A Bountiful Harvest

All the sweet potatoes have been unearthed and put up for months ahead with ample help from my 15 month old (a great sidekick as long as I kept the fresh figs and raspberries close by).
Looking forward to dipping into this stash.

Creamy Winter Squash and Carrot Soup

The summer blaze has broken, giving way to sparkly light, walnuts dropping on sodden ground, and joe-pie-weed antiqued brown. It's nearly time to start pillaging the wood pile. Woolen apparel is ready for wear, the snow seal has been unearthed and applied to leather. This is a time to sip cider, stack hard squashes by our doorsteps, and settle in over a bowl of rich soup.
Roasted carrots and assorted winter squashes whirl together with cream and homemade broth to properly usher in the Autumn season. Find a chair by a window and enjoy the show.

Creamy Winter Squash and Carrot Soup: (feeds a crowd)
*1 large hubbard or buttercup squash (or both), quartered and seeded
*1 large butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeds and pulp removed
*10-12 large carrots
*2 sweet potatoes (optional) pierced several times with a fork
*1 medium sweet onion (optional)
*3 garlic cloves, peeled (optional)
*4-5 cups homemade chicken broth
*sea salt
*black pepper
*1 teaspoon mace
*1 1/2 - 2 cups (you decide) high quality cream (raw if possible)
*yogurt, sour cream or kefir for garnish

Preheat oven to 375.
Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
Arrange squashes cut sides down on one sheet. Drizzle skins with olive oil.
Arrange carrots, sweet potatoes, onion, and garlic on second sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Pour 1 cup of water on each baking sheet.
Place baking sheets in top and bottom thirds of oven, switching halfway through, and roast until all ingredients are tender (time will vary depending on thickness of squashes) at least one hour. Add more water to pans as needed.
Allow contents of pans to cool. Scoop flesh from squashes and sweet potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Add carrots, roasted onion and garlic to bowl with 1/2 the broth. Puree with an immersion blender or place contents in food processor and blend working in batches. Add more broth while blending until puree is smooth and to desired consistency.

Place puree in a large soup pot over medium low heat. Add sea salt, pepper and mace to taste. Stir in cream. Remove from heat once soup is heated through.
Portion into bowls and garnish with whole plain yogurt, kefir or sour cream and chopped parsely.

Enjoy!

Garlic Rosemary & Lemon Braised Turkey Legs with Oyster Mushrooms and Couscous

Venison broke an almost decade long affair with vegetarianism (read about it here) followed only second by Thanksgiving turkey. Countless holidays came and went with side dishes heaped in the center of my plate while I tried to overt my eyes from the perfectly golden bird anchoring the entire spread. Green bean casserole and brothless stuffing will only get you so far before images of dark meat smothered in smooth gravy startle you from a restless slumber, as you gasp for breath from sweaty sheets.

Every year, as the sugar maples blush crimson, the anticipation of roasted turkey has a similar effect on me. Thanksgiving leftovers last for a day or two, stacked upon sourdough and adorned with remaining cranberry, or simmered in lemony soup, but the whole event is far too fleeting.
Many would agree, turkey would be welcome at the dinner table more often. Yes, you can buy ground turkey and deli meat anytime, but this is not the turkey I am referring to. The fresh, pure cuts prove difficult to come by, and because of this, many of us wouldn't know what to do with them anyway. Until this moment.

The sourcing issue has been solved (beautifully I may add) by East Fork Farm. Whole pastured turkeys are currently available for holiday pre-order, while ultra fresh cuts are available weekly, from thighs to drumsticks, to super meaty wings. Don't be afraid. Preparing is simple. This recipe uses cloves from two whole garlic bulbs, while browned lemons, white wine, and rosemary infused broth braise the legs to supple, fall-off-the-bone status. The braising liquid is then used to cook the couscous and create a silky gravy to drizzle over the meat.
Be prepared to greet your next holiday meal with a bit of competition.

Garlic Rosemary & Lemon Braised Turkey Legs with Oyster Mushrooms and Couscous:
*olive oil
*2 local bone-in turkey legs, rinsed and patted dry
*sea salt and pepper
*1 medium onion, halved and sliced
*2 organic lemons, halved
*cloves from two garlic bulbs, cloves separated and peeled
*3/4 cup dry white wine
*1 tomato, cored and chopped
*3-4 cups chicken broth
*3 rosemary sprigs
*2 tablespoons butter
*1 cup fresh oyster mushrooms, chopped
*1 cup French couscous
*2 tablespoons flour


Place a braising pan or heavy soup pot fitted with a lid over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil. Brown turkey legs on each side. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add onion to hot pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Saute until lightly golden. Add lemon halves, cut sides down. Allow to cook without stirring for a few minutes. Add garlic cloves. Stir contents of pan with a wooden spoon. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Pour in the white wine. Simmer until reduced by more than half. Add chopped tomatoes. Cook briefly, then return turkey to pan. Pour in enough broth to cover legs halfway. Place rosemary sprigs on top of the legs. Bring liquid to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover.
Cook for about 2-3 hours or until turkey is loosened significantly from its bone. Remove turkey from pan, pull meat from bone and set aside.

Bring 1 1/3 cups cooking liquid to a gentle boil in medium saucepan. Add couscous. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 7-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, set a cast iron skillet with butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Remove garlic and rosemary from remaining braising liquid with a slotted spoon. Dissolve 2 tablespoons flour in 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid in a jar with a lid. Shake until no lumps remain. Bring strained cooking liquid to a simmer. Whisk in flour mixture. Simmer until thickened.

Serve turkey over couscous topped with fried mushrooms and drizzled with gravy. Give thanks and enjoy.

Eduard's Perfect Sourdough

Blessed with a variety of friends, I'm currently giving thanks for a particular few. After a quaint dinner gathering, the above mentioned left their generous mark on our house. Laura and Eduard arrived bearing a healthy serving of sourdough starter (bubbling and frothing in its jar), accompanied by a sack of locally grown and locally milled flour. Dana brought homegrown celery and zinnias, arranged in a bouquet, along with a jar of her homemade honeysuckle mead (if bees were mixologists, this would be their signature).
Each gift now has a devout follower, solidified by the fragrant celery gracing this evening's braised beef, sips of mead warming us in the cool Autumn evenings, and by today's first sourdough loaves.
Unlike celery and mead, the sourdough took some coaching from Eduard- sourdough extraordinaire. 

Here is his signature recipe, with which I had great success the first go-round:

Eduard's Perfect Sourdough:
Day one(evening): 2cups of flour
                          1/3cup of starter
                           1 1/4 cup of water (can be more)
                          1/4 cup of rye flour (up to you, I do not use it when I don't have it)
 
 Mix and cover with cling film. Let it sit overnight on the countertop.
 
Day two: 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour*
              4 cuips of bread flour*
              1/4 cup of rye flour*
              2 1/2 cups warm water*
              1 table spoon of salt
              2 cups of day one mix
              Optional: 1/2 cup sunflower seeds/ 1/2 cup of raisins/ walnuts/ almonds
*Mix  and let stand for 20 minutes

Add other ingredients and make in to a smooth dough.
Let it sit on the countertop.
Fold in 4 after 1 hour.
again fold after 1 hour, 
again fold after 1 hour.

Put in bread tins and let rise until just above rim

Bake at 450 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Enjoy.

* I added a shallow pan of water on bottom rack of  preheated oven to encourage flaky crust.

Serve warm with salted butter.

Lamb Meatball Stew with Russian Kale (GAPs)

Let me first give a shout out to all of you folks on the GAPs diet. A friend of mine and her family have been going strong for about 2 months, and have experienced health benefits yes, but not prior to tremendous lifestyle changes. This isn't the kind of diet you can pick up and decide to do on a whim. It requires deep conviction, commitment, and resolve to spend double (if not more) of your time in the kitchen.
Homemade bone broths and house made fermented foods are the foundation to most dishes, which, as most of you already know, does not happen on the fly. Zero funny business is tolerated. However, much of the GAPs diet principals are already staples here at our place. Bone broth is constantly simmering on the back burner, and grain laden dishes aren't generally center stage.
So, this flavorful recipe is for all of you rockin' it out GAPs style (and everyone else too). You should be commended for all your hard work!

Lamb Meatball Stew with Russian Kale:
*1 pound ground grass-fed lamb
*1 medium onion, chopped
*1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
*1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
*sea salt and pepper
*2 tablespoons olive oil
*2 carrots, chopped
*4 garlic cloves, minced
*2 cups loosely packed mushrooms of your choice, quartered
*2 tablespoons organic tomato paste
*1 cup dry red wine
*4 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth
*1 red chili pepper, minced
*2 bay leaves
*3 large Russian Kale leaves, stems removed, chopped

Prepare the meatballs: Place ground lamb in a medium mixing bowl. Mince 3 tablespoons of the chopped onion. Add to bowl with the parsley and cumin. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Gently mix into lamb with fork or clean hands. Roll 1 tablespoon lamb mixture into balls between palms. Transfer to a clean plate.
Place a heavy pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil. Once heated, place 1/3 of prepared meatballs in pan. Sear each side until golden, about 4 minutes each side (if you are on beginning stage of GAPs, make sure not to deeply brown). Remove from pot with a slotted spoon, and transfer to another plate. Continue working in batches browning meatballs until all are browned.

Add remaining onion, carrots, and mushrooms to pot with lamb juices. Allow to cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often. Add red wine. Allow to cook down and reduce slightly, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, chili, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer before adding meatballs. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Uncover and remove from heat. Stir in chopped kale. Allow hot liquid to wilt kale before dividing and serving.

Enjoy!

Northeast Kingdom

A trip to Northern Vermont for a visit with family included plenty of memorable tastes: In order from top:

~Chocolates from Laughing Moon Chocolates in Stowe, handcrafted by my college roomie Anna. The picture is blurry due to overwhelming excitement. Almond and fleur de sel topped coconut truffles, peppermint patty truffles (my fave), caramel-peanut butter dark chocolate truffles, and house made s'mores.

~Geese flying over Wolcott pond.

~Chasing Rhode Island Reds.

~Piping hot homemade line-caught bluefish dip with capers and herbs, alongside a perfectly executed sourdough loaf, provided by my brother-in-law's bro, Matty. Wish I could have this everyday.

Not pictured: A lovely trip to Rock Art brewery's tasting taproom, where heady brews and local maple syrup were gathered and brought home. Countless garden inspired meals eaten outdoors overlooking the lake, the browning goldenrod and stray monarchs who missed the train to Mexico.

Alas, it is near time to come to grips with summer's fleeting company. I cannot think of a better place to do so.

Perhaps the World Ends Here

This poem was introduced to me a while back by my childhood friend Anna. It has remained a favorite since:

Perhaps the World Ends Here

BY JOY HARJO

The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.

The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.

We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it.

It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. We make men at it, we make women.

At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.

Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.

This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun.

Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory.

We have given birth on this table, and have prepared our parents for burial here.

At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.

Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.