly flavored chicken sausages (sliced if precooked, squeezed into pot in little crumbles if not)
1 13oz can small white beans (low sodium if possible), rinsed and drained
1/4 cup grated parmaggiano reggiano

In a large stockpot over medium heat, saute bacon until it's rendered its fat. Add onion and carrots and saute until they start to soften. Add garlic and potato and saute 2 minutes. Deglaze pan with sherry. Add stocks and seasonings (including parm rinds) and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until about 2 minutes before al dente. Add escarole and sausage and continue to cook 3 minutes. Turn off heat. Add white beans and cheese. Serve hot in copious amounts!

Bistro Classics: Potato Gratin

I have been a bad food blogger. Not only have I not be blogging, I haven't even been cooking. This past week I had one day where I actually made something for dinner and it was the spaghetti and meatballs I've already raved about twice. Our other meals have consisted of leftovers, a dinner out for the anniversary, pizza, hot wings, and sushi. So yes, even I get too busy to cook. Even I order takeout (although I cringe while doing it). So when Saturday rolled around, it was time for some home cooked pleasure. This heavenly potato gratin certainly delivers.

I must ask you to excuse my deteriorating photography skills. The problem is I have no natural light after 6:30, and I never manage to make dinner by then. I've been trying all the tricks I have up my sleeve, but I think I'm going to have to fold and get some real photography lights like these ones I've been eyeing. Until then, I apologize, but guarantee you that this is SO good, even if it doesn't look it.


Don't even think about using another variety of potato here. Trust me, I've tried. Waxy potatoes don't absorb any liquid, leaving you with a funky separated sauce, russets absorb too much and get mushy like mashed potatoes. Yukon Golds are richer in flavor, absorb just enough liquid to result in a thick, creamy sauce and hold their shape well. I've also found this method allows the potatoes the perfect amount of cooking time and results in a tender, well sauced gratin.

Golden Bacon, Leek and Gruyere Potato Gratin


6 slices maple smoked bacon
8 oz cleaned leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced into half moons
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
pinch of salt
2 1/2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 1/8 inch thin (if your knife skills could use improvement, employ a mandolin)
7 oz shredded gruyere cheese
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmaggiano reggiano
2 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

In a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Set aside on paper towels to cool, reserving grease. Add leeks and saute until softened but still green. Empty into a bowl and set aside.

Combine stock, cream and seasonings and bring to a simmer. Add potato slices and simmer until they are just starting to get tender, about 8 minutes.

In a large greased gratin dish, layer in 1/3 of potatoes, followed by 1/2 of gruyere, leeks and bacon. Repeat, then top with remaining third of potatoes (pour any liquid left down over the gratin).

Mix together breadcrumbs, parmesan and butter with a fork. Sprinkle in an even layer over the top of the gratin.


Bake until breadcrumbs are golden and bubbling sauce has thickened, about 25 minutes.

Serve alongside another bistro classic, such as steak au poivre and haricots vert. (I had chicken marsala with mine)



P.S. Omit the bacon, sub milk or veggie stock for chicken and this is an oh, so satisfying vegetarian meal!

Americana

There are few things as American as Thanksgiving. In fact, I think it speaks more to what it means to be an American than the fourth of July. Gathering with family, partaking in a feast with so many ingredients that were here hundreds of years ago, such as turkey, corn, cranberries, taking some time to realize how lucky we are. The fact is, we have a lot to be thankful for, and I don't think one day is really enough time to devote to gratitude for the privileges we have in this country. What's more - traditional foods served at Thanksgiving are just too good to deprive yourself of the rest of the year. So I try to make one Thanksgivingish weekend dinner every couple of months, and it helps me put things in perspective when times are tough, as they have been for much of the past year.

With the mild weather we've been having and the return to school, I've been longing for my favorite season: autumn. While I love the scarlet tomatoes and sweet corn and will be sad to see them go, I'm dreaming of roasts and braises, hearty soups and root vegetables. In this meal I found some of those fall flavors, without departing completely from the lightheartedness of summer.

Maple Herbed Roast Turkey Thighs with Roasted Vegetables


1 1/2 cups baby carrots
1 cup baby patty pan squash
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1 cup new potatoes, cut into the same size pieces as the squash
1 Tbsp olive oil

2 turkey thighs
1 tsp chopped sage
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1 tsp chopped thyme
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 Tbsp softened butter

2 slices of thick-cut bacon
2/3 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 425. In a 9 x 13 pyrex dish, toss veggies with olive oil.

Stick a finger in between the skin and turkey meat at one edge of the thigh. Separate skin from thigh, creating a large pocket, while leaving the edges connected. Combine herbs, garlic and butter in a bowl and squish together with your fingers to form a paste. Rub paste into pocket between meat and skin. Place turkey thighs on top of veggies.

Place bacon on any seams in the turkey thighs were meat is not covered by skin. Alternatively, wrap around outside edges. Brush with some maple syrup (you won't use all of it yet). Sprinkle turkey and veggies with salt.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven, brushing with maple syrup every 15 minutes, until turkey reads 155 degrees F on an instant read thermometer and skin is lacquered, crispy and caramelized. Remove turkey to a plate to rest.


Preheat broiler. Strain vegetables of turkey drippings (reserve). Broil veggies until they're caramelized. In the meantime, mix the drippings with a slurry of marsala wine and cornstarch in a small saucepan to make a gravy. Bring to a simmer (should thicken).

Serve turkey with roasted veggies, gravy, cornbread stuffing and cranberry orange relish.



Cranberry Studded Cornbread Stuffing with Bacon and Leeks


6 large (storebought-size) or 12 small (homemade size) corn muffins- dry corn muffins work best for this, especially low-fat or fat free. If the flavor is pure corn, and it's really too dry to be a pleasant muffin, it will be perfect - day old muffins also work well.

6 slices thick center cut bacon
1 1/2 cups sliced cleaned leeks
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp cream sherry
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp chopped sage
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 - 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
coarse salt, pepper and coarse sugar

Crumble muffins onto a sheet pan. you should have some larger chunks and lots of crumbs. Let sit for 2 hours to dry out. Alternatively, toast in a 350 degree oven until golden and dried out. Place dried out muffins in a large bowl.

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat, until it has rendered it's fat and it's crispy. Remove bacon. Add leeks and cook until tender. Add remaining ingredients, including 1 1/2 cups stock (except salt, pepper and sugar) and bring to a simmer. Pour over muffin pieces and mix with a wooden spoon. If it's not moist enough, add additional stock. Transfer to an oven safe dish and sprinkle with coarse salt, sugar and ground pepper. Bake in the oven with the turkey for 20 minutes, or until golden on top.



Cranberry Orange Relish


This is my mother's recipe. It's simple, but such a bright, textural contrast to turkey, it's so much more interesting than a traditional cranberry sauce. This is a classic on my Thanksgiving table, and if you freeze a few bags of cranberries in the fall, you can have it year round. I make it with less sugar, since I like it a little more bitter than most people. This quantity of sugar seems to please most palates.

1 bag whole fresh (or thawed frozen) cranberries
1 fresh mandarin orange (also works well with clementines - but use 2)
3/4 cup sugar

Combine cranberries and zest of the orange in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped.


Seed and segment the orange and add orange flesh and sugar to the bowl. Pulse until it comes together in a fine relish. Transfer to a plastic container and let sit at least 2 hours (the sugar is grainy at first - this time lets the sugar dissolve and flavors meld).

Is it a pizza? Is it a salad? It's dinner!

Ever since my book club had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen (I know - I have great restaurant taste, huh?!), I've been craving a Cobb Salad. But three nights of chicken would be a little too much, so I decided maybe I'd try it with shrimp. Good plan - but I forgot the shrimp. One thing I definitely did not forget is the chewy, crispy flatbread. That part was inspired by Quizno's flatbread salads (there goes my good taste again!). So this is like one of those fancy "pizzas" that has no baked on toppings, but is topped with a liberally dressed salad. Oh dear lord was this good! And super easy!

Flatbread Cobb Salad


pizza dough, enough for one 12 inch pizza, from your favorite chewy, thick crust recipe - I love this one from 101 cookbooks
olive oil for brushing
2 Tbsp crushed garlic
1/4 cup parmesan
garlic powder, Italian seasoning and black pepper for sprinkling


2/3 cup chianti vinegar
1/4 cup orange muscat vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp grated parmesan

1 lb. baby lettuces, washed and spun dry

3 hardboiled eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper then chopped fine
1 large heirloom tomato, chopped
6 cooked pieces of bacon, crumbled
2 ears of sweet corn, kernals removed (I love my corn zipper)
1 large ripe avocado, pitted, sliced into chunks and removed from peel
1 cup grilled chicken or shrimp, chopped


Two hours before preparing, take the risen dough out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. After 30 minutes, roll the dough out to desired size on a floured surface. Let rest and rise at least one hour.

Preheat oven with a pizza stone on the middle rack to 500 F. Brush crust with olive oil, evenly distribute garlic and sprinkle on cheese and seasoning. Set aside until oven preheats.


Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a blender. Blend until well combined and emulsified. Toss dressing with baby lettuces, set aside.

Bake pizza on pizza stone until just cooked through 5-10 minutes. Top with dressed lettuces and other Cobb toppings.



P.S.
Boiling eggs is easiest if you start them submerged in cold water, bring to a boil, lid and remove from heat. There's enough heat left over to cook them perfectly.

I cook the bacon in the microwave. It sounds weird, but it comes out perfectly crispy, mess free and never burnt! Just sandwich slices of bacon between doubled sheets of paper towels and cook on high 5-6 minutes for 6 pieces.