Fried Green Tomato BLT with Basil Mayo

Ingredients

Makes 4 sandwiches

8 slices sourdough bread

1/2 pound high quality bacon (I used Main Street Meats belly bacon)

1 head butter lettuce

2 large green tomatoes, sliced in 1/4-inch rounds

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup corn meal

3/4 cup buttermilk

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup basil mayo, recipe to follow

Safflower oil for frying

Basil Mayo:

2 egg yolks

4 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 cup grape seed oil

3 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Place the egg yolks, dijon mustard, and white wine vinegar in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Very slowly, pour in the grape seed oil, whisking constantly. The mayo will thicken significantly, but will not be as thick as store bought mayo. Add the basil and stir to combine. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.

For the sandwiches:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the bacon on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook 10-12 minutes or until bacon has reached your preferred crispness. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat enough safflower oil to cover the bottom of the pan with a depth of 1/4 inch. While the oil is heating, place the buttermilk in a small shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and cornmeal and season with salt and pepper. Dip the tomato slices in the buttermilk then in the flour and cornmeal mixture, coating all sides evenly. Fry 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove the tomato slices from the pan and place on paper towels. Season with a little more salt.

Toast the bread until it has started to get crisp but has not started to brown. Remove from the oven and assemble the sandwiches.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread each slice of bread with 1 1/2 tsp. of the basil mayo. Stack with several lettuce leaves, 2-3 tomato slices and 2-3 slices of bacon. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Corn Dogs (plus doughnuts!) with Maple Siracha Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup dry cream of wheat (optional- can substitute more corn meal)

1/4 cup grits or stone ground corn meal

1 tsp kosher salt

1 Tbs pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup maple sugar (use cane sugar if you don't have granulated maple sugar)

1 1/2 lb sweet potato, baked until soft,  flesh scooped out and mashed (about 1 3/4 cups of mash)

1 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 egg

4 tbs corn starch for dredging

About 16 regular sized hot dogs

Peanut oil (or your favorite high-heat oil) for deep frying

16 bamboo or wooden corn dog sticks (can use skewers cut to 6 or 7 inch lengths)

For the dipping sauce, combine:

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Several tablespoons of Siracha Hot Chili Sauce

Method:

Combine or sift together the dry ingredients. Set aside. In a stand mixer, whisk the mashed sweet potato, buttermilk, and egg until smooth.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and combine, but do not over-mix. The batter should be thick but loose enough to be slightly pourable. Add more buttermilk a little at a time if it is too dry. Let the batter rest while you assemble the hot dogs.

Heat enough oil in a deep, wide saucepan for deep frying the corn dogs. The oil will need to reach 375 degrees before frying.

Insert sticks into the ends of the hot dogs, pushing them in about half of the length of the hot dog. Place a few tablespoons of corn starch on a plate, then roll the hot dogs in the corn starch, dusting off the excess.

Fill a glass nearly to the top with batter.  When the oil is up to temperature, dip the hot dogs into the cup of batter until they are coated. Place the corn dogs into the hot oil and fry until dark golden brown.  Because of the sugars in the sweet potato and the batter, the breading will fry darker than typical cornbread batter.

Roll corn dogs in the hot oil at least once to make sure all sides cook evenly. When the batter is fully cooked, carefully remove them from the oil with tongs and place on absorbent paper towel. Serve hot.

When all of the corn dogs are finished cooking, any remaining batter can be made into doughnuts by dropping a teaspoon at a time into the hot oil. Scoop the cooked doughnuts out of the hot oil with a slotted spoon and place on absorbent paper towel. Sprinkle with sugar immediately.

Burmese-Style Stuffed Butternut Squash Curry

This recipe has traveled around the world through many hands. Pumpkin curries are popular in much of Asia, and can be found with a variety of ingredients and flavors. The dark green skinned kabocha squash is the most common "pumpkin" used in these recipes, but butternut squash works quite well. The small ones are especially well suited for serving single portions stuffed inside the squash. The particular recipe and method listed below came from a Swiss friend named Jerome Gauthey who has spent a year or so working at an orphanage for refugee children in Thailand. And it was his friend and co-worker from Burma who shared the meal with the staff and children whenever there were occasions for celebration. It's a simple recipe that makes use of fresh winter squash, onion, loads of garlic, and a common Thai seasoning blend called Ros Dee. It's hard to know exactly what is in the seasoning packet, but it's essentially pork bouillon, salt, garlic powder, and various umami flavor enhancers.  Ros Dee may be available at your local Asian market, but a good substitute could be homemade pork or chicken broth and plenty of salt. And don't be afraid to assemble your own flavors. Many pumpkin curry recipes also use turmeric, ginger, kafir lime leaves and coconut milk for a sweeter taste.

Ingredients:

6-8 small butternut squash

2 lbs boneless chicken thighs

3 stalks fresh lemongrass

1 large onion

6-8 cloves of fresh garlic

Salt

Oil

Green and red Thai chilies (to taste), plus one small red or yellow onion

*Ros Dee Seasoning, or use pork or chicken broth

 

*Ros Dee Pork Seasoning

Method:

Mince the small onion and about 6-8 Thai chilies. Combine in a bowl with some salt and mash with a mortar & pestle to release their oils and combine the flavors. Set aside.

Cut the neck end of the squash away from the bulbous end, then carefully peel the squash and remove the seeds. The seeded bulb end will be used as bowls for the curry, and can be decorated by cutting slits or designs into them with a sharp knife.

Place the squash "bowls" on a parchment-lined baking dish and set aside. Chop the remaining stem-ends of the squash into bite sized chunks,  cut the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces, slice the large yellow onion into wedges, and mince the garlic. Trim the lemongrass, using the white root ends for the curry. Cut into 3-4 inch pieces.

In a heavy bottomed stock pot, cook the chicken on medium-high heat with a little oil until it is almost cooked through. Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook while stirring until the onions are tender.  Stir in the squash chunks, Ros Dee Seasoning and 1 cup of water (or broth) and lemongrass. Cover and simmer until the squash is tender, but not mushy.

Season to taste with salt and more Ros Dee, garlic or chopped chilies.

Scoop the chicken and squash mixture into the squash "bowls" and return to the baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until the squash bowls are fork tender.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice and onion and chili garnish.

Turnip Green Souffle With Black Pepper & Grana Padano

For the last recipe of the 2013 CSA season, we wanted to offer something special. With a chill in the air, many people are thinking about warm comfort foods or recipes worth gracing a holiday table.  Souffle's have a light and airy texture, but rich and comforting flavor.  And let's be honest, there's no better way to impress your mother-in-law than to serve her a souffle for a holiday brunch. In search of a compliment to the sharp tasting greens, I wandered down to Main Street Meats where they were more than happy to help me find the perfect cut of meat. (Shopping at a real butcher shop, by the way, is absolutely nothing like shopping for meat at a grocery store). After some deliberation, I settled on a delicious portion of cold-smoked Tasso.  When sliced thinly and seared in a pan, it reminds me of a really nice Canadian bacon or English bacon, but with a bonus kick of spices and seasonings around the edge. Sweet peppers and shallots rounded off the flavor for this delightfully rich breakfast or lunch combination.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Turnip Greens

3 medium Shallots

Olive or Canola Oil

1 clove of fresh Garlic, minced or pressed

8 oz Cream or Milk

1 Tbs White Wine Vinegar

Sea Salt

freshly ground Black Pepper

1/2 cup finely grated Grana Padano Cheese (can substitute parmesan or another hard, aged cheese)

1/3 cup dry white or sourdough Breadcrumbs

3 farm-fresh Eggs, separated

On The Side:

thinly sliced Tasso from Main Street Meats

yellow and red Sweet Peppers, sliced

1 medium Shallot, sliced

Method:

Grease four 4-inch ramekins.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove the stems from the turnip greens.  Wash the greens and chop.  Slice the shallots into 1/4 inch slices.  Heat a skillet and saute the greens and shallots with a little oil until they wilt.  Add some salt and pepper and continue to cook until they just begin to caramelize and the aroma blooms.

Remove from heat and place the sauteed greens and shallots in a blender with the garlic, cream, vinegar, salt to taste, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.  Puree the mixture on medium-low speed.  Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Place the pureed mixture in a medium mixing bowl.  Add the egg yolks, grated cheese and breadcrumbs and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Gently fold the egg whites into the pureed mixture.

Fill the prepared ramekins and bake for about 30 minutes.

While the souffle's are baking, sear the thinly sliced tasso until it is cooked through and begins to brown a little.

Remove from the pan and saute the sliced peppers and shallots, adding a little oil to the pan if necessary.

Serve the warm souffle with the tasso and sauteed vegetables on top, or on the side.

Potato and Roasted Chicken Chowder

The quality of your cooked chicken, as well as the stock or broth, can make all of the difference to the flavor of this soup. Starting with a good quality bird (like Hoe Hop Valley Farm's fresh whole hens) will produce the best flavorful meat, and the best tasting stock. You can substitute store bought broth and cooked boneless portions if you are short on time, but taking the time to make your own stock will produce the richest flavors. Also, most chowders and potato soups are prepared with cream and cheese. In this version, the good quality chicken stock and assorted vegetables create a chowder that is rich and flavorful enough to go without the extra fat and calories in the cream and cheese. However, if desired, a little garnish at the end is decadently rich, but not overpowering.

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs of cooked Chicken, leftover from a whole roasted hen if possible

2-4 quarts of good Chicken Stock

2-3 lbs of Potatoes (russet, red, etc.)

1 lb Carrots, chopped

1 bulb of Fennel, diced

4 stalks of Celery, chopped

3 Purple Sweet Peppers, diced

2 medium Yellow Onions, diced

1 Tbs Herbs de Provence

Olive or Canola Oil

8 cloves of Garlic, minced

Kosher Salt

freshly ground Black Pepper

1 cup White Wine

Garnish:

Sauteed Kale, (prepared with oil, white balsamic vinegar, and salt)

Heavy Cream (optional)

Shredded White Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Method:

Dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. If they release a lot of starch when chopped, rinse under cold water before using in the soup.

In a large stock pot, saute carrots, onions, fennel, peppers and celery with a little oil. When the vegetables begin to sweat, add a teaspoon or so of kosher salt, herbs de Provence, potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until the potatoes and vegetables are soft.

Remove the soup from the heat and puree (not until completely smooth) with an immersion blender until the soup has thickened a little, but still has some texture and chunks of vegetables.

Return the soup to the heat and warm on low. Add the wine, garlic and chicken. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, then simmer for 15 minutes or so.

To serve, stir a small amount of cream and cheese into each portion (if desired), then top with the sauteed kale.