Herb Butter

Ingredients

Palm Gardens, Florida

1 lb butter, room temperature

3/4 cup chopped herbs

(Basil, Garlic, Sage, Parsley-choose one or two)

Combine in food processor

or use mixer to blend thoroughly

Press into square or oblong pan

 lined with plastic wrap

Refrigerate until solid

Cut into squares and freeze in

plastic containers with tight fitting lids

Use for roasting meats, vegetables and breads

A convenient seasoning for cooking a variety of meats, fish, vegetables or breads.  Sage Butter is very good for pork chops and sweet potatoes

Spanish Lemon Cream

Dogwood in Williamsburg VA

Ingredients


3 8oz containers of plain yoghurt
4 lemons
1/2 can of sweetened, condensed milk

Preparation


Squeeze the juice from the lemons.  Add the juice to a mixing bowl.  Add 8 oz of sweetened, condensed milk (each can is 14 oz-so a little more than half).  Mix well with mixer.  Add yoghurt, one container at a time and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour until it thickens to the consistency of pudding.

I usually put it in parfait glasses and top with a few fresh berries- raspberries or blue berries.


Serves 4-6

Turkey Brine

November days

Ingredients

12-20 lb thawed or fresh turkey (remove neck and livers,etc)

1 gallon sweet cider

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup kosher or sea salt

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 lemon, quartered
1 orange, quartered
10 cloves
4 cloves garlic, smashed
6 bay leaves
1 tablespoon thyme
2 sticks cinnamon
1 quart ice water

Preparation

Put all ingredients EXCEPT ice water in a large (8 quart pot).  Simmer until all sugar and salt dissolve (about 5 minutes).  Add ice water.  When the brine is room temperature, place the turkey in breast side down. Cover and refrigerate turkey and brine.  Ideally, brine turkey on each side for 12 hours.

Drain brine and discard.  Pat turkey dry, rub with sage butter, inside and outside of turkey.  Make several small slits in turkey breast skin and rub some sage butter in between the skin and the meat. Add chicken broth to roasting pan (according to the size of the turkey) I use about 6-8 cups of chicken broth.  Roast with lid on pan according to weight of turkey.   Remove the lid of the pan for the last 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Bisque



Fall in Maine


Ingredients

2 stalks celery, chopped very fine
2 carrots, chopped very fine
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
6 cups chicken broth
( I use organic free-range chicken broth)
2 15 oz cans pumpkin
2 bay leaves
1 cup light cream or half and half
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

Chop celery, carrots, and onion and add to large soup pot.  Add six cups chicken broth, bay leaves, sugar, nutmeg and salt and pepper.  Add pumpkin to soup pot.  Heat to a rolling boil and reduce to simmer.  Simmer for 45 minutes.  Just before serving,while simmering, add light cream and stir with whisk until well blended and heated through (about 4-5 minutes).  Do not boil.

Serves 6

Haricots Verts with Feta

Ingredients


Salad
1 1/2 pounds Haricots Verts (green beans-buy the very thin beans)
1 small red onion, minced
4 ounces feta cheese crumbled (1 cup)

Summer is here!

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Lemon Vinaigrette
3 TBS fresh lemon juice
3 TBS white wine vinegar
1 TBS Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper


Preparation


Lemon Vinaigrette:  Whisk lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and sugar until combined.  Add olive oil in a thin stream, whisking continuously until blended.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Boil 3 quarts water.  Plunge green beans into boiling salted water.  Cook 3 minutes.  Drain and rinse with ice water.  Pat dry.  Cover and chill thoroughly.

Transfer beans to a shallow serving bowl, add onion, and toss with 1/2 cup vinaigrette, adding more if desired.  Sprinkle with feta and almonds on top  Serve chilled.

Avocado and Roasted Corn Guacamole

Ingredients


1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

A Recipe for Matthew's Graduation Party

1/4 cup plus 3 TBS olive oil
2 large avocados cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 large tomato cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 TBS minced red onion
1 tsp chopped fresh or pickled Jalapeno
1 tsp minced garlic
2 TBS fresh lime juice
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1//4 tsp cumin

Preparation


1.   Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  On a baking sheet, toss the corn with 1TBS of the oil.  Roast corn, tossing often for 7-8 minutes until golden brown.  Let cool, then transfer to a medium bowl.

2.   Fold in the avocado, tomato, cilantro, onion, Jalapeno and garlic.  Stir in the lime juice, vinegar, coarse slat, and cumin.  Add 2 more TBS of the olive oil.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

Serve with tortilla chips and cold guacamole.

Beef Stroganoff Soup

Savery Avenue, Carver, MA: First Divided Highway in US

Ingredients

1 lb beef chuck steak
1 lb mushrooms
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 TBS Olive Oil
3 TBS Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 TBS Flour
3 TBS Ketchup
1 quart Chicken Stock
1 quart Beef Stock
3 cups egg noodles

Sour cream

Preparation


Slice steak thin, cut into thin strips about 2 inches long.  Remove stems, slice mushrooms into thin slices.
Chop onions into small pieces (you can use an electric food chopper). Heat oil and butter.  First brown onions in oil and butter. Add steak and brown over low heat, add chopped garlic. Stir in sliced mushrooms and continue to cook over low heat.  Sprinkle flour over mixture.  Add ketchup.  Stir mixture until mixed well.  Add Chicken and Beef Stock.  Cook over medium heat until soup is boiling.  Add egg noodles and cook over medium heat until noodles are done (10 minutes).  Serve hot with a topping of sour cream.

Notes from Liz

This is a rich and filling dinner soup.  It serves 6-8 people.