Recipes - Fall 2008

Corn and Sausage Chowder (Serves 6-8)

• Rendering: Cooking so that the fat melts out of the item. This way, you don’t have to add any additional fat to cook with.
• Meyer Reaction: Browning food as to release its juices and give a richer flavour.
• Scrap Bowl: Always keep one on hand to keep all the food scraps in one place to dispose of later. This avoids cluttering, frustration, and impending burnt food.
• Roux: A mixture with equal parts fat and flour used to thicken food without sacrificing taste. Fat can be butter, oil, lard, etc. A roux also prevents flour from getting lumpy in the food and creating dry pockets. It can be made ahead of time and refrigerated as well.

1. Render the fat out of the sausage over medium-high heat. 
2. Reduce the heat after 1-2 minutes so the sausage doesn’t burn.
3. Remove the sausage but leave the fat in the pan. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes.
4. Add the corn and continue to cook until  caramelized (aka Meyer Reaction).
5. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Reduce heat to low.
6. Make roux and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture has browned nicely (3-5 minutes). Add to corn mixture.
7. Add milk (Note: Any liquid works fine, such as wine or stock) and season with salt and pepper.
8. Add green onions and chives and simmer gently until desired consistency is reached.

Seasonal Cream of Mushroom Soup (Serves 6-8)

• Washing Mushrooms: Instead of running under water, which makes them slimy, gently rub with a damp paper towel.
• Boiling Dairy: Dairy products curdle when brought to a boil or when mixed with something acidic (such as lemon juice). Therefore, as soon as it gets to boil, immediately reduce heat to a simmer.
• Truffles: Extremely rare mushrooms that grow in clumps of three. Although previously only found in France, they are now grown in Oregon. Truffle oil is good as a final touch, but use sparingly
• Herbs: Add at the end to preserve its flavour and emit a bite of freshness to the meal.

1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté.
2. Add mushrooms and cook until browned so that there is no more moisture in the pan.
3. Make roux, add milk, and season with salt and pepper Add to mushroom mixture.
4. Add stock to desired consistency and cook until nicely thickened (about 15-20 minutes)
5. Garnish with parsley and truffle oil and serve with bread.

Meatballs

1. Mix the breadcrumbs and 1 cup of milk, wait 10 minutes.
2. In the meantime, sauté the onions and garlic in the butter and olive oil.
3. When nearly browned, add to the breadcrumb mixture.
4. Add the eggs and seasoning, mix well. Turn the oven on broil, be sure to have a broiler pan, cover it with foil and grease it.
5. Add the meat. Mix well with a potato masher or your hands. Add more milk as necessary – the goal here is to have as much milk in there as you can and still be able to shape a meatball, and it doesn't have to be perfectly round.
6. Broil them. You will know when their done when after they've released a bit of their juices. Don't cook them too much or they'll come out dry. Use their juices in your sauce.

1. Sauté the onions and garlic at the bottom of a large pot until they are soft.
2. Add the chicken stock and reduce until there is only a small amount of liquid left.
3. Blend with a blender or food processor and return to the pot at medium high heat.
4. Pour out all of the juice from the tomatoes.
5. Blend the tomatoes and add them to the pot.
6. Add chili flakes, about 1 to 2 tablespoons, and reduce for about 20 minutes. It’s ready.

Apple Brown Betty

• 2 cups sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 3/4 pound)
• 2 cups sliced peeled Rome apple (about 3/4 pound)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ounces day-old Italian or French bread, torn into 1/2-inch pieces (feel free to use whatever type of bread you want as long as it isn’t too moist, like sourdough)
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Sprinkle apple mixture with granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; toss well.
3. Combine milk, molasses, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add bread to milk mixture; toss to combine.
4. Add bread mixture to apple mixture; toss to combine. Spoon bread mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray.
5. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and brown sugar; cut in chilled butter using a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles small pebbles.
6. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over apple mixture. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve warm.

Gingered Pear Crisp

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups (1/2-inch-thick) chopped peeled Bartlett pears (about 4 pears)
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup regular oats
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans or any nut of choice

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring to combine. Add pears; toss gently to coat. Spoon pear mixture into a shallow 2-quart baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray.
3. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal, and stir in nuts. Sprinkle flour mixture over pear mixture.
4. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes or until topping is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes.

Peach-Blueberry Cobbler

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare filling:
   Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add peaches, blueberries and juice. Spoon mixture into an 8 inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
3. Prepare topping:
   Lightly spoon 1 1/3 cups flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt, stir with a whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk; stir just until moist.
4. Remove baking dish from oven; drop dough onto peach mixture to form 8-10 rounds. Sprinkle dough evenly with turbunado sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes until bubbly and golden