by Kathy Douglas | Sep 26, 2018 | Entrees, Side Dishes
Loaded with vitamins, Acorn Squash has more potassium, calcium, magnesium, and folate than any other variety of squash. After baking the squash, we pile the center high with a flavorful stuffing including applewood smoked bacon, toasted walnuts, apples, gruyere cheese, and fresh fall herbs. Then sprinkled with more cheese, it’s bake until golden brown on top.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon butter, melted
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
2 large or 3 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh sage, divided
2 pieces applewood smoked bacon, cut into thin strips to make lardons
½ cup onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 apples, Fuji, Honey Crisp, or other firm apple, cored and cubed
2 cups breadcrumbs1 cup toasted chopped walnuts
¼ cup boiled cider
¼ cup shredded gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh ground pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
Combine the melted butter, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and 2 teaspoons sage; brush over cut sides and cavity of squash. Place in a large roasting pan, cut side up, and roast in the oven for 1 hour, until the squash is tender but still holds its shape.
While the squash bakes, sauté the bacon lardons over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Remove the cooked bacon lardons, drain on paper towels and set aside. Leaving the fat remaining in the pan, place the sauté pan back on the heat and add the onion and celery with a pinch of salt. Sauté until the vegetables are starting just to soften. Add the apples and sauté until the apple are soft and a small knife can pass through one of the apples.
Add the croutons and walnuts to a large bowl. Pour the warm vegetables over the croutons and walnuts. Add the boiled cider, cooked bacon lardons, the rest of the sage, ⅔ of the gruyere cheese, the parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Mix well. Add evenly to the squash cavities and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Makes 6 servings, serve immediately.
by Kathy Douglas | Sep 24, 2018 | Appetizers
Get inspired during pumpkin season and fill your home with the fragrance of fall while these cinnamon swirl pumpkin bars bake away in your oven. Moist and delicious, we filled these bars with warm spices, a delicious cinnamon cream cheese, and toasted walnuts.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup walnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
Cinnamon swirl
¼ cup unsalted butter softened
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup cream
1 cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove, (leaving the oven on) cool slightly, and chop. Set aside.
To make the bars: Line bottom and sides of an 8×8“ baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree then reduce speed to low, and slowly add the dry ingredients until just combined. Add the walnuts and stir into the batter by hand until incorporated. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan.
To make the cinnamon swirl: With an electric mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and cream. Add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla, then beat until combined. Drop in tablespoons over the pumpkin batter; swirl into the batter. Smooth the top and place in the oven.
Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
Using the foil, lift from pan, peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.
by Kathy Douglas | Sep 19, 2018 | Entrees
Loaded with oven roasted Brussels sprout leaves, applewood smoked bacon, and Parmesan cheese over an onion jam base – it’s the perfect fall Friday night pizza or the perfect food to warm up on the cooler nights.
INGREDIENTS
6 slices thick cut applewood smoked bacon, we prefer Neiman Ranch
2 tablespoons Maple Sugar or Cane Sugar
3 cups Brussels sprouts
Olive oil
Kosher Salt
½ pound Pizza Dough, store bought, at room temperature
3 tablespoons Onion Jam, high-quality store-bought or homemade
½ cup finely shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese
¼ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
To prepare the bacon, preheat the oven 450˚ F. Place the bacon on a cooling rack set over a foil-lined sheet tray. Sprinkle with the sugar, then bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and then cut each strip into 10 pieces. Leave the oven on.
While the bacon cooks, using a small paring knife, continue slicing off small pieces of the stem of a Brussels sprout to remove all the leaves from the sprout; cut the remaining small center in half. Add to a bowl until you have 3 cups. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Toss to combine and set aside.
Set the oven temperature up to 525˚ F. Roll out the pizza dough into a 12” circle.
On the stovetop, heat a 12” cast iron pan over medium-high to just hot. Remove from the heat and add 1½ tablespoon of olive oil. Using a pastry brush, spread to cover the pan bottom then sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Carefully add the dough to the hot pan and press to cover the bottom and slightly up the side. Lightly brush the dough, especially the edges where the crust will form, with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Top with the onion jam, spreading evenly in the center leaving a 1” border. Add the mozzarella cheese, then the Brussels sprout leaves, followed by the bacon. Top the pizza with the Parmesan cheese, place in the oven, and bake for 10 -12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately remove from the cast iron pan. Rest 5 minutes before cutting into 8 servings.
by Kathy Douglas | Sep 17, 2018 | Entrees
With all the flavor of the season, our farm-fresh dinner will soon be your fall favorite. Oven roasted, crispy skin chicken breasts are served with a cider lemon butter sauce alongside sweet sautéed apples, creamy cheddar polenta with fresh corn, and tangy mustard greens. With these easy to make recipes, you can pick your favorites or prepare them all.
Pan Seared Chicken with Cider Lemon Sauce
INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, with skin, chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
½ cup white wine
1 cup chicken sodium free chicken stock
½ cup boiled cider
½ cup fresh lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
Preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, until the surface of the pan is very hot. With paper towels, dry the chicken breasts then season well with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the pan and heat until the oil is just moving in ripples. Place the chicken, skin side down, in the pan and cook until the skin is golden about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts skin side up, add a tablespoon of butter and place the skillet in the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes until an instant-read thermometer registers 165˚F when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Pour off all fat remaining in the skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add the wine and deglaze while scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the stock and bring to a boil and cook until it thickened about 6 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, boiled cider, and lemon juice. Cook 3-5 minutes until thickened, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and serve with the chicken
Caramelized Apples
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons butter
4 large apples, Fuji, Honey Crisp, or another sweet firm apple, peeled, cored, cut into 16 wedges per apple
2 tablespoons Lyle’s Golden Cane syrup
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Melt the butter in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the apples, syrup, lemon juice and salt, and sauté until tender and the edges are lightly browned about 9 minutes. Cover and serve warm.
Cheddar Polenta with Fresh Corn
INGREDIENTS
2 ears of corn, husks and silks removed, cut off of cob
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup of Polenta
Chicken stock, the amount per polenta packaging directions
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Sauté the fresh corn over medium heat in 1 tablespoon butter for 7-8 minutes, remove and set aside.
Follow the directions on the packaging of polenta using the chicken stock for the liquid. When cooked, add the corn, cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons remaining butter and cream to the polenta; stirring to combine to a smooth consistency. Serve immediately.
Sautéed Mustard Greens
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed with a garlic press
2 bunches mustard greens, stemmed and chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chicken stock
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large sauté pan with straight sides, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the garlic to the hot oil and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the mustard greens, season with salt and pepper, and sauté while tossing to until they wilt. Add the chicken stock and heat to a simmer. Lower the heat and cook for about 5 minutes more until the stock as almost evaporated. Serve warm.
by Kathy Douglas | Sep 12, 2018 | Appetizers
You will be bringing your “A” game when you serve these crunchy, spicy, potato wedges at your next Tailgate or Football Watch Party. Crispy and drenched in a buttery Buffalo Hot Sauce, they are perfect for dipping in our cool Cilantro Ranch Dressing.
Cilantro Ranch Dressing
INGREDIENTS
¾ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro, chives, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl until well combined. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
Buffalo Sauce Potato Wedges
INGREDIENTS
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, medium size
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pan
Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup hot sauce, we prefer Uncle Franks
¼ cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons white vinegar
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400˚F.
Cut each potato into 6 wedges, place in a large bowl, and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil; add 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and toss again. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil and place the potatoes, cut side down, on the baking sheet leaving space between the wedges. Place in preheated oven and bake 20 minutes. Turn the potatoes, so the other cut side is down and cook 10 minutes longer or until golden. Turn the oven off.
While the potatoes bake, combine the hot sauce, butter, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon salt in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk the sauce while bringing to a to a simmer. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover, set aside and keep warm.
Combine the warm pepper sauce and hot potatoes in a large heatproof bowl and gently toss to coat evenly. Place the bowl of potatoes back in the warm oven and rest for 5 minutes. Remove and carefully toss again. Serve warm with the Cilantro Ranch Sauce.
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