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.

Apple Jam with Lemon and Cardamom

8 c apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
apple cider
¼ c  lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
2 t cardamom
8 c sugar
2 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 boxes pectin
1/2 teaspoon butter

Measure apples into 4 c Pyrex measuring bowl.  Add cider to the 4 cup line. Add  apple/cider mix to pot. Stir in lemon juice and cardamom.

Stir pectin into fruit. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly.  Add sugars. Return to full rolling boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam.

Ladle quickly into jars.  Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Caramel Apple Cake

This cake is a riff on the classic tarte tatin.  Try it with a dash of orange zest in the caramel and the cake, or really fresh cardamom if you have it.  I made it yesterday for lunch in the hoophouse.

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

For caramel
5 T butter
3/4 brown sugar
6 apples
pinch allspice

For cake
2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
10 T cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 c buttermilk

Melt butter in 10″ cast-iron or oven-proof skillet over moderate heat. Stir in brown sugar and cook for 3-4 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly while you prepare remaining ingredients.

Peel, core and thinly slice apples.  Arrange in circular pattern in skillet atop caramel.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, and pulse just until mixture is moistened.

Gently spread batter atop apples, leaving a 1-inch border around edge of skillet for the cake to spread as it bakes.

Bake cake in middle of oven until golden brown and firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes.  Turn oven off.  Cool cake in skillet on a rack 3 minutes, then carefully invert onto a large oven-proof platter. Replace any apples that stick to skillet on cake.  Return to cooling oven to keep warm and continue to caramelize until ready to serve.

Leek, Chard & Cheddar Quiche

I made this fabulous quiche yesterday with fresh chard and leeks from the garden.  Another is in the menu plan for this week.  I tell you, chard & eggs with cheddar is magic.

Generous 1/2 bunch of chard
1 large leek
4 eggs
2 c cream
1 c shredded sharp cheddar, packed
3 T butter
1 t salt
generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
fresh bread crumbs

Generously butter a 10 pie plate.  Dust with finely chopped fresh bread crumbs as you would flour a cake pan.  Remove excess.

Carefully wash leeks and slice finely.  Wash chard, shake excess water off, and remove stems and thick ribs.  Stack leaves then slice into ½ inch strips perpendicularly to the rib.  Dice stems and ribs.

Melt butter in large sautee pan over medium heat.  Add chard stems/ribs and cook for 2 minutes.  Add leeks and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste Add chard leaves and cook until wilted and tender.  Remove from heat.

Sprinkle half the cheese over the pie plate.  Add leek/chard mixture and top with remaining cheese.

Beat eggs well with salt.  Add cream and mix, pour over chard mixture.  Bake in 325°F oven until lightly browned and set. Prepare to swoon.

Apple Crisp

• 4 lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1/2 c water or apple cider (better)
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1/3 c rolled oats
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 3/4 c white sugar
• 1 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 2/3 c butter

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter 9×13 pan.

Mix flour and spices in a bowl.  Cut in butter until the mixture is crimbly and even.  Stir in oats.  Add apple slices to the pan; add water/cider.  Bake 45-60 minutes until nicely browned.