Fall Harvest Dinner

Fall Harvest Dinner

Eileen O’Connor & Christina Taber-Kewene

October 22, 2010

Spinach Croquettes

This recipe makes about 100 croquettes. It can easily be halved.

Ingredients

4 10 oz. packages frozen chopped spinach

4 C Pepperidge Farm stuffing (crushed)

2 large onions, minced

8 eggs

1 C grated Parmesan cheese

1 ½ C melted butter

1 T thyme

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt & pepper

Cook and drain the spinach. Squeeze excess water from drained spinach.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Chill at least 2 hours.

Roll into one inch balls.

At this point, you can freeze the croquettes on cookie sheets and keep the frozen appetizers in a plastic bag for several weeks.

Bake, thawed, at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

Pear Pecan Toasts

Ingredients

10 oz. Roquefort cheese

¼ c. plus 1 tbsp heavy cream

15 slices thin white sandwich or French broad, crusts removed

2 Bartlett pears, thinly sliced into wedges

1/3 cup pecan halves, thinly sliced crosswise

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the cheese and the heavy cream in a small bowl. Using a fork or wooden spoon, combine until the mixture is soft enough to spread but not too runny. Set aside.

Cut the read in half crosswise, making rectangles that are about 3 x 1.5 inches. Transfer the rectangles to a baking sheet; toast in the oven until light golden on each side, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Spread 1 heaping tsp of the cheese mixture on each piece of bread. Top with a pear slice; garnish with the pecan slices. Serve at room temperature.

Cranberry Orange Tonic

Makes 12 servings.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

4 rosemary sprigs

4 cups cranberry juice cocktail, chilled

2 cups orange juice, chilled

3 cups club soda, chilled

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Add rosemary; simmer 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Pour sugar syrup into a bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight.

Uncover sugar syrup; remove and discard rosemary sprigs.

Combine the sugar syrup, juices, and soda in a large pitcher.

Serve immediately over ice.

Curried Squash and Pear Bisque

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients
1 butternut squash (about 2 3/4 pounds)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped Bartlett pear (about 1 pound)
1 ½ cups thinly sliced onion
2 1/3 cups water
1 cup pear nectar
2 (14 ½ ounce) cans vegetable broth
2 ½ teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
½ cup half-and-half
1 small Bartlett pear, cored and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane.

Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet; bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until tender. Cool.

Peel squash; mash pulp. Set aside 3 ½ cups pulp, reserving remaining squash for another use.

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped pear and onion; sauté 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add squash pulp, water, and next 5 ingredients (water through pepper). Bring to a boil; partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes.

Place one-third of squash mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Pour puréed mixture into a large bowl; repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture. Return squash mixture to pan; stir in half-and-half.

Cook over low heat 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with pear slices.

Honey Wheat Rolls

Makes 2 dozen rolls.

1 package dry yeast

1 C warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)

3 T honey

3 T butter, melted

1 egg

¾ t salt

2 – 2 ½ C unbleached flour

1 ¾ C whole wheat flour

Cooking spray

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixer bowl.

Add honey, butter, egg, salt, and ¾ C of each white and whole wheat four.

Beat at low speed of electric mixer until smooth.

Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Grease a large bowl; place the dough in the bowl, turning dough to grease all sides.

Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough down; turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 3 minutes.

Coat muffin pans (total of 24 cups) with cooking spray.

Divide dough into four equal portions. Each of those portions will yield 6 rolls. Divide each of those portions into 6 pieces, then make 3 little balls of dough from each of those 6 pieces. Place 3 balls of dough in each muffin cup.

Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, for 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.

Herbed Goat Cheese Spread

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

1 package (11 ounces) goat cheese, room temperature

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives

In the bowl of a food processor, process cream cheese and goat cheese together until creamy and well combined. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, parsley, tarragon, dill, and chives; pulse until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer spread to an airtight container. Spread will keep, refrigerated, up to 2 days.

Cauliflower Soufflés over Baby Greens

Makes 12 mini-soufflés

Ingredients for the soufflés

4 tbsp unsalted butter (plus more for greasing the ramekins)

1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated on the small holes of a box grater

2 1 ½ lb heads of cauliflower

6 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 c. hot milk

8 large egg yolks

5 oz. Maytag or other blue cheese, crumbled to 1 c.

1 tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp paprika

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp nutmeg

2 tsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

10 large egg whites

Ingredients for the salad

¼ c. red-wine vinegar

½ c. extra-virgin olive oil

Dijon mustard, to taste

Honey, to taste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

10 oz. baby salad greens

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Butter 12 5-oz. ovenproof ramekins. Sprinkle the inside of each with the Parmesan. Arrange the ramekins, evenly spaced, in a baking pan. Set aside.

Cut the cauliflower into quarters; remove the center core and leaves. Thinly slice about 60 cauliflower florets vertically. Mince the remaining cauliflower to yield about 1 cup. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tbsp. butter. Whisk in the flour until it is cooked but not brown, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk until fully incorporated. Let cook 3 minutes. Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the cheese, salt, paprika, pepper and nutmeg, stirring constantly. Once the cheese has melted, stir in the reserved minced cauliflower and the parsley. Cook 2 minutes more. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low speed until frothy, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and beat 1 minute more. When the egg whites are foamy, increase speed to high, and beat just until they hold soft peaks; do not overbeat the egg whites. Using a large rubber spatula, lightly mix a third of the whites into the cheese mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whites until just combined.

Fill each ramekin with ½ cup soufflé mixture, smooth the tops. Insert 4 or 5 of the thin cauliflower florets around the edges of each ramekin, poking the florets into the soufflé mixture with the ruffled edge up. Bake until the tops are golden brown and the mixture is set. 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk vinegar and oil together until combined. Mix in mustard and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Toss salad greens with the vinaigrette. Just before serving, divide the salad evenly among 12 plates. Remove the soufflés from the oven. Use a kitchen towel to hold the ramekins, and invert the soufflés onto your hand, and then bottom-side down onto the plates with the salad. Serve warm.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Dried Cranberry Sauce

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and 1/4 cup sauce)

Ingredients for pork:
1 teaspoon dried ground sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 T olive oil

Ingredients for cranberry sauce:
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 tablespoon raspberry jam (optional)

1 t cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare pork, combine first 4 ingredients; rub evenly over pork.

Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned.

Place pan in oven; cook pork at 400° for 12 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink).

Place pork on a cutting board; keep warm.

To prepare sauce, add the chicken broth, dried cranberries, and juice to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in jam; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of cold water and add to the sauce; continue to cook until sauce thickens (about 1 minute).

Cut the pork into (1/2-inch) slices. Serve with sauce.

Braised and Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

3 T butter or olive oil

1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed

½ C or more vegetable stock, white wine, or water; more as needed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the butter, Brussels sprouts, and stock in a deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Sprinkle the Brussels sprouts with salt and pepper and bring the liquid to a boil.

Cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers; cook until the sprouts are just tender, 5 to 10 minutes, checking once or twice and adding liquid as needed.

Uncover the Brussels sprouts and raise the heat to boil off all the liquid so that the Brussels sprouts become glazed and eventually browned. Stir once or twice, but do not stir them frequently; just let them sizzle until golden and crisp, then shake the pan and loosen them to roll over (some sides can be more well done than others).

Adjust seasonings; serve warm or at room temp.

Empire Apple and Pear Tarts

Ingredients for Crust

4 ½ c. pastry flour

2 ¼ c. butter, cut into small pieces (4 ½ sticks)

¼ c. sugar or more

1 tsp salt

Ingredients for Filling

1 ½ lbs almond paste

9 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1 ½ c. butter, softened (3 sticks)

Ingredients for Topping

6 Empire apples, cored and thinly sliced

6 pears, cored and thinly sliced

1 ½ c. raspberry jam mixed with a little water

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine crust ingredients in bowl with fingertips until the consistency of coarse bread crumbs. Add 6 -9 tbsp cold water to bind. Form into a ball and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.

Mix all filling ingredients in a mixer or food processor

Roll out dough and press into 12 3-inch tart tins. Spread filling on the bottom of each. Arrange apple and pear slices on top of filling. Brush raspberry jam over tops evenly. Bake for 25-30 mins. Cool.

Chocolate Mint Squares

Ingredients for base

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate

½ C butter

1 C sugar

½ C flour

pinch of salt

2 eggs

Ingredients for mint layer

1 C powdered sugar

2 T butter

2 T crème de menthe (or 1 t peppermint extract + 1 T milk)

Ingredients for glaze

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate

2 T butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8" square pan.

For base: melt chocolate and butter. Cool. Whisk together eggs & sugar. Stir in salt and flour. Add butter-chocolate mixture and stir. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

For mint layer: cream together the 2 T butter and 2 T crème de menthe (or 1 t peppermint extract and 1 T milk). When the base has cooled, spread the mint mixture on top. Refrigerate.

For glaze: melt 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate with 2 T butter. Spread over top of the mint layer. Refrigerate.

Cut into 1” or 1.5”squares.

Salted Caramels

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water

Line an 8×8″ glass baking dish with parchment paper; grease well with butter.

Bring cream, butter and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, corn syrup and water to a boil, stirring just until the sugar is dissolved. Then continue boiling without stirring until the mixture is a light golden color and a candy thermometer reaches 250 degrees. Don’t worry how long this takes – some recipes say it takes 10 minutes and others say up to 45 minutes. The important thing is that it reaches 250 degrees and is a light golden caramel color.

When this happens, carefully stir in the butter/cream mixture. The caramel will bubble up, so be careful. Stir constantly and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 250 degrees again.

Then pour into the prepared baking dish and let cool at least 2 hours. Sprinkle the top of the caramels with a generous amount of nice sea salt. When the mixture has set, cut into pieces with a sharp, well-oiled knife, and wrap in parchment paper.

For the takehome:

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

3 cups white sugar

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

2 sticks butter (1 c.), melted

2/3 cup water

4 eggs

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans or 8 mini-loaf pans.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, butter, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill cans 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from cans or pans.