Maple Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Filling
2 c cooked pumpkin purée
1/4 c firmly packed light brown sugar
2 T sugar
1 extra-large egg, beaten until frothy
1 T heavy cream
1 T unsalted butter, softened
1 T vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
Pinch of allspice
Pinch of nutmeg

Pecan Syrup
1/2 c sugar
3/4 c maple syrup
2 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 T unsalted butter, melted
2 t vanilla
1 pinch salt
1 pinch cinnamon
3/4 c pecan pieces

Whiskey Butter Sauce
4 T unsalted butter
1/3 c sugar
1 extra-large egg
1/2 T very hot water
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c bourbon whiskey

Pumpkin Filling
Combine all the ingredients thoroughly in a medium bowl; set aside.

Pecan Syrup
Combine all the ingredients thoroughly in a medium bowl; set aside.

Assembly
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Using my Butter Pie Crust recipe, prepare a 9 inch pie plate with an uncooked crust.

Spoon the Pumpkin Filling into the pan, spreading evenly to distribute. Gently pour the Pecan Syrup on top. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Cool and serve with Whiskey Butter Sauce.

Whiskey Butter Sauce
Melt the butter in the top of a double boiler set over gently simmering water. Beat the sugar and egg in a small bowl until blended. Stir the egg mixture into the butter. Add the hot water and stir until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 7 minutes. Remove from the double boiler and let cool to room temperature. Stir in the cream and whiskey. Tastes better when made 24 hours in advance of serving.

Apple Pie

• 11-12 c apples, mix of sweet and tart (10 +/- apples depending on size)
• 3/4 c plus 1 T sugar, reserved
• 1 1/2T fresh lemon juice
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 1 T all purpose flour
• 2 T unsalted butter, diced
• 1 Tablespoon whole milk

Core, peel and slice apples. Stir all apples, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon in large bowl to blend. Let stand until juices form, about 15 minutes. Mix in flour.

Line pie plate with dough. Spoon in filling; dot with butter. Cover filling with second crust. Cut vents. Brush pie with milk. Sprinkle 1T sugar* over pie (try mixing with cinnamon).

Place in oven. Immediately reduce temperature to 375°F.

Roll out any extra dough and sprinkle with sugar and or sugar and cinnamon.  Place in oven on a sheet under the pie.  If your timing is goo, any overflow will drip onto the sugar pie.  Check every once in a while, remove when sugar pie crust is brown.  Leave sheet below pie to catch any overflow!

Bake pie until crust is golden brown, apples are tender and filling is bubbling thickly, covering edge with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I don’t know why pie gets such a bad rap — it’s too hard to make, not worth it for taste, etc.  First of all, start with good ingredients, (i.e., skip the pie crust in a cardboard tube) and give yourself time.  Practice makes perfect, but the best tip is make sure the dough is well chilled before you use it.  Make it the day before, and refrigerate, or before you start the filling, flatten it into 2 discs and put it in the freezer.  It will be MUCH easier.

*In this instance, I used turbinado sugar.  The apples were a mix of HoneyCrisp, Jonagolds, Macintosh, and Gravenstein

Savory Corn Pancakes

• 1 cup stone ground cornmeal
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 c grated Cheddar or Jack cheese
• 1 c milk
• 2 T butter
• 1/2-1  c  sweet corn cut from the cob
• 1/4+ t ground chipotle chile
• 3 T veg oil

Scald milk. Remove from heat and add butter; allow to melt.

Mix cornmeal, cheese and chile powder in a bowl. Add milk and stir until a thick batter forms. Stir in the corn.

Allow batter to rest until the dough thickens.

Heat oil in large skillet and fry pancakes until browned and cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side.

These would probably be delicious with chives or scallions added to the batter.  They are terrific served with chili or spicy bean soup.

Sage Butter Sauce with Parmesan

• 4 t butter
• 20 fresh sage leaves
• 4 T stock, broth or wine
• 5 T grated Parmesan cheese

Over medium low heat, melt butter then add sage leaves and cook until edges curl and butter is dark amber 5-6 minutes. Drain crisped sage on paper towels. Add stock and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan. Serve over pasta, fresh sauteed vegetables, or roasted butternut squash; garnish with crumbled sage leaves. AMAZING.

Sundried Tomato Pesto

• 1/2 cup (packed) fresh arugula leaves
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 t salt
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Creamy raspberry dressing

• 5t raspberry vinegar
• 3 T sour cream
• 4T neutral oil

Dissolve salt in vinegar.  Add pepper, then sour cream and oil.  Mix well.  Adjust seasonings.  The dressing is a rather unfortunate shade, but ignore that, it is delicious.  This is FABULOUS with a mixed greens salad with toasted walnuts.  I bet raspberries as a garnish would add the perfect touch.

Seared Scallops with Ginger Sauce

We made this dish with the last of the season’s fresh sea scallops.  We served it with white rice, butter lettuce salad with lemon dressing, and fresh asparagus, sauteed with olive oil and a little garlic.  it was amazing!

24 Atlantic scallops
3 T butter
3 T neutral oil
2 T ginger root, minced or grated
2 cloves garlic or 1 large
¼ t red pepper flakes
¼ c dry white wine
2 T unseasoned rice wine vinegar
2T soy sauce
1 t honey
3 T cilantro, minced
1 scallion, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil until hot but not smoking.  Season scallops with salt and pepper.  Add half the scallops to the skillet and sear until brown, 1-2 minutes per side, turning once.  Transfer to bowl and sear remaining scallops.  Transfer to bowl and keep warm.

Add ginger, garlic and red pepper to pan, stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add wine, vinegar, soy and honey and boil, scraping up fond, until sauce is slightly reduced.  Return scallops to pan with any juices.  Simmer until scallops are warm.  Stir in cilantro and scallion.  Serve with rice, drizzled with sauce, and prepare to swoon.

Maine Shrimp Chowder

I learned to cook chowder from my mother, and don’t have a recipe I follow.  I just vary it to suit what I have — i.e. less fish, more potatoes.  I LOATHE thick pasty chowder thickened with flour or cornstarch, so mine depends on starchy potatoes and cream for body, but should be milky and dotted with butter and specks of black pepper.

Shrimp Chowder

Big knob of butter
2 medium onions
1 t dried thyme
Water
4+ starchy potatoes, diced (I used Yukon Golds from my garden)
1 lb haddock
1-2 pounds of cleaned Maine shrimp
½ cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups milk

Melt butter over medium-low heat in heavy soup pot. Cook onions until softened but not browned.  Stir in the thyme.

Add the potatoes to the pot, and add just enough water to cover them. Cover and bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, until softened and the liquid looks starchy.  Reduce the heat and add plenty of salt and pepper with salt and pepper (you don’t want to have to have to stir much once the fish is added).

Gently set the fish on the potatoes and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.  Add the cream and milk enough to make a nice broth (remember to leave room for the shrimp!) and taste for salt and pepper.  Heat until scalding, then add the cleaned shrimp.  Allow to come again to scalding, stirring gently to disperse shrimp.

Serve , making sure to have leftovers as it will always taste better the next day.

Ginger-lime tea with honey

To make, chop up a couple of tablespoons of fresh ginger (I keep mine in the freezer, peeled and cut into chunks), steep in hot water for about 10-ish minutes, add a big squirt of lime, and honey to taste. If you have it, some ginger syrup is a great addition (thanks, Holly!).

Cider Brined Turkey

This recipe originated at Epicurious.com; I’ve tweaked it to suit my tastes.

Start 2 days ahead.

* 4 quarts apple cider, divided
* 1 1/2 cups kosher salt  **** must be kosher salt or turkey will be too salty!****
* 1/4 cup whole allspice
* 6 whole cloves
* 8 bay leaves
* 4 quarts cold water

Simmer 1 quart cider, salt, allspice, and bay for 5 minutes, stirring often. Cool completely.  Add remaining 3 quarts cider and 4 quarts water.  Place turkey in brine. Cover and refrigerate for 18 hours.

Drain turkey and rinse.  Arrange on several layers of paper towels in roasting pan. Refrigerate uncovered overnight to further dry the turkey and promote a crisp skin.  Roast at 350°F for about 4 hours for a stuffed 20 lb. bird, basting with pan juices (add water or stock if the juices dry up).  Remove from oven when a thermometer in the thigh reads 175°F and ket rest for 30 minutes.

Makes enough brine for a 20 lb bird.

This was delicious.  I think the brine would be great for chicken or pork, too.